The sharp squeak of sneakers echoed off the gym walls. The ball thudded against the hardwood as the second-years dribbled up the court.
One of the girls stepped into a passing lane and reached for the ball.
Haruko darted forward.
Smack!
The ball struck her palms. She pulled it against her chest, then turned toward the opposite basket.
"No way..." the girl muttered.
Her sneakers screeched against the floor as she stopped short.
"A steal! Get back on defense!" she shouted.
Kazue lowered her stance and spread her arms wide as Haruko reached the top of the key.
"Come at me, Haruko. You think you're good just because of that stupid shot you made?"
Haruko glanced past Kazue toward the paint.
She dribbled between her legs, shifting her weight to the left.
Kazue lunged to cut her off.
Haruko spun in the opposite direction. Her jersey brushed against Kazue's arm as she slipped past, then swung the ball forward with one hand.
Sayaka caught the pass as she stepped into the paint. She took one step toward the basket and laid the ball off the glass.
Swish!
The ball dropped through the net.
"Nice pass, Haruko!" Sayaka called.
She ran over to Haruko and raised her hand. Haruko met her palm with a sharp smack.
Kazue's jaw tightened.
"Hey! Pass me the ball!" she shouted, snapping her hand out.
The pass reached Kazue. She caught it and moved up the court, passing to a teammate before cutting toward the basket.
The second-years moved the ball from side to side, forcing the defenders to shift with every pass.
Kotone stretched her long arms across the passing lanes, forcing the players to adjust their movements.
She's too tall...
One of the second-years helf the ball tightly.
Suzume caught the next pass and tipped the ball away from her opponent's hand.
Her eyes widened.
How did she...?
She took off after Suzume.
Suzume raced toward the basket, then sent a pass to Kotone.
Kotone caught the ball, rose onto her toes, and flicked her wrist.
The ball struck the backboard and dropped through the net.
I hate to admit it… their defense is way better than I thought. And Haruko… she used to get by us so easily. But now she's scoring, too? This is bad…
Kazue bit her lower lip.
From the sideline, Coach Maeda folded her arms, watching the girls move across the court.
"The girls are looking good out there," she said.
A smile spread across her face.
Who would've thought Haruko would be the reason?
Kazue took the ball again and dribbled up the court. Haruko met her near half court, lowering herself into a defensive stance with her arms spread wide.
"Get out of my way!!" Kazue shouted.
She drove forward, pushing the ball ahead of her.
Haruko reached in and knocked it away.
"Huh...?"
Kazue's eyes widened.
The ball struck the hardwood once before Haruko gathered it and took off toward the opposite basket.
An opposing player rushed to intercept her.
Haruko dipped low, crossed the ball between her legs, then spun behind her back. The ball passed from one hand to the other, slipping beyond the girl's outstretched fingers.
Haruko broke free.
She jumped and flicked her wrist.
The ball sailed toward the basket, spun off her fingertips, and dropped through the net.
"Get the ball in! Inbound!" Kazue shouted.
Her teammate retrieved the ball and passed it in.
Haruko fingers closed around the ball before it could reach her.
Kazue froze.
She spun around and rushed toward Haruko.
Haruko rose and flicked her wrist.
Swish!
The net snapped as the ball dropped through.
Coach Maeda blinked, her arms loosening at her sides.
Wait… did she just make a three-pointer?
Kazue staggered back a step, her chest heaving. Sweat ran down her temples and dripped from her chin.
Was she… pretending all this time?
Point after point, the third-years pulled ahead. Across the court, the second-years bent forward between plays, hands resting on their knees as they struggled to catch their breath.
The ball reached Kazue in the paint.
Kotone raised both arms, blocking the path to the basket. She shifted her feet to keep herself between Kazue and the rim.
"Is this all you second-years can muster after all that big talk?" Kotone whispered in Kazue's ear.
Kazue's fingers tightened around the ball.
She spun toward the basket, but Kotone slid across to cut her off.
Kazue rose for a shot.
Kotone jumped.
At the last moment, Kazue stepped through with her non-pivot foot and released the ball.
It sailed over Kotone's fingertips, struck the backboard, and dropped through the net.
"Don't take me for a joke," Kazue said, landing on both feet. "We can still win!"
She turned and sprinted back on defense.
Kotone retrieved the ball and inbounded it to Suzume. The moment Suzume began dribbling, Kazue lunged forward and slapped the ball out of her hand.
Kotone let out a laugh and shook her head, her hair bouncing against her shoulders.
"Well, looks like I'm not the only one who made a mistake."
"I'm pretty sure she didn't score on me, though," Suzume said flatly.
"Their defense is too tight, there's no opening!" one of the second-years groaned.
"Pass me the ball!" Kazue shouted.
Her teammate sent the ball toward her. Kazue caught it and lowered her stance.
I don't know if she was pretending to be bad all this time or what, but I know one thing for sure. I'm not losing!
Kazue drove toward the basket and rose for a shot.
Suzume jumped to contest it, both arms shooting up.
A fake...?!
Suzume thought.
Kazue pulled the ball down and drove past her toward the rim.
Smack!
Haruko rushed in from the weak side and struck the ball in midair with her palm.
Kazue's mouth dropped open.
The ball bounced loose.
Suzume darted forward, her fingertips brushing the hardwood as she scooped it up.
"Yes! I got it!"
"Pass it! I'm near the basket!" Sayaka shouted, waving both arms.
Suzume planted her feet and twisted her upper body, sending the ball across the court.
Sayaka caught it in stride, took a step toward the rim, and laid it off the backboard.
The ball dropped through the net.
Well, what do you know...
Coach Maeda stared at the scoreboard.
The third-years were just two points away from reaching twenty-one, and less than five minutes had passed.
Suzume dribbled up the court.
"All right, everyone! Let's score one more time!" she called.
Sayaka caught the next pass and quickly look around the court. She pivoted on her toes before passing it to Kotone in the paint.
Kotone caught it with both hands. She glanced toward the basket, then spotted a defender closing in and passed the ball back outside.
Suzume caught the return pass and immediately sent it toward Haruko.
Kazue's eyes widened.
"No!"
She sprinted toward Haruko.
"This isn't over! You will not score on me, Haruko!!"
Haruko dribbled hard, each bounce cracking against the hardwood, then shifted to one side and swept past Kazue.
Kazue planted her foot and recovered, sliding across the court to cut her off.
Haruko pulled the ball back, bending her knees.
Kazue jumped with her, both arms reaching overhead. Her fingertips grazed the ball as Haruko released it.
Haruko adjusted her wrist at the last instant.
The ball rose toward the basket.
Swish!
The net snapped as the ball dropped cleanly through. It struck the hardwood and bounced toward the baseline.
Coach Maeda blew her whistle.
"All right, that's enough! Game over!"
"If only real games were this easy."
Kotone stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah..." Suzume said.
She walked past Kazue, who stood near the paint with her head lowered and her hands hanging at her sides.
"Nice shooting out there, Haruko! You really surprised me," Sayaka said as she walked over.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?"
"I've been wondering the same thing," Suzume said, nodding.
"Come on, spill the beans, Haruko," Kotone added.
Haruko's cheeks turned pink as she glanced away.
"Well… one morning, I was out practicing my shots when I met a high school boy. He taught me."
"Ooh, so you were out early with a boy and a high schooler, no less." Kotone placed a hand on her hip. "My, my. I didn't know you had it in you, Haruko."
"All he did was teach me how to shoot, jeez!" Haruko stomped her foot.
"Haruko…"
Kazue's voice came from behind them.
She walked over, her gaze fixed on the floor. One hand gripped her opposite elbow.
Haruko tilted her head.
"Yeah? What's up, Kazue?"
"I… I want to apologize for how I treated you,"
Kazue muttered.
"I was just… jealous that you became captain even though you couldn't score at all. I thought if I made things difficult for you, you'd quit."
She paused, pressing her lips together.
"But instead, you just got better…"
"You don't have to forgive me or anything, but… I'll do my part and respect you as captain from now on."
Haruko blinked.
"Kazue…"
She watched Kazue's lowered head for a moment before stepping closer.
"Hey, it's fine. I wasn't playing against you to get back at you or anything. I just wanted to show you that I'm giving this my all as captain."
Haruko held out her hand.
"So… you're forgiven."
Kazue stared at the outstretched hand. Her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile appeared on her face.
"...Thanks, Haruko."
"Aww, look at you two making up!" Sayaka clasped her hands together. "This is, like, straight out of a drama!"
Kotone slung an arm around Kazue's shoulders.
"Well, if we're all friends now, that just means practice is gonna get even tougher."
Kazue stiffened. A flush spread across her cheeks.
"Tch… as if I'd want you to!" She shoved Kotone's arm off and turned away with a scowl.
Kotone burst out laughing.
"Ha! There's the Kazue I know!"
Coach Maeda clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Excellent work out there, girls! Those were some great plays and incredible defense. If we keep this up, we'll definitely go far this season."
She glanced around the team.
"You all impressed me today, so I'm ending training early. Go home and get some rest. Our practice match is in a week!"
"Yes, Coach!" the team replied in unison.
Kotone let out a long breath and rolled her shoulders.
"Man, I'm beat… I really need a bath right now."
"Haruko."
Haruko straightened, blinking.
"Yes, Coach?"
"Come with me. I want to talk to you."