"What the hell do you mean by that, you damn fox?!"
"You wanna fight?!"
"This genius will show you exactly how big the difference is right now!"
Seeing the two of them about to break into another all-out brawl, Akagi Takenori finally reached the end of his patience.
He shot out both hands, clamped them around their necks like a pair of iron pincers, and forcibly shoved them back into their seats.
"Both of you, sit down and behave!" Akagi roared, his chest heaving violently.
The smile disappeared from Coach Anzai's face, replaced by an unprecedentedly grave expression.
"Don't underestimate the situation."
His voice carried an unquestionable authority, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
"They have an absolute ace whose abilities surpass the high school level, an all-around center who dominates the paint, and a cold-blooded commander directing the team."
"But none of those things is the most frightening part."
Coach Anzai's gaze swept across every player.
"What's most important is that all three of them have the experience of winning last year's Interhigh Championship."
"After countless battles where a single mistake could mean defeat, they've forged mental fortitude that is practically unbreakable."
He paused, his tone turning stern.
"Tomorrow, when we face them, we cannot afford a single mistake."
"In other words… we absolutely cannot rely on luck. Don't expect the pressure to make them lose their composure."
"If we want to win, we must crush them head-on!"
The oppressive feeling of facing a championship team that overwhelmingly outclassed its opponents and almost never made mistakes was suffocating.
"Hey… Pops."
"Don't tell me you still don't believe in our abilities?"
"We're the team that took down Kainan and Toyotama!"
For once, Sakuragi Hanamichi dropped his usual clownish act. His brows knitted together, and a rare look of seriousness appeared on his face.
"I haven't finished speaking yet, Sakuragi."
Coach Anzai pushed up his slipping glasses and took a deep breath.
"You won't just be facing your opponents on the court. You'll also have to contend with the pressure from the stands."
"Anyone who plays basketball knows the name Sannoh High."
"They're perennial champions, an untouchable legend, and national idols!"
"I can guarantee that every seat in the arena will be filled tomorrow."
"And every single one of those spectators will be there to watch Sannoh win."
The brutal reality was laid bare before them.
Playing away from home.
Challenging an seemingly invincible team while enduring the boos of more than ten thousand spectators.
The isolation of standing on the edge of a cliff with the entire world against you was enough to shatter a team's mental defenses before the opening tip-off.
Akagi and Miyagi's expressions grew heavy.
Then, suddenly...
Sakuragi straightened his back and smacked his chest with both hands, producing a series of dull thumps.
"What's so bad about that?!"
His lips curled into an outrageously arrogant grin, his eyes blazing with excitement.
"I'm the kind of guy who gets more excited the bigger the crowd is! The more people watching, the better I perform!"
"Having a packed arena is perfect!"
He rubbed his chin, imagining the scene. His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"If we completely humiliate that East African Ape and their ace tomorrow… those spectators will cheer for us too, won't they?!"
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He even started waving at the empty air as though greeting an adoring crowd.
"Who knows? Maybe Shohoku will spectacularly crush Sannoh right in front of all those Sannoh fans!"
"And then the entire arena will be chanting this genius's name!"
Watching Sakuragi lose himself in his own fantasy, Mitsui Hisashi pressed a hand to his forehead in exhaustion.
"How on earth does this guy's brain work…?"
However, Sakuragi's grin suddenly froze.
He seemed to have thought of something horrifying, and his expression became strangely uneasy.
"Wait a minute…"
Sakuragi swallowed nervously and turned toward Kogure Kiminobu. For once, there was a hint of genuine concern in his eyes.
"If that happens… and we shatter Sannoh's legend, will their fans wait outside the arena to ambush us?"
"You know, throw sacks over our heads and beat the hell out of us?"
"…"
The entire room was struck speechless.
Kogure could only laugh helplessly.
"Sakuragi, don't say things like that."
"The spectators at the Interhigh know their basketball."
"If we play well, we'll earn their respect."
"Sannoh's fans aren't that classless, either."
After hearing this, Sakuragi nodded thoughtfully. A moment later, his usual infuriating expression returned.
"Hmph! Then they're lucky!"
"Otherwise, this genius's iron fists wouldn't show them any mercy!"
Beep!
Just then, Makino Juro pressed the fast-forward button.
The footage flashed by like a rapidly spinning reel before finally stopping at the moment the final buzzer sounded.
The scoreboard in the center of the screen enlarged mercilessly, revealing a set of numbers that seemed to glare back at them.
Kainan High School 83 – 113 Sannoh High.
A full thirty-point difference.
And that was despite Maki Shinichi giving everything he had and Kainan's entire team making virtually no mistakes.
Even so, Sannoh had carved out an insurmountable gap between them.
The room fell into another deathly silence.
The only sound was the monotonous hum of the air conditioner's compressor.
Outside, the Hiroshima night was deep and dark. Neon lights painted colorful halos across the windows, yet none of their glow could dispel the oppressive atmosphere inside.
Akagi stared at the score, his throat feeling as though it were packed with coarse sand.
Rukawa Kaede clenched his hands at his sides, his fingernails digging into his palms.
Miyagi Ryota lowered his head, biting his lips until he tasted blood.
This was the pinnacle of Japanese high school basketball.
This was the monster they would have to face tomorrow.
Looking at his silent players, Coach Anzai slowly rose to his feet.
He straightened his back. The kindly expression that usually graced his face had given way to a chilling determination, making him look like a general preparing to lead his troops into battle.
"If you want to fulfill your dream of conquering the nation…"
Coach Anzai's voice rang out with the weight of a solemn declaration. Every word drove itself like a nail into the depths of their souls.
"Then no matter what happens tomorrow—even if the entire arena boos you, even if the score gets out of hand, even if you find it difficult to breathe under the pressure…"
His gaze swept across Akagi, Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa.
Finally, it settled on Juro and Sakuragi.
"Do not—under any circumstances—allow your resolve to waver."
"This is a war with no retreat."
"If you want to defeat Sannoh High…"
"You must have the resolve to make a desperate sacrifice—to cut off your own arm if that's what it takes!"
…
The lobby of a hotel in Hiroshima.
The early-summer night breeze drifted inside, carrying a hint of oppressive heat.
The pregame strategy meeting was over, but the pressure brought on by the Sannoh footage still hung over the Shohoku players like a towering mountain.
"Ring-ring-ring!"
The reception phone had barely rung once when a red-haired blur materialized in front of the counter.
"Hello! You've reached Sakuragi Hanamichi, Shohoku's secret weapon and genius basketball player!"
Sakuragi snatched up the receiver. His voice was loud enough to shatter the lobby windows, and his grin stretched practically from ear to ear.
"Ah… Good evening, Sakuragi."
The gentle voice of Akagi Haruko came from the other end.
"Have you been waiting by the phone this whole time?"
The moment he heard that long-awaited voice, Sakuragi practically floated off the ground.
Sannoh, Kainan, the championship—every last worry was instantly wiped from his mind.
"Wahahahaha! Haruko!"
"I just happened to be passing by! Seriously, what a coincidence!"
Sakuragi scratched the back of his head, his voice automatically turning into an exaggeratedly sweet, lovestruck falsetto.
"Congratulations on winning today, Sakuragi!"
Haruko sounded delighted.
"We're staying at one of Fujii's relatives' houses."
"Oh… Fujii, huh? Give them my regards."
Sakuragi couldn't have cared less about Fujii. His entire attention was focused on Haruko.
"You were absolutely amazing today!"
"My brother said that if you keep improving, Shohoku will be able to conquer the nation."
"That mid-range shot of yours was so cool!"
The moment his crush praised him, Sakuragi felt as though he had ascended straight to heaven. In his imagination, cherubs surrounded him, playing heavenly harps.
His face flushed red. He fidgeted bashfully before replying,
"Hehehe… With the buff from love supporting me, this genius's potential is as limitless as the stars and the sea…"
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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