The Beautiful Manager's Secret Interview!

What?!

Ryota Miyagi froze when he saw Shirakawa's gesture.

What was this supposed to mean?

Wasn't he the core? Wasn't he the primary offensive option?

For the first possession of the game, he was actually letting someone else take it? And his biggest rival, Kaede Rukawa, at that?

Miyagi couldn't make heads or tails of Shirakawa's thought process, but Captain Akagi's order still rang in his ears. After hesitating for a tenth of a second, he ultimately chose to trust Shirakawa.

He accelerated, drawing the defense, then quickly passed the ball to Kaede Rukawa, who was positioned at the forty-five-degree angle on the other side.

Kaede Rukawa was stunned for a moment when he caught the ball.

He instinctively glanced at Shirakawa and found that Shirakawa wasn't even looking at him. He was casually making his way toward the basket, as if he hadn't given that instruction at all.

What the hell was this guy trying to do?

Kaede Rukawa had no time to think, because a Red Team defender was already glued to him.

Without hesitation, he immediately displayed the strength of a superstar rookie. With a flashy crossover, he blew past his opponent in an instant and charged straight for the basket!

The Red Team's interior defenders hurried over to help.

Just as everyone thought Kaede Rukawa would go for a difficult layup or an acrobatic double-clutch, he suddenly caught sight of a red figure cutting in from the other side at astonishing speed out of the corner of his eye!

It was Sakuragi!

Under Shirakawa's signal—though he hadn't understood it himself and had merely followed Shirakawa—this complete amateur had somehow run the perfect cutting route!

Kaede Rukawa instantly recalled what Shirakawa had said to him yesterday.

"You only see the defender in front of you..."

"You ignore your other four teammates..."

As if possessed, Kaede Rukawa made a decision that even surprised himself.

He didn't force the shot. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, he threaded the ball precisely beneath the help defender's armpit!

"Bang!"

The basketball slammed off the backboard.

"Genius!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi roared. Like a tiger descending the mountain, he soared into the air, caught the rebounding ball with both hands, and viciously hammered it through the hoop!

"Clang!"

A thunderous alley-oop slam!

The entire gym fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared dumbfoundedly at the red-haired monkey beneath the basket, hanging from the rim and roaring smugly.

"W-what the hell?!" Ryota Miyagi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Sakuragi... and Kaede Rukawa... an alley-oop?!"

"Am I dreaming?" Kiminobu Kogure muttered.

Weren't those two sworn enemies? It was a miracle if they didn't start fighting whenever they met, yet they could actually work together to score?

And in such an explosive fashion, too!

Even Akagi, their opponent on the court, stood frozen in place.

From Shirakawa's command, to Miyagi's pass, to Kaede Rukawa's drive and kick, and finally Sakuragi's finish...

The entire sequence had flowed seamlessly, all in one smooth motion!

Was this... the offense Shirakawa wanted?

Akagi looked at Shirakawa and found him wearing an expression that said, "Just as expected," as he nodded in satisfaction.

After landing, Kaede Rukawa also gave Shirakawa a deep look, his shock beyond measure.

He had merely followed Shirakawa's instructions and instinctively made a pass, yet it had produced such an easy, efficient offense.

This feeling...

It was strange.

It even felt better than scoring coast to coast by himself.

"Did you see that, superstar rookie?" Shirakawa's voice drifted over lazily. "This is what basketball is."

Kaede Rukawa said nothing, but silently clenched his fist.

The rest of the game fell completely under Shirakawa's control.

Like an experienced conductor, he strolled across the court and mobilized every teammate with the simplest commands.

He had Miyagi use his speed to launch fast breaks.

He directed Kogure to get open, then had Kaede Rukawa pass him the ball for a three-pointer.

He could even predict Akagi's attacking route and have Sakuragi get into position beforehand to grab that damned offensive rebound.

He rarely attacked on his own, but whenever he did shoot, it was always when the opposing defense had been completely torn apart and a massive opening had appeared.

Formless Shot, ultra-high-speed drives...

When these divine skills were used to finish team plays, they were ten times more terrifying than in one-on-one battles!

The Red Team was beaten into total disarray, utterly unable to fight back.

For the first time in an intrasquad game, Akagi experienced what true helplessness felt like.

The defense he had always been so proud of was effortlessly ripped apart like paper under Shirakawa's unfathomable command.

By the end of the game, the score was too ugly to look at.

The White Team won by a landslide.

"Phew... phew..."

Everyone was gasping for breath, but the White Team players' faces were filled with an excitement they had never felt before.

"That was... that was incredible!" Ryota Miyagi dropped onto the floor and laughed. "I've never played such an easy game! I felt like all I had to do was run, and the ball would find its way into my hands!"

Kogure was flushed with excitement as well. "Yeah! I felt like every shot I took was wide open! That feeling was amazing!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi planted his hands on his hips and laughed toward the sky. "Hahahaha! Did you see that?! This genius threw down three dunks today! I'm the man who rules the paint!"

Only Kaede Rukawa said nothing. He walked to the sideline and chugged several mouthfuls from a water bottle, but his flame-burning eyes never left Shirakawa.

This man was overturning his basketball world in a way he couldn't understand, yet couldn't help but acknowledge.

After practice, the players gradually left.

Shirakawa packed up his things as well, ready to head out.

"Shirakawa."

A crisp, pleasant voice called out to him.

Shirakawa turned around and saw the team manager, Ayako.

Today, Ayako wore athletic shorts and a T-shirt that outlined her youthful, energetic figure. She held a notebook in her hands, her bright eyes studying him with curiosity.

"Senior Ayako, do you need something?" Shirakawa asked.

"Mm." Ayako nodded and walked up to him. She only reached his chest, so she had to tilt her head slightly upward to look at him. "Could we talk for a bit?"

She wore a professional smile, but beneath it, her eyes held a trace of investigation and... admiration.

As the team's manager, she had recorded every one of Shirakawa's performances since he joined the team.

From the initial jaw-dropping surprise to his current control over the entire court.

This junior was full of mysteries.

His basketball skills were nothing like those of a high school student, or even a professional player. They were more like... art.

She was intensely curious. Where had this mysterious boy come from? What kind of story lay behind him?

"Of course." Shirakawa gave this strikingly spirited senior a charming smile. "It would be my honor to chat with such a beautiful senior."

That slightly flirtatious remark made Ayako's cheeks flush faintly.

She gave a light cough to conceal her embarrassment, then asked seriously:

"Shirakawa, may I ask... where exactly did you learn to play basketball?"