On the court.
"Yasuda, watch out for Shoichi stealing the ball—his court awareness is incredible."
Akagi passed the ball to Yasuda and warned him sharply, "Stop treating Shoichi like a beginner. His ability to learn is astounding, and he's improving way faster than we imagined. Treat him like you would Rukawa."
Yasuda flinched slightly at the reminder but nodded in agreement.
From the moment the practice match began, Shoichi had been improving at every turn, constantly absorbing and applying new techniques.
"Got it," Yasuda responded firmly, snapping into full focus and preparing to defend the ball against Shoichi at all times.
But even the most careful preparation meant nothing when faced with someone as overpowered as Shoichi.
Smack!
The moment Yasuda let his guard down, the ball in his hands was intercepted by Shoichi yet again.
Seizing the ball, Shoichi dashed forward, sprinting several meters and dribbling past the midcourt line.
"He's so fast... nearly on par with Sendoh."
Watching in awe, Aida Hikoichi's eyes sparkled as he murmured, "Who would've thought such a talent existed in the Shohoku basketball team? This trip was totally worth it... I need to document everything."
Compared to Aida's excitement, Takamiya Nozomi and the others nearby were equally stunned.
"Yōhei, this transfer student really has some skills. He just stole the ball from Kogure-guy again."
"With hands that quick, I bet he's good in a fight too."
"Handsome and skilled? Girls are definitely gonna go crazy over him."
"Obviously. Just look at the team manager—her eyes are practically melting."
…
As they spoke, their gazes drifted toward Ayako.
At that moment, her eyes on Shoichi weren't exactly hearts, but they radiated a warm, undeniable admiration.
Watching Shoichi's moves, Ayako turned to Hanamichi and said, "You should learn from Shoichi. He's able to play like this because his fundamentals are solid."
But Hanamichi simply waved her off, already lost in his own world of daydreams.
Meanwhile
Shoichi made it to the basket and scored with a light, effortless layup.
Right after scoring, he sprinted back on defense, waiting for Akagi's team to initiate their next attack.
…
Back at the other end of the court, Akagi and the others stared at Shoichi's retreating back, feeling their morale sink to rock bottom.
The point difference had widened again—2 to 11. If they lost another point, they'd fall behind by double digits.
"Captain, what do we do now? One more basket and it's double digits."
"Shoichi is something else—definitely not a rookie. We can't stop him at all."
"Was he really suffering from heatstroke earlier? He's playing better than any of us right now!"
…
Kakuta and the others were growing visibly frustrated.
Akagi, wearing a solemn expression, snapped, "Stop overthinking. Focus. I'll drive the ball in myself. You guys need to be ready to back me up."
Hearing the order, Yasuda and the others nodded resolutely.
Akagi then dribbled the ball himself and led the charge.
Spectators around the court were visibly stunned.
Akagi—standing nearly two meters tall and normally a center—was suddenly taking on the role of point guard? What kind of strategy was this?
"Are they switching tactics?"
Seeing Akagi's move, Shoichi turned to Rukawa and said, "Rukawa, let's switch matchups. I'll guard Captain Akagi. You take Yasuda. What do you think?"
Rukawa hesitated for a moment before replying, "…Alright."
The two swapped positions, switching defensive assignments.
After switching, Shoichi gave Rukawa a quick directive: "Stay ready for a fast break. If I steal the ball from Akagi, I'll pass it straight to you."
"Got it."
Rukawa nodded without hesitation.
Their movements quickly drew the attention of everyone around, and murmurs began to spread.
Was Shoichi planning to challenge Akagi head-on?
"Shoichi-kun sure has guts, going up against the captain like that."
Ayako's voice trembled with excitement, her bright eyes full of anticipation.
She wasn't alone—Coach Anzai also chuckled from the sidelines, eyes gleaming behind his glasses. "Now this is getting interesting."
"Shoichi vs. the Gorilla?"
Hanamichi lit up as he saw the one-on-one face-off forming, shouting, "Gorilla! Don't you dare lose to Shoichi! Only I get to beat you!"
Akagi's face darkened, remembering a series of humiliating moments.
"You idiot—shut up!!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier Akagi got. He roared at Hanamichi without holding back.
And at that exact moment of distraction
Shoichi lunged forward with lightning speed, reaching for the ball.
Akagi's heart skipped a beat as he tried to block Shoichi, but he was half a beat too late.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed—Shoichi had stolen the ball.
Without even pausing, he immediately launched the ball forward and shouted,
"Rukawa! Fast break!"
Before Shoichi's words were even out, Rukawa was already on the move, catching the pass effortlessly.
"Nice one."
Seeing the ball snatched from Akagi's hands, Hanamichi was even more panicked than Akagi himself. He shouted, "Gorilla! What the hell?! How could you let Shoichi steal the ball that easily?!"
Akagi completely ignored him and charged after Rukawa at full speed.
"Incredible… He actually managed to steal from Akagi."
Watching in awe, Aida Hikoichi whispered, "So that's why they switched defenders… It was all part of Shoichi's plan to steal the ball from the captain?"
"If that's true, then this Shoichi is terrifying. I have to write this down—every detail."
The more Aida thought about it, the more amazed he became. He immediately jotted down everything about Shoichi's stunning performance.