๐ Scene 1: Coach Anzai's Announcement
Practice started like any otherโuntil Coach Anzai pulled out the whiteboard and said calmly:
"We'll be testing a new starting five today."
Everyone leaned in.
"Point guard: Miyagi.
Shooting guard: Kudo.
Small forward: Rukawa.
Power forward: Sakuragi.
Center: Akagi."
The silence was immediate.
Sakuragi: "W-WHAT!? I'M STARTING!? I'M GOING TO DESTROY ALL THE TEAMS!!!"
Miyagi: "Can I switch with the bench?"
Ayako: "You earned this, Kudo. Keep it up."
I blinked.
I'm starting... For real this time.
It felt unreal. Like I'd stepped out of someone else's dream and into my own.
๐ฅข Scene 2: Ramen Shop Chaos
After practice, Sakuragi dragged the team to "Tonkotsu Tanaka," his favorite ramen shop.
He ordered three bowls.
"One for now, one for victory, one for dessert."
Yohei and the gang showed up too, loud and full of jokes. Haruko, Ayako, and even Mitsui joined. It turned into a full Shohoku party.
Kudo (me): stuck between Rukawa (half-asleep) and Sakuragi (devouring noodles like an anime monster).
Sakuragi: "You know what we need after this? A competition."
Rukawa (muttering): "No."
Sakuragi: "Yes."
๐ฒ Scene 3: The "Uno + Chopstick Challenge"
Yohei brought out a warped deck of Uno cards.
Sakuragi: "Let's spice it up. If you draw a +4โฆ you eat wasabi with chopsticks. Blindfolded."
Ayako: "That'sโฆ not a rule."
Sakuragi: "IT IS NOW."
Let's just say:
Rukawa drew a +4 and ate it like nothing. Ice prince.
Kogure couldn't hold the chopsticks and cried laughing.
I got a +2, and Sakuragi made me arm-wrestle him instead.
Haruko giggled the whole time and actually won two rounds.
Miyagi ended up with wasabi in his nose. No survivors.
๐ฌ Scene 4: On the Walk Home
Sakuragi slung an arm over my shoulder as we left the shop.
"Oi, Kudo. You were pretty slick today. You sure you weren't a secret baller or something?"
I hesitated. Almost told him.
But instead, I smirked.
"Maybe I just had a good coach."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"You, idiot. You made me care about the game again."
He flushed red. "TchโOF COURSE I'M INSPIRING!"
Then ran ahead yelling, "THE BASKETBALL GENIUS STRIKES AGAIN!"
I smiled quietly.
๐ Final Thoughts
I'm no longer in the background.
I'm part of the team. The laughs. The games. The heartbeat of Shohoku.
And somewhere, I think Akira's spirit is finally smiling, too.
But this is just the start.
The real games haven't even begun.