"No! Bend your knees!"
"Jump! Jump up first!"
"You idiot, where are you looking?! The basketball hoop is right there!"
"..."
Akagi had intended to be patient, but Sakuragi's shooting form was infuriating. It wasn't that he wasn't trying; it was just that his talent had gone astray.
Another ball bounced off the front of the rim. Akagi's temple throbbed, and he finally couldn't hold back, punching Sakuragi on the head.
"Phew..." He let out a long breath, feeling much better. "Get up, let's continue."
Just then, a lazy voice came from the doorway.
"Who do we have here? Turns out Akagi can teach people how to shoot hoops."
As the voice spoke, Hisashi Mitsui strolled in.
" Mitsui!" " Mitchy!"
Kogure and Sakuragi shouted at the same time. Sakuragi felt like he had seen a savior; training with Mitsui was better than getting beaten up by the gorilla, at least he could catch his breath. Kogure was genuinely happy; the team was getting better and better.
Before he could finish laughing, another person popped out from behind Mitsui.
"Oh, everyone's here."
Ryota Miyagi walked in with a grin, chewing gum. He and Mitsui had just arrived, but they were soaking wet, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.
The reason is simple: before coming, Miyagi accompanied Mitsui to have an extra treat—running in the sand. Running in the sand takes twice the effort as usual, which is the fastest way for Mitsui, who is eager to regain his physical strength. This time, Mitsui is determined to get back into shape no matter how tired he is.
Not content with just running, the two headed straight for the gym. Kogure, seeing this commotion, was so excited he almost lost his footing.
Several key players have voluntarily started extra training! Who can stop Shohoku with this kind of performance?
"Oh right, that kid Kaede Rukawa... he should be coming too, right? "Kogure thought expectantly.
at the same time.
At Kiccho Fukuda's home, a guest he had been waiting for for over a year arrived.
But he never expected that the other party would appear at this critical juncture.
The visitor was Ryonan's head coach, Moichi Taoka.
While Shohoku was fighting tooth and nail for the semifinals, Ryonan was naturally not idle either. After arranging the team's training, Taoka went to see Fukuda alone. This decision came to him after watching Shohoku's game against Shoyo the day before. He pondered it all night, dissecting and analyzing Shohoku thoroughly, and weighing Ryonan's lineup countless times before finally making his decision.
Kiccho Fukuda must be recalled immediately!
Dealing with Shohoku is one aspect, but there's also Kainan and the National Tournament to come. For these, Taoka is willing to set aside his pride and personally visit Ryonan to add another sharp weapon to their arsenal.
However, the atmosphere was rather tense when the two met. Last time they parted on bad terms, and Fukuda had even gotten physical. Now, sitting face to face, neither of them uttered a word.
It seemed like they couldn't find a starting point, or perhaps neither of them was willing to back down first.
Taoka's intentions were obvious; Fukuda knew without guessing that it was time for him to go back.
If it had been a day earlier, Fukuda probably wouldn't have hesitated and would have immediately offered tea and apologized.
But things are different now.
If Taoka had arrived any later, he would probably already be on his way to Ryokufu High School. After much deliberation, he was almost ready to accept Michael Okita's invitation.
"I..." " Fukuda."
They both spoke at the same time, then stopped talking altogether.
Moichi Taoka sighed, as if he had made a great decision, and said again:
" Fukuda, the coach was wrong."
Upon hearing this, Fukuda froze. He had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet Taoka again, but none of them had ever started like this.
The coach, who had a fiery temper and often yelled at Sendoh and Uozumi, actually admitted his mistake...
Moreover, judging from Taoka's expression, he was full of regret, which was definitely not an act.
Moichi Taoka knew perfectly well that he had indeed made a mistake in handling the matter.
He's always been a talent scout, and ever since he became the coach of Ryonan, he's kept a close eye on all the promising young players in the prefecture. In recent years, he's contacted almost every player in Kanagawa who's made a name for themselves in junior high. But, well, the success rate... well, it's not all that great.
However, Taoka usually manages to find suitable ways to communicate with players who have already joined the team, thus unlocking their potential. This is a major reason why Ryonan has been able to rise step by step.
But when it came to Kiccho Fukuda, Taoka's approach was indeed awkward. However, this can't be entirely blamed on him, because among all the players on the team, Fukuda was the one whose personality most resembled his when he was young!
Like Coach Anzai, Taoka was a former player, though he wasn't good enough to play professionally. Back when he was playing, he was incredibly proud. His coach used a hot temper and yelling and cursing to deal with him. But Taoka endured it, his sharp edges were smoothed out, and his skills actually improved.
So he figured he could try applying the same old approach to Fukuda, hoping to guide this stubborn mule onto the right path.
But times have changed, and people have changed. Old methods only backfire now. From the moment Fukuda suddenly attacked him, Taoka completely understood that he was wrong. And it was precisely because he understood that he didn't pursue any responsibility against Fukuda.
However, Taoka was a stubborn middle-aged man, and it was difficult for him to take the initiative to admit his mistakes. He kept waiting, hoping that Fukuda would come to him first.
But he forgot that Fukuda was the same kind of person as him. He was waiting, and Fukuda was waiting too.
And so the wait has continued until today.
" Fukuda," Taoka took a deep breath, "I am now formally inviting you back to Ryonan."
He paused, his voice deepening.
"Please... give the coach a chance to correct his mistake."
These words were spoken sincerely and had a significant impact on Fukuda. People with strong self-esteem are often also sensitive and sentimental. Coach Taoka's attitude gave him a lot of face.
From the moment he apologized, the wall in Fukuda's heart had already begun to loosen. When he said, "Give the coach a chance to make amends," his defenses completely collapsed.
The coach's efforts are truly commendable.
Besides, returning to Ryonan was something he had always longed for. And there's one more thing...
That's Shirasawa.
Yes, it's because of this guy again. Fukuda and Kaede Rukawa at the time had the same idea: to defeat this person! And returning to Ryonan was the fastest way to meet Shirasawa.
Not qualified before? Now you are!
Fukuda stood up and respectfully served Moichi Taoka a cup of hot tea.
"Coach, I'm sorry."
And so, Moichi Taoka time and brought Kiccho Fukuda back to Ryonan. Ryonan's strength on paper increased once again.
With Sendoh, Uozumi, and Fukuda as his Three Muskets, Taoka is much more confident about the upcoming semi-finals.
The day before the semi-finals began.
Shirasawa and Sanae met with several guests.
Right now, the two groups were sitting facing each other. On one side were Sanae, Shirasawa, and Kaede Rukawa. On the other side were Michael Okita, and...
" Kaede Rukawa!! I didn't expect to run into you here!" Ichiro Katsumi didn't stop talking as soon as he entered, his voice so loud it drowned out everyone else's. "I watched your semi-final match! You played incredibly well! Oh... what a pity, what a pity, if it weren't for Shirasawa, you might have been this year's Rookie of the Year!"
He then changed the subject and slapped his thigh.
"But thinking about it, I'm actually lucky. If I had competed in the same year as you two, I probably wouldn't have gotten any recognition. Oh wait, no, wait, when Michael starts competing next year, he'll still outshine me... Sigh, bad timing!"
From the moment he entered the room, he basically gave no one a chance to interrupt.
Until Kaede Rukawa could no longer tolerate it and made his move.
A piece of tape was slapped onto Ichiro Katsumi's mouth with a "snap," completely inhumane.
The world is peaceful now.
Shirasawa and Michael Okita clapped twice in unison.
Michael Okita suppressed a laugh, clicked his tongue, and turned his gaze to Sanae: " Shirasawa, you're really lucky. This lady is even prettier than the one I saw last time."
He stood up politely and extended his hand.
"Shouldn't you let me get to know you this time?"
However, Shirasawa's hand once again blocked the way.
"Mine."
"Again?"
Let's get down to business.
"Okay..." Michael Okita sat back down with a regretful look on his face.
Sanae gave Shirasawa a meaningful look.
That one glance, in Michael Okita's eyes, was breathtakingly beautiful, making his heart flutter.
Shirasawa could only give an awkward laugh.
But the smile froze on his face the next second.
Under the table, Sanae's long, slender leg brushed against him, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
The touch... was incredibly smooth at that moment.
"Alright, let's get down to business." Having teased Shirasawa, Sanae seemed satisfied. Her expression turned serious, and she got to the point.
This meeting was naturally about his management company. Michael Okita, who has been living abroad, is very familiar with the management system and has a great interest in it. However, he doesn't have any matches to compete this year and doesn't know where to start.
Michael Okita was actually quite puzzled. He couldn't understand why Shirasawa had specifically chosen him, a player with little fame in Kanagawa. In his mind, weren't agents supposed to revolve around star players with commercial value? But right now, he had no commercial value whatsoever.
However, Sanae quickly cleared up his doubts and laid out the next plan. She had mentioned this plan to Kaede Rukawa before, but the conditions weren't right then. Now, the time had come.
Kaede Rukawa came here today for two reasons: first, as a signed player, he needed to be involved in future planning; second, he wanted to see for himself whether this new guy was a dud. So, before everyone sat down, he had a one-on-one match with Michael Okita. Shirasawa neither participated nor watched, saving face for both sides.
In Shirasawa's opinion, their skill levels are currently about the same, but when it comes to that determination to win, Kaede Rukawa will probably win in the end. As for the actual result, Shirasawa didn't ask, and neither of them mentioned it. Anyway, they can sit together calmly now, and that's enough.