That evening, the Shohoku basketball gym was brightly lit, and the intra-squad scrimmage was in full swing.
With the decisive battle in Kainan drawing ever closer, the air is thick with tension and excitement.
Kainan was the opponent that Takenori Akagi had dreamed of facing for three years, someone he had always longed to confront.
During a training break, Akagi and Kogure leaned against the wall and drank water.
Akagi looked at his teammates running on the field and said in a deep voice, " Kogure, it's been three years—we've finally waited for this day."
Kogure adjusted his glasses, his eyes filled with emotion and determination. "Yes, Akagi. This time, we're not going to challenge, we're going to win. Let's take everyone to the National Tournament."
The two exchanged a smile, the three years of sweat, failures, and perseverance unspoken.
This is the unspoken understanding and determination among veterans.
On the other hand, the atmosphere was completely different.
Hanamichi Sakuragi was beaming with pride after completing a beautiful alley-oop when Koichiro Nango nudged him with his elbow, winking and whispering, "Hey, Hanamichi, seriously, you like Haruko- san so much, how come you've never formally confessed?"
"What kind of liking is this? Isn't it just chickening out?"
Sakuragi's face instantly turned bright red. "You damn blond bastard! Who's chickening out!"
"That's called strategic waiting. Waiting for the perfect moment. You know nothing!"
"As for you, you fall in love with every girl you see. Didn't you fawn over Ayako- senpai before? What kind of bullshit love is that?!"
Nango was embarrassed when his past was exposed, but he refused to admit defeat. "I was just appreciating something beautiful! Appreciation, you know? Manager Ayako is beautiful and capable, what's wrong with appreciating her? Unlike you, so hesitant and afraid to even say you like her, you coward!"
"Who are you calling a coward? Want to fight, you yellow-haired monkey!"
"Fight if you want! Who's afraid of that Red-Haired Monkey!"
The two were locked in a standoff, and it looked like a full-blown fight was about to break out.
Ryota Miyagi, who was practicing dribbling next to him, perked up his ears instantly when he heard the words "fawning over Ayako ".
He rushed forward, squeezing between the two, and angrily pointed at Nango: "Hey! Yellow Hair! You fawned over Ayako? When did that happen? How come I didn't know!"
Nango was startled by Miyagi's strong reaction and subconsciously said, "Well, the day of the Shoyo match, I brought water to Manager Ayako and praised her for her good record-keeping—what's wrong with that?"
"Do you also have feelings for Manager Ayako?"
"Why do you think I play ball?" Miyagi snapped.
"Who knew you had feelings for Ayako? I've been in the team for so long and I never saw you show any interest. I thought you were just a clueless newbie."
"You--!"
Miyagi was furious at Nango's answer; it was an absolute insult to his unrequited love.
"That was—that was subtlety! It was respect! What do you, a frivolous guy, know?"
" Sakuragi! This guy has designs on Haruko and Ayako! Let's go! Teach him a lesson!"
"Oh! That's right!" Sakuragi immediately found an ally.
"You two ganged up on us! Despicable!"
"There's no need to talk about morality with a womanizing blondie like you!"
"Who's unfaithful! I'm just loving!"
The scene immediately descended into chaos as the three argued fiercely, drawing the attention of the other team members.
Ayako stood with her hands on her hips, watching the farce with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Akagi pressed his temples in pain.
It was past eight o'clock in the evening, and night had fallen.
Haruko Akagi walked home through a quiet alley, carrying several reference books she had borrowed from a classmate.
The streetlights were dim, casting her shadow long.
She was still savoring the burning look in her brother's eyes when he talked about Kainan, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
Near the alley's crossroads, several shady-looking figures emerged from the shadows and blocked her path. The leader was a man who looked to be in his thirties with a somewhat fierce and mature face.
He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, exhaling a puff of smoke as he looked Haruko up and down with ill intent.
"Hey, are you alone, student? It's not safe to go home so late."
The man grinned and said, "How about coming with me to have some fun? My name is Mitsuaki Okubo, I guarantee I'll make you happy."
"No, no need. Please move aside."
Haruko's face turned pale, she clutched the book in her arms tightly, and her voice trembled.
"Don't be so shy----"
Okubo approached with a grin, his henchmen behind him also letting out lewd laughter.
At the entrance of the alley to the east, Hanamichi Sakuragi was walking listlessly with his head drooping.
I had a fight with Nango. Although we didn't actually fight, I still felt a bit angry.
In particular, Nango's words, "If you don't even dare to say you like someone, what kind of liking is that?" stuck in his heart like a thorn.
He rubbed his head in frustration.
From the western alley entrance came the slightly muffled exhaust sound of Suzuki motorcycle.
Koichiro Nango straddled the motorcycle, but instead of speeding as usual.
The low rumble of the motorcycle seemed to reflect his confused state of mind.
He slowed down, Sakuragi's question echoing in his mind.
What kind of true love is it to fall in love with every single person you meet?
For the first time, he began to seriously consider what kind of feelings he truly had for Haruko, Ayako, and all the other girls who had previously stirred his heart.
Is it the kind of persistent yet clumsy affection like Sakuragi and Miyagi's, or is it really just superficial lust at first sight?
At the southern entrance of the alley, Ryota Miyagi walked with his hands in his pockets and his head down.
Nango's words, "I've been in the team for so long, and I haven't seen you show any reaction," hit him like a hammer blow.
Yes, I've always secretly liked Ayako.
However, because of her height, fear of rejection, and various other concerns, she never dared to express herself clearly.
Although Ayako is so intelligent and dazzling, can she truly understand her own feelings?
Or does he, like Nango, think he's just an ignorant, clueless young man?
An unprecedented sense of frustration and impulse welled up inside me.
At the entrance to the alley to the north, Kawamoto Kazuki walked slowly.
He had just finished working at the fish market.
Boss Kobayashi has a lot of work to do today, so I don't have time to work at the restaurant anymore.
He could only head towards the convenience store.
He continued to conceive his own translation of the Ode to Gallantry.
His eyes lit up, as if he had caught some inspiration.
" Black Iron Token ----"
He muttered to himself, "A dead object can certainly serve as a thread running through the entire story, but what if it were a living thing?"
His mind raced. "No, one isn't enough. The original story mentions three Black Iron Token, so perhaps we could change it to nine? Yes, nine is the ultimate number. The part in the original story where the boy accidentally swallows the Black Iron Token after eating a pancake could be rewritten as some kind of sealed divine beast or power core accidentally entering the protagonist's body?"
" Xie Yanke, this unparalleled master who is both righteous and wicked, could be rewritten as a super-strong individual who surpasses the existence of ordinary ninjas in the story. These nine divine beasts or power cores were created or sealed by him!"
"This concept has more potential than a simple token; it can introduce more forces, more grudges, and better explain the protagonist's subsequent growth in abilities and the vastness of the world—"
"Yes, this direction is worth exploring further."
He was engrossed in his creative process when suddenly a voice cried out, "Help! Let me go!"
A girl's startled cry, tinged with tears, came clearly from the center of the alleyway intersection.
Almost simultaneously, the boys who came from the four alleyways—east, west, south, and north—suddenly raised their heads.