On the court.
Ake quickly received a pass from his teammate.
He didn't rush for a fast break. Instead, he steadied the rhythm, slowly advancing toward the other half of the court.
Thump... thump... thump…
The sound of the basketball hitting the hardwood echoed through the gym.
Every player on the White Team had their eyes locked on him.
Seeing this, Ito Hiroki decided to intercept Ake at mid-court. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
Ake noticed his opponent approaching, but his expression remained calm and unreadable.
His eyes stayed fixed ahead—but his hands suddenly moved.
Swish…
The basketball's trajectory changed in an instant, flying sharply in another direction.
Ito Hiroki's eyes widened. He followed the ball's path with a delayed reaction.
So fast!
He hadn't even seen the wind-up for the pass.
'Did he already decide to pass before I even got close?'
On the other side of the court.
The substitute small forward hadn't even realized Ake had passed yet.
He was pushing forward on his own when—suddenly—a basketball appeared in front of him.
Instinctively, he raised his hands and caught it.
He blinked, confused for a second, but quickly snapped back to focus and began dribbling toward the White Team's basket.
But that brief hesitation was all Sendoh Akira needed to catch up.
Slap!
A sharp sound echoed as the ball was cleanly stolen from his hands.
Oh no...
The small forward's heart sank. He tried to chase, but it was already too late.
Sendoh Akira had already pulled away by several strides, dribbling effortlessly toward the Red Team's basket.
With no one left to stop him, he drove straight in and scored again.
Swish... The ball sank cleanly through the net.
White Team 4, Red Team 0.
"Sorry…" The substitute small forward lowered his head, guilt written across his face.
Ake smiled calmly. "It's fine. The game just started. Just pay more attention to my passes next time."
"Okay." The small forward nodded firmly.
The game resumed.
The Red Team had possession again.
Ake brought the ball past mid-court, once again facing Ito Hiroki.
This time, Ake didn't pass immediately. Instead, he began to dribble, switching hands and directions.
The basketball moved around his body like an extension of himself—smooth and controlled.
Everyone watching was stunned.
Very few players had this kind of ball-handling ability.
Ito Hiroki's eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the dribble. For a moment, he froze, unsure when or how to react.
Then—
Ake lunged to the side with a powerful step.
Ito Hiroki immediately stepped back to defend, successfully blocking the drive.
A smirk appeared on Ito Hiroki's face. He was proud of his defense—until he realized something was wrong.
'Where's the ball?'
Ake's hands were empty.
The ball had vanished.
'What?!'
Thump…
The sound of the basketball hitting the floor came from behind him.
His heart dropped.
He turned around in disbelief—only to see the substitute shooting guard dribbling freely near the White Team's three-point line.
Taking advantage of the open space, the shooting guard raised the ball and released it.
Swish…
The ball traced a clean arc through the air and dropped perfectly into the net.
White Team 4, Red Team 3.
Off the court, Coach Nakamura narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Ake.
He'd seen everything.
From Ake's two passes alone, he could already tell—
'Ake's passing was sharp, precise, and unpredictable.'
'More importantly, Ake didn't even look at his receivers. That meant his court vision was exceptionally wide.'
'And that dribbling ability… there weren't many players at the middle school level who could handle the ball like that.'
A pleased smile tugged at the corner of the coach's lips.
He'd struck gold this time.
Last year, it was Sendoh Akira.
This year, he'd found another gem—Ake Ryu.
The game continued.
After that three-pointer, the Red Team's morale reignited.
The White Team went on the attack again.
This time, Kirihara Hayato took the lead with the ball.
Though he wasn't quite at Sendoh Akira's level, he was still strong enough to easily get past the substitute power forward.
He drove straight into the paint, scoring despite the center's defense.
White Team 6, Red Team 3.
Now it was the Red Team's turn.
Ake brought the ball up once again.
Ito Hiroki stood waiting for him at mid-court.
This time, Ake didn't use fancy crossovers.
He lowered his stance, taking a large, powerful step toward Hiroki's side.
Hiroki assumed Ake was going to pass again—just like before.
He focused entirely on defending the passing lanes.
But then, Ake suddenly spun sharply, cutting from Hiroki's left to his right in one swift motion.
The unexpected move caught Hiroki completely off guard.
By the time he regained his balance, Ake was already two strides ahead.
'Damn it!'
He turned quickly to chase, but Ake was already near the White Team's three-point line.
Just as Ake prepared his next move, another figure appeared in front of him—Sendoh Akira.
Sendoh spread his arms, a confident smile forming on his face.
"Come on," he said. "Let me see your strength."
Ake met his gaze, showing no fear.
He charged straight ahead.
As he reached Sendoh, his hands shifted suddenly—sending the ball toward the substitute shooting guard on the side.
Sendoh reacted instantly, stretching out his arm to block the pass, cutting off the lane.
But in the next instant, Ake pulled his hand back, then slapped the ball hard toward the ground.
Thump…
The ball bounced off the floor, perfectly toward the opposite side—right where the substitute small forward stood wide open.
Sendoh's eyes narrowed.
He hadn't expected Ake to pull off a bounce pass like that through his defense.
Still, it wasn't enough to stop him.
He quickly shifted his weight, lunging toward the new passing lane.
The ball was just inches from his fingertips—
Slap!
A hand caught it before he could.
Sendoh's pupils widened. It was Ake again.
'He faked it!'
Ake had retrieved his own ball, then rose immediately for the shot.
Sendoh froze for a split second—he'd been expecting another pass.
The ball sailed cleanly over Sendoh's head.
Swish…
The net rippled with a crisp sound.
Ake's three-pointer tied the game.
White Team 6, Red Team 6.
The score was even.