Assistant Coach Sanada stared at that name, murmuring to himself.
"So it seems… the scrimmage between the starters and the freshmen can finally be put on the schedule."
It would be a collision like Mars crashing into Earth.
After Practice
Training wrapped up at the first-string gym.
The upperclassmen left in small groups, packing their bags.
Hanyu Sota leaned toward a senior he was fairly close with and whispered gossip.
"Hey, senpai—
is that girl at the entrance Imayoshi-senpai's girlfriend?"
The senior glanced over, then nodded decisively.
"Yeah! That's third-year Ikeya Reiko. Pretty, right?"
Hanyu nodded. She really was stunning.
But inwardly, he muttered:
How did a beauty like that fall for a sly, squinty-eyed schemer like Imayoshi-senpai?
Is it because he's tall and built—more 'secure' looking?
"Hmm…?"
Hanyu's gaze swept casually—and suddenly froze.
At the entrance, he spotted a familiar figure.
A pink ponytail stood out in the crowd.
A petite frame wrapped in a sailor uniform.
That small head was peeking into the gym.
Who else could it be but Momoi Satsuki?
The senior followed his line of sight and smirked.
"Yo, who's that girl looking at? Your girlfriend?"
"Or another face-only fan?"
The guys in the basketball club had long been jealous of Hanyu's insane popularity with girls.
Great at basketball and ridiculously handsome—
did God accidentally dump too many points into him?
That was just unfair.
Hanyu sighed and shook his head.
"No. She's Aomine's childhood friend."
"What?! Aomine?!"
The senior's eyes nearly popped out.
That guy who only had basketball and gravure magazines in his head—
he had a childhood friend this cute?!
This bastard had been hiding it all along.
So selfish!
"Aomine! Get over here!"
The senior rolled up his sleeves and stormed off to have a "friendly physical exchange" with Aomine Daiki.
Momoi noticed Hanyu's gaze.
She tilted her head and smiled sweetly.
Hanyu returned the smile and walked over.
"You're here to see Aomine, right?"
Momoi nodded brightly.
"Yes."
"He's still practicing over there.
Probably won't stop anytime soon."
Hanyu pointed toward the court, where Aomine was still dunking like a madman.
Momoi nodded in understanding.
"I see. Are you heading home now, Hanyu-kun?"
Usually, Hanyu and Aomine stayed until the very end—the gym's "closing duo."
And since Momoi waited for Aomine, she often stayed late too.
Over time, the three of them naturally began going home together.
Not best friends yet—but close enough.
Hanyu nodded with a helpless smile.
"Yeah. I wanted to practice more, but…
got need something to do.
"Then, see you tomorrow, Hanyu-kun."
"Mm. See you tomorrow."
A Few Days Later
Something big happened in the basketball club.
Momoi Satsuki officially submitted her application and became a team manager.
According to her, she hadn't decided which club to join yet—and since Aomine was here, she figured she'd try.
She thought being a manager meant logistics and data.
The job itself was normal.
But the people who joined… had suspicious motives.
"Wow! Look! That shooting form is so cool!"
"And their bodies—so ripped! All abs!"
"Hey, look at the green-haired one! So cool!"
"I like the purple-haired giant—he's kind of cute and dumb."
A group of girls wearing manager tags clustered together, pointing at the players with hearts in their eyes.
"Th-This… what even is this supposed to be…"
Momoi stood nearby, black lines all over her forehead.
So you all became managers just to fangirl up close?!
"I don't care—I still like Hanyu-kun the most!"
"Me too! That face is illegal!"
"Ah! He just smiled this way! He's looking at me!"
"Stop dreaming, idiot! That was clearly for me!"
"No, for me!"
And just like that, the upperclassmen started fighting over one of Hanyu's casual smiles.
"Something is definitely wrong here… very wrong!"
Momoi felt completely out of place.
Looking around—
she was the only normal one among a sea of fangirls.
So basically…
The Teiko basketball managers were just an illegal fan club in disguise.
The Announcement
"Tweet!"
A sharp whistle cut through the noise.
"Everyone, gather!"
At Assistant Coach Sanada's command, players stopped and lined up.
He scanned the gym and nodded.
"Ten-minute break. Then comes the main event."
"An in-team scrimmage!"
"The matchup is—
Five freshmen vs. the current starters!"
The gym exploded.
"Seriously? The rookies will get destroyed!"
"Of course. The starters' teamwork is insane."
"Don't be so sure—this batch of freshmen are freaks."
Excitement surged through the first string.
Aomine trembled with excitement.
His matchup was Nijimura Shuzo himself!
A rival like that made his blood boil.
Hanyu stayed outwardly calm—but inside, he was eager too.
Akashi remained composed, as if everything were under control.
Midorima pushed his glasses, cool as ever.
Murasakibara pouted.
"Eh—no snacks before the game? So annoying…"
Lineups
The rules matched an official game—
but shortened to two halves to conserve stamina.
White Team (Freshmen)
C: Murasakibara Atsushi
PG: Akashi Seijūrō
SG: Midorima Shintarō
SF: Hanyu Sota
PF: Aomine Daiki
Black Team (Starters)
C: Takeda Shi
PG: Ikeo Ichirō
SG: Inoue Kazuo
SF: Aono Fujio
PF: Nijimura Shuzo
The battle was about to erupt.
A veteran first-string member acted as referee.
Ten players took position—the air thick with gunpowder.
Especially the two centers—sparks flew in their eyes.
The referee tossed the ball.
SMACK!
Takeda Shi, with his experience, tipped it away.
"Tch."
Murasakibara clicked his tongue.
Though taller and more gifted, he lost on timing and experience.
The moment Takeda secured the ball, the court turned into a battlefield.
Black Team moved the ball smoothly, searching for openings.
But the White Team reacted lightning-fast, stopping the first wave through sheer individual skill.
"Nice defense," Ikeo said calmly.
As elite starters, they had plenty of tricks.
The ball went inside.
The center battle began.
Murasakibara was at a clear disadvantage—
pushed off his spot.
Takeda stood firm like a mountain.
"Hah!"
Takeda powered up, spun, jumped—slam!
2–0.
Most onlookers nodded.
No matter how talented, they were still first-years.
Now it was White Team's turn.
Akashi brought the ball up and stopped beyond the arc.
His mismatched eyes scanned the court.
Midorima was glued by his defender.
Murasakibara yawned inside.
On the wing—
Hanyu and Aomine waved wildly.
After a moment's thought, Akashi flicked his wrist.
The ball flew straight to Hanyu Sota.
Aono immediately lowered his stance.
"Just so you know—I won't go easy because you're a junior."
Hanyu smiled.
"No need, senpai."
"Because I'll tear through your defense myself!"
Before the words even settled, he dropped his center of gravity—
shoulders feinting rapidly.
Aono held firm, but under the barrage of fakes—his steps faltered.
Damn it!
He'd been sure Hanyu was going right
even the body weight sold it
and yet it was still a fake!
Is this guy an actor?!
In the split second of imbalance—
"Whoosh!"
They crossed.
Breakthrough!
Hanyu stormed inside.
Takeda tried to help—but Murasakibara's massive body sealed him off.
Takeda grit his teeth.
"That brat…!"
Then—
an easy layup.
He'd wanted to dunk—
but at barely 1.60 meters, even with good hops, it was still tough.
"Nice," Akashi said calmly.
Aomine clicked his tongue.
"Hey, I'm fully fueled too! Don't make me just run back and forth!"
The manager group erupted.
"Hanyu-sama is so cool!"
"So smooth!"
"Destroy them!"
Momoi was speechless.
'Sama'?! This is basketball, not an idol drama!
The Counter
This time, Aono had the ball.
He charged straight at Hanyu, pressure blazing.
Hanyu only smiled faintly.
"That level of offense won't get past me."
"Bang!"
Left?
He tilted left.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The ball snapped from Aono's left to right.
His weight had been preloaded on the right foot—
he exploded forward.
"I've got him!"
But—
a black blur crossed his path.
Hanyu stood there, blocking him.
Aono's pupils shrank.
He wasn't fooled?!
Hanyu shrugged.
"You rely too much on your fakes, senpai."
"You really thought only you could do that?"
Inoue shouted, "Aono! Pass it back!"
But pride screamed louder.
Lose to a freshman? Are you kidding me?!
He forced another drive.
Assistant Coach Sanada's face darkened.
Even if they won—
he would lecture this kid hard.
That pathetic pride was worthless trash compared to team victory.
Hanyu smiled.
Good. When you're heated, you're easier to read.
"Come on, senpai!"
Aono tried again and again—left, right—
but couldn't shake him.
"Wow… Aono is completely locked down…"
"That's a starter!"
"Hanyu's defense is airtight!"
The fangirl managers were ecstatic.