The day of the practice game against Takezono arrived in a flash. Coach Anzai led Shohoku through the school gates, and the players' hearts started racing.
"Wow, so this is Takezono? It's full of girls! Totally different from our school!"
"Ahhh~ even the air smells sweet here!"
"Oh man, this place is paradise!"
The team's chatter drew stares.
Akagi snapped, veins bulging. "Idiots! Stop gawking! We're here to play basketball, not sightsee. Focus!"
"Yes, sir…" the players mumbled.
Akagi's gaze fell on Sakuragi, who trailed silently behind the group. Normally the loudest one, today he looked like a meek little quail. Akagi frowned, suspicious he was scheming something.
But for once, he was wrong. After a night of "special training" with Nango, Sakuragi was practically vibrating with excitement. He had only one thought in mind: shock everyone on the court, impress Haruko, and crush Oda beneath his "genius" strength.
Hmph! Oda, get ready—you're going down!
In front, Nango and Rukawa walked calmly. Nango didn't take Takezono seriously. If they couldn't even beat Hainan's second string, what trouble could they cause us?
As for Rukawa—he was simply too sleepy to care.
The moment Shohoku stepped into the gym, the noise hit them like a wave. The second-floor gallery was packed with girls cheering wildly.
"Uh… what's happening?"
Ayako chuckled. "This is Takezono's specialty—the cheer squad. About seventy percent of the school is female, and their basketball team are like celebrities. Most visiting teams can't handle the atmosphere, so they avoid scrimmaging here."
"I see…"
"Hehe, I have to admit, I'm a little nervous now."
Akagi barked, "Enough! Go get changed and warm up!"
"Yes!"
In the stands, Haruko and her friends clutched their seats nervously. The atmosphere was so intense they were afraid even cheering for Shohoku might get them mobbed.
The Sakuragi Gang, on the other hand, were completely relaxed.
"Let's make a bet," Noma said slyly. "Will Sakuragi still score zero points today?"
Okusu grinned. "I'm in. He'll stay at zero."
"Same here. No way he improved in just a few days," Takamiya added knowingly.
Even Yohei hesitated before sighing. "Count me in too. As much as I want to believe in him, yesterday he was still a total newbie."
Noma groaned. "Hey, if we all bet the same way, what's the point of gambling?!"
In the locker room, Akagi gathered the team.
"This is our last game before the Prefectural Tournament. We cannot afford mistakes. Shohoku…" He took a deep breath and roared, "Must win!!!"
"Must win!!!" the team shouted together.
They marched onto the court, Shohoku's starters: Akagi, Sakuragi, Mitsui, Rukawa, and Nango.
Takezono's lineup didn't matter much. All eyes were on one duel: Oda versus Sakuragi.
When Oda spotted him, he froze in disbelief. "Sakuragi? You actually joined Shohoku's team?"
Before Sakuragi could reply, Oda sneered. "And they even let you play? Guess this will be an easy win for us."
Sakuragi's eyes narrowed. "Say all you want now, Oda. You won't be laughing later." He bit back his pride, saving his answer for the game itself.
Beep!
The tip-off was no contest—Akagi dominated and batted the ball to Nango.
"First possession, let's take it slow—"
"Takezono! Oda! Go, Oda!"
Nango's voice was drowned out by the thunderous cheers of Takezono's fans. He sighed, then clenched his fist: the signal for isolation.
The defender in front of him blinked in confusion. Wait, why is this 190 cm monster facing me? Did I mess up? Who am I guarding? Who am I?!
Too late. Nango blew by him effortlessly and drove toward the paint, where Oda braced himself to help.
Smart. But not enough.
Nango stopped just inside the free-throw line and rose for a pull-up jumper.
"You won't score that easily!" Oda lunged in, arm outstretched.
But as he jumped, he caught a glimpse of Nango's sly grin. And the ball… its arc didn't look like a shot at all.
Wait—that's not a shot. It's a pass!
"Go, Sakuragi!" Nango willed silently. "This is your moment!"
Right on cue, Sakuragi burst free, exploding toward the rim. The defenders had all boxed out for a rebound, clueless until Sakuragi snatched the ball out of the air and hammered it down with a thunderous dunk!
BOOM!
The rim rattled as he hung there one-handed, grinning like a madman.
"Wha—did I see that right?!" Yohei gaped.
"Shohoku's… first points…" Takamiya stammered.
"…Scored by Sakuragi?!" Okusu finished in disbelief.
The entire Sakuragi Gang sat frozen, jaws on the floor.
On the court, Shohoku players weren't much different.
"When did he learn the alley-oop?!"
"Doesn't matter—beautiful play! Well done, Sakuragi!"
Akagi and Kogure both exchanged knowing looks. Nango's training… it's already paying off. Incredible.
Even Miyagi and Mitsui had to admit—Sakuragi might be raw, but if he could dunk like that, the defense couldn't just ignore him anymore. That opened up a whole new layer for Shohoku's offense.
From the bench, Coach Anzai chuckled warmly into his teacup. "Hohohoho…"
"Sakuragi-kun, that was amazing!" Haruko cheered with all her heart, her eyes sparkling.
"Haruko-san! Hahahaha!" Sakuragi roared, chest puffed out. At last—his moment of glory! To dunk in front of Haruko and humiliate Oda at the same time… this was peak Sakuragi.
As Shohoku jogged back on defense, Rukawa glanced sideways at Nango. "You taught him that?"
Nango smirked. "Fits him perfectly, don't you think?"
"At least he's finally useful," Rukawa muttered dryly.
"Come on, give him some credit. That was real progress," Nango chuckled.
On the other end, Oda's face darkened. "Don't get cocky! It was just one dunk. You won't get another chance like that!"
"Hmph! Challenge accepted, Oda!" Sakuragi barked.
This idiot! Oda clenched his fists, veins popping. How dare he talk back to me?!
And so, with tensions boiling between rivals, the game truly began.
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