Well, let's see what Toshigawa can do, said Kogure as he winked and went to his team's bench.
"Kogure-senpai, look over here!" shouted a first-year girl from the crowd.
"Kogure-senpai, I love you!" said another girl who had a crush on him.
"Senpai, be sure to crush them!"
"I don't think he'll play in such a low-class game. This team is practically a walkover," said a boy.
"I guess this Kogure guy and I are in the same boat. We're quite popular with the ladies," said Noboru.
"I don't know what I'll do to cure that delusional mind of yours," said Nanaho.
"Hey, you must be the coach of Toshigawa Academy. Nice to meet you. I wanted to ask, though, why are you wearing their jersey?" asked Coach Arimoto.
"This man thinks Takahiro is our coach," said Noboru as he laughed intensely.
"Actually, I'm the coach. He is a player," said Nanaho.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that he looks way too old to be in high school. You should shave that beard," said Coach Arimoto.
"Even Coach Arimoto is calling me old, and he looks old. And why is he acting like this is the first time he's seeing me?" said Takahiro in a sad tone.
"Yukio, I see that you're doing well. Do your best out there," said Yokonan's coach.
"We definitely will, don't worry," said Yukio.
"Alright, let's start the match," said Coach Arimoto as he sat down to observe the game.
"Listen up, everyone. I want you to play smart and read the game. I know that you may feel outclassed and demotivated due to the crowd, but do not give in to fear because I know that you can win," said Nanaho.
"I want you guys to give me every ounce of energy you have in this game and use it to win. We are up against Yokonan High, a school famous for the sport, who are considered the top of the food chain. But if we give it our all, we will win."
"Alright, are you ready?" asked Yukio, and everyone agreed.
"Toshigawa!!!" shouted Yukio.
"Fight!!!" said everyone as they fixed their jersey tops into their shorts to prepare for the game.
"Fukazawa didn't tell us the starting five. I guess I'll just go sit on the bench," said Shino as he got ready to sit.
"Tetsuo, I want you on the bench for now."
"Okay," responded Tetsuo as he sat.
"Why did she put Tetsuo on the bench? Shouldn't he be starting? I'm so confused," Haruko said to herself.
"Shino, you'll be starting. Go knock them dead," said Nanaho as she smiled awkwardly while giving him a thumbs-up.
"What!! I... I can't," said Shino as he trembled and shook from nerves.
"Calm down and take a deep breath. This is what you have been training for. We need you today, so let's do our best, Shino," said Yukio.
"The captain's right. I want to be better, and I want to help this team. If I don't do this now, I'll never get as good as you."
"I have never questioned Nanaho's way of thinking and strategizing before, but was this the right decision to let him start?" Yukio asked himself.
"I know that this might be far-fetched and risky, but we need a few trump cards to stand a chance in this game. I hope that they can hold on," said Nanaho as she bit her fingernail.
"Let's get this game over with," said Eiji as he walked casually onto the court.
"I kind of feel sorry for them. They are going to be the laughingstock of our school," said Ryuu as he tried to contain his laughter and maintain his composure.
"Are you ready for the tip-off?" asked the referee.
"Yes, I'll be the one jumping," said Yukio as he stood in the center of the court for the tip-off.
"It looks like we are at the same height, but there's no way I'll lose the tip-off to these losers," Ryuu said to himself.
"The game between Toshigawa and Yokonan will now begin," said the referee as he blew the whistle and threw the ball into the air.
Both Yukio and Ryuu jumped to receive the ball for their team; however, Yukio won.
"What?! No way!" shouted Ryuu, shocked.
"Got it!" said Hayato as he caught the ball.
"Noboru, catch!" he said as he passed the ball from his half of the court to the other half. Noboru caught it and scored a layup.
"Nice shot, Noboru! Keep it up!" said Nanaho.
"That was quick. He passed the ball in the blink of an eye," said Haruko to herself.
"Nice shot, Noboru, and great running," said Hayato as they high-fived each other.
"That was nothing. Just wait and see," said Noboru with confidence.
Immediately after, Eiji dribbled the basketball up the court in a calm manner.
"Alright, everyone, you know what to do," said Eiji as they started to run the play.
A Yokonan player set a screen for Ryuu, freeing him up.
"Damn, that caught me off guard," said Yukio.
Eiji immediately passed the ball over Hayato's head to Ryuu, who shot a post shot that swished through the net.
Immediately after they scored, Noboru inbounded the basketball to Hayato.
"Alright, everyone, let's score some points," he said as he dribbled the ball up the court.
Without hesitation, Takahiro set a screen for Hayato, who used the opportunity to drive to the rim and attempt a layup.
Ryuu played help defense and attempted to block him, so at the last minute, Hayato changed his mind and passed the ball to Yukio.
Yukio then rhythmically jumped into the air and slammed the basketball into the rim over Ryuu with a single hand, causing Ryuu to fall to the ground, silencing everyone watching.
"There's more where that came from. We'll knock your asses down a peg," said Noboru as he trash-talked his way back on defense.
"That was so cool! So this is what high school basketball looks like!" said Haruko excitedly.
"No way! Ryuu got dunked on! Hahaha!" said Kayano as he laughed.
"I like number ten. He's funny," said Kogure as he smiled.
Yukio then pointed at Kogure, signaling for him to come into the game.
"Not bad at all, Yukio. Keep it up, and maybe Coach will put me in this game," said Kogure.
"Give me a timeout, please," said Coach Arimoto with a disappointed look on his face.