As the game resumed, Makoto pushed the ball up the court, his shoes sliding lightly against the polished gym floor. A faint squeak echoed with each step as he scanned the court. His chest rose steadily with each breath, muscles loose but alert. He passed to Tetsuo, who caught the ball and settled into a ready stance, eyes locked onto Takahiro in front of him.
Takahiro immediately stepped up, closing the distance. Heat rose through his arms as he planted his feet. We can't afford for him to score another three-pointer, so we have to play it safe this time around, he thought, staying low and active. His eyes darted between the ball and Tetsuo's torso, reading every twitch.
Out of nowhere, Yukio sprinted over and planted his body into Takahiro's side with a firm screen. The thud of contact rang out, forcing Takahiro off balance. Tetsuo sprang off the opening, circling around the screen to the top of the arc. He stopped just behind the line, rose fluidly into his shot, and released.
The ball spun through the air, the net snapping sharply. Another clean three.
Tch. Should have known they'd pull a stunt like that, Takahiro thought bitterly as he jogged back toward the half-court line, face tight with frustration.
On the next possession, Hayato caught the inbound and surged down the court. The sound of his soles gripping and peeling off the floor followed him as he approached the arc. Without hesitation, he planted his lead foot and launched a three-pointer. It hit the rim, bounced once, and fell through with a soft rattle.
"Yes! I made it!" he said, a grin spreading across his face.
"That shot was pure luck. You can't be taking risks like that—what if it was a real game and that shot mattered?" Makoto asked, narrowing his eyes as he stepped up for the inbound.
"Well, I didn't miss, and now we're still close in score, so it was the right decision," Hayato replied as he jogged backward on defense, light on his toes.
Makoto brought the ball back up and signaled with a quick hand gesture. Yukio hustled into position, setting a screen near the top. As Makoto curved around, Liam and Hayato both chased Yukio to prevent an easy roll. Sensing the double coverage, Makoto halted at the elbow, rose into his jumper, and released with a sharp flick of the wrist.
The ball struck the net cleanly. No rim. Just precision.
Hayato returned upcourt and raised his hand. "Makoto! One-on-one!" he called, settling into a stance across from him. Makoto gave a subtle nod, bouncing on his heels. They were identical in height, and their eyes locked—neither backing down.
Hayato lunged forward, but Makoto's hands were already moving. He slapped the ball away, the rubber thudding softly as he stole it clean. Crap, he stole it, Hayato thought, turning on his heel and chasing hard.
Makoto sprinted, his breathing steady and focused. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Shino closing in on the opposite wing. Just before reaching the paint, he pivoted and dished the ball behind him.
Shino caught it in stride, took two quick steps, and laid it in off the glass. The ball kissed the backboard and dropped through.
On the sideline, Nanaho's arms were crossed. Her eyes followed the play with a tight frown. It's clear that Makoto's team has the greatest advantage, but what was I supposed to do? We couldn't have Yukio and Liam on the same team, she thought, tapping her finger against her arm.
Back on the court, Hayato passed to Liam, who had positioned himself deep in the post. Yukio tried to body up, pressing a forearm into Liam's back, but Liam spun off the pressure and took a strong step into the paint. With one fluid motion, he released a layup off the glass.
Makoto inbounded again. The court buzzed with the sound of sneakers and the occasional shout of communication. He passed to Yukio, who squared up in a triple-threat position. Liam stood firm in front of him, knees bent and eyes sharp.
Yukio jabbed forward and faked a shot. Liam flinched, just slightly. Yukio took off to the baseline, dribbling low. Liam recovered quickly, chest brushing against Yukio's shoulder. The two clashed near the edge of the paint. Yukio spun away from contact, slid to his left, and jumped toward the rim.
Liam sprang up after him, timing it perfectly. His palm smacked the ball mid-air and sent it crashing to the floor. The block echoed in the gym.
Hayato reacted instantly, scooping up the loose ball. His fingers gripped the rubber tightly as he threw a sharp pass down the court.
"Noboru, catch!"
The ball streaked through the air. Noboru reached up, caught it cleanly, and finished with a soft layup off the glass.
Makoto wasted no time. He jogged back up and passed to Yukio again. This time, Liam stayed grounded, anticipating the drive. Yukio jumped, but instead of forcing the shot, he dropped it off to Tetsuo, who had slipped through a screen.
Tetsuo grabbed the ball mid-stride and tossed it in off the backboard.
"Come on, Takahiro! Keep an eye on him—he's really swift!" Hayato said, winded but focused.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I'll get him next time," Takahiro replied, chest rising and falling as he adjusted his stance.
Hayato brought the ball back up. His hands tingled from the tight dribble. Reaching the wing, he passed to Takahiro, who immediately gave it back and sliced through the key. Hayato faked a move to the right to bait Makoto, then slipped the ball back to Takahiro.
Takahiro caught it in stride, Tetsuo stepping up to contest. Feeling the pressure, Takahiro shifted his weight, using his shoulder to create space. He absorbed the contact and went up strong, shielding the ball with his torso.
The layup kissed the glass and dropped in.
"You might be talented, Tetsuo, but there's still a lot of room for growth and experience," Takahiro said as he trotted back on defense, sweat glistening on his arms.
On the sidelines, a group of girls had arrived.
"I'm so glad we made it on time. There's no way I'm missing a single practice," Harumi said to her friends.
"Yeah, me neither. I just love watching Yukio play basketball," one of them added.
"Yeah, you're right. Shino is so adorable!" another girl chimed in.
"Let's do our best to cheer them on during training, okay?" Harumi said, and they all nodded excitedly.
Back on the court, Tetsuo received the ball. His fingers curled around it tightly as he took a breath. Takahiro stood close, knees bent. Tetsuo jabbed left. Takahiro slid. Tetsuo spun right, his pivot foot anchoring him. He stepped forward and launched a controlled layup.
The ball arced cleanly and swished.
"Wow, nice one, Kawaguchi! Brilliant play!" a girl called out.
"Nice shot, Kawaguchi! Keep it up—I'm rooting for you!" another added.
"Tetsuo, that was a nice shot! Great work!" Harumi shouted, smiling wide.
I know those voices… It's those damn annoying fangirls again, Noboru thought, gritting his teeth.
He turned toward them. "How many times do I have to tell you girls to stop coming here? You're distracting us from training! Don't you have anything better to do than gawking at our captain, Tetsuo, or Shino? Come on, get lost or something!"
"Hey! How dare you talk to me like that? You don't own the gym, so you can't tell me what to do!" one girl snapped.
"Yeah, she's right! We're not here to watch an ugly dwarf play—we're here to watch them, so just shut up and avoid us," another girl added, arms crossed.
"Who the hell are you calling an ugly dwarf? I'm taller than all of you! Now, please leave before I make you," Noboru said, voice rising.
"Uh, Noboru... You do realize we're still in a game, right?" Hayato asked awkwardly, holding the ball on the sideline.
Knew he was going to be a pain—he's ruining the possession flow, Makoto thought, clenching his jaw.
"But from where I'm standing, you look like a tiny speck compared to the rest of the team," the girl mocked.
"Says the girl with freckles on her face, trying to cover them up with those goofy glasses," Noboru fired back.
"Are you saying I look weird?" the girl asked, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"That was uncalled for! You made her cry!" her friend yelled.
"If you've got a problem with me, then just leave," Noboru said sharply.
Nanaho stormed onto the court and smacked him on the back of the head. The sound was sharp.
"Ouch! That hurt! What was that for, Nanaho?" Noboru whined, rubbing the spot.
"You're in the middle of an important game, and you let outsiders distract you. Now I'm really upset. You're going to stay after training and clean up everything by yourself."
"But that's unfair, Nanaho! They started it! And how can I do everything alone?"
"Noboru, come on! Look alive!" Hayato shouted as he inbounded the ball.
Noboru caught it quickly and passed to Liam, who was already cutting to the hoop. Liam's heavy steps hit the hardwood with purpose. He went up strong and dropped in an uncontested layup.
On the return, Yukio calmly sank a two-pointer from the wing. Hayato answered with a three-pointer that slipped clean through the net.
Makoto dribbled slowly, scanning. He made a sharp crossover on Hayato and drove. Liam stepped up—waiting to block—but Makoto stopped and rose for a soft floater in the paint.
The ball fell in.
Liam answered with a thunderous dunk, gripping the rim briefly before landing.
Makoto passed ahead to Shino, who sprinted past everyone in transition. He finished the layup off the glass as his momentum carried him under the rim.
Noboru quickly inbounded and received the return pass in transition, charging down the court and finishing another fast-break layup.
Makoto seized the ball again and passed to Tetsuo, who caught it on the wing. Takahiro slid into position. Tetsuo faked once, then spun, launching a sudden floater.
It dropped in.
"Come on, Hayato! Only a couple of seconds left—you need to score!" Nanaho shouted from the sideline.
No need to worry, Nanaho. There's no way I'll let them take the first quarter, Hayato thought, steadying his breath as he crossed half-court.
Makoto stood in front of him. Hayato signaled Liam for a screen. The moment it came, he used it, pulling up just inside the arc.
The ball soared—and swished right as the whistle blew.
"Hell yeah! We're back in business!" Hayato smirked, his chest rising and falling.
"This game is intense. They're really fighting out there. Thirty to thirty—it's all tied up!" Nanaho said, eyes wide with excitement.