Chapter 26: Mysterious Challengers

The Yumei High gymnasium buzzed with the sounds of basketballs bouncing and sneakers screeching against the polished floor. The energy in the room was electric as the team practised their plays. Coach Saito, standing to the side with a clipboard in his hands, suddenly blew his whistle, bringing the practice to a halt.

"Listen up! We've got an interesting match coming up in Round 5," Coach Saito announced, his voice tinged with curiosity. "We're up against Kagurazaka High."

"Kagurazaka High?" Hiroshi questioned as he wiped his sweat with a towel. "I've never heard of them."

Coach Saito explained, "They've been off the circuit for years. There's not much information about their current team. It's almost like they're shrouded in mystery."

Haruki's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he pulled out his phone, quickly typing in a search for Kagurazaka High. Hiroshi peered over his shoulder, but all they found were outdated articles and team photos from years ago. Nothing current.

Ayumi, who had been sitting on the bleachers taking notes, chimed in, "Maybe we should try looking into it the old-fashioned way. Talk to people, visit the place."

Coach Saito's eyes lit up at Ayumi's suggestion. "Exactly!" He turned to the team. "I want everyone to put on their detective hats. We need to learn as much as possible about our opponents. Haruki, Hiroshi, start by asking around town. The rest of you, hit the books, search archives, talk to former players if you can find any. Let's regroup here tomorrow with whatever we can find."

The team was buzzing with excitement as they left the gym. Haruki and Hiroshi decided to catch a bus to the town where Kagurazaka High was located. As the bus swayed through the traffic, Hiroshi could hardly sit still in his seat.

They arrived at a quaint town, not too different from their own. Deciding to head to the local spots where people usually gathered, they spotted an old café. Outside was an elderly man sipping tea and reading a newspaper. They approached him cautiously.

"Excuse me, sir," Haruki began, always the polite one, nudging Hiroshi's side. "We're trying to find out more about Kagurazaka High's basketball team. Would you happen to know anything?" Hiroshi, in turn, said.

The elderly man peered up at them through his glasses, and his face broke into a wide grin. "Ah, Kagurazaka! They used to be quite the team back in my days!"

As the man regaled them with stories of the team from the past, Haruki scribbled down notes. The stories were riveting but didn't give them much about the current team.

Meanwhile, Ayumi had her journalism hat on. With her deep connections in the journalism club, she went to the school's newspaper room and began sifting through the old newspapers and archives. Flipping through pages and scanning through files, her eyes lit up as she stumbled upon an article about a legendary basketball coach rumoured to have returned to Kagurazaka High.

At the same time, Tetsuya and another teammate, Kazuki, decided to visit the local sports shop. They chatted with the owner about basketball equipment and casually steered the conversation toward Kagurazaka High. The owner mentioned that recently there had been a spike in basketball equipment sales from that area.

The next morning, the Yumei High gymnasium was abuzz as the basketball team prepared to present their compiled information to Coach Saito. The air crackled with anticipation, and each player contributed something to the shared knowledge. They had pinned up articles, photos, and notes on a corkboard to visualize their findings.

Ayumi was the first to speak, "So, Kagurazaka High was once led by Coach Takeda, who was known for his innovative strategies. But he vanished, and the school's basketball legacy crumbled."

Hiroshi raised his hand like a student in class. "Oh! Haruki and I heard some crazy stories about Kagurazaka's past. Like, legendary status stuff," he blurted out.

Tetsuya added, "Kazuki and I learned that Kagurazaka High students have been bulk-buying basketball gear recently. Something is definitely brewing."

Coach Saito, who had been listening intently, suddenly perked up. "Wait, did you say Coach Takeda?" he asked Ayumi.

"Yes, that's what the article mentioned," Ayumi confirmed.

Coach Saito's face seemed to light up with recognition. "I remember watching games coached by Takeda when I was a young player. He was one of the reasons I wanted to become a coach," he revealed, his voice tinged with respect.

This revelation added another layer to the intrigue. The team was now aware that they weren't just going against an unknown entity but an opponent shaped by a legend.

Suddenly, the doors of the gym opened, and the school's IT club president walked in with a laptop. "Coach, I managed to find footage of Kagurazaka High's recent match!" he exclaimed.

The room fell silent as everyone gathered around the screen. The footage showed a team playing with incredible coordination and innovative plays. It was as if the ghosts of Kagurazaka's glorious past had come alive.

The Yumei High players glanced at each other with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Coach Saito, seeing the reactions of his team, clapped his hands to get their attention. "Alright! We know what we are up against. This is an opportunity to test our skills against a great opponent. Let's focus and prepare!" he declared with determination.

The team, motivated by Coach Saito's words, nodded and began dispersing to start their training routines.

As Hiroshi, Haruki, and Ayumi left the school grounds, they decided to walk together part of the way home. They casually chatted about the footage they had watched and speculated about the strategies they might need.

As they turned down a street lined with shops, Ayumi suddenly stopped. She pointed ahead, where a girl with a Kagurazaka High jacket was hunched over her phone at a bus stop. Hiroshi's eyes widened, and Haruki looked on curiously. The girl seemed engrossed in her device, oblivious to their gazes.

Hiroshi, the ever-so-brave and adventurous one, nudged Haruki and Ayumi, indicating that they should approach the girl. They casually made their way over. As they got closer, they noticed that she was scrolling through the Yumei High basketball team's social media page.

"Hi, are you from Kagurazaka High?" Hiroshi blurted out, the words coming out faster than he expected.

The girl looked up, startled. "Uh, yes. How did you know?"

Hiroshi pointed to her jacket, and she gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, right."

Ayumi, taking the lead, introduced themselves as members of Yumei High's basketball team. The Kagurazaka girl's eyes lit up. "No way! I'm Yuna, the manager of the Kagurazaka High basketball team!"

As Ayumi and Yuna excitedly discussed their roles as managers, Hiroshi spotted Yuna's open notebook filled with information about Yumei High.

Seizing the moment, Hiroshi smoothly moved closer to Yuna. With a cheeky smile, he pinned her gently against the wall, his hand just above her shoulder. "So, Yuna, how about you let me see what's hidden under that notepad for me?" he winked.

Yuna's cheeks flushed, and she was momentarily speechless. However, before she could react further, Ayumi pulled Hiroshi back by his collar.

"What do you think you're doing, Hiroshi?!" Ayumi scolded him, her eyes fierce. "You can't just play with a girl's heart to get information!"

Hiroshi sheepishly scratched the back of his head and apologized to Yuna, who seemed flustered but not too bothered by his antics.

As they chatted, Ayumi challenged Yuna to a friendly wager on whose team would win the upcoming match. Yuna's eyes sparkled as she accepted. They decided that the losing team's manager would have to wear the winning team's jersey for a day.

Eventually, Yuna's bus arrived, and they all stood up. "May the best team win," she said, with a genuine smile. Hiroshi, Haruki, and Ayumi echoed the sentiment.

As Yuna's bus pulled away, the three friends from Yumei High started walking again. There was a newfound sense of anticipation for the game, coupled with respect for their opponents.

They had not expected this chance encounter, but it somehow made the upcoming match feel even more real and significant.