Sure thing, my morning routine is basically done. Let's go," said Liam as he followed Hayato through the gym's side entrance. The light from the high gym windows filtered in, catching specks of dust in the air as they walked.
Hayato stepped over to the bench near the far wall, grabbed his basketball gear from his bag, and began changing. He slipped into his shorts and jersey, tugged the hem straight, then sat down to tighten his shoelaces. He pressed each shoe down against the hardwood floor, rocking on the soles lightly to test the grip. The squeak of rubber against polished wood echoed around the quiet gym.
"How about we play a friendly one-on-one—for old time's sake?" Hayato said as he pulled his headband tight and tied it behind his head.
"Okay," Liam replied as he rolled his neck side to side, loosening up. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."
"We'll be playing ones and twos," Hayato said, spinning the ball slowly in his palm. "So threes count as two, and twos count as ones. First to sixteen."
"You're still as cunning as ever," Liam said, raising an eyebrow. "Taking advantage of the fact that I can't shoot.
"Sure, it's an underhanded tactic—but it might be the only way I can win against you" Hayato smirked.
"Okay, I'll shoot for it," he said as he stepped behind the three-point arc. He squared up, bent his knees slightly, then flicked the ball forward. It left his fingertips clean and spun tightly through the air before swishing cleanly through the net.
"Lucky. Sank my first shot of the day," Hayato grinned. "You're totally going to lose."
"Check up, you big old giant," he added with a smirk, tossing the ball to Liam.
Liam caught the ball, nodded once, and passed it back. He dropped into a defensive stance, knees bent, arms out. The soles of his shoes scraped softly as he slid his feet into position.
"Bring it on. Show me what you've got."
Hayato held the ball, scanning Liam. To test him, he faked a shot—jerking his shoulders forward and lifting the ball slightly. Liam didn't move, his eyes locked on Hayato's core, grounded.
"So you really think I'm bluffing, huh?" Hayato muttered to himself. He adjusted his grip and let the ball fly again from beyond the arc. It spun upward and arced down neatly through the hoop with a soft net-swish.
"That's two points," Hayato said, straightening up. "You better guard me up close if you want to win, 'cause I'm on fire today."
Without a word, Liam caught the rebound and passed it back to Hayato, the ball slapping firmly into his hands.
"Come on, you won't step up? Are you sure you want to give up two more points?" Hayato asked, bouncing the ball slowly. "You have to show me that you can score efficiently before I respect your outside shots," Liam replied, voice calm but steady.
"Okay, that's just lowkey disrespectful. If you're not going to step up, then it's time for you to check up," Hayato said and released another shot. This one hit the upper left corner of the backboard and dropped into the hoop with a soft rattle.
As the ball bounced gently to the ground, Liam's brows furrowed slightly. His jaw set.
"Man, am I on fire today! Three consecutive three-pointers in a row. Are you still going to sit back and watch me beat you sixteen to zero?"
Liam picked up the ball again and this time, as soon as he passed it back, he stepped in close. His shoes squeaked sharply as he shifted his weight forward, forcing Hayato to react quickly.
"Yes, that's much better. I thought you were taking this for a joke," Hayato said, lowering his center of gravity and sweeping the ball low. He feinted right, then drove to Liam's left side, brushing past him with a burst of speed.
Liam turned to chase but Hayato stopped mid-drive, bracing himself as he pulled up for a mid-range jumper. Liam, all 198 centimeters of him, lunged upward. His hand came down with force, sending the ball slapping hard against the floor.
"Damn! So high—you sure can jump," Hayato said, clearly impressed.
"Check up," Liam said simply, tossing the ball back to Hayato.
This time, Hayato passed it to Liam instead. Liam received it and immediately used his body to back Hayato toward the paint. His mass was difficult to stop—each step forced Hayato backward.
"Damn, he's really strong," Hayato muttered under his breath as he struggled to plant his feet.
Liam spun with his shoulder, slipped past Hayato, and dunked with both hands. The backboard trembled slightly, and the ball hit the floor with a sharp thud. He landed on both feet solidly, then said, "Only fifteen more points to go."
"And you're saying I have the advantage," Hayato muttered.
After the next check, Liam took two explosive steps and dunked with one hand. The rim wobbled.
He scored a layup after that—powering past Hayato with no resistance.
"There's no way I can guard that," Hayato thought. "The difference in our height, wingspan, and athleticism is far too great. I can't take him in the post. I'll have to figure out another way."
Liam faked left and slipped in a right-handed layup that tapped gently off the backboard and through. The next possession, he tossed up a floater—his touch was soft, and it dropped in after one bounce off the rim. Then he drove again, this time finishing with a one-foot hook shot that rolled over the rim and dropped cleanly.
Using his size and positioning, Liam backed Hayato deep under the basket again and dunked over him, his elbow brushing the net as he came down.
"I'm screwed if I let him anywhere near the post," Hayato thought. "I'll have to steal it while he's still outside."
Liam advanced again, dribbled deliberately, and then crossed Hayato with a quick step. He hop-stepped and slammed a reverse dunk—grabbing the rim and swinging lightly before landing. Then he used his left for a controlled layup.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm beating him," Hayato thought as he wiped sweat from his forehead. "I can't stop his offense. He's so strong and powerful… Having him on our team would make us the best in the prefecture."
Liam, back in possession, scored another clean layup. The ball rolled smoothly around the rim before falling through.
"And just like that, it's now ten to four," he said. "Six more points until you're beaten. Your cheeky tactics won't save you this time."
"I may be lacking in height compared to you, but I'm not just going to roll over," Hayato said as he braced himself for the next play.
He passed the ball to Liam, then pressed his legs firmly into the floor, trying to resist as Liam backed him down again.
"Just try to match his rhythm… find that brief moment the ball's exposed… then rush in and steal it… Now!!" Hayato lunged low and swiped across, cleanly knocking the ball loose from Liam's dribble.
"Whoa. He took the ball away from me," Liam said, startled. "Not bad, Hayato."
Hayato took the ball past the arc, then exploded toward the rim. Liam followed with long strides, closing fast. But just as he reached in to contest, Hayato hop-stepped, raised the ball—and then pulled it down again, faking the layup. Liam soared by him, arms extended, leaving the lane open.
"He faked me out and I fell for it," Liam realized mid-air.
Hayato stepped through the gap and rose for the reverse layup. The ball touched glass and spun off his fingertips before dropping neatly into the hoop.
"I totally got you, didn't I?" Hayato said, smirking as he landed.
"You were just lucky, that's all," Liam said with a grin.
"We'll see about that. I'll turn this game around."
Liam passed the ball and dropped into his stance again.
"I bet he wouldn't expect me to shoot now since I broke through earlier," Hayato thought. "I'll just shoot to close the gap."
He rose for another three-point attempt.
But Liam anticipated it. He jumped with perfect timing, his palm meeting the ball at the apex and knocking it away.
"Damn, he really can reach pretty high," Hayato thought. "His defense is almost impenetrable."
For the rest of the game, Liam didn't let up. He powered past Hayato and dunked hard. Then came another back scratcher dunk that made the rim shake.
With the score at fifteen to five, Liam pounded the ball into the floor, muscled his way under the basket again, and slammed it down with both hands, holding the rim briefly before letting go.
He landed with a thud, chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. "And that's game. Sixteen to five."
"Yeah, you won fair and square," Hayato said, hands on his hips. "Though… you were using your height to gain the upper hand."
"Please don't be making excuses. A loss is a loss," Liam replied as he jumped down from the low stage near the baseline and stretched his back.
"Yeah, you're right. I accept it," Hayato said, smiling through the exhaustion. Sweat trickled down his temple. "This was truly fun. Let's do this again someday."
"Yes. Definitely," Liam said with a small nod.