Two days later—
The match between Shohoku and Kainan was already history.
The result caught many by surprise, yet somehow made perfect sense.
Shohoku's dominant performance on the court was plain for all to see.
Of course, all eyes were on Aoi Kunisaku.
With just his presence, like a stabilizing pillar, he held back an entire team. Even a powerhouse like Kainan was forced to retreat step by step under his overwhelming force.
Such an unbelievable feat—rare in a hundred years.
Aoi Kunisaku instantly became the hottest name across every sports paper.
Overnight, his name shot across Kanagawa like a streaking meteor. It sparked a storm in the national high school basketball scene across all of Japan.
Articles about Aoi Kunisaku flooded in. Among them, one headline stood out:
"In the recently concluded Kanagawa High School Basketball League match, Shohoku's Aoi Kunisaku burst onto the scene like a basketball prodigy, rewriting the course of the game with his overwhelming dominance.
Against the traditional powerhouse Kainan, Aoi's unmatched basketball skills and freakish athleticism wreaked havoc on the court.
His offense was flawless. Whether it was his Super High-Speed Dribble or his mind-bending Formless Shot, he tore Kainan's defense to pieces.
On defense, his sharp anticipation and top-tier blocking ability repeatedly shut down Kainan's offense.
With this game, Aoi Kunisaku proved his worth—not just as the core of Shohoku, but as the brightest new star in high school basketball.
He's a rising force destined to light up the entire basketball world. We look forward to the legend he'll continue to build at Nationals."
As the media coverage spread, Aoi Kunisaku's name grew louder.
Basketball fans everywhere wanted to see this "Super High-Speed Dribble" and "Formless Shot" in action.
Basketball Weekly also ran a profile on him:
[Name]: Aoi Kunisaku
[Age]: 16
[Height]: 192 cm
[Weight]: 85 kg
[Position]: Power Forward (PF)
[Jersey Number]: 9
[School]: Shohoku High School
[Player Profile]:
A basketball prodigy rarely seen in a century. Gifted beyond belief. Unique skills. Unstoppable scorer. Can suppress an entire team by himself.
1. Currently recognized as the fastest player in high school basketball. His speed makes it nearly impossible for defenders to react.
2. Possesses a distinct dribbling style all his own. Unrestricted and free-flowing. The ball in his hands seems alive, full of agility and unpredictability. With that dribble, he can disrupt defenses with ease and slice through them like they don't exist.
3. His shooting is even more incredible. No fixed form. No rules. He can shoot from almost any angle on the court, and his accuracy is shockingly high. Those wild, unimaginable shots always catch defenders off guard.
…
Shizuoka Prefecture · Jousei High School · Gymnasium
Jousei High, last year's National Top Eight and reigning champion of Shizuoka, was no team to take lightly.
Their coach, Asou Tomohisa—former kouhai of Coach Anzai from the Koumei University days—stood courtside with a furrowed brow, gripping a sports paper tightly.
Asou's eyes were locked on the page featuring Aoi Kunisaku. He muttered to himself, "Aoi Kunisaku… He beat Maki Shinichi? This kid… he's no joke."
He knew exactly how strong Kainan and Maki were. Maki was one of the best guards in the country, and had led Kainan to the Nationals Final Four just last year.
Now that very same player had been taken down by some previously unknown Aoi.
Asou couldn't shake a gut feeling—this year's Nationals wouldn't be peaceful.
Osaka Prefecture · Daiei Gakuen · Basketball Club
A tall boy with chestnut-colored watermelon-cut hair was staring intently at a basketball magazine.
He wore a green uniform, bold #4 on the back.
That was Tsuchiya Saku-chanshi, Daiei Gakuen's team captain and star player.
His eyes were deep and focused. He muttered under his breath, "Aoi Kunisaku… So Maki and Fujima lost to him?"
The article on Aoi sent waves through his mind. He now looked forward to the tournament with both anticipation and caution.
Aichi Prefecture · Aiwa Gakuen · Gymnasium
Thump thump.
Basketballs slammed against the floor over and over inside the gym.
A boy with neat, ear-length hair and a calm, refined face—yet eyes full of determination—was dribbling relentlessly.
His gaze burned with resolve and boldness, and a fighting spirit that roared like a flame.
His name was Moroboshi Dai, captain of Aiwa Gakuen's basketball team, known as the "Star of Aiwa." Last year, he led the team into the Nationals Top Eight.
On the bench beside the court, a copy of Basketball Weekly lay open. The page just so happened to feature the profile of Aoi Kunisaku—quietly declaring this newcomer as a rival Moroboshi Dai couldn't afford to ignore.
Aichi Prefecture · Meihou High School · Gymnasium
A middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper close-cropped hair and a slightly aged face lowered the magazine in his hands with interest. His eyes shifted toward a tall, well-built boy on the court.
"A speed-based player, huh? If he joined Meihou… that'd be like adding wings to a tiger," he muttered, already imagining how dominant his team would be with a beast like that. The hunger for victory gleamed in his eyes.
Akita Prefecture · Sannoh Kogyo High
Inside a classroom, a boy with short black hair and an easygoing expression sat at his desk, staring at a spread-out issue of Basketball Weekly.
His gaze was clear and sharp, filled with interest.
"Special dribble and shooting style? Sounds fun. I'd love to see it with my own eyes," the boy said softly, lips curving into a slight grin.
Just then, someone called from outside.
"Eiji… time for practice!"
He responded, "Coming!" Then quickly closed the magazine and stood up.
That day, the name Aoi Kunisaku spread like wildfire across the high school basketball world. Nearly everyone had heard it.
…
Elsewhere—
After beating Takezato, the players from Ryonan were stunned into silence when they heard that Shohoku had defeated Kainan.
They exchanged glances. A mix of expressions filled their faces.
Coach Taoka Moichi stayed quiet for a long time. Then he took a deep breath, emotions swirling in his chest.
Shohoku beating Kainan—that result placed huge pressure on Ryonan.
If Ryonan could beat Kainan, all would be well. But if they lost, they'd have to battle Shohoku again for a Nationals ticket. And honestly, that hope felt slim. He wasn't confident.
Because Aoi Kunisaku was just that terrifying.
Even without Aoi, the combined strength of Akagi Takenori, Mitsui Hisashi, Miyagi Ryota, Rukawa Kaede, and Sakuragi Hanamichi was already enough to match Ryonan's starting five.
Add in Aoi Kunisaku? Ryonan's path to victory looked even bleaker.
Taoka's mind suddenly flashed with the image of a beautiful face.
Shohoku's team manager, Shimizu Kanon.
He sighed inwardly, feeling bitter. This is too much.
Sendoh Akira, on the other hand, had a different look in his eyes. They sparkled with excitement as he mumbled to himself, "They beat Kainan? This is gonna be fun. I can't wait to play Shohoku again."
His teammates looked at him and sighed. They were used to this by now.
Koshino Hiroaki frowned and said worriedly, "I believe in our team, but… it's Kainan we're up against. We'd better stay sharp."
Ikegami Ryoji nodded hard beside him. "Yeah, yeah. I heard Maki and that Aoi Kunisaku were neck and neck right from the tip-off!"
Aida Hikoichi clutched his hair in frustration. "Ahh! So frustrating! I didn't record the match between Kainan and Shohoku! Such an epic showdown and I missed it!"
Uozumi Jun, meanwhile, had only one person in mind—Akagi Takenori.
He saw Akagi as his biggest rival. Now that Akagi had cleared the hurdle of Kainan, Uozumi's eyes sharpened with determination. He swore to himself, I'm not going to lose.
Shohoku High School
These past two days, Shohoku High had been buzzing with excitement.
News of the basketball team reaching the prefectural finals spread like wildfire across campus.
The school leadership even held a grand celebration to honor the team's amazing achievement.
Now, nearly every student and teacher knew that Shohoku's basketball team was just one win away from Nationals.
The players became overnight celebrities.
Besides Captain Akagi Takenori, the most attention naturally went to Rukawa Kaede and Aoi Kunisaku—both admired for their looks.
No matter where they went, a crowd of girls always followed from afar.
But since both of them were cold and quiet, the girls only dared to watch from a distance. None had the courage to approach.
The boys, of course, had their own campus crushes too.
Ayako and Shimizu Kanon, the basketball team's managers, were hugely popular among the guys.
Especially Shimizu Kanon—with her sweet face, smooth pale skin, and killer figure—she stirred the fantasies of countless boys.
If she weren't always glued to Aoi Kunisaku's side, the gym would probably be buried in love letters by now.