Shizuoka Prefecture, Jousei High School Basketball Gymnasium, 9:00 AM.
A night has passed since those two practice matches that were nothing short of massacres.
Today is the third and final practice match between Shohoku and Jousei High School.
The tension from the previous two games had lessened, and the Jousei players still looked at the Shohoku bench with a hint of awe.
Just half an hour before the game was about to start, several uninvited guests appeared at the entrance of the basketball stadium.
The leader was a girl with short purple hair. Although her skin was a bit dark, she had delicate features.
Two boys carrying notebooks and video cameras followed behind her.
They are members of the Shohoku High School News Club.
The girl's name is Mari Kawai, the deputy editor-in-chief of the news agency. She is famous throughout the Shohoku High School for her outrageous remarks and ability to dig up topics.
Mari Kawai's voice held a hint of excitement. "A crucial warm-up match before the National Tournament, the new champions of Kanagawa versus the powerhouse of Shizuoka."
"We're definitely going to uncover a major news story!"
Her goal was very clear.
Kawamoto Kazuki.
MVP of the Kanagawa Prefecture Tournament, a first-year monster, and the absolute core of Shohoku, leading them to break Kainan's seventeen-year monopoly.
Mysterious, powerful, with an enigmatic background, and rumored to require employees to work...
This in itself is a hot topic, making him the perfect interview subject.
However, she had been disappointed every time she went to the Shohoku basketball arena to scout it out.
The legendary MVP wasn't even in the team during regular training.
"Does the MVP have such high and mighty attitude that he doesn't even come to practice?"
Mari Kawai had this question at the time, and even imagined some dramas about discord within the team and arrogance.
However, due to the difficulty in locating the interviewee, her MVP interview plan has been shelved.
Left with no other option, she turned her attention to another highly popular newcomer.
Kaede Rukawa.
Both are first graders, both are incredibly talented, both are handsome, and both are extremely popular among girls.
At least she can find someone at the training center.
But Kaede Rukawa ignored her.
Today, upon hearing that the team was playing a practice match in Shizuoka, she immediately brought her team members over, ready to catch them off guard and observe them firsthand.
Upon entering the building, Mari Kawai's eyes began to search.
Soon, she saw Kaede Rukawa warming up on the sidelines.
He practiced his shooting meticulously, his movements fluid and precise, his profile appearing exceptionally cool and handsome under the gymnasium lights.
"Found it!"
Mari Kawai's eyes lit up, and she was about to lead the club members over when someone stopped her.
" Mari, this is the competition venue. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter."
It was Ayako blocking the way.
"It's nice to see you again, Ayako!"
Mari Kawai immediately flashed a professional smile.
"I heard that the school basketball team was holding an important practice match here, so I came here specifically to interview and report on it, to promote the team's journey to the national competition."
"The team generally avoids interviews during matches to prevent affecting the players' performance."
"We won't disturb the game."
"It's just some sideline observation, taking some photos, and then a brief interview with the players after the match."
Mari Kawai argued forcefully, "This is a historic moment for the Shohoku Basketball Team, their first time reaching the national tournament! As members of Shohoku, we have a responsibility and an obligation to report on the team's achievements and fighting spirit, so that the entire school knows about them."
Ayako looked at Mari Kawai's righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, then at the two nervous boys behind her, and sighed.
She's not an unreasonable person; news agency reports can also benefit the team's visibility.
"Okay, you can watch and take pictures from here on the bench."
"However, it is absolutely forbidden to make loud noises or interfere with the players during the match, nor is it allowed to enter the match area without permission."
"Interviews will have to wait until the match is completely over, and only after Captain Akagi gives his permission."
"No problem, thank you, Ayako."
Mari Kawai immediately agreed, saying she would be happy as long as she could stay.
Mari Kawai led the company members to sit down in the designated spot and set up the camera.
Her gaze continued to search; besides Kaede Rukawa, she wanted to find the mysterious Kawamoto Kazuki even more.
Soon, she spotted a figure in the shadows near the corner behind the Shohoku bench.
The man was exceptionally tall, estimated to be over 1.9 meters.
He was leaning against the wall, his head slightly lowered, seemingly deep in thought.
His profile is sharply defined, with a high nose bridge and prominent brow bones. His handsomeness is different from Kaede Rukawa's delicate beauty, leaning more towards a rugged and composed look.
Its aura is calm, yet its presence is extremely strong, like a ferocious beast resting in the shadows.
It's Kawamoto Kazuki!
He finally appeared!
Mari Kawai's heart skipped a beat; she felt a surge of excitement, as if she had finally caught him.
She immediately stood up, told the members to take a picture, and then picked up her notebook and pen and quickly walked over.
"Excuse me, are you Kawamoto Kazuki Ichiki?"
Mari Kawai stopped two or three steps away from the other person, spoke politely, and quickly sized him up at the same time.
Upon closer inspection, the boy's physique was even more astonishing, with smooth and powerful arm muscles and long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles.
When he looked up, his eyes were calm and expressionless.
It lacks the cold aloofness of Kaede Rukawa, but it's by no means passionate either; it's like a bottomless pool of water.
"It's me. Who are you?"
Kawamoto gathered his thoughts, looked at Mari Kawai, and spoke calmly.
"Hello, Kawamoto -Mari Kawai, a second-year student and the deputy editor-in-chief of the Shohoku High School News Club."
Mari Kawai immediately introduced herself, "Congratulations on winning the MVP award in the prefectural tournament. Our news agency would like to conduct an exclusive interview with you. Are you available now?"
"An exclusive interview?"
Kawamoto shook his head. "Sorry, the match is about to start. Besides, I don't have anything worth an exclusive interview with."
"How could this be!"
Mari Kawai immediately raised her voice, switching into her topic-generating mode.
"You are the biggest contributor to Shohoku's historic championship victory! You are the MVP of Kanagawa! Your experiences, your basketball philosophy, and your vision for the national tournament are all topics of interest to the entire school! And—"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Kawamoto, then looking at the other Shohoku players warming up on the court, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.
"And I noticed that you didn't seem to participate in the warm-up, Kawamoto?"
"Was this a special arrangement by the coach, or is there some other reason?"
She stared intently into Kawamoto's eyes, trying to detect anything unusual. "Logically speaking, as the team's ace and MVP, your strength should be the greatest, and the coach should maximize your role."
"Could it be a problem with ball distribution? Or tactical positioning? Or some other reason that's hard to pinpoint?"
This question was quite impolite, even somewhat provocative.
If it were Kaede Rukawa, he would probably just give her an idiot look and walk away.
If it were Sakuragi, he probably would have jumped up already.
But Kawamoto simply looked at her calmly, without a trace of offense or anger on his face.
His tone remained calm. "The coach has his own plans; my job is to execute them."
This answer was so airtight that it was as if it said nothing at all.
Mari Kawai frowned slightly; this Kawamoto Kazuki was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined.
He was too calm; he didn't seem like a first-year student at all.
"Then—" she was about to ask again.
"Beep--!"
The referee blows the whistle, both teams enter the field, and the match is about to begin.
Mari Kawai had no choice but to give up for the time being, but her doubts about Kawamoto's absence deepened.
She returned to her seat and whispered to her fellow club members, "Focus on filming Kaede Rukawa and Kawamoto, especially Kawamoto, provided he's on the court."
The match begins.
Shohoku's starting lineup today is: Akagi, Miyagi, Kaede Rukawa, Kogure, and Mitsui.
Kawamoto Kazuki stood on the sidelines, watching the game quietly.
Mari Kawai's brows furrowed even more deeply.
MVP on the bench?
This is so unusual!
On the field, Kaede Rukawa's performance quickly captured her full attention.
Perhaps spurred on by Kawamoto's terrifying performance in the previous two games, Kaede Rukawa's offensive desire was incredibly strong today.
On the very first play, he received the ball on the wing, faced Mikoshiba's defense, executed a clean crossover followed by a step-back, and calmly sank the mid-range jumper.
In the next possession, he stole the ball, launched a fast break, and with a quick mid-air layup, avoided the block.
Next came the pull-up jumper after a screen, the turnaround jumper after a post-up move, and the cut after a drive and pass.
His technical movements are elegant and efficient, and his offensive methods are diverse.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
The male employee next to Mari Kawai couldn't help but whisper his admiration.
Mari Kawai was also quite engrossed in watching.
She wasn't interested in basketball before, thinking it was just a bunch of people running around fighting over a ball.
But watching Kaede Rukawa's fluid and effortless attacks, his exquisite performance, she actually felt a strange sense of beauty.
Wow, basketball can be this beautiful to watch.
" Kaede Rukawa truly lives up to his reputation!"
Mari Kawai murmured unconsciously, and the camera involuntarily followed Kaede Rukawa's figure.
Halfway through the first half, Kaede Rukawa had already scored 15 points, almost single-handedly carrying Shohoku's offense.
Jousei, on the other hand, was clearly not fully recovered from the shadow of the previous two days; his defensive intensity and mental concentration were far inferior to before.
"That's too strong!"
Watching Kaede Rukawa Mari Kawai couldn't help but say to her clubmates, "Watching him play is a real treat; no wonder he's so popular."
As she spoke, Ziguang unconsciously drifted toward Kawamoto, who was still quietly standing in the corner watching the game.
Looking at Kaede Rukawa, who was dominating the court, an uncontrollable thought popped into his head, and he blurted out. " Kaede Rukawa is so strong—why is the MVP of the prefectural tournament that Kawamoto Kazuki, who sits on the bench?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively quiet arena, it still carried clearly to the ears of the Shohoku bench players nearby.
In an instant, Kakuta, Yasuda, Shiozaki, and even Ayako all turned to look at her.
His gaze was strange, as if he were looking at a rare breed of idiot.
Ayako rolled her eyes, lightly patted her forehead, and looked utterly hopeless.
Mari Kawai was somewhat bewildered by these stares, but the journalistic spirit of seeking truth emboldened her. "Isn't that right? Look at Kaede Rukawa's performance, he's absolutely ace-level!"
"That Kawamoto Kazuki looks pretty strong, but he doesn't even warm up or participate in the matches—is there some inside story about the prefectural tournament that we don't know about? Or is the MVP selection based on more than just skill, but also on other factors?"
The more she spoke, the more convinced she felt she had discovered the truth, and her voice rose slightly. "After all, Kawamoto looks—"
Hmm, he's quite polite, but doesn't seem very sociable? And he rarely plays; is there something going on with his teammates or coach?
"Hello!"
Ayako finally couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted her impatiently, "If you don't understand basketball, stop talking nonsense! Rukawa is strong, that's true, but do you know that Kawamoto Kazuki, the guy you call benchwarmer and loner, single-handedly beat last year's top eight national team to tears in just five minutes yesterday?"
"Wh-what?" Mari Kawai was stunned.
Five minutes? One person beat the top eight in the country to tears?
Her colleagues were also dumbfounded.
Ayako was too lazy to explain further to her, she simply gestured with her chin towards the field, then towards Kawamoto was quietly watching the game.
Her tone was filled with undisguised admiration. "Use your brain and think about why the MVP is the MVP. Kaede Rukawa is my junior at Tomioka Junior High School. I admit he's very strong, but compared to Kawamoto- junior?"
Ayako paused, looked at Mari Kawai's disbelieving expression, and pursed her lips.
In a low voice, barely audible to those nearby, he added, "It's the same old story of getting blown up."
Mari Kawai:"???"
She glanced at Ayako, then at the other Shohoku team members' "you don't know anything" expressions.
Finally, my gaze returned once more to the Kawamoto, so quiet it seemed detached from worldly affairs.
Five minutes----
One person made the top eight in the country cry?
Is this even possible?