Taking the ball and facing Shin, who was guarding him, Kyoichi went straight into a post-up.
Backing Shin down, he leaned toward the basket and said triumphantly, "Shin, watch closely. This move is a secret technique I've been practicing for a month!"
As he spoke, Kyoichi glanced at the nearby hoop, his face full of confidence.
He wanted these two newcomers to know exactly who the strongest player in the club was.
Seeing that he was about to reach the paint, Kyoichi shoved hard against Shin, who was trying to stop him. With a focused gaze, he spun around and raised his hand, shooting toward the basket.
Amid Kyoichi's confident smile, the basketball slammed hard against the backboard.
Watching the ball bounce high, the smile on Kyoichi's face slowly stiffened, turning awkward.
"Rebound!"
Under the backboard, Ueno and Kimura Ri jostled for position, eyes locked on the falling ball, both fighting for the best spot.
As the ball dropped, Ueno jumped and snatched it with one large hand, pulling it tight to his chest as Kimura Ri's expression darkened.
Clutching the ball, Ueno quickly scanned the court and passed without hesitation to Kurumatani Sora, who had just moved into open space.
Kurumatani Sora caught the ball immediately but didn't rush to attack.
Instead, he searched for an opportunity to pass it back to Kyoichi.
His dribbling, passing, and ball-handling were decent, but when it came to shooting, he'd be lucky to hit five out of ten.
On top of that, his height worked against him—forcing a shot now would almost certainly get him blocked.
Meanwhile, Shin used Kyoichi's momentary distraction to step in front of him and box him out.
Leaning into Kyoichi, Shin said expressionlessly, "I haven't laughed like this in a long time. Thanks, Kyoichi."
Looking at Shin's blank face, Kyoichi nearly lost his temper, but in the end he just clenched his teeth.
"Shin, were you even laughing?"
"I laughed on the inside."
"…"
Off to the side.
Under the basket, Ueno watched Kyoichi and Shin grappling, then glanced at the anxious Kurumatani Sora.
After a brief moment of thought, Ueno ran out of the paint and reached out for the ball.
Seeing this, Kurumatani Sora's eyes lit up with joy. If no one had come to receive the pass, he would've had to force a play—holding it any longer would result in a violation.
Kimura Ri, who was guarding Ueno, froze when he saw him move out. He subconsciously glanced at Murasame Mae.
Murasame Mae looked just as confused.
In their minds, a rebounder should stay under the basket.
Still, since his opponent had moved, Kimura Ri followed him out. His job wasn't just rebounding—it was defense.
With a quick feint, Kurumatani Sora slipped past Murasame Mae and flicked the ball toward Ueno.
"Nice pass!"
The ball landed perfectly in Ueno's hands, right in stride. It felt so smooth that Ueno shot Kurumatani Sora an extra glance—the kid was definitely a skilled passer.
Noticing Kimura Ri closing in, Ueno didn't hesitate. His eyes locked on the hoop as he rose into a jump shot.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Everyone on the court instinctively followed it with their eyes.
"Swish!"
The crisp sound of the ball dropping through the net echoed across the court.
Score!
Kurumatani Sora waved excitedly, completely unlike the others, who were frozen in shock.
Ueno walked over and gave Kurumatani Sora a high-five.
"That was a great pass."
"Hehe!"
The game continued.
Ueno returned to the paint, while Murasame Mae stepped out to inbound the ball.
He passed to Shin, who immediately returned it—a simple exchange.
Dribbling, Murasame Mae looked at the short Kurumatani Sora guarding him seriously. He subconsciously glanced at Ueno under the basket. Ueno's strength was hard to gauge, and although he felt oddly familiar, Murasame couldn't place him.
Pulling his focus back, Murasame Mae planned to use his height advantage to back Kurumatani Sora down to the three-point line before shooting.
But he underestimated Kurumatani Sora.
Shifting his body, Murasame Mae attempted a between-the-legs dribble to drive toward the paint.
Just as he moved the ball from his right hand to his left, Kurumatani Sora suddenly reached in.
Startled, Murasame Mae yanked the ball back and stared at Kurumatani Sora, lingering fear in his eyes.
His between-the-legs dribble had almost been stolen.
Kurumatani Sora clicked his tongue inwardly—if only he'd been a bit faster.
Dribbling more cautiously now, Murasame Mae reached the three-point line and bounced the ball a few times to steady himself.
As he did, he surveyed the court.
Kyoichi was tightly marked by Shin. Ueno remained under the basket. If he shot now, even if they reacted, it would be too late.
With Kimura Ri ready to screen, all he had to watch was Kurumatani Sora.
After a few deep breaths, Murasame Mae fixed his eyes on the hoop, stepped back, and jumped into his shot.
Seeing his intent, Kurumatani Sora leaped immediately, stretching out to block.
But the height difference was too much.
He could only watch as the ball left Murasame Mae's hands.
Then—
A figure burst forward and leaped.
"Bang!"
A thunderous impact echoed as the basketball was violently swatted out of bounds, smashing into the nearby wall.
"When did he—?"
Still mid-air, Murasame Mae stared at Ueno, who had appeared in front of him out of nowhere.
Not just Murasame Mae—everyone was stunned.
Especially Kimura Ri, who was supposed to be guarding Ueno.
All he'd felt was a dark shadow flash past him.
And then came the scene he least wanted to see.
As the referee, Miyara Ichi saw everything clearly. He was even more shocked than the others.
His expression darkened as he thought,
"This guy's speed is terrifying."
On the sidelines, Coach Shinkawa's smile grew wider.
The stronger Ueno proved himself, the happier he became.
"Isn't this guy's speed a little excessive?"
Kyoichi stared at Ueno in a daze and muttered to Shin beside him.
Shin stayed expressionless, but his eyes were burning with shock—and a trace of excitement.
At last, a truly powerful teammate had arrived.
The rest of the match became Ueno's one-man show.
Kimura Ri couldn't stop him at all; the paint had practically become Ueno's personal territory.
By the end of the first half, the score stood at 40–27.
And that was with Ueno holding back.