Shoyo locker room.
The air was suffocating, like all the oxygen had been sucked out.
The players sat with their heads down, faces full of gloom and frustration.
From a lead of over twenty points at the start, now tied by Shohoku—this massive swing hit them like a series of heavy punches.
What was once a smooth, dominant match… how had it turned into this?
They couldn't understand it. Shohoku only subbed in one player—how did that flip the entire game?
Now their hearts felt clouded over. No confidence left.
Could they still win the second half?
Could they stop that monster-like Aoi Kunisaku?
Those doubts weighed on every single one of them.
Fujima Kenji looked at his discouraged teammates. He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and spoke loud and clear, his face set with determination. "What's with you guys? All slumped like this. Come on, so what if they caught up? All that means is we're back to square one. We haven't lost yet."
The players lifted their heads like they were pulled up by an invisible force, all eyes on Fujima.
His eyes burned as he went on. "None of you are weaker than them. Didn't we take the lead earlier and play great? Pull yourselves together. Don't forget—we're Shoyo. We've got skill. We've got heart. We're not going down here."
Every word struck like a drum, echoing through the locker room.
And with that, the thick cloud hanging over them started to melt like snow in the sun.
In its place, a fire began to burn again—growing hotter in each heart.
The will to win surged back, flooding through them.
…
Shohoku locker room.
The vibe here was totally different from Shoyo's.
Everyone's face was lit with joy and excitement, like they just hit the jackpot.
Who would've thought they'd go toe-to-toe with powerhouse Shoyo?
Sure, they all knew it was mostly thanks to Aoi Kunisaku's amazing performance.
But hey—Aoi was on their team. So if you think about it, didn't that mean Shohoku had that kind of power too?
No one saw a problem with that logic.
"Everyone did great in the first half. Let's keep it up in the second!" Ayako beamed and encouraged the team.
Just then, Shimizu Kanon walked over holding a stack of notes. Her expression turned serious. "Shoyo's true strength hasn't shown yet. The fast pace in the first half caught them off guard because of Saku-chan. Fujima Kenji is both captain and acting coach. He's definitely going to adjust tactics in the second half. You all need to be ready."
Akagi Takenori, Mitsui Hisashi, and the rest nodded, listening carefully.
While everyone was focused, Aoi Kunisaku pulled out a clear box from his locker.
Inside were lemon slices soaking in a yellow liquid.
He opened the lid and started eating like nobody else was around.
Shimizu Kanon talked for a good while before finally finishing.
That's when the others noticed Aoi munching away in the corner.
Sakuragi Hanamichi stared at him with his usual blank fish-eyed look. Not because he was hungry—he was just curious. He'd never seen that before.
Ayako walked over and reminded, "Aoi, don't eat too much before the game."
"It's fine," Shimizu Kanon quickly explained. "I made those lemon slices myself. They help refill sugar levels. Since Saku-chan took them out, you all should try some!"
Aoi didn't mind sharing. He put the box down on the bench and motioned for everyone to take some if they wanted.
Everyone perked up and crowded around, staring at the shiny lemon slices coated in syrup.
"This is lemon, right?" Kogure Kiminobu picked one up and looked it over.
Shimizu Kanon nodded. "Yep. Honey-soaked lemon slices. Best after workouts. They help replace lost sugar and fluids. Way better than drinking sugar water."
"For real? Never heard of that before," Mitsui Hisashi muttered, half skeptical. He picked up a slice and popped it into his mouth. His eyes lit up instantly. "Oh, that's good."
Shimizu Kanon beamed with pride. "I didn't know about it either at first. Saku-chan told me about it, so I gave it a try."
Ayako glanced over at Aoi Kunisaku and teased, "Didn't expect you to be useful for anything besides basketball."
Aoi Kunisaku's mouth twitched as he shot her a glare. "I'm not some idiot like Sakuragi."
"What did you say, bastard?!" Sakuragi Hanamichi exploded, baring his shark teeth and roaring at Aoi.
Ho ho ho ho…
Coach Anzai Mitsuyoshi chuckled as he watched the team bursting with energy.
His gaze fell on the container with the lemon slices. He murmured, "Honey lemon slices, huh… not a bad idea."
"Coach Anzai, you should try one too. Let us know what you think." Shimizu Kanon sweetly offered him a slice.
The Shohoku locker room suddenly buzzed with life.
Meanwhile, in the stands—
Aida Yayoi scribbled furiously in her notebook.
After a while, she paused, face full of shock, muttering to herself, "Unbelievable. They actually pushed Shoyo this far. Aoi Kunisaku is way stronger than I expected. He's not just some regular first-year."
She thought to herself, Maybe the title of 'Strongest High School Player' is about to change hands.
On the other side—
Koshino Hiroaki nudged Sendoh Akira. "Hey, Sendoh. Who do you think will win this?"
Sendoh leaned back without hesitation. "Shohoku, probably."
The rest of Ryonan didn't seem surprised. Deep down, they also felt like Shoyo was in trouble.
Aida Hikoichi couldn't help saying, "It's only halftime. We've got the whole second half to go. You're all giving up on Shoyo already?"
Ikegami Ryoji shook his head. "It's not about giving up. If Aoi Kunisaku weren't playing, Shoyo would still have a chance. But you saw it yourself. They can't stop him. For Shoyo to win, they'd have to either shut him down or outscore him. But they can't do either."
Maki Shinichi spoke calmly, analyzing everything. "If Shohoku's full power ended with the first half, then Shoyo still has a shot. Everyone else is manageable. But Aoi Kunisaku… we don't know if he's holding back."
"Holding back?" Kiyota Nobunaga's eyes bulged. "You kidding me? That guy still has more?"
Maki said, "Just a guess. But if that wasn't his full strength, he'll be the biggest obstacle to us winning the championship."
Coach Takato Riki nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Shohoku's No. 9 is a serious problem. He's got unreal talent. If he gets time, he's guaranteed to become a world-class star."
The moment those words left his mouth, all the Kainan players were stunned.
This was the first time they'd heard their coach praise anyone like that—not even Maki Shinichi ever got that kind of compliment.
Kensake Jeffrey asked, "Coach, this Aoi Kunisaku…"
Takato Riki nodded slowly. "No idea where Coach Anzai found him, but his talent is the best I've seen in all my years coaching. No question."
With all those years of experience, Coach Takato had a sharp eye.
Right now, he was already thinking about trying to recruit Aoi Kunisaku to Kainan.
A basketball genius like him—you might only see one in a lifetime.
But then he remembered Coach Anzai and sighed helplessly.
He had to start thinking now: if Shohoku wins this match, how should Kainan respond to the threat they'll pose?
Because based on Aoi Kunisaku's first-half performance alone, even Maki Shinichi would struggle.
And on top of that, Shohoku still had Rukawa Kaede.
His brain felt scrambled. A headache was setting in.
The Kainan players all felt like they had a heavy weight on their chests after hearing their coach.
Before they knew it, halftime was over.
Both teams stepped back onto the court.
Shohoku vs. Shoyo.
The second half was about to begin.