"'Pah!' 'Pah!' 'Pah!'"
Shōgo swiftly dribbled the ball, and in front of him, Daiki's gaze remained fixed on him, creating an unsettling feeling.
With a sideway block, the ball was irregularly thrown into the hoop by Shōgo.
But this was just the beginning. Daiki, who received the ball, had an even more intense look in his eyes. Blue electric sparks flashed, and his expression turned somewhat indifferent, as if he stood high above, commanding everything. In an instant, the basketball soared into the net.
Entering the Zone Daiki was a completely different person. Even if Shōgo was prepared, he couldn't keep up with Daiki's speed if he didn't enter the Zone as well.
Gray electric sparks flashed, and Shōgo and Daiki, who were in a deadlock, once again stood on equal ground. A gray and a blue aura pressed against each other, neither yielding as if they were trying to overpower each other.
"Thump!"
It was like a strange process of sinking into the depths of a lake after falling in.
Was this the next level of the Zone?
Unconsciously, he reached the bottom of the lake. A large gate stood at the bottom of the lake, and a figure appeared before him. Shōgo's pupils contracted, and he immediately understood where he was and realized that the person before him was the guardian of the second gate.
Kagami's guardian was Kuroko. So, who would be his guardian?
Shōgo wanted to move forward to see what was happening, one step, two steps, three steps... and he disappeared underwater.
He didn't know how long it had passed. Exhausted, both he and Daiki, who had returned to consciousness, were panting heavily. Shōgo picked up the basketball, took a distant shot, and the ball barely made it into the hoop.
"How about that? Call it a draw?"
"Fine. You're even better than I imagined, Shōgo."
"Likewise, Daiki. Did you see the second gate?"
"Yes, have you figured out how to open it?"
"Not yet. And you?"
"No, that person is really strong. I can't make out who it is."
For both of them, who couldn't open the second gate at the moment, it was indeed a challenge and a sense of pressure.
They paused their one-on-one match and walked over to where Satsuki was sitting.
One sat on the left, the other on the right, both next to Satsuki. They drank water, ate snacks, and savored cherries. After a while, the breeze blew, causing Satsuki's shoulder-length pink hair to gently flutter.
Restless youth, passionate days, innocent boys and girls. Shōgo closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair, as if he were asleep, savoring this rare moment of tranquility and fleeting years.
After an unknown period of time, a sentence woke Shōgo from his light slumber.
"Daiki, Murasakibara and Akashi haven't been coming to the basketball club lately."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I don't know what's going on with us."
"It's normal. Training and all that doesn't matter."
"Daiki..."
"Om."
"Oh, forget it."
Shōgo fell silent. Satsuki hadn't realized that another miracle had bloomed in the era of miracles. As for who it was, did they even need to guess?
"Satsuki, Daiki, how about we go get some ice cream?"
"Sure! Sounds great!"
"Let's go. I'm kind of craving it too."
As they chatted, the three of them got up and headed towards the convenience store, leaving the empty basketball court behind.
In the convenience store's leisure area, the three of them sat together, drinking soda, each with a teriyaki burger in hand.
This was Daiki's favorite food, especially after he had exhausted himself during the match.
Drinking soda and looking at the somewhat downcast Satsuki, Shōgo thought for a moment before suggesting a game.
"Satsuki, Daiki, how about we play a little game?"
Before the two of them could answer, Shōgo began explaining the rules.
"Satsuki, see your cup of bubble tea?"
"Yes, Shōgo-kun."
"Remember, when I point my finger at your cup, you say 'forget.'"
Then, turning to the intrigued Daiki, Shōgo continued.
"Similarly, Daiki, when I point at your cup, you say 'love.'"
"Of course, my cup is 'water.'"
"Alright, here we go. Satsuki, you go first. When I point at your cup, say the word."
"Okay, Shōgo-kun!"
With a smile in his eyes, Shōgo pointed at his cup, signaling to Satsuki to say the word.
"Water."
Satsuki got into the game's role and played along. Shōgo pointed at Daiki's cup.
"Love."
Shōgo then pointed at Satsuki's cup, and she continued.
"Forget."
The rhythm was set, and Shōgo intentionally increased the speed. Sometimes he pointed at his cup, other times at Daiki's cup.
"Water." "Love." "Water." "Love."
When he felt the timing was right, Shōgo continuously pointed at Satsuki's bubble tea cup.
"Forget." "Forget." "Forget."
"Woof." "Woof." "Woof." "Woof."
Daiki, who had been absentmindedly drinking his bubble tea, was amused by Satsuki's "woofing" and nearly sprayed his drink. Fortunately, he managed to turn it slightly, and the tea sprayed onto the ground instead of onto Satsuki.
Satsuki realized what was happening a bit later, her face blushing as she looked at Shōgo, and then, with a slightly resentful expression, at Daiki.
But now it was Shōgo's turn to burst into laughter. He took over the game from Satsuki, and as he pointed at Daiki's cup, he teased him.
"Forget." "Forget." "Forget." "Woof." "Woof." "Woof."
Watching this scene, Shōgo first struggled to contain his laughter, then suddenly realized he had a very serious problem. Here he was, laughing foolishly on the sidelines while the two in front of him were showering him with dog food, and he was merrily laughing while eating.
As he thought about this, a dark line seemed to appear on Shōgo's forehead.
I can't believe it. No matter how you look at it, I'm still the one eating the dog food. Is there no justice in this world?
[TL Note: From my understanding, it seems that in China, single people are referred to as "single dogs", and while couples are eating couple meals, single dogs are eating dog food.]