At those words, the whole place fell silent for a moment.
Captain Gorilla... a top student... a math competition?
Those words just didn't fit together!
If Kogure had said it about himself, everyone would have found it reasonable. With his scholarly looks and gentle manner of speaking, he looked like a good student no matter how you looked at him.
Reading their expressions, Kogure gave an embarrassed smile. "That's why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover... compared with Akagi, I'm a poor student."
The contrast made everyone burst out laughing. But when it came to poor students, Kogure really didn't rank anywhere near the top of the Shohoku Basketball Team.
The three starters, Shirasawa, Hanamichi Sakuragi, and Ryota Miyagi, would have been the first to object. Since school started, aside from registration day, the three of them had barely set foot in a classroom-unless they were so sleepy they went in for a nap.
Their teachers were actually quite pleased about this: as long as they weren't disrupting class, they were contributing to it. Lower the expectations a little, and everyone was happy.
The atmosphere in the gym was relaxed, and everyone was eager for the upcoming prefectural tournament. With Akagi absent, there seemed to be more laughter during practice, too.
However, that relaxed mood hadn't spread to every corner of campus.
At the school gates, just a few hundred meters from the gym, seven or eight motorcycles roared to a stop. Each carried two people, all of them looking hostile.
A closer look revealed stiff bulges in a few of their sleeves, as though they were hiding something.
A moment later, the man at the head rode through the gates first. He parked and leisurely lit a cigarette.
"This is the place, huh?" He blew a smoke ring. "Schools really are nice places."
With that, he got off, casually grabbed a passing student, and blew smoke in his face. The student's legs went weak at the sight of the tall, menacing man before him.
"The gym. Which way?"
The student was too frightened to speak. He had seen delinquents at Shohoku, like Tetsuo Hotta, but the pressure Hotta gave off was nothing compared with this man's.
Getting no answer, the man showed a flicker of impatience in his eyes.
Bam!
He drove a fist into the student's stomach.
By then, the other motorcycles were arriving one after another. A long-haired man walked over with a sinister smile.
"There's more fun waiting inside, Tetsuo."
The man throwing punches was none other than Tetsuo, a notorious tough guy in Kanagawa. And the man speaking to him was the instigator who had stirred up trouble at the warehouse yesterday-Hisashi Mitsui.
Behind them were a dozen or so of Tetsuo's followers.
Had the student on the ground dared to look up, he would certainly have seen a familiar face: Tetsuo Hotta was standing among them, too.
A little earlier.
Last night, after Shirasawa had beaten his face into a swollen mess, Tetsuo Hotta had gone to find his good friend Hisashi Mitsui as soon as he was bandaged up.
One look at his swollen face told Mitsui why he had come, and anger flared inside him.
After leaving basketball behind, Mitsui had spent his time among delinquents. But just as Shirasawa had noticed that day that he hadn't smoked, there were things in his heart he still couldn't let go of. In name, he was with Tetsuo's crowd, but he wasn't actually a full member, just Tetsuo's friend.
So Mitsui wasn't particularly close to the others in the gang. There were only two people he truly considered friends: Tetsuo, the older-brother figure who always looked out for him, and Tetsuo Hotta, who was all bluster.
Hotta was all bluster because, despite his loud, intimidating front, he was actually pretty timid and only picked on easy targets. But when it came to his friends, he really was beyond reproach-when Ryota Miyagi had beaten Mitsui up before, Hotta had been the first to rush in and help.
One good turn deserved another.
Now that his friend had been beaten into this state, how could Mitsui stand it? After learning the reason, he grew even more furious and nearly smashed up his own room.
Why was it Miyagi again! That Shohoku basketball crowd again!
Seething, Mitsui immediately went to find his big brother Tetsuo. No matter what, they had to wipe out that damned basketball team!
That was how this whole scene had come about.
Hisashi Mitsui raked a hand through his hair, delighted at the thought of the show about to unfold.
"Let's go. I know that basketball team very well."
Tetsuo grinned, tossed aside the student in his grasp, and sauntered toward the gym after Mitsui with his crew.
Chuichiro Noma of the Sakuragi Gang happened to be passing by and caught the whole thing.
"Those guys... are they heading to the basketball club?"
Noma muttered to himself. He hadn't heard them very clearly.
After a moment's hesitation, he turned and ran.
Inside Shohoku's gym.
Shirasawa had half the court to himself and was enjoying shooting baskets.
He had even arranged for Kuwata to retrieve balls for him nearby... he was really getting into it.
With his shooting ability past 70, the difference really was obvious. The sound of the ball swishing through the net was satisfying.
Kuwata watched from the sidelines, dumbfounded.
This was his first time seeing Shirasawa shoot!
He was this accurate?
And paired with Shirasawa's build, his shooting form was especially pleasing to watch.
On the other side, Ayako was supervising Hanamichi Sakuragi and several first-years as they practiced fundamentals.
Sakuragi still wore that same disgruntled scowl, feeling that a genius shouldn't have to practice alongside ordinary people...
But Ayako's folding fan hovered right above his forehead, ready to strike at the slightest lapse.
He could only behave himself.
Just then, the gym doors were yanked open with a loud clang.
Several unfamiliar figures blocked the doorway, backlit.
One glance was enough to tell they weren't Shohoku students.
Everyone's attention immediately swung toward them.
Miyagi froze.
Kogure's mouth fell open in shock, too. The person before him truly was the most familiar stranger...
Thud!
Mitsui stamped hard on the floor.
He swept a disdainful gaze over everyone.
"You're all pretty fired up, huh? How about letting us join in, Ryota Miyagi?"
As soon as he said that, Tetsuo's whole crowd surged inside. More than a dozen of them stood facing the team, making an intimidating sight.
Even an idiot could tell they meant trouble.
Good first-year students like Kuwata and Kentaro Ishii already had their calves trembling uncontrollably.
This situation definitely wasn't going to end easily...
When people panicked, they instinctively looked for someone to rely on.
Their eyes involuntarily drifted toward Shirasawa and Hanamichi Sakuragi...
Sakuragi was used to scenes like this, but he looked completely bewildered, with no idea who these people were.
Were they here for Miyagi?
Shirasawa was even stranger. There was actually a faint hint of a smile on his face...
The world of delinquents really was impossible to understand...
Still, seeing those two so calm made the others feel a little more reassured.
Ryota Miyagi, who had been singled out, steeled himself and took a few steps forward.
Even if Mitsui hadn't spoken, he would have known they were there for him.
"Mitsui..."
Before Miyagi could finish, Hanamichi Sakuragi clenched his fists and interrupted him.
"You bastard!" Sakuragi roared. "How dare you stomp on the floor I worked my ass off mopping!"
"You here to pick a fight? Come on, then!"
Seeing Sakuragi already getting worked up, Miyagi hurried to stop him.
"Sakuragi! Don't lose your head!"
Just then, another member of Shohoku stepped forward, surprising everyone.
Because it wasn't Shirasawa, as they had expected, but the always mild-mannered Kiminobu Kogure!
In a rare display, Kogure glared and shouted, "Please leave! This is the basketball club!"
As soon as he finished, Mitsui burst into arrogant laughter.
"Kogure, of course I know this is the basketball club." Mitsui tilted his head. "Because I came here today to destroy it!"
Miyagi was already at his wits' end. He didn't want his own problems dragging down the whole team.
Letting go of Sakuragi, he hurried over to Mitsui and bowed humbly.
"Mitsui, could you let me off..."
"The prefectural tournament is about to start. The team can't afford any trouble, and I... I can't end up in the hospital again..."
"I'm begging you... could you go home for now?"
By saying all that, Miyagi had practically humbled himself as far as he could.
He had once been a prominent figure, after all. Going this far was practically throwing his pride on the ground.
Every team member in their second year or above was astonished.
That willingness to take responsibility really did command respect.
At the same time, they all looked toward Mitsui, waiting for his decision.
Miyagi raised his head as well, looking earnestly at Mitsui, hoping he would do him this favor and let the matter die down.
Mitsui merely gave a faint smile.
Suddenly!
He raised his foot and drove it hard into Miyagi's stomach!
No one had expected that response, including Miyagi, who was knocked to the floor.
"Miyagi, what are you talking about?" Mitsui looked down at him and laughed. "I came here especially for you. How could I possibly go home? Hahahaha!"
Seeing his good friend kicked, Hanamichi Sakuragi's anger flared.
"Bastard! I'll fucking kill you!"
He was about to charge straight over.
With a clash on the verge of erupting, Mitsui's crowd burst into unrestrained laughter.
Just as everyone at Shohoku was at a loss,
Miyagi endured the pain and staggered to his feet, calling weakly, "Don't, Sakuragi!"
"We absolutely can't fight. Otherwise, Shohoku really will be finished."
"Let me handle this myself. I caused this mess in the first place."
After speaking, Miyagi clutched his stomach and inched forward.
He had prepared himself for the worst, but at least this way he could protect the team.
"Miyagi..." Ayako's eyes reddened. As a girl, she had never seen anything like this, but she knew that if this went on, Miyagi would be ruined.
Just then,
Footsteps sounded behind Miyagi, followed by a hand settling on his shoulder.
"This isn't just your problem," Shirasawa said calmly.
Miyagi turned, and his heart sank.
That expression... why did this guy look a little happy?
Shirasawa nodded to him.
Of course he was happy.
He could safely say he'd been waiting a long time for this day!
Once this fight was over, as long as Mitsui wasn't beaten to death...
He should come back around!
And the process wouldn't affect the outcome, because Mitsui's change of heart wouldn't come from being beaten, but from Coach Anzai.
Barring any surprises,
Today would be the day Shohoku's elite shooter returned!
If there was a possible surprise, it was Tetsuo and his crowd.
If they won, the ending might be different.
So Shirasawa absolutely couldn't let them win!
Seeing Shirasawa step forward, Sakuragi immediately perked up, too, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked.