"OHHHH!!"
"Bang!!"
With a thunderous dunk, Akagi added another point to his tally. Sakuragi had now failed to score a single basket while Akagi had racked up five consecutive goals. The game had become one-sided.
"Damn it! That's so unfair, you gorilla!!" Sakuragi shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Akagi's face.
"You keep bouncing around and hogging the ball like a loach! Why are you so slippery?!"
"What nonsense are you spewing, you idiot? That's just how basketball works," Akagi replied coolly, dribbling with ease, his tone condescending.
He stared down at Sakuragi and smirked. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if you even managed to touch the ball, let alone score a point."
"WHAT?!" Sakuragi's face turned crimson, and his entire body trembled with rage. "Don't underestimate this genius, you primate! If I wanted to, I could steal that ball from you in one second!"
Akagi raised an eyebrow and chuckled mockingly.
"Really? I was thinking of being generous and letting you touch the ball once."
With that, he held the basketball out in front of Sakuragi with both hands.
"Here, take a shot. Want to touch it?"
"You bastard…"
Grinding his teeth, Sakuragi slapped at the ball, but Akagi quickly lifted it out of reach.
"…!"
"What's wrong? Didn't you want to touch the ball?" Akagi teased, reaching out again.
Sakuragi struck once more, but Akagi easily shifted the ball to his other side.
"…!!"
Sakuragi's head pulsed with rage. Veins popped along his forehead as he glared at Akagi with wild eyes.
"RAAAA—"
"Yo yo yo yo yo!!"
Suddenly, Sakuragi swung both arms wildly, trying to bat the ball from every direction—up, down, left, right—but Akagi continued to maneuver it with ease. No matter how hard Sakuragi tried, he couldn't get so much as a fingertip on the ball.
Outside the court, Haruko watched in horror. Seeing Sakuragi on the verge of exploding, she turned to Oliver and tugged on his sleeve.
"Oliver-kun, Sakuragi-kun listens to you more than anyone. Can't you go stop this match before he loses his mind?"
"Me? Why should I stop it?" Oliver asked calmly.
"Eh?"
Haruko blinked in surprise at his response.
"When men clash, they settle it with action—on the court. That's how we communicate. You can't just interfere when the duel has already started," Oliver said seriously.
"Exactly, Haruko-sister!" Mito chimed in. "Once a match begins between men, you don't step in. That's the unspoken rule!"
"There are things in a man's world," Takamiya added solemnly, "that are more important than words."
Haruko still looked unsure. "But the person Sakuragi-kun is fighting… is my brother!"
Mito glanced back at the court, then suddenly froze in place. He pointed at Akagi, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Wait… you're saying the 'gorilla' playing basketball with Hanamichi is…"
"Yes!" Haruko nodded quickly. "That's my older brother—Akagi Takenori, the basketball team captain!"
"WHAAAAT?!"
Sakuragi's gang all turned pale.
No way. No freaking way. These two are siblings!?
"How is that even possible?! They're like night and day!" Noma whispered.
"This is really bad," Mito muttered. "Hanamichi's picking a fight with someone he should absolutely never mess with…"
He wiped sweat from his forehead, imagining the look on Sakuragi's face once he found out.
"Well…" Haruko sighed, looking down. "Originally, I thought the two of them could've become good friends."
---
Half a Month Ago…
Late at night in the Akagi household.
"…and then Oliver showed him a slam dunk, and Sakuragi actually jumped higher than him!" Haruko laughed as she sat on the chair in her pajamas, swinging her feet.
"But then, 'BANG!' He hit the rim! Hahahaha!"
Akagi sat nearby, lifting dumbbells with both arms. He grunted as he worked out but still listened attentively.
"Sakuragi-kun is amazing! He's only been learning basketball for a few weeks, and already he dribbles like a pro!"
Haruko's eyes sparkled as she spoke, waving her fists excitedly.
"They're both so tall and athletic—and they're joining Shohoku this year! Brother, with Oliver and Sakuragi-kun on the team, we might really go to Nationals!"
"Hmm…"
Akagi put down the weights and wiped sweat from his brow.
"Do they… have what it takes?" he asked quietly.
"Yes! I'm sure of it!" Haruko nodded without hesitation. "They train almost every day. I always see them practicing on the court when I go by. They have real perseverance!"
"I see…" Akagi murmured. "Maybe I should consider inviting them to join the basketball club."
After a brief silence, he added, "By the way, Rukawa Kaede—the one you've been keeping an eye on—he's enrolling too."
"Eh!? Rukawa-san!?"
Haruko gasped, her hands flying to her cheeks.
"I-I wasn't paying attention to him or anything! What are you talking about, brother?!"
Akagi gave her a skeptical glance and rolled his eyes.
"…That Oliver you keep talking about. Is he the 'Wind Oliver' from Heguang Middle School—the one who turned around a thirty-point deficit in ten minutes?"
"Huh? You know about that?"
Haruko's eyes widened.
"How could I not?" Akagi chuckled. "That performance was legendary. Every major basketball club in Kanagawa knows his name."
"He even handled Rukawa Kaede with ease. People still talk about it."
"W-Wow… so Oliver-kun is that famous?" Haruko said, genuinely amazed.
Akagi studied her for a moment.
"You've spent a lot of time with him lately. What kind of person is Oliver, in your opinion?"
"Hmm… Oliver-kun?" Haruko tilted her head thoughtfully, tapping her cheek. "He's… mature."
"Mature?" Akagi repeated with interest.
"Yeah. Like… even when people tease him or act childish, he doesn't get angry. He just laughs. And he treats Sakuragi-kun like a younger brother. He's always patient and kind… and he's super gentle to me."
She paused, then added under her breath, "More considerate than you, big brother…"
"…Ahem." Akagi looked away and grabbed his dumbbells again, slightly flustered.
"But I really think… Oliver and Sakuragi-kun would make great teammates."
A rare smile tugged at Akagi's lips. "Maybe they will…"
---
Back to the Present…
In the gymnasium, Sakuragi and Akagi now stood toe to toe, a fierce energy crackling between them.
"What a disaster…" Haruko muttered sadly.
"Sakuragi-kun may be talented, but my brother is the best center in Kanagawa. There's no way a beginner can beat him…"
She bit her lip, imagining how crushed Sakuragi would feel after losing.
"It's okay, Haruko," Oliver said gently beside her.
"Huh?"
She turned to see Oliver smiling confidently.
"Sakuragi might be inexperienced, but we trained him over the holidays. Do you really think he won't score a single basket?"
Haruko looked at him, surprised by his conviction.
"Believe in our Sakuragi Hanamichi."
Oliver's words echoed like a promise.
---
To be continued...
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