"Hey, Kawaguchi, I didn't know you could play," said Makoto.
"I just got lucky, that's all," said Tetsuo.
"Whoa, Tetsuo, dude, that was frickin' awesome! I guess I lucked out by choosing you!" said Noboru excitedly.
"We are doing great, guys! Let's win this thing!" said Naomi.
On the sidelines…
"Takahiro, do you know that first-year?" asked Yukio.
"No, it's the first time I'm seeing him. I haven't seen him in any junior high school matches either."
"This guy just popped up on the radar, but that shot he made was so flawless… where did this guy come from?" Yukio asked himself. "Whatever the case, I'm sure that this time we might make it—if I play my cards right."
Elsewhere…
"Something about Tetsuo Kawaguchi reminds me so much of him… If I remember correctly, Tetsu-kun always had this worn-out basketball with him, and he knew how to play as well. He had a little sister too—she looks just like that girl he was with yesterday. There's no other explanation… it has to be him," Sachiko thought to herself as she came to a realization.
On the court…
"A victory for Class 1T! Twenty-nine to zero! That's not half bad. But we will show them how it's done, right, Liam?" said a student with a headband.
"Yes, just like we practiced," said Hayato.
The match between Classes 1O and 1S ended ten to six.
"We might really have a shot at this," Shino thought to himself.
"Are you ready, Liam? Let's go crush them," said Hayato.
"Yes, let's go."
As the PE teacher threw up the basketball, Liam immediately tipped it to Hayato, winning possession with minimal effort due to being almost two meters tall.
"How is this the first time I'm noticing this second-year? His reach is so high—it's almost unreal," Yukio thought to himself.
"Fast break!!!" shouted Hayato as he made a long pass to Liam, who caught the basketball, took two steps, jumped into the air, and slammed the ball into the rim.
"That was a badass dunk!" said a boy on the sidelines.
"That guy is crazy tall! Is he an athlete?" asked a third-year girl.
"That guy was so cool! He probably jumped over forty inches! Wow!!" said Shino, amazed.
"I think that guy is Liam Ainsworth, a foreign exchange student. He transferred back when we were in our second year of high school," said Yukio.
"Oh, I see. Didn't he come to Japan to become a professional track athlete?" asked Takahiro.
"Yes, but he seems quite decent at basketball."
"The next matchup is a crossover between juniors and freshmen, right?"
"Yes, it is. Pay close attention to the next game. It will definitely be 1T vs. 2O. I want to see how it will turn out," said Yukio.
Back on the court…
Hayato stole the basketball from the opposing class and scored a layup. On the next play, he stole the ball once more, dribbled to the other half of the court, pulled up, and swished a mid-range jumper. A player from the opposing class attempted a layup, but the ball was swatted out of the air by Liam, using his long reach. Liam then sprinted forward, received the ball from Hayato, and executed a reverse dunk.
"That guy is a beast! That's the way, Liam! Kick some ass!"
"I feel sorry for them. 2O is not cutting them any slack—they look exhausted," said a girl.
"He's a freak of nature, I'd say. They will definitely win this thing," said a boy.
"Here you go, Liam! Slam dunk the ball!" said Hayato as he passed to Liam.
"I already know. You don't have to tell me," said Liam as he dunked the ball hard, shaking the rim as he landed.
On the sidelines…
"Ma... Makoto, look at the scoreboard!" said Shino in shock.
"What the… Forty-two to zero in just ten minutes? That guy is a beast," Makoto thought to himself.
"Unfortunately, I heard that they're our next opponent," said Naomi.
"You're right… It's unfortunate for them—because I'm here," said Noboru with a smirk.
"He never changed, did he? He's the same obnoxious guy he was in junior high," Naomi thought to herself.
"Do you think we can win against that player, Kurai?" asked Naomi.
"There's always a solution to every problem, so we still have a chance against them."
"I'm not sure… That guy is really intimidating."
"I know. In basketball, height and jumping ability give you a great edge. However, there are other ways for players like me to be effective," said Makoto.
Back on the court…
"The next matchup is Class 2O vs. Class 2S," announced the PE teacher.
"Um… We forfeit the match. There's no way we're going to embarrass ourselves in front of all these girls," said a student from 2S.
"Okay, suit yourself," said Hayato as he sat down.
"Why did that class forfeit the match? I mean, I understand… but still," said Makoto.
"So that means we get to see Class 1T vs. 2O sooner than I expected," said Yukio.
"You guys are allowed a five-minute break before the next match," said the PE teacher.
Strategizing…
"So that guy with the headband is playing a guard role in this game, while that tall guy is playing center. As far as I can tell, the other players are extras. So at least we can come up with a strategy," Makoto thought to himself.
"Takemoto and Kawaguchi, I need both of you to guard that tall player. It may be a long shot, but it'll have to do."
"Don't worry—we both got this, right, Tetsuo?" said Noboru.
"Nakamura and Katsuragi, although it may be a tough task, I want both of you to defend three players. Is that okay?" asked Makoto.
"I get what you're doing. Those three are extras, right?" asked Naomi.
Makoto nodded in agreement.
"I got you covered. Are you ready for this, Katsuragi?"Asked Naomi
"Ye… Yes, I am. I'm ready to win!"
"And I've got him—the mastermind of the team. The only thing we can do now is hope that my analysis is not wrong," said Makoto.