Shohoku High School – Classroom Building
"Haruko, I heard the basketball team is having an internal practice match today. Wanna go check it out?"
"They say this year's freshmen are insanely strong. The upperclassmen don't even stand a chance."
"How about we go cheer for your brother while we're at it?"
…
Three girls walked along chatting.
Among them, the girl with long, flowing hair, delicate features, and sparkling eyes was Akagi Haruko—captain Akagi's younger sister.
The short-haired girl and the one with pouty lips beside her were Haruko's close friends, Matsui and Fujii.
(Rumor has it that Fujii and Takamiya look like a married couple—netizens are still waiting for proof.)
"Big brother…"
Hearing Matsui and Fujii's teasing remarks, Haruko spaced out for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's go."
Before long, with light laughter among them, the three girls arrived at the gym.
On the Court
Ryota Miyagi dribbled past the half-court line and approached the three-point arc, while Shoichi moved up swiftly to defend.
Seeing Shoichi was the one guarding him, Miyagi was a little surprised—but didn't take it seriously.
They hadn't played head-to-head yet, so he had no idea just how dangerous Shoichi could be.
Looking at the freshman guarding him, Miyagi gave a cocky grin.
"Shoichi-kun, I heard from Kogure you're pretty good at stealing the ball. How about you try it"
Before he could finish his sentence, Shoichi shifted his weight and struck with lightning speed—his right hand snapping at the ball.
In the blink of an eye, the ball was stripped clean from Miyagi's control.
"Rukawa! Fast break!"
Shoichi caught the ball and immediately passed it ahead to Rukawa Kaede, sending him off on a lightning-fast counterattack.
As Shoichi brushed past Miyagi, he sprinted alongside Rukawa to complete the offensive.
"That was fast!"
Miyagi stood frozen, stunned by how clean and seamless the steal and pass had been. He'd underestimated him—badly.
Seeing is believing. Only after witnessing it firsthand did Miyagi realize just how wrong he'd been to let his guard down.
"You idiot! What are you spacing out for—get back on defense!"
Akagi bellowed furiously from behind.
Snapped out of his daze, Miyagi turned and sprinted after Rukawa.
But it was too late.
By the time he caught up, Rukawa had already leapt into the air—and slammed the ball home.
Boom!
The sharp sound of the dunk echoed through the gym.
Rukawa landed smoothly, adding two more points to the freshman team's lead.
He gave a curt nod toward Shoichi. "Nice steal."
"Just lucky," Shoichi replied coolly. "We only scored because Miyagi-senpai let his guard down. Next time, it won't be so easy."
Rukawa nodded in agreement.
On the Sidelines
"Those two freshmen are insane!"
"Was that Rukawa with the dunk?"
"And that other guy—he stole the ball so fast, Miyagi didn't even have time to react."
"I heard he's not Japanese. A lot of girls have been trying to find out more about him."
…
Fujii and Matsui whispered among themselves.
Hearing them talk, Haruko's eyes wandered toward Shoichi. "So he's the transfer student my brother mentioned… His skills really are something else."
She murmured to herself, completely absorbed by Shoichi's presence on the court.
Spotting the trio, Ayako waved enthusiastically. "Haruko, you made it! You're here to cheer for Captain Akagi, right?"
Haruko nodded blankly—then shook her head in hesitation.
Ayako chuckled at the cute confusion but didn't press further.
Standing off to the side, Sakuragi Hanamichi was practically drooling as he stared at Haruko, stars in his eyes.
Unable to contain himself anymore, Sakuragi ran over and began shaking Coach Anzai wildly.
"Old man! I'm on the team too, you know! Everyone else is getting time on the court! You can't keep doing this to me—I've got to show what I can do!"
Everyone nearby was stunned by his outburst—he was actually manhandling the coach!
Seeing this, Akagi's face darkened. He stormed over and dragged Sakuragi to the side.
"Shut up and calm down!"
Then, turning to Coach Anzai, Akagi explained, "Coach, this guy's a total beginner. And, well… he's got some issues with basic manners. I wasn't planning to let him play."
Hearing that, Sakuragi immediately picked up a ball and began dribbling furiously.
"Huh… not bad."
Coach Anzai raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed—but his tone quickly shifted.
"But since Captain Akagi has already made arrangements, you need to follow them seriously."
"Sakuragi-kun, use this time to learn and practice. I hope to see your growth in our practice game against Ryonan."
Instantly deflated, Sakuragi slumped in disappointment.
But the moment he spotted Shoichi, his fighting spirit reignited.
"Shoichi! I'm all warmed up! Time to switch!"
Shoichi furrowed his brows slightly at Sakuragi's shout, clearly torn.
They'd made a deal earlier—Shoichi would play first, then switch out so Sakuragi could get a feel for the court.
But his mission to complete more steals hadn't been fulfilled yet. Clearly, it wasn't time to switch just yet.