Despite repeated failures in practice, Sakuragi didn't quit. If anything, he threw himself in with even more stubborn energy. But thanks to Nango's clever schemes, most of his efforts ended in disaster.
A few rebounds came his way by luck, but every put-back attempt was either wildly off-target or stuffed back down by Nango or Akagi.
By the time Akagi blew the final whistle, Sakuragi was drenched in sweat, teeth grinding.
"Alright, today's practice is over. We'll continue tomorrow. Dismissed."
The team shuffled toward the locker room, exhausted.
But Nango stopped in his tracks. "Oi, Sakuragi. Want to stay and practice with me? You gave me a lot of trouble in that scrimmage."
Sakuragi waved him off without hesitation. "No interest. Practice by yourself."
He didn't want another second in the gym. His head was already boiling over with frustration—he needed to think.
"…Tch." Nango scratched his chin, watching the redhead stalk out. Looks like flattery won't work. I'll need another plan.
"Why are you wasting time on that idiot?" Rukawa finally spoke, voice flat as ever.
From his perspective, Sakuragi was nothing but raw physique—no skills, no brain.
"Hm? You curious about that?" Nango smirked.
Rukawa ignored him.
Nango shrugged and answered himself. "Because if the three of us play together, no high school team can stop us. The problem is, Sakuragi still needs to grow. That's why."
He glanced at Rukawa. "What about you? Want to practice some more?"
Rukawa yawned, already grabbing his bag. "I'm going home. Sleep."
"…" Both idiots rejected him. Nango sighed. Fine, I'll see what the Training module does instead.
Closing his eyes, he dove into the system's new feature.
The [Training] module split into two categories:
[Individual] → Skill Training, Physical Training
[Team] → Scrimmage Training, Tactical Drills
The price wasn't cheap. Individual training cost 500 points, team training 1000. And since daily tasks only gave him 100 points, that meant maybe six Individual sessions or three Team sessions a month.
With such a steep cost, the payoff had to be huge. But for now, Nango decided his points were better spent refining his physique. The Shohoku training program already covered the basics he needed.
Satisfied, he logged out of the system and casually sank 50 mid-range jumpers before leaving the gym.
Meanwhile, Sakuragi wandered the streets alone, replaying every humiliating moment in his head. Each thought burned hotter than the last.
In the end, his feet carried him to a very unexpected place.
"Ding-dong…"
Akagi opened his front door. "Coming! Sorry, we don't need—huh? Sakuragi? What are you doing here? I'm telling you now, I'm not feeding you."
"Gorilla…" Sakuragi's face was deadly serious. "How can I beat Rukawa Kaede and Nango?"
For him to seek guidance from his sworn "enemies" Rukawa and Nango was unthinkable. Which left only one person he could turn to.
Akagi was taken aback. He had always believed Sakuragi's basketball obsession was just another passing craze. But the desperate eyes staring back at him now… forced him to see the boy differently.
After a pause, Akagi asked, "Do you know how long Rukawa has been playing?"
Sakuragi scratched his head. "Ayako said he's her junior, so… at least a year?"
Akagi shook his head. "He was captain of the Tomioka Junior High team. They called him 'Rukawa of Tomioka.' He was famous even before entering Shohoku. Sakuragi, even if you're a so-called genius, he's been playing for years."
He gripped Sakuragi's head firmly, locking eyes with him. "As you are now, you can't surpass them anytime soon. But… if you truly want to, then from tomorrow onward, train like your life depends on it."
"…Gorilla." Sakuragi's chest tightened. This bowl of hot-blooded motivation—he gulped it all down.
Akagi had only explained Rukawa. As for Nango… he was too enigmatic. Akagi couldn't read him at all.
The following days, Sakuragi trained with a newfound resolve. His improvement was visible by the day.
Time flew. Before long, it was the day of the practice match against Ryonan.
"Excuse me! Good afternoon!" Led by Akagi, Shohoku arrived at Ryonan's gym.
Coach Taoka, overseeing drills, hurried forward at once to greet Coach Anzai with a respectful bow. "Coach Anzai! Thank you for coming in person. Truly, it should have been us visiting you. Forgive the rudeness!"
"Hikoichi! Quick, bring chairs!"
"Whoa, the old man's really respected, huh?" Sakuragi whispered in awe.
"Of course. He was a former national team player," Nango said casually.
After Coach Anzai exchanged pleasantries, Taoka turned to shake hands with Akagi. His eyes then flicked toward the back—where two unfamiliar figures stood.
New faces? First-years? Both tall… especially that redhead. Though with hair like that, is he just a delinquent?
Shohoku had only been on his radar because of Akagi, a top center in Kanagawa. Ryonan planned to use this game as a warm-up, an easy morale boost. Uozumi would sharpen his edge against Akagi before the real battles against Takasago and Hanagata.
But now, with two mysterious freshmen appearing in Shohoku's lineup, Taoka narrowed his eyes.
Could Shohoku… become a dark horse this year?
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