The door clicked shut behind him, and Hanamichi let out a long breath. His shoulders ached, his calves were still twitching from Demon's Circuit, and his shirt was damp enough to wring out. But the silence of his house was oddly comforting.
He headed to the kitchen—modern, spacious, with a fridge that actually had options. He scanned the shelves.
"Leftover pork belly, eggs, cabbage, rice. Alright, we're eating like a retired pro tonight."
He tied a towel around his neck and got to work. The pan hissed as he stir-fried the pork, tossing in garlic and soy sauce with practiced ease. He cracked two eggs into a separate pan, scrambled them with chopped cabbage, and reheated the rice from earlier.
As the food came together, he leaned against the counter, watching the steam rise.
"Mitsui's back. Ryota's in. No fights. That's not how it went in the anime…"
He plated the food, added a drizzle of sesame oil, and sat at the long dining table—solid wood, polished, way too big for one person.
He ate slowly, savoring the meal and the silence. The house was quiet, but not lonely. It felt like a place waiting for something to happen. "Tomorrow's another grind."
He finished his meal, washed the dishes, and glanced at the garage door. "The car's well maintained. I don't have a license tho...What a bummer."
He smirked, flicked off the kitchen light, and headed upstairs—tired, sore, and quietly satisfied.
The house was quiet, but Hanamichi's mind wasn't.
Shohoku had changed. The drills were harder, the team tighter, and the story—his story—was no longer following the script he remembered. Ryota had returned without friction. Mitsui had knelt, cried, and been welcomed without a single punch thrown. Even the gang that once threatened chaos now sat in the bleachers, cheering like old friends.
He glanced at the framed photo on the bedside drawer—his father, smiling faintly, arms crossed like he knew something Sakuragi didn't.
"I'm doing alright, Pops. Not perfect. But I'm holding the line."
+++++++++++++++++++++
Shohoku arrived early. The gym was well-lit and spacious, with a steady flow of spectators filling the seats. The team headed straight to the locker room, changed, and began warm-ups without fuss.
Sakuragi stretched quietly near the sideline. He didn't talk much. His gang—Noma, Okusu, and the others—were suited up too, doing basic drills. They weren't starters, but they were part of the team now.
Ryota and Mitsui ran passing drills. Rukawa shot mid-range jumpers. Akagi checked the court spacing and nodded to Coach Anzai, who was already seated.
In the stands, Ryonan's team watched. Sendoh leaned forward. Uozumi sat with arms crossed.
A few spectators whispered:
"That's Ryonan?" "Shohoku beat them in a practice match." "Maybe Ryonan's not that strong."
Miuradai's players were loud during warm-ups.
Another added, "If Shohoku beat Ryonan, then this'll be easy."
No one from Shohoku responded. They kept warming up.
Akagi called the team in. "Play solid. No mistakes."
{A/N: I will base their game to a game in NBA Klay Thompson turns into his PRIME and hits 7 threes in first quarter vs Wizards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74MeF8vfguc}
Shohoku wins the tip. Ryota controls the pace, calling a simple motion set. Rukawa draws attention on the wing, kicks out to Mitsui—open on the left side. He sets his feet and hits the first three.
Shohoku 3 – Miuradai 0
Miuradai tries to respond with a drive, but Akagi blocks the shot. Sakuragi grabs the rebound and passes to Ryota. Quick transition. Ryota finds Mitsui trailing. Another three.
Shohoku 6 – Miuradai 0
Miuradai's bench starts shouting. Their coach calls for tighter perimeter defense. Mitsui doesn't react. He jogs back, calm.
Shohoku runs a stagger screen. Mitsui curls around, catches, shoots—third three.
Shohoku 9 – Miuradai 2
Miuradai switches to zone. Ryota probes, kicks to the corner. Mitsui again. Fourth three.
Shohoku 12 – Miuradai 2
Ryonan watches from the stands. Sendoh leans forward. Uozumi doesn't speak. Fukuda scribbles notes.
Miuradai tries a trap. Ryota breaks it, finds Mitsui on the wing. Fifth three.
Shohoku 15 – Miuradai 2
The crowd starts murmuring. Even Sakuragi's gang on the bench is quiet.
Miuradai forces a miss. Sakuragi boxes out, grabs the board, and outlets to Ryota. Fast break. Ryota pulls up, waits for the trailer. Mitsui arrives, catches in rhythm—sixth three.
Shohoku 18 – Miuradai 2
Coach Anzai remains seated. No reaction. Just watching.
Miuradai's coach calls for a switch. They try face-guarding Mitsui. Shohoku runs a backdoor cut. Ryota fakes, passes over the top. Mitsui catches, steps back—seventh three.
Shohoku 21 – Miuradai 2
As time goes on the other members of the team also started contributing....
Shohoku led 42–14. Miuradai had burned two timeouts already. Mitsui sat with a towel over his shoulders, sipping water. Ryota reviewed spacing with Noma. Rukawa leaned back, eyes closed.
Coach Anzai stood up. He rarely spoke during games unless necessary.
He walked over to Sakuragi, who was seated, calm, towel draped around his neck.
Coach Anzai faced Hanamichi "Hanamichi. You've been playing well. Now—show them what you can do."
Hanamichi looked up.
Hanamichi replied "Understood."
Coach Anzai returned to his seat without another word.
Shohoku inbounded. Ryota pushed the pace. Miuradai had switched to a tighter zone, trying to clog the paint.
Ryota passed to Hanamichi at the high post. He faced up, jabbed once, then drove left. Miuradai's center stepped up—too late. Hanamichi finished with a clean finger roll.
Shohoku 44 – Miuradai 14
Next possession, Hanamichi set a hard screen for Mitsui, then slipped to the baseline. Ryota found him with a bounce pass. Hanamichi caught, pump-faked, drew contact, and scored.
Shohoku 46 – Miuradai 14
Free throw: good.
Shohoku 47 – Miuradai 14
Miuradai tried to isolate Hanamichi on defense. Their forward drove hard, but Hanamichi moved his feet, stayed vertical, and forced a miss. He grabbed the rebound and immediately passed out to Ryota.
Fast break. Ryota to Rukawa. Rukawa missed the layup—Hanamichi cleaned it up with a tip-in.
Shohoku 49 – Miuradai 14
Coach Anzai called a timeout—not out of necessity, but to rotate the bench.
Hanamichi walked back calmly.
Noma leaned over. "You're showing off, huh?"
Hanamichi smiled. "Coach asked."
Coach Anzai made the switch at the start of halftime. Rukawa, Mitsui, Akagi, and Ryota sat on the bench. Hanamichi stayed in. Yohei checked in. Noma, Okusu, and Takamiya joined them.
Miuradai's bench looked confused.
"They're subbing out their starters?" "Now's our chance."
Coach Anzai didn't explain. He just nodded once toward Hanamichi.
This is where the game gets gritty. Miuradai, frustrated and outmatched, resorts to dirty tactics. They bring in Tetsuya Naito, their trump card, hoping to shift momentum through physicality. But Shohoku's alternate lineup—Hanamichi, Yohei, Noma, Okusu, and Takamiya—doesn't back down.
Shohoku led 74–20. Miuradai's coach was pacing. Their starters had been ineffective. He signaled to the bench.
Naito's first possession: he shoved Hanamichi on a rebound attempt. No call. Hanamichi didn't react. He just boxed out harder the next play and grabbed the board clean.
Next trip down, Naito hip-checked Yohei on a screen. Yohei stumbled but stayed upright. He reset the offense and fed Noma for a layup.
Shohoku 76 – Miuradai 20
The players from Miuradai amidst playing rough and dirty still can't sway the current line up of the team. With Hanamichi and the gang use to fighting and having stronger bodies than most people their age, even a lot of older adults would not fare well as well.
Miuradai started grabbing jerseys, throwing elbows, and talking trash. Okusu took a hit on a rebound. Takamiya got shoved on a cut. The referees missed two obvious fouls.
Hanamichi called out a switch. Next possession, he posted up Naito. Naito tried to body him out of position. Hanamichi didn't flinch. He pivoted, absorbed contact, and scored off the glass.
Shohoku 78 – Miuradai 20
Miuradai's guard tried to trip Yohei on a fast break. Yohei sidestepped, kept his dribble, and found Takamiya for a jumper.
Shohoku 80 – Miuradai 20
Hanamichi grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball himself. Naito tried to block him at half court. Hanamichi crossed over, drove, and finished through contact.
Shohoku 82 – Miuradai 20
Timeout Miuradai. Their bench was rattled. Naito was shouting at teammates. Shohoku's bench stayed quiet.
The buzzer sounds for the start of the final quarter. Shohoku's scoreboard blazes: 100 points. Miuradai trails with a mere 28, their players slumped, eyes hollow. The gym is electric, but the tension isn't about who will win—it's about how far Hanamichi will go.
Coach Anzai stands, calm as ever. "Yohei, Noma, Takamiya, Ohkusu—go in. Hanamichi stays."
The crowd murmurs. Even Rukawa raises an eyebrow. Haruko, clipboard in hand, glances at Hanamichi. He's not even breathing hard.
Shohoku inbounded. Yohei took point, dribbling with swagger. Miuradai had collapsed into a desperate 2-3 zone, hoping to slow the bleeding.
Yohei passed to Hanamichi at the top of the key. Hanamichi jab-stepped, then blew past the defender with a lightning-quick first step. He rose and finished with a left-handed layup off the glass.
Shohoku 102 – Miuradai 28
Hanamichi: 48 pts
Next possession, Noma ran a curl off Takamiya's screen. Hanamichi read the defense, cut backdoor, and received a bounce pass from Ohkusu. He pump-faked, drew contact, and scored off the glass.
Shohoku 104 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 50 pts
Free throw: good.
Miuradai called for a timeout to try to stop Shohoku's rythm. The team already lost all hope stopped making any score even if they try.
Shohoku 120 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 51 pts
Miuradai missed a rushed three. Takamiya grabbed the rebound and kicked it to Hanamichi. He pushed the pace, crossed half court, and launched a deep pull-up three in rhythm.
Shohoku 123 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 54 pts
Yohei ran a pick-and-pop with Hanamichi. Miuradai switched too late—Hanamichi caught, stepped back, and drained another three.
Shohoku 126 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 57 pts
Coach Anzai nodded from the bench. "Rotate."
Mitsui, Miyagi, and Kogure checked in. Yohei and the gang jogged off, slapping hands with Hanamichi as they passed.
Shohoku ran a motion set. Miyagi drove and kicked to Hanamichi on the wing. He faked, sidestepped, and hit a mid-range jumper.
Shohoku 128 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 59 pts
Next play, Mitsui missed a corner three. Hanamichi soared in from the weak side and tipped it in mid-air.
Shohoku 131 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 61 pts
Kogure ran a curl and missed a floater. Hanamichi grabbed the rebound, spun baseline, and scored through contact.
Shohoku 133 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 63 pts
Free throw: good.
Shohoku 135 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 64 pts
Coach Anzai stood again. "Akagi. Go."
Akagi limped onto the court, nodding at Hanamichi. "Let's finish this."
Shohoku ran a high-low set. Akagi posted up, drew the double, and kicked out to Hanamichi. He caught, jabbed, and hit a fadeaway jumper over the closeout.
Shohoku 137 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 66 pts
Miuradai turned it over. Miyagi picked up the loose ball and lobbed it ahead. Hanamichi caught in stride and threw down a windmill dunk.
Shohoku 139 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 68 pts
Final possession. Coach Anzai called timeout. "One more," he said. "Make it yours."
Hanamichi dribbled at half court. The crowd rose. He stepped back, faded, and launched a deep three.
Swish.
Shohoku 142 – Miuradai 28 Hanamichi: 71 pts
Buzzer.
The buzzer echoes through the gym. Miuradai's players slump off the court, heads down, jerseys soaked. Shohoku's bench explodes in celebration—but Hanamichi just stands there, towel draped over his shoulders, staring at the scoreboard.
Haruko rushes from the sideline, clipboard forgotten. She stops a few feet away, breath caught in her throat. "He did it," she whispers. "He really did it."
Her friends gather behind her, stunned. Maki, the stat keeper, flips through her notes. "Seventy-one points. No fouls. No turnovers.
Haruko steps forward, holding out a water bottle. Hanamichi takes it, eyes still distant. "I didn't even notice the score," he says. "I just… kept going."
Haruko smiles, soft and proud. "You were amazing out there."
Yohei jogs over, towel around his neck, grinning like a proud older brother. "Man, you were flying. That windmill? I thought the rim was gonna snap."
Reporters crowd the court. Cameras flash. "Hanamichi Sakuragi—71 points! What's your secret?"
Hanamichi scratches his head, then grins. "I'm just built different. Isekai, baby."
The reporter got confuse so much question marks popped over their heads "HUH??"
Yohei groans. "Don't say that in public!"
Ayako stood near the whiteboard, flipping through her clipboard. Her voice was steady, but even she couldn't hide the grin tugging at her lips.
"Alright, listen up. Here are the final numbers."
The room quieted. Hanamichi sat on the bench, towel over his head, still catching his breath. Yohei leaned against the lockers, arms crossed, smirking. Rukawa sipped water in the corner, pretending not to care.
Ayako continued "Hanamichi Sakuragi: 71 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers,. Also… 9 'I'm a genius' declarations. Haruko counted."
The room burst into laughter. Hanamichi raised a fist. "I regret nothing!"
"Yohei Mito: 6 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 alley-oop dunk. And a technical foul for taunting Miuradai's bench."
Yohei shrugged. "They started it."
"Noma: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. Also set two solid screens that led to Hanamichi's dunks."
Noma nodded proudly. "I'm basically his agent."
"Takamiya: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block.
"Ohkusu: 0 points, 3 assists, 1 steal.
"Mitsui Hisashi: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists. Hit five threes, two mid-range jumpers, and one fast-break layup off Hanamichi's outlet."
"Ryota Miyagi: 4 points, 6 assists, 1 steal.
"Kogure: 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist.
"Akagi: 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block.
"Kaede Rukawa: 26 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Haruko stepped forward, holding a stat sheet. "And one more stat," she said softly. "Shohoku: 125. Miuradai: 28."
Silence. Then Hanamichi stood, arms wide.
"Shohoku's era has begun!"
The whole Shohoku groaned. "Here we go again…"
+++++++++++++++
So there...also Hanamichi's game is based on a lebron vs GS game I watched on youtube.