After scoring, Sakuragi excitedly ran over and gave Yoko a high five.
Everyone around was still completely bewildered...
Well... as long as he's happy.
The boss was completely relieved; it was as if he had been rescued from Hajime Chiba's clutches.
" Shirasawa, want to play a round too?" Hajime Chiba walked up to Shirasawa and directly revealed his identity.
He realized that Shirasawa must have recognized them long ago.
Actually, it was all a pure coincidence. Hajime Chiba wanted to stand up for those elementary school kids, and Sakuragi was just being fearless. Ken Hoshino was just adding fuel to the fire.
But so many coincidences came together, leading things to this point, and making Hajime Chiba suddenly want to take this opportunity to see just how capable Shirasawa really is.
They didn't watch Shohoku's game, but Shirasawa's 42 points and 15 rebounds in that game had already spread far and wide.
Their opponent is Toyotama High School, one of the top eight schools in the country, so these 42 points are quite impressive.
So, even though it was just a basketball shooting game, Hajime Chiba wanted to have a match with Shirasawa.
"Great, this is perfect for winning a gift for my friend," Shirasawa said casually.
Now that Hajime Chiba has revealed his identity, Sakuragi's performance just now indicates that Shohoku has fallen behind, and Shirasawa feels it's necessary to turn the tide!
This situation is somewhat similar to when Kaede Rukawa came to Shohoku to "challenge" Shirasawa; the loss wasn't in the game itself, but in the momentum.
"That depends on which gift your friend likes. I hope it doesn't put too much pressure on you," Hajime Chiba faint smile.
Honestly, he looks quite energetic, a bit like Fujima, the boy next door, especially with his smile, he looks very approachable.
But once the five-star high school students get onto the field, they lose all their approachability; each one of them is a formidable force capable of standing alone.
"Boss, give me twenty balls." Shirasawa took out the money and handed it over.
The boss looked incredibly conflicted. The lure of money was indeed strong, but this kid in front of him seemed unfathomable... completely different from the red-haired guy from before.
Having learned his lesson the hard way, the boss was a little hesitant.
"I'll throw twenty. If I hit them all, I'll take the teddy bear; if I miss even one, I won't take anything." Shirasawa saw through the boss's concerns.
If the boss backs down, the competition can't proceed.
He happened to see that the teddy bear toy was quite cute, and it would be a good gift for Haruko.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper quickly calculated in his mind that the little bear was only a medium-sized prize, and he would only be able to take it away after betting twenty times, so he wouldn't lose out no matter what. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and agreed.
Haruko understood what Shirasawa meant; the teddy bear was definitely meant for her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she pursed her lips.
" Xiao Bai, why do you want to play this too?" Hanamichi Sakuragi scratched his head, puzzled. "If you're going to play, just play properly. Why set such a high difficulty level for yourself..."
Shirasawa didn't explain to him; anyway, everyone would have to come clean later.
This piqued the interest of the onlookers once again.
This handsome guy said he wanted to make 20 out of 20 shots!
Amidst the murmurs, Shirasawa picked up the first ball.
"This Shirasawa shouldn't disappoint, right?" After watching Sakuragi's "amazing" performance, Ken Hoshino was a little apprehensive about Shohoku.
He had barely finished speaking when Shirasawa had already taken his first shot.
Even Hajime Chiba hesitated for a moment before picking up the ball and getting used to it, but Shirasawa seemed to need no adjustment at all, picking up the ball and throwing it directly.
And the basketball went straight into the basket!
This made Hajime Chiba frown slightly. "He's definitely a formidable character."
Swish, swish, swish...
Shirasawa shot ten balls in one go, like a shooting machine, without the slightest pause. It was a completely mechanical process of getting the ball, shooting, getting the ball again, and shooting again.
All ten balls hit perfectly!
Just by watching this process, it was clear that he was a cut above Hajime Chiba, and a chorus of exclamations immediately erupted from the audience.
Sakuragi, along with Haruko and Yoko, cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines.
Especially Haruko, now her eyes are practically sparkling when she looks at Shirasawa...
Eleven, twelve, fifteen, sixteen...
In no time, Shirasawa had already scored 19 goals.
In terms of results alone, he and Hajime Chiba are already tied, but in this shooting game, Hajime Chiba had actually lost long ago, a fact he himself admits.
Shirasawa picked up the last ball and, under everyone's gaze, did something that made everyone's eyes nearly pop out.
"Holy crap! What is he going to do...?"
"Standing that far to shoot? It's the last shot, is it really necessary to make it harder for yourself? Don't let the boss get the ball for free!"
Amidst the murmurs, Shirasawa retreated step by step. Just moments ago, he was at the free-throw line distance, but now he was far beyond the three-point line. After regaining his footing, he adjusted his posture slightly and released the ball.
The basketball traced a high and long rainbow arc before swishing into the basket!
This goal not only won the game, but also demonstrated overwhelming confidence and strength, causing the stadium to erupt in excitement.
"This guy is ridiculous! He made all 19 of his first shots, and then he pulled up for a long-range shot and made it... Even professional players wouldn't dare to do that!"
"Huh? He looks kind of familiar?"
" Shirasawa! It's Shirasawa, number 9 from the Shohoku Basketball Team!"
"No wonder! I didn't recognize him in casual clothes!"
This isn't Kanagawa, otherwise Shirasawa would have been recognized long ago, which shows that he's famous nationwide, but not yet a household name. After all, he's only played one match, and his opponent was the relatively unknown Toyotama. Tomorrow, when he plays Aiwa Academy, the level of attention will definitely be different.
Shirasawa took the teddy bear he won and handed it to Haruko, whose face was flushed. Haruko pursed her lips, hugged the teddy bear, and smiled broadly.
Hajime Chiba walked over with a smile, " Shirasawa, you're pretty good. I'm really looking forward to our two teams meeting. We can have a good competition on the field then."
This shooting game completely ignited his fighting spirit. Hakata Shodai Affiliated High School's opponent tomorrow is not a threat and they are guaranteed to enter the top eight; if Shohoku can beat Aiwa, they can compete for the top four the day after tomorrow. Hajime Chiba, who originally only had Sannoh in his eyes, is now full of competitive desire against Shohoku - this newcomer, Shirasawa, reminds him of Eiji Sawakita, who descended to earth like a god last year. Coincidentally, both of them wear number 9.
After listening for a while, Hanamichi Sakuragi suddenly slapped his forehead. "You guys are Aiwa's people!"
Hajime Chiba:...
Ken Hoshino:...
Is this red-haired guy even on the basketball team? It's one thing to be bad at shooting, but isn't he also a bit dim-witted?
Hajime Chiba suddenly asked seriously, "Is Dai Moroboshi as handsome as me?"
This line of thinking completely baffled everyone around.
Haruko explained with a smile, " Sakuragi, they are Hajime Chiba and Ken Hoshino from Hakata Shodai Affiliated. They are potential opponents for our Shohoku team in the quarterfinals."
Haruko was a die-hard basketball fan, a walking encyclopedia of " Slam Dunk " magazine, so there was no way she wouldn't recognize the five-star high school players. Sometimes, fans know more than the players themselves, so she recognized them immediately, but wasn't surprised—she'd seen five-star high school players before, someone had just given her a teddy bear... As for who was more handsome? Haruko already knew the answer: Xiao Bai was the most handsome!
Sakuragi suddenly realized. "I see! Then you'd better wash your necks and wait! Genius Sakuragi won't give you much time!"
Ken Hoshino tugged at Hajime Chiba: "Hehe, that's settled then, Shirasawa, Shirataku." He really couldn't stand Sakuragi's thought process.
Even after the two had walked a distance, Hajime Chiba ask, " Hoshino, to be honest, isn't Dai Moroboshi handsome than me?"
Ken Hoshino replied dismissively, "Um, no."
Hajime Chiba said smugly, "I knew it! That redhead is practically blind..."
Sakuragi stared at their retreating figures, clenching his fists. "Damn it! That bald monk treated me like I wasn't there!"
Haruko patiently explained, " Sakuragi and Ken Hoshino are also five-star high school players, they play power forward, and they're even known as one of the strongest power forwards in high school basketball."
"The strongest forward?" Sakuragi's eyes lit up, his competitive spirit ignited instantly. He already disliked Hoshino, and now they were playing the same position—perfect!
" Ken Hoshino, huh? What do you mean by the strongest forward? You haven't met me, the genius Sakuragi!" Sakuragi's lips curled up, this time genuinely confident.
Shirasawa patted him on the shoulder. "Get ready, Sakuragi. He's probably the strongest opponent in your position. Beating him is much more valuable than the title of 'youngest player'." After all, Hoshino just got 40+10 today. If he can get past this hurdle, Sakuragi will definitely take a step forward.
Haruko laughed and said, "I never expected we'd run into the Hakata Shodai Twin Stars like this. When I tell my brother, he'll be so surprised!"
"No, no, no! You absolutely mustn't tell my brother!"
Haruko's attitude changed immediately. If she told her brother, he wouldn't just be surprised, he'd be utterly shocked by her "staying out all night." She had patted her chest and promised Akagi that she would stay at the hotel that night, but instead, she not only ran away, but with Shirasawa and the others. Sakuragi and Yoko were clearly a couple, so her and Shirasawa... Akagi would be furious.
However, it was getting late, so the group didn't linger and headed towards the hotel. Sakuragi and Yoko walked hand in hand at the front, their affectionate interaction almost palpable, as if little hearts were floating around them, making it sickeningly sweet. Shirasawa and Haruko followed behind them, chatting as they walked. Although they weren't holding hands, the atmosphere was still quite sweet.
" Xiao Bai, you've worked hard today. You just finished the match and didn't even get a break, and then you spent the whole evening shopping with me." Haruko's eyes curved into crescents, clearly showing she was in a good mood.
"Sigh... to be honest, I'm a little tired. I wish someone could give me a shoulder massage right now." Shirasawa looked at Haruko with a grin. He loved teasing her; she would blush easily when teased, and her shy little face made one's heart itch.
"Okay, okay, I'm not teasing you anymore. I'm in great shape and have a lot of stamina. I could handle another game." Shirasawa said he wasn't teasing, but his words still carried a hint of mockery, which was a little bit of his mischievous fun with Haruko. As they walked, Haruko's face never cooled down and remained flushed.
Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Sakuragi and Yoko bid each other a tearful farewell, clearly reluctant to part. Haruko blinked her big eyes, as if she had made a difficult decision.
" Xiao Bai, I... I have something to tell you, come closer." Haruko's voice was soft, like a mosquito's buzz.
Shirasawa was completely confused and leaned closer. "Huh? What did you say?"
Mmm~
Shirasawa suddenly felt a softness on his cheek, a sensation as gentle as touching a cloud in the sky. This completely stunned Shirasawa! He hadn't expected it at all! If only... if only he had turned and let her kiss the other side!
The third round of the national competition.
There were a total of 8 matches that day, played one after another. With the season already past the halfway point, the remaining matches were mostly tough clashes, reducing the number of matches fans could choose from, which ironically increased the hype surrounding these remaining games.