The image of Yoko flickered in my mind.
Sakuragi slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.
"Next game! I, Hanamichi Sakuragi, will shine brightly!"
During the team's training session that day, Hanamichi Sakuragi was noticeably more energetic than usual.
Whether it's basic skills or sparring practice,
Sakuragi was always at the forefront.
After a half-court 3v3 match, Kakuta collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
" Sakuragi must have taken the wrong medicine today..."
"I couldn't take it at all; he almost broke my bones."
Looking at Hanamichi Sakuragi again, he's still in top form.
" Gorilla! What else is there to train? Keep going!"
Kogure watched from the side and smiled with satisfaction.
" Sakuragi's enthusiasm has truly exceeded my expectations."
"I thought he'd be upset about what was in the newspapers."
"It seems Sakuragi is maturing more and more."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Takenori Akagi snorted.
"You're oversimplifying things, Kogure."
"How could that kid possibly be mature? I think something's fishy going on..."
"I hope he doesn't cause any trouble."
Shirasawa had observed all of Sakuragi's actions.
He certainly understood why Sakuragi acted that way.
It's not that simple, just because the report didn't describe him in detail.
Just like the first time he appeared in the newspaper, even if there was only a blurry image of him in the photo, he was still happy to show it off everywhere.
Call him heartless or optimistic as you like.
In short, Sakuragi wouldn't really take this kind of thing seriously.
At most, they'll get angry and say some harsh words, but once they get punched, they'll immediately return to normal.
But this time is different.
Sakuragi was concerned about what Yoko would think!
In the last game against the Kakuno, everyone had a standout performance, and Sakuragi didn't disappoint either, scoring 8 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots.
However, compared to his teammates' impressive statistics and performances, Sakuragi didn't stand out as much.
He didn't care what others thought of him, but Yoko was different.
That scumbag surnamed Tian is at least the ace of Takezono.
He was really afraid that Yoko would think he was incompetent because of this.
It's already quite an achievement for Sakuragi to have gotten this far with Yoko.
Although the two didn't actually have much real interaction.
That is, Yohei once mentioned "someone who looks a lot like Yoko ".
Even so, Sakuragi felt quite satisfied; at least there was still some hope.
But it is precisely because of this that he is even more worried that this subtle feeling of goodwill will disappear.
Of course, these were all just Sakuragi's wild guesses.
It's like Yoko only cares about how well someone plays basketball.
If you play well, I'll like you; if you play badly, goodbye...
Sakuragi was probably too concerned, which is why he was overthinking things.
Therefore, he is now particularly eager to prove himself on the court.
So that Yoko could get closer to him.
But what troubled him was that he didn't know where to begin.
Shirasawa, Akagi, and Mitsui have all taught him scoring techniques, but he just can't seem to make the shots!
There was no other way but to channel all that frustration into training.
To be honest, as his brother, Shirasawa felt a little sorry for him seeing him like this.
What a devoted person he is!
Then look at yourself...
Hmm... it's alright, actually...
The original plan was to let Sakuragi practice shooting slowly, since he didn't have a system to help him... Shooting can't be rushed.
By the time of the national competition, they should have practiced enough to create more space for their attacks.
With his offensive arsenal expanded, Shirasawa also gained more options.
But now these unexpected situations have arisen.
It seems the plans need to be adjusted.
" Sakuragi, come here for a second." Shirasawa beckoned to him, his expression quite serious.
Hanamichi Sakuragi pouted and reluctantly moved over.
"What's wrong, Xiao Bai? I haven't been slacking off. I'm doing great lately."
Shirasawa smiled, already having made up his mind.
Since other scoring methods don't work, let's simplify things and focus on one key strategy!
" Sakuragi, I know you want to score, you want to have a more outstanding performance."
"We've been focusing on improving your shooting, hoping your iron hands will see some improvement..."
"But this is indeed not easy for you, and it will take more time."
Shirasawa spoke, Hanamichi Sakuragi's eyes slowly brightened.
" Xiao Bai, what you're saying... does it mean there's another way?!"
Shirasawa nodded.
"This method is perfect for you; you don't even need to practice much."
Upon hearing this, Hanamichi Sakuragi immediately perked up!
"Why didn't you say so sooner, Xiao Bai?!"
"Hahaha, geniuses don't need to practice as hard as ordinary people!"
Shirasawa shook his head with a wry smile.
Sakuragi is still the same as ever; his emotions come and go quickly, and he can be swayed by just a few words.
If this had happened to be part of a pyramid scheme, they probably would have been lured away long ago...
However, he probably has the ability to fight back...
" Sakuragi, but you can't stop practicing your shooting just because of this, or you'll be no different from that bull in Miuradai."
"In that case, you should think about whether Yoko would like it."
Hanamichi Sakuragi quickly shook his head.
"Don't worry, Xiao Bai! A genius's training never stops! That's why ordinary people can't catch up with me!"
" Xiao Bai, tell me quickly! What's the secret?!"
Shirasawa didn't reply, but bent down and picked up a basketball.
" Sakuragi, move to the inside and get into a defensive stance."
Sakuragi didn't understand, but he did as he was told, walking to the basket and spreading his arms.
"Is that all, Xiao Bai?"
He had barely finished speaking.
Shirasawa has already dribbled and charged forward!
Its posture was just like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey; it was terrifying to look at!
Moreover, their target was clear; they came straight for him!
In the blink of an eye, Shirasawa rushed in front of him.
Hanamichi Sakuragi instinctively took a small step back.
Jump!
Shirasawa leaped up from the ground right in front of Sakuragi!
Bang--
The two collided solidly in mid-air.
The side that launched the attack clearly had the upper hand.
Sakuragi was completely suppressed.
Immediately afterwards, Shirasawa swung his arm and slammed the ball into the basket!
With a loud crash!
Goal!
Hanamichi Sakuragi was knocked back several steps.
" Xiao Bai! If you're going to dunk, just dunk! Why did you have to pick a moment when I was standing up?!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi yelled in frustration.
Shirasawa chuckled. "Was my dunk powerful enough? Was it explosive? This is your new move."
???
Sakuragi was stunned.
It's just a dunk, what's new about it?
It's nothing more than them forcibly shoving it in right in front of me...
But if it were me...
Thinking of this, Sakuragi's eyes suddenly lit up!
I could do it too!
However, Shirasawa hadn't finished speaking.
" Sakuragi, that move is called a dunk over someone. It's nothing new; many people with good physical abilities can do it."
"But given your physical condition, what I want you to do is..."
Shirasawa's lips curled into a smile.
"Turn it into a regular offensive tactic!"
"In other words, as long as you're within your jumping range and receive the ball while running, just dunk it on!"
"Forget about shooting and layups for now, just dunk when you get the ball! Even if there's someone standing under the basket, don't worry about fouling, just go for it!"
"From today onwards, you'll be the most dominant power forward in Kanagawa!"
" Haruko, go to school today and don't sneak off to watch the game."
Early in the morning, Takenori Akagi gave instructions while tying his shoelaces.
Today is the third round of the prefectural tournament, Group C, Shohoku will face Takahata.
But today is not a day off; it's time to go to school or work.
So Akagi specifically told his younger sister, "Don't skip class!"
After all, that classmate of hers had already made it onto the school's "honor roll" several times for skipping class...
That person had quite an influence on Haruko.
It was none other than the currently popular number 9, Shirasawa.
Incidentally, next to Shirasawa's name on the honor roll, there's always a close bodyguard— Hanamichi Sakuragi...
Akagi was genuinely worried that his younger sister would get too close to these two and be led astray.
Haruko smiled, her eyes narrowing and the corners of her mouth turning up high.
"Bro~ there aren't many matches left in the county tournament, so let me go watch..."
"Don't forget, I'm Shohoku's number one fan!"
Even the toughest man softens when his younger sister acts cute.
Takenori Akagi frowned and sighed, as if he had no idea what to do with her.
"You... I just can't argue with you."
"Go ahead if you want, but don't neglect your studies. I'll call Sanae and ask her to reserve a seat for you."
Haruko let out a happy gasp, then covered her mouth and laughed, "The basketball team is really different now! They even have agents, and so many fans! Even my own sister has to book seats in advance to watch the games!"
Akagi stood up, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Just as Haruko said,
The Shohoku Basketball Team is different now.
Sanae's agent's actions resulted in an unprecedented level of promotion for the team.
Shohoku seems poised to become a powerhouse.
Tickets for the county tournament weren't expensive to begin with, and the last match, the corner Kakuno game, was already packed.
Even though it's a weekday, Akagi knew that tickets would be hard to get!
As for why they chose Sanae...
It's because, in the eyes of Takenori Akagi, and even many of the Shohoku Team, Sanae seemed capable of handling anything...
After all, she's the kind of woman who casually rejects even Basketball Weekly... she's definitely not ordinary...
Haruko put on her shoes and skipped to the door, grinning as she took her brother's strong arm.
"How many points are you planning to win today, Captain Akagi?"
Takenori Akagi smiled slightly, "That depends on that guy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Haruko's face flushed.
The figure of that person seemed to flash before my eyes...
The stadium was bustling with activity.
Shohoku's appeal was fully demonstrated.
Everyone is discussing how many points Shohoku will win by today.
What terrifying statistics will Shirasawa achieve this time?
In the audience,
Sanae really can arrange everything...
Not only Haruko, but also Yohei Mito and the others had their seats taken care of.
This Yohei Mito and his group weren't four people, but five.
There was another Tetsuo Hotta, with a serious expression.
" Tetsuo, what are you doing here? To be honest, I didn't really want to bring you. Do you even know anything about football?" Nozomi Takamiya said, pouting.
Tetsuo Hotta snorted, "You talk like you know everything. Don't think you understand balls just because you look like one."
After saying that, he smiled smugly.
"And don't forget, I paid for the tickets, four of them."
Nozomi Takamiya bared his teeth.
Okay...
I tolerated it.
Yohei Mito smiled thoughtfully, "Now that we're here, just say it, what exactly are you after?"
A-De is acting strangely this time. Although he usually keeps in touch with Mitsui, he has never come to watch a game live.
Perhaps because of that mental hurdle, he never even got close to the entrance of the Shohoku basketball gym...
But yesterday he took the initiative to approach Yohei, insisting that he come, even if it meant paying for four tickets.
After hearing Yohei, Yohei pushed the money for the four tickets back to him.