Eyes in the Dark

The next day.

News spread like wildfire, covering all of Kanagawa like a storm.

The announcement that Shohoku had defeated Tsukitake and advanced to the top eight in the Prefectural Tournament quickly took flight, soaring through the high school basketball scene in Kanagawa.

At the same time, the name Qing Junce also caused a huge stir in Kanagawa's high school basketball circles.

His god-like dribbling, unpredictable shots, extraordinary speed, and nearly unstoppable offense.

These qualities propelled him to fame.

Various titles were bestowed upon Qing Junce as if they were free.

In an instant, Qing Junce's popularity skyrocketed, and Shohoku, following suit, became the talk of the town.

Some even boldly speculated that Shohoku had a real chance of overthrowing the reigning champions, Kainan.

Of course, all of this was just idle chatter, meant to entertain and shock people.

Meanwhile, another piece of news became the most attention-grabbing focus.

[Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament: Battle of the West's Strongest Begins! Shohoku vs. Shoyo]

This announcement hit like a bombshell, capturing the attention of every high school basketball club member in Kanagawa.

In everyone's minds, Shoyo held the same weight as Kainan.

Although the championship had been firmly held by the kings of Kainan for years, Shoyo had always managed to secure second place, a testament to their formidable strength.

It could be said that for many years, no team had been able to break the established order of Shoyo and Kainan.

In a cold drink shop in Kanagawa, Akagi Takenori and Kogure Kiminobu sat facing each other, talking in low voices.

"I never thought we'd actually make it this far," Kogure Kiminobu said, filled with emotion, a hint of barely concealed excitement in his eyes.

Recalling the moments of his three years of high school, he felt as if he were in a dream.

Akagi Takenori silently stirred the ice coffee in his cup, saying nothing, but his expression clearly indicated his agreement with Kogure Kiminobu.

Kogure Kiminobu continued, "Our next match is against Shoyo..."

He paused here, a look of undisguised anticipation on his face, before adding, "Maybe this year we really have a chance to compete for the national championship, Akagi."

Akagi Takenori's eyes flashed with determination, and he nodded heavily. "Yeah!"

Kogure Kiminobu suddenly spoke again, "Speaking of which, Qing Junce really gave us a huge surprise. I don't know why, but whenever he's around, I feel incredibly at ease."

"Hmph," Akagi Takenori snorted, feigning stubbornness. "Who knows! He's just a guy who relies on individual plays. Shoyo isn't like the teams we've faced before. What do we do if he gets shut down by the other team?"

Uh...

Kogure Kiminobu was taken aback. He hadn't really considered that.

However, thinking of Qing Junce's astonishing abilities, he said, "It shouldn't happen. With Qing Junce's skill, he probably won't find many opponents in high school basketball."

Akagi Takenori reminded him sternly, "Don't forget, we're participating in the Prefectural Tournament right now."

"Don't be so tense all the time, Akagi. You need to relax a bit too," Kogure Kiminobu said with a smile.

Akagi Takenori might not have known it.

But Kogure Kiminobu had heard from Shimizu Kanon that the super-high-speed dribbling and formless shots Qing Junce displayed last time were just the basics; he hadn't even shown his more difficult techniques!

This meant that Qing Junce had still been holding back a significant portion of his strength.

Thinking of this, the corners of Kogure Kiminobu's mouth curved upwards unconsciously, and he thought to himself, "Everything will be fine."

On an outdoor streetball court.

Qing Junce was alone on the court, dripping with sweat, playing basketball with abandon, as if an equally matched opponent stood before him.

Shimizu Kanon sat quietly on a bench outside the court. She would occasionally look down at her phone, her fingers swiping rapidly across the screen, and then pick up her pen to write and draw in her notebook, busy and engrossed.

The rhythmic thud of the basketball hitting the ground was constant, but it didn't disrupt her thoughts. It was as if, in this vibrant atmosphere, her mind was more active than usual.

Qing Junce had long been accustomed to this scene. He dribbled and shot the ball by himself, not disturbing her.

Time ticked by, and after an unknown duration, Shimizu Kanon finally stopped what she was doing, looked up, and a relaxed, confident smile spread across her face.

"Finally done," she said, standing up and stretching her slightly stiff body.

Just then, the sound of a basketball swishing through the net echoed. Qing Junce had lost count of how many times he had sunk the ball.

As if sensing Shimizu Kanon's movement, he turned his head and asked, "Are you finished?"

Shimizu Kanon nodded gently and said, "Yes, I've compiled all the data on Shoyo's players. How about it, want to take a look?"

Qing Junce scoffed dismissively, saying with no interest, "No, that would be too boring."

Shimizu Kanon continued to persuade him with a sly smile, "I think it would be better if you took a look. Shoyo is really strong. Maybe A-Ce, you'll lose!"

"Huh?" Qing Junce raised an eyebrow, a flash of confidence in his eyes. "I'll lose? What nonsense are you talking about? The person who can defeat me..."

At this point, Qing Junce suddenly stopped, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

Strange, why would I say that?

Seeing him suddenly stop, Shimizu Kanon asked curiously, "What's wrong? What were you about to say?"

Qing Junce snapped back to attention, shook his head, and said, "Nothing. I just didn't get my fill last time, I hope Shoyo can hold on a little longer!"

Shimizu Kanon listened. Although she found it a bit strange, she didn't press further and said, "I need to go back to the basketball club to organize the materials. Let's go!"

"Hey! Why do I have to go too?" Qing Junce grumbled reluctantly.

Shimizu Kanon immediately put on a pitiful expression and pouted, "You're a big strong guy! It's getting late, can you really bear to let a girl walk home alone at night?"

Qing Junce rolled his eyes at her. They had been childhood friends since they were little; how could he not see she was putting on an act?

"Sigh..." Qing Junce sighed helplessly and said, "Alright, I get it."

Seeing Qing Junce agree, Shimizu Kanon immediately dropped her pitiful act, her face blooming into a sweet smile.

Evening.

Shohoku High School - Basketball Gym.

A passionate aura permeated the quiet gym.

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...

The rhythmic sound of a basketball hitting the floor echoed.

Rukawa Kaede's figure darted across the court, his eyes sharp as a hawk, the fire of fierce fighting spirit burning in his gaze.

At this moment, his mind was filled with Qing Junce's impressive performance on the court.

Super-high-speed dribbling, formless shots...

As he thought, he began to imitate Qing Junce's dribbling style.

However, as soon as he started, the basketball slipped from his control and rolled away.

Rukawa Kaede frowned slightly, undeterred. He quickly picked up the ball and tried again.

But each attempt ended in failure. The ball was either thrown too hard or he accidentally hit his foot. He couldn't control it as precisely as Qing Junce.

His brows furrowed tightly, filled with frustration.

He had never imagined that the gap in skill between himself and Qing Junce was so vast.

Recalling their previous one-on-one match, the other party had clearly been holding back.

No, he wasn't just holding back; he was practically toying with him, like a vast ocean.

The thought ignited a nameless anger within him, but he quickly suppressed it.

He knew that with his current abilities, he was no match for Qing Junce, and challenging him again would be a waste of effort.

Next, he remembered Qing Junce's seemingly casual yet incredibly accurate shots.

He stood at the free-throw line, jumped, and mimicked Qing Junce's casual shooting motion.

Clank...

The ball slammed hard against the rim and bounced out of bounds.

He didn't give up and continued to try.

Clank...

Clank...

Clank...

The sound of missed shots echoed through the gym, and a few times, the ball didn't even touch the rim.

Only then did Rukawa Kaede deeply realize that Qing Junce's seemingly simple and casual shooting style was actually much more difficult than he had imagined. It required not only mastering the timing and power but also controlling the angle, which was extremely challenging.

"That guy makes every shot," he marveled inwardly.

At this moment, he didn't notice that outside the gym door, someone was watching him through the slightly ajar door.

"Damn stinky fox, trying to copy that godless ghost," Sakuragi Hanamichi muttered, watching Rukawa Kaede practice hard in the gym. He didn't push the door open.

He also longed to score on the court, but he just couldn't.

Seeing Qing Junce and Rukawa Kaede shine on the court made him feel uneasy.

These two were the people he disliked the most on the basketball team.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi." Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. He turned pale with fright, his body trembling, almost losing his soul.

He stiffly turned his head and found Akagi Haruko standing behind him at some point.

Instantly, his expression became foolish and dazed, his face full of fawning. "Haruko..."

Akagi Haruko smiled sweetly and asked curiously, "Sakuragi Hanamichi, why are you standing out here and not going in?"

"Huh? I... I... I... uh..." Sakuragi Hanamichi was momentarily speechless, stammering and unable to speak.

He subconsciously shifted his body, blocking the gap in the door, afraid that Akagi Haruko would discover him peeking at Rukawa Kaede practicing. That would be too embarrassing.

Akagi Haruko tilted her head, looking at Sakuragi Hanamichi with a curious expression, feeling that something was off.

Hahaha...

Sakuragi Hanamichi suddenly burst into laughter, scratching his head and explaining, "I was just passing by. Haruko, what a coincidence, running into you here."

Uh...

Akagi Haruko looked utterly bewildered.

Isn't this the basketball gym?

Isn't it normal to run into someone here?

On a small path not far away, the dim streetlights cast a soft glow, and a stout figure stood quietly.

A head of white hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, as if telling stories of time.

His glasses, reflecting the moonlight, flashed cold glints, giving him a profound and unfathomable aura.

Standing there was none other than Coach Anzai Mitsuyoshi of the Shohoku basketball team.

He happened to be passing by with nothing else to do and unexpectedly saw Sakuragi Hanamichi standing alone in front of the basketball gym, sneakily peeking inside.

The "thump-thump" of a basketball hitting the floor could be heard intermittently from inside the gym.

Coach Anzai mused to himself, roughly guessing who was inside.

At this hour, most of the basketball club members had already gone home.

Generally, those who stayed this late, besides Akagi Takenori and Kogure Kiminobu, would only be Rukawa Kaede.

And the sound of super-high-speed dribbling coming from inside was clearly not something Akagi Takenori or Kogure Kiminobu could achieve.

Therefore, the answer was self-evident: the person practicing inside must be Rukawa Kaede.

As for why it wasn't Qing Junce, Coach Anzai couldn't help but chuckle softly.

That guy always looked so lazy on a normal day; it was a miracle if he didn't show up late, so expecting him to stay for extra practice? Not even a ghost would believe it!

He looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi, seeing his problems with basketball, and wondered if he should find time to teach him some shooting techniques.

Coach Anzai stroked his chin, lost in thought.

However, he didn't notice that not too far from him, two people were watching him with strange expressions.

"Isn't that Coach Anzai? What is he doing there?" Shimizu Kanon asked softly, her face full of confusion.

Qing Junce glanced over casually and said dismissively, "Who knows? It's an old man's life, why bother asking so many questions!"

Shimizu Kanon blinked, thinking, "That's true. The coach is so old, it's normal for him to do things that are hard to understand."

Aha...

Qing Junce yawned, his tone laced with a hint of impatience, "Alright, let's go! I haven't eaten yet!"

"Oh, okay." Shimizu Kanon also felt a bit hungry.

The two walked side-by-side towards the school exit and soon disappeared into the night.