We don't need memories

The opening ceremony went smoothly, and the information about the brackets was disclosed.

Tokiwadai only had one game today, so they headed to their locker room to discuss their first game's opponent.

Coach: "Our opponent in Round 2 will be Kyosen Middle School, from what I have gathered about the team is that they are a balanced team, with a good offense and defense."

The coach then explained about the information about Kyosen he had.

Shun had already decided how he is going to play when the coach told then about the National's schedule. He was going to play like a small forward should play; he was going to play offense rather than his usual supportive point guard style.

National's span for four days and every school had to play every day. The two games they had to play on Day 2 were going to be rough on the body, but what was even more worrying was that they had to play the semi-finals the next day.

So, Shun decided to switch his style to the offense. This way, the rest of the members could take it a little easy and reserve their stamina. Shun knew his body the best and knew that he could handle his current goal.

Shun turned towards Ishida with a serious face and said,

Shun: "Ishida-senpai, I am going to play offensive the next game, so make sure to use me during the game any way you see fit."

Ishida was a little surprised by what Shun said. Shun had already made sure that everybody knew that he wanted to play, point guard from day one he joined the basketball club. His playstyle was similar to a point guard as he made sure to pass the ball when another player could score.

So when Shun said that he was going to play offensively, Ishida was surprised, but after he thought why Shun would say that he concluded that he was trying to decrease the pressure of his teammates by making sure that there was another pure scorer on the court.

That thought bought a smile on his face.

Ishida: "Ok, I will make sure to use you thoroughly, so look forward to it."

Shun realized that Ishida had guessed his reasoning.

Shun: "Yes, I will be waiting; let's show the audience, who is the boss."

Shun and Ishida grinned at each other and looked forward to playing with the new dynamic.

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After the briefing, most of the members headed to see the Round 1 games while the others went to see what was on sale in the in-arena shops.

The schools that usually participated in Round 1 were either the ones that were making their first appearance in Nationals or the ones that had missed it for a few years.

The matches were quite fun to watch, unlike the professional games, middle school players made plenty mistakes, so it was fun for Shun to boo at them when they made a mistake, and at the same time, it was fun to cheer them on when the made a good play.

The first round ended, and now it was time for the second round to start. The seeded schools had entered the competition.

Tokiwadai had finished their warmup, and the coach had called them for the pre-game huddle.

Coach looked at the face of his players and put out a smile that showed how proud of them he was.

Coach: "Tokiwadai had been the part of the National scene for many years, but whenever we get to the Nationals, I always say this to every Tokiwadai team on their first National game.

It is excellent that you are aiming to be at the top, but it is also important to have fun. You don't need to be chained by the pressure of being the reigning champions, and defending the title.

Take pride in that you are the champions, but never let it weigh you down.

We don't need (things like) memories.

So go out there and have some fun. Enjoy your youth, let this team become something that you will cherish and fondly remember even when you are as old as I am."

Shun and the rest of the team were in a trance, the strict coach that they all knew from practice had disappeared, and in front of them stood a smiling man who showed that he cared about them.

The whole Taokiwadai team took in a deep breath and shouted out as loud as they could,

Team: "Yes, Sir!"

After listening to the coach's words, Shun felt that a weight had been removed from his body, he felt like he was ready for anything. The coach's speech had left all the members smiling, the nervousness that they were feeling was now gone.

The coach retired to the side, and let the captain of the team take charge.

Otsubo: "After listening to the coach's words I have nothing much to say, but I will say this, I am happy that you guys are on my team and I couldn't have asked for more than this.

Now, let's head out there; and show the people watching what we can do."

Shun took a deep breath and thought about all the things he had experienced this year. Shun wanted to use everything that he had accumulated and showcase a performance that would tell the world that he was here, and he was just getting started.

Both teams took positions near the centerline for the tipoff.

Shun looked at Otsubo and found that he never looked as imposing as he looked right now.

Aone was more stoic than ever but one could see something burning in his eyes.

Mibuchi looked calm and collected, but all that reminded Shun was of a calm before the storm.

Ishida looked relaxed and determined at the same time as he didn't have a single thing to worry about.

Shun: 'Ah, I can see it. The team is as ready as they can be. We are going to be on fire in this game.'

The referee looked at all the players and signaled them to get ready.

Referee: "Let the match begin."

With that, he threw the ball up, and both team's center took to air.

The game had begun.

[A/N: Comment where have you heard the line in the title. It is one of my favorite lines I have seen in any anime.

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I thought it was an excellent place to end the chapter. Do look forward to the next one.]