In the hushed ambience of the Fukuda Sogo changing room, there was an intense air enveloping the players.
This made Alexandra shake her head lightly as she was quite speechless. Her eyes moved attentively over each member of the team.
"They looked serious, but I could feel their eagerness to play," she thought, sensing the team's excitement for today's match.
"Yet, it wasn't just about winning; it seemed like they wanted to devour Yosen High completely," she let out another sigh at their changes.
Sighing, she glanced at Tsuna, the one responsible for their current behaviour.
Her role was to oversee their training sessions, develop a proper training plan, and report their progress to Tsuna. At the same time, Tsuna handled the strategic aspects, and Nijimura managed the administrative side of the team.
She had a general idea of what had transpired during their training camp with Jabberwock. Still, she didn't understand the whole picture as the Jabberwock management staff had taken care of the responsibilities she typically handled.
With the freedom to play around in her neighbourhood and even train Kagami during her downtime, Alexandra was essentially on vacation.
Turning her attention to Tsuna, she pondered how he would prepare the team for the match against Yosen High today.
Noticing Alexandra's gaze, Tsuna casually shrugged.
"Well, securing the jump ball at the beginning of the match might be a challenge, especially with Atsushi on the other side."
This time, Nijimura was tasked with the jump ball, standing at only 195 cm compared to Murasakibara's towering 208 cm.
Nijimura acknowledged the challenge of winning the jump ball, nodding in understanding.
"I heard he's been constantly touching the ball even before it reaches its peak height. He might make the same mistake this game," Ishida added with a thoughtful look.
Tsuna dismissed any expectations, shaking his head. "I don't like relying on things beyond our control. Let's focus on being prepared. It's better to be safe than sorry..."
The team nodded collectively, agreeing on Tsuna's words.
Tsuna shifted his attention to Mochizuki, asking, "Kazuhiro, you've crossed paths with the guy you're marking today, right?"
Mochizuki nodded, remembering the previous encounter with one of Alexandra's disciples, Tatsuya Himuro.
"Tatsuya is not your average player, so don't underestimate him," Tsuna cautioned.
Surprised by the unusual warning from Tsuna, Mochizuki widened his eyes. Recalling that Himuro was trained by Alexandra, a former WNBA player, Mochizuki nodded as he took the advice seriously.
Though Himuro hadn't reached the level of the Generation of Miracles, he definitely would pose a challenge for Mochizuki.
"And Shuzo, I need you to go all out with him right from the start," Tsuna instructed which surprised them.
Nijimura arched an eyebrow, taken aback by the unexpected instruction from Tsuna. They would usually play it with a normal pace in the beginning, but bespite the surprise, he nodded reassuringly and replied, "Got it."
The team exchanged glances, realizing that Nijimura would face Murasakibara, explaining Tsuna's insistence on him giving his best from the outset. After all, Murasakibara was the formidable center of the Generation of Miracles.
Fukuda Sogo had adopted a strict man-to-man defense strategy under Tsuna's leadership. Each player had a specific opponent to mark, emphasizing individual strengths which explained their rigorous training to improve their strengths as an individual player.
Alexandra, however, knew there was more to it. Tsuna was aiming for something.
"If he had been using his opponents to forcefully improve his team, this time he does the opposite," she mused silently while keeping an ear on Tsuna's instructions.
Switching to their offensive strategy, Tsuna's face reflected deep thought. After scrutinizing his team, he broke into a confident smile. "For attacking, let's go with our version of give-and-go!"
On the other side, Yosen High had finished their strategy talk and left the changing room, heading towards the court.
Amid the excited crowd, two figures, one with dark blue hair and the other with long pink hair, walked side by side.
"...As expected, this place is crowded, huh?" His lazy voice resonated in the lively surroundings as he casually made his way towards the edge of the seating area.
"...It has always been this crowded, though." The pink-haired teenager retorted immediately.
A sigh escaped Aomine's lips, not particularly eager to engage in an argument at the moment.
"Oh, hello there, Aomine..."
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the ambient noise. The unexpected greeting prompted Aomine to sharply turn his head.
To his surprise, he found Kuroko sitting there, with the entire Seirin team seated right beside where he was standing.
The revelation hung in the air, momentarily freezing the scene with a palpable silence.
"..."
Caught in the awkwardness of the moment, Aomine scratched his head, unsure of how to proceed. Without uttering a word, he began to walk away, only to be firmly pulled back by Momoi.
With a mischievous smile on her face, Momoi orchestrated Aomine's return, and he found himself reluctantly seated right beside the Seirin team.
Kagami chuckled, breaking the tension with a casual greeting, "...Yo, Aomine, didn't expect to see you here..."
"..."
However, Aomine remained silent, offering no reply as he nonchalantly yawned, seemingly indifferent to Kagami's presence.
A visible vein bulged out on Kagami's temple as he turned to the others and inquired, "...Did he just ignore me?"
The rest of the group could only manage sheepish laughter in response while Momoi shot Kagami an apologetic look.
In the midst of the light-hearted banter, Momoi noticed Aida, the Seirin team's coach, wearing a peculiar expression as she gazed at her chest. Momoi mirrored the action before tilting her head in confusion.
She questioned, "...Why are you making such a face, Seirin's coach?"
"...Don't mind me, I just realized how unfair the world was..." Aida sighed with a dissatisfied expression etched onto her face.
Hyuga and Kiyoshi who had witnessed the unfolding scene, struggled to maintain their composure.
Their lips twitched slightly as they were holding back laughter. Aida, seemingly equipped with a keen sense sharply turned toward them, wearing an angry expression that made the duo nervously look away.
"The sky is beautiful, huh?" Hyuga remarked.
"I agree. It's beautiful..."
Kiyoshi responded, the two of them delivering their lines with a robotic tone trying to redirect Aida's focus.
Meanwhile, Koganei, observing the peculiar exchange, looked at them with confusion and remarked, "...But, the gymnasium is indoor, though?"
A moment of tension hung in the air.
Koganei's innocent comment silenced both players as they sensed Aida's sharp gaze intensifying.
Momoi gently chuckled as she observed the unfolding scene with a keen interest.
"You guys seemed very close with each other..." she remarked amusedly.
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