Touou High School Basketball Court
Kyoichi, already changed into his uniform, couldn't hide his excitement. He tugged at the jersey, looked it over from top to bottom, and struck a few poses he clearly thought were cool.
Standing nearby, Coach Shinkawa watched the scene with tightly clenched patience, resisting the very real urge to step forward and smack someone. He cast a glance at Touou's coach, Harasawa, who was calmly observing his own players, then silently reassured himself.
I'll just train him to death when we get back. No need to embarrass myself here.
On the court, Kyoichi admired the black jersey on his body and turned toward Ueno Juri, who was watching with a strained smile.
"Ueno, be honest—don't I look insanely handsome?"
Ueno subtly pointed toward Coach Shinkawa standing not far away and lowered his voice.
"Senior Kyo… the coach looks pretty unhappy."
Kyoichi stiffened. He glanced over and immediately met Shinkawa's dark expression. Memories of the man's usual thunderous shouting flashed through his mind, and a chill ran down his spine.
Without hesitation, he bowed several times in rapid succession before scurrying off to start warming up.
Watching this, Yoshimori Shin commented flatly, without a trace of emotion.
"You look even more handsome when you bow."
"..."
Nearby, Miyara Ichi also noticed Coach Shinkawa's mood and quickly began organizing the team's warm-ups, dragging Ueno and the others into motion.
In the Stands
Watching Kyoichi behave like a walking comedy act, Kise Ryota let out a helpless laugh.
Ueno… these are the teammates you found?
At this rate, it looked like Touou had today's win secured.
Truthfully, Kise would have preferred Todai to win.
He just didn't like seeing that expressionless guy winning all the time.
On the Court — Touou's Side
While casually shooting around, Wakamatsu Kosuke glanced toward Todai's players and spoke in surprise.
"That tall guy—is that Ueno? He's huge."
Holding a basketball, Sakurai Ryo studied Yagami Osaka for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"Huh? Isn't it?"
Before they could continue guessing, a calm voice came from behind them.
"Idiots. The one wearing number seven is Ueno Juri."
Kosuke flushed and whipped around.
"What did you say?"
"I said I was talking to idiots. Got a problem?"
Susa Yoshinori casually sank two shots, then glanced at Kosuke with a faint smirk.
"You bastard—"
Sensing another argument about to erupt, Sakurai quickly stepped in.
"Alright, alright. Calm down. The game's about to start."
Whistle—!
"Three minutes until tip-off!"
Todai High — Bench Area
Coach Shinkawa crossed his arms and surveyed his players before glancing toward Touou's side. After a brief pause, he spoke in a low, steady voice.
"Starting lineup: Ueno Juri, Miyara Ichi, Yagami Osaka, Kimura Ri, and Yoshimori Shin."
"Yes!" the team answered in unison.
"We start with defense. Osaka, you control the rebounds. Kimura, support him."
Osaka and Kimura nodded seriously.
Coach Shinkawa then turned his gaze to Ueno.
"Ueno. Touou's ace is yours. Any problem?"
Ueno felt his chest tighten—nerves and excitement mixing together—but he smiled and nodded.
"Leave it to me, Coach."
"Good. Don't rush your offense. But if you see an opening, take it. Understood?"
"Yes, Coach."
Touou High — Bench Area
Coach Harasawa glanced at Aomine Daiki, who had arrived unusually early today. After a moment of thought, he spoke decisively.
"From the start, full offense. Understood?"
"Yes, Coach."
There was no complicated strategy.
Touou knew very little about Todai—aside from Ueno Juri, they only had names and positions. But Touou was an offensive team through and through.
Aomine. Sakurai. Imayoshi.
All of them were scorers.
If they could crush Todai early, there'd be no need for caution.
After finishing his instructions, Harasawa turned toward Momoi Satsuki, who was holding a folder nearby.
"Momoi. Anything to add?"
Momoi bowed politely before opening the folder.
"Todai High School—no official record. Established for seven years, but this is the first year they've entered the Summer Tournament."
"Their coach, Shinkawa, is a former Japanese national player."
Touou's players instinctively looked at Coach Harasawa.
After all, he was one too.
Harasawa shook his head.
"When I was active, he had already retired."
Everyone glanced toward the elderly figure of Coach Shinkawa across the court and nodded in understanding.
Momoi continued, brows knitting slightly.
"I couldn't find much information on Coach Shinkawa after retirement. But judging from his playing footage, he's the cautious type—he prioritizes defense and observation before making adjustments."
She closed the folder briefly, then looked up again.
"Among Todai's players, only Ueno Juri has meaningful data."
Her expression sharpened.
"Ueno Juri—an all-around player. In middle school, he faced the Generation of Miracles and scored under triple coverage."
Memories surfaced in her mind. Even after all this time, her gaze darkened slightly.
"His explosive power is terrifying. He's a very dangerous opponent."
She glanced toward Aomine, worry flickering in her eyes.
"So our primary defensive target is Ueno Juri. The others—we observe first."
Momoi snapped the folder shut.
Coach Harasawa nodded slowly.
"Agreed. Ueno Juri is the priority. But we stick to offense."
Whistle—!
"Game start!"
"Both teams, take the court!"