"Teiko's center..."
"Impressive skills."
While Kurokami Shinji and Nebuya Eikichi were locked in a fierce battle on the court, a team that had no business being part of junior high basketball somehow appeared in the spectator stands without anyone noticing.
At the same time, their sudden appearance drew the attention of the surrounding audience away from the game.
And the reason wasn't the white uniforms of Rakuzan High — known as the "Sovereign King Who Pioneers" — but rather the fact that their ranks included several familiar faces who had stood atop the junior high basketball world just last year.
It was the complete starting five from the famed "Okayama Miracle."
Four of them stood slightly behind:
Tajika Makoto
Hino Shinya
Kurumiya Tosei
Tonochi Kaoru
And then, the most eye-catching of them all — a player who had worn the number 4 jersey as a mere first-year, and even though the Inter-High qualifiers were still underway...
He was already being hailed by the high school basketball world as The Future
Hagioka Kasayuki!
"Hey, hey!"
"Look over there... am I seeing things?"
"Is that...?"
"Hagioka Kasayuki?"
"Whoa... he's huge!"
"Nearly two meters, right?!"
"Why would he be here?"
"This year's All-Japan Junior Championship is being held in Kyoto — Rakuzan's home turf! The next-door Gym C is hosting the Kyoto prefectural Inter-High qualifiers. I heard Rakuzan has a round-robin final today, yet he's got time to come watch a junior high match...?"
"You don't get it, do you? For Rakuzan, there's no such thing as an opponent! Look, I've got the latest issue of Basketball Weekly — it's got a whole feature on Hagioka Kasayuki!"
On the court, Kurokami Shinji was using his excellent technique to offset some of the physical power gap. Though still pushed back, Nebuya Eikichi's advance suddenly slowed. His limited close-range offensive options made him an easy target for Teiko's collapsing defense.
"Nagakichi!"
"Careful! Pass it quick!"
The point guard from Ibu Middle shouted. Only then did Nebuya realize just how much danger he was in — his prolonged post-up had allowed Teiko to rotate into perfect defensive position.
"Tch!"
"Damn it!"
Nebuya roared and swung the ball out. The pass was powerful but, as Kurokami had anticipated, lacked the precision of a true focal point player who could draw defenders and still deliver an accurate feed.
The Ibu point guard muttered under his breath, then spotted Shigure Akihito charging in at the free-throw line. He quickly sent the ball away
Smack!
Only to have it intercepted by Nijimura Shuzo's perfect read.
And just like that, it was Teiko's possession again.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Rakuzan's section was buzzing — for many fans who followed both junior high and high school basketball, Hagioka Kasayuki's presence was more compelling than the game itself.
Especially after one particularly smug spectator whipped out his copy of Basketball Weekly, attracting even more onlookers.
The magazine's latest issue devoted nearly half its pages to Rakuzan High — the perennial powerhouse that had never missed a Winter Cup or Inter-High since their inception, claiming multiple championships and sweeping all three major titles for two consecutive years.
The other half? Three-quarters of it was all about Hagioka Kasayuki. The last quarter was dedicated to Shigure Akihito, as told in Hagioka's own words.
The headline blared:
Monster?
Genius?
No!
The next three years of high school basketball will belong to the future of this nation's game!
The Future — Hagioka Kasayuki!
"Newcomers these days really are monsters, huh?" The former ace and current captain of Rakuzan — though he'd handed over the number 4 jersey — noticed the magazine and nudged Hagioka with his elbow. Turning toward the spectator, he smiled politely. "Excuse me, could I borrow that for a moment?"
"Huh? Oh! Sure, no problem!"
"Um... Hagioka-san, could you sign this for me? I've been a fan since your first year in junior high!"
Pages rustled as Hagioka warmly accepted the pen and the magazine from his senpai. The spread was open to the final part of his interview — about his transformation since moving up to high school, where his numbers had become vastly different from his junior high days.
This section was placed at the very end.
Interviewer: We've noticed that in just half the qualifiers so far, you've been averaging an incredible 50+ points, 20 rebounds, 20 assists, 6 steals, and 6 blocks. Compared to junior high, the most striking change is your explosive scoring. What caused this shift?
Hagioka: Probably because of one very important game I lost.
Interviewer: You mean last year's All-Japan Junior Championship final against Teiko?
Hagioka: That's right...
Interviewer: Can you elaborate?
Hagioka: When the final buzzer sounded... how should I put it? The whistle, the opponent's ecstatic cheers, the crowd's applause — it all felt like a song of evolution. It made me rethink my entire understanding of basketball, and by the time I entered high school, I had completely transformed.
Interviewer: What kind of transformation?
Hagioka: In that match, being defeated by Shigure Akihito's exhilarating offensive talent made me realize something... Back in Okayama, I'd always been the so-called "rock-solid ace," but I'd grown arrogant.
Hagioka: I didn't strike the right balance between being the steady foundation for my teammates and being the go-to scorer who finished every play.
Interviewer: I see... I think I understand. But when you say you were defeated by Shigure, aren't you being too modest? From what I know, you lost to Teiko's Twin Stars — or Teiko as a whole.
Hagioka: No... In my direct matchup with Shigure, for whatever reason, I truly lost. That was a genuine miracle.
Hagioka signed his name beside the words "miracle," hesitated, then added a dash afterward.
At that moment, the Rakuzan captain finished reading the part about Shigure's outrageous abilities as described by Hagioka.
"No matter how you spin it..."
"It's still hard to believe."
"Hagioka... a guy like you actually lost?"
"Is this Shigure Akihito really as over-the-top as you say?"
"I've become a pure ace now," Hagioka said quietly, pen still in hand. Looking down at Shigure on the court, he shook his head slightly. "See for yourself, senpai... In this junior high paradise, just how strong this giant elephant called Shigure Akihito has become. And how much stronger a single year has made him."
End of chapter...
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