The shrill sound of sneakers squeaking echoed through the gym as the game surged forward with renewed intensity. Shoin attempted to regroup as they prepared to inbound the ball after another frustrating Hachioji score. A player from Shoin clutched the ball, glanced nervously around, and then passed it to a teammate who pivoted quickly to face the court—only to be met with a blur of motion.
Suzume lunged forward with precision, her hand snatching the ball cleanly before the Shoin player could even register the threat.
"Stop her! Get back on defense!!" a Shoin player cried out, panic lacing their voice.
Suzume didn't even look back. She sprinted down the court with a calm, almost bored expression, before flicking the ball toward Sayaka who had burst ahead on the right wing. Sayaka caught it in stride and, with no defender in sight, laid it up gently against the backboard. The ball dropped through the net with a satisfying swish.
"Yes! I made it!" Sayaka cheered, her voice bubbly with joy. She gave Suzume a high five and jogged back to her position with a spring in her step.
No time to rest. Shoin inbounded again, but history repeated itself—this time it was Haruko who made the interception. Anticipating the pass, she stepped into the passing lane and scooped up the ball mid-air before calling out to her teammates.
"Hachioji, formation!" she commanded.
The team spread out, responding to her voice with fluid movement. Kazue hustled to the top of the key and planted her feet, setting a firm screen for Suzume. Meanwhile, Sayaka darted through the paint, dragging her defender with her and opening space inside.
Kotone slammed her body into another defender, creating a solid screen for Haruko, who seized the opportunity to drive towards the rim. Two defenders converged on her almost instantly. Everyone in the gym, including the Shoin players, expected her to pass—especially to Kotone, now wide open on the opposite side.
But Haruko hesitated. For a fleeting second, Tetsuo's voice echoed in her mind, reminding her of the Euro step he'd taught her during an practice session they had at the court in their community. She took her first step away from the rim, faking the pass with a flick of her eyes and wrist. The defenders reacted, both lunging in the direction of Kotone.
That was all she needed.
Haruko pivoted sharply and took her second step toward the basket. The fake had bought her just enough room. She launched the layup with graceful ease, and the ball hits the glass before dropping in.
"Whoa! That was amazing, Haruko!" Sayaka shouted in awe.
"That's Kawaguchi-senpai's girl for you. She's amazing, isn't she?" teased Kotone with a mischievous grin.
"H-How could you say something like that out loud?!" Haruko sputtered, her cheeks burning red.
"Look, her face is all red," Suzume added, pointing without emotion.
"Focus on the game, guys. Jeez," Kazue said, rolling her eyes.
The team reset quickly, and on the next possession, Kotone powered through her defender and scored another layup with ease. Her timing was impeccable—she moved like a force of nature towering above the other players under the basket.
Kazue followed up by stealing the ball again at half-court. She made no hesitation and took it straight to the rim for a fast break layup.
Shoin barely had time to gather themselves before Suzume stripped the ball from them again. She turned and spotted Kotone ahead of the pack and lobbed it perfectly. Kotone leapt, absorbed light contact from a desperate defender, and still managed to finish the layup.
They didn't slow down.
Another inbound. Another steal. This time, Haruko planted her feet at the three-point line, catching the defense off guard. She rose and released. The ball soared through the air like a kite and dropped straight through the hoop.
Swish.
The Hachioji bench erupted in cheers.
The momentum snowballed. Suzume slashed through the defense to finish a layup. Sayaka followed on the next possession with another effortless basket, thanks to a well-timed pass from Haruko.
Then, finally, Shoin managed to break their drought.
A sliver of an opening appeared, and one of their players slipped through to lay the ball in. It wasn't pretty, but it counted.
"Wow, they finally scored, what a lucky shot" Kazue said dryly.
"Let's get back at them," Haruko said, grabbing the ball and tossing it to Suzume, who was already sprinting upcourt.
Suzume received a solid screen from Kotone and passed to Kazue, who dashed down the middle and finished the layup before the defense could react.
The rhythm was relentless. Kotone remained a consistent threat in the paint. With a light leap, she floated the ball over an outstretched hand—it swished cleanly.
Haruko kept the pressure high, forcing a turnover and weaving her way through traffic for another score. Then Suzume—quick as ever—snatched another pass and delivered it to Kotone, who barely broke stride as she banked in another layup.
Sayaka finished a fast break layup moments later, energizing the team even more. Suzume, again pulled up at the free-throw line and buried a smooth midrange jumper.
Haruko mirrored her next time down, taking advantage of a tired defender who didn't close out. Swish.
Then Kotone slipped free on a baseline cut and scored another uncontested layup.
With only ninety seconds left in the second quarter, Suzume slowed the ball near half-court and scanned the floor.
She passed to Kazue, who then swung the ball to Sayaka waiting in the corner. Kotone, ever the wall, stepped in for a clean screen, allowing Sayaka to drive.
But Shoin's defense collapsed hard, finally responding with urgency. Sayaka pulled up, eyes searching.
"Catch, Haru!!" she shouted as she lobbed the ball outside the arc.
Haruko, standing tall beyond the three-point line, caught it and squared up with perfect form. Kazue had set a subtle off-ball screen to free her.
The ball left Haruko's hands and flew high.
Swish.
"Nice shot!" Coach Maeda called from the bench.
But celebration was short-lived. A frustrated Shoin player took matters into her own hands and drove hard to the rim. Kazue, already in motion, closed in to contest the shot from behind.
"You won't score on my watch!" Kazue declared, leaping.
The whistle shrieked.
"Foul, reaching from behind. Orange number 9. Two free throws," the referee announced.
"What?! But I didn't foul her!" Kazue snapped, clenching her fists in disbelief.
"Let it go, Kazue. We're so far ahead," Sayaka said gently.
"Yeah, don't act rash. It's just two points," added Suzume coolly.
The Shoin player approached the line with trembling hands. She made the first free throw, barely. But on the second, her arms shook, and the ball clanged off the rim.
The buzzer rang, signaling the end of the second quarter.
Hachioji jogged to the bench, wiping sweat from their brows, catching their breath between sips of water.
"Wow, I can't believe it. The score's 47 to 3. We still have 20 minutes left," Coach Maeda whispered to herself, astonished. "My girls have improved exponentially."
"Haruko, we can do it. We can definitely win the championship," Sayaka said, beaming brightly.
"Yeah, we can for sure," Haruko agreed, wiping her forehead.
"With Kotone dominating the paint and Haruko scoring from the outside, we can't lose," Kazue said with a smirk.
"That's right," Suzume added, nodding.
Haruko stood and clapped her hands, voice firm with confidence. "Alright everyone, let's go extend the lead a bit further."