The chirping could be heard early in the morning as the students made their way to school.
"Hey, Yukio! Wait up!" shouted Takahiro.
"Oh, good morning, Takahiro," he replied, greeting him in the same manner.
"I heard that the freshmen and sophomores have a mixed gym class for the first session today, so you know what that means," said Takahiro, hyped up.
"Yeah, the perfect time to scout potential players, build a solid team, and go to the Inter-High this year."
"Alright, let's see what these freshmen can do," said Takahiro.
"I wonder what surprise awaits us today. I'm looking forward to it," Yukio thought to himself.
"Damn, first session in the morning, and the physical component no less... So frustrating. I didn't even get much sleep last night with all that ruckus in the apartment next door. I wonder what was causing all that noise," Makoto said to himself as he yawned.
"Um, Kurai... good morning," said Shino with a timid look.
"Huh? Oh, it's you. What do you want?" asked Makoto.
"I heard that a mini-basketball tournament will be held for us freshmen this session."
"And what does that have to do with me?" asked Makoto.
"Well, we need five people to play, and as you know, I'm really shy and an introvert. You're the only person I've talked to since I started attending this school, so I'm asking if you could fill one of the spots, please!"
"Okay, okay, jeez. Quit making a scene out of it. I'll play. I'm going to ask our other classmates if they're willing to join as well."
"There's no need to do that. I will participate in this activity," said a voice, interrupting Makoto.
"You're Noboru Takemoto, right?" asked Shino.
"I see that you still remember my name. How flattering," said Noboru as he smirked.
"How could he forget it when you made that dumbass introduction yesterday?" Makoto thought to himself in annoyance.
"Thanks for joining! However, we need two more people," said Shino.
"Don't worry, man, I got you covered. Naomi!" shouted Noboru, alerting all his classmates and startling Naomi.
"What?" asked Naomi.
"Long time no see. How long has it been? Like two years?"
"Oh, it's just you. I should have known."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Noboru. "Anyways, what do you want?"
"Do you mind filling a spot on our team for the class vs. class basketball game? If we want to win, we'll need help from someone with your expertise."
"Ah, sure, why not? It might be fun."
"Okay, so now we need someone with height... Ah, found one," said Noboru as he spotted someone tall. "Hey, you there in the middle row. You're Kawaguchi, right?" asked Noboru.
Tetsuo nodded in response.
"Would you like to join us for the basketball game? We need five people to participate. You don't have to do much."
"I don't mind," said Tetsuo.
"Just stay under the basket and hold up your hand."
"Alright, so now we've got five. Let's go," said Noboru.
"This guy makes conversing look so simple... I wish I was as charismatic as him," thought Shino, envious of Noboru's confidence.
"Let's hurry, Yukio! The first game is about to start," said Takahiro.
"Give me a minute, Takahiro. I'm almost done," said Yukio.
"Good, we made it in time. Oh, so the first matchup is Class 1T vs. Class 1H. I wonder which team will win," said Takahiro curiously.
"By the looks of it, it's definitely 1T. Be sure to keep an eye on them. We're recruiting players, after all."
"So, Makoto is playing? This will be fun," said Yukio to himself.
"Who is that kid down there talking to them?"
"Yes, be sure to observe him, as of now he's what our team needs the most."
"So, for the whole ten minutes, we'll be playing man-to-man defense. Each and every one of us will be marking someone closely. Is everyone okay with that?" asked Makoto.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"As for offense… Who's able to score?"
"Don't worry, I can make layups and near jump shots," said Naomi.
"That's great! We can use that. I'm counting on you," said Makoto.
"Wait, how did you learn how to make a layup shot? Did you play for the girls' basketball team in junior high?" asked Shino, shocked by Naomi's statement.
"Well, actually, I used to play basketball with the boys in my community. So, after a while, I just figured it out."
"I can also make layups! It's my specialty—I never miss," said Noboru.
Makoto looked at Shino to confirm how he plays offensively.
"You already know I'm not good at the game."
"Figures. What about you, Tetsuo?" asked Makoto.
"I'll just pass the ball around and do as much as I can on defense," said Tetsuo.
"So now that we've devised a plan, let's go win!" said Makoto.
"It's time for the jump ball," said the PE teacher.
"Maybe I should have jumped… He knows nothing about the sport. No, he has height over his opponent. He'll be fine," thought Makoto to himself.
As the whistle blew, the PE teacher threw the basketball into the air. Both Tetsuo and his opponent jumped, but to everyone's surprise, the tip-off wasn't as close as expected—Tetsuo's jump was so high that he won possession for his class with ease.
"Whoa, look at that jump! He's got crazy athleticism," said Takahiro, flabbergasted by what just took place on the court.
"Alright, let's make a basket," said Makoto as he dribbled to the other half of the court.
As soon as he saw the tiniest opening, he swiftly passed the basketball to Naomi, who scored a layup.
"Nice shot, Naomi!" shouted Sachiko from the sidelines.
"What a great pass! He saw an opening in the defense and instantly seized the opportunity to pass. It was perfectly calculated," said Yukio, impressed by Makoto's precision.
"Oh crap, they stole the ball!" shouted a player from Class 1H.
The basketball was passed to Noboru, who swished a layup.
"You punks better step up your game," he said with a smirk.
"Nice shot, Takemoto," said Naomi.
"Call me Noboru. And yes, it's only natural."
"Damn it, another steal!" said the opposition as Makoto took the basketball and scored a layup.
"Well, what do you know? You were right about the outcome, Yukio."
"Crap!! How do I keep losing the ball?!"
"They stole the ball again! There's only ten seconds left. Let's see what they'll do!"
"I won't let you embarrass me any further!" shouted a Class 1H student.
"I don't need to—because we've already won," said Makoto as he passed the ball behind him.
Everyone turned to see Tetsuo had received the pass.
Tetsuo then went into shooting form, flicked his wrist, and sent the ball spinning into the air.
"What the… Why did he shoot that?" said Makoto.
Swish!
The entire gym fell silent, stunned that Tetsuo had made the shot.