Yo Aoki reached out and ruffled his hair. " Ryo, if you want to practice bench press, you have to start with a weight of fifteen kilograms."
Ryo Aoki nodded vigorously.
Yo Aoki thought to himself, "This kid is really scared. But today he was first terrified by the barbell, and then he was surprised by his own training regimen."
After completing 100 bench presses, Yo Aoki started doing 100 weighted squats, followed by barbell pulls, ab crunches... a dozen or so high-intensity strength training exercises. Ryo Aoki watched in disbelief; was this even humanly possible?
As Yo Aoki left the gym, everyone inside stared at him. There was no way around it; monsters always attracted attention.
On the way home, Ryo Aoki asked with an exaggerated expression, "Big brother, how did you do that?"
Yo Aoki shrugged. "It's all about training day after day."
Ryo Aoki shook his head. "It's simply impossible to achieve this through effort alone."
Yo Aoki stared at him intently and asked, " Ryo, do you want to know what the ultimate training to become a strong person is?"
Ryo Aoki's face lit up with anticipation. "I want to, big brother! Tell me!"
Yo Aoki said mysteriously, "Do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats every day, then run 10 kilometers. Once you've lost all your hair, you'll be the strongest in the world."
Ryo Aoki looked completely bewildered. "Huh?"
Yo Aoki couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach and doubled over.
The next day, during a training session at Takezato High School, Yo Aoki earnestly taught his teammates pick-and-roll tactics, but unfortunately, the results did not meet Coach Akai's expectations, and there were quite a few mistakes.
For example, the screener either failed to block the defender, or the offensive player didn't stick close enough to the screener when setting the screen, resulting in a failed screen. There was also an instance where an offensive player collided with a defensive player.
Although Yo Aoki had a good idea of what was going on, the pick-and-roll tactic looked simple, but it was actually quite difficult to execute well. After all, only players like Malone and Stockton had ever emerged in the world. He and Shirota took detailed notes on everyone's performance, preparing to provide targeted one-on-one corrections later.
Coach Akai, however, couldn't sit still any longer. Looking at his players' performance, he yelled, "Are you still the top four teams in Kanagawa? You can't even practice this simple tactic!" Then he pointed at Hojo: " Hojo! As the starting player, you bumped into your own teammate? What do you have to say for that?"
Hojo, dejected, said, "I'm sorry, Coach."
Yo Aoki felt he should step forward. "Coach, you can't blame Hojo- senpai."
Coach Akai, seeing that it was Yo Aoki who spoke, suppressed his anger slightly. "Hmm? Aoki, do you have another opinion?"
Yo Aoki said, "Actually, it's my fault. I didn't explain the movements clearly enough. I was like that when I practiced with Imamura -senpai before, and it took me a long time to get the hang of it."
He looked at Imamura: " Imamura- senpai said before that I have poor communication skills, right? Imamura- senpai?"
Imamura and Yo Aoki exchanged a glance, then said to Coach Akai, "That's true, Coach."
Coach Akai, seeing that two key players he was grooming were speaking at the same time, felt obligated to give them face and said to Yo Aoki with a hint of annoyance, "You can explain it to everyone in more detail again." With that, he turned and stormed off.
At this Mizuki, Yo Aoki a reassuring look and chased after Coach Akai to apologize.
After Coach Akai left, Yo Aoki smiled and reassured everyone, "Don't take it to heart. Imamura and I practiced for a week before we finally figured it out. Don't be discouraged. You've all seen the power of this tactic. Once we've mastered it, it'll be time to compete for the national tournament."
Encouraged, the team members resumed their training with renewed vigor. A little while later, Mizuki returned, smiling, and said to Yo Aoki, " Coach Akai just has a short temper; he'll be fine after dinner."
As soon as training stopped, Mizuki approached Yo Aoki, wanting to discuss the upcoming training schedule.
Coach Akai always keeps a close eye on the team's practice. His passion for basketball and the team drives him to keep a close eye on the coach's requirements.
But he's going into his third year this year, and this is his last chance to compete in the national tournament. He always feels lonely, as if he's the only one running forward. It wasn't until Yo Aoki joined the team that Mizuki's almost extinguished basketball dream was rekindled!
Mizuki patted Yo Aoki's arm. " Aoki, the preliminaries are just around the corner. I think we need to work on our physical conditioning."
He paused, then leaned close to Yo Aoki's ear. "From what I've heard, the training intensity in Kainan and Ryonan is much harsher than here."
Yo Aoki frowned. "I agree, but can the coach give his approval?"
Mizuki grinned. "Don't worry about that, I'll talk to Akai."
Yo Aoki thought for a moment, "In addition to the current training content, we need to add targeted training."
Mizuki scratched her head. "Targeted? But we don't have all the information about the other teams yet."
Yo Aoki waved his hand. "Leave this to me and Shirota. I'm already making arrangements."
Mizuki's eyes lit up. "Great, you've laid the groundwork in advance."
Yo Aoki continued, "This was arranged by Coach Akai beforehand, and we did as required."
He pursed his lips. "Actually, Akai is a good coach, he's just too impatient."
In my opinion, Mizuki, you're more like a coach, while Akai is more like a team leader. He's good at managing discipline, but he's clueless when it comes to improving the team's strength.
Compared to Riki Takato from Kainan and Moichi Taoka from Ryonan, he is far inferior; even Fujima's coaching level is better than his.
Mizuki suddenly asked, " Aoki, do you know who our warm-up opponent is before the preliminaries?"
Yo Aoki looked up. "Who is it?"
Mizuki: " Shoyo!"
Yo Aoki's eyes lit up. "Oh? This is great news!"
Mizuki nodded. "This is all thanks to Akai's mediation; otherwise, with Shoyo's strength, they wouldn't have bothered playing against us as a warm-up match. Last year, both Kainan and Shoyo chose strong teams from other prefectures, both national-level teams!"
Yo Aoki chuckled to himself, " Akai has quite a few good points, doesn't he?"
Mizuki leaned closer. " Aoki, how about we find somewhere to have a good chat?"
Yo Aoki nodded. "Okay."
The two went to a fast food restaurant near the school, found a window seat, and started chatting.
Yo Aoki cut to the chase. "Senior Mizuki, it's unlikely you'll make it into the national tournament right now."
He paused, then said, "The gap between us and Kainan Ryonan is too great."
Mizuki frowned. "We can't compare to Kainan, but Ryonan is about the same as us, and your strength is not inferior to Sendoh's."
Yo Aoki shook his head. "I can't defend against Sendoh right now, and the others from Ryonan are also formidable."
He stared at Mizuki's expression. "Based on Shirota's investigation over the past few days, Ryonan's strength is nothing like it was last year; it's reached the level of Kainan!"
Mizuki stared at Yo Aoki for a long time without saying a word. After a while, she finally said in a hoarse voice, "If that's really the case, then we still don't have a chance this year."
Yo Aoki said seriously, "If things don't change, Takezato definitely won't have a chance now!"
Mizuki hurriedly asked, "How can we change it?"
Yo Aoki held up one finger. "First, you must recognize your own strength. You can't be blindly confident, nor can you be overly self-deprecating!"
He then held up a second finger. "Secondly, train relentlessly and improve teamwork. Basketball is a team sport; even if individual skills are lacking, as long as we unite, we can still play well."
Yo Aoki stared at Mizuki and held up his third finger. "Third, fighting spirit! This is the most important thing. I can't see fighting spirit in Takezato. The phrase 'mind and skill as one' is simply ironic."
Mizuki asked, "If we do these three things, will we be able to enter the national competition?"
Yo Aoki said seriously, "This is the most basic attitude for a basketball player!"
He clenched his fists. "Senior Mizuki, we may still fail, but we can't lose our courage! Even if we die, we'll die standing!"
This kind of passionate energy is especially effective on seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boys, and Mizuki was also touched by it.
Mizuki clenched her fist tightly and shouted, "I'll die standing!"
This shout attracted the attention of many people in the store. Yo Aoki blushed and quickly grabbed Mizuki and ran out.
Yo Aoki checked the time and said he was going to the Tōei Fitness Center. After learning why, Mizuki was full of admiration. Watching Yo Aoki's retreating figure, she exclaimed, "So talented and hardworking, he has a bright future ahead of him!"
Finally, the practice match between Shohoku and Ryonan, which Yo Aoki had been looking forward to for so long, began!
Yo Aoki made an appointment with Shirota, and the two of them boarded the train to Ryonan High School together.
Yo Aoki glanced at Shirota's school uniform and casually asked, " Shirota, which school's uniform are you wearing?"
Shirota raised his chin confidently. "Need I say more? It's from Ryonan! I borrowed it from a friend; of course I have to 'disguise' myself to do my homework here!"
Yo Aoki almost burst out laughing at Shirota's expression, but Shirota suddenly glared at Aoki's Takezato Team jacket and yelled, " Aoki, why aren't you disguised? You're wearing a basketball team jacket? Are you crazy?!"
Yo Aoki nudged Shirota's arm, laughing heartily, "Don't worry, nothing's wrong! Hahaha!"
Shirota, however, looked shaken and tugged at his sleeve. " Aoki, I told you before, didn't I? I almost got ganged up on last time!"
Yo Aoki rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Last time you were talking about almost getting beaten up, wasn't it?"
He touched his nose and made up a lie with a straight face. " Shirota, actually, I dressed like this as a psychological tactic. If we just walk over openly, they won't dare to do anything to us."
Shirota vehemently objected, grabbing his sleeve and shaking it. " Aoki, you're practically walking into a trap!"
With Shirota feeling uneasy, the two entered Ryonan High School. It was Sunday, and the school was full of students participating in club activities. Yo Aoki was in front, looking around Ryonan's campus with great interest, while Shirota shrank behind, glancing around like a thief.
As soon as I reached the entrance of the stadium, I heard someone behind me shouting, "It's all your fault! Now I have to take the tram too!"
"Stop arguing, you don't even have a driver's license!"
"Yes! Yes!"
Yo Aoki turned around and saw Yohei Mito and his three companions. Being so close to these characters from the manga, Yo Aoki almost couldn't resist going up to say hello. But he suppressed the impulse, thinking to himself, "Now is not the time!"
Yohei Mito and his friends didn't even notice Yo Aoki. They noisily entered the stadium, went up to the second floor, and stood above Shohoku's rest area.
Yo Aoki patted Shirota, who was still looking around, and said, "Come on, let's go up too."
The two men stood on the second floor between the two teams, and could see clearly what was happening on both sides.
A short while later, the Shohoku Team came out. They were wearing red team uniforms, and three of them ran at the front.
Yo Aoki smiled, thinking to himself, " Hanamichi Sakuragi, Takenori Akagi, Kaede Rukawa, I've finally met you all!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi's impulsive nature was immediately apparent upon his appearance. He headed straight for the Ryonan team, specifically asking to find Sendoh, and even declared that he would defeat Sendoh.
Looking at Sakuragi's overly confident expression, Yo Aoki finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
But Sakuragi's keen ears caught the laughter. He immediately ran over, pointed at Yo Aoki, and yelled, "You bastard, how dare you laugh at me! I'm the secret weapon!"