June 21st, Monday. Clear skies.
Bang!
Kiyota kicked an empty soda can as he trudged toward school, his face twisted in frustration. The sting of yesterday's defeat hadn't faded.
"Hm?"
He stopped by a newsstand and caught sight of the headlines. Snatching a paper, he flipped it open—and his expression darkened immediately.
"Damn it! What kind of garbage is this? Maki didn't lose to a guy like that!"
Fury boiling over, Kiyota tore the newspaper into pieces.
"Hey! Kid, you haven't paid yet!" The vendor came running out, grabbing his arm with a scowl.
"Yayoi, where's your draft for the Shohoku vs. Kainan game? Today's morning papers are already praising that kid to the heavens! What are you doing?"
The editor-in-chief slammed the freshly printed paper down on Aida Yayoi's desk.
Yayoi glanced at the headline.
Old King Falls, New King Rises?
The accompanying photo showed Nango blocking Maki's layup at the end of yesterday's game.
She muttered under her breath, Damn baldy… what's the rush?
But out loud, she smiled politely. "Editor-in-chief, can't you assign more reporters? Nakamura and I had to cover two venues yesterday—we didn't even see a full game. How do you expect me to write a proper draft?"
The editor waved her off, his sideburns twitching. "We're short-staffed. Besides, it's just a high school prelim—hardly the National Tournament. Just write whatever fits the mood and what readers want. Do I have to spell this out for you?"
Pah. Fat old hack.
Yayoi gritted her teeth. She considered herself a professional journalist, not some peddler of tabloid trash. The papers were full of shameless headlines—"Shocking," "Unbelievable," "Surprising"—all empty bait. It was embarrassing.
But she couldn't say that to her boss. She nodded faintly. "Okay, I understand. I'll think about it."
"Don't think! Just finish and submit the draft!" he barked, already stomping off to yell at someone else.
"Phew…" Yayoi exhaled, rubbing her temples. Her mind was blank.
She had already completed her report on the Ryonan game, giving Sendoh and his team glowing coverage. But when it came to Shohoku, her fingers stalled.
Because to her, Nango's performance didn't match the overblown hype.
Flipping through her notes, she saw only brief scribbles about the first half of the match—the part she hadn't even witnessed. Colleagues told her Nango had stabilized the team and led the charge against Kainan, but since she hadn't seen it herself, she couldn't write with confidence.
In the second half, which she did watch, Nango worked hard to guard Maki, but with limited success. To her eyes, Rukawa Kaede's performance had been even more dazzling.
Then she glanced at the newspaper again. Her colleagues had practically painted Nango as a once-in-a-century prodigy.
Unbelievable. They'll write anything to sell papers, even if it trips over their own lies.
She shook her head. To her, Nango was still far from deserving such lofty praise. He had plenty of flaws left to fix.
And she worried—would this kind of attention hurt him? He was still so young, after all.
Meanwhile, Nango was already feeling the weight of those headlines.
At school, he was surrounded by classmates cracking jokes and cheering him on. Students from other classes peeked in just to get a glimpse of him. Even teachers made playful comments during lessons.
All Nango could do was smile and play along.
But deep down, he was uneasy.
He knew exactly where he stood. He wasn't conceited, but the newspaper articles painted him into a corner. If he continued to play well, fine. But the moment he slipped, the same media that built him up would tear him down.
He could handle it—but could his parents? Could Kano?
And what if these reports caused tension inside Shohoku? What if his teammates started to resent him?
The thought left him troubled. But there was nothing he could do to control the media. All he could do was move forward.
At her desk, Aida Yayoi sighed and flipped through a foreign sports magazine, filled with coverage of the NBA Finals.
After six grueling games, the Chicago Bulls had defeated the Phoenix Suns, 4–2, capturing the 1992–93 championship and completing a historic three-peat. Michael Jordan claimed his third straight Finals MVP, cementing the Bulls' dynasty.
The articles praised the Bulls endlessly, each one from a different angle.
So even abroad, they write like this, Yayoi thought wryly.
She skimmed to the back and finally found something refreshing—a scout's report. With the NBA draft approaching, fans were buzzing about the next wave of stars.
And then it hit her.
That's it. A scout report!
Excited, Yayoi cracked her knuckles, stretched, and began to type.
Aida Yayoi's Scout Report: Nango Koichiro
Shohoku's rising star, first-year guard Nango Koichiro, has drawn considerable attention.
Standing at 192 cm, he towers over others at his position. His presence on the court immediately calls to mind the "Magic" of the Lakers, igniting high expectations among fans.
But he is still only a freshman, with plenty of areas in need of refinement. Below, I will outline both his strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
Forward's height and build create massive matchup advantages.
Quick release and excellent court vision, capable of leading both fast breaks and half-court offense.
Reliable mid-range and long-range shooting. Can pull up without needing special space.
Solid post-up ability and skilled footwork in the paint.
Well-rounded skillset.
Above-average defender.
High basketball IQ.
Weaknesses:
Passing arsenal not varied enough; hasn't fully exploited his height advantage.
Reluctant to drive inside, leans too heavily on jump shots.
Struggles against quicker guards and pick-and-roll schemes.
Yosh!
She leaned back, satisfied, and scanned her work one last time. It was sharp, objective, professional.
Smiling faintly, she whispered to herself:
Nango Koichiro… I hope you can live up to the fans' expectations soon.
----------------
Support me at patréon com/DaoOfPeeking