Slam Dunk!!
"Beep!"
The coach blew the whistle to end the game.
"The game is over! Oliver's team wins!!"
The entire stadium erupted in cheers. No one had expected to witness a slam dunk. Oliver had seized the ball, sprinted forward, and leapt into the air to dunk it, all in one seamless motion. He was like a hurricane—swift and unstoppable—and his dunk was as powerful as a bolt of lightning.
The older sisters who had been cheering for Sakuragi earlier now blushed and screamed at the sight.
"Ouch..."
Oliver released the rim and dropped to the floor, landing with a thud.
This final move had used up every ounce of his strength. The "Sonic Sprint" skill had drained him. His vision was spinning with stars, and his limbs were limp.
"Awesome, Bean Sprout Brother! You jumped way too high!!"
"Scary, but cool! You're amazing, bro!!"
Nozomi Takamiya and the rest of Sakuragi's Gang ran in from the sidelines, surrounding Oliver and shouting with joy.
"I-I'm fine... Just... can someone help me up? I really can't move my—Ah?!"
Before Oliver could finish, the gang had already lifted him into the air with enthusiastic shouts.
"Long live! Long live!"
"Hey—not now, really not now! My back—I think my back is broken!"
But their cheers drowned out his protests. They continued tossing him into the air joyfully.
Despite his pain, the moment brought a wave of nostalgia. It reminded Oliver of his early basketball days when his friends would celebrate a hard-earned victory the same way.
Looking down at the grinning faces of Sakuragi's Gang, Oliver couldn't help but smile.
Nearby, Sakuragi remained rooted to the spot, staring up at the basket where Oliver had just slammed the ball.
"A slam dunk... That was a slam dunk..."
He bent down, picked up a basketball, and clutched it to his chest.
Can I do it too?
"Sakuragi."
He turned around at the sound of his name.
There was Oliver, now resting on the floor, his legs sprawled and arms limp, yet still smiling and giving him a thumbs-up.
"If you want to try, go for it! I think you can do it too!"
"Oliver..."
No one had ever spoken to him like that. No one had believed in him so wholeheartedly. For a moment, Sakuragi was stunned, but then his eyes filled with determination.
"Okay!! I'm going to give it a try too!!"
Sakuragi ran to the three-point line, clutching the ball and gauging the distance. Then, without hesitation, he sprinted forward.
"Ah! What is red-haired brother trying to do now?"
"Does he want to dunk too?!"
Excitement filled the air.
"Ugh!"
Sakuragi leapt with all his might, his height nearly matching Oliver's earlier jump.
"I'm amazing!!"
Even the basketball club members gasped.
"He really can jump..."
The older sisters outside the court covered their mouths in amazement.
BANG!
Sakuragi smacked into the backboard and crashed onto the court with a loud thud.
Dunking, it turns out, isn't so easy.
"Bwahahaha!"
Mito burst into laughter, pointing at Sakuragi.
"You're still 200 years too early to dunk like that, little guy!"
"What a shame, red-haired brother!"
The girls outside giggled, but one of them added with encouragement:
"But you jumped so high! If you keep practicing, you'll definitely be able to dunk too!"
"R-really? Hehehe... Of course! Because I'm a genius! Wahahaha!!"
Seeing Sakuragi bask in the praise, scratching his head proudly, everyone shook their heads with a helpless smile.
Then, Oda stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
Sensing something off, Mito and the others immediately stepped in protectively.
"It's fine, guys..."
Oliver, still weak, managed to sit up and gave Oda a weary grin.
"So? What did you think?"
Oda looked from Oliver to Sakuragi, who was lying on the court, still laughing.
He took a deep breath.
I don't want to admit it. I really don't.
When they were in junior high, Sakuragi and his gang were notorious for brawling. Oda didn't want to believe that someone like that had any place on a basketball court.
But the rebound Sakuragi had snatched from over his head, that incredible jump just now...
I don't want to admit it. But maybe... this guy really is suited for basketball.
"Tsk..."
Oda clicked his tongue and walked toward Sakuragi.
Oliver noticed and smiled, then lay back on the floor with a satisfied sigh.
Even former enemies can be brought together by basketball. That was the beauty of the sport.
"Huh? What are you doing?"
Sakuragi sat up nervously as Oda approached.
"If you want to fight, I'm ready for you, anytime—"
Before he could finish, Oda extended a hand.
"...You've got some skills. I lost this time, Sakuragi Hanamichi."
Sakuragi stared blankly, then looked down at the offered hand.
Moments later, his face exploded with joy.
"Wahahaha! So you admit it? You admit that 'Oda-san from the basketball club' lost to the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi?!"
"You...!!"
Oda's face turned red with rage. His hand curled into a fist.
Why did I even bother being nice to this guy?! he thought bitterly.
"Yo!"
Sakuragi somersaulted to his feet and grinned at him.
"If you're not convinced, challenge me again anytime! This genius will always be ready! Wahahaha!!"
Oda gritted his teeth.
He only won because of Oliver! How can he be so smug?!
"You idiot!!"
Oda pointed furiously at Sakuragi.
"With your current skills, you're not even worth taking seriously! If you really want to play basketball, train hard! If we meet in the high school league, I'll crush you!!"
"You're just saying that because you lost to this genius!"
"Sakuragi!! You moron!!"
"Yep... real lively," Mito muttered.
He glanced down at Oliver.
"You knew they'd resolve things after this match, didn't you?"
"Who knows?"
Oliver shrugged.
"That's the charm of basketball. People who don't get along might become friends, and friends will grow even closer..."
He smiled and stretched out on the court.
"As for me? I just wanted to play ball."
END OF CHAPTER
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