Haruko flicked her wrists and released the ball. It sailed toward the basket, passing through the net with a soft rustle.
She retrieved the rebound and dribbled toward the free-throw line. After setting her feet, she raised the ball and shot again.
The ball struck the rim with a sharp clang and bounced away, rolling across the court toward the boundary. Haruko immediately ran after it.
"Okay, I think I've got the hang of it. Now I just need to keep practicing until I can make those shots consistently," Haruko said, scooping up the basketball.
Tetsuo stepped beyond the arc, dribbling the ball between his legs before sending it behind his back. His sneakers squeaked against the court as he took a step back and squared his shoulders toward the basket.
He lifted the ball and released it with a smooth flick of his wrist.
Swish!
The ball dropped straight through the net.
Haruko's eyes widened as she followed the ball back into Tetsuo's hands.
Whoa… That was amazing. It's not just that he makes the shot. His whole shooting form is different from anyone I've ever seen.
Tetsuo caught the basketball as it bounced back toward him.
Haruko shifted her weight from one foot to the other before taking a small step forward.
"Hey, Kawaguchi!"
Tetsuo turned toward her.
"W-Would you mind playing a one-on-one with me?" she asked, clasping her hands behind her back. "First to seven points!"
Tetsuo watched her for a moment, the basketball resting against his hip.
"I mean, only if you're up for it!" Haruko added quickly. "I just thought it'd be a good way to practice."
"I can't remember the last time I played against anyone. Not since gym class," Tetsuo whispered.
He shifted the ball into one hand and held it out to her.
Haruko blinked, her eyes moving from the ball to his face. A smile spread across her lips, but she pressed them together.
"R-Really? Great! Then don't go easy on me, okay?"
"Wasn't planning to," Tetsuo replied.
Haruko took the ball.
"Oh, you're so on!"
Haruko lowered her stance, bending her knees as she fixed her eyes on Tetsuo. Her heart pounded against her chest.
She drove forward, dribbling past him. Tetsuo shifted his feet and moved to stay in front of her.
Haruko crossed the ball between her legs, changed direction, and rose for the shot.
The ball sailed toward the hoop.
Swish.
Haruko's mouth opened slightly as the ball passed cleanly through the net.
It went in...
She landed and stared at the hoop, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath.
Tetsuo caught the ball as it bounced back and passed it to her without a word.
On the next possession, she drove forward.
Tetsuo moved to intercept her.
Haruko shifted the ball to her other hand and prepared to rise for a layup, but before she could lift it, Tetsuo reached in and knocked it free. The ball slipped from her grasp and bounced across the court.
"Huh?!"
Before Haruko could react, Tetsuo had already recovered the ball.
Wait... when did he?
Tetsuo dribbled slowly, the ball bouncing at a steady rhythm against the court.
He brought it up toward his chest.
Haruko's eyes widened. She sprang forward, both hands shooting above her head.
Tetsuo moved the ball to his side and dribbled past her outstretched arms.
Haruko twisted around.
He was already beyond the arc.
Tetsuo planted his feet, lifted the ball, and released it.
Swish.
Haruko stood frozen, her arms still raised.
No way... I couldn't even tell if he was going to shoot.
Tetsuo scored possession after possession, using quick crossovers, sharp pivots, and shots from beyond the arc. Each time Haruko tried to close the gap, he found a way to get his shot off.
How am I supposed to stop him? Haruko thought.
Eventually, Tetsuo scored his seventh point.
Haruko bent forward, her hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath. Sweat trickled down her temple, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.
If this were a real game, he would've scored twenty-one points by now. Just who is this guy?
Tetsuo scratched his cheek.
"You're not bad."
"That was… fun," Tetsuo said.
The breeze stirred Haruko's hair as she looked up at him, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her wrist.
Haruko smiled. "Yeah."
The sun had climbed higher, casting long shadows across the court. Warm sunlight fell on the faded paint of the three-point line. Somewhere beyond the fence, a bird called out, breaking the quiet.
"It's getting brighter… It's about time for me to leave," Haruko said.
She bowed to Tetsuo. "Thank you so much. It means a lot."
"It wasn't anything special," he said.
"Well, it was to me."
Haruko picked up her basketball and hugged it against her side. A smile spread across her face.
"Thanks to you, I'll finally be able to help my team. Just wait until I score the first basket. I bet none of them will see it coming!"
She laughed, bouncing the ball once against the court before catching it. Then she raised her free hand and waved.
"See you!"
Haruko turned and headed toward the gate at the edge of the court.
Haruko stopped abruptly and turned back, her ponytail swinging against her shoulder.
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
She hurried back toward him, then slowed to a stop a short distance away. Her fingers tightened around the basketball.
"Um… if you don't mind, could we meet here again? I'd like to learn some more tips from you."
She lowered her gaze to the ball and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for his answer.
"Uh… okay," he said.
"Great! Then let's exchange numbers."
Haruko's face brightened as she pulled out her phone. He took his out as well, and they quickly exchanged contact information.
"Alright, then. See you later!"
Haruko slipped her phone away and waved to him. She turned and headed down the cracked asphalt path leading away from the court.
Later, alone on the court, Tetsuo dribbled beneath the hoop. He drove toward the basket and sent the ball off the backboard. It dropped through the net before bouncing away across the asphalt.
Tetsuo rested his hands on his hips and stared at the rim.
Usagi's words came back to him.
Usagi stared down at her plate, her fingers tightening around her chopsticks.
"That's not fair…"
Tetsuo looked up.
"What isn't?"
"You always do this!"
Her voice rose before she caught herself. She lowered her head, pressing her lips together for a moment.
"You keep saying you're fine as long as I'm happy, but… what about you?"
Tetsuo said nothing.
Usagi looked back at him, her eyes beginning to glisten.
"You don't get it, do you, Big Brother?"
She rubbed at one eye with her sleeve.
"Seeing you happy makes me happy, too."
"Please...Join the team again."
"For yourself."
Tetsuo wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a quiet sigh.
"Looks like Usagi was right…"
He looked up at the sky.
"Maybe… I really should try out for the team."
At the school entrance, students chatted among themselves as they passed through the gates. Near the entrance, a small group of girls had gathered, their conversation growing louder with every passing second.
"Guys, you won't believe what happened last night!" one girl exclaimed. "I went to karaoke with two of my friends, and we met two members of The Seven Crimson Hearts!"
"Wait, seriously?!" her friend cried, her mouth falling open.
"I'm serious! They sang for me practically the whole night! Their voices were so angelic!"
The girl clasped her hands over her heart.
"Ugh, I'm so jealous! Why didn't you call me?!"
"And that's not all." The girl leaned closer, lowering her voice. "I even got one of their phone numbers."
"WHAT?! No way! Let me have it, too!" her friend said, bouncing excitedly on her toes.
"Sure. That'll be five thousand yen."
The girl held out her hand with a smug grin.
"Forget it! I'm not wasting that much money!" her friend said, folding her arms.
"Wow. And here I thought you were a huge fan of theirs." The girl chuckled. "Guess I was wrong."
As Tetsuo approached the school entrance with his hands in his pockets, Sachiko suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Um… Good morning, Kawaguchi. Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, holding onto her bag strap.
Tetsuo walked straight past her without even glancing in her direction.
Sachiko's mouth fell open slightly.
Seriously? He's just going to ignore me?
She quickly turned around, stepped forward, and grabbed his wrist.
"Wait!"
"What's your problem? Why are you avoiding me?" Sachiko asked, tightening her grip on his wrist.
"Ever since the first day of school, you've been acting like you want nothing to do with me! Did I do something to make you mad or what?!"
Tetsuo turned his head.
"Let go," he muttered.
Sachiko's cheeks turned red. She quickly let go of his wrist and pulled her hand back.
"Oh! S-Sorry. I got carried away," she said.
She hesitated before speaking again.
"Look, I just need to talk to you about something. It's important."
Tetsuo turned away and started walking again.
Sachiko stared after him, her mouth twitching in frustration.
"What is his deal?!"
Ugh, he's seriously getting on my nerves. I thought he was the same person I used to know, but I guess I was wrong. Tetsu-kun would never act like this…