The day after the match against Shoyo is Sunday.
In the morning, Kawamoto accompanied Mom Kazuko to go grocery shopping and take a walk; in the afternoon, he continued his special training with Sakuragi.
It was already evening when it ended.
The two walked side by side on their way back to the Kawamoto.
Sakuragi was still full of energy, gesturing wildly as he reviewed the afternoon's training, especially after he made five consecutive mid-range shots.
Kawamoto listened quietly, occasionally nodding in approval.
Turning the corner, they saw a girl wearing the uniform of Takezono High School, with long, flowing hair, walking slowly with her head down.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her delicate face showed obvious worry.
" Yoko?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi recognized her first and called out in surprise.
Yoko looked up at the sound of the voice, saw Sakuragi, and forced a smile, "Ah, it's Sakuragi- kun."
Her gaze then fell on the tall figure beside Sakuragi.
Kawamoto nodded slightly in greeting but did not speak.
Sakuragi noticed her troubled face and asked, " Yoko, what's wrong?"
Yoko hesitated for a moment, then her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Kawamoto, Kawamoto was standing next to him.
Seemingly hesitant due to the presence of outsiders, she finally couldn't resist her curiosity and asked softly, " Sakuragi, who is this...?"
"Oh! This is my genius older brother, Kawamoto Kazuki, the ace player of the Shohoku Basketball Team!"
Sakuragi immediately launched into a loud introduction, his tone brimming with pride.
" Kawamoto Kazuki..."
Yoko repeated it first, then her eyes widened slightly, and a look of shock appeared on her face.
Her gaze swept from Kawamoto's calm face across his broad shoulders, and then down to his tall, upright figure.
After staring for several seconds, she exclaimed in a low, incredulous voice:
"You... you're the Kawamoto who scored 71 points in the first half of yesterday's game against Shoyo?"
" The Takezono High School Basketball Club has been talking about this all day! They're saying Shohoku has a monster rookie, even bigger than Captain Akagi, with a hideous face like a demon crawled out of hell... But..."
Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly. "But you yourself are so handsome..."
She seemed to realize that what she had said was somewhat impolite and quickly covered her mouth.
Kawamoto:"..."
Sakuragi quickly steered the conversation back on track. " Yoko -kun, you seem to have something on your mind?"
Mentioning this, the blush on Yoko's face quickly faded, replaced by worry once more.
She bit her lip, looked at Sakuragi, and pleaded in her eyes, " Sakuragi, actually... it's because of Oda."
Upon hearing the name Oda, Hanamichi Sakuragi's expression visibly stiffened.
Although it was very subtle, it was keenly noticed by Kawamoto, who was standing next to him.
Yoko, oblivious to Sakuragi's subtle change, continued, " Oda injured his foot. The doctor said it was a recurrence of an old injury, quite serious, and advised him to rest for at least a month and avoid strenuous exercise."
"But... but he said that Takezono finally made it into the county tournament's top eight this year, and the next game is against Kainan. As the core player, he has to play. He said it's his responsibility, and even if he can't play basketball anymore, he has to finish this game..."
Her voice trembled with tears. "I can't persuade him... Sakuragi, you and Kawamoto... especially Kawamoto, who's so amazing, can you please talk to him? Tell him to take good care of his injury and not risk his foot? Maybe he'll listen to you?"
Sakuragi listened in silence, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
He kept his head down for a long while before finally speaking in a muffled voice, "Was he really that badly injured?"
Yoko nodded vigorously, tears welling in her eyes. "It's true! He's really swollen, but he's stubborn and won't listen to reason... Sakuragi, Kawamoto, please..."
Sakuragi looked up and saw Yoko's pleading face.
Finally, he nodded. "Okay. I... I'll give it a try."
Upon hearing this, Yoko's face immediately lit up with a relieved and grateful smile, "Really? Thank you so much, Sakuragi! Thank you, Kawamoto! I'll be going now!"
She seemed to have completed some important task; she bowed to the two of them and then hurriedly ran away.
Watching the Yoko disappear into the distance, Sakuragi stood still, motionless.
Who is this Oda?
Kawamoto's voice rang out from the side. "Something's not right with you."
Hanamichi Sakuragi seemed to be startled awake. He scratched his red hair, looking somewhat annoyed. " Yoko was someone I confessed to before. But she chose Oda, not me."
There wasn't much resentment in his voice, but rather the lingering unease of a young man whose heart had been broken.
Kawamoto looked at him quietly, then asked, "If that's the case, why did you agree to help her? To persuade a rival who caused your heartbreak?"
Sakuragi paused, seemingly having never considered this question.
He frowned, thought for a long time, and then stammered, "Probably because he doesn't want to see Oda, who can never play basketball again after this injury."
"Although he's an annoying rival in love, he seems to be pretty good at basketball."
His reasoning was simple, even somewhat naive.
This is the most basic kindness and empathy of a fifteen-year-old boy.
People who love basketball shouldn't have their dreams ruined by injuries, even if the person they love isn't someone they particularly like.
Kawamoto looked at Sakuragi's conflicted yet serious expression and shook his head slightly.
Unlike Sakuragi, he was exposed to society at a young age, making his inner world more sensitive and complex.
Kindness depends on the situation.
The girl named Yoko knew perfectly well that Sakuragi had feelings for her before, and that he had even rejected her because of it.
Despite this, she still asked Sakuragi to persuade her current boyfriend.
She may not have meant it, but subconsciously, she didn't really take Sakuragi's feelings seriously.
Or rather, she exploited Sakuragi's lingering affection and innocent kindness towards her to achieve her own goals.
In Kawamoto's view, this is a form of covert exploitation.
Sakuragi is too naive and too passionate; he can't see this aspect.
He only felt he was helping out, and that it was for the good of basketball.
But Kawamoto thought more deeply and saw things more clearly.
He didn't share these analyses with Sakuragi.
Forcing the issue out might hurt Sakuragi's precious innocence.
Perhaps I misinterpreted what Yoko meant; maybe the girl didn't think that much about it.
I'll go with you.
Sakuragi looked up in surprise. "Brother Kawamoto, you..."
"Since you promised Yoko, you must complete this task no matter what. It's a man's promise."
"If your persuasion doesn't work, I'll try to persuade him in my own way."
Looking at Kawamoto's calm and resolute profile, Sakuragi's complex emotions, which had been stirred up by Yoko and Oda, suddenly calmed down.
He nodded vigorously. "Yes!"