Blue Team vs Red Team - Part 1

The tension was palpable as the teams took their positions on the court. Akira's team, the Blue Team, was in a tight huddle, each player focusing on their role. On the other side, the Red Team, led by the composed and strategic Hiroshi, exuded a quiet confidence.

The whistle blew, shattering the silence. Mitobe, the Red Team's towering center, effortlessly gained possession, tipping the ball to Hiroshi. Without missing a beat, Hiroshi signaled his teammates to stay calm as he surveyed the court, dribbling slowly.

He's calm... he knows exactly what he's doing. Definitely someone to watch out for.

The game was already in full swing. Takeo, with his messy hair, darted toward the basket. Renji, scrambled to keep up with him.

"Dammit!" Renji muttered, pushing himself to match Takeo's speed.

Hiroshi, seeing the opportunity, launched a crisp pass that sliced through the air. It landed perfectly in Takeo's hands, who then executed a smooth body dribble that left the Blue Team's center, Noriaki, in the dust. Takeo easily laid the ball into the basket.

"Let's go! Let's rock these jerks!" Takeo jeered, sticking his tongue out at Renji, who could only grit his teeth in frustration.

"I hate this demon." Renji mutter.

2-0 Red Team.

As the ball was inbounded, Jinichi, the Blue Team's point guard, immediately felt the pressure. Daichi closed in on him, making every dribble a struggle.

He's getting trapped… he won't be able to shake him off at this rate.

Daichi's relentless pressure forced Jinichi into a tough spot. He attempted to break free, but Daichi's quick footwork cut off every possible angle. Frustrated, Jinichi tried a desperate pass. Hiroshi was ready, intercepting the ball with ease and sprinting towards the basket.

Smart, but not smart enough…

Hiroshi leaped for the layup, but Akira was right behind him. Timing his jump perfectly, Akira swatted the ball out of bounds with authority.

"My bad! My bad, Akira!" Jinichi called out, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"No problem," Akira replied, shaking his head slightly. "I knew he'd intercept. I just wanted to see how you'd handle it."

"To… dribble?"

"If you make a fake pass and turn the other way, I doubt he'd follow you. But don't worry about it, just focus on the next play."

I expected this to happen… but I needed to see how Jinichi thinks under pressure.

The game resumed, and once again, the Red Team had possession. Hiroshi calmly orchestrated the offense, but Akira's sharp eyes were locked onto his every move.

This Kaigo guy… he looks like he's sleepwalking out there.

Hiroshi passed the ball to Kaigo, the Red Team's shooting guard, who dribbled lazily as if he wasn't even aware he was in a game.

Is this guy serious? Does he really think he can just coast through this game?

Akira focused, timing his move. As soon as Kaigo's hand released the ball to bounce, Akira pounced. In a flash, he swiped the ball and took off down the court. No one could catch him as he soared for an easy layup.

2-2.

Hiroshi smiled to himself, impressed and started thinking. This kid's the real deal… he's not just showing off in practice. Shooting guard has always been this team's biggest weakness... With him on the team, we might have a chance at the nationals…

As the game continued, the Red Team's experience and chemistry became evident. Their plays were well-coordinated, the result of years of practice together. The only weak link seemed to be Kaigo, who, despite not contributing much, appeared content with his role. Meanwhile, the Red Team's defense was laser-focused on wearing down Jinichi, making it increasingly difficult for him to facilitate the offense.

Almost everyone on the court is looking for a place in the starting team... That's good, everyone will have a shadow to continue improving

"Kenta! Send it back!" Akira called out.

"What?!" Kenta looked confused, but he quickly passed the ball back to Akira.

Akira dribbled past Kaigo with ease and then made a flashy behind-the-back pass to Kenta, who nearly dropped the ball in surprise.

"He's always one step ahead… so proud!" Kenta muttered, his eyes watering with emotion.

The ball returned to Akira in the paint, and with a deft spin move, he shook off Mitobe's looming presence. But Hiroshi was right there, trying to swipe the ball away at the last second.

Not so fast…

Akira feinted a shot, causing Hiroshi to bite on the fake and jump. With Hiroshi out of the way, Akira stepped forward and released a clean shot, just as Mitobe lunged in a last-ditch attempt to block it.

Hiroshi returned to the defense with a determined look on his face, glancing at Akira. "I knew it was a fake… I read the whole play, but I still couldn't stop him. So close…"

Akira smirked, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins.

33-30 Blue Team.

On the bench, Kazuya watched Akira with a mixture of awe and confusion.

"Akira is faster than that… his dribbling is much sharper… so why does it feel like he's holding back?"

The coach, noticing Kazuya's unease, approached him.

"What's on your mind, Kazuya?"

"Oh… nothing, Coach. It's just… I feel like Akira isn't pushing himself to his full potential."

"He's scored 24 points already. Why would you think he's holding back?"

As the coach looked back at the court, realization dawned on him. His eyes widened, and the pen he was holding slipped from his grasp.

"It's not that he's playing soft," the coach muttered, almost to himself. "He's playing at the exact level needed to win. If he went all out, he'd make himself untouchable, opponents would no longer try harder and his teammates would start relying on him too much. By holding back, he's forcing everyone to step up, even nerfing himself to push the team."

The coach adjusted his cap, a smile forming on his lips. It was a smile that conveyed both admiration and a hint of fear.

"This kid… I knew he was talented, but this is on another level. He's a phenomenon."

I can't let myself get carried away… every fiber in my body wants to go all out, but I need to stick to the plan. This team has to grow strong if we're going to win championships and keep improving.