It's Chuichiro Noma.
I remember Kawamoto; he's Sakuragi's friend.
Noma saw Kawamoto Kazuki behind the cashier and a hint of surprise flashed across his face.
He hesitated for less than a second before walking to the counter, his voice carrying a slightly affectedly mature tone. "It's you, Kawamoto... Perfect timing. Give me a pack of Peace, the soft pack."
Kawamoto Kazuki maintained a professional smile and replied in an uncompromising tone, "I'm very sorry, sir. According to the law and store regulations, we cannot sell tobacco products to minors."
"I need to see your health insurance card or driver's license."
Chuichiro Noma's face instantly fell, and he muttered a curse under his breath, "Damn it... so many rules."
He scratched his head in frustration, said nothing, and turned to leave.
The convenience store has returned to quiet.
Kawamoto's professional smile vanished, replaced by his usual calm.
He continued organizing the shelves; adhering to the rules was his principle.
The basketball court at Shoyo High School in Fujisawa City.
At this moment, all the main players and key substitutes of the Shoyo basketball team are gathered in the arena.
Captain and coach Kenji Fujima stood in the center of the field, with a mobile tactics board in front of him.
On the tactical board, several names were clearly written in black marker.
Takenori Akagi, Kaede Rukawa, Ryota Miyagi, Hisashi Mitsui, Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kawamoto Kazuki, Kiminobu Kogure.
The team members all sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him.
Hasegawa's gaze swept across the tactics board, finally settling on the name Kawamoto Kazuki.
" Fujima, who is this Kawamoto Kazuki? A new member of Shohoku? I've never heard of him before."
Upon hearing this name, Kenji Fujima and Toru Hanagata next to him, were both momentarily stunned.
Fujima took a deep breath and slowly said, "This was my mistake. I should have insisted that all of you watch today's game between Shohoku Tsukubu."
There was a hint of seriousness in his tone.
Fujima picked up a marker and forcefully drew a large, heavy circle over the name Kawamoto Kazuki.
" Kawamoto Kazuki."
" Shohoku's newest player this year, a first-year student, number 15."
"He started in today's game against Tsukubu, playing point guard. His height is estimated to be over 190 cm, possibly close to 195 cm."
"What? A point guard over 190 centimeters tall?"
Point guard Taku Ito was the first to gasp in surprise.
"Taller than Shinichi Maki from Kainan! This... this height playing point guard?"
"Was it a specially hired dealer?" power forward Shoichi Takano analyzed.
" Shohoku knows that Shoyo has an advantage in average height, so they specifically found a tall point guard, hoping to offset our height advantage in passing and vision on the perimeter? However, someone that tall will definitely lack speed and agility, and their defense will certainly be a weakness."
"That's right."
Mitsuru Nagano nodded in agreement. "It's probably a special weapon prepared specifically to counter us. Its actual ability is definitely far inferior to a true top-tier point guard like Maki. We just need to target him..."
"No."
A resolute voice interrupted everyone's discussion.
It was Kenji Fujima spoke.
He surveyed the surprised, puzzled, and questioning faces of his teammates, and said in a serious tone, "Although Kawamoto Kazuki and Maki have never faced off directly, I don't have any direct evidence."
He paused, then said something that instantly silenced the entire Shoyo Basketball Arena.
"But based on what I saw with my own eyes today..."
"I think this Kawamoto Kazuki is stronger than Shinichi Maki from Kainan."
Seeing the incredulous expressions on his teammates' faces, he added another sentence.
This statement completely shattered everyone's perception.
"Moreover, it will probably be considerably stronger."
The basketball court fell completely silent.
Hanagata, who witnessed the entire match today, did not refute this.
The other Shoyo team members still wore expressions of incomprehension.
Is he stronger than Shinichi Maki of Kainan, the king of Kanagawa?
It's significantly stronger?
How is that possible?
Seeing the shocked expressions on his teammates' faces, Fujima knew they were having a hard time accepting it.
But he had to make them understand what a terrifying opponent they were about to face.
I know this is hard to believe.
Fujima tapped the circled name heavily with the tip of his pen. "But our primary target for the next match, and arguably the only opponent we need to study with all our might, is him."
"From now until the game, all our tactical analysis, defensive drills, and offensive strategies must revolve around him. I need each and every one of you to fully understand his threat."
His gaze sharpened as he swept over each team member. "Because, if we can't contain him..."
"Then summer in Shoyo might end early."
I know you don't believe me.
Fujima spoke up, "Then let me tell you in detail what I saw today."
"We've already talked about height, let's talk about build. When he stands on the court, he looks more solid than Takenori Akagi."
"His defensive intensity is terrifying, his lateral movement is incredibly fast, his anticipation is frighteningly accurate, and his steals are clean and decisive."
"He practically covered the area beyond the three-point line by himself, preventing Tsukubu's key outside Tomokazu Godai, from getting a single comfortable shot opportunity throughout the entire game."
"He can also shoot three-pointers."
Fujima added, his tone calm, but the content was alarming.
" Tsukubu tried to leave him open in the first half, but he made three three-pointers in less than a minute, one of which was a difficult shot with the defender almost blocking his face."
"In the second half, he made 6 of 7 three-pointers."
As for physical strength...
Fujima shook his head. "I can't judge his limits. The pace of the match was very fast; he was engaged in high-intensity defense and running almost the entire time, but until the very end, his breathing was not noticeably disordered, and his movements were perfectly consistent."
With each word Fujima spoke, the faces of the Shoyo team members grew increasingly grim.
Tall, strong, top-notch defense, accurate three-pointers, unlimited stamina...
This is already the template for a monster player.
However, Fujima continued speaking.
"He didn't show much ability to drive to the basket or create one-on-one opportunities."
Just as the team members were about to breathe a sigh of relief, they heard what he said next.
"But..."
Damn it!
Why is there always a "but" after every piece of good news?
"He received the ball in the backcourt and, facing a double-team from Tsukubu, attempted to break through."
"He started accelerating from the backcourt, and two defenders from Tsukubu were there to stop him near the center line."
"Then, due to the extreme force of his push-off, the sole and upper of his basketball shoes tore."
"Ah?"
Taku Ito called out instinctively.
But that's not the most amazing part.
Fujima's voice lowered even further. "Because his shoe suddenly tore, he lost his balance, but the huge forward momentum was still there. That's how he crashed into Hiroshi Natsume, who was already in a defensive stance."
" Natsume was knocked off his feet and sent flying backward, taking Tomokazu Godai him. The two of them rolled all the way from near the center line to the wall before coming to a stop."
Inside the Shoyo Basketball Gymnasium, you could hear a pin drop.
All the team members stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape, their faces blank with utter disbelief.