Kaede Rukawa was taken aback for a moment.
"You mean?"
"That's right," Shirasawa smiled, "I want you to join my agency and become a member of my team."
This was completely unexpected by Kaede Rukawa. In his view, player agents were simply handling business matters, and he himself came from a wealthy family, so he could live comfortably even if he didn't play basketball. Beyond that, he didn't know much.
But he was genuinely curious: Why was Shirasawa contacting him? And what was this "arrangement that interested him"?
"Why should I join?" Kaede Rukawa asked, his tone still indifferent.
Shirasawa gave two reasons for this.
"First, you lost to me."
This was undeniable, Kaede Rukawa even felt a pang of regret.
"Secondly," Shirasawa's voice was clear and forceful, "My agency doesn't sign unknowns."
These words struck Kaede Rukawa's heart like a heavy hammer.
We won't sign unknown individuals.
That one sentence alone was powerful enough. Even Kaede Rukawa, whose heart had been calm, felt a slight ripple.
He had no reason to refuse either of the two reasons.
Kaede Rukawa rarely twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a very faint smile.
"We won't sign nobodies..." he whispered. "Alright, I'll join."
Thus, Ms. Sanae's agency welcomed its second player— Kaede Rukawa, one of Kanagawa's best newcomers.
Although Kaede Rukawa wasn't sure if his decision was right until he left, and he didn't know what the future held, he didn't care. First, he was willing to accept the consequences of his gamble, and second, he was bound by his promise not to sign unknown individuals. As for the third point, it was the follow-up arrangements that piqued his curiosity. Sanae would tell him in detail during the signing ceremony tomorrow.
The quarterfinals of the county tournament have officially begun. The four matches will be played simultaneously on two courts, and the four seeded teams will take the stage today.
The first two seeded teams to appear are Ryonan and Takezato.
As one of last year's top four teams, Takezato naturally possesses considerable strength. However, the other three teams— Kainan, Shoyo, and Ryonan —are so dazzling that they completely overshadow their own.
However, Takezato is still a cut above other unseeded teams.
Takezato's match ended smoothly, and they advanced to the semi-finals thanks to their team performance. However, there was very little media hype and spectators at the venue, and the emergence of the first semi-finalist didn't cause much of a stir.
However, the situation at Ryonan High School is completely different on another field. Last year, they accumulated a group of loyal fans, their star player Sendoh is very popular, and this year they introduced the super rookie Kaede Rukawa, making Ryonan's competitiveness rise sharply.
Naturally, the level of attention rose, and the game did not disappoint. Ryonan seemed to have been holding back for a long time, establishing a decisive advantage within the first few minutes. Uozumi anchored the paint, as steady as a mountain; Sendoh played with ease, scoring 28 points without even breaking a sweat.
The most eye-catching player was Kaede Rukawa, who went all out from the moment he stepped onto the court, displaying a variety of scoring methods. He scored a whopping 46 points in the game, making a name for himself in his high school debut, truly reaching his peak right from the start.
As soon as the game ended, the entire Ryonan team set off for the Shohoku vs. Shoyo match. This game was undoubtedly the most anticipated of the quarterfinals, and the outcome could potentially reshape the entire Kanagawa region.
Outside the stadium, Shoyo fans were shouting at the top of their lungs, " Shoyo! Shoyo!"
"Champion! Champion!"
Yohei Mito stared wide-eyed at his surroundings, thinking to himself, "This is really weird. So many fans of the rival team have suddenly appeared at Shohoku's game."
Although the fans in Shohoku's previous games were overwhelmingly in favor of Shoyo, Shoyo's current appeal is truly exceptional; however, the difference between the two fan groups is quite obvious.
Although Shohoku's fans outnumbered them, they were mostly a recently assembled group with little organization, let alone any slogans.
The situation is different for Shoyo. They have more veteran fans, and with someone leading and directing, they have a strong presence.
Bang bang bang!
Several loud noises suddenly drew everyone's attention. A guy was seen hitting two water bottles filled with small steel balls with great force.
"Who will be the winner of this match?" the man shouted.
Immediately, all the Shoyo fans responded in unison, " Shoyo!" The sound waves were terrifyingly loud.
A few more taps, "So who will be this year's champion?"
" Shoyo! Shoyo!" This time the shouts were even louder, making people's ears ring.
Compared to the other two, Shohoku fans couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, which made Yohei Mito and his teammates particularly unhappy.
Yuji Ohkusu clenched his fist excitedly, "Damn it, so what if you're loud? Takamiya, bring out our cymbals! Let's fight him!"
Nozomi Takamiya reached into her pocket and rummaged around. "Damn, Sakuragi hasn't been heartbroken lately either, and he didn't bring any of his gear..."
Yohei Mito shook his head helplessly.
"Alright, you guys, those things are useless. Next time, just remember to bring BBs and water bottles."
"I'll just have to bear with it for now."
As soon as he finished speaking,
A fierce voice came from behind them.
"Why should we tolerate it? The Mitchy are fighting for victory on the field, and we can't lose off the field either!"
When Yohei turned around, it was Tetsuo Hotta with a few of his underlings.
Yohei curled his lip. "Who do we have here today? You didn't come here for something else, did you, Tetsuo Hotta- senpai?"
The way Yohei addressed him as "Yohei" sounded odd, almost like he was being sarcastic.
However, their relationship has grown closer since the incident where he saved Tetsuo.
Tetsuo Hotta scratched his head. " Yohei, you should just call me A-De... I'll feel more comfortable that way."
Then, he straightened his clothes and said in a serious tone:
"I came here today specifically to cheer on Shohoku, and I came prepared."
Meeting the questioning gazes of Yohei,
Tetsuo Hotta pulled out a prop from behind his back that made their eyes almost pop out.
Loudspeaker!
"Holy crap! They actually have this?!" Yohei and the others' eyes lit up.
Tetsuo Hotta smiled smugly and brought the megaphone to his mouth.
"Listen up, all Shohoku fans!"
As soon as the horn blared, people nearby quickly covered their ears; the effect was quite noticeable.
They instantly became the center of attention.
Tetsuo Hotta took a deep breath, "Bring out your fighting spirit! Shohoku!! Shohoku!!"
Yohei led the way in echoing this sentiment; the Shohoku fans had already been a source of considerable resentment for the Shoyo.
Inspired by them, almost all the Shohoku fans outside the stadium started chanting!
" Shohoku!! Shohoku!!"
Their momentum was overwhelming! They completely silenced Shoyo's side!
" Shohoku is the champion!"
" Shohoku is a top-tier team!!"
This highly anticipated match was ignited off the field.
Half an hour before the start of the match.
The audience entered the venue one after another.
Shohoku undoubtedly carried themselves with the air of victors.
But judging from the hoarse voices of Tetsuo Hotta and Yohei, the process was not easy...
However, the conflict is not just between the fans of both sides.
At this moment, at the very top of the audience seats, two groups of people were exuding murderous intent.
It's precisely Ryonan and Kainan!
Uozumi and Shinichi Maki stood facing each other, with their respective teammates behind them.
The hostility in their eyes made the air around them tense.
After a while, when everyone's domineering aura had mostly dissipated, Uozumi a deep voice, " Maki, this year I won't let you act recklessly again."
Shinichi Maki scoffed dismissively, "You? How arrogant!"
Both sides were furious, and even the usually mild-mannered Sendoh and Soichiro Jin were now serious.
The two groups of people passed each other, chests puffed out.
Just as Aota and Kaede Rukawa crossed paths, Aota smiled knowingly.
"I heard you played really well today. I'll be waiting for you in the semifinals."
Kaede Rukawa gave him a cold glance and uttered four words indifferently, "Nobody."
Nobunaga Aota was so angry that he bared his teeth, completely ignoring the fact that he was the one who provoked him first...
" Kaede Rukawa! And Shirasawa! I'll make you pay!"
The entire Kainan team did not sit in the stands, but instead stood in the upper aisle to watch the game.
Kainan Team's match today has been scheduled for a different venue later.
Although they likely won't be able to watch the entire Shohoku vs. Shoyo match before they have to leave, they're not in a hurry to get to the stadium early to warm up.
The reason is simple... it's completely unnecessary!
It's just a quarterfinal match, far from enough to make the reigning champions Kainan nervous.
Even according to head coach Riki Takato's arrangement, the two main players, Shinichi Maki and Soichiro Jin, only played for a few minutes as a token gesture, just to give the fans in attendance an explanation.
After all, Kainan doesn't need to prove anything more in Kanagawa; sixteen consecutive championship titles are enough for them to go down in history.
This year is Shinichi Maki's final year of high school, and also the year he is at the peak of his personal performance. The Kainan Team is aiming for their seventeenth championship trophy.
Instead of wasting time in the quarterfinals, we might as well come here and check out the potential opponents in the semifinals.
The media section on the sidelines was exceptionally lively today.
Because of the highly anticipated match between Shohoku and Shoyo, the organizing committee added an extra row of seats, but even so, the venue was still packed.
It was also a rare Yayoi Aida to appear at Shohoku's game.
Unlike other media outlets, Basketball Weekly was the only one hoping that Shoyo would win, but Yayoi Aida was actually more concerned about Ryonan.
She had just come from the competition venue, and her notebook was filled with notes.
Ryonan and Sendoh are her personal favorites, but in today's reports about Ryonan, the name Kaede Rukawa is absolutely unavoidable.
While Yayoi Aida was engrossed in working on her manuscript, she probably never imagined that all her hard work was actually benefiting her old rival, Sanae.
Sanae just officially signed a contract with Kaede Rukawa yesterday. The process went smoothly, and Kaede Rukawa is quite satisfied with the future arrangements.
However, he was a little annoyed by the title of "the second player to have an agent"... How come he was always overshadowed by Shirasawa in every way?