Chapter 39
The players around gasped as they witnessed my super athletic move. Even Midorima seemed shocked, his eyes widening slightly before he quickly regained composure and adjusted his glasses. However, the seniors who were part of the main lineup were the most surprised.
While they had seen Otsubo-senpai get scored on before, even dunked on, this was the first time they had seen him being dunked on so badly that he could only foul the player to prevent him from scoring. Unfortunately, he failed in doing so, and I still made the dunk.
On the other hand, Coach Nakatani, although amazed, wasn't truly shocked. As a coach with years of experience, he had seen his fair share of poster dunks in his life. So, he wasn't that surprised by the play itself. What shocked him more was the fact that I could overpower Otsubo-senpai.
You see, Otsubo-senpai was one of the strongest players in high school last year, if not the strongest, in terms of power. So, witnessing me overpower someone taller and bigger than me made Coach Nakatani reassess my physical abilities.
I had already demonstrated to him that I was faster and more agile than most players, and it wouldn't be surprising if I were the fastest player in highschool right now based on my height. But now, with my strong body capable of overpowering big men, it changed the game at every level.
Especially considering my height, while I may not be as towering as Midorima or Murasakibara in comparison to their positions, I am still taller than the average forward. In fact, I am already taller than most centers in high school, and I'm only in my freshman year.
Coach Nakatani could only imagine what would happen in the next few years.
Getting back into the game, I found myself at the free-throw line for an additional free throw. Unfortunately, as I had only recently completed the assimilation with Hanamichi Sakuragi's card, which I obtained just a month ago, I was still in the process of adjusting to my newfound strength. This caused me to miss the free throw.
Otsubo-senpai grabbed the rebound. Upon seeing this, I quickly got back on defense to prevent them from scoring on a fast break. Thankfully, they decided to take it slow since our team had already set up our defense. This time, they didn't pass to Otsubo-senpai for a post-up. Yuya-senpai passed the ball to his brother, Miyaji Kiyoshi-senpai.
Taking advantage of my teammate's lackluster defense, Kiyoshi-senpai easily got past him with a double crossover, causing my teammate to stumble. Fortunately, my teammate managed to regain his balance and didn't fall down in embarrassment. With Kiyoshi-senpai open, he drove towards the basket, challenging my defense.
I positioned myself in front of him in an attempt to block him, but before he could get close, he tossed the ball over my head. When I looked behind, I saw Otsubo-senpai getting up to catch the pass and dunked the alley-oop. After that play, I turned towards Kiyoshi-senpai, who smirked at me in challenge.
Seeing his arrogant smirk, I could only shake my head. I realized I had started it by challenging him, so I didn't feel anger, just exasperation. I knew it was going to be a tough game for me with my teammates. The game continued with both teams trading baskets.
However, the turning point came when the Miyaji brothers double-teamed me. Their coordination made it difficult for me to bypass their defense, forcing me to pass the ball to my teammates who either missed the shot or turned the ball over. While some of my teammates' shots were successful, most of them missed the mark.
The game progressed, and the first quarter ended with the score 26-12, with the senpais in the lead. Perhaps because it was my first formal game in a long time, I had forgotten that this was just a quarter-long game and I was still part of the screening process. It only dawned on me when I noticed the acting referee handing their whistle to Coach Nakatani.
Seeing this, I approached Coach Nakatani and asked, "Coach, is that it? Can't we extend the game for at least one more quarter?"
Hearing my question, Coach Nakatani looked around at his players and the clock to check the time. "It's already getting dark. Do you still want to continue?" he asked his players.
I turned to my senpais and said, "Come on, senpais. It's not like you have any commitments after school, right?"
When my senpais saw me begging with puppy eyes, they had a disgusted look on their faces, as if they were going to throw up. "Okay, you win. Just stop making that face," Kiyoshi-senpai said to me, covering his mouth and gagging.
I don't know if I should be happy that they agreed to my request or annoyed because they only agreed out of obligation. It's not like I'm blackmailing them with my looks. I don't believe I'm that ugly or anything, right?
Well, I'll take it as a win. The most important thing for me right now is to play basketball. So, if it means sacrificing my image, so be it. I don't consider myself good-looking anyway. I've accepted that I'm not particularly handsome.
Seeing that his players accepted my request, Coach Nakatani said, "Okay, since we're not in a rush to go home, we'll continue the game. But this time, we'll play a full game, and I want it to be more competitive. I'm going to add Midorima and Takao to Ichigo's team." He turned to my teammates and added, "No offense to you guys."
"None taken, coach," my teammates sighed in relief as Coach Nakatani pulled them out of the game for Midorima and Takao. Playing against the senpais from the main lineup was already challenging enough, especially with Miyaji Kiyoshi-senpai constantly looking at them with stink eye. It's a relief that they won't have to endure Miyaji Kiyoshi-senpai's bad temper anymore.
As they agreed, Coach Nakatani returned the whistle to the two acting referees to resume the game. This time, I feel more excited because I have more reliable teammates than before. No disrespect to my previous teammates; they weren't bad players, but they struggled to adjust to the intensity of the game.
As I heard the coach say that I would be teammates with Takao and Midorima, I immediately looked around to find them already warming up. I approached them and greeted them, saying, "Hey guys, isn't this great? We're going to be teammates! Isn't this so exciting!" I said this with enthusiasm, clearly trying to annoy Midorima.
Upon hearing my words, Midorima didn't stop his warm-ups and seemed to ignore me, but I noticed his face scrunching up in annoyance. Takao, sensing what I was trying to do, quickly chimed in, "Right? It's amazing, isn't it, Shin-chan?" he said in an enthusiastic tone directed towards Midorima.
This time, we got a reaction from him. With irritation in his voice, Midorima replied, "Don't call me that. We're not close."
"Call you what, Shin-chan?" Takao asked innocently, mocking Midorima. Midorima's eyes started twitching upon hearing that, but he didn't reply, as if just being near us was exhausting for him.
We continue to annoy Midorima as we wait for the game to resume. The coach gives us time either to rest and rehydrate or to warm up, just like Takao and Midorima.
Teaming up with Takao and especially Midorima, I am confident that I'll feel more comfortable in the game. I know deep down that I have a chance against my senpais if I can just be a bit more selfish and hog the ball, but that's not really my style.
I'm more of a team player, not that I can't dominate the entire game, mind you. It's just that this wasn't a do-or-die situation, so there's no need to go all out. And at the end of the day, we're still going to be teammates. I don't want to develop a bad habit like Aomine "won't pass the ball so I develop the formless shot" Daiki.
In the end, basketball is a team sport. No matter how talented you are, if you can't utilize the advantages of having great teammates, there will come a time when your efforts alone won't be enough.
Furthermore, this game will provide me with an opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of my future teammates. By competing against them, I can gain a sense of how formidable our opponents in the Interhigh tournament will be.
Shutoku High, recognized as one of the three Kings of Tokyo, is already established as a strong team. They also secured a spot in the main competition of the Interhigh tournament last year, indicating their competitiveness and skill.
To make matters even more impressive, we have Midorima on our team, a member of the legendary Generation of Miracles. Not to mention, I, myself, am considered a prodigy in my own right. The combined talents of Midorima, myself, and even Takao would elevate any average team to a powerhouse. And when you consider that we are already part of a formidable team like Shutoku, it's safe to say that we'll dominate. It won't even be a close match.
However, we must not overlook the fact that the other members of the Generation of Miracles are spread across other powerhouse teams as well, like the reigning Interhigh champions, Rakuzan High. This poses a new challenge and changes the narrative significantly.