The sound of basketball shoes squeaking on the court echoed throughout the entire gym after school. The team was training in a three-player drill that required stamina and quick passes.
Yukio started with the ball in the middle. He passed it to Takahiro and then ran behind him, taking his place.
Takahiro, now in the middle, passed the basketball to Hayato before quickly running behind him to get to the other half of the court. As soon as Hayato received the ball, he immediately passed it to Yukio, who swiftly swung the ball to Takahiro. Takahiro then drove in and scored a layup, completing the drill.
"You're surprisingly keeping up with us, Nakajima. Not bad," said Takahiro as he wiped his face with his shirt.
"And even after sustaining a severe injury... How's your leg now?" asked Yukio.
"It's good! Feels like it was never broken to begin with. I'm fully healed and ready," said Hayato.
"Oh, I see. Well then, at least you'll survive Nanaho's harsh training regimens," Takahiro said with a chuckle.
"Alright, guys, let's run that drill again, but this time Hayato will be scoring," said Yukio.
Both Takahiro and Hayato nodded in agreement.
"That's the spirit, guys! Keep it up!" shouted Nanaho from the sidelines.
In a Corner of the Gym…
Shino was tasked with learning how to dribble a basketball.
"Fukazawa-senpai, am I dribbling the ball right?" asked Shino as he focused on his movements.
"Not bad, but your form is a little crooked and slightly awkward. However, it will improve over time if you keep at it," said Nanaho, giving Shino a thumbs-up.
"I see! Thank you so much!" said Shino, fired up for training.
"Here, let me help. Straighten your back like this, and keep your off-hand up. This will train your muscles to subconsciously protect the ball from defenders. You'll also want to practice keeping your head up so you can see everything around you," explained Nanaho as she adjusted his stance.
"Like this?" asked Shino, mimicking her movements.
"Yes, that's much better. Keep it up!" Nanaho encouraged.
A short distance away, Noboru stood in frustration, practicing dribbling drills.
"Damn it! Why am I over here doing the basics? I should be with my seniors on the court, not stuck in a corner dribbling a damn ball!" Noboru grumbled to himself angrily.
"I can't take this anymore! Why should a naturally talented athlete like myself be placed in a corner, doing dribbling drills with this amateur?!" he exclaimed.
"Amateur?! Is he talking about me?" Shino thought, slightly offended.
"Haven't we been over this already?" Nanaho said, crossing her arms. "I've explained that you need the basic fundamentals of basketball in order to be effective on the court. And you lack them."
"My dribbling is actually decent, so there's no need to work on it! Look!" Noboru declared as he attempted to dribble the basketball through his legs—only to fumble it.
Nanaho sighed. "See? I told you. Learning how to control the ball while you dribble will prevent turnovers."
The basketball Noboru had fumbled rolled to Tetsuo's feet. He picked it up.
"Oh, it's Kawaguchi—the main talk of Class 1T. Why are you here?" asked Noboru curiously.
"I wonder why Kawaguchi is here…" Shino thought to himself.
"Oh, Kawaguchi! What brings you here?" asked Nanaho.
Tetsuo passed the ball back to Noboru before responding.
"I'm here to join the basketball team, of course."
"Oh, I see. Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you had a lot of responsibilities at home," said Yukio.
"Let's just say my passion for the sport influenced me to join and leave it at that," Tetsuo replied.
"That works for us! It doesn't really matter why you want to join—I'm just glad that you did. Welcome to the team, Tetsuo Kawaguchi!" said Yukio, shaking his hand firmly.
"The captain is trying to hide it, but he's boiling with excitement," Nanaho said with a smile. Maybe this year, you'll achieve your dream, Yukio… she thought as she reminisced about the past.
A New Manager?
"So, you're the first-year who wanted to be our manager this season?" Yukio asked. "Nice to meet you! I'm Yukio Hamaguchi. And you are?"
"Nanaho Fukazawa is my name," she replied.
"I see. What a nice name—it suits you! Well, let's do our best, Fukazawa."
"No… We will definitely make it this time around—now that he has help," Nanaho thought to herself.
A Forgotten Rivalry
"Hey, Tetsuo! It's been a couple of days, hasn't it?" said Hayato.
Tetsuo looked at him, confused.
"You and your class did well against us in the mini-tournament. I look forward to playing alongside you," Hayato said enthusiastically.
Tetsuo blinked. "I'm sorry, but… who are you?"
"Huh?! So you already forgot about me? Oh well," Hayato said, slightly disappointed.
A Perfect Fit
Tetsuo put on his training gear, tied his shoelaces, and stood up to test his new shoes.
"They fit perfectly… My sister sure knows a lot about shoes," he thought to himself.
Flashback
"Big brother, your feet are so big that the store owner barely has any shoes that fit!" said Usagi.
"My feet aren't that big for my height," Tetsuo replied.
"Well, I wear a size six and a half, so compared to mine, they're huge!" Usagi giggled.
"Well… I guess that's true," Tetsuo admitted.
"Wait! This one looks perfect, doesn't it, big brother? Nice green and black color combo. Try it on!"
"That pair of shoes is quite durable and flexible—perfect for an athlete like you, young man," said the shoe store owner. "So, what do you say? Will you purchase them?"
"Yes, I'll take them."
"Great! It's good to spend the money you earn on yourself every once in a while," said the owner.
"I'll definitely put them to good use. Thanks, Usagi."
End of Flashback
A Shot Worth Watching
"Before we continue, can you show me that beautiful shot you did during gym?" asked Yukio.
"Yes! I'd like to see it again as well," added Hayato.
Tetsuo picked up a basketball, dribbled it, and then shot a three-pointer—swish.
"No matter how many times I see it, I just can't believe how perfect your form is," Yukio said, whistling. "The sound of the basketball hitting the net has this authentic tune to it."
"Yes, you're right. Not even my shot makes that sound," Hayato admitted.
Tetsuo is truly amazing… He scored that shot so effortlessly…
"I will focus and train harder so that I can be of use to this team. I will not lose to him. I will be better!!" Shino thought, concentrating on his dribbling with even more determination.
"Oh,hell yeah! We'll definitely be a greater team now that he's here!" Noboru said, psyched up.
"Alright, everyone! Let's get back to training!" said Yukio.
And with that, practice resumed.