"Oh no!! Sakuragi Hanamichi is about to face off against the captain of the basketball team!"
"What?!"
The news spread through the school like wildfire. In Class 1-7, both Oliver and Haruko jumped up from their seats in shock.
"How did this happen…?" Oliver muttered, rubbing his temple in frustration.
He had taken time during the holidays to help Sakuragi learn basketball precisely to avoid conflict with Akagi. He knew Sakuragi's unpredictable temper, and Akagi's no-nonsense attitude. Their personalities were bound to clash eventually—but he had hoped it wouldn't come to this.
"Wait… who is Sakuragi-kun fighting again?" Haruko asked, blinking in confusion.
"The captain of the basketball team," her best friend replied with a sigh and a look of disapproval. "I told you, that Sakuragi Hanamichi is just a delinquent. Always stirring up trouble..."
"He's my brother!!"
Haruko suddenly grabbed her friend's shoulders.
"The captain of the basketball team is my older brother!!"
"WHAT?!"
Not far away, Kaede Rukawa was walking past when he heard the commotion. His ears perked up, and he paused mid-step.
"…Sakuragi Hanamichi?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow as he turned back toward the source of the noise.
---
Inside the gymnasium, a tense atmosphere had taken over.
Sakuragi and Akagi stood face to face under the basket. A large crowd had already gathered around them. Word spread quickly—this was a showdown no one wanted to miss.
"You heard?" a student whispered.
"Of course! That Sakuragi guy—he's gonna challenge Akagi, the captain!"
"This year's first-years are crazy…"
The crowd thickened, murmurs filling the space as Kaede Rukawa, still bandaged from the rooftop fight, leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, watching the drama unfold with interest.
A moment later, Oliver and Haruko arrived at the gym, joining Mito and Sakuragi's gang.
"Hey! Oliver! Haruko-san! You're here too?" Mito waved.
Oliver walked over, clearly not amused. "Why didn't you stop Hanamichi from doing something this stupid?"
The gang looked at each other and collectively shrugged.
"Come on, Oliver. You know how Hanamichi is—once he gets fired up, there's no stopping him."
Oliver sighed deeply. "Yeah… unfortunately, you're right."
When Sakuragi's blood boiled, he became like a raging bull—unstoppable, unpredictable, and ridiculously strong.
---
"Alright! The rules are simple!"
Akagi held the basketball in one hand and addressed the crowd confidently.
"There will be ten shots. If you can make even just one of them, you win. If you miss all ten, you apologize and take back everything you said about basketball!"
His booming voice echoed through the gymnasium. Opposite him, Sakuragi stood with his hands in his pockets, staring up at the basketball hoop with a blank look on his face.
Ah… I remember practicing there with Haruko during the holidays… those were good times…
Lost in his memories, Sakuragi's eyes softened, and tears began to well up. Akagi, watching him closely, twitched an eyebrow.
What the hell is this guy doing...?
"Hey! Are we doing this or not?!"
"Stop yelling, you big gorilla! You're ruining my moment!"
"…Gorilla?"
Akagi's forehead twitched violently, veins popping up as murmurs ran through the crowd.
"Hahahaha!! Gorilla! Now that he mentions it, Akagi really does look like one!!"
"This first-year's hilarious! Nailed it perfectly!"
Laughter rippled through the gymnasium.
"Oh no," Oliver muttered, facepalming. "Akagi absolutely hates being called a gorilla. This is going to get ugly…"
He clamped his hands over his mouth to keep himself from laughing.
But…
"…Pfft! Wahahahaha! He really does look like a gorilla!!"
Despite himself, Oliver burst out in muffled laughter. After all, when he watched the anime before, he'd thought the same thing—and seeing Akagi in person only confirmed it.
"Stop talking nonsense!! Let's get started already!!" Akagi bellowed, cheeks red with rage.
He started dribbling the ball aggressively, and Sakuragi finally dropped his goofy demeanor and stepped into a defensive stance.
"OOOOOOHHH!! It's starting!"
The crowd erupted with excitement as the 1v1 bullfight officially began.
---
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
Outside the three-point line, Akagi dribbled calmly and confidently. His eyes locked onto Sakuragi, who crouched low in a defensive posture.
He's got good reflexes… his stance looks solid too…
But…
Akagi suddenly burst forward, charging into the paint with powerful strides.
"Damn it!" Sakuragi growled, spinning around and leaping up in front of him. "I'll block your shot!!"
"Oh my god! Did you see how high he jumped?!"
Even the students watching from the back gasped. Kaede Rukawa's expression shifted, his gaze sharpening slightly.
Impressive… for a first-timer.
But Akagi wasn't just a big man—he had skill. With a smooth motion, he spun away from Sakuragi mid-air and pulled up for a fadeaway shot.
Swish!
The basketball sailed through the net effortlessly.
"WOOOOOOAH!!"
The crowd roared.
"GORILLA! GORILLA! GORILLA!"
"SHUT UP!!" Akagi snapped at the crowd.
Still fuming, he turned and tossed the ball at Sakuragi.
"Didn't you say basketball is just some stupid game? Then come prove it! Try and score!"
"Fine! I'll show you what this genius can do!"
Sakuragi snatched the ball confidently.
"Get ready, gorilla! This genius is going to end it with a slam dunk!!"
"I'm waiting."
From the sidelines, Mito and the gang watched with wide eyes.
"Whoa… Hanamichi's dribbling actually looks pretty good now."
"Not bad at all. He doesn't even look like a beginner anymore."
Oliver smiled slightly. After all, he'd spent hours training Sakuragi during the holidays—especially on basic ball control.
His pride swelled a little. Seeing your student flourish always felt rewarding.
After Haruko gave him the initial guidance, Sakuragi had poured himself into practice. He'd improved quickly—especially with his athleticism and stubborn determination.
But…
"Too naive!!"
BANG!
Sakuragi charged forward for a layup, but Akagi effortlessly swiped the ball from his hands.
"What!?"
Sakuragi stumbled, then turned to chase Akagi, who was already sprinting toward the other side of the court with the ball.
Oliver sighed from the sideline.
Sakuragi's dribbling had improved—but that was all he practiced.
During the holidays, Oliver had spent most of his time training his own stats and physical attributes, leaving Sakuragi under Haruko's supervision. She focused on teaching him how to dribble—but didn't cover defense, passing, or even basic awareness.
Sakuragi Hanamichi knew how to dribble.
And nothing else.
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