Shohoku Bench Area
"Yeah! That's our captain!"
"We're not out of it yet—we still have a shot!"
"Nothing to be scared of. We can take Ryonan!"
The first-years on Shohoku's bench were electrified. The slam dunk had reignited their hope—washing away the weight of the earlier deficit.
Second Floor – Spectator Stands
"YEAH! The gorilla dunked!!"
Sakuragi's gang had somehow appeared out of nowhere, shouting and celebrating like lunatics.
Nearby, Akagi Haruko and her two best friends were just as thrilled.
Haruko's face lit up. "This is it! It's really starting now! I have a feeling we're going to win!"
Fujii nodded, "Yeah! The momentum's shifting."
Matsui, ever the realist, frowned. "There's still a 17-point gap, though."
Haruko replied firmly, "It's fine. We'll close it."
Then, as if something had just dawned on her, she scanned the court—then the bench.
"Wait a second… where's Qing Junce? And Kanon's not here either."
Ryonan Bench Area
While most were hyped about Akagi's dunk, Coach Taoka narrowed his eyes.
"That dunk… it changed everything," he muttered. "Their rhythm's improved. Shohoku still leans heavily on Akagi, but it was first-year Kaede Rukawa who cracked Ryonan's defense and set up that slam."
His gaze darkened.
"If we still think Shohoku's a one-man team, we might be in for a very painful surprise."
On the Court
That one dunk had flipped Shohoku's morale on its head.
They moved with new energy—crisper, faster, more aggressive.
Shohoku's defense tightened, and their offense came alive. The score gap began to shrink:
4–1910–2422–38
By the end of the first half:
Shohoku: 35Ryonan: 45
Outside Ryonan High School
Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon had finally arrived.
Kanon grabbed Junce's arm, dragging him across the campus. "Come on, Ace! The first half's almost over!"
Junce jogged behind her lazily, stopping in front of the gym entrance.
"Huff... huff..."
Kanon paused to catch her breath.
The roar from inside the gym was deafening.
"This sounds intense!" she said, eyes wide. "Let's go!"
Junce said nothing, casually following her inside.
The moment they stepped in, the energy hit them.
Fans packed the stands. Voices echoed off the walls. It was chaos—and excitement.
"So lively," Kanon murmured, eyes lighting up.
She was used to playing on quiet outdoor courts with Qing Junce. Even when people watched them, it wasn't like this. This was raw, amplified, and inspiring.
Shohoku's Bench
"Coach Anzai, sorry we're late." Kanon bowed, pulling Junce along beside her.
Junce looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.
"You're finally here," Ayako said, half exasperated.
Kanon bowed again. "I'm really sorry, Ayako-senpai."
Ayako waved it off. "It's fine. We're lucky—at least the gap's manageable now."
Kanon glanced at the scoreboard.
"35 to 45? Only ten behind?" she said in surprise.
Ayako nodded. "Before you showed up, it was 19. Rukawa and the captain really fought hard."
Junce didn't react—like it didn't concern him at all.
Then Coach Anzai looked at him and calmly said, "Hohoho, Since you're here... get on the court."
No one objected—except Sakuragi Hanamichi.
He jumped to his feet and stormed up to Anzai. "What are you talking about, old man?! Why does HE get to play as soon as he shows up? I've been here since the start!"
He kept jabbing Coach Anzai's belly and chin like a child throwing a tantrum.
SMACK!
Ayako popped him on the head with her fan. "Pipe down."
"But I wanna play too..." Sakuragi whined, clutching his head.
On the Court
The commotion caught the attention of the players mid-game.
Akagi noticed Qing Junce and snorted. "Hmph. That guy."
Kaede Rukawa just stared at him quietly, unreadable as always.
The rest of Shohoku? Their expressions softened with relief—like the cavalry had finally arrived.
Ryonan, meanwhile, looked confused.
Why a sub now?The half's almost over.
But then they saw Qing Junce.
Even from across the court, the pressure he gave off was unmistakable.
That calm, wild energy. That quiet dominance.
It made people tense without realizing it.
Coach Taoka squinted. "Who is this kid?"
He'd coached long enough to know talent when he saw it. Most players needed a game to show what they had.
But some?
You could feel their strength the moment they stepped in.
Qing Junce was that kind.
Among the Ryonan bench
A boy scribbling in a notebook—Aida Hikoichi—suddenly dropped his pen.
He had seen Junce before, briefly, outside Shohoku's school gates.
Now his jaw dropped.
"W-who the hell is that?! He's as tall as Senior Sendoh... Don't tell me Shohoku has another monster besides that red-haired 'secret weapon'?!"
Ryonan's players grew quiet.
Uozumi, Sendoh, and the rest all felt it—
That primal instinct of danger approaching.
Beep!
Shohoku called a substitution.
Junce threw on jersey #9—he didn't care what number it was.
He walked calmly to the sideline.
The one leaving was Kogure.
Kogure extended a hand for a high five—but Junce ignored it.
Kogure didn't take it personally. He patted Junce on the shoulder and said with a smile, "All yours."
Tch. Junce scoffed, then stepped onto the court.
Under the gaze of the entire gym, his lips curled into a faint smirk.
He still looked half-asleep.
"Pfft... I thought you guys would be down by thirty or something. Only ten? Not bad."
Boom.
Akagi's veins bulged. "You bastard. You're late every time. Don't act cocky now."
The other players looked annoyed—but none of them dared confront him directly.
Rukawa remained silent, unaffected as always.
On Ryonan's side:
Sendoh watched Junce closely. "This guy... is something else."
Uozumi grunted, "What an arrogant punk."
Koshino sneered, "Who even is this guy? Just some tall nobody."
Beep!
Shohoku inbounds.
Akagi passes it in.
Yasuda pushes the ball up the court.
And Sendoh?
He steps directly in front of Qing Junce.
"This guy..." he thought, eyes narrowing. "What is this pressure?"
The ball was passed to Junce.
Junce caught it with both hands and faced Sendoh.
Silence.
The whole gym fell quiet.
Everyone knew—
Something was about to happen.
Second Floor – Stands
"Qing Junce vs. Sendoh..." Haruko whispered, tense with anticipation.
She remembered how Junce had completely crushed Rukawa.
Now, she could feel it again—that feeling that something unreal was about to go down.
She wasn't the only one.
Shohoku's entire bench leaned forward.
Ryonan's players tensed.
Every spectator held their breath.
The moment had arrived.