Just as Miyagi was caught in a choice between completely giving up or giving up entirely, the bell rang to signal the end of lunch break.
The team welcome ceremony initiated by Ryota Miyagi has finally come to a complete end.
The team members left the gymnasium in twos and threes, preparing to begin their afternoon classes.
Takenori Akagi and Ryota Miyagi walked side by side on the tree-lined path back to the teaching building.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows, creating a vibrant scene of spring.
But the atmosphere between the two was somewhat somber.
The usually vibrant Ryota Miyagi was unusually quiet at this moment.
He had his hands in his pockets, head down, staring at his toes.
His usual carefree smile had completely vanished, replaced by a rare look of bewilderment.
Akagi glanced at Miyagi out of the corner of his eye, clearly understanding how Ryota Miyagi was feeling at that moment.
He probably looked like this after the team match that day.
If it weren't for Anzai's encouragement, he would probably still be living a lifeless existence.
Miyagi's composure was completely shattered by Kawamoto Kazuki Ichiki's three clean three-pointers.
That won't do!
With the prefectural tournament just days away, Miyagi is an indispensable engine for the team.
If he becomes listless, Shohoku will be in big trouble.
Akagi suddenly thought of Kawamoto Kazuki and Kaede Rukawa...
The Miyagi has weakened, but with those two around, the trouble doesn't seem so bad, does it?
Akagi immediately shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind.
This is his final year of high school.
Regardless, the Shohoku team must be in top form for the county tournament.
"Cough cough..."
Akagi cleared his throat, trying to comfort Miyagi.
Still thinking about the bullfight from earlier?
Miyagi didn't say anything, but slowed his pace even more.
Akagi sighed and organized his thoughts.
Conventional persuasion is completely pointless; I can only ask Kawamoto Kazuki.
"Don't overthink it... You and Kawamoto are completely different types of players."
"One-on-one duels like this are all about who can score, which benefits a pure scorer like him, but is extremely unfair to you!"
"Therefore, winning or losing doesn't prove anything at all!"
"His playing style is basically that of a stationary shooting guard; besides three-pointers, what else can he do?"
"Just a pure shooting guard, nothing more."
But you're different!
He emphasized his words, trying to rouse Miyagi: "You're the point guard!"
"He's the team's brain, the core of their offense!"
"Your speed, your dribbling skills, your passing vision, and your ability to lead the team—these are all things that Kawamoto Kazuki can't even dream of matching!"
Upon hearing this, Miyagi paused slightly, but still did not look up.
Seeing that it seemed to be having some effect, Akagi quickly racked his brains to find ways to belittle Kawamoto Kazuki in order to highlight Miyagi's indispensability, "And let me tell you the truth. Don't let Kawamoto's tall stature fool you; he's got a lot of flaws..."
"His passing vision, tsk, even Kogure said it, sometimes he can't even see as clearly Kakuta!"
"Dribbling past opponents?"
"Heh... you didn't see how he dribbled during practice, it was incredibly stiff, not much better than Sakuragi, that beginner!"
"Not to mention his defense, Yasuda is much more aggressive and agile than him!"
"To put it bluntly, he's not even the best eighth man on the team; at best, he's a benchwarmer, a substitute among substitutes!"
As Akagi spoke, he felt he had found the perfect angle to comfort Miyagi, and his voice grew louder. "You don't know, he's not even in Anzai's core lineup."
"Why?"
"It's because his skills are too one-dimensional; he only has a three-point shot!"
"Basketball is a team sport; what's the use of just being able to score points?"
"The defense can't keep up, the passing is inaccurate, the breakthroughs are not threatening, and once you step onto the court, you become the opponent's weak point!"
"We'll only let him go up and try his luck when we have a large lead, or when we're really struggling to break through and need to gamble on three points."
"So, Miyagi, you don't need to feel pressured just because he made a few three-pointers."
"He can't replace you at all!"
Ryota Miyagi finally raised his head, and the gloom in his eyes completely disappeared.
Then came a sudden realization.
What annoyed Akagi even more was that his arrogance had been rekindled.
"Yes!"
Miyagi slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice regaining its usual energy.
"Boss Akagi, you're absolutely right!"
"Why did I get so fixated on this?"
Why bother arguing with a tall, sharpshooting player who can only take spot shots?
Basketball is all about the game!
"No matter how accurate his three-pointers are, can he tear apart the opponent's defense like I can?"
"No matter how accurate his three-pointers are, can he deliver a stunning pass like I do?"
"No matter how accurate his three-pointers are, can he dictate the team's pace like I do?"
"Cannot!"
"He's at best a tool player, the kind who only gets to play under specific tactics!"
The more Miyagi explained, the more sense he found in her words, and a slightly roguish smile returned to his face.
"Hehe, thinking about it that way, that kid isn't really anything special except for his height and accurate shooting!"
"His skill set is too limited, and he has a lot of weaknesses. It seems I overestimated him before."
Akagi secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Miyagi had come back to life.
He was just about to say, "It's good that you can figure it out."
Unexpectedly, Miyagi changed the subject, his eyes gleaming with a desire to teach.
He seemed intrigued and said with an air of arrogance, "As a senior, I can't just sit idly by and watch my junior have such a big weakness, right?"
"I need to give him some pointers during team practice tonight!"
"Teach him how to dribble past defenders, how to orchestrate the offense, and how to defend without being fooled by feints..."
"I want to show him that basketball isn't just about shooting; I also want him to see how well-rounded Ryota Miyagi is. Hehe, that's what I'll do!"
The more Miyagi thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. He could almost see Kawamoto's expression of sudden realization and overwhelming gratitude when he guided Kawamoto.
"Puff--!!!"
Takenori Akagi stumbled and nearly choked on his own saliva.
He whirled around and grabbed Miyagi's shoulders with both hands, his face instantly turning bright red, and even his voice changed tone:
"There's absolutely no need for that!!!"
He practically roared it out.
This startled Miyagi.
"W-Why, Boss Akagi?"
Miyagi was a little confused by Akagi's overreaction.
"Isn't it a good thing for me to teach him something and help him make up for his weaknesses? That way, our Shohoku will have another strong point."
"Good my ass!"
Akagi, in a panic, growled incoherently, "Don't try to teach him anything, and definitely don't challenge him to a one-on-one fight. Stay away from him during training, and especially don't try to show off your all-around skills in front of him. Remember that!"
What a joke!
Should Miyagi teach Kawamoto Kazuki dribbling, penetration, and defense?
Does it also demonstrate comprehensiveness?
Given Kawamoto's unfathomable skill, what if he gets annoyed by Miyagi's instruction and starts taking things a little more seriously...?
During training, Miyagi will definitely be taught a lesson by Kawamoto in all sorts of bizarre ways, to the point of questioning his existence.
Akagi simply couldn't imagine the devastating blow that would deal to Miyagi's newly rebuilt confidence!
At that point, it won't just be a mental breakdown; it will be shattered into pieces!
The kind of condition that even Ayako's love couldn't heal.
The scene was too beautiful for him to bear...
Why?
Miyagi was even more puzzled. Wasn't Akagi's reaction too strange?
It's just giving some pointers to a junior student, isn't it?
"No reason why, it's the captain's order!"
Akagi straightened his face, adopting the authority of a captain, "Well, Kawamoto- Kawamoto... he's rather introverted and prefers to figure things out on his own!"
"Just focus on your own work and concentrate on getting along with Kaede Rukawa and Sakuragi. Make the most of your time to work together with them, understand?"
Miyagi was completely bewildered by Akagi's rapid and urgent orders.
But seeing Akagi's serious expression, he instinctively stood at attention. "Yes, yes, Captain!"
Akagi finally breathed a sigh of relief.