Basketball Court
For third-years like Miyara Ichi, time was supposed to be tight.
After all, the college entrance exams were only a year away.
But ever since they learned that Coach Shinkawa planned to register the team for the Summer Tournament, their routine had completely changed.
Whenever they had free time during the day, they came to the court to practice. At night, they reviewed their studies instead.
In their eyes, there was no real difference—practice could be moved, schedules adjusted.
What mattered was this:
They didn't want to leave any regrets.
Even if they lost.
Even if they failed.
That didn't matter.
Because failure after giving everything you had wasn't regret.
It was youth.
By the time Ueno Juri arrived at the court with Kurumatani Sora and Yagami Ōsaka, Miyara Ichi and the other third-years were already there.
Judging by their drenched jerseys and heavy breathing, they had been practicing for quite a while.
As soon as Ueno stepped onto the court, Miyara noticed them.
Ueno walked forward and greeted them first.
"Senpai."
"Oh? Ueno, you're here?"
Miyara stopped shooting and turned toward him with a smile, wiping sweat from his face.
Ueno nodded, then gestured behind him.
"Senpai, this is Yagami Ōsaka-san. He wants to join the basketball club."
Miyara followed his gaze.
The moment he saw Ōsaka—
He froze.
"…He's tall."
Not just Miyara.
Murasame and Kimura, who had been training nearby, also turned to stare.
Ōsaka's height was simply outrageous.
Miyara looked up at him in disbelief.
"Ōsaka-san… how tall are you?"
He didn't need to look up when talking to Ueno.
But with Ōsaka, he absolutely did.
Ōsaka thought for a moment before answering calmly.
"Senpai. I'm 202 centimeters."
"…!"
A ripple of shock spread through the court.
Two meters two.
That height alone was already top-tier—even among high school players.
Very few students even reached two meters.
Not to mention 202 cm.
Even Murasakibara Atsushi, one of the Generation of Miracles, had been around 208 cm in high school.
It was safe to say that Yagami Ōsaka's height placed him among the absolute elite.
Just as Miyara and the others were still processing it, Kamiki Kyoichi and Shin arrived at the court.
The moment Kamiki walked in, he noticed the towering figure beside Miyara.
"…Who's that?" he asked Shin. "Isn't that height kind of illegal?"
"No idea," Shin replied flatly, though his eyes lingered on Ōsaka.
After Ueno finished introducing Ōsaka, Kamiki froze for a beat—
Then immediately slung an arm over Ōsaka's shoulder and laughed.
"Ōsaka-kun! From today on, you're under my protection!"
Then he glanced at Ōsaka's slightly trendy hairstyle.
For some reason…
Kamiki suddenly felt like growing his hair out.
With Ōsaka joining, Tōdai's basketball club finally reached eight members.
As for the coach—
No one knew where Coach Shinkawa was today. He seemed to be busy with something.
So training was organized by Miyara Ichi.
As he led warm-ups, Miyara's gaze kept drifting between Ueno and Ōsaka, as if thinking deeply.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"Ueno."
"Yes, Senpai?"
"You and Ōsaka—play a few possessions."
"…!"
The court went quiet.
Then curiosity took over.
Everyone instinctively stepped back, clearing space and preparing to watch.
"Alright."
Ueno and Ōsaka exchanged a glance and nodded.
Catching the ball Kimura tossed over, Ueno studied Ōsaka carefully.
He didn't know Ōsaka's actual skill level yet.
But his physical advantage alone was already terrifying.
That height would give anyone a headache.
Ōsaka stepped inside the three-point line and lowered into a defensive stance.
When he spread his arms—
It was like a wall dropped in front of Ueno.
On the sidelines, Kamiki stared in disbelief.
"…That guy's defensive range is like four meters, isn't it?"
Kimura rubbed his chin.
"A standard court is fifteen meters wide. If he can really control four meters, he's basically a moving barricade."
Sora's eyes lit up.
"Then doesn't that mean our defense will be insane?"
Kimura gave a wry smile.
"That depends on Ōsaka-kun's reaction speed."
"Reaction speed?"
"Yeah," Kimura said seriously. "Height is just a foundation. Defense also needs speed, jumping ability, and awareness. Centers need those just as much as scorers."
"If he has all of that…"
Kimura's expression hardened.
"Then he'll be a true iron wall."
"The strongest shield Tōdai has."
At that moment, Kamiki suddenly spoke up.
"So—who do you think is stronger? Ōsaka or Ueno?"
Everyone's eyes shifted to the court.
Shield versus spear.
Ōsaka was the shield.
Ueno was the spear.
After a moment, the usually silent Shin spoke.
"…Ueno."
No one disagreed.
Ueno was their ace.
Even if he couldn't break Ōsaka's defense, he was still the key to winning.
After all—
Defense alone couldn't win games.
There was a saying everyone knew.
The best defense is offense.
And more importantly—
Ueno had once torn through Teikō Middle School's defense—against the Generation of Miracles—and scored.
Sora hesitated, then asked softly,
"…What if they're evenly matched?"
Silence fell again.
Tōdai High School – Basketball Court
Facing Ōsaka's spread-out defensive range, Ueno frowned.
Normally, offensive space was around two to three meters.
Ōsaka, just by standing there, controlled nearly four.
That wasn't defense.
That was a wall.
Dribbling the ball, Ueno glanced briefly at the hoop.
Then—without hesitation—he attacked Ōsaka's left side.
In most cases, a defender's left was weaker than their right—
Unless they were left-handed or exceptionally well-coordinated.
Ōsaka reacted instantly.
He stepped laterally with his left foot, cutting off the lane.
Ueno's eyes narrowed.
Ōsaka's arm blocked his path like a steel bar.
Too long…
And—
His reaction wasn't slow at all.
Ueno had barely lifted his right foot when Ōsaka had already adjusted.
If that was luck, fine.
But if it was judgment—
Then breaking this defense wouldn't be easy at all.