The girls stopped crying and started laughing, each taking out a notebook or handkerchief.
Overjoyed, the three members of the Takamiya quickly exchanged contact information, their lust escalating. "Um, if we win, could you consider dating us, the Kawamoto brothers?"
The prettiest girl blushed and whispered, "If—if you three Kawamoto brothers can really defeat Kainan and avenge our Takezono —we—we could try dating you!"
"Yes! And when you play against Kainan, we'll definitely be there, make cheering banners for you, and do our best to cheer for Shohoku!"
The other girls echoed her sentiments, their eyes filled with admiration for the hero.
The smiles on the faces of Takamiya, Okusu, and Noma froze instantly, and cold sweat poured down their faces.
Come watch the game?
Still making flags?
Wouldn't that completely expose the mistake?
"No, no, no, there's no need for that!"
Takamiya quickly waved his hand. "We appreciate your kindness! But there's no need for us to come and cheer you on—"
"Yes! Absolutely!" The girls from Takezono were adamant. "You guys are so loyal, we definitely have to go and support you! It's a deal!"
Looking at the slips of paper in their hands covered with phone numbers, and then at the girls' serious expressions, the three of them Takamiya groaned.
Oh no, I've blown my own horn!
If Shohoku really plays against Kainan, this group of girls will come over waving banners cheering on the Kawamoto brothers.
The scene is too beautiful to imagine.
"Never mind----"
Takamiya lowered his voice and said to his two accomplices, "Let's get the phone first."
The three of them, carrying a sweet dilemma and a bunch of phone numbers, slunk back to the stands of Shohoku.
Nozomi Takamiya back to the Shohoku stands, her face still flushed with excitement.
He plopped down and immediately began gesturing with his hands in the air, as if he were painting a masterpiece.
"The girls at Takezono, wow—I'm telling you, they're incomparable to girls from other schools!"
"Her skin was as white as a rice cake, delicate and smooth."
"The most prized black-lipped mussel in the aquarium with its big eyes could suck your soul in with just one glance."
Her voice was as soft as the steam rising from a hot spring; it made your bones melt.
"When she cries, it's even more terrifying. Her tears fall, more crystalline than the morning dew at the feet of the Great Buddha of Kamakura. She's so pitiful to see, so pitiful to see!"
"And then there's that aura—when still, it's like the lingering snow on Mount Fuji in May, serene and elegant; when excited, it's like the afternoon waves of Sagami Bay, full of vitality."
"The key is that they are also very polite and very innocent."
"It felt like being on the cleanest beach on the Shonan coast, basking in the pleasantly cool 4 PM sun, and drinking an ice-cold marble soda."
He finished speaking in one breath, then smacked his lips in delight, as if the aftertaste was endless.
Kawamoto Kazuki, who had been calmly watching the court, turned his head and gave Takamiya a serious look.
This guy usually jokes around, but I never expected him to have such a rich vocabulary.
The metaphors come one after another, all closely related to the characteristics of Shonan, creating a vivid and captivating image.
Although exaggerated, it does have a strong literary foundation.
" Takamiya," Kawamoto began, "Did you pick out all these adjectives from reading books?"
Takamiya scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Well, not entirely—it's just that I like to overthink things. When I see something delicious, fun, or beautiful, I always try to find the most fitting word to describe it, otherwise I feel restless."
Kawamoto nodded and said nothing more, but his opinion of Nozomi Takamiya as a linguistic talent rose even higher.
This guy's literary talent and improvisational skills are probably more interesting than he realizes.
His talent might actually come in handy for literary translation and dissemination projects.
In the end, Kainan won by a large margin without any suspense, easily advancing to the Takezono.
The game ended, and the crowd began to leave.
In the passageway leading to the exit, the Shohoku spectators ran into the Kainan University Affiliated High School Basketball Team, who were preparing to leave.
The Kainan team members also saw the Shohoku players, especially Kawamoto Kazuki, who was at the back, and they almost simultaneously stopped in their tracks.
The passageway wasn't narrow, but Kawamoto Kazuki was over 192 centimeters tall, stood there calmly, an invisible sense of oppression permeated the air as if it were a tangible reality.
The average height of the Kainan team is already quite high.
But standing in front of Kawamoto, apart from Takasago and Jin, everyone else was noticeably shorter.
Nobunaga Kiyota, in particular, looked up at Kawamoto bobbed unconsciously.
The terrifying 71-point score from a few days ago, combined with the visual impact of the real person in front of him, caused this fearless wild monkey to feel a sense of awe for the first time.
Shinichi Maki stood at the front of the line, his face calm and his eyes sharp, meeting Kawamoto's calm gaze in the air.
There were no sparks flying, but there was a silent contest.
After a moment, Shinichi Maki stepped forward and extended his right hand.
" Kawamoto, we meet again."
His voice was steady and powerful.
Looking at the group of wealthy second-generation elites in front of him, dressed in Kainan team uniforms, with outstanding temperaments and obviously from well-off families, Kawamoto found it hard to feel much empathy.
Their basketball is glory, a ladder to higher education, and a testament to their brilliant youth.
For him, basketball is a tool for survival, a means to change his destiny, and a relatively simple and direct battlefield in a complex world.
However, he still maintained basic courtesy, extending his right hand to shake hands with Shinichi Maki.
"I look forward to playing against you." Shinichi Maki looked into Kawamoto's eyes and said solemnly.
"Yes." Kawamoto nodded seriously.
Without further ado, a handshake was all it took to part ways.
Kawamoto nodded slightly to the Kainan group, then followed the Shohoku group and left the passage first.
Even after the Shohoku team disappeared from sight, the Kainan team remained rooted to the spot.
Coach Riki Takato suddenly unfolded the paper fan he had been holding and slowly waved it, but his gaze remained fixed on the direction Kawamoto had left in, as if he were deep in thought.
Toyomi Fish Market at 6 PM two days later.
Shinichi Maki stood on the damp cement ground.
Seeing this scene before me, I experienced a cognitive shock to the world I lived in for the first time.
"Shocked, aren't you?"
Riki Takato waved his paper fan, but his gaze never left the busy young figure in the distance.
Shinichi Maki did not answer immediately.
He watched as Kawamoto Kazuki tirelessly unloaded net after net of heavy skipjack tuna from the fishing boat.
The boy's shoulders were red from being rubbed raw by the rough ropes, and his sweat glistened in the setting sun, just like the middle-aged fishermen around him who were busy making a living.
This scene didn't match anything he had imagined before he came.