As captain, he couldn't let the team collapse! He waved to the Takezato players. "Everyone, come and gather!"
Looking at her teammate's gloomy face, Mizuki laughed and said, "Hey, what's with that expression?"
"Team leader..."
Mizuki said, "Although we can't participate in the national tournament this year, at least we tried. Basketball is interesting because of both winning and losing."
Mizuki patted Yo Aoki on the shoulder again and said, "And thank you, Aoki, this was the best match we've ever played!"
Yo Aoki sat in the car, leaning against the window, resting his chin on his hand, looking at the scenery outside.
The players in Takezato were all quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.
Only Coach Akai was still muttering about the call on the last ball.
Yo Aoki pondered whether the last ball was launched before or after time expired, as the current technology in high school basketball makes it impossible to accurately determine.
If it really goes to overtime, Takezato will definitely have the advantage— Shohoku's Mitsui has already been substituted due to exhaustion, Kaede Rukawa is also almost out of steam. Once they are substituted, Shohoku's only offensive option will be Akagi. But as long as Takezato has Yo Aoki, their strength will not falter.
Actually, thinking about these things now is pointless. Ultimately, it's because Takezato wasn't strong enough. If he were strong enough, this wouldn't have happened.
Shohoku currently has one win and one loss, Takezato has lost both games, and Kainan and Ryonan each have one win.
Currently, the only way for Takezato to even scrape by in qualifying is if Ryonan beats Kainan today, and Takezato beats Kainan tomorrow, while Takezato loses to Ryonan Shohoku. But if that happens, Ryonan will win all three games, and Takezato, Shohoku, Kainan will all have one win and two losses. However, according to the rules, if players have the same score, the tiebreaker will determine the ranking, so Takezato still has a theoretical chance of qualifying.
"Heh, you want Kainan to lose two games in a row? Unless Shinichi Maki gets injured."
"It feels fucking awful to have your fate in someone else's hands!"
After a nearly one-hour bus ride, the bus finally stopped in front of Takezato High School. Coach Akai patted the steering wheel and shouted, "Everyone, find a place to rest for a while. Be back at the school basketball court at 3 p. m. sharp this afternoon, don't be late!" The players responded and dispersed in twos and threes.
Shirota was still at the stadium watching the match between Kainan and Ryonan, while Yo Aoki was wandering around with nowhere to go.
As he wandered around, he passed by the convenience store. Yo Aoki glanced through the glass door; the injured clerk from before was already back at work.
"Welcome!" Asatani bowed and called out, his eyes lighting up when he saw it was Yo Aoki: "It's you!"
Yo Aoki waved his hand. "Hey, is your injury healed?"
Asatani scratched the back of his head and laughed, "The bandages were just removed last week, thanks to your help! And the police said you were the one who caught that bad guy, right?"
Yo Aoki shrugged. "Just a coincidence." He extended his hand. "Let's get to know each other formally. My name is Yo Aoki, I'm sixteen, and I'm a second-year student at Takezato High School."
Asatani grasped his hand. "My name is Shohei Asatani, I'm twenty, and I work at this store."
"By the way, how did your match go?"
"We lost both games."
Asatani said regretfully, "What a pity. I used to play basketball too, but I wasn't tall enough to make the official team. Aoki, you played in both of these games?"
Yo Aoki nodded. "Mm."
Asatani exclaimed enviously, "That's amazing! I'll come cheer you on when I have time!"
Yo Aoki laughed, "Great! We're going to attack Kainan tomorrow. Come if you're free."
Asatani's eyes widened. " Kainan? That's an undefeated team!" He thought for two seconds, " Aoki, I'm definitely going tomorrow! I'll fight this tough battle with you!"
Yo Aoki was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Thanks, Asatani- senpai!"
Asatani straightened his baseball cap. "Don't mention it!"
Just then, the convenience store door opened, and a young policeman walked in. Yo Aoki looked familiar; where had he seen him before?
The policeman walked to the counter. "Excuse me, could I have a bottle of water?"
Asatani handed over a bottle of water. The policeman took the water, stared at Asatani for two seconds, and then asked, "Aren't you Asatani?" He glanced at Yo Aoki, his eyes widening suddenly, "Huh? You're Yo Aoki?"
It turned out this policeman was one of the two officers involved in the " Wolf of the Moonlit Night " incident. Yo Aoki slapped his forehead. "So it's you, senior! What a coincidence!"
The policeman laughed, "Yeah, if it weren't for the two of you, we don't know when we would have caught that bastard."
Yo Aoki waved his hand. "Even without us, you can handle it quickly."
The policeman chuckled, "Haha, anyway, thanks a lot. By the way, how was your game today?"
"We lost."
The policeman sighed and patted Yo Aoki on the back, "Don't be discouraged, you'll definitely make it to the national tournament next year!"
He pointed to himself. "My name is Eiji Nagashima. You're playing against Kainan tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, Senior Nagashima has pretty good connections."
"Of course! I used to be a Takezato player too, so I always follow these things. I'm off tomorrow, and I've arranged to go to the game with some former teammates. I'll cheer you guys on!"
Yo Aoki's eyes lit up. "That's great!"
" Kainan was a winning team back in our day, so don't be nervous tomorrow, just play normally."
Yo Aoki nodded. "Don't worry, senior, we know what we're doing."
"Alright, I have to go. Good luck tomorrow, maybe you can end Kainan's winning streak, haha!"
Eiji Nagashima waved and turned to leave the convenience store.
After saying goodbye to Asatani, Yo Aoki returned home.
As soon as Ryoko Aoki saw him, she immediately came up to him. " Yo, how did the competition go?"
Yo Aoki sighed, "This is the third time I've been asked this... I've lost."
Ryoko Aoki quickly pulled him down to sit. "It's alright, it's alright, try harder next time. Let's eat first."
She turned to clear the dishes. " Yo, your dad, Ryo, and I will all be watching your match tomorrow!"
Yo Aoki felt a sudden pang, as if a corner of those memories hidden deep within his heart had been lifted. He clenched his fist, his voice a little strained. "Oh, okay."
Having just survived a fierce battle, his body was suddenly brimming with energy. Yo Aoki slapped his forehead. " Yo Aoki, Yo Aoki, you're not a child anymore! We're just here to watch your match, what's all the excitement about!"
He hummed a little tune, took out his notebook, and flipped to the middle page, which read "The Weaknesses of the Kainan Team," but the rest of the page was blank.
" Kainan Team's weaknesses..." Yo Aoki pondered deeply. Kainan, a perennial champion team that hadn't lost in sixteen years, could only have weaknesses that could be pointed out by a team of Sannoh's caliber, right?
Just as he was pondering whether the Kainan team, undefeated for sixteen years, might have a weakness, Yo Aoki suddenly slapped his thigh. Oh no! Coach Anzai is going to have a heart attack today!
He jumped up and rushed to the phone booth, first dialing the Sakuragi family's number, but only heard a busy tone. He was about to dial the Akagi family's number when his finger stopped—he hadn't memorized the Akagi family's number at all.
"It's so inconvenient not having a cell phone these days!" Yo Aoki slammed the receiver down in frustration. He glanced at the wall clock and muttered to himself, "The game between Kainan and Ryonan should be almost over by now. According to the plot, Coach Anzai should have been taken to the hospital by Sakuragi by now, right?"
I just hope Coach Anzai can be safe and sound, just like in the manga.
At 3 p. m., the basketball team members were neatly assembled in the Takezato High School basketball gym, waiting for the coach to give them a pep talk. But Shirota was holding onto bad news and hesitated to speak.
"Really?" Coach Akai's expression darkened. "Or did Kainan win?"
Shirota nodded reluctantly, "After two overtime periods, Kainan still came out on top."
The Takezato Team has been completely eliminated from the national tournament, and the entire team is shrouded in a gloomy mood. Mizuki, who had already recovered from the previous defeat, noticed the tense atmosphere and quickly interrupted, "Two overtime periods?"
Shirota nodded. "That's right, Sendoh from Ryonan is too strong. He almost single-handedly overturned Kainan, but unfortunately, he fell short in the end."
At this point, Shirota was furious. "Teacher! Kainan actually copied our fouling tactics against Uozumi in crucial moments! Not only Kainan, Ryonan also used our pick-and-roll tactics! They have no shame!"
Imamura sighed, "Well, we were the first team to finish the match."
Coach Akai chimed in, "There's no such thing as sticking to the same tactics forever; the essence lies in adapting to the situation on the field, right, Aoki?"
Yo Aoki nodded. "Yes, pick-and-rolls and foul tactics are simple strategies, but to master them, you need a lot of grit. Kainan and Ryonan are just trying to use some tricks to demoralize the opponent; it's nothing serious."
Coach Akai raised his voice, "We didn't make it to the national tournament this year, but our strength speaks for itself! From now on, no one will dare underestimate the Takezato Team!" He clenched his fist, "Now we can proudly proclaim: We are strong!"
Akai's words were like a surge of heat, instantly igniting the team's fighting spirit. He turned to Shirota and said, " Shirota, tell me about the situation in Kainan."
Shirota responded, " Kainan Affiliated High School is the king of Kanagawa. Their offense basically revolves around Shinichi Maki's inside cuts. After he breaks through, he either goes straight for a layup or passes to Soichiro Jin on the perimeter, or to other teammates. The key is that their bench strength is also strong, which Shohoku can't match."
Hojo chimed in, " Kainan's defense is half-court man-to-man, just like Shohoku's." His eyes lit up, "Then why don't we use the same tactics we used against Shohoku against them?"
Shirota immediately shook his head in rejection, "I'm afraid that won't work! Kainan's training intensity is well-known; their physical fitness is far superior to that of ordinary people."
Mizuki turned to Yo Aoki, " Aoki, what tactics should we use against Kainan?"
Yo Aoki smiled. " Kainan played two overtimes against Ryonan today. Even if they have great stamina, they'll definitely be affected tomorrow, which is advantageous for us. As for tactics, we just need to play to our full potential tomorrow."
Yo Aoki stopped laughing and his tone became serious, "Everyone, remember this: we lost by 1 point to Ryonan and by 2 points to Shohoku; but Kainan won both their matches against Ryonan and Shohoku in overtime, so we don't need to be afraid of them. Our strength is vastly different now, on par with theirs. In the last game, we'll surprise everyone!"