Ryonan High School · Basketball Gymnasium.
The gym had fallen into an eerie silence.
Everyone stared blankly at Qing Junce.
In their minds, Qing Junce's shot from moments ago was still replaying.
"That guy..." After recovering from his shock, Sendoh forced a helpless smile.
"Seriously? Did my eyes deceive me?" Aida Kenichi rubbed his eyes and said in disbelief.
Taoka Moichi also stared blankly at Qing Junce, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes filled with astonishment and shock.
Second floor of the gym.
Akagi Haruko gripped the railing in front of her, extremely excited, and shouted, "Ah... Qing Junce... That's amazing! He actually made a shot like that. It's incredible!"
Everyone on the Shōhoku bench had their mouths hanging open, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Kogure Kiminobu smiled and could not help saying, "That guy... He really went too far."
Ayako said at this moment, "Could he have just gotten lucky?"
Shimizu Kanon smiled smugly. "Nope! A-Ce can really do that."
The practice game ended there.
Shōhoku had unexpectedly secured an overwhelming victory.
No one had expected this result.
Of course, that did not include Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon.
Outside the Ryonan basketball gym.
The two coaches led their respective players in saying their farewells.
Taoka Moichi shook hands with Anzai Mitsuyoshi and said, "Coach Anzai, thank you so much for your guidance this time. And congratulations on getting such a talented player."
He was referring to Qing Junce.
He could already imagine the storm Qing Junce would unleash across Kanagawa this year.
Ho ho ho ho...
Anzai Mitsuyoshi smiled and said, "Not at all, not at all. All of this is the result of the boys' own hard work."
Elsewhere.
Akagi Takenori felt quite pleased. After all, they had beaten the team ranked fourth in last year's Prefectural Tournament.
He shook hands with Uozumi and said, "The next time we meet will be at the Prefectural Tournament."
Uozumi looked at Akagi Takenori and said, "Next time, I'll win it back."
Sendoh extended his hand toward Qing Junce. "You're really strong! But I'll beat you next time."
Qing Junce glanced at him, with no intention of shaking his hand.
Just then, Shimizu Kanon directly grabbed Qing Junce's hand and thrust it forward, making it clasp Sendoh's.
"Hey! Kanon..." Qing Junce said helplessly.
Heh heh...
Shimizu Kanon giggled, revealing a sweet smile.
Tch...
Seeing her like that, Qing Junce clicked his tongue, then said to Sendoh, "Hopefully, you'll be able to give me more fun next time."
"A-Ce, seriously, there you go again." Shimizu Kanon rubbed her forehead helplessly.
She apologized to Sendoh. "I'm really sorry. He's just like this. He didn't mean anything by it."
Sendoh was stunned for a moment, then smiled indifferently. "Then I'll see you at the Prefectural Tournament!"
Watching the backs of the Shōhoku group as they left,
the people of Ryonan wore various expressions.
Taoka Moichi turned back to them and said, "I don't have to tell you what to do next, right? Starting tomorrow, we'll begin hell training. Everyone's training volume will be doubled."
Ah...
The people of Ryonan let out despairing wails.
The next day.
The news that Ryonan had lost to Shōhoku in a practice game swept through Kanagawa's high school basketball scene like a Level Twelve storm.
Shoyo High School · Basketball Club.
A boy sat quietly on the bench, reading today's basketball newspaper.
He had a tall, straight figure, delicate features, fair skin, and smooth chestnut-colored hair.
An elegant air surrounded him. His eyes were deep, filled with confident determination and touched with a hint of gentle warmth.
He wore a jersey with a green base and white trim, bearing the number 4.
This person was Fujima Kenji, the captain and coach of Shoyo's Basketball Club.
He stared at the report without saying a word for a long time.
"Fujima, so you were here!"
Just then, a boy wearing a Shoyo jersey walked in from outside.
The boy's jersey bore the number 5.
From the number alone, it was clear that he was the team's second-most important player after Fujima Kenji.
His name was Hanagata Toru.
Anyone familiar with Shoyo knew that Hanagata Toru's position on the Shoyo basketball team was second only to Fujima Kenji's.
He stood nearly two meters tall, with a slim and upright build. A pair of black-rimmed glasses gave him a refined appearance, while his intelligent eyes gleamed behind the lenses.
Only after approaching did he notice the basketball newspaper in Fujima Kenji's hands. "So you're reading this!"
"You already know, right? About Ryonan losing to Shōhoku." Fujima Kenji spoke.
Hanagata Toru nodded. "Yeah. I've already read the report, but it was nothing more than children fighting. We don't need to take it seriously."
Fujima Kenji was silent for a while before saying, "This year is our final chance. I don't want any mistakes, not even the slightest, no matter how insignificant."
Hanagata Toru pushed up his glasses and nodded seriously. "Of course. There's only one team standing in our way, and there will only ever be one: Hainan."
Kainan University Affiliated High School · Basketball Gymnasium.
"Ryonan actually lost to Shōhoku. That's unbelievable." A boy with a headband, playfully upturned hair ends, and an extremely flamboyant, carefree style looked at the basketball newspaper in his hands.
He wore a number 10 jersey with a white base and purple-and-yellow stripes.
His name was Kiyota Nobunaga, a first-year student at Hainan this year.
He turned toward the captain training on the court and said, "Captain Maki, Ryonan lost to Shōhoku in a practice game—and by more than thirty points!"
On the court at that moment,
a man with an athletic build, black hair and eyes, wheat-dark skin, and a steady, rugged appearance stood like a middle-aged uncle.
He wore Hainan's number 4 jersey. The powerful muscles in his exposed arms and legs were clearly defined, and merely standing there, he exuded an inexplicable pressure.
This was Maki Shinichi, captain of the Kainan University Affiliated High School basketball team.
When Maki Shinichi heard Kiyota Nobunaga, his expression did not change in the slightest. He merely replied calmly, "That doesn't matter. Our opponents aren't in Kanagawa."
With that, he continued his training.
Hearing his captain's words, Kiyota Nobunaga shrugged. A smug smile appeared on his face as he tossed the basketball newspaper aside. "As expected of Captain Maki. I'll make everyone know that I'm this year's Super Rookie."
Similar events were happening at other high schools as well.
Some schools had begun to grow wary of Shōhoku, while others remained completely indifferent.
One noteworthy person was Aida Yayoi, a sports newspaper reporter who was extremely interested in the matter.
She had a pure, fair complexion, long black hair, large, bright eyes, and often wore two delicate round earrings.
Her age also gave her a mature, intellectual beauty.
She was the older sister of Aida Kenichi, a first-year student at Ryonan, and also Sendoh's devoted fan.
When she learned that Ryonan had suffered a crushing defeat against Shōhoku, she initially refused to believe it.
But when she confirmed from her younger brother that the matter was true, she was deeply shocked and filled with disbelief.
As a sports reporter, she naturally knew Shōhoku's team better than anyone.
A team that had been eliminated in the first round year after year had now defeated the fourth-ranked team in the Prefectural Tournament.
Who would dare believe that?
When she learned that Ryonan's defeat had been caused by just one person,
Aida Yayoi was even more shaken.
What kind of person could force Ryonan into such a state—and crush Sendoh in the process?
With her keen instincts, she immediately sensed that there was more to the matter than met the eye.
She had made up her mind. She had to visit Shōhoku and interview the player who had defeated Ryonan single-handedly.
Before you continue