Pre-Game Chaos – No Transportation
The team stood stranded outside Shinwa High 30 minutes before tip-off.
"You forgot to arrange a bus?!" Rin Matsuoka hissed at Captain Akira Sano.
Akira paled. "I was... strategizing."
Tires screeched as manager **Yuki's dented van skidded to a halt. "S-sorry! I was finalizing our scouting report!" Her blazer was inside-out, hair half-braided.
Jiro smirked. "Manager-chan's got a wild side."
Kenji noted the dark circles under her eyes—what was she really doing?
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Ryusei High Gym – Opponent's Presence
Ryusei's team dominated the court:
1. Taiga "Flame Head" Fujimori – Red-haired power forward dunking hard enough to shake the backboard.
2. Shusei "The Prince" Miyazaki – Silver-haired PG with condescending no-look passes. "Ah, the peasants have arrived."
Notablyabsent: The rumored Kurogane heir.
Haru tablet whirred. "Their new recruits have an 89% win rate in—"
"Save it," Akira growled.
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Starting Lineup – First Half Struggle
Shinwa Starters:
- Akira Sano
- Jiro Kobayashi
- Kenji Tachibana
- Daichi Tanaka
- Kaito Hattori (judo recruit)
Ryusei's Tactics:
- Flame Head bullied the paint (18pts by halftime).
- The Prince carved their defense with surgical passes.
Score: Ryusei42 - Shinwa28
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Third Quarter – Haru's Gambit
Haru slammed his tablet down. "Flame Head has a 72% foul rate when provoked!"
Coach Morita's cigarette bobbed. "Substitutions: In with Riku Sato (track star) and Tatsuya "Mouth" Nakamura (Jiro's streetball recruit). Out with Daichi and Kenji."
Tatsuya grinned at Flame Head. "Yo, Carrot Top. Your haircut looks like a traffic cone."
-Flame Head charged Tatsuya → Technicalfoul → Benched
- Riku intercepted The Prince's passes → Fast-breakpoints
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Final Minutes – Kenji's Return
With 2 minutes left (58-56Ryusei), Kenji subbed back in.
The Prince smirked. "How quaint. The prodigy finally—"
Kenji stole the ball mid-sentence and unleashed Sora's phantom dribble before assisting Akira's winning layup.
Final Score: Shinwa62 - Ryusei60
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Awkward Celebration
Kenji instinctively hugged Yuki—both froze, faces inches apart.
Jiro wolf-whistled. "Damn, Tachibana! Save some game for the court."
Yuki fled to "file paperwork," spilling Gatorade. Kenji stared after her, pulse racing.
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