Chapter 54: This is the beginning.

Coach Taoka: After Fujima got involved, he became blinded by his own involvement. If Shohoku had a coach, they might have been able to figure out a way to counter Shohoku's unique tactics much faster.

Without a doubt, Kanon's tactics were successful.

At this time, Xiangyang could not run fast or jump high, but he did not give up.

The audience present was full of admiration, and the five members of Shohoku treated such an opponent with seriousness and respect.

The score gap is widening.

The ball was passed to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi stared intently at the basket, and as he rushed to the free-throw line, he leaped high with explosive power!

"oh--"

A shout came from the audience, and some people even stood up.

Is Sakuragi going to dunk from this spot?

Even with exceptional jumping ability, dunking from that distance is practically insane!

Hanagata and Nagano, both under the basket, were intimidated by Sakuragi's imposing presence.

Fujima shouted, "Hanagata! Stop him—"

The two snapped out of their daze, gritted their teeth, and jumped!

Sakuragi glided towards the two of them—

An unimaginable pressure surged forth as three enormous bodies, far exceeding the size of high school students, collided violently in mid-air—

Sakuragi delivered a powerful dunk, the ball slamming into the basket.

At the same time, a dull thud was heard, sending both of them flying.

Boom!!!

The fierce force slammed the rim, causing it to tremble violently. Sakuragi was hanging on the rim with one hand, while Hanagata was sitting on the ground below, looking completely incredulous.

"Beep—"

The score was finalized at 99-76, with Shohoku winning decisively.

After a brief silence, the audience gave a few scattered ovations.

Soon, more and more people joined in the applause, cheers, and whistles, which echoed throughout the stadium.

They cheered for Fujima's never-give-up spirit and also had explosive discussions about Sakuragi:

[How is this possible?! Hanagata got blocked by a dunk!!]

[Shohoku's number 10...flew too high!!]

That redhead is really amazing!!

[A fighting spirit flashed in Sendoh's eyes: Sakuragi, Rukawa...]

[Fish Column: I got caught by that eye-catching packaging again!]

[Yan Yi: Sakuragi-san grabbed 23 rebounds throughout the game! 23!]

This outstanding rebounding ability is already incredible for a beginner.

With that dunk, I bet everyone in the county knows this "Red-haired Dunker"!

Coach Taoka looked grave, a deep sense of crisis rising within him.

In just one month, the Shohoku team has undergone a complete transformation.

They have the strength to challenge any of the top four teams, including that novice, so why is this happening?

What kind of magic did Coach Anzai use?

[Kiyota's pupils trembled: That red-haired monkey's offense isn't great... but his rebounding and jumping ability are...]

Amu glanced at the Xiangyang team members who were sobbing uncontrollably.

What a pity, Fujima.

He murmured.

Shohoku is a team worth watching.

He believes that the Shohoku team did not perform to its full potential today.

On the sidelines, the crowd tossed towels high into the air, surrounding the five tigers.

"Yes! We won!"

Ayako slapped Miyagi on the shoulder and laughed, "Ryota, well done!"

Gongcheng's face instantly turned red, and her eyebrows danced with excitement, "Yes! Aya..."

Haruko's mind was filled with Sakuragi's domineering dunking, which captivated her and made her unable to extricate herself.

He felt proud of him and also gratified that his brother had more and more helpers.

She exclaimed excitedly, "Sakuragi, that dunk was so cool! So cool!"

Sakuragi excitedly ran up to Haruko, sporting the standard three-piece set—blushing, scratching his head, and grinning sheepishly: "Really, Haruko...hehehe!"

Haruko said he was handsome! She said it twice!!

Seeing the younger teammates excitedly high-fiving and cheering with Rukawa Kaede, Kanon turned her head away.

Knowing that Rukawa was deliberately ignoring her, Kanon stopped trying to approach him.

She has a good temper, but that doesn't mean she never gets angry.

Communication is the most effective way to resolve conflicts, but he refuses to communicate.

She hated this feeling; it gave her the feeling that he didn't want her to get close to him.

Back in the locker room, Shohoku held a debriefing session.

Kuwata's entry reads: "Rukawa 32 points, 3 rebounds, 5 blocks, 12 steals; Sakuragi 14 points, 23 rebounds, 18 assists, 7 blocks..."

"Wow!"

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Rukawa is Shohoku's scoring expert, but Sakuragi is really unexpected!

A month and a half ago, he was a complete newbie!

Seeing everyone admiring him so much, Sakuragi grinned smugly; the scene was incredibly satisfying for him!

Mitsui wiped the sweat from his face and looked at the grinning Sakuragi: "Sakuragi, why are you only doing layups and dunks on the court?"

Rukawa, who hadn't spoken until now, also looked up at Sakuragi.

Is that idiot hiding his true strength and controlling his attack?

Upon hearing this, Sakuragi and Kanon exchanged a glance, then he tapped his chin with his index finger and said, "Well... I'm more confident with layups and dunks, hehehe..."

The Shohoku team didn't think much of it, after all, Sakuragi's performance today was already outstanding.

Although Akagi was pleased, he remained serious on the surface: "You need to improve your offensive capabilities, instead of just focusing on defense."

Sakuragi pouted and said unhappily, "Tch!"

Kogure praised gently, "Sakuragi's defense was excellent today!"

Sakuragi was overjoyed: "Really, Glasses Bro? Hahaha..."

Akagi retorted stubbornly, "You need to practice your shooting even harder; you can't be lazy!"

Sakuragi glared angrily: "Hmph."

Kogure: "Ah, speaking of which, Sakuragi scored over ten points just from layups and dunks, that's amazing!"

Sakuragi grinned foolishly: "Do you really think so, Glasses Bro?"

The members of Shohoku all had round faces, watching Sakuragi's face change back and forth as the two captains spoke.

Rukawa Kaede glanced at Kanon.

She continued talking to Ayako, never looking back at him again.

Even though they won the game, why did he feel even worse inside?

Ayako squeezed her paper fan, her expression excited: "By defeating Shohoku, Shohoku has officially become one of the top four in the prefecture!"

Hanon smiled brightly: "The road to glory for Shohoku begins here."

The simpler the words, the more penetrating they are.

The Shohoku team was once again ignited with passion by Kanon's words.

A powerful whirlwind, unique to Shohoku, swept across the entire Kanagawa region.

After reviewing the game, the team members were exhausted and slept soundly in the locker room.

About 10 minutes later, a slight creaking sound came from the locker room door.

Mitsui gently closed the door, yawned, and walked out of the locker room.

Ayako was a little surprised: "Mitsui-senpai, you're awake?"

Mitsui stretched and hummed in agreement. He then walked towards Kanon and asked, "Junior, is this yours?"

Hana took the black wristband he handed her and was momentarily lost in thought.

Mitsui: "How did it end up on the locker room floor? Luckily, my senior found it. Here, you're welcome."

Although his English is not good, he has a good memory. Renie, isn't that Kanon's English name?

Left on the floor?

Hanon looked at the English letters on the wristband and said softly, "Thank you, senpai."

After all the twists and turns, the wristband has finally returned to its owner.

A subtle feeling of loss and complexity arose in my heart.

Ayako scrutinized Kanon's expression and asked, "What's wrong, Kanon-chan?"

Hua Yin smiled slightly: "It's nothing."

I squeezed the wristband and put it into my bag.

Kanon looked at Mitsui, who seemed hesitant to speak, and tentatively asked, "Senpai, is there anything I can help you with?"

Mitsui scratched the back of his head, and after a long while, he managed to stammer, "Um... please come with me for a moment."

Kanon handed the data book to Ayako and followed Mitsui.

In a quiet corner of the corridor, the two stood facing each other.

Mitsui felt a little embarrassed. "Junior, is there any way to quickly improve physical fitness?"

Hanon's eyes were gentle as she looked at Mitsui, who seemed both apprehensive and expectant.

Mitsui is a sensitive, introspective, yet strong person who is extremely needed; his potential can only be unleashed when he is needed.

When you're out of energy, you won't have any random thoughts; you'll only be able to see the basketball hoop.

Therefore, Mitsui, when low on health, is even more capable of unleashing a three-point barrage.

However, playing when you're low on health makes you more susceptible to injury.

Hana's lips curled upwards: "Yes."

Of all the abilities on paper, physical strength is the easiest to improve.

Mitsui's eyes brightened.

Over the past two days, he has developed complete trust in Hana.

If she says it exists, then it definitely exists!

"Senior, when you're playing basketball, do you ever unconsciously notice your knee? Is the injury... still not healed?"

Unexpectedly, Mitsui was quite surprised that anyone would notice his little action: "Ah... I'm completely healed now."

Hanon asked the crucial question, "Was there a follow-up check when you returned to the team?"

"..."

A simple, innocent boy can't hide anything on his face.

Hanon quickly understood: "Let's go."

Mitsui looked bewildered: "Where to?"

"You must first resolve your inner turmoil before you can become a true sharpshooter."

He must also regret wasting two years of his life.

Only by letting go of the past that you can never forgive yourself for can you truly embrace the imperfections of the present.

"What?"

Hana's words were concise: "Keep up."

Mitsui glared: "Hey! How can you talk to your senior like that?"

Hanon resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why do all three of Shohoku's genius kids need to be coaxed?

"...Senior, please keep up."

Mitsui was somewhat pleased: "Hmph, that's more like it..."

Noguchi General Hospital.

"take it easy."

Hanon patiently accompanied Mitsui through registration, consultation, and X-rays.

Mitsui touched his nose. "I'm not nervous at all!"

I even felt a sense of peace that I couldn't quite explain.

After a thorough examination and multiple confirmations, the doctor assured Mitsui that his knee injury had fully recovered and that there were no long-term effects.

Hanon said earnestly, "The doctor said your knee is completely healed."

Mitsui's eyes sparkled, and his voice betrayed his excitement: "Well, of course I know! I've always been very careful with my knee pads."

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No problem! It definitely won't hurt unexpectedly while playing like before. Don't worry!

Hanon: "So, don't worry about losing basketball again."

Mitsui's eyes widened slightly, a hint of surprise in his voice: "...How did you know?"

Hua Yin smiled, her eyes crinkling, and she guessed what he was thinking.

A flush rose to Mitsui's face. His junior was so beautiful and considerate; if only…

A certain expressionless, fox-faced guy popped out: What if?

Mitsui jolted awake, shaking his head violently to clear his mind of the jumbled images. He spoke, his tone earnest and his expression sincere:

"Then, I'll leave it to you, junior!"

As they walked and talked, they encountered an unexpected person outside the hospital.

Mitsui paused, then asked, "Tetsuo?"

Tetsuo: "Mitsui, long time no see."

He glanced in Hana's direction, slightly surprised.

He never saw a girl beside Mitsui.