Swish...
Another net sound rang out.
The basketball once again dropped into Shohoku's basket.
The scoreboard immediately jumped.
Shohoku 0 to 21 Shoyo.
It wasn't unexpected, yet still went beyond everyone's imagination.
Shoyo had finally pulled ahead by more than 20 points.
Everyone's jaws dropped in shock.
Boom...
In an instant, the cheers of Shoyo's cheer squad surged like a wave, sweeping across the entire court again.
"Shoyo... Shoyo... Shoyo..."
The deafening roar felt like it could blow the roof off the gym.
On Shohoku's side, it was like a heavy black cloud pressed over every player's head. Suffocating and grim.
"Coach, what do we do? We're already down by 20!" Ayako's voice trembled with urgency as she rushed to Anzai Mitsuyoshi for help.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi calmly sipped his tea and replied slowly, "Don't panic. The match isn't over yet."
"Huh?" Ayako was totally stunned. She had no clue what Coach Anzai was thinking.
And not just Ayako—Taoka Moichi and Takato Riki in the stands were just as confused.
Taoka Moichi frowned. "Why hasn't Coach called a timeout yet? I don't get it."
Takato Riki muttered, "Is Shohoku planning to forfeit or something? What are they thinking?"
Even the players from Ryonan and Kainan were exchanging bewildered looks.
They couldn't believe the brutal beatdown Shohoku was taking.
Some even started to wonder if coming to watch this match had been a mistake.
But then their eyes drifted to the Shohoku bench—and the sight of Aoi Kunisaku lounging on the bench instantly drove those thoughts away.
Back on the court, Shoyo once again posed a threat to Shohoku.
Fujima Kenji dribbled the ball, storming into Shohoku's half.
His eyes scanned both teams' positions like lightning. Then, almost unconsciously, he glanced toward Aoi Kunisaku on the sideline and thought to himself, Still not planning to sub in? I don't know what you're waiting for, but fine. I'll just push the lead so far that you can't catch up.
With that, he suddenly changed direction and threw in a fake pass. Miyagi Ryota took the bait and got shaken off. Fujima broke straight into the paint.
"Damn it."
Miyagi turned to chase.
But right then, Fujima flicked his wrist and passed the ball.
The ball landed squarely in Hasegawa Kazushi's hands.
Since the start of the game, Hasegawa had seemed like just a defense specialist. Mitsui Hisashi hadn't paid much attention to his offense.
And that came back to bite him.
Hasegawa didn't hesitate at all. He caught the ball and shot.
Mitsui froze. The way Hasegawa shot—it looked eerily familiar.
"That's..." Kogure Kiminobu's eyes went wide in shock.
Ayako was so surprised she forgot to close her mouth, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks.
Even Akagi Takenori, Rukawa Kaede, and Miyagi Ryota on the court were stunned. They all saw it—Hasegawa's shooting form looked just like Mitsui's.
Too much like him.
Only Sakuragi Hanamichi, as clueless as ever, failed to notice.
Whoosh—the basketball shot out like an arrow, tracing a smooth arc in the air.
As Shohoku stared in shock and disbelief, the ball sank perfectly into the hoop.
Swish...
The ball went in.
A three-pointer for Shoyo.
Shohoku 0 to 24 Shoyo.
"Shoyo... Shoyo... Shoyo..."
The Shoyo cheer squad's chants once again filled the entire arena.
…
Less than 5 minutes remained in the first half.
Originally, Aoi Kunisaku wasn't scheduled to play until the second half.
But now—
Huff...
Aoi exhaled, the corners of his lips curling into a mysterious, slightly wicked grin.
He stood up, rolled his neck left and right—crack crack crack—a string of pops followed.
Then he turned to Anzai Mitsuyoshi and said calmly, "Sensei, it's time for me to go in."
The moment he spoke, every eye on the bench turned toward him.
Everyone's faces lit up.
Kogure Kiminobu's voice cracked from excitement. "Aoi!"
Shiozaki Tetsushi looked up with hope shining in his eyes. "Thank god."
Yasuda Yasuharu grinned, flashing his teeth. "We're counting on you, Aoi."
The first-years were all staring at him with sparkling eyes. "Aoi-san, we're leaving everything to you!"
Anzai Mitsuyoshi watched them all, letting out a deep sigh in his heart.
The team relied on Aoi Kunisaku too much. That had its pros—but also clear downsides.
He looked at Aoi and sighed again internally.
By all logic, with the current lineup, Shohoku shouldn't be losing this badly. They should've been able to put up a fight.
Was I too naïve?
Well, it's too late to change things now. One step at a time.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi finally nodded. "Alright. Go."
Ayako quickly chimed in with encouragement. "Aoi, give it your best. Show Shoyo what Shohoku's made of."
Aoi replied without looking back, "Was there ever any doubt?"
Hearing that, Ayako shook her head in exasperation, but a faint smile still curled at the corners of her lips.
Beep...
The whistle blew.
Shohoku requested a substitution.
In that instant, the noisy gym felt like someone had hit the pause button. A strange silence swept through the crowd.
Step... step... step...
The steady, confident footsteps of Aoi Kunisaku echoed clearly into everyone's ears.
All eyes were drawn like magnets, locked on the figure walking onto the court.
Fujima Kenji narrowed his eyes, sharp with caution. "Finally stepping in, huh?"
Hanagata Toru murmured as he watched Aoi, "We're already up by 20. What's he gonna do now?"
But Akagi Takenori and the others didn't look happy to see Aoi come in.
After all, their earlier performance had been too embarrassing.
In the stands, the Ryonan and Kainan players instantly perked up.
Sendoh's gaze sharpened as he stared at Aoi below. "Looks like Shohoku's about to counterattack."
Koshino Hiroaki frowned in doubt. "Isn't it a bit late for him to sub in now?"
Uozumi Jun, though, stayed calm. "For that guy, this point gap is nothing."
Aida Hikoichi was so excited his hands were shaking. He raised his camcorder and started clicking away furiously. "Finally! Aoi Kunisaku's entering! I'm recording every single highlight."
Taoka Moichi next to him had veins popping in his forehead. He raised his fist and knocked it straight onto Hikoichi's head. "Cut it out already! That camcorder's to film the whole game—not just him!"
Maki Shinichi stared intently at Aoi, his tone heavy. "Let's see what you can really do against Shoyo."
Takato Riki thought silently, Show me what you're really capable of.
On the other side, Aida Yayoi looked ready to burst. Her eyes sparkled like stars.
The one she'd been waiting for was finally on the court.
These past ten-plus minutes had been pure torture for her.
She turned to Nakamura Taizou beside her and ordered excitedly, "He's finally here. Don't miss a single frame. Capture every shot—every one!"
"Yes!" Nakamura quickly replied, fumbling to adjust his gear.
…
Aoi Kunisaku walked on with a cocky smirk and mocking eyes. He scanned Akagi and the others one by one. While casually picking his ear, he said bluntly, "You guys, stop standing around like statues. You're in the way. One of you, move. I don't care who."
The moment those words dropped, Akagi Takenori, Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota all froze like they got hit by a storm.
But they recovered quickly—and exploded on the spot.
"You bastard! Who are you calling a statue?!" Sakuragi jumped up like a firecracker, eyes bulging in fury.
Miyagi's face turned bright red. "You haven't even been on the court, and now you're ordering me around?!"
Mitsui shot him the middle finger without hesitation. "That how you talk to your senpai, you arrogant brat?"
Akagi's forehead throbbed with veins. "First-years these days are really something."
Rukawa scoffed. "What a bunch of idiots."
Aoi ignored all their shouting. Calm as ever, he pressed, "So, decided yet? Who's subbing out? All of you? I'm fine with that too."
It was like dumping water into hot oil. Akagi and the others were completely lit up, shaking with rage. Their teeth clenched so hard they could grind bone. Even the pressure that had crushed them under Shoyo's dominance had been blown away by this rising fire.
On the sidelines, Shimizu Kanon let out a deep sigh. "Saku-chan... come on. Can't you just speak normally?"
Ayako pinched her forehead and gave a wry smile. "I knew this would happen."
Anzai Mitsuyoshi started laughing.
Heh heh heh heh...
He could tell—the tension in Akagi and the others had completely vanished.
Different approach, same result.
That alone made Anzai feel relieved.
Back on the court, everyone turned their eyes toward Miyagi Ryota.
Under all their stares, Miyagi shivered and stammered, "Wh-Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Mitsui: "Why are you still standing here?"
Miyagi: "..."
Sakuragi: "You're the shortest one here. Staying on court just gets in the way."
Miyagi: "Sakuragi… you—"
Akagi: "Stop wasting time. Get off the court."
Miyagi: "You guys..."
Rukawa sighed, spread his hands at Miyagi. The message was obvious.
Miyagi: "It's not my fault I'm short!"
Aoi chimed in, just to pour more salt. "That's just reality. Who told you not to drink milk as a kid? Can't grow tall now—whose fault is that?"
Boom!
That did it. Miyagi exploded.
He stomped and shouted, "You jerk! What's milk got to do with height?! There's a limit to how much crap I can take!"
…
In the end, under everyone's mixed looks of pity and schadenfreude, Miyagi Ryota stormed off the court, fuming.