"You!..."
"I won't give up!"
Yamagami Sawano was about to fire back, but before he could get the words out, the coach cut him off.
"Why don't you head back to your lounge area and behave yourself?
There's still a whole half to play. Don't rush to conclusions!"
The odds of winning were slim, but the coach didn't want to give up. If they couldn't turn things around this time, their team's ace might never get back on his feet.
"I see. What a shame.
Once I win, I'll just send the points to that girl's account again."
Since the other side wasn't giving up, there was no reason to stick around.
Gojo Satoru walked back to his lounge area.
Watching him leave, the coach said sternly,
"Basketball isn't a one-man sport. You need to work together more smoothly! That's the only way you can make up for the gap in individual ability."
"Beep! Beep!"
"Break's over!"
At Horikita Manabu's command, the players began filing onto the court.
"Go, Satoru-kun!"
Xiao Mako's voice came from above and to the left.
Gojo Satoru looked up and saw Xiao Mako waving at him.
Caught off guard by the sudden shout, he froze for a moment. Then, once he realized what was happening, he smiled broadly and gave her a thumbs-up.
She smiled and returned the thumbs-up.
Everyone else stared at the scene, stunned. Did he really need encouragement in a situation like this?
What exactly was their relationship?
Watching Gojo Satoru give her a thumbs-up, Kamuro Masumi felt as if her heart had skipped a beat.
Noticing Kamuro Masumi's solemn expression, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled but said nothing.
Since the third-years had won the opening tip-off in the first quarter, the first-years got possession at the start of the third.
With the ball in hand, Gojo Satoru looked at Yamagami Sawano, who came over to defend him. He sounded apologetic as he said,
"Sorry. My girlfriend's watching, so let me show off a little."
At those words, Yamagami Sawano cursed inwardly.
What do you mean, show off a little? Weren't you impressive enough just now?!
Even so, he kept his eyes fixed on the ball, not daring to let his guard down for a second.
But to his shock, his opponent's dribbling and pace had both gotten faster. His eyes could barely keep up!
He vanished!
He had focused on the ball as it moved faster and faster, only to realize that his opponent was no longer where he'd been. When he looked again, even the ball had disappeared!
He whipped around and saw Gojo Satoru with the ball just outside the free-throw line. His opponent was holding the ball in one hand, preparing to leap.
He knew what Gojo Satoru was about to do!
Meteor Jam!
The last time they'd faced off, that shot had crushed his pride in his height and jumping ability!
Bang!!
The basketball slammed into the hoop.
The video had only started recording from the second shot, so many people were seeing this kind of dunk for the first time: a leap that began beyond the free-throw line.
Bang, bang, bang~
The entire gym fell silent! The only sound was the basketball bouncing against the floor.
Gojo Satoru slowly rose from his half-crouch. His face looked more ferocious than usual as he spoke arrogantly.
"Sorry, but I'm going to start taking this a little seriously!"
The gym had gone quiet, so nearly everyone heard him. But nobody knew how to respond.
He wasn't even serious before?
This is only him taking it a little seriously?
Is this monster even human?
That was what most people were thinking. Many couldn't accept the reality: how could someone with such absurd physical abilities even exist?
Only 40 seconds remained in the game.
After getting dunked on again, Yamagami Sawano fell to the ground and stared ahead, lost in thought.
Why had it turned out like this?
What had he been working so hard for over the past month?
Since Gojo Satoru had entered the game, they hadn't scored a single point. Could this even be called a match?
There was only one person on the other team with any real ability. His own team had practiced together so many times. Why had the result still turned out the same as last time?
The only difference was that now an entire team was getting crushed instead of just one person!
Was this what it meant to be a true genius? He had trained so hard, yet he still couldn't make his opponent take him seriously!
Sitting dazed on the floor, he couldn't even hear his teammates calling to him. He wondered: why had he started playing basketball in the first place?
Was the gap between him and the rest of the world really this huge?
Then what had his goal all along even been?
In his memories, two weeks earlier.
"Coach, I'm weak, aren't I? I'm only more talented than ordinary people. I can't compare to real geniuses!"
Ever since his defeat, he'd been training harder and harder, but he'd barely improved at all!
His shooting technique and jumping ability hadn't changed much, and he couldn't even dribble any faster.
Before, he'd never felt so helpless, no matter what team he competed against. The despair that came from such a huge gap was overwhelming!
"What are you talking about?!
What good does it do to say such defeatist things?!
Basketball has never been a one-man sport!
You can't focus only on yourself. You have to look to your teammates, too. In a team sport, only by working together can you take your team further!"
"Is that so?"
Basketball wasn't just a one-man sport?
After hearing those words of encouragement, Yamagami Sawano wasn't sure whether he truly understood.
"Sawano! Only you can overcome the gloom in your heart. Anyone who gives up after a single failure is bound to get nowhere!"
"I understand, Coach!"
This time, Yamagami Sawano understood. Everyone faced failure as they grew, and only by overcoming it could he truly move forward!
"Sawano, you're strong. You're our ace.
Losing to that first-year doesn't change that.
We can't stand still. This is our last year.
If it's you, I believe we can make it to the finals this year!"
Kawashima looked straight at Yamagami Sawano, who was lying on the ground in a daze, and spoke earnestly.
"Captain, do you really think so?"
But Yamagami Sawano still found it hard to believe. That defeat had shown him the gap, even though he'd always been among the top high school basketball players in the country. It made him feel like a frog at the bottom of a well who'd never seen true strength.
"It's not just me. Everyone on the team believes in you!"
"Come on, Sawano. Don't get so discouraged."
"Everyone knows how good you are, senpai."
"Yeah, yeah! That new kid is just ridiculous. It doesn't change how good you are!"
Whether they were his classmates or his underclassmen, they all came over to encourage Yamagami Sawano. Only by doing so could they become more united and go further.
"Get up, Sawano!
Don't get discouraged over something so small!
Don't forget, your goal is the national championship!
Before you continue