Chapter 73 – A Glimpse of Hidden Talent
The entire Toyonosaki Academy buzzed with chatter on Monday.
Everyone was still talking about the weekend's game—how the basketball team had somehow defeated the powerhouse Kitatoshima High.
It was a shocking result, one that made students look at the team—and especially captain Makishima Shōma—with new respect.
For the first time, some even said they'd cheer for the basketball team at the next match.
But when the news spread that their upcoming opponent was none other than Seiryō High, last year's third-place finisher in Tokyo, the excitement died as quickly as it flared.
"Against Seiryō? Forget it… we'll lose for sure."
Optimism turned into quiet resignation.
---
Whispered Secrets
In her classroom, Eriri sat at her desk, fiddling with her phone. She smiled faintly while scrolling through comments on Whale-sensei's account.
Overnight, the eighth volume of Slam Dunk had exploded. More than 600,000 views, and Whale's following had climbed past 70,000.
He was already closing in on her own account's numbers.
Eriri stretched contentedly, then nearly jumped when her desk mate, Satomi Azusa, leaned in close.
"Eriri-chan, I've got a secret," Azusa whispered conspiratorially.
Eriri arched an eyebrow. "What secret?"
"Furukawa Hitomi… she's going to confess to Makishima-senpai!"
Azusa's voice was so soft it tickled Eriri's ear, but her excitement was impossible to hide.
Eriri blinked. Seriously? This big mouth… If I had a secret, she'd be the last person I'd tell.
Out loud, she lowered her voice and asked, "Does Hitomi even realize that Makishima-senpai likes Kasumigaoka-senpai?"
Azusa shook her head. "She knows. But she says Makishima-senpai has no chance with Kasumigaoka-senpai."
Eriri frowned. "Why?"
"Because the team can't possibly reach Nationals," Azusa said, shrugging. "Utaha-senpai only gave him that condition as a soft rejection. Once Toyosaki loses to Seiryō, everything ends there."
Eriri fell silent, recalling the last-minute miracle against Kitatoshima. The perfect arc of that final three-pointer still lingered in her memory, like a scene out of Whale-sensei's manga.
"But… what if another miracle happens?" she murmured.
Azusa laughed. "You think too much. Miracles aren't that cheap. Even if they make Nationals, do you really think Kasumigaoka-senpai would date him? She's turned down far better boys."
Eriri tilted her head thoughtfully. That much was true. Utaha wasn't the type to be swayed so easily.
And poor Hitomi… charging in with a confession like a little kid. Honestly, who agrees to be someone's girlfriend after hearing 'I like you' out of nowhere?
She sighed inwardly. If nothing else, Kasumigaoka-senpai showed Makishima-senpai mercy by not crushing him outright.
Azusa, seeing Eriri's lack of interest, soon skipped off to share her "secret" with Sakamaki Motoyo.
Eriri groaned, burying her face in her hands. "She told me not to tell anyone, and now she's running around spilling it herself…"
---
The Playground Discovery
After class ended, Azusa invited her to watch basketball practice. Eriri wanted to, but she had cleaning duty and art club after.
When she finally finished, she walked across the quiet playground. That was when she noticed a couple at the open-air basketball court.
The girl carried a basketball. She tossed it playfully to the boy and whispered something.
The boy hesitated—then gritted his teeth, turned toward the hoop, and shot from beyond the arc.
The ball traced a perfect arc… swish. A three-pointer, clean.
Eriri's eyes widened. That shot… flawless!
She didn't recognize him from the school team.
And then he did something even crazier—he grabbed the rebound, leapt from a standstill, and dunked.
"W–woah!" she blurted before covering her mouth.
Her twin tails bounced as she watched in awe. A hidden talent…? How is someone like him not on the basketball team?
Just as she thought that, the girl squealed and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly before planting a kiss on his cheek.
Eri froze. Ugh… why did I have to see this?
She spun around, cheeks red. "Damn it,
(A/N)=A twin-tailed single dog just took 10,000 damage…"
---
The Hospital
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Lucien D. Blackthorn had just finished Chapters 72 and 73 of Slam Dunk Volume 9.
Satisfied, he dozed off until evening, when Eriri arrived.
She tried to keep a straight face, but excitement betrayed her. "Lucien! Guess what? Mai Sakurajima retweeted your manga again!"
Lucien smirked knowingly. "Mm. I already saw."
Eriri pouted, puffing her cheeks. She'd wanted to surprise him.
"Don't sulk," Lucien teased. "In fact… I wanted to ask you something."
His eyes glinted mischievously. He leaned forward, voice low.
"The moonlight is so beautiful…"
The phone nearly slipped from Eriri's hands. Her entire face turned crimson.
Her heart raced. Is he… confessing?
For a long second, she couldn't breathe. Her mind replayed Azusa's gossip, the couple on the playground…
And now… him.
Her lips parted—then Lucien ruined everything.
"I'm thinking of using that as the title for my next work," he said casually. "What do you think?"
Eriri froze. Then glared. Then wanted to sink into the floor.
"You—!" She smacked the desk, glaring daggers. "Don't joke about things like that!"
Lucien's smile turned sly. So she really thought I was confessing…
"Well," he said smoothly, "as my number one fan, you should help me decide, right?"
"I'm not your number one fan!" she snapped, crossing her arms.
"In that case…" He hugged the sketchbook to his chest. "I guess you don't need to read Volume 9 of Slam Dunk."
Eriri shot to her feet. "No! Hand it over!"
"Number one fan privilege only," he said with mock solemnity.
Her eyes narrowed. "If you don't let me see it, I won't upload it online for you."
"…Tch. You win," Lucien muttered, surrendering the sketchbook.
"Heh, too young to fight me!" she said smugly, snatching it.
---
Mitsui's Return
She flipped eagerly through the pages.
There—Mitsui Hisashi. His hair short, his aura sharp, his eyes brimming with resolve.
Eriri gasped. "This is Mitsui?!"
The delinquent she'd once despised was gone. In his place stood someone reborn.
"Mitsui is… handsome…" she whispered, cheeks faintly pink.
Page after page showed him integrating back into the team. And then came the legendary lineup—Shohoku's Five Aces, assembled at last.
The national tournament loomed. Their first opponent: Miuradai High.
Eriri's pulse quickened. She closed the sketchbook, hugging it tightly.
"Lucien… this is amazing. Truly amazing."
Lucien leaned back, satisfied. "So? Still not my number one fan?"
She glared half-heartedly. "…I'll think about it."