"He… who is he?"
"What did he just say? Did I hear that wrong?"
"Isn't Uozumi Ryonan's captain?"
"This guy says he's the captain? He must be lying!"
The Shohoku players erupted into a clamor, voices rising and falling in disbelief. Shock and suspicion were etched across every face.
Ayako, Shohoku's manager, stood frozen, her pretty face wide-eyed, lips unconsciously parted in an 'O'. As the team's intelligence officer, she was responsible for gathering all information on opponents—but she had never heard of Ryonan changing captains. What was going on?
All eyes now fixed on Akashi. The entire gym fell into an eerie silence, as if even the air had stiffened.
To break the tension, Coach Taoka Moichi stepped forward, a faint hint of pride in his expression.
"This is our basketball team's new captain. He just entered high school this year, so it's normal that you haven't heard of him."
Shock deepened.
Sakuragi Hanamichi's eyes widened. He pointed at Akashi, astonished.
"This first-year is the captain? That's… just like me!"
A scene flashed through his mind—the memory of him besting Akagi Takenori on the court.
"Since a first-year can be captain… maybe I can too…"
His excitement grew, expression shifting from dreamy to foolishly confident.
The others, however, weren't sharing his optimism. They were stunned, struggling to process the news.
First-year. Only a first-year—and already captain of a high school basketball team?
Preposterous.
"This guy… only a first-year?!" Kogure Kiminobu pushed up his glasses, eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
Yasuda Yasuharu stood rooted, mouth agape.
Takenori Akagi's gaze remained locked on Akashi. It wasn't just surprise—it was solemnity and deep consideration. Slowly, he looked over at Uozumi, the player who should have been captain.
"Uozumi…" he muttered inwardly, as if asking a question.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi adjusted his glasses, sweeping his gaze over Akashi, trying to see through him. After a long moment, a faint smile crossed his face.
"Truly remarkable," he murmured.
Under Coach Taoka's guidance, Shohoku was led to their locker room.
Meanwhile, Ryonan warmed up, finalizing preparations. Akashi, jacketed, stood in front of the resting area, scanning the team.
"I won't be playing in this game," he announced steadily. "Uekusa, you'll play point guard."
"Huh? Me?" Tomoyuki Uekusa froze, completely taken aback. He had assumed he'd remain a substitute with Akashi around.
Coach Taoka simply observed silently. He had appointed Akashi captain and trusted his judgment entirely.
Akashi continued:
"Center, Uozumi.
Power forward, Ikegami.
Small forward, Sendo.
Shooting guard, Koshino.
That's the lineup for now."
Koshino frowned, raising his hand.
"Wait—Sendo as small forward? But he's not here yet!"
A familiar lazy voice drifted through the gym:
"Hello, everyone."
Everyone turned to see Sendo at the entrance, casually waving with one hand in his pocket, a signature nonchalant smile on his face.
"It's Sendo—he's here," Uekusa whispered.
"Seriously… the only one missing," Ryoji Ikegami muttered, shaking his head.
Sendo scratched his head with a grin.
"My apologies, overslept a little."
Akashi's expression remained calm.
"This way, there should be no problem."
The team exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the anticipation Akashi had demonstrated—he had already predicted Sendo's timing and prepared the lineup accordingly.
Coach Taoka muttered, exasperated,
"You scoundrel… showing up now!"
Sendo only smiled.
"Sorry, Coach. Overslept."
Even Taoka's irritation faltered in the face of Akashi's composed presence. Akashi had said nothing—no reprimand, no emotion. His calm command was enough.
Sendo approached Akashi casually.
"Hey, Akashi."
"Other matters can wait until after the game. Change your clothes—you're playing soon," Akashi replied, calm as ever.
"Got it." Sendo nodded and strolled toward the locker room, unhurried.
Shohoku locker room.
The room was quiet, heavy with tension.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Kogure muttered.
"That captain, Akashi… he doesn't seem simple," Yasuda added.
Sakuragi scoffed, flopping onto a bench.
"What's so great about him? First-year, and everyone's acting like they've seen a ghost."
Rukawa Kaede glanced at him coolly.
"You're also a first-year."
"What did you say, you stinky fox?!" Sakuragi leapt up, roaring at Rukawa.
Takenori Akagi frowned, uneasy. Now wasn't the time for arguments.
"We'll see during the game who's strong," he said firmly. "For now, let's finalize the lineup and hand out jerseys."
Anzai Mitsuyoshi opened his roster:
"Center, Akagi, #4.
Point guard, Yasuda, #6.
Shooting guard, Shiozaki, #8.
Small forward, Kogure, #5.
Power forward, Rukawa Kaede, #10."
Sakuragi protested immediately.
"Wait—why isn't my name there? Gorilla, you're messing with me!"
"Even if you don't start, there will be plenty of opportunities," Akagi replied.
"But I'm still just a substitute," Sakuragi grumbled.
Their argument carried audibly outside the locker room. Ryonan's team exchanged bewildered glances.
"What… is going on in there?"
Soon, Shohoku emerged in their jerseys.
Both teams faced each other on the court.
Ryonan's lineup was calm, composed. Shohoku, however, froze as they glanced at Ryonan's bench—focused on the young man sitting quietly, arms crossed.
"That guy… isn't playing?" Kogure gasped.
Ayako gritted her teeth.
"Are they looking down on us?"
Takenori Akagi remained silent, deep in thought.
Sakuragi, oblivious, strode toward Sendo, head held high.
"Sendo… I'm going to take you down."
Silence. The gym seemed to freeze.
Ayako groaned, covering her face.
Sendo simply smiled and extended his hand.
"Please take care of me."
"Alright," Sakuragi said confidently, reaching out.
Their palms met. The game was about to begin.