"There it is." Takumi nodded his head once. He stopped running. Sunlight shined down from the tall trees that stood all around them. Past a series of dark elm trees were numerous courts with players already visible. The trees cast a refreshing shade that spread out onto the court and retreated back like ocean waves. Swinging his fingers over, Yoshigawa pointed to the beautiful peachy courts, making it vocal that he wanted to play alongside Takumi already. "Yo wro, they're over there, time to make an impression."
Yoshigawa slid down the small hill of grass and when he got near the base, jumped over a metallic bench and pounced up against the fence after setting his green gecko bag down. He grabbed the gate with his fingers and opened his mouth wide, proclaiming to the world "THE MVP HAS ARRIVED!!!" This act attracted the unwanted attention Takumi talked to him about nearly the whole ride there. Seeing that it was the very first thing he did, Takumi facepalmed himself in embarrassment.
Many of the players on the court couldn't help but turn and look over to the crazy guy screaming his head off. Amongst those players, a dark pink-haired guy and a black-haired guy were sitting on top of a table located at the other end of the fence. Ebisu looked over and poked Katsuya's side. "Would you look at that? Only two freshies again this year?" Ebisu cocked his head back at the irony.
"And they're going up against the two crazy ones from last year." Ebisu observed.
"Are we really that scary? I mean, come on. I guess basketball isn't as popular here anymore." Ebisu continued in his thoughts loudly.
"It would have if we had won though." Katsuya sighed.
"Better this way, we don't need any fakes. Just look at that kid's fire!" Ebisu's smirk soon turned into a disgust as Katsuya kept himself from laughing because Yoshigawa seemed to be humping the fence and screaming "MVP!"
"Ha! Yeah, those two are different, or at least that other one," Katsuya added.
"Different? How?" Ebisu raised one of his pink brows.
"You'll see..." Katsuya answered with his eyes now pointed to the sky above. "That one isn't an ordinary player," Katsuya thought to himself.
Ebisu scoffed and looked back to Yoshigawa, who was attracting more attention. "Different alright..."
"Damn freshmen, we always get a few loons each year," one guy said to another, discontent at how conceited freshmen always seemed. Right when that fellow turned around, a basketball hit him square in the face. Some of the other players around stopped for a moment. One girl who was having a picnic nearby whispered to herself. "Say, that guy looks familiar..." The girl picked up the magazine she had at her side. She flipped through it and paused at the 'Hottest Freshmen Possibly Coming to Hirazawa High' Section. "I-It's that boy... from that noble family? Attending this private school?!" Her glasses slid down onto the picnic sheet she sat on.
"Coming here and proclaiming himself MVP... who does that guy think he is?!" Another guy asked someone else beside him.
"Shima, what did I tell you? Get off of there..." Yoshigawa heard Takumi grumble and stepped off of the gate he was clawed to. He twirled around Takumi and was about to run over to the entrance of the court, but felt Takumi grab his shoulder. He didn't turn around, feeling Takumi's glare behind him. Yoshigawa was like a child in a candy store, and Takumi had to be the parent who told their child to calm down. "I know you're excited. Believe me, I am, too. The first test out of many start after we pass those gates."
"Jeeeeez, Tai! Don't say it like that man. You make it seem so intense, ya edgelord." Yoshigawa raised a brow before chuckling.
"It's one game bro, nothing crazy." Yoshigawa formed a sheepish smile and held out his fist. Takumi fist bumped him.
"That's because our basketball careers... or rather, my career depends on this." Takumi turned away and sighed. "Just don't attract anymore attention, Shima." Yoshigawa gave him a nod, calming his excitedness now.
The glimmering stars of passion that were in his eyes shrunk. Takumi smiled faintly, showing his dimples. He himself did his best to contain his excitement inside. Though Takumi was better at hiding it, at that moment he felt like a child that had gotten a toy they really wanted.
"That's right... the deal," Takumi mumbled to himself. Yoshigawa raised a brow. "What deal?" Takumi shook his head, walking ahead. "Nothing, come on."
"Awww, come on Tai. You can't say something like that and then say it's nothing!" Yoshi complained, moving his hands behind his head.
"We've got like an hour here, more or less. Let's make it count. I'm sure my sister is going to come hound us soon enough. We've gotta settle this beforehand." Takumi dribbled the ball about five times as he took calm steps and swung the ball over his shoulder to Yoshigawa, who slapped it back to him.
Takumi caught the ball with his left palm and tossed it up. It landed at the center of his index finger and he gave it two spins. They turned the corner, headed to the main gate. Both were moments away from having to prove themselves. Before they passed the gate entrance, they heard a high pitched voice.
"Ay! Stop right there, don't take another step! Neither of you freshies!"
"Hm?" Takumi turned his head over, following the voice. When Takumi looked back, he saw a blonde kid sitting on a bench. The kid jumped off and walked towards them, stuffing his hands into his purple tracksuit.
"A track runner?" Takumi pondered what such a person could want with them, then noticed a Hirazawa pin on the upper right side of the tracksuit. Behind the blonde, there was a taller fellow that seemed more menacing compared to the smaller one. "Some foreigner?" Takumi observed the small afro, though the fellow had a cut mark on his left cheek while the shorter of the two had one on the left side of his cheek.
"Bentei, are these the guys? Check the photos," the shorter one told the bigger fellow.
"Those two are the only two freshmen who bothered registering for the basketball ceremony this year," Bentei nodded. The smaller one laughed at the seemingly cruel joke Katsuya played on him.
"That's a really cute voice. Wro, is she fine? THICK, MAYBE?!" Yoshigawa asked Takumi.
"See for yourself." Takumi squinted his eyes.
"Oh boy, oh boy! What do we have, what do we have, what do we have here!?" Yoshigawa hadn't turned back yet and assumed that because the voice was high-pitched, that a girl had stopped them. Needless to say, his excitement was shattered when he turned around and realized it was a short guy.
"Don't tell me... Miyumi sent you?" Takumi ignored Yoshigawa slamming his face into the ground repeatedly. His question wasn't answered right away. "Tch."
"What? No! I'm the guy you're taking on, kid!" The blonde fellow pointed to himself, spitting at the ground. "Yuuichi Togata's my name! And the guy behind me is Bentei Togata. WE'RE THE TOGATA BROTHERS! HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW US, YET YOU WANT TO TAKE THE TEST?! Hirazawa damn near got to the semis thanks to us! Doesn't that ring any bells?!"
"Nah," Takumi flat out said, uninterested in the conversation.
"Ah... well, I'm taking a nap. I don't feel so good." Yoshigawa stumbled back and stood up woozily, having successfully slammed the thoughts out of his head. He grabbed onto Takumi's shoulder as Takumi was about to introduce himself, but was cut off by Yuuichi.
"I did my homework on you boys. Takumi Hachi, Yoshigawa Fukushima... if a royal ass whooping is what you came for, you'll definitely get one!"
"Woah, what?! So aggressive! Hang on!" Yoshigawa shook his head repeatedly until the drowsiness subsided. He poked his pinky into his ear and rubbed away, questioning if he had heard right. "Wait a sec!!! Who is this little guy talking to?!" He checked over his shoulder as Yuuichi began with a smirk and walked towards the two.
"Talking to you wimps! Y'all ain't getting special treatment from me, punk!" Yuuichi spat on the ground, the loogie landing in front of Yoshigawa's sneaker.
Yoshigawa opened his mouth in shock and slapped Takumi's arm, pointing his index finger over to Yuuichi. "You didn't tell me we'd be runnin' into a tough guy."
"This ceremony isn't for any fake wannabe ballers like you two pansies. I'll give you four seconds to take flight!" Yuuichi raised his voice again before Takumi could respond and started circling around them at a faster, more irregular pattern. A vein sprouted from Yoshigawa's forehead in annoyance at Yuuichi's antics.
"Ha!" Yoshigawa closed his hands into fists.
"Scram! Adios!�� Yuuichi responded right away, making 'shoo' signs with his hands, stopping momentarily.
"Think again, pipsqueak. We aren't going anywhere!" Yoshigawa raised his fist towards Yuuichi and then brought his thumb down. "We're here to pass out Ls, pal!!! And you get the first batch!" His voice rose over Yuuichi, leading Yuuichi to walk up to Yoshigawa and size him up. Yoshigawa met Yuuichi's gaze and they had a stare off until Yoshigawa blew his breath in Yuuichi's face. Yuuichi stumbled back and tried spitting at Yoshigawa's shoe, but the latter jumped back in time, narrowly avoiding the fluid. Meanwhile, Takumi checked out the other guy, Bentei.
Unlike his brother, he seemed more cool and collected. He had his arms crossed with a grumpy glare though and seemed to have his attention on a strange small bird that landed on his shoulder. For some reason, Takumi imagined Bentei as a grumpy bear and then glanced over his shoulder to Yuuichi, who seemed like a barking dog in Takumi's imagination. The back and forth between Yoshigawa and Yuuichi steadily got on Takumi's nerves.
"Watch the Tangerine Superior 5s!!!" Yoshigawa dropped down and checked his sneakers to make sure there was nothing on it. At the same time Yoshigawa checked his sneaker, Yuuichi scooped up the basketball that Yoshigawa had at his side. He kicked the ball up and then balanced it on his head.
Yoshigawa stood back up and kept trying to snatch the ball from Yuuichi's head in failed swipes until Yuuichi hit the ball with his head. The ball struck Yoshigawa's face and returned to Yuuichi. That hit made Yoshigawa dive at him, but Yuuichi ducked with the ball and caught the ball as he took some steps back and shook his head with a confident smirk.
"You can't handle the heat, boy? Then don't step in the kitchen, haha! You can't even get the ball from me. Come onnnn," Yuuichi teased as he avoided Yoshigawa who came in again.
Yoshigawa shifted his nose upward and took another lunge. "I am the heat, no question! There's no putting me out!!!" Instead of dodging, Yuuichi aimed his head and came in full force. He rammed his forehead against Yoshigawa's, causing Yoshigawa to stagger back and rub his forehead.
"TRASH!" Yuuichi stepped away and tossed the ball over to Yoshigawa. The ball rolled towards his feet as he grit his teeth. After a moment, Yoshigawa composed himself and started to laugh as the wind picked up and blew the ball towards Takumi.
"Yeah, I get it! That must be it... you're talking this much because you're scared and you're stalling! The chances of you evading us is as good as someone avoiding the grim reaper himself, pal. In this instance, you're not escaping," Yoshigawa gave Yuuichi a conceited smile that ticked him off.
Yuuichi clenched his fists as his hair hid his eyes. "What a cruel joke, captain. Really... these clowns? You messed up so bad betting with me." A tingle of excitement spread through Yuuichi���s gut. "GET READY TO PAY, KATSUYA! AGHAHAHAHAHA! ACK-" Yuuichi set his hands to his hips and laughed at the top of his lungs as he brought his hands up... until he choked on some saliva, leading him to cough several times and punching his chest until he regained his composure.
"That guy has a screw loose," Takumi thought to himself, visibly concerned. "Perfect! Keep acting crazy and he'll go away!" Yuuichi thought at the same time and then went on to outwardly say, "This is going to be a walk in the park!"
Yuuichi slapped his palms together and pointed in Takumi's direction. "I gave you four seconds and you didn't run! Now I have t-" In full speed, Yuuichi barely saw the basketball shot at him.
It struck his gut too fast, knocking the wind out of him. The ball continued spinning rapidly against the purple fabric of Yuuichi's tracksuit as his feet dragged back a bit. The ball didn't stop until he slapped his palms against it to get the rotation to stop. He stared down at it and then looked up to Takumi, who had his hand held out.
"You run your mouth too much, mutt." Takumi's small bangs swayed. "Let our games do the talking." He turned away to walk off, but a shiny light hit his eyes. He raised his hand and covered his eye until the light stopped reflecting. When he lowered his hand back down, he saw that Bentei was holding a key.
Bentei walked past Yuuichi, who was still in pain. "This is the key to the Hirazawa gym. You win and it's yours. You'll need it if you want to meet the captain and the other guys."
"Got it," Takumi responded, ignoring Yuuichi's groaning.
"Lousy little... he'll pay for that sneak shot." Yuuichi leaned up as the ball rolled over to Yoshigawa after it dropped to the ground. Yoshigawa stuck his tongue out at Yuuichi and took the ball. Before getting too far into the court, Takumi quickly scanned for an area to quietly sit down. Most of the benches seemed occupied, all but one.
"Ah, to the far right." He caught sight of a bench that wasn't occupied, so he headed towards it with his black bag in hand. Wandering eyes followed him over to where he went.
"Who's that new guy?" whispers began. "Must be fresh meat for Hirazawa." "I actually thought there wouldn't be any new challengers this year." "Think he's any good?" Different players chimed in. Upon reaching the metallic bench, Takumi slugged his bag over and took a seat briefly to open the bag.
"So much for scaring them off..." Yuuichi murmured to himself in disappointment. He entered the court, right behind Bentei. Their presence, noticed immediately. One player saw the pair and ran across the court, catching the attention of the other players, who soon joined in, flocking the brothers.
"THE SMASH BROS ARE FINALLY HERE!!!" At the name, they all excitedly stormed the pair who were well known for what they had done for the Hirazawa team the previous year.
Takumi finished putting on his basketball sneakers and stood up. He removed his purple long sleeve and set it on the bench. He wore a jersey underneath the long sleeve that had kanji on the back that read "Hachi." On the front was written "T-1." Some ballers on the court who were taking a water break nearby couldn't help but notice it matched with his sneakers.
"Is that a custom made jersey by Superior?" "Woah, he's rocking one dope jersey." "And that other guy has a Superior Waves logo on his jersey!"
"Nah, look at the tag. That must be a collab with Superior Waves and Le Chen Cour! But how could he get something like that? It's gotta be fake! Those two big brands on one jersey?!"
"Hachi? Wait... isn't that the royal family here in Osaka?"
"Yeah, that guy must have serious connections. Jeez, the collection hasn't even dropped yet... check the shoes, too. To think someone like that's trying out."
"Those shoes are the Velocity 5s, a smooth white limited edition for high end users only. Damn..."
Takumi pulled at the top of the jersey with a brief smile. He was very proud of the jersey he designed for himself. Yoshigawa checked out the jersey he had on. "Damn wro, that's fire, it actually came out nice."
"Yeah, but it won't be as special as when I get my first jersey on the Hirazawa team. Still, this will bring back memories for years to come," Takumi responded, then paused for a moment and slid a white wristband on.
"Ay wro, that looks pretty old," Yoshigawa commented.
"I found it a week ago while going through some of gramps' old stuff in his office... been a while since I've gone there. One of the maids was going to clean it up, but I didn't want her in there, you know..."
"Ah, like a good luck charm?"
"You could say that. I don't know if it was his or anything, but when I picked it up... I felt like it was telling me to take it." Takumi thought back to when he had found it. He recalled seeing a purple glimmer in a drawer, which caused him to check it out and find the white wristband; it was a perfect fit.
"To think that if I hadn't checked, that wristband would have just sat there." Takumi squinted, then laughed lightly. Focusing back, it was basketball time. Takumi turned around and gave his friend a nod. "You aren't putting yours on?"
A small, purple bird swooped in and landed on Yoshigawa's shoulder. He glanced at it from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, I am. Gotta stretch first," Yoshigawa responded back to his pal, as Takumi tossed Yoshigawa's white arm sleeve over to him.
From the crowd of chattering people, Takumi heard Yuuichi scream for the others to excuse him as he got through them and pointed over to Takumi with a cocky laugh. Yuuichi blew air out of his nostrils like a bull and tried teasing Takumi. "Awwwww look, he really put some thought into his outfit. How cute!"
"Bro... you're so weird for calling it cute," one of the guys near Yuuichi pointed out as Yoshigawa instantly started laughing and slapping his knee. "STOP TALKING!" Yuuichi pointed at the random fellow.
"And that baby voice sure fits you! Hope you stretched, man!" Yoshigawa hit Yuuichi with a comeback and started stretching as Yuuichi sighed.
A nerve sprouted across the side of Yuuichi's forehead. He stomped his way towards them, but Bentei grabbed the back of his tracksuit before he could get through the crowd. "Focus Yuu, don't forget what we have to do here," he reminded his brother, only for Yuuichi to slap his hand away and zip down the zipper of his tracksuit. He wrapped the arm folds around his hip. The ballers around them ran over to them again and started asking for games as Yuuichi turned each one down and struggled with the mob.
"Boy, do they seem like a big deal," Yoshigawa set his hands on his hips as Takumi and him walked over. They stopped to watch for a second. "They really that good?" Yoshigawa tilted his head.
"Yeah, they're really talented," both Takumi and Yoshigawa heard someone behind them say. The fellow stopped at their side and briefly explained, "Those Togatas, gotta watch out for their teamwork. Their style of play helped Hirazawa go straight to the semis last year."
Yoshigawa blinked, confused as the guy excused himself to join the crowd up ahead. Though most were visibly happy, there were some who weren't so thrilled in having the Togatas around. "You show your face after that terrible display, how dishonorable." "I can't be around such a-" The person shut up, spotting Bentei glare his way.
"I can't believe Katsuya let those two stay on the team."
"They'll be lucky if they even get past the first round." Comments were heard here and there, with a few individuals leaving the crowd as they heard those comments.
Yuuichi heard these as well, leading him to avoid eye contact as there were still players trying to get him to play with them. They continued at it until Yuuichi finally screamed high enough to get them to stop hounding him. "MOVE!!!"
One of the players that surrounded them expressed how they all missed the two during the time they were gone and apologized on behalf of the others. Hearing all this overwhelmed Yuuichi with guilt. Bentei took note of the change in Yuuichi's behavior when he lowered his head in shame. Takumi also observed this and started walking over. From the sidelines, two fellows watched in anticipation. Katsuya laughed, taking in the freshman's presence on the court. From Takumi's physical build to his posture.
"Will those two actually pull off a win? Yuuichi is with Bentei, they may breeze through this and ice the freshmen completely. Any guesses?" Ebisu wondered, giving Katsuya a bewildered look.
"Even though Yuuichi is with Bentei, you've gotta remember, he hasn't played any serious games with him... ever since that incident. It's about to start, so we'll see." Katsuya laughed uneasily. The nervousness made his stomach grumble. He forced the discomfort away, reminding himself that he needed to be right about Takumi and fixed up his posture. The shade that surrounded them came in and out.
Ebisu closed his eyes and slapped his hands together. "Good point." He brought up his fifty pound weight, continuing his arm curls. "We could have chosen someone better though. You know how short-tempered Yuuichi can be. I don't think picking him is the right choice right now, but then again, you have your reasons, Mr. Captain," Ebisu pointed out as Katsuya listened to everything he said over the growing noise around them.
"You bet I do," Katsuya responded as a passing ice cream cart caught their attention. "Is that Chichi? The lunch lady?!" Ebisu blushed a tad. The girl manning the cart had on a kinky liger suit. Spotting him, she jumped up in excitement, causing her bell to jingle. She greeted the two by waving her mittens around. They returned the wave and set their attention back to Yuuichi and the other three. Katsuya was about to space out until another girl suddenly shoved a bag of chips up against his face, snapping him out of it. Tilting his head to see who was shoving the chips against him, he sighed. It was Ebisu's mute sister.
"No thanks Mia, hehe. Give 'em to Gon." Katsuya told her, pointing his thumb to Ebisu. The girl shrugged, taking her seat beside Ebisu and set the snack on his lap.
"Great, the munchies are here! Thanks for bringing them, sis. Really getting into the balling mood now, ahaha!" Ebisu pat his sister's back happily. The girl gave him an obedient nod, reaching back for her drink when a short boy with scruffy light brown hair greeted her and set up his camera on the table. This prompted her to make Ebisu and Katsuya scoot over so he could get a clear view of the court. The boy rubbed the smooth grey top of his camera, activating it. It floated a few inches above the table's surface. Two pink orbs for eyes manifested at the front, followed by a feminine voice.
"Finally woke me up, boss. What took you so long?" the robotic camera said.
"Sorry, Mori. I thought you deserved it after all the work you did last night," the boy said, as Katsuya looked his way.
"Kenny! I didn't see you there, I thought you'd be here earlier than us." Katsuya winked at the renowned camera boy.
"Sorry about that captain. Just setting up! Was running late because I got caught up with cleaning Mori's drive. Some updates, ahaha. Yeah, that's it!" Kenny laughed nervously, giving Katsuya a brief look, but his eyes weren't noticeable since hair covered them.
Katsuya moved in and cupped his ear since he couldn't hear over all of the talking, but Kenny waved it off. "It's nothing, I'll tell you later in the day. More importantly, they're starting," Kenny pointed over to the growing crowd.
"Royals facing royals?!?!" Katsuya heard a voice cry out from the oncoming crowd. "And it's all for free!!!" another screamed.
"Go ahead and close off the entrance before the court gets overcrowded," Ebisu leaned to his right side and whispered to one of the guys, eyeing the amassing crowd and people calling other passerbys. The individual did as he was told and whistled over to the other ballers, giving them a signal. They went over and kept anymore people from entering.
Soon enough there were students, children and parents pressing up against the fences with their phones out, flashing pictures as cheers erupted around the entire area. Yuuichi signaled the remaining players who were still surrounding them to get off the court. They'd be using half of the main court for this match and didn't want any distractions on the other side.
Takumi closed his eyes and took in the moment. Yuuichi also closed his eyes and thought back to when he had done the same when he first started, ironically. They stood on different spectrums. One had experienced the crazy world of basketball and one had yet to enter it.
"It wasn't easy, but new beginnings hold new memories and offer new opportunities. I'll take advantage of this and climb back up." Yuuichi opened his eyes with a smirk. "Gotta live in the moment and start this off right. I vow that this year, no one will get past me! I won't rely on Bentei either!" What Yuuichi said surprised Bentei as Yuuichi raised his fist to the air, empowering himself.
Yoshigawa turned his head, looking around at all the spectators and couldn't help but giggle. "So much for not attracting attention, Tai. Hehehehe, I'll shut up now," he added as Takumi glared at him.
Takumi pulled his hands out of his pockets and sighed. "Whatever, let's start already. I have to meet the captain today." Takumi set his sights back on Yuuichi and Bentei.
A robotic radio hovered along the court's ridge. It blared music that bellowed loudly through the entire court. Katsuya signaled for some players on the sidelines to activate the robot for the game. As a result, a large hologram sprouted out from the top of the robot's head. This was the scoreboard that'd be used and it also had brief information on the players and their Star ratings.
"Neither of you have Star ratings, but that doesn't matter. I smell it, the odds are in my favor." Yuuichi sniffed as Takumi and Yoshigawa looked up to the Star ratings of Yuuichi and Bentei being displayed.
"Yuuichi Togata Star rating: 3.2 small forward, 1.2 for all other positions."
"Bentei Togata Star rating: 2.9 power forward, 2.2 center, 1.5 shooting guard."
Takumi and Yoshigawa's star ratings were empty, so people whispered, speculating the potential of the two. As the music came on, Yuuichi tapped the tip of his shoe to the rhythm of the song, starting to feel the groove. He turned over and faked that he was going to cross Takumi up, but got no reaction from the freshman.
"If by some slim chance you do manage to win, then suuure, I'll take ya to him myself, freshie," Yuuichi delivered his message and turned away, tapping his chin. He felt like a superstar and was very proud of his current stats. A wide smile crept across his face. "You two do know my star rating is above 3, right? If I get the ball first, it'll be over too quickly, so you should get the ball first," Yuuichi boasted.
Takumi ran his right hand through his soft hair and messed it around a bit, seemingly not paying attention to Yuuichi's bragging. "Um, if you're in the 3 range in one of those, what is the captain's exactly?" Yoshigawa asked, confused.
Taking a moment, Takumi answered his friend's question. "Hirazawa's captain is Katsuya Hagane. He's a senior right now. He's been their captain for over two years now, with this being his third and final year. He's torn up the schemes to give Hirazawa a name, but hasn't won a single championship yet... mainly
because of Taro."
"Because of your brother, hm? But you didn't answer my question. What's that Katsuya's Star rating?"
"Four stars as a point guard. He's even got a 3.5 as a shooting guard. I've seen his mixtapes. He's worthy of being captain." Takumi rubbed his index finger across his eyes, feeling a bit sleepy. The conversation bored him and the standing was taking a toll on him.
Yuuichi cut in, barking at them for completely blowing off his bragging. "H-HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME! I'M GIVING YOU A-"
Yoshigawa cut in again. "FOUR STARS?! That's good-" Yoshigawa was about to say, but furrowed his brows. "That's bad-" Again, Yoshigawa paused. "What does four stars mean again, Tai?" Yoshigawa laughed cheekily, admitting he didn't really know anything regarding the star system. Takumi facepalmed himself while tapping the tip of his white sneakers against the peachy court, before turning to Yuuichi.
"You play basketball yet you don't know that? That's how players get rated, that's how you know who means business!" Yuuichi enlightened him, in hopes of finally starting the match. "Throughout a season, players get rated based on their performances."
Yoshigawa rubbed his nose using his index finger and nodded, maintaining his fake smile. "Well, I'm only playing to hang with my pal. Give me a break here."
Yuuichi rolled his eyes and went on, moving his hands around as he explained. "There are Star ratings that go up to six during high school, eight during college, ten if you join the Japanese Basketball Federation or one of the other foreign leagues, and twelve if you make it to the World Basketball Association. Someone who has a Star rating of two in a specific position isn't as good as someone who has a 4 star rating in the same position. Now, if that person has star ratings of two laid out through all positions, while the other only has four stars in one position, then the person with 2 star ratings in all positions, is considered more valuable," Yuuichi began, waving his finger around. "This is calculated with stats that determine what your Star rating is for a particular position. You can improve it throughout games. Aside from stats, other factors play into your star rating as well. There are many ways to mix different players and build teams."
Yuuichi folded his arms across his chest, as his voice shifted to a lower tone. Takumi took note of this and listened more intently to what Yuuichi had to say. "There are monsters in different regions, other high schools, that have crazy Star ratings. Even here in Osaka recently, they've been popping up... they aren't ordinary." In the back of his head, a series of silhouettes crossed his mind. "Five Tyrants as of now, but who knows what this year holds."
"There were once five of them, all on the same team... called Seiryuu. Other than those recent Tyrants, there are the Majestic Four now... because their leader left and they all went to separate teams. Last year, they dominated everyone. We never got a chance to face them. They were led by a guy... that must be your brother, huh? His last name is Hachi."
"Katsuya's pinning this kid on me. I wonder if he's just like that guy," Yuuichi thought, staring at Takumi.
"Man, Taro is that cool?" Yoshigawa cut in, making Takumi slightly irritated.
"So he is, huh? Well, unlike him, you don't seem like much," Yuuichi suggested, feeling slightly excited.
"I don't want to hear about him. None of that is my concern," Takumi responded.
"Fine. Good to see you're really enthusiastic about losing, but just know that we've been preparing for monsters way out of your league," Yuuichi muttered.
With a nod, Takumi chucked the ball at Yuuichi, who slapped it back to him. Yoshigawa lunged up with both of his feet in the air and landed with his feet hitting the ground at the same time. He took four quick steps after landing and stopped right in front of Bentei, boxing him to the side so that Takumi had space to dance with Yuuichi.
"The match is now underway," the announcer called out.
"Singling us out, huh?" Bentei observed Yoshigawa's angle. He gripped Yoshigawa's hip in an attempt to mess with him. The attention was on Takumi and Yuuichi. Bentei let go of Yoshigawa after tugging him aside, but Yoshigawa stepped back in front of him almost right away.
Bentei slid his right foot forward and tried to fake a left, but Yoshigawa extended his hands and hopped side to side, not giving him enough room. This forced Bentei to push himself up against Yoshigawa in an attempt to shake him off. He wasn't going to risk letting Yuuichi face Takumi alone, even if the latter was a freshman.
"Damn it... this guy." Bentei moved back and tried to spin around Yoshigawa, who met him face-to-face every time with different troll faces that ranged from grumpy faces to flat out stupid expressions. In the last one, he stuck his tongue out at Bentei, blocking Bentei's view of Takumi and Yuuichi, who were going at it.
Transitioning towards the left side of the open court, Takumi bounced the ball, passing it between his legs smoothly. He had good control of the ball, which Yuuichi made a mental note of, making sure Takumi didn't get too close yet. Takumi backed up and pretended he was preparing to charge towards the right side like a crazed ram. All the while, Yuuichi could tell he was being studied by the way Takumi shot glances at his ankles.
Takumi was taking in Yuuichi's timing and reactions. Each step back that Yuuichi took and the amount of steps it took for Yuuichi to step forward. Every time, it came down to five steps in order for him to rebalance.
To combat any advancements, Yuuichi kept his left hand extended out so it'd press up against Takumi's chest if he got too far. Yuuichi slid left to right, as Takumi kept transitioning from side to side. At the same time, Yuuichi kept his right hand extended at his side, prepared to smack the ball when he found the chance.
"Come on, freshie. Make your move already!" Yuuichi dared him, hoping Takumi would take the bait and slip up. Takumi swung his right arm out as soon as Yuuichi spoke up. Yuuichi's eyes automatically followed the right arm, believing that the ball would be with it. To his surprise, it wasn't.
The ball had bounced behind Takumi's back. Takumi caught it with his left hand and amped up his speed at that moment. He drove towards Yuuichi's left side, hunching into position to explosively take off. Yuuichi quickly stepped back to regain control and slid to his left, but as he did, Takumi turned his back to Yuu, baffling the sophomore as the tense rippling wind slapped up against him.
"HE'S GOING FOR A SHOT?!" Yuuichi stepped forward and bent over to jump up and block, but as Yuuichi came up, Takumi made a full rotation around him, having tricked Yuuichi into jumping up by pump faking. This switch was too fast for him to counter in time as Takumi stepped in front of the three point line.
"Sh*t!" Yuuichi turned around with little time and gasped in surprise.
Just as Takumi had risen up to make a mid-range two point shot, Bentei bumped his shoulder into Yoshigawa, causing him to fall over as Bentei took off.
In three hops, he flew up and smacked the ball back with a resounding "BOOM" sound just when Takumi shot it up. The ball spiked against the three point line, headed directly to where Yuuichi had gone. Takumi glanced over, in shock.
"These two..." Takumi thought, landing down along with Bentei. His shadow spread over Takumi as he blocked the sun, while staring down at him.
"That was a close one," Bentei spoke up in anger as it was hard speaking over the cheering crowd.
"What was that?! Keep going!" a random baller from the sideline shouted, disappointed that Yuuichi hadn't done anything there.
"Yuuichi, what the hell are you doing? Switch up with me next," Bentei shouted, but Yuuichi didn't hear.
"If it weren't for Ben, he would have made that. That look before he passed me..." Yuuichi recollected how Takumi's eyes had seemed enlarged in a way that made him feel as if he were sinking into a darkness. "That kid... just like..." Before Yuuichi got any further into his thoughts, his brother snapped him out of it by slapping his back.
"Yuu, we have to work together. Switch out with me." Bentei snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face.
"Nah, I got this myself. Back off, I'll get him the second time around."
"Remember what we trained for..."
"I know, but I can't rely on you. I have to rely on myself more this year. I can't always depend on you, bro." Yuuichi avoided looking at Bentei.
"Liste-" Bentei tried again, but was interrupted.
"Go keep that other freshie aside... we're done talking about this," Yuuichi stubbornly refused the help.
Bentei closed his eyes and did as he was told, shaking his head. He eyed his brother from the corner of his eye. "Captain... I get why you've put us in this game," Bentei thought, searching the crowd until he saw Katsuya. He turned his attention back to Yoshigawa, making his way near him again.
The two once interlocked again, as Yuuichi dribbled backwards and kept dribbling the ball on his right side. Takumi glanced over his shoulder to Bentei and Yoshigawa and extended his arms to his side, focusing back on Yuuichi.
"Iso, huh? He's challenging me?" Takumi observed. At that moment, Yuuichi rushed towards Takumi's left. Takumi lifted his arm, his wingspan extending over. Yuuichi got close and ducked, thinking he had gotten through, but Takumi whipped over in front of him and tapped the ball up with his right hand. The smooth tap was viewed in slow motion on the big screen.
Yuuichi nearly lost the ball, but he adjusted his palm and pushed past Takumi's right hip. Takumi wouldn't be able to spin over in time to block Yuuichi's way like he had the first time, but he signaled with a glance that Yoshigawa recognized. Yoshigawa tussled with Bentei and broke free, getting into the inner box as Takumi jogged right behind Yuuichi. Bentei tried blocking Takumi's way with a screen as his brother went up against Yoshigawa within the inner box.
All would have gone well if Takumi hadn't faked that he was going to go towards his left by moving his shoulder a bit. The move got Bentei to move out of Takumi's way as Takumi chased Yuuichi down like a wild tiger chasing down its intended meal. Yuuichi's heart throbbed as he had mere seconds to pull it off. Yuuichi came up for a layup, Takumi hopped up and tried blocking along with Yoshigawa, but Yuuichi had tossed the ball up into the air too high as he stumbled down, catching himself with his palm. He barely scraped his knees and watched the ball come down and hit the rim, landing though the net, the second time around.
"TWO POINTS FOR THE TOGATAS!!!" yelled the announcer. One of the ballers refereeing the game blew his whistle and called out, letting the floating scoreboard know who made the point.
"See! I did it! And I'm going to guard him myself." Yuuichi punched his chest as Bentei smiled briefly, but then frowned.
"No, even so..." he thought to himself.
Takumi took in how quickly Yuuichi had moved through. "The change up, he went through it really fast. He's a slippery one."
One of the ballers on the sideline caught the ball that was rolling off and tossed it over to Yuuichi as he stood up and gleefully pointed over to Takumi. "YOU CAN'T GUARD, FRESHIE! I'VE GOT YOU ON LOCK THIS TIME!"
Takumi shook his head. "Gonna have to pacify this mutt," he muttered to himself as he felt Yoshigawa pat his shoulder. Yuuichi then tossed the ball over to Takumi.
"Yuu is still too in his head..." Bentei tightened his jaw. He wanted to start off with teamwork to show off what he had practiced with Yuuichi. Ebisu and Katsuya gave all the remaining members of the team goals to work on over the break; Bentei expected that Yuuichi had matured after everything they did. "We can't let them gain any momentum..." he thought to himself.
"And this guy, he's tougher than I expected." Bentei narrowed his eyes on Yoshigawa. Every time he tried running one way, Yoshigawa mirrored his movements, making sure to always somehow keep Bentei in the left corner of the court. He got better and better at it as time went on. There was only one thing Bentei could do to combat that. Bentei pretended to wrestle with Yoshigawa while he was keeping him from going over to help Yuuichi. "Looks like you have a healthy vitamin intake," Bentei commented, to which Yoshigawa smirked.
"Yeah, about to lay out some of my healthy Vitamin D after this game, buddy! You want a taste!?" Yoshigawa amplified his strength, nearly overwhelming Bentei, who then stood his ground, whipping his bare arm down as if it were a shield, forcing it against Yoshigawa's throat to keep him back. Both attempting to push each other with sheer power, evenly matched. Their forearms grinded against each other. Bentei didn't expect this from Yoshigawa, who was only about 6'0 and didn't seem too muscular. The ballers on the sidelines were enjoying the display of power from the two and even the stand off between Yuuichi and Takumi.
"The crowd seems awfully hungry this year! Both for food and a battle! The freshmen this year versus the freshmen of last year! Where's the popcorn guy?! Wherever he is, he must be makin' a killin' right about now!" the announcer exclaimed over his microphone.
Yuuichi shot glances over his shoulder, making sure that Yoshigawa was a good distance away, but was forced to twist his head back when he felt a strong breeze wash up against him. Takumi had increased his dribbling speed and charged towards him, abruptly stopping and stepping back to draw Yuuichi's attention back to him.
"Eyes on me, mutt," Takumi mouthed, angering Yuuichi.
He accepted the freshman's challenge and called out to his brother in assurance. "I'M TAKIN' THIS KID'S SOUL!" Yuuichi extended his arms out in front of himself as if about to push against a wall. Once he had them in that position, he lowered his left arm down to the left outer side of his hip and bent his knees, assuming his defensive position.
To Yuuichi, it was only him and Takumi, nothing else in their world. Not the leaves fighting feverishly against the gusts along the courtside, not the people brushing up against the fences like enraged animals, not the crowds of people shaking the gates and shoving to get in as if there were a clearance sale. No chaos could keep him from focusing solely on what went down between him and his opponent. His pride was on the line.
In a single hop step, Takumi brought his feet together once. His sneakers struck each other and then parted them, tapping the tip of his sneakers against the court floor as he slanted forward, letting out powerful bursts from his calves. His steps started to shift around, forcing Yuuichi to his left, then his right as he got closer to the three point line.
Yuuichi blew a huff just as Takumi spun the ball towards his face. His fingers tapped it back as Takumi caught it and shot a glance past Yuuichi's shoulder, but Yuuichi didn't take the bait. He kept his eyes on... TAKUMI'S INCOMING FIST?!
Before his fist actually hit Yuuichi, Takumi pulled it back. It had been a fake, but Yuuichi instinctively dodged by moving back and followed Takumi's left arm when it swung up towards the sky. "THE BALL!" Yuuichi's mouth dropped open. "DID HE SHOOT IT UP?! DID IT SLIP?!" Yuuichi's pink irises traced the blue sky above in desperation; he could have sworn he saw the ball rise up with the left, but there was nothing in the sky.
He was unaware the ball had slid along Takumi's forearm and landed behind him, as Takumi prepared to make a full spin on the tip of his shoe. Takumi grasped the ball in his right hand and drove towards Yuuichi's hip. Yuuichi could only waddle backwards, struck by how massive Takumi seemed in that instance. He had to regain some control, but all of Takumi's explosive movements grew to be too much for Yuuichi to keep up while unbalanced.
Right at the moment Yuuichi fell over, instead of passing Yuuichi towards the clear lane, Takumi turned his back and started dashing towards the half court line, confusing everyone.
"WHERE'S HE GOING?! THEY'RE PLAYING HALF COURT!" someone from the crowd shouted, exasperated, as people courtside rose from their seats.
Reaching half court, he took a single hop, landing two feet in front of the half court line. He let the air in his lungs come out and then sprung up, keeping the ball and his hands extended at the center of his body. His hand flew up with the ball. He was aligned perfectly with the center of the net. Like a slingshot, he shot the ball. The suns rays washed over Takumi, messing with Yuuichi's sight.
Yuuichi forced his body back up and took two steps, before freezing stiff. It was far too late. Takumi's open hand became a fist as he landed down and turned around. Yuuichi was hit by the glare Takumi gave him. "There's no way you made that!" Yuuichi turned around and considered getting a rebound, but when he turned around, he saw the ball sink through perfectly as the crowd cheered for the shot made.
Yuuichi clenched his fist and a cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. He looked back to Takumi, gritting his teeth. "Don't underestimate me. The game's far from over," Takumi spoke clearly, his words stabbing Yuuichi in the gut. Takumi leaned up and punched his chest twice over and rose his finger up to the sky in the form of a "1." From the crowd, dozens of flashes flickered all around randomly.
"That freshman made the shot from that far... without lookin'? Unbelievable luck," Bentei was stunned. Yoshigawa chuckled and told him, "No luck there! Wro's worked on that shot many times. PURE SKILL!"
The ball bounced three times and struck the gate before rolling back onto the court. Ebisu's arm dropped as his weight hit the ground. Never had he ever seen a freshman do something like that.
"A... trick shot? WOAAAAAAHHHH, NOTHING BUT NET!!!" one player on the sideline announced, tugging his hair. Cheers continued on. White snowflake-like retsu steadily formulated over the crowd of humans, slightly glimmering. The twinkles slipped past the gates, resembling a mist of cool snowflakes that were attracted to Takumi, who didn't notice it. Yoshigawa picked up on this, and he began to worry.
"Oh no... this can't be good. Yo, Tai!" Yoshigawa tried calling his friend, but the cheering was too loud.
"Bentei has to put Yuuichi in his place already. I can't believe he hasn't taken charge yet..."
Katsuya chuckled and shook his head at what Ebisu said. "It's fine, he has something in mind. He understands why we let Yuu play this match." Ebisu raised a brow and continued to spectate.
Reaching the gate, Bentei bent over and lifted the ball up. He turned over and shot his brother a dirty look. In response to this sign Yuuichi knew all too well, he shook his head stubbornly. "Stop lookin' at me like that and toss over that ball!"
"Have it your way. Get your ass handed to you all day then," Bentei grumbled in return, leaving Yuuichi clearly pissed. Bentei shrugged his shoulders, reluctantly deciding to go with what Yuuichi wanted until he came to his senses. Shaking his head, Bentei chucked the ball up into the air over to Takumi. As he did this, he took a quick break towards Yuuichi and Takumi, but Yoshigawa already expected this and intercepted him once more.
"Wow, you're so rude, dude! Our dance hasn't ended yet, c'mere!" A wide, threatening grin was plastered all over Yoshigawa's face. He did this typically to scare his opponents on and off the court, but it proved to be ineffective in this case against Bentei.
"Get out of my way. My problem isn't with you," Bentei mouthed with an angry look and motioned over, lifting Yoshigawa up and tossing him back. Yoshigawa landed down with ease as Bentei stepped back, extending his hands and whipping them side to side in an attempt to distract Yoshigawa. As he did, Yoshigawa pressed his left elbow against the right side of Bentei's hip so as to not lose him and hustled him steadily to the side once again.
Takumi jumped up a bit over Yuuichi and caught the ball. He believed he had stolen the ball, but when he was going to bring it up, Yuuichi tapped it right at the center, getting it out of his hands and spun back around. Takumi landed and met him face to face as soon as Yuuichi turned around to try a three point shot. The freshman swatted the ball and spun around Yuuichi, making him have to turn around as well. Takumi reacted faster and spun the ball from his left hip, up behind his back and as the ball dropped down to his right side, he caught it with his right palm as he landed and moved back. In position, he took off towards Yuuichi.
"Right into my hands!" Yuuichi shouted, believing he'd get it back. The ball seemingly slipped forward out of Takumi's palm, causing him to smile. He managed to successfully swipe the ball backwards towards the lane when... he found the ball was behind him. Takumi had gotten by him, again.
A nerve surged all across his body in a single intense pulse. His heart dropped to his stomach. He would have to turn to run and get it, while Takumi ran straight ahead and had the ball in his left hand already. "WHAT THE HELL!?" is all Yuuichi had time to yell out. On the big screen, the moment was replayed. With two smooth zig-zag steps to get past Yuuichi, Takumi caught the ball and took the lead down the lane wearing a faint smile.
For a moment, their eyes met again. Takumi gazed over his shoulder to take in Yuuichi's bleak expression. The crowd stood up, and one guy in the crowd flung up his popcorn, making it rain back down over the crowd. Yuuichi flung his hands from side to side, turned his torso and took two steps forward to see Takumi dash straight towards the basket explosively. Takumi slapped his shoes together and sprung up, rotating his arms in a circular motion as he released the ball. The ball rose up with a strong spin, blowing ripples of air around it before sinking straight down through the net with a clean "swish."
A sweat drop ran down Bentei's chin, followed by a gulp. Yoshigawa swung his thumb over to Takumi, calling out, "YEAHHHH, TAI!" Cheers and chattering erupted from the crowd as flashes of light flickered all around the court again.
Takumi landed down with his light brown bangs brushing against his cheek. He tapped the tip of his sneaker against the ground, then lifted his legs back one at a time to swipe the bottom of his sneakers like a tiger licking its paws. After doing this, he observed Yuuichi, who seemed speechless.
Takumi saw a purple flicker emit from his white wristband and glanced down, but when he looked, there was no flickering. Only when he looked away, did it start flickering and no one from the crowd was reacting to this. "Huh?" Takumi tried ignoring it, only to glance down again, but there was nothing.
On the sideline, Katsuya folded his hands with a smile, liking what he saw from Takumi. "That kid is impressive. Sorry Yuu, but you're going to have to take a loss early if we're getting anywhere as a team. Use this as a good lesson. You may have practiced over the break, but that's all pointless if you can't apply it properly. I need you to realize this now before the season starts..."
"This is ridiculous!!! Too ridiculous! What is he thinking?!" Kenny nervously ranted. All the while, he adjusted his camera and tapped his holo-pad, as he started a play back. "He's being stubborn trying to hold out long enough to shut down the freshman," Kenny debated with himself.
"My eyes... I can't stand seeing this anymore. What an embarrassment." Ebisu sucked his teeth after rubbing his eyes. "I thought he finally learned. Damn runt needs to snap out of it."
Kenny uneasily laughed at what Ebisu said. Ebisu tapped his fingers together back and forth to get rid of the small crumbs left by the potato chip he had been munching on. "Knowing how stubborn that kid is... he's only going to get heated more," Ebisu grinned, showing off his large canines. Katsuya sighed, seeing Yuuichi's hand opening and closing into a fist repeatedly.
"Those guysh are sommmfing elsh though," Ebisu spoke up, stuffing his face with more potato chips from the bag his sister held.
"You still have to get rid of that junk food habit," Katsuya frowned, as Ebisu scooted away from him to continue enjoying his munchies.
Back on the court, the game continued intensely. Yuuichi considered passing the ball to Bentei for once, but his pride quickly crippled him, leading him to shoot a two pointer instead. The ball hit the rim and came back down to his own disappointment.
Takumi caught the ball and ran back behind the three point line. He slid his right foot between Yuuichi's feet in order to keep him at bay. In the scuffle, Takumi finally said something, after briefly thinking back at the scrimmages he went through during the summer in preparation for whatever came his way freshman year.
"If you think you can be more aggressive, you're wrong. You're nothing compared to that one guy. I'm working for this more than you are, so when this is settled, you better keep your promise, mutt."
The vibes Takumi gave off blew through Yuuichi's confidence. The freshman's serious tone resonated with the hard work he himself was far too familiar with. Yuuichi felt his chest become heavier and huffed, seeing what seemed to be snowflakes twinkling around them on the court. Yuuichi rubbed his eyes with his forearm and looked up to the score. "I'm toast."
Score:
Team Freshie 19 - Team Sophomore 15
"Oh yeah, chief. Did you complete the homework I gave you concerning this Takumi kid and his friend Yoshigawa?" Katsuya asked Kenny.
"Yes, I did, and it's just as you said," Kenny replied.
"Okay, we'll talk about it later," Katsuya whispered to him and then changed the subject. "So, how good do you think they are? Specifically Takumi."
"He's gotta be like a 3 star, surely," Kenny estimated. Katsuya smirked, turning his attention back to the heated game.