"Come on, dude, get the shot up!" said a teenager.
"Alright, just wait and see! I'll show you how trash you are," said his friend as he took a two-pointer, which swished through the net.
"In your face, bro! You still can't guard me," said the friend.
"Hey, punks, what the hell are you guys doing here?" said a boy standing at 191 centimeters, towering over the two playing one-on-one.
"What does it look like, Sherlock? We're playing ball," said one of the guys.
"I don't know if you guys are aware, but this is my turf, so get the hell outta here before I beat your asses," said the tall boy.
"Screw you, man! You think we're scared of you? If you want to go, then let's go," said one of the boys as he clenched his fist.
"Exactly what I love to hear," said the tall guy as he smirked and rushed in, punching one of the hoopers in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.
The other boy attacked from behind, attempting to land a blow. However, the tall guy immediately spun and kicked him in the face, sending him flying flat on his face.
"Damn, this guy is tough," said one of the hoopers as he struggled to get up.
"Yeah, I know... he kicked both our asses. You're going to regret attacking us, you bastard! You messed with the wrong gang! We're from Musashi High," said one of the boys.
"Do I look like I give a damn? All you guys are doing is making empty threats."
"Screw you, you son of a—" Before he could finish his sentence, the tall guy stepped up in his face.
"The boss isn't going to like this! He's going to beat the hell out of you! You're screwed for sure!"
"I'd like to see him try. Oh, and before you leave, tell him that my name is Tadao Inoue, and he is to meet me here at three so I can beat the life out of him," said Tadao.
"What?! You're Inoue? As in Tadao Inoue—the guy who took out that biker gang causing trouble in this neighborhood when you were only fourteen years old?"
"Oh, shit! Let's get the hell out of here!" said one of the boys as they ran away in fear.
"Haha! Run away, you guys are a bunch of pussies," said Tadao as he walked away.
Nearing the end of their training, Nanaho made the basketball players run up and down the court doing suicides.
"Come on, man, when is she going to let us stop? I'm gonna die at this rate," said Noboru, completely drained.
"I don't think I can hold out much longer... I'm gonna pass out," said Shino, breathing heavily.
"And that's the end of training, guys. Good work," said Nanaho.
Everyone panted heavily after the intense practice.
"Finally, it's over," said Noboru as he lay on his back and took a deep breath.
Shino collapsed onto all fours, trying to catch his breath.
"Gather around, everyone! I have an announcement to make," said Nanaho.
"I know we've only been training for three weeks now, and half of our team is practically inexperienced, but I have great news! I got us a practice match," said Nanaho with a smile.
"What?! B-but it's too soon!" said Shino nervously.
"It's fine by me. Time for me to showcase my skills," said Noboru, smirking.
"However... it's not just any team we're going up against. It's the powerhouse—Yokonan High School."
"Yokonan?! Are you sure?" asked Takahiro, shocked.
"They were last year's runners-up and made quite an impact in the Inter-High, ranking fifth," said Hayato.
"Not only that, but they have one of the most dangerous players on their team. He won multiple scoring titles back in junior high. I'd know because we were on the same team," said Yukio.
"We know they're strong because we had a practice match against them when my older brother was captain. We did well, but in the end, we lost," said Yukio.
"Yeah… that day, everything went downhill for us," Yukio thought to himself.
"There are three players we need to watch out for," said Nanaho.
"Takeshi Kayano—he's a guard, 178 centimeters tall. He's a great scorer, passer, and decision-maker on the court, which makes him dangerous.
Then we have Kogure Kobayashi—a power forward, 193 centimeters tall. He's their main scorer and also one of the best defensive players in the league.
And then there's their captain, Keichiro Yamada. He's 201 centimeters tall and plays center. He's a monster on both defense and offense—that's self-explanatory."
Shino gulped in fear at Nanaho's words.
"Keichiro is a monster… his brute strength alone caused me to get injured," thought Hayato to himself.
"Keichiro Yamada is strong… stronger than I could have imagined. That's why my knee was—" Hayato held his head down.
"How interesting… a worthy opponent to test my strength against," said Noboru.
"They'll more than likely let us play their second squad since they think our team has gotten weaker," said Yukio.
"What do you mean by 'second squad'?" asked Shino curiously.
"Well, every year, Yokonan has three teams, each with fifteen members. However, only the first team and sometimes the second actually get to play," said Takahiro.
"They're such a cocky team! I'll show them what I'm made of," said Noboru.
"I've decided that, starting tomorrow, we'll work on both our offensive plays and defense. You've all been developing individually, but now you'll develop as a team. I have some plays in mind that I'd like us to work on," said Nanaho.
"That's good to know," said Yukio.
"Alright, everyone, clean up and don't forget to stretch."
"Um, Tetsuo?" said Shino as he approached him.
"What is it?" asked Tetsuo.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"So, what do you want to talk about?" asked Tetsuo.
"Um… I was just wondering if you could teach me how to make a layup shot. Throughout the training sessions, I haven't actually learned how to score at all. All I've done so far are dribbling and passing drills. The practice match is only a week away, and I want to at least be able to score some points for us. So, would you please show me?" asked Shino.
"Okay, watch me," said Tetsuo as he dribbled the basketball to the hoop, took two steps, and laid the ball off the backboard, making it swish through the net.
"Were you paying attention?"
"Yes, I was," said Shino.
"Okay, then let me explain. A layup shot is one of the simplest in basketball. It has one of the highest scoring percentages. If you want to score consistently, you have to place the ball on the right spots on the backboard. Before we get into the actual movement, you'll practice finding those spots. Is that clear?"
"Yes!" said Shino as he picked up a basketball and stood to the left of the rim.
"Here goes nothing," he said as he attempted a layup. However, he hit the backboard too hard and missed.
He tried again but completely air-balled the shot.
"Why are you teaching that amateur? He won't learn. You're just wasting your time," said Noboru.
"Shut up!" snapped Nanaho angrily as she smacked Noboru on the shoulder.
"Ouch! Hey, that hurts!"
"Serves you right, you little punk," laughed Hayato.
Noboru might be right… I'm just a waste of time, thought Shino, holding his head down.
"Focus! Aim for the small rectangular shape above the rim," said Tetsuo, pointing.
Shino tried again. This time, the ball hit the right spot and swished through the net.
"I did it! I actually made it!" shouted Shino excitedly.
"Try making a couple more before we head out for the day," said Tetsuo.
"Yes! I'll master them before you know it," Shino replied confidently as he took another shot. The ball swished cleanly through the net.
"It's been three weeks since he started learning... Can't believe I doubted that kid," Yukio thought to himself. "He's got heart, and that alone will help him improve at a fast rate. If we keep this up, I believe we can make it to the Inter-High."
"I'm home," Tetsuo said as he stepped inside, taking off his shoes.
"Welcome home, big brother! You're just in time for dinner—it's almost ready," Usagi said cheerfully, wearing a cute little apron.
"Oh, thank you very much, Usagi, for making dinner."
"It's the least I can do since you cover all the expenses here. Go ahead and sit down," she said with a warm smile.
"Thanks for the meal," Tetsuo said as he began eating.
"So, how was training?" Usagi asked curiously as she sat across from him.
"It actually went well today."
"I see… Do you feel any difference?"
"I honestly don't know. But I can't deny that I feel something whenever I'm playing basketball… It's hard to explain."
Usagi smiled knowingly. "That means you're making progress, big brother. Don't let go of that feeling."
"I won't," he replied, just as his phone started ringing. He glanced at Usagi for approval before answering.
"Go ahead and answer," she said with a nod.
"Hello?"
"Hey, long time no see," said the person on the other end.
"Who is this?" Tetsuo asked.
"You've already forgotten? I'm Haruko Takahashi, the girl you met at the court the other day," she said.
"Oh, so you're that girl."
"Yes! I was wondering if you could come by the court tonight. I need help with something. But if it's a bother, I don't mind if you can't come."
"I'll be there after I finish eating and cleaning up."
"Okay, thank you! I'll be waiting," Haruko said before hanging up.
Tetsuo put his phone down, only to find Usagi staring at him with a teasing expression.
"Was that a girl?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tetsuo didn't respond, which only made Usagi lean in closer with a smirk.
"I didn't know you had any girls' numbers besides mine. And to be meeting this late at night… What exactly are you two up to?"
Tetsuo sighed. "Don't worry, she just asked for some tips to improve her basketball game. There's nothing out of the ordinary going on."
"So she's a basketball player like you?"
"Yeah, she is."
Usagi crossed her arms. "Are you sure you're not in a relationship with her?"
"Why would I be?" he said, finishing the last bite of his meal. "I mean, there's no reason to be."
Usagi giggled. "That so didn't answer my question."
Tetsuo sighed again as he stood up. "I'm heading out now. Lock the place up while I'm gone, okay?"
Usagi waved him off playfully. "Sure, sure. Stay safe, big bro. And don't stay out too late, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I will."
As Tetsuo left, Usagi shook her head with a small smile. "First he says there's no reason to be in a relationship, but let's see how long that lasts…*"