Shohoku defeated Takahata High School 128-36 without any suspense, easily advancing to the top 16 of the prefectural tournament.
The next day is Friday.
Kawamoto Kazuki returned from the convenience store where he worked early in the morning, carrying his lunchbox and preparing to go out again.
Mom Kazuko called him back.
" Kazuki, tomorrow is Saturday."
While adjusting her apron, Mom Kazuko said, " Sakuragi -kun is home alone on Saturdays and Sundays, so he probably doesn't get to eat anything good. Tell him that from now on, he has to come over for dinner every weekend if he has time, understand?"
"Mom will go to the convenience store tonight and buy some discounted food. How about we have sumo hot pot for lunch tomorrow? It'll be a good way to nourish you growing kids."
Sumo hot pot is a type of hot pot that evolved from the traditional diet of sumo wrestlers.
It usually contains a lot of meat, fish cakes, tofu, vegetables, chicken meatballs, etc., and is very nutritious.
Kawamoto nodded. "Yes, thank you, Mom. I'll tell him I'm going out."
"Go quickly, and drive carefully."
"Um."
When Kawamoto changed into his training uniform and hurried to the basketball gym, he was surprised to find it already brightly lit.
The venue was bustling with activity.
This is a full hour earlier than the usual morning training time.
It seems that the consecutive victories and the upcoming battle against Shoyo have thoroughly ignited everyone's fighting spirit.
Hisashi Mitsui was practicing his Shammgod skills in front of Kiminobu Kogure.
" Kogure, watch closely! This time it's for real!"
Mitsui dramatically lifted his shoulder, Kogure instinctively shifted his center of gravity upwards.
Haha! Just kidding!
Mitsui, however, made a crossover dribble and easily scored a layup.
After scoring, he gave a smug smile to a somewhat frustrated Kogure.
" Kogure! You can't be fooled so easily. You need to practice your defense more. Let's do it again. You need to really feel my movements, okay?"
That look was actually kind of cute.
Kogure pushed up his glasses, nodding with a mix of helplessness and amusement. "Yes, yes, Mitsui, you're amazing."
On the other side, Hanamichi Sakuragi was practicing his mid-range jump shot, with Takenori Akagi personally guarding him.
Sakuragi jumped, Akagi delivered a solid block.
"How naive, Sakuragi! Where's the fake move before shooting?"
Akagi roared.
"Damn Gorilla! Stop talking nonsense! Let's go again!"
Sakuragi picked up the ball without being discouraged.
Ryota Miyagi, unusually, did not practice his breakthrough technique.
He pulled Kaede Rukawa to a spot a step inside the three-point line and humbly asked for advice on mid-range jump shots.
Although Kaede Rukawa remained aloof, he patiently instructed Miyagi, occasionally even demonstrating himself.
Miyagi listened intently, nodding occasionally.
Satoru Kakuta, Tetsushi Shiozaki, Yasuharu Yasuda...
Even players like Sasaoka, Ishii, and Kuwata, who don't usually get a chance to play, are practicing intensely in pairs.
Their training uniforms were already soaked with sweat.
Everyone was determined to contribute when the team needed them.
The entire basketball arena was filled with an unprecedented vibrant energy.
Upon seeing Kawamoto enter, Hisashi Mitsui, who had just once again outwitted Kogure, immediately spoke in a lecturing tone, "Yo, Kawamoto. You're late!"
"You've got some skills, but you can't slack off in training, understand?"
He rushed over, grabbed Kawamoto's arm, and dragged him towards the half of the court. " Kogure is too weak, no challenge! Come on, it's your turn to defend me! Let me show you the results of my Hisashi Mitsui's special training!"
He broke through Kogure several times in a row, and his confidence was at its peak.
Kawamoto:"..."
He glanced at Kogure, who was panting and leaning on his knees not far away, looking relieved, and helplessly let Mitsui drag him to the three-point line.
Mitsui has set up its defenses.
He first raised his shoulder, pretending to catch the ball, and looked towards the basket.
This was even more realistic than when they fought Kogure before.
However, Kawamoto remained unmoved, his center of gravity as steady as Mount Tai.
Seeing this, Mitsui immediately feinted a move, then switched to a real shot and pulled up the ball.
However, just as the basketball left his hand, a giant hand arrived first, swatting the ball away cleanly with a loud thud.
Mitsui landed in his shooting stance, his smug expression freezing instantly before slowly crumbling and finally turning into embarrassment and anger.
"Damn it! You don't give your seniors any face at all? You're a complete novice when it comes to interpersonal relationships!"
"Go, go, go do whatever you're supposed to be doing!"
He turned around angrily, then ran back to Kogure, who was smirking to himself, and grabbed him by the neck.
" Kogure, you go first! Come on, jump up! This time I'm really going to throw."
Kogure: "???"
Weren't you just complaining about me?
how?
Can't fool Kawamoto, so you try fooling me?
Am I just an honest person who gives you confidence?
Seeing that Kawamoto had resolved Mitsui's provocation, he was able to free himself up.
Satoru Kakuta and a group of substitute players looked at each other, then swarmed around him.
" Kawamoto- senpai!"
" Kawamoto- kun!"
"Um... can we become stronger? Can you teach us?"
"We don't want to sit on the bench forever! We want to play and help!"
A group of people chattered excitedly and looked at Kawamoto with great anticipation.
They knew that Kawamoto's strength was unfathomable, and unlike Captain Akagi, he wasn't terrifying. Perhaps they could get some unique guidance from him.
Kawamoto Kazuki was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic questioning from so many people, as it was the first time he had ever been so eager to learn.
He subconsciously raised his hand and scratched the hair on the back of his head.
A rare hint of shyness, typical of someone his age, appeared on his face.
This subtle expression revealed a charming crack in his usually overly calm mask.
But he quickly calmed down.
Seeing the sincere longing in everyone's eyes, he thought about it carefully for a moment, and then began to give suggestions one by one.
"Senior Kakuta, your strength is an advantage, but when positioning yourself, you could pay more attention to the stability of your lower body and the use of your elbows, and anticipate the rebound's landing point."
" Shiozaki- senpai, your positioning is very active, but you can make better use of your teammates' screens before receiving the ball to create more comfortable shooting space, and you can also be more decisive when you shoot."
" Yasuda- senpai has excellent ball control. When organizing the offense, he could have a wider field of vision, pay more attention to the movement of his teammates off the ball, and be bolder in his passing."
" Sasa- kun, your defensive footwork is solid, but your lateral movement could be a bit faster, and you also need to learn to anticipate your opponent's breakthrough direction."
" Ishii, your mid-range shot is good, but you could improve your jump height and release speed to reduce the chances of being contested."
" Kuwata- kun, your physique is similar to Miyagi's; you could try training to increase your speed."
Each suggestion was brief, yet it directly addressed their respective characteristics and areas for improvement.
The team members who were called on all seemed to be deep in thought.
They felt that Kawamoto wasn't just talking nonsense, but had actually observed their performance.
The atmosphere in the basketball court was exceptionally warm at that moment.
There was competition, there were jokes, there were questions, and there was guidance.
A stronger sense of cohesion than ever before is quietly growing among these young people who are working hard towards a common goal.
Authentic and heartwarming.
Takenori Akagi, who was drinking water on the sidelines, witnessed everything.
He looked at Hisashi Mitsui, who had just been all smug and was now clinging to Kogure...
Watching Hanamichi Sakuragi, who was repeatedly defeated by him yet became even more determined...
Looking at Ryota Miyagi, who was usually extremely arrogant but was now humbly seeking advice...
Looking at Kaede Rukawa, who still had a cold expression but was patiently guiding his teammates...
And then there are those juniors who, despite their average talent, are full of passion and strive to become stronger to help the team...
Finally, his gaze settled on Kawamoto, who was surrounded by people and earnestly giving them advice.
This junior is truly remarkable.
Akagi thought to himself silently.
Compared to himself, the captain who only knew how to lead the team with roars and iron fists.
Unbeknownst to many, Kawamoto Kazuki had become the true pillar of strength in the hearts of the Shohoku team in a gentler way.
He never scolded harshly, and rarely shouted.
However, he earned everyone's recognition with his absolute strength.
He used his calm mind to analyze the key to breaking the deadlock in the game.
He accepted every teammate's question with a gentle attitude.
His silent actions built the last line of defense in everyone's hearts.
He remained silent forever.
But this silence is more powerful than any slogan.
As long as he's on the field, even if we're behind, no one will panic.
As long as he's on the sidelines, no matter how strong the opponent is, everyone feels confident.
He suddenly had a feeling.
As long as Kawamoto is there, even the strongest company in the country Sannoh Industrial High School, is no match for him.
He, Takenori Akagi, was willing to lead his brothers to risk their lives and fight to the bitter end!
Tear off the flesh of the Sannoh Sannoh, and break his teeth!
This conviction surged and boiled within Akagi's heart like magma.
He clenched his fists tightly.
The dream of dominating the entire country seems to be getting closer and closer.
With such strong teammates and a monster like Kawamoto, this dream is no longer out of reach.
However, after the initial surge of excitement subsided, a deeper emotion welled up in Akagi's heart.
He suddenly realized that compared to the dream he had held onto for so many years...
Having a group of guys like this around.
We sweated together, fought together, cheered together for victory, and strived together to become stronger...
It seems to be happier, more real, and more precious.
"How awful..."
Akagi lowered his head, looking at the thick calluses on his palms from years of playing tennis, and muttered to himself.
"Time... how does it pass so quickly?"
"Before I knew it... I'm a senior in high school."
He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over each familiar figure in the hall once more.
A deep sense of reluctance overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
You guys...
If only you could have come to Shohoku two years earlier, if only you could have appeared by my side two years earlier.
We can then have more time to fail together, grow together, sweat together, compete together, dream more dreams together, and create more memories that belong only to us.
He only has these last few months left.
And this best Shohoku, this Shohoku team with unlimited potential, made him both excited and at ease.
He had just gained it, but now he had to say goodbye.
Akagi suddenly turned around, blinked hard, and forced back the sudden pang of sadness.
He is the captain, the pillar, and cannot show weakness.
But the regret of meeting them too late has been deeply etched in my heart.
He took a deep breath, and when he turned around again, his face had regained its usual sternness.
He walked onto the court and clapped his hands vigorously, his voice booming throughout the arena. "There's still time before the game against Shoyo! Let's practice harder! Everyone, get moving!"
Tsukubu:???