Forging The Champion Team - We need a Top Tier PG

The organized crowd gathered around Akira, buzzing with excitement after witnessing his performance.

"You're a monster! I've never seen such a good PG at your age!" one of them exclaimed.

Akira looked momentarily confused but quickly understood the mix-up.

"Actually, I'm not a PG, I'm a SG. I only played that position during the tryouts because I thought it would be easier to observe the other players."

The crowd was stunned. How could someone who wasn't even in their main position dominate so thoroughly?

"Have you played basketball at any school before?" Another fan asked.

"I played in basketball tournaments in the United States," Akira replied nonchalantly.

The astonishment in the crowd doubled, transforming into genuine admiration.

"That's all! Thank you! Thank you very much!" The crowd dispersed as Akira wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and left the gym.

At home, after a refreshing shower, Akira retreated to his room. He gazed at a photo of his old teammates, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Watch out, guys. If you're not training hard, my new team will soon surpass you.

The next morning, Akira woke up late, hurriedly ate his breakfast, and dashed out the door. On his way to school, he bumped into Kazuya, the small but determined PG.

"Ah! Akira," Kazuya called out.

"Kazuya! So we live close to each other," Akira responded, surprised.

Kazuya scratched the back of his head, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I ended up being rude to you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm probably the last person who should complain about rudeness."

Kazuya laughed. "You're right. It's just that people always underestimate me in basketball, and it really gets to me."

"I wasn't underestimating you. In fact, I have extremely high expectations for you," Akira said earnestly.

Kazuya's eyes lit up, hope flickering within them.

"Really?! I mean... Seriously?"

"Of course. Your passing and game sense are impressive."

Kazuya smiled, looking down at the ground.

"But your height and physique don't help," Akira added.

The words hit Kazuya like a blow.

"But that doesn't matter much for a PG. You just need to improve your dribbling to create the space you need for those passes," Akira said with a reassuring smile. "And you only need a little space for that."

"You're right," Kazuya said, a renewed determination in his voice. "I hope Coach sees that too."

"True, the list of those who made the reserve team and those who will just train comes out today."

"Don't worry about it. Even if you don't make the reserve team at first, I'll help you get there. I really see you as a great PG in the future."

With Akira's words and the wind tousling his hair, Kazuya felt inspired. He knew that if he followed Akira's guidance, he could unlock his full potential.

When they arrived at school, Akira said goodbye to Kazuya and headed straight to the gym, where the list would be posted during the class break. He knocked on the door, and Coach Yamamoto greeted him.

"Oh! Hey, Akira!"

Before the coach could continue, Akira bowed deeply.

"I apologize for my behavior yesterday, Coach."

Coach Yamamoto smiled, clearly relieved. "Kids are temperamental. You're not the first one to lose your cool in a basketball game."

Akira relaxed, feeling reassured. "Coach, I have a request."

"And what would that be?" the coach asked, curious.

"You're choosing one player from each position for the reserve team, right?"

"Correct."

"I wanted to clarify that I'm a Shooting Guard. Point Guard isn't my main position. I can play it for strategy, but it's not where I perform best."

The coach chuckled, ruffling Akira's already messy hair. 

"Come on, kid, you're not the only one who understands basketball. From the moment I saw you with the ball, I knew you were a SG." The coach sat down, a knowing look in his eyes. "But I suspect you didn't come here just to tell me that. So, what's on your mind?"

He really is a smart guy... Akira thought. Here goes nothing.

"I'd like to recommend Kazuya for the PG position."

"So that's what this is about," Yamamoto said, his expression turning serious as he met Akira's gaze.

"You know I can't make decisions based on friendships. I'll choose whoever fits my game plan best," the coach warned.

Akira swallowed nervously. "I understand, but Kazuya has an impressive sense of the game and great passing skills."

The coach listened but remained stern. "But he lacks height, physique, defensive ability, and can't shoot threes well. And the most critical flaw, which I'm sure you noticed—his dribbling. For someone of his height, that's a big issue."

Akira nodded, acknowledging the truth in the coach's words.

"Akira, if I put a player like him in a real game too soon, it could ruin him. If he couldn't execute, he might freeze up. He needs to develop an efficient style of basketball that leverages his passing ability."

Akira straightened up.

"I understand, Coach. I'm sorry for the trouble."

As he left the coach's office and headed to class, Akira thought Kazuya needed to at least master dribbling. If he can do that, he'll be able to execute his passes.

The first person I'll help is him. I need to forge my PG.

The break bell rang, and Akira made his way to the large bulletin board in the middle of the school courtyard.

Basketball Reserve Team List:

Akira Kingsley (SG)

Renji Saito (SF)

Kenta Yamazaki (PF)

Noriaki Hensuke (C)

Jinichi Yoshiro (PG)

Substitutes List:

Haruto Yamada

Tatsu Sato

Takumi Tanaka

Kazuya Watanabe

Yuto Takahashi

Akira clicked his tongue when he saw the list.

At least Tatsu didn't make it.

"Brother! We'll play together!" Kenta exclaimed, scooping Akira into a bone-crushing hug.

"G-God..." Akira gasped, blushing from the lack of air.

Kenta released him, a grin on his face. "I always knew you were a brilliant teammate. Now I've got to make some new muscles. See you tomorrow, brother!"

In the crowd, Akira spotted Kazuya. Despite not making the reserve team, his determination remained intact, which made Akira smile.

With no basketball practice scheduled that week, Akira spent his time catching up on sleep—when he wasn't pondering how to help Kazuya improve.

How am I going to pass these classes? Well, that's not my main concern right now. I need to figure out how to make Kazuya a dribbling master. That's important.

When he got home, Akira tossed his backpack onto his bed, sat at his desk, and grabbed a notebook and pen. He snapped his fingers, a determined look on his face.

Operation Kazuya Dribbler starts now!