Late Bloomer! Mito Yohei! (Part 1)

Swish!

The free throw went in!

The game between the Sendai Wanderers and Hokkaido Lavender had entered the final minute of overtime. Xiandao made a difficult double-clutch layup and drew the foul, completing the and-one. With that clean make, the Wanderers led 99–96.

Beep! Hokkaido Lavender requested a timeout!

"There are only 58 seconds left. This Hokkaido possession is especially crucial! The coach called this timeout to get a basket. Whether it's two points or three, they have to score on this possession."

The commentator's analysis was spot-on. If they failed to score here, Lavender would be in danger.

"On this possession, Nakahara, do this... then catch the ball, and you shoot!"

Who exactly had the Lavender coach meant by that final "you shoot"? With all five players huddled together, it was hard to tell.

The timeout ended. Let's see what tactic Lavender's coach had drawn up. Who was that "you"?

Nakahara still brought up the ball, but he moved like an interior player, backing into Otake while dribbling with his back to the basket, as though he were setting up the offense from the post.

But at such a critical moment, the Wanderers players could not worry about anything else. They just had to stay with their assignments!

Guangu used an interior screen to break free. At the same time, Nakahara had backed his way close to the area. Guangu ran directly in front of Nakahara to receive the ball. Nakahara truly played the role of a post facilitator, handing the ball to Guangu and using his body to block Otake and Mito Yohei, who had come over to defend Guangu.

Guangu took one dribble, glanced at the basket, and launched a three!

Nakahara nearly used all his strength to hold back Otake and Yohei's desperate closeout, leaving Guangu with virtually no interference on the shot.

Swish! The three-pointer was good.

Lavender's coach had successfully executed his timeout play. That "you" had been Guangu. Nakahara handling the ball had been a fake; his real role was facilitating. After missing a three earlier, Guangu did not hesitate this time and did not let down his coach's trust.

Guangu had been selected by Hokkaido Lavender in the north and had played for three seasons already. He sported a thick full beard, and if he stood beside Wanderers coach Shoji, the two looked somewhat alike. His thick lips stood out most amid the dense beard. During his first three seasons, he had always been used as the team's sixth man. This season, the team intended to focus on developing Guangu, so they sold their previous shooting guard and promoted him to the starting lineup.

As a left-hander, Guangu's greatest strength was driving left with the ball, which posed a considerable threat. Though his athleticism was average and he was not especially strong, Guangu read the game well and had a reasonably accurate outside shot. He was a fairly well-rounded player. But Guangu's weakness was also fatal for the team: defense. That was why Lavender had their forward defend Xiandao while Guangu guarded the rookie Mito Yohei.

With Guangu introduced, back to the court. Four seconds remained in overtime, and the score was tied at 99!

Coach Shoji did not call a timeout just because the score had been tied. He believed his players could solve the problem themselves.

The pressure shifted to the Wanderers. If they failed to score here, Lavender would get another chance at a game-winner.

This was a crucial possession for the Wanderers, and quite possibly the final possession of the game. Otake dribbled.

Otake brought the ball across half court. Nakahara applied the same tight pressure defense, making it difficult for Otake to calmly set up a play. He could only use his body to shield Nakahara, dribble with his left hand, and signal the play with his right hand in the air!

Give it to me!

Xiandao broke free from a series of interior screens again and called for the ball. But Nakahara's defense was fierce, and Otake feared an inaccurate pass, so he did not deliver it immediately. In that moment of hesitation, the forward caught up. Xiandao could only establish position again and call for the ball once more.

With Nakahara's pressure about to knock him off balance, Otake jumped at the moment he was about to fall and hurled the ball out with all his strength.

Having already secured position, Xiandao stepped forward and caught the ball in midair, turning smoothly to face the basket.

Only one second remained on the shot clock.

Before the forward could set his feet, Xiandao immediately lowered his center of gravity and drove with his left hand. He was quick and low, but this was still Xiandao's non-dominant hand. The forward had been slow to react, yet he could still keep up with Xiandao.

From the look of it, this was another "premeditated" defensive scheme.

Double-team him!!

Yes, this was another carefully arranged trap defense by Lavender's coach.

The forward stayed on Xiandao's weak side the entire time,

allowing Xiandao to drive smoothly to the free-throw line. At that instant, Lavender's center Miyake and Guangu suddenly converged from the front and Xiandao's ball side. In an instant, they sealed off the front, right, and left sides of Xiandao's path! This trap was even more thorough than the last one!

"Xiandao! Let's see where you can fly this time!"

Lavender's coach sounded certain that this possession was theirs.

"Unbelievable! Xiandao's drive actually drew a triple-team from Lavender. That's treatment ordinary players simply do not get!"

The commentator sighed in amazement.

Yet Xiandao showed no fear. As if he were going to shoot, he forcefully rose up through the three-man trap. Seeing Xiandao jump, all three defenders leaped to block him. From afar, Xiandao looked like a fierce beast trapped in a cage, unable to break free!

Where's the ball!!!

It's a pass, damn it!!!

After the forward and the others jumped, they discovered that the basketball that had been in Xiandao's left hand had vanished!!! They cried out in shock.

The one who subsequently shouted "Damn it" was Lavender's coach, standing on the sideline and witnessing firsthand how the ball had disappeared.

Just as the coach said, Xiandao had indeed passed the ball. After Xiandao rose into the air, the three defenders guarding him also jumped to contest the shot. At that moment, Xiandao used his hang time to pass the ball from his left hand beneath Guangu's armpit. The recipient was the forward left open by Guangu's help defense—Mito Yohei.

"Xiandao had already prepared to pass the ball before he even began his drive. He must have anticipated the defensive strategy in advance. Rather than Xiandao falling into their trap, it would be more accurate to say Xiandao turned their trap against them. He completely fooled the defenders and successfully kicked the ball out to an unguarded perimeter player."

Coach Shoji's analysis of Xiandao showed just how well he understood him. That was why Coach Shoji had not called a timeout at such a critical moment—because there was a player on the court who could solve the problem: Xiandao!

Xiandao had done everything he could for the team. Now, it was up to the rookie Mito Yohei.

Every eye in the arena turned to Yohei. No defender stood within two meters of Yohei, who was positioned near the baseline three-point line. Yohei had to take this shot. But he had been in mediocre form all game, going just one for five from three. Still, if even team leader Xiandao trusted Yohei at such a critical moment, all that remained was to see whether Yohei could find his rhythm and seize this chance to make a name for himself.

"Hoo..."

Yohei took a deep breath, his expression remarkably calm. He crouched, jumped, swung his arms, snapped his wrist, and released! Not a wasted movement.

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air...

Go in!! Please!

The instant he released it, Yohei shouted. Watching the spinning basketball, his mind went blank. Suddenly!! Countless thoughts flooded his mind. Scenes from the past flashed through his head like a rewind tape, until his memory froze on one image—the moment he had formed an inseparable bond with basketball.

"Hello, your salmon sushi is ready!"

"Okay, thank you!"

Mito Yohei had worked part-time after school throughout high school. Ever since Sakuragi left Japan for the United States to recover from his injury, Yohei had even more spare time, so he spent most of it working at a sushi restaurant.

"Daddy!! My balloon flew up there, waaah~~~"

"It's okay, sweetheart, don't worry. Daddy will get it down for you... Damn it, it's too high."

As Yohei served food to a customer, a little girl's balloon floated from her hand up to the ceiling.

"I'll help you!"

Seeing that the girl's father had jumped several times without reaching it, Yohei decided to lend a hand.

"It's too high. Forget it!"

"It's fine. I'll give it a try!"

Yohei took a few steps back, then ran forward and sprang into the air. Like a basketball player fighting for a loose ball, he swung his large hand and easily grabbed the balloon.

"Here you go, little sister. Your balloon!"

"Thank you, big brother!"

Yohei did more than serve food. He also played the occasional good Samaritan and did kind deeds. Yet that simple act of reaching for a balloon completely changed Yohei's life.

The girl's father looked up at the ceiling, then down at the floor, seemingly thinking about something. Then he asked Yohei.

"How tall are you?"

"Me? One eighty-eight..."

Yohei was somewhat puzzled as to why this customer was asking about his height.

"This is my business card. If you're interested, come find me!" As he spoke, the man handed Yohei a card.

"Prefectural Basketball Training School... Coach—Nagai Kazuki."

Those words were written clearly on the card. This man was actually a basketball coach.

"Hey, Yohei, what are you doing? Hurry up and pick up the food!! The customers are waiting!!"

Just as Yohei hesitated, a shout from the kitchen snapped him back to his senses. He slipped the card into his pocket and continued working.

"No way, boss. Why is it so little this month?"

"Think it's too little? Then go work somewhere else. I was just thinking of cutting two waiters anyway!"

Looking at his meager monthly wages, Yohei felt powerless.

Ring ring ring!

Leaning listlessly in the corner of the kitchen, Yohei answered the phone.

"Hello, Takamiya? What is it?"

"Hey, Yohei, what are you doing? Why did you take so long to answer? I just called Sakuragi. The surgery went very well. If his recovery goes well, that guy might be able to play basketball again!!"

"That's great!!"

"So what do you say? To celebrate Sakuragi's successful surgery, let's go out and have some fun!!"

"Forget it. I have work tomorrow, and it's too late. I'm going to sleep... Bye, Takamiya."

"Hey! Hel—beep beep beep beep beep."

Before Takamiya could finish, Yohei hung up. To Yohei, nothing was worth celebrating.

"Basketball!"

Yohei suddenly thought of the business card a customer had given him a few days earlier. Rather than living under someone else's roof like this, he might as well take a chance. Maybe challenging himself would not be such a bad thing!

Yohei made up his mind to try getting involved with this sport that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him—basketball.

And so, Yohei formed an inseparable bond with basketball.