Chapter 1: I, Kogure Mitsunobu!
Kanagawa Prefecture, Shohoku Basketball Arena!
A freshman competition was in full swing.
Just as the game was about to reach its climax, something unexpected shattered the calm.
"Mitsui, are you okay?"
"Mitsui!" "Mitsui!"
His teammates surrounded the collapsed Mitsui, their faces filled with worry and anxiety.
"It hurts!"
Mitsui's face twisted, his left knee throbbing with excruciating pain.
In the previous match, Akagi had blocked Mitsui's shot, a move that had fueled his competitive spirit.
So, in the next round, Mitsui slashed past several defenders and challenged Akagi.
To escape Akagi's defense, Mitsui drastically changed direction. Just as he was about to succeed, his left knee could no longer withstand the pressure, causing him to lose his balance and fall heavily to the floor.
As his teammates expressed their concern for Mitsui, Kogure stood by, a dazed man.
He felt as if he had passed through the veil of time and space, glimpsing the deepest secrets of his soul. Countless fragments of memories flooded back like a tide.
After a brief moment of swelling and pain, the hazy memories quickly became vivid, like a long-forgotten scroll slowly unfolding in the river of time.
It turned out that, in the midst of this emotional turmoil, Murasaki had awakened his innate wisdom.
At this moment, his emotions were quite complex.
In the world of SD, basketball was an inescapable topic.
Although he admired Murasaki as a character, he didn't want to be like him.
He longed to be one of the Five Tigers of Shohoku, even the diminutive Miyagi!
Unlike the talented Five Tigers of Shohoku, Murasaki's performance on the court, aside from his three-point shooting, could only be described as mediocre.
Three years at Kitamura, three years at Shohoku—Murasaki toiled for six years, yet he couldn't even secure a spot in Shohoku's starting lineup.
Was Murasaki not working hard enough?
No!
He worked just as hard as anyone else!
Shigeichi Takaoka commented on Kogure: "For three years, he has been striving for excellence, never slacking off for a single day."
It's easy to imagine Kogure's passion and dedication to basketball.
Unfortunately, basketball is inherently a physical sport, making it extremely unforgiving for those lacking talent.
Kogure lacked both static and dynamic talent. His greatest strength was his soft shooting touch.
However, compared to Mitsui and A-Kami, this aspect was particularly lacking.
This lack of talent was the fundamental reason why Kogure was relegated to the team's sixth man.
This is the cruelty of competitive sports!
Captain Yuho Ikeda immediately shouted at Kogure, "Kogure, what are you doing standing there? Call an ambulance!"
Anxiety and unease filled Ikeda's voice.
As a senior on the Shohoku team, this was his final year.
The team was already weak, and Ikeda was skeptical of its future.
However, the arrival of junior high school MVP Mitsui Hisashi rekindled his desire for victory.
Unfortunately, his joy was premature!
"Yes, Captain!"
Murasaki came to his senses in an instant and immediately ran to a nearby telephone booth.
In 1992, mobile phones were not yet popular, and the level of technology was far behind that of later generations.
Not long after, an ambulance rushed over and took Mitsui to the hospital for treatment.
As the ambulance gradually drove away, the hearts of the Xiangbei players were filled with strong anxiety, and many freshmen even had the idea of quitting the team.
Suddenly, a huge shadow enveloped Murasaki.
He looked up and found Akagi standing in front of him.
When he saw Akagi, Murasaki couldn't help but think of the scene when he first met Akagi.
Because Akagi looked old, Murasaki thought he was a senior at the time.
It seems that what Amu said about Akagi looking older than him was indeed true.
"I wonder if Mitsui is okay?"
Akagi sighed softly, with deep self-blame in his tone.
In his opinion, if it weren't for breaking through his defense, Mitsui would not have been injured.
"Akagi, this isn't your problem!"
Murasaki consoled him, then continued, "After practice, I want to go to the hospital to visit Mitsui. Do you want to come?"
"With you!"
Akagi agreed without hesitation.
With Mitsui's injury, the freshman competition naturally ended prematurely.
Meanwhile, the Shohoku players practiced absentmindedly, but a sense of oppression lingered in the air.
Murasaki, familiar with the plot, understood that Mitsui's first injury had dealt a heavy blow to the team.
However, this was a blessing in disguise.
If nothing unexpected happened, Mitsui would be injured again!
In his haste to return, Mitsui disobeyed his doctor's advice and returned to the team without authorization, worsening his injury and ultimately causing him to miss the prefectural tournament.
Dejected, Mitsui temporarily left the basketball team and became a hooligans. It wasn't until the year of the plot that the iconic "Coach, I want to play basketball" scene took place.
Mitsui's self-determination not only harmed himself but also dealt a heavy blow to the Shohoku team.
When Mitsui was injured again, many freshmen quit the basketball team, including the three former Takeishi Junior High School players.
They chose Shohoku primarily to follow in Mitsui's footsteps.
Although their strength was far inferior to Mitsui's, they were still part of a championship team and had even competed in the junior high school national tournament. How much worse could they be?
With Mitsui's injury, their motivation to stay with Shohoku faded, and they ultimately chose to quit basketball.
However, there was still a chance to salvage their situation.
For both the team and themselves, Murasakibara must stop Mitsui's impulsive behavior and prevent him from repeating his mistakes.
This would not only prevent Shohoku from facing the risk of leaving the team, but also prevent Mitsui from having to face another two-year hiatus.
How strong would Mitsui be without that two-year hiatus?
A player's strength is primarily determined by three factors: physical fitness, technique, and experience.
Physically, two injuries and a long period of lack of systematic training have led to a significant decline in Mitsui's athletic ability.
Given Mitsui's age, as long as he stays healthy, his athleticism is bound to improve, at least without frequent physical challenges.
Technically, the two years without basketball have led to a significant decline in Mitsui's skills, particularly his driving ability.
With these two years, Mitsui's skills will mature.
Experience-wise, a large number of matches can effectively improve a player's mental fortitude and ability to read the game, enabling him to quickly detect subtle changes on the field and make appropriate decisions.
It's remarkable that even after two years of inactivity, Mitsui is still far from being comparable to Murasakibara.
Such is the difference in talent!
As soon as training concluded, Murasakibara and Akagi immediately headed to the hospital and found Mitsui's ward.
It was a spacious single room, a testament to Mitsui's well-off family background, given that he would be recuperating for another month.
Inside, Mitsui lay reclining on the bed, idly flipping through a magazine.
"Mitsui!"
Murasakibara knocked on the open door and stepped inside.
As he greeted him, he glanced at Mitsui's left knee. It wasn't in a cast, and he was in good spirits, suggesting the injury wasn't serious.
"Mitsui, Akagi, why are you here?"
Mitsui was surprised to see them.
"We've come all the way here to see you on behalf of the team!"
Murasaki said, placing a bag of fruit on the bedside table.
"It's just a minor injury. I'll be out soon!"
Mitsui waved his hand casually, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Mitsui, the doctor said you have a minor knee ligament injury and need to rest for a month. No strenuous exercise during this time!"
"A month? Why would it take that long?"
Mitsui was anxious. He wanted to get back to the team and participate in training as soon as possible, eager to prove himself to Coach Anzai.
"Mitsui, you must take the doctor's advice seriously!" Murasaki pushed his glasses up, his eyes serious.
"Of course I will!" Mitsui looked away. "But, the county tournament is less than a month away, and I'm afraid the team will lose. So, I have to be out as soon as possible!"
It was obvious that Mitsui was still clinging to a lucky break and didn't care about his injury.
"Mitsui, you don't want Coach Anzai to know you're back with an injury, do you?"
Murasaki had to bring up Coach Anzai to convince Mitsui.
"Kumuro, you can't do this!"
Mitsui suddenly tensed. Coach Anzai was someone he respected the most, and he naturally didn't want to lose points in front of him.
Seeing that Mitsui wasn't giving up, Kogure continued, "Mitsui, let me tell you a story!"
Mitsui remained silent, staring at Kogure silently.
Kogure's eyes flashed with nostalgia, and he slowly spoke, "I had a friend my age who was also injured in a game.
He ignored medical advice and rushed to return to the team, ultimately suffering a comminuted knee fracture and permanently losing his playing license.
I hope you'll learn from this and never ruin yourself on impulse!"
"Oh, so serious!"
Mitsui's expression was solemn, and he felt a strange sense of trepidation.
Because such thoughts had indeed crossed his mind.
"It's far worse than you think. Not only did he say goodbye to basketball completely, he couldn't even take care of himself, spending his days in a wheelchair. Can you imagine a life like that?"
Hearing Kogure's words, Mitsui shuddered, his fear growing even stronger.
If he did the same, would he end up suffering the same fate as Kogure's "friend"?
"Um, is your friend okay now?"
"He chose to end his own life!"
The ward fell into silence in an instant, filled with an atmosphere of depression.
"Mitsui, judging from the time, you still have a chance to participate in this county competition, provided that the team is not eliminated."
Mitsui asked hesitantly: "But, can the team hold on until then?"
It was obvious that Mitsui was skeptical about the strength of the Xiangbei team.
"Mitsui, I promise you that the team will never be eliminated before you come back!"
Murasakibara took off his glasses, his tone sonorous and powerful, revealing an unshakable determination to face the most difficult challenge so far.
Ding Dong~
Just at this moment, a cold prompt sound suddenly rang in his mind.
(End of this chapter)