He...
Perhaps he really could touch a basketball again!
Stand on a basketball court again and chase his dream!
The thought brought an almost searing flutter.
Bit by bit.
It spread through Kawamoto Kazuki's chest.
He had already decided.
On Monday, he would apply to join the Shohoku basketball team.
But before joining, he needed to prepare a few things for himself.
That afternoon, while his mother took her nap.
He made the rounds of several secondhand stores and hardware shops.
He found some thick, wear-resistant canvas and fine iron sand.
Saturday night, in the still of the late hours.
Under the dim light, Kazuki Yamamoto stitched two pairs of arm and knee supports, one stitch at a time.
From the outside, they were just ordinary gray sports supports.
But in fact, he had filled their interiors with iron sand.
Each piece weighed five jin.
The pair of arm supports, together with the knee supports.
Added up to a full twenty jin of extra weight.
For Kawamoto Kazuki, this was absolutely necessary.
Not to disguise anything, but simply to train better.
He knew very well.
Without weights, playing on a high school court would hardly give him any opportunity to hone himself.
Once the arm and knee supports were ready, Kawamoto Kazuki put them on to try them out.
He tried moving his joints.
A heavy sense of restriction came immediately.
Although they might not affect everyday walking much.
If he took them onto a basketball court.
The effect would be completely different.
It meant every movement would require more strength than usual.
Not only that, they would also throw off his form.
Yet a flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes.
With these things, his upcoming basketball training would not be too easy.
They would also help him hone his skills more effectively.
The two days of the weekend quietly slipped by amid that excitement.
Even Monday's sunshine seemed to carry the warmth of excitement.
That morning, Sakuragi tried to speak to him several times.
But in the end, he never said anything.
Kawamoto Kazuki paid no attention at all.
The moment the bell rang for the midday break.
Kawamoto headed straight for the gym he had once longed for.
He pulled open the heavy door, and the familiar sound of bouncing basketballs made him tremble with excitement.
The Shohoku players training inside the gym noticed this unexpected visitor.
His tall figure stood out even in the basketball club.
"He's so tall..."
"Is he a student here? I've never seen him."
"Is he a first-year here to join the club?"
The basketball club members began whispering among themselves.
Haruko Akagi, who was helping Ayako keep records by the court, saw him too.
Surprise appeared on Haruko's face, then she smiled and nodded at him.
"Hello. We meet again."
Kawamoto Kazuki bowed slightly in a very polite response. "Hello."
His manner carried a composure beyond his years.
Then his gaze passed over Haruko and landed on Takenori Akagi, who was also looking at him.
He walked over and stopped in front of Akagi.
His voice was clear and calm.
"You're Akagi-senpai, right? I'm Kawamoto Kazuki from Class Seven, first year. I... I'd like to apply to join the basketball team."
Takenori Akagi's imposing eyes looked Kawamoto Kazuki up and down.
Height...
Wingspan...
Shoulder width...
He had to admit that, in his eyes, Kazuki Yamamoto's physical attributes were almost perfect.
His interest stirred.
"Kawamoto, was it? Have you played basketball before?"
He asked in a deep voice.
Beside him, Haruko remembered her conversation with Kawamoto that day and instinctively answered first. "Big brother, Kawamoto said he doesn't know how to play basketball."
There was a trace of regret in her voice.
Those words made Kaede Rukawa pause; Kawamoto Kazuki's physical attributes had initially drawn his interested gaze.
Then he turned away indifferently and continued practicing.
No matter how good someone's physical attributes were, if they only started playing basketball in high school.
Generally speaking, they would not achieve much.
They merely had a good body, nothing more.
The sort of opponent who could interest him was someone on the level of Ryonan's Akira Sendoh.
Akagi felt some regret too, but still nodded.
He pointed toward a cart filled with basketballs beside the court.
"Go get a ball first and show me some basic moves... dribbling, passing, shooting. Just simple ones."
Kawamoto walked over to the cart and looked at the basketballs.
He reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly as they touched the ball nearest him.
The feel of the leather was so familiar that his nose stung.
He picked up the ball and held it against his chest.
It was very light, yet weighed like a mountain.
He walked to the empty half of the court, without basketball shoes on his feet.
He wore school indoor shoes with soft canvas soles.
He bounced the ball a few times.
His movements were a little clumsy.
The basketball struck the wooden floor with dull thuds.
Akagi's words echoed in his ears.
* [Kawamoto, was it? Have you played basketball before?] *
Everyone present thought this was merely his first encounter with basketball.
Yet no one knew that, on a regulation basketball court, this seemingly clumsy dribbling.
For him, it was a reunion spanning twelve long years.
When he was three, his father, who was still alive then, had given him that little ball.
That was where his basketball dream began.
In the years that followed, basketball was his only companion.
Later, after upheaval struck his family, he began shouldering the weight of the household.
Basketball became the brief glow of lights on pickup courts.
It was the dream that sustained him through difficult times.
It was an instinct buried deep in his blood.
Twelve years, more than four thousand days and nights-he had never truly left it behind.
And now, at last, he stood on the court of his dreams, touching it in the most formal way.
The tsunami inside him almost burst through its banks.
Because of the twenty jin of weights on his arms and legs.
Every movement he made became slow and stiff.
He worked hard to control the ball, but the height and rhythm of his dribbling were somewhat off.
Next, he tried passing.
His control over the force of his passes was not particularly precise either.
When he shot, the weights affected the drive from his legs and the coordination of his arms even more.
His form broke down, and the ball struck the rim and bounced away.
Of course, the level Kawamoto Kazuki displayed was somewhat better than that of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a complete beginner.
At least the ball did not hit his feet when he dribbled.
But he was only at the level of knowing how to bounce a ball, far from knowing how to play basketball.
Takenori Akagi folded his arms.
After watching his demonstration, he nodded seriously.
He assessed him. "You have a little foundation, but it's very weak."
"Your height and build are your strengths, but height alone isn't enough for basketball."
"Your coordination and feel for the ball both need a lot of practice."
He paused, his tone softening a little.
"You can stay on the basketball team, but your current skills are nowhere near enough for a starting position."
"Of course, if you train hard, you may have a chance in the future."
Kawamoto was not outgoing by nature, so he simply nodded to show he understood.
After hesitating, he still asked the question buried in his heart.
"A... Akagi-senpai, may I ask... if the club enters a competition and wins, is there prize money?"
Akagi froze for a moment, then the question made him laugh.
His smile carried bitterness and helplessness.
"Kid, don't think winning games is so simple."
"Ryonan, Kainan, Shoyo, and Takezato are all top-class teams in the prefecture."
"Right now, our Shohoku doesn't have enough strength to go head-to-head with them."
"Winning? Getting prize money? Those are distant goals!"
Kakuta and the other reserve players nearby also gathered around, patting Kawamoto's shoulder with the air of senior teammates.
Kawamoto frowned slightly, but did not move away.
Kakuta and the others reassured him.
"Don't worry, rookie! Take it slowly. We'll teach you properly!"
Kawamoto Kazuki nodded.