Chapter 05: Practice enough... Hmm... When the feeling is right, you can throw with exceptional accuracy
The cheers in the gym finally let Seiei Junior High know the name of that number 12.
Kamomedai Junior High, second year...
Hoshiumi Mì!
"Kamomedai was hiding an ace like that, just like us?!"
"No..."
"That guy, Hoshiumi Mì, his athletic ability was just average before, and his skills were only at the level of a typical basketball enthusiast, at least that's how he was last year."
"Huh? You know him, senpai?"
"I just heard it from the Kamomedai guys..."
"I heard that in his first year, he could only do basic training in the Kamomedai basketball club."
As the opponents, the Seiei Junior High players in front of the bench immediately started discussing among themselves, their words filled with shock and a deep apprehension of the firepower that had just erupted on the court.
This sudden variable had completely disrupted their expectations for this practice match.
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Meanwhile, on the other side, Hoshiumi Mì was welcomed back to the bench, enjoying the treatment of a hero. The starters, substitutes, and even the non-roster club members around him immediately began discussing him with even more fervor.
The air was thick with excitement and disbelief.
"Hoshiumi! Your three-pointers are so strong!"
"Yeah, did you see that super long-range three? He was practically on the center circle! A little further back and he'd be at half-court!"
"Speaking of which... before the break, wasn't Hoshiumi's mid-range shot... um... pretty average?" a voice piped up. It came from a second-year teammate who usually practiced with Hoshiumi.
"Could it be... I remember it wrong?" he added with some uncertainty.
"Uh..."
"You're probably not wrong, right?" The more he recalled, the more his tone filled with confusion.
Not just the second-years, but the third-year starters were also completely bewildered. As the team's coach, Nakama Sho, the shooting storm Hoshiumi Mì had displayed in those five minutes had brought him a shock and impact that far surpassed that of his own players.
Because of this.
After welcoming Hoshiumi Mì off the court, he couldn't help but secretly pump his fist in excitement on the side.
Nakama Sho: "...!"
He was absolutely certain. This kid, Hoshiumi, with the build of a forward, possessed the ability of a top-tier shooter, a super level far beyond that of junior high!
Whether it was the rhythm adjustment upon catching the ball, the near-textbook form on his jump shot, the incredibly soft touch as the ball rolled off his fingertips, the keen awareness to find open space when moving without the ball, or even the incredible ability to quickly readjust when facing a fierce defensive closeout and losing his balance...
Images from the game flashed rapidly through Nakama Sho's mind...
In a one-on-one situation, with just a momentary defensive lapse, Hoshiumi could immediately find an opportunity with a three-pointer. His shoulder and neck balance, his line of sight, the force and angle of his shot—none of it wavered in the slightest!
It was so smooth that one could only inwardly praise it as 'beautiful'.
Absolutely superb shooting touch and talent!
Coach Nakama Sho's eyes burned as he looked at Hoshiumi Mì, forcefully suppressing the excitement in his heart, but his thoughts were surging like a tide.
"This shooting ability..."
Putting aside the results he displayed today, just looking at the sheer magnitude of his improvement over a single break... it was a leap of Generation of Miracles-level proportions!
Who would have thought... Kamomedai's basketball club, a public school that had never been top-tier in the Tokyo district, could produce a genius of this caliber.
The Generation of Miracles from last year's nationals, plus the sudden emergence of Hoshiumi Mì... perhaps this school year truly had some magic in it.
But then again...
Nakama Sho: "..."
Damn it!
For a whole year last year!
As a coach, he hadn't noticed this kid's talent at all?!
Nakama Sho was more shocked than anything by Hoshiumi Mì's sudden transformation in the new school year, but he didn't find it strange at all. After all, in the world of junior high basketball, after the appearance of talent monsters like last year's first-year 'Generation of Miracles', Nakama Sho felt that such incomprehensible things were actually quite common.
Captain Imamatsu Shinshu, unlike the coach who was secretly pumping his fist, broke his usual silence. After the teammates surrounding Hoshiumi had dispersed a bit, he excitedly walked up, patted Hoshiumi Mì's shoulder, and even became much more talkative.
"Hoshiumi! What's the deal? How did your three-pointer suddenly get so accurate?"
Hearing this.
Hoshiumi Mì was at a loss for words.
Those five minutes were truly the most magical experience he had ever had playing basketball.
But how should he explain it...
Even if he bluntly said there was suddenly a system in his head called the 'Effort and Sweat System', it wouldn't be clear now. After all, he hadn't fully figured out the specifics of the system himself.
"Um..."
"I practiced a bit harder over the break..." Hoshiumi Mì thought, the 'Effort and Sweat System' and 'Future Preview' flashing through his mind. Although he didn't understand the specific connection and situation, he felt it was best to lean in that direction. Immediately, choosing his words carefully, he said with a hint of uncertainty, "I recently discovered that as long as I practice three-pointers like crazy, and practice enough... um... when I get the feeling, I can shoot exceptionally well. It's a bit... like I've found the knack for it?"
Hearing this.
Imamatsu Shinshu nodded.
Although the three-point performance just now was indeed outrageous, compared to the 'Generation of Miracles' who had clearly gotten stronger again at the 'Ten Schools Tournament' in the Tokyo district last semester, it wasn't that strange. After all, just looking at their builds, Hoshiumi and those 'Generation of Miracles' of the same year looked quite similar.
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The practice match officially ended. After friendly handshakes with the Seiei Junior High players and seeing them off from the gym.
Nakama Sho, whose strictness in physical training was comparable to Teiko's Kozo Shirogane, immediately let out his signature, ear-piercing demonic shout: "Listen up, everyone! Including the players who just finished the practice match! Only after you've completed today's physical training will you be truly finished! No slacking off!"
His gaze swept over the crowd and finally landed on the captain: "Captain Imamatsu, you're in charge of supervision."
"Yes, Coach!" Imamatsu Shinshu immediately straightened up and responded, then turned to the winking, quietly groaning teammates behind him, revealing a helpless but knowing wry smile. "Alright, everyone, stop dawdling, let's move! The last one... you know the rules... gets extra practice..."
"Yeah!" the players responded with a long drawl, a sound of resigned acceptance born from habit.
After everyone started moving, Nakama Sho's gaze never left Hoshiumi Mì's running figure, and he became lost in his own thoughts.
Combined with Hoshiumi's explanation just now, after the initial euphoria and excitement faded and he calmed down, Nakama Sho knew clearly that shooting with that level of accuracy was by no means normal.
It was more likely a concentrated burst of inspiration after pouring his entire break into training a single skill.
But even so...
As long as he could maintain half of today's firepower in future games...
That would be enough!
Having personally confirmed the talent Hoshiumi Mì possessed, Nakama Sho realized that all the new school year goals he had previously set for the team would probably have to be completely overturned and redone.
A new, bolder vision was rapidly taking shape in his mind.
Maybe...
This year, they really had a hope of challenging for the nationals!
That once-unreachable threshold seemed to have a sliver of exciting light shining through it, all because of that running number 12