On another tram, Satsuki played with several souvenirs she had bought at Disneyland, looking at Daiki who was dozing off beside her. Her heart became much more peaceful, as if this were the Daiki she had been familiar with since childhood.
The four of them had made plans and talked about various topics, but none of them mentioned basketball, not even the upcoming match against Teikō Junior High.
Contrastingly, Daiki and Shōgo, had indifferent expressions, which left Satsuki somewhat relieved yet worried, feeling a mix of contradictory emotions.
In the blink of an eye, a new week arrived.
Because they would be facing the current champions, Teikō Junior High, over the weekend, the afternoon physical training at Fukuda Junior High had been extended by half an hour. Coach Kudo still hoped that the tactics he crafted would shine on the court, even if the brilliance was dim, it was still a form of radiance.
During this week, Shōgo was not idle either. He accompanied his teammates for practice matches, consciously pushing himself to improve his speed and strength. He wanted his teammates to adapt to the high-intensity competition, but unfortunately, his teammates were not a match for him.
In the past, Shōgo would have felt despair in such a situation. However, now, with his mindset and mental resilience, he only wanted to witness Teikō's third consecutive championship, not expecting anything more.
Friday arrived, and the members of Teikō's basketball team disappeared from their classroom.
In the classroom, Shintarō and Seijūrō were playing chess.
"We've decided. Tomorrow, you, Ryota, Tetsuya, and Atsushi will lead the second team," said Shintarō.
"What about Daiki?" Seijūrō asked, "He's not going. The opponent is Shōgo."
"No need for me and Daiki. With you and Atsushi, Shōgo won't be able to win, and his teammates are just ordinary people."
Shintarō adjusted his glasses with his right hand and didn't object. He calmly left the classroom after speaking.
"Let's hope you're right!"
...
Saturday
As they boarded the school bus, the usually lively teammates fell silent. Their opponent was Teikō Junior High, and no one was in a celebratory mood. They knew their own strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else.
This atmosphere was unfamiliar to Shōgo. He didn't know how to dispel this awkwardness. However, some people had experienced this atmosphere before Coach Kudo and Arata.
Last year, they had faced Teikō in a similar atmosphere, and it had ended in a complete defeat, a disastrous sight.
Coach Kudo clapped his hands and spoke in a loud and weighty tone, "Snap out of it, all of you! Do you remember your task?"
"Remember, Coach! Defense, defense!"
"Defense!" "Defense!" "Defense!" "Defense!"
Watching the players who still knew their roles, Coach Kudo felt relieved and continued, "Good. You remember your task. So, do your job, pass the ball to Shōgo, and forget about everything else."
"Yes, Coach!"
"Remember, we have a player on the level of the Generation of Miracles. We have hope. Remember that. Understand?"
"Understood!" "Understood!"
Listening to Coach Kudo's pep talk, Shōgo remained silent, feeling calm and serene. He didn't get carried away by the coach's attempts to motivate the team with his charisma. Shōgo's goal now was to conserve energy and then explode when the time came.
The school bus came to a stop, and the group headed toward the gymnasium.
Coincidentally, Teikō's team arrived at the gymnasium at the same time. The two groups entered without exchanging any words.
Seeing Shōgo, Satsuki thought about coming over to greet him but decided against it.
...
Fukuda locker room.
"Captain, hold on a moment!"
"Shōgo-kun, what's up?"
"Captain, can you mark Teikō's No.15, if he plays?"
"No.15?"
"Yes, that's right. No.15. If he gets on the court, mark him with all your might. Don't worry about anything else."
"Alright, Shōgo-kun!"
...
Teikō locker room.
"If I'm not mistaken, that guy just now was Shōgo, right, Ryōta?"
"You're not mistaken, Atsushi-kun. That was Shōgo-kun."
"This might be a bit challenging. Facing little Shōgo, it could get tough."
At that moment, Shintarō, who was opening the locker, said, "He's indeed a challenging opponent. What I'm not sure about is the position Shōgo is playing now."
"I believe that with Ryōta-kun and Shintarō-kun here, Shōgo-kun won't be able to score easily."
At this point, Ryōta, who had already changed into his uniform, chimed in, "Um, can I handle Shōgo-kun? After losing to him last time, I'm not willing to accept that!"
"Are you sure, Ryōta?"
Shintarō looked intently at Ryōta, his expression very serious. Shintarō knew the difference in strength between Ryōta and Shōgo. Although Ryōta's growth had been rapid, he was still far from Shōgo's level. As a former regular player, Shōgo's strength was not to be underestimated.
In the corner, Atsushi's voice sounded a bit downcast "Facing Shōgo is a bit different."
"Are you also feeling this way, Atsushi-kun? I thought it was just me."
"Little Tetsu, are you going to play?"
"Yes, Captain assigned me to play."
"In that case, with you around, even against Shōgo-kun, it should be relatively easy."
Seeing that everyone was ready, Shintarō spoke up, "Let's go warm up!"
"Alright!"
...
Fukuda locker room
Coach Kudo Ichirou's voice resounded loudly "Are you all ready?"
"We're ready!"
...
"Today, we face the strongest champions, Teikō. Let them witness the prowess of our tactics, even if they're the strongest team. Do you understand?"
"We understand!"
...
Then, Coach Kudo Ichirou turned to Shōgo and said, "Shōgo-kun, it's up to you now. Feel free to play your game."
Shōgo didn't say anything, he simply nodded to show his understanding and cooperation with the team.
In truth, deep down, Shōgo was somewhat disappointed. He had looked at Teikō's team and noticed the familiar faces, but neither Daiki nor Seijūrō were there. It was a pity.
It seemed that Daiki didn't plan to reveal his hidden skills to him.
As for Seijūrō, he probably didn't think much of me, Shōgo thought. He likely believed that with Shintarō and Atsushi on the team, they could easily handle me.
With these thoughts in mind, Shōgo's lips curled up, revealing a meaningful smile. What should he do in this situation?
Hmm! He should enjoy himself. This would be his debut against the Generation of Miracles!