The squeak of rubber soles echoed across the polished wooden floor, punctuated by the rhythmic thump of the basketball.
Grunts of exertion and heavy breaths filled the gym as sneakers scuffed against the floor. Occasionally, the ball sailed through the air, followed by the swish of the net.
Yukio started with the ball at center court. He passed it to Takahiro before sprinting past him and moving into position.
Takahiro caught the ball mid-stride and immediately passed it to Hayato, then dashed behind him.
Without hesitation, Hayato pivoted and sent the ball back to Yukio.
Already anticipating the pass, Yukio flung the ball toward Takahiro again.
Takahiro lunged forward and caught it cleanly before dribbling toward the basket.
One step. Two.
He leaped, flicked his wrist, and sent the ball toward the hoop.
It struck the backboard and dropped through the net with a clean swish.
Takahiro exhaled sharply, his chest heaving as sweat trickled down his temple.
"You're keeping up better than I expected, Nakajima. Not bad at all."
Yukio slowed to a jog as he approached Hayato. His gaze briefly dropped to Hayato's ankle before returning to his face.
"And after that serious injury, too... How's your leg holding up?" he asked.
Hayato shifted his weight and rolled his ankle in a small circle before straightening up with a confident grin.
"It's great! Honestly, it feels like I never even broke it. I'm fully healed and ready to go anytime!"
Takahiro let out a short laugh and bumped his shoulder lightly against Hayato's.
"Oh, I see. In that case, you'll probably survive Nanaho's brutal training sessions."
Hayato chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped the sweat from his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Don't jinx it."
Yukio clapped his hands.
"Alright, you two! Let's run it again. This time, Hayato's the finisher."
"Right!" they both replied.
From the sidelines, Nanaho raised her clipboard, her voice carrying across the gym.
"That's the spirit, guys! Keep it up!" she called.
That's so cool! I can't wait for them to pass the ball to me like that!
Shino smiled, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Whoa!"
The ball slipped out of his hands, but he quickly caught it before it could bounce away.
"Focus!" Nanaho called out.
"Right!" he replied.
Shino bent his knees slightly and spread his fingers around the ball before starting to dribble.
"Um... Fukazawa-senpai, am I doing this right?" he asked.
Nanaho stepped closer, folding her arms as she watched his movements.
"Not bad! You're doing a lot better than yesterday. Your form's still a little off, though, and your wrist is too stiff. Just relax and keep practicing. You'll get the hang of it!"
She gave him a thumbs-up with a smile.
"Oh, I see! Thank you."
Shino bounced lightly on his feet, a small laugh escaping him.
Nanaho moved behind him and gently adjusted his shoulders to correct his stance.
"Here, let me show you. Keep your back straight like this, and hold your other hand up to protect the ball. That way, you can keep defenders from stealing it. And don't forget to keep your head up! You need to be able to see the whole court."
Shino adjusted his stance and carefully followed her instructions.
"Like this?" he asked, glancing back at her.
"Yeah! That's much better!" Nanaho replied with a satisfied smile.
Just a few feet away, the sharp slap of a basketball against the polished floor echoed through the gym.
"Damn it!" he muttered.
The ball bounced once before skidding across the floor.
"Why am I stuck doing basic drills?! I should be out there with the main group, not stuck in a corner dribbling like some rookie!"
He jabbed a finger toward Shino, his eyes narrowing into a glare.
"I've had enough! Why do I have to practice with this amateur?!"
Shino froze mid-dribble.
The ball struck the floor with a sharp thump as his grip tightened.
Amateur? Is... is he talking about me?
His gaze dropped to the ball.
Nanaho let out a long sigh.
"Haven't we been over this already? You need to master the fundamentals before you can play effectively. Right now, you're still lacking in almost every area."
She glanced at Shino before turning back to Noboru.
"And would you quit trying to discourage Katsuragi?!"
"My dribbling's fine! I don't need to practice it! Just watch!" Noboru snapped, dropping into a stance.
He attempted a between-the-legs dribble, but the ball slipped past his hands and bounced away, rolling across the floor.
"Grrr! Damn it!"
Noboru grabbed his hair.
Nanaho pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Did I seriously just see that?" she asked flatly.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You can't just skip steps. Learn to control the ball properly, and you won't keep turning it over like that."
The ball bounced once more before coming to a stop at someone's feet.
He bent down and scooped up the ball, his fingers curling around its textured surface.
The moment he straightened, the gym's attention shifted toward him.
"Oh, if it isn't Kawaguchi, the talk of Class 1T!" Noboru said, raising an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"
Shino blinked.
Kawaguchi? What... what's he doing here?
Nanaho's lips curved into a smile.
"Kawaguchi! What brings you to the gym?" she asked, tucking her clipboard under one arm.
Tetsuo flicked the basketball back to Noboru before turning to face the group. His expression remained unreadable.
"I'm joining," he said flatly.
"Huh? What was that?" Nanaho asked.
"I'm here to join the basketball team."
"Huh...?"
Nanaho stared at him, her lips parting.
Yukio's eyes widened as he stepped forward.
"I thought you had a lot of responsibilities at home. What changed?"
Tetsuo tilted his head back slightly, gazing at the ceiling.
"Who cares why he wants to join, Yukio? He just told us he's joining, so let's leave it at that," Nanaho said.
"Yeah... You're right."
Yukio studied Tetsuo for a moment before nodding, a small smile spreading across his face.
"Well, I don't really care why you're here. I'm just glad you decided to join us."
He extended his hand.
"Welcome to the team, Kawaguchi!"
Tetsuo shook his hand.
"Okay."
Nanaho watched the two of them.
He's trying to play it cool, but I can tell he's practically bursting with excitement. Maybe this year... you'll finally achieve your dream, Yukio.
A memory surfaced in her mind.
"So, you're the first-year who wanted to become our manager this season?" Yukio had asked, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Yukio Hamaguchi. And you are?"
"Nanaho Fukazawa," she had replied calmly.
"I see! That's a nice name. It really suits you! Well, let's do our best, Fukazawa!"
No... This time, we'll definitely make it. Now that he has someone to help him.
"Hey, Tetsuo! It's been a couple of days, hasn't it?" Hayato called out, jogging over to them.
Tetsuo tilted his head.
"You and your class did great in that mini-tournament. I'm looking forward to playing alongside you!"
Tetsuo stared at him for a moment.
"Sorry, but... who are you?"
Hayato's smile vanished.
"Huh?! You already forgot about me?!"
He slumped his shoulders with a sigh.
"Well, whatever..."
A few minutes later, Tetsuo bent down to adjust his sneakers. He pressed his feet against the floor.
Usagi sure knows a lot about shoes...
Her voice echoed in his mind.
"Big brother, your feet are so huge! The store owner barely had any shoes that fit you!" she had giggled.
"My feet aren't that big for my height."
"Four and a half is my size, so yours are HUGE compared to mine!"
"Well... I guess you're right."
"Wait! What about these? The green and black ones! Aren't they cool?"
"That pair is durable and flexible. Perfect for a young athlete like yourself," the store owner had explained.
"I'll take them."
"Excellent choice."
Back in the gym, Yukio clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Before we get back to training, Kawaguchi, can you show us that shot you made during gym class?"
"Yeah! I wanna see it again, too!" Hayato added.
Tetsuo walked to the top of the key and planted his feet. He bounced the ball once, gathered it, and rose into the air.
His wrist snapped forward.
Swish.
The net rippled.
"No matter how many times I see that..." Yukio whistled. "I still can't believe how perfect your form is!"
"The sound the ball makes when it goes through the net... It's different," Hayato murmured. "Even my shots don't sound like that!"
Off to the side, Shino tightened his grip on his basketball.
Tetsuo is... incredible. He made that shot look so easy.
He drew a deep breath and resumed dribbling, his eyes fixed on the ball.
I've gotta train harder! I won't lose to him! I'll get better, no matter what!
"Oh, hell yeah! We're gonna be a much stronger team now that he's here!"
Noboru punched the air.
"Then how about you start by mastering the fundamentals?" Nanaho asked, resting a hand on her hip. "If you focus on the basics, you'll improve, too. So quit complaining and get back to work!"
Noboru clicked his tongue.
"Tch... Fine!"
Yukio clapped his hands again.
"Alright, everyone! Let's get back to training!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!!" the team shouted in unison.