The next morning, sunlight filtered through the dense leaves on campus, casting a dappled pattern on the ground. Shiro rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned as he dragged his heavy steps towards the school gate.
As Shiro approached the gate, the once-quiet campus came to life. Groups of students gathered, chatting and laughing with youthful energy. Yet, to Shiro, this lively scene felt like noise from a distant world—something completely unrelated to him.
He walked sluggishly through the gate, grumbling to himself 'Ugh... I really don't feel like going to school...'
"Good morning, Shiro!" A cheerful voice suddenly called out. Momoi appeared in front of him, bouncing happily as she greeted him.
Standing before Shiro, sunlight outlined her delicate figure. Her eyes sparkled like morning dew, bright and full of life.
In the soft morning glow, an atmosphere of calm and warmth surrounded them. Shiro smiled gently at Momoi and replied in a warm tone, "Good morning, Momoi" His voice was soothing, carrying the warmth of spring.
Looking at Shiro's gentle face and hearing his soft greeting, Momoi's cheeks flushed pink, like cherry blossoms blooming shyly in the breeze.
'Shiro is illegally handsome!' she thought to herself, marveling at his charm.
Behind Momoi, Aomine stood groggily, his hair messy as if it had been ruffled by a mischievous hand. His clothes were thrown on carelessly, with one button fastened wrong. His half-closed eyes wandered, clearly still not fully awake.
Aomine gave Shiro a lazy nod as a greeting before slowly shuffling along, half-asleep.
"Hey, Shiro, guess what?" Momoi whispered as she leaned closer to his ear. "You guys are playing a practice game against the seniors from the first string today!"
"Oh? How'd you find that out?" Shiro asked, turning his head slightly to avoid the warmth of her breath, a faint blush creeping onto his pale cheeks.
"I joined the basketball club's support staff yesterday and overheard Nijimura talking about it" Momoi replied sheepishly, scratching her head. "They said they want to put you guys to the test."
Shiro chuckled. "I'm honored to be the first to hear the news from you, Momoi. Do you think we'll win?"
"As long as it's you guys, I believe you can do it!" Momoi pumped her fists enthusiastically, her gaze full of determination.
"Alright, then. Make sure to come watch us later!" Shiro smiled as he waved goodbye. "I'll head to class now. See you later!"
"See you, Shiro!" Momoi waved back energetically.
As Shiro's figure disappeared, Momoi and Aomine made their way to their own classroom.
In class, Shiro slumped onto his desk. Junior high coursework posed no challenge to him.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon afternoon arrived. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, whispering the passage of time, while birds chirped merrily in the trees, celebrating the beauty of the day.
Since the previous day had been spent organizing the first, second, and third strings, everyone immediately gathered on the first-string court for warm-ups.
The captain, Nijimura, approached with a few of the starting players from the senior team, their intimidating presence hard to ignore.
"Welcome, everyone! I'm Shuzo Nijimura, captain of the basketball team," he greeted with a smile. "Being selected for the first string shows that you've got potential, but earning a starting spot will require consistent effort. Let's see how you perform today."
"Doesn't feel much like a warm welcome to me" Aomine muttered to Shiro, hiding behind him.
"They probably just want to show us who's boss" Shiro whispered back. "We'll likely have a practice game to take us down a peg."
Nijimura continued, "We won't run regular drills today since everyone's still getting familiar with each other. Instead, we'll have a practice match—seniors against first-years. The second and third years will be the Black Team, and you first-years will form the White Team. Let's keep it to twenty minutes. Show us what you've got!"
Nearby, the assistant coach, Naoto Sanada, adjusted his glasses with a tap of his middle finger.
"Alright! Let's start! I've been itching to play!" Aomine grinned, eager for action. He was still unsatisfied from his one-on-one yesterday.
With the referee's whistle, the game began. Both teams took their positions at center court.
The senior team, led by Nijimura, was known for its skill and discipline. On the other side, the rookie first-years boasted some extraordinary talent:
Akashi Seijuro, the point guard, whose precision and court control made him a natural leader.Midorima Shintaro, the shooting guard, famous for his clutch three-pointers.Kawakami Shiro, the small forward, whose unpredictable playstyle kept defenders on edge.Aomine Daiki, the power forward, known for his explosive speed and relentless drives.Atsushi Murasakibara, the towering center, whose presence under the basket made him a defensive wall.
The game officially began. The referee tossed the ball into the air, and Murasakibara leaped effortlessly, swatting the ball to Akashi before the opposing center could react. Despite his height, the older player was no match for Murasakibara's raw talent.
Akashi dribbled calmly, his movements smooth and deliberate, as if the basketball was an extension of his body. His sharp gaze scanned the court, analyzing every possible play in the blink of an eye.
Shiro positioned himself on the left wing, then suddenly sprinted toward Akashi. The senior small forward guarding him reacted a second too late, caught off-guard by Shiro's quick cut in the opposite direction.
"Swish!"
Akashi delivered a perfectly-timed pass, and Shiro caught the ball in stride, immediately driving toward the hoop.
The small forward couldn't keep up Shiro's speed and agility were overwhelming. As Shiro reached the paint, the opposing center stepped up to block him.
Without hesitation, Shiro lobbed the ball high into the air.
Reading the play perfectly, Murasakibara leaped, catching the ball mid-air and slamming it through the hoop with a thunderous dunk.
"An alley-oop!" one of the seniors exclaimed in disbelief. "These first-years barely know each other, yet they're already this in sync?"
Nijimura smiled and gave Shiro a thumbs-up. "Impressive. The stronger you guys are, the better our team becomes."
Shiro grinned mischievously. "If you guys don't start taking this seriously, we might just win."
The seniors exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions darkening.
"Looks like these cocky first-years need a lesson," one muttered.
Meanwhile, Momoi sprinted to the second-floor stands, panting from the effort. "Whew... I made it!" she said, glancing at the scoreboard. "2-0? Looks like the game just started."
The basketball club had opened the match to the public to showcase the school's talent, and the gym was filling with excited spectators.
From the stands, Momoi's pink hair stood out like a beacon. Shiro spotted her instantly and waved enthusiastically, a bright smile spreading across his face.
Caught off guard by his attention, Momoi's cheeks flushed red as she gave him a small, shy wave in return, her heart pounding wildly.
"Oh my gosh! Did you see that? That white-haired guy smiled at me!" a girl beside her squealed.
"No way! He was totally looking at me," another girl argued, setting off a playful debate.
The two girls quickly engaged in a lighthearted debate over who Shiro had waved. The crowd of girls in the gym buzzed with chatter about Shiro. Most didn't know much about basketball but had come to see if there were any cute guys, and it seemed they had struck gold.
Meanwhile, a few boys in the crowd gritted their teeth. "Come on, Black Team! Wipe the floor with those first-years!"
On the court, Shiro's opponent laughed smugly. "See that? They're all cheering for us. One day, when you're a senior, you'll be just as popular."
Shiro just smiled knowingly. The game was far from over.