Shohoku High School Basketball Club.
A crowd of Shohoku players had gathered there.
Ayako held a ruler and pointed at a spot on the schedule, declaring loudly, "Our next opponent is last year's Top 8 team, Tsukitake High School. As long as we win this game, Shohoku will advance to the Top 8."
Top 8!
The Shohoku players' eyes lit up, and they began imagining how glorious it would be to become a Top 8 team.
After all, they had never enjoyed such glory before.
In the corner, Qing Junce listlessly yawned and muttered to himself, "Top 8? I wonder if there'll be any strong opponents."
At that moment, Shimizu Kanon approached with a stack of documents and said, "Tsukitake is on an entirely different level from the teams we've faced before. But don't worry, everyone. I've already calculated it. With our current strength, even without A-Ce, our overall strength is still slightly greater than Tsukitake's."
As she spoke, she picked up a sheet and read, "First is Tsukitake's coach, Kawasaki Kazumi. He has coached Tsukitake's basketball team for three years. He has an extremely strong passion and dedication to basketball, which can inspire his players and make them devote themselves more fully to training and competition."
Shimizu Kanon paused before continuing, "He's also skilled at making targeted tactical arrangements and is a very responsible coach. Oh, right—he's also Coach Anzai's student!"
How did you even find that out?
The Shohoku players were all numb with shock, and a chill ran through them. Somehow, standing before Shimizu Kanon always made them feel cold all over.
"Next is Izumi Takashi, a regular Tsukitake player. Third year, 172 centimeters tall, 75 kilograms, playing Small Forward..."
"Natsume Hiroshi, a regular Tsukitake player. Third year, 160 centimeters tall, 55 kilograms, playing Point Guard..."
"Mine Kenta, a regular Tsukitake player. Third year, 174 centimeters tall, 68 kilograms, playing Power Forward..."
Shimizu Kanon went on to introduce the information on several Tsukitake players.
Next, Shimizu Kanon's tone became slightly more serious. "Now for the key to whether we can win. Nangou Koichiro is 192 centimeters tall, weighs 89 kilograms, plays Center, and is a first-year rookie at Tsukitake."
"Is this Nangou Koichiro really that strong?" Kogure Kiminobu could not help asking.
The others also turned their eyes toward Shimizu Kanon. None of them had heard of him before.
Shimizu Kanon replied, "Nangou Koichiro's physical abilities rank near the top among high school players. His jumping ability is particularly outstanding, and he has impressive offensive techniques and scoring ability. Even his defense is fairly good. What you especially need to watch out for is one ability he possesses: charging up."
Charging up?
The Shohoku players stared at her in confusion.
What did that mean?
Shimizu Kanon patiently explained, "Nangou Koichiro's charging ability increases the power of his blocks. In other words, the longer he charges, the greater the force behind his block. At the same time, this move has the same effect on dunks."
The moment they heard that, everyone was dumbfounded.
This rookie sounded incredibly strong. He would not be easy to deal with!
Shimizu Kanon ignored their reactions and continued, "Finally, there's Tsukitake's captain, Godai Tomokazu. Third year, 180 centimeters tall, 78 kilograms, playing Shooting Guard. He's a player with extraordinary accuracy from three-point range."
"Hmph..."
Mitsui Hisashi narrowed his eyes, a trace of disdain rising at the corner of his mouth as he snorted heavily. "Three-pointers?"
Shimizu Kanon continued, "Besides his terrifying three-point shooting, Godai Tomokazu also has excellent leadership and tactical execution. Everyone needs to pay close attention to that."
After Shimizu Kanon finished, Akagi Takenori's eyes grew distant, as if his thoughts had suddenly drifted far away. "Godai..."
His memories involuntarily returned to middle school.
Back then, he and Godai Tomokazu had been on the same basketball team.
Who could have imagined that in the final year of high school, they would end up facing each other on the court?
After recalling the past, Akagi Takenori folded his arms across his chest and said passionately, "All right. Once we defeat Tsukitake, we'll be in the Top 8. After that comes Shoyo, the runner-up. Only by defeating Shoyo can we enter the finals, so I want every one of you to give it your all."
"Yes..." everyone answered in unison.
The next day.
It was a day off.
Shohoku had no game either.
Since Qing Junce's basketball shoes had broken, Shimizu Kanon decided to take him out to buy a new pair.
As they walked, a sudden commotion came from ahead.
Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon stopped and looked over carefully. They immediately saw several familiar faces.
It was Sakuragi Hanamichi and the members of the Sakuragi Army.
"A-Ce, that's Sakuragi Hanamichi..." Shimizu Kanon pointed toward them and spoke softly.
Qing Junce merely glanced over before looking away. "Let's go. Ignore him."
Shimizu Kanon looked at him reproachfully. "A-Ce, how can you not greet someone you know? That's very rude!"
As she spoke, she grabbed Qing Junce by the arm and, without giving him a chance to object, dragged him toward Sakuragi Hanamichi and the others.
Qing Junce clicked his tongue helplessly and let Shimizu Kanon pull him along.
When they got closer, they were surprised to find Sakuragi Hanamichi and the others crouched before a wire fence, their faces twisted into fierce expressions...
No, that was not quite right.
Only Sakuragi Hanamichi looked ferocious, glaring viciously inside.
The others wore expressions of eager anticipation.
Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon were puzzled. Following their gazes, they looked toward the outdoor court.
A man and a woman stood in the middle of the court.
The girl was none other than Akagi Haruko.
She wore a T-shirt paired with yellow shorts that showed off her legs. Her long hair was tied up, making her already sweet face look even more pure.
"It's Haruko!" Shimizu Kanon murmured. Her gaze moved back and forth between Haruko and the man opposite her. "Is she on a date?"
The man in front of Haruko wore a helmet that completely covered his head. There was not even a gap through which his face could be seen.
From his clothing and build, they could only roughly tell that he was a man.
"Damn it! Who's that bastard? How dare he stand so close to Haruko?" Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes bulged like bells as he glared at the helmeted man on the court, fire practically shooting from them.
The members of the Sakuragi Army were also captivated by the scene and failed to notice Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon's arrival.
For some reason, Akagi Haruko soon left.
For a while, only the helmeted man remained standing there alone.
Not long afterward, the man seemed to have suffered some kind of blow. He raised a hand and removed his helmet, revealing his true face to everyone.
The first thing that caught people's attention was his center-parted hairstyle, with several strands of yellow hair sticking out wildly over his forehead, glaring brightly beneath the sunlight.
His eyebrows were extraordinarily thick. He could not be called handsome and dashing, but he was not ugly either. However, the carefree smile on his face gave him a frivolous, unreliable air.
Outside the wire fence.
Before Shimizu Kanon could greet the others, Sakuragi Hanamichi could no longer contain himself.
He gripped the wire fence tightly with both hands, then climbed over it in a few quick movements, using both hands and feet. He strode up to the helmeted man and, without even exchanging glances, lowered his head and slammed it forward with a vicious headbutt.
In the blink of an eye, Sakuragi Hanamichi and the other man were arguing furiously, their faces flushed as their voices grew louder and louder.
The instant Shimizu Kanon saw the man remove his helmet, she recognized him and blurted out, "That's Tsukitake's Nangou Koichiro."
At her shout, the other members of the Sakuragi Army snapped out of it and hurriedly turned around.
Mito Yohei spoke first, his expression gentle. "Yo, so it's you guys!"
O-Nann Yuji scratched his head in confusion. "When did you get behind us? How come we didn't hear a thing?"
Takamiya Nozomi's eyes moved back and forth between Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon, and his mouth ran like a broken dam. "You two aren't on a date, are you?"
The moment he said that, Shimizu Kanon's face flushed all the way to her ears. She shyly glanced at Qing Junce before hurriedly explaining, "Don't say things like that. A-Ce's basketball shoes broke, so I'm only accompanying him to buy a new pair."
But the members of the Sakuragi Army wore expressions that clearly said they did not believe her at all.
Those two stuck together all day long. Anyone would believe they had something going on!
To avoid further embarrassment, Shimizu Kanon quickly changed the subject. "By the way, what are you doing here? I think I just saw Haruko."
Mito Yohei shrugged and explained helplessly, "We're not sure either. But judging from the current situation, things seem rather complicated."
Everyone turned their eyes toward the court. Sakuragi Hanamichi and Nangou Koichiro were still arguing fiercely, but no one intended to step into that mess.
Just then, Nangou Koichiro, who had been arguing with Sakuragi Hanamichi until his face was red, seemed to notice someone watching him. He abruptly turned around and swept his gaze over Qing Junce's group. Then, to everyone's surprise, he immediately ended his argument with Sakuragi Hanamichi and sprinted toward them.
When he reached the wire fence, he climbed over it nimbly in just a few movements.
Nangou Koichiro completely ignored everyone else and charged straight toward Shimizu Kanon. His eyes shone as he gazed at her adoringly. "Beautiful young lady, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Huh?" Shimizu Kanon was completely stunned, her eyes wide. But she quickly recovered.
Comparing this with the information she had previously gathered, she recalled Nangou Koichiro's personality.
Careless, straightforward, competitive...
That could be called lively, cheerful, passionate, and outgoing.
Put less kindly, it meant shameless.
Shimizu Kanon wore a perfectly polite smile and rejected him gently but firmly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not planning to get a boyfriend for the time being. Besides, we don't know each other, so I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
Nangou Koichiro refused to give up. He stared fixedly at Shimizu Kanon, flattering her shamelessly. "Don't reject me so quickly! Look at me—I'm handsome, I've got a great physique, and most importantly, I'm really good at taking care of cute girls like you. Just give me a chance. Be my girlfriend, okay?"
Shimizu Kanon maintained her polite smile and replied evenly, "Really, there's no need. Thank you for liking me."
Nangou Koichiro was about to continue pestering her when a figure suddenly appeared before him like a black wall, blocking him firmly.
Qing Junce stared at Nangou Koichiro expressionlessly, his gaze cold and indifferent. "She made herself clear. She isn't interested in you."
Nangou Koichiro looked Qing Junce up and down. The fiery light in his eyes instantly turned cold, and he demanded unhappily, "Who are you? What gives you the right to interfere in my business?"
Qing Junce ignored the question and merely repeated calmly, "Kanon said she doesn't know you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qing Junce grabbed Shimizu Kanon by the wrist and turned to leave.
At that moment, a sharp voice rang out from the distance like thunder exploding beside their ears. "Ah... Qing Junce, you godless ghost! What are you doing here? Don't tell me you were spying on Haruko too?"
Hearing that, Qing Junce, who had already taken a step forward, instantly developed several black lines across his forehead.
He whipped around and glared at Sakuragi Hanamichi. "Who would spy on her? Do you think everyone else is as stupid as you?"
Qing Junce could not be bothered arguing with the idiot. He took hold of Shimizu Kanon again and quickened his pace.
But just then, another voice, ghostlike, slipped into their ears and called out to them.
This time, it was Nangou Koichiro. His voice carried surprise and excitement. "Qing Junce? You're Shohoku #9 from the reports?!"
Qing Junce did not even acknowledge him. Without looking back, he continued pulling Shimizu Kanon away.
However, Nangou Koichiro's next words were like an invisible hook that forcibly made Qing Junce stop.
Nangou Koichiro pointed straight at him, a provocative smile on his face. "Since you're from Shohoku, let's make a bet. If Tsukitake wins, the cute girl beside you belongs to me. If I lose, I promise I'll stop pursuing her from now on."
In an instant, the noisy area fell silent, as though time itself had frozen.
Shimizu Kanon's pretty face flushed with anger. She turned around and glared fiercely at Nangou Koichiro.
What did this guy take her for?
An object anyone could fight over?
She was about to argue when movement came from Qing Junce's side.
Whoosh...
Nangou Koichiro, Sakuragi Hanamichi, and the members of the Sakuragi Army suddenly felt a chill radiating from Qing Junce. It was like wind, yet not wind.
Though it was the height of summer, with the scorching sun hanging overhead, an icy coldness welled up in their hearts, as if they had been plunged into an endless abyss.
It felt as though they were trapped in a cramped cage, surrounded by starving beasts with murderous eyes that watched them hungrily, ready to pounce at any moment and tear them to pieces.
This horrifying sense of facing death made every hair on their bodies stand on end. A chill surged from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads, leaving their scalps numb.
"A-Ce..." Shimizu Kanon was startled and hurriedly called out softly, hoping to stop Qing Junce.
Qing Junce's eyes were icy cold. After giving Nangou Koichiro one last deep look, he said nothing. He turned around, took Shimizu Kanon's hand, and strode away.
Watching Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon's retreating figures, Nangou Koichiro, Sakuragi Hanamichi, and the others stood rooted to the spot as though immobilized. Their eyes were blank, and it took them a long time to recover.
After an unknown amount of time, the members of the Sakuragi Army finally came to their senses and let out long sighs of relief.
Takamiya Nozomi's forehead was covered in cold sweat. His face was pale, and his legs gave way beneath him. He collapsed onto the ground and said in a trembling voice, "That scared me to death. What on earth was that just now?"
O-Nann Yuji was equally shaken. He slowly shook his head. "Who knows? The aura that guy gave off was far too dangerous."
Mito Yohei stared in the direction Qing Junce had left, his brows slightly furrowed and his expression solemn. "This is going to be serious."
Sakuragi Hanamichi also wore an unprecedentedly serious expression.
Unlike the others, however, after his initial shock, a sharp gleam and blazing fighting spirit ignited in his eyes. "Damn it! Qing Junce, just wait! One day, I'll definitely defeat you! And Stinky fox Rukawa Kaede—I won't let you off either!"
As for Nangou Koichiro, he was still standing blankly where he had been. His eyes were wide like bells, terror written all over his face, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
He had no idea what had just happened. He only felt as though he had walked past the gates of hell and nearly failed to return.
Elsewhere, Qing Junce and Shimizu Kanon walked side by side along the road at an unhurried pace.
Perhaps because Nangou Koichiro's behavior had spoiled their mood, both of them remained silent, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
Shimizu Kanon secretly glanced at Qing Junce from time to time, her heart rippling. "Was he that angry because of me?"
Thinking that Qing Junce might have revealed that frightening aura to protect her, her cheeks flushed, and the corners of her lips rose slightly in smug delight.
At last, she broke the silence. "Why didn't you accept his bet just now?"
"Why would I accept it? Idiot." Qing Junce's tone was cold, and his answer was curt.
But that was not the answer Shimizu Kanon wanted.
She tilted her head and continued, "You're so strong that you definitely wouldn't lose. Accepting would have let you teach that arrogant fool a lesson!"
Qing Junce snorted disdainfully. "Even if I don't accept his bet, I can still crush him in the game. Why waste the effort on a special match with him?"
Uh...
Shimizu Kanon was momentarily speechless. Thinking it over, she had to admit Qing Junce was right.
Yet she still felt conflicted. She really wanted to know what he was truly thinking!
While Shimizu Kanon was struggling with her thoughts, Qing Junce suddenly spoke. "Hey, Kanon..."
"Hmm?" Shimizu Kanon turned toward him in confusion.
Qing Junce paused before continuing, "I want to start against Tsukitake."
At those words, Shimizu Kanon's eyes lit up. A sweet smile blossomed across her face, seemingly capable of dispelling every shadow in the world.
She deliberately pretended to be surprised. "Really? A-Ce, you actually want to start? That's quite rare!"
"Stop talking nonsense." Qing Junce impatiently turned his head aside, unwilling to let Shimizu Kanon see the slight redness at the tips of his ears.
Shimizu Kanon covered her mouth and giggled before teasing him, "Wanting to start isn't impossible. But it'll depend on your performance!"
"Huh?" Qing Junce shot her a sidelong glance. He knew exactly what this mischievous girl was plotting.
By saying this, she was definitely trying to make him spend a little money.
Still, he didn't care about that bit of money.
"Tch..." Qing Junce let out a soft scoff. "Whatever you want!"
"Yay..." Shimizu Kanon jumped up excitedly, her eyes sparkling like twinkling stars.
She grabbed Qing Junce's hand and hurried forward, saying, "Then it's settled! I remember there's supposed to be a basketball event at the mall up ahead. The first-place winner gets a limited-edition, exquisite charm. I really want it!"
At that, the corner of Qing Junce's mouth twitched. He said helplessly, "Why does it have to be basketball? Shouldn't we normally go have a big meal or buy some nice clothes or something?"
"That's none of your business," Shimizu Kanon replied haughtily.
The two figures gradually receded and slowly disappeared at the end of the street beneath the envious, jealous, and slightly resentful gazes of the people around them.
Before you continue