Next, it was time to give the entire Kanagawa basketball scene a good shake!
Soon, the school security guards and administrators all arrived. This was a serious incident and had to be dealt with strictly. Tetsuo and his group had long since lost the ability to fight. They couldn't escape even if they wanted to, and the guards surrounded them.
That left the other party at the center of the incident-the Shohoku Basketball Team. The players were at a loss now. Even Takenori Akagi didn't know what to do, and everyone's eyes turned to Coach Anzai at once.
Old man, you've only just gotten your beloved pupil back. You can't turn around and disband the basketball team now...
Coach Anzai cleared his throat and was about to speak.
But Yohei Mito stepped forward first.
"Fine, guess this just wasn't our day." Yohei looked utterly brazen. "You guys on the Shohoku Basketball Team had better remember this. You won't be so lucky next time."
The Shohoku players were all dumbfounded. What? Wasn't Yohei on their side?
For once, Hanamichi Sakuragi caught on quickly. He gave Yohei a grateful look and laughed. "You guys..."
Yohei Mito winked, then made up a different version of events on the spot for the school authorities. He said Mitsui had wanted to leave their group and return to the basketball team to become a good student. They'd been so angry that they'd come to cause trouble for the team.
In short, they were the instigators. The Shohoku Basketball Team and Hisashi Mitsui were both victims.
They'd done it, and they'd own up to it. Whatever punishment came their way, they'd take it.
After saying that, he didn't forget to drag someone else down with him. He turned and asked, "That's how it happened, right, Tetsuo Hotta?"
Nozomi Takamiya, Yuji Ohkusu, and the other members of the Sakuragi Gang hurried to back him up, calling out earnestly to the battered, bruised Tetsuo Hotta, "Boss!"
Tetsuo Hotta looked stunned, inwardly cursing, Why am I getting called out again?!
But when he saw Hisashi Mitsui beside him, finally back on the right path, he suddenly accepted it. He put on his old big-brother swagger again, straightened his back, and shouted the most glorious line of his time at Shohoku High School:
"That's right! It was us!"
In the end, Yohei Mito, Tetsuo Hotta, and the others received disciplinary action and a few days of confinement. The Shohoku Basketball Team owed them a huge favor this time.
Coach Anzai gave the whole team three days off for a very practical reason: to recover from their injuries. Afterward, he spoke privately with Hisashi Mitsui in the gym for a long while. By the time Mitsui came out, he seemed like a different person, with a hint of his old drive from three years ago.
The three-day break flew by. Although the team hadn't practiced, Shohoku had made a name for itself during those three days. Not because of the fight, though, but because of Basketball Weekly.
The latest issue had devoted a full page to Shohoku's practice game against Ryonan. When the editorial office received Sanae's and Yayoi Aida's articles a few days earlier, the editor-in-chief had been in a bind. Both were well written, with nothing to fault, but their themes were completely different: one lavishly praised Ryonan's strength and low profile, while the other marveled at Shohoku's growth and humility. Their central figures were Sendoh and Shirasawa, respectively.
In the end, the editor-in-chief simply found a middle ground, filling the page with a sense of rivalry and forcing the feel of a showdown between old enemies to stir up discussion. So when people read the article, it felt as though Shirasawa, who had burst onto the scene out of nowhere, was challenging the prodigy Sendoh.
That was how more people came to remember Shirasawa's name. Naturally, the biggest talking points were his outrageous eighteen assists in a single half and that magical elbow pass. Most teams still felt Shohoku was just a flash in the pan, though. After all, it had only been a practice game, and Ryonan probably hadn't taken it seriously. They felt a top-four team that had recruited Kaede Rukawa couldn't possibly be at only that level.
Inside Shohoku's basketball gym, the team officially assembled after its brief break. The first order of business was welcoming Hisashi Mitsui back.
When Mitsui appeared before everyone again, his entire appearance had changed. He'd cut his long hair and put on sportswear, looking nothing like the delinquent who had threatened to destroy the basketball team three days earlier. If not for the bandages and lingering bruises on his face, they wouldn't have recognized him.
"My name is Hisashi Mitsui. As of today, I'm officially back." He stood ramrod straight, his voice firm. "I have just one goal: help Shohoku conquer the nationals!"
Akagi and Kogure felt warmth in their hearts, as though they were seeing that dazzling young MVP from three years ago again. The other players were a little doubtful, though. After all, none of them had seen Mitsui play basketball. They'd only seen him fight, and he hadn't been very good at that either.
Just look at Shirasawa. In a fight, he was like a god descending to earth, and on the court, he controlled the entire game. By that comparison, Mitsui's basketball skills... probably weren't much?
Mitsui took in everyone's expressions without saying much. He smiled, grabbed a ball, and tossed it to Takenori Akagi.
"Come on, Akagi." He tipped up his chin. "Let's finish that match we left unfinished three years ago."
Akagi understood immediately. Seeing was better than hearing any number of words. It really was time to show their teammates just how good Mitsui was. Besides, after three years, Akagi himself wanted to know what this guy could do now.
Their teammates quickly cleared half the court for them and gathered around to watch the one-on-one.
"Xiao Bai, this guy looks weak to me." Hanamichi Sakuragi leaned toward Shirasawa, curling his lip. "Yohei almost took him out."
Shirasawa laughed. "Sure, he can't fight, but when it comes to basketball..." He glanced at Sakuragi. "Never mind Yohei. He could run circles around someone like you."
Sakuragi's broad face immediately fell, and he turned away unhappily. "Why are you taking someone else's side? He's our enemy... right, Miyagi?"
When Shirasawa wouldn't back him up, Sakuragi tried to recruit Ryota Miyagi as an ally. To his surprise, Miyagi merely smiled indifferently.
"That was before." Miyagi shrugged. "We're teammates now. That's over. After hearing Xiao Bai say that, I'm actually more curious about how good he is."
Rebuffed again, Sakuragi still refused to give up. "But he beat you up!"
"Get lost..."
On the court, Mitsui took the first possession. Facing Akagi, he made several jab steps, unhurriedly finding his rhythm. Akagi didn't dare let his guard down. He knew all too well how dangerous Mitsui was. The guy could drive and shoot. Guard him too closely, and he'd blow past you; give him a step, and he'd pull up. Against an opponent like that, Akagi could only concentrate fully and watch his every move.
Mitsui feinted left and right a few times, then suddenly burst forward! His explosiveness wasn't top-tier, but his movements were crisp and clean. Akagi couldn't match his speed, so he could only use his body to challenge him, trying to hold him down with strength.
Mitsui dribbled toward the three-point line, stopped abruptly, and pushed hard off his left foot, instantly stepping backward to land right on the three-point line. Without any adjustment, he rose straight into a shot.
The jump, the lift, and the release flowed together in one smooth, picturesque motion. With a gentle flick of his wrist, the ball arced toward the hoop.
Swish!
It dropped cleanly through the net with a crisp sound.
3-0. A three-pointer right out of the gate.
The teammates on the sidelines all let out an "Ooh!"
"That shooting form... it's gorgeous!" someone muttered.
"Mitsui's really good. It doesn't even look like he's trying that hard."
"If I had a three-point shot like that to fall back on, I'd be confident too."
"Worth it! Taking those punches earlier was totally worth it!"
Watching from the side, Shirasawa was impressed too. Mitsui's shooting motion really was impeccably smooth, and he was especially steady in crucial moments. The more desperate the situation, the more willing he was to shoot. Watching him made Shirasawa itch to play. His own three-point shooting was pretty accurate now, and he wondered when he could have a go against him.
Possession didn't change, so Mitsui remained on offense. This time, Akagi lowered his stance even further, his eyes locked on his opponent.
"Three years without playing, and you haven't gotten that rusty," Akagi said.
Mitsui merely smiled confidently. "We're only getting started, Akagi. Don't lose focus."
With that, he drove right again, dribbled forward two steps, then suddenly stepped back once more and raised the ball toward the hoop.
Akagi furrowed his brow and immediately lunged forward to block him. But the corner of Mitsui's mouth lifted, and he abruptly dropped his body low.
Damn, it's a fake!
In that brief instant, Mitsui had already accelerated past him and scored an easy layup.
"Gorilla! What are you doing?! Don't go easy on him just because he's new!" Hanamichi Sakuragi stomped anxiously on the sidelines.
Miyagi glanced at him and explained, "The captain isn't going easy on him. He doesn't have a choice. Mitsui's threes are so accurate that the captain has to focus on guarding his shot, and that's why he fell for the fake. That split-second opening was enough for Mitsui to work with. Get it, you idiot who can only dunk?"
Sakuragi ground his teeth in anger. "It's just a cheap little trick! Only an honest guy like Gorilla would fall for it! If this genius were out there..."
Miyagi sighed and finished for him. "If you were out there, you'd probably have been crushed already."
After several possessions, the score was 9-8. Mitsui led by one and still had possession. They were playing to eleven, so it was now match point. If he made this shot, Mitsui would win.
But it was clear that Mitsui's stamina was beginning to fail him. Playing Akagi one-on-one involved intense contact and a large area to defend. Every shot took tremendous effort. For someone who hadn't properly exercised in three years, it really was draining.
Mitsui dribbled at the top of the arc, his chest visibly heaving. He caught his breath for a few seconds, then drove toward the basket again. But after colliding with Akagi, he began to lose control of the ball, and it slipped out of his hands and went out of bounds.
Akagi's expression was serious, and he showed no mercy. This was his way of respecting Mitsui. Mitsui was enjoying himself too. Winning or losing wasn't that important. What mattered was that he could stand on the court again and still play at this level. That was already good enough for him. He'd lost too much during those three empty years, and he'd have to regain it slowly.
There was little suspense left after that. Against an exhausted Mitsui, Akagi steadily scored two more points. 9-11. Akagi won.
As soon as the game ended, Mitsui sat straight down on the floor, gasping for breath, but wearing a deeply satisfied smile.
After that one-on-one, their teammates had a good idea of Mitsui's abilities. Well, damn, another expert! He had practically no weaknesses on either offense or defense.
Then Kogure casually mentioned that Mitsui had been the junior high MVP. Everyone finally understood. No wonder he was so strong-he'd been a player of that caliber. The whole group grew even more excited. They had a real shot in the prefectural tournament!
Akagi walked over, held out a hand, and pulled Mitsui up. He smiled and said, "You'll need to train hard from here on. You're capable of more than this."
"Of course," Mitsui answered confidently.
Then Mitsui turned to Shirasawa.
"Coach Anzai told me we've got a real powerhouse on the team." He moved his arm around. "Even I have to support him and follow his instructions. Isn't that right, Shirasawa? My arm's still sore."
Shirasawa smiled faintly and walked toward Mitsui at an unhurried pace.
The atmosphere on the court instantly grew tense. Their teammates stared at the two of them, bewildered.
Seriously? They'd just finished one fight, and now another?
Even Sakuragi and Miyagi stared in shock.
Shirasawa stopped in front of Mitsui, and they met each other's eyes. The entire gym was so quiet that their breathing was audible.
A few seconds later, the corners of their mouths rose at the same time.
Their hands met in a handshake.
"Shirasawa. Let's introduce ourselves properly."
"Hisashi Mitsui."
Their teammates were completely dumbstruck, their mouths hanging wide enough to fit an egg. Did this mean... they'd made up?
At center court, the two exchanged a smile, giving everyone their answer.
In fact, before practice that day, Coach Anzai had already asked Akagi to act as a go-between. Akagi had spoken separately to Shirasawa and Mitsui, passing on the coach's wishes.
Put simply, it came down to one sentence: everything for the team.
Naturally, Shirasawa had no problem with that. He'd long been looking forward to having a sharpshooter like Mitsui. As for Mitsui, returning to the basketball team was already all he could ask for, and now he'd settled down completely. As long as it helped the team, he was willing to do anything.
Besides, Akagi had described Shirasawa's performances since joining the team in detail. As soon as Mitsui heard about them, he understood that this guy was practically his perfect match. The anticipation in his heart flared up at once.
So the scene just now had been a natural development. That handshake wasn't just a reconciliation between the two of them. It also meant that Sakuragi and Miyagi, who stood behind Shirasawa, had smiled away their grudges too.
Watching them, Akagi couldn't help smiling. The team now was almost exactly what he'd dreamed of. Everyone could hold their own. Shohoku was no longer his team alone.