Chapter Sixty-Nine: Former National Player
"Really?! Sorato, you made the finals?!"
The moment Yagami Sorato entered, a familiar figure rushed toward him with a fresh, clean scent.
"Didn't I already text you?" Yagami Sorato set his basketball bag in the entryway, his tone characteristically calm. "Besides, your reaction sounds like you didn't believe we could win at all."
"Hehe, of course I believed! I'm just double-checking." Chinatsu Yui's eyes sparkled, her face radiating undisguised joy and pride. "I knew you could do it! You're so amazing!"
"Right, but this is just the beginning. There are still many strong opponents ahead." The corner of Yagami Sorato's mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.
"I know, I know!" Chinatsu Yui excitedly pumped her fist in the air before shouting toward the kitchen. "Mom! Sorato's team made the finals! They're about to compete with Shohoku for the championship!"
"Really? That's wonderful, Sorato-kun!" Chinatsu's mother, wearing an apron, poked her head out from the kitchen, her face glowing with gentle, delighted surprise. "Then we should make a feast tonight to celebrate! Oh, right—"
Before she could finish, Chinatsu Yui interrupted impatiently. She leaned in mysteriously toward Yagami, lowering her voice. "Hey, Sorato, there's a super big surprise too!"
"Hmm?" Yagami Sorato looked up, maintaining his usual wariness toward the word "surprise"—especially when it came from Chinatsu Yui.
"Dad!" Chinatsu Yui called toward the living room. "How long are you going to keep watching? Come out already!"
Yagami Sorato looked past her. A tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man emerged.
Chinatsu Kazushi. Chinatsu Yui's father. Forty-one years old. Wearing simple athletic clothes, sporting sharp short hair, eyes keen as an eagle's—currently regarding Yagami Sorato with a smile both warm and appraising.
"Kazushi-ojisan?" Yagami Sorato was genuinely surprised. "When did you get back?"
Chinatsu Kazushi had received an invitation from a friend early this year to work overseas as a private basketball coach. Yagami hadn't expected him back so soon.
"Just got home this afternoon." Chinatsu Kazushi's voice boomed with the characteristic vigor of an athlete. "Sorato, I heard you've been investing heavily in basketball lately, making great progress?"
"He's a basketball idiot now—every day it's nothing but basketball, basketball, basketball." Chinatsu Yui complained from the side, her tone carrying a hint of petulance she hadn't even noticed herself.
"After starting high school, I discovered I actually really enjoy basketball," Yagami Sorato said with slight embarrassment.
"I overheard your conversation just now. Making the finals means your team's quite strong—well done!" Chinatsu Kazushi stepped forward, his large hand clapping Yagami's shoulder forcefully. "You've finally stopped wasting your talent."
"Right now I just feel like time isn't enough. I want to get stronger quickly."
Chinatsu Kazushi examined Yagami Sorato's noticeably more muscular frame, nodding approvingly. "I can tell—you've clearly been working hard on conditioning lately."
"But be careful. Strength training should be gradual to avoid injury."
"I understand."
At this point, Chinatsu Kazushi's interest peaked. "How about we head to the nearby basketball court to loosen up? Let me see what level you're actually at now."
"Right now?" Yagami Sorato looked somewhat taken aback.
"Dad! Sorato just finished an intense game today!" Chinatsu Yui immediately protested. "Plus he just got back—we're about to eat dinner!"
"One game's worth of exercise is nothing." Chinatsu Kazushi waved dismissively. "Besides, there'll always be moments in games when your stamina's depleted. It's precisely in these extreme conditions that you see someone's true level—whether their technique breaks down, whether their mentality stays stable, whether they can still think clearly."
His gaze locked intensely on Yagami. "So, Sorato?"
"Alright." Yagami Sorato calmly met his eyes. "Please teach me, Kazushi-ojisan."
"Hey! You two basketball idiots!" Chinatsu Yui stamped her foot in frustration. Watching them already heading one after another toward the entrance, she could only follow helplessly. "Wait for me! I'm coming as referee! No playing rough!"
"Don't stay out too long, okay? Come back quickly to eat." Chinatsu's mother poked her head out from the kitchen with a reminder.
"Don't worry, it'll be quick," Chinatsu Kazushi promised with a laugh.
The setting sun painted the sky a warm orange, gilding the nearby street basketball court in golden light.
Yagami Sorato and Chinatsu Kazushi stood center court, performing simple warm-ups.
Chinatsu Yui sat on a nearby bench, arms crossed, wearing an expression of "I really can't deal with you two."
"Rules are simple." Chinatsu Kazushi worked his wrists and ankles, tone casual yet brooking no argument. "Five baskets. Make it, keep possession. Show me everything you've got—no holding back."
"Understood." Yagami Sorato nodded, eyes focused.
Chinatsu Kazushi was a former Japanese national team player. 195cm tall. Position: power forward. After retiring in his thirties, he'd remained involved in basketball work, maintaining excellent physical condition—still possessing an athlete's physique.
The one-on-one began with Yagami Sorato on offense.
Facing Chinatsu Kazushi, Yagami Sorato could clearly sense oppressive pressure. His opponent's height, wingspan, and that aura of composure refined through professional experience—all fundamentally different from high school players.
Yagami Sorato first attempted a straightforward crossover breakthrough, but Chinatsu Kazushi's defensive footwork was exceptionally crafty, always positioning preemptively while constantly applying subtle hand checks that—without fouling—continuously disrupted his dribbling rhythm.
This was defense at a completely different dimension from high school players. Yagami Sorato felt it acutely.
He tried leveraging speed for the breakthrough, but under Chinatsu Kazushi's tight pressure, he couldn't exploit his speed advantage.
After several fruitless attempts, Yagami Sorato opted to force up a jump shot.
However, the instant he gathered, Chinatsu Kazushi's long arm loomed over him like an eclipse, his massive palm completely blocking his vision.
"Too rushed," Chinatsu Kazushi's voice sounded in his ear.
The basketball traced a strained arc before clanging off the rim's edge.
Possession changed.
Chinatsu Kazushi got the ball. His aura transformed instantly.
Without excessive flourishes—just a clean triple-threat jab step combined with a shoulder fake—he cleverly induced a shift in Yagami's defensive center of gravity.
The next moment, Chinatsu Kazushi exploded like a cheetah on his first step, burst completely unlike someone in his forties!
But Yagami Sorato hadn't been shaken loose. He quickly closed on Chinatsu Kazushi, only to find himself sealed firmly behind by his opponent's body positioning.
Chinatsu Kazushi used his frame to shield the ball all the way to the basket, finishing an easy layup.
Yagami Sorato 0 - Chinatsu Kazushi 1
"Defensive stance wasn't low enough. Hesitated judging the fakes. Lateral speed is decent, but stability under contact is lacking." After scoring, Chinatsu Kazushi critiqued without mercy.
Yagami Sorato pressed his lips together, saying nothing, eyes growing even more focused.
The next several possessions became essentially a teaching demonstration by Chinatsu Kazushi.
First, solid post-up play, grinding Yagami back step by step into the paint for a hook shot. Then using footwork and rhythm changes to shake Yagami loose for a one-handed dunk. Even a sudden stepback three-pointer.
Splash!
Yagami Sorato 0 - Chinatsu Kazushi 4
Chinatsu Kazushi held four match points.
"See? I told you it'd be quick!" Chinatsu Kazushi boasted toward his daughter on the sideline. "This took less time than walking here!"
"Hmph, Sorato's just tired from finishing a game!" Chinatsu Yui immediately countered before turning to shout toward the court. "Come on, Sorato!"
Chinatsu Kazushi: "???"
He froze, bewildered. Since when had his daughter grown so close to Sorato that she wouldn't even support her own father?
He'd originally planned to let one basket go—didn't want to crush the kid's newfound basketball enthusiasm. But now...
"Hmph!" Chinatsu Kazushi's eyes sharpened. He changed his mind.
At this moment, Yagami Sorato paid no attention to the father-daughter exchange. His entire focus remained locked on his opponent, brain consumed by a single thought:
"At minimum—I have to stop one possession."
Sensing the resolve emanating from the young man, Chinatsu Kazushi smiled slightly, deciding to end the match with the most fundamental approach—a post-up.
The instant Chinatsu Kazushi backed into him with the ball, Yagami Sorato understood his intent.
He carefully recalled his opponent's offensive tendencies. Generally, post-ups had two finishing options: "turnaround jumper" or "power drive to the basket."
Clearly, Chinatsu Kazushi had chosen the second.
Yagami Sorato immediately lowered his center of gravity, pressing his forearm against his opponent's lower back. Rather than match strength directly, he focused on sensing the direction of force.
"Oh?" Chinatsu Kazushi noticed the change behind him.
Just as Yagami exerted force to establish position and prevent him from backing deeper toward the basket, Chinatsu Kazushi used Yagami Sorato's body as a pivot, spinning left to shoot.
Yagami Sorato instantly released pressure. In the gap between Chinatsu Kazushi's "spin to gather" motion, he quickly extended his arm upward to contest the shooting hand.
"Fast reaction!"
Chinatsu Kazushi felt inward alarm, but his motion remained composed. His legs exploded off the floor, body fading backward while maintaining shooting form.
However, Yagami Sorato seemed to have predicted this adjustment.
"Got you."
He leaped forward almost simultaneously, arm targeting not the shooting hand blindly but precisely tracking the basketball's flight path!
"THUD!"
His fingertips made slight contact with the ball. Though insufficient for a complete block, this disruption was enough to nudge the basketball slightly off its intended trajectory mid-flight.
Yagami Sorato had successfully defended this possession!
After landing, Chinatsu Kazushi felt the long-absent sensation of defensive pressure. He couldn't help feeling wistful: "If I were just ten years younger... no, five years would do..."
But that thought vanished instantly. Looking at the determined young man before him, he praised sincerely: "Good defense. Sharp judgment."
However, Yagami Sorato's face showed no trace of joy.
His gaze remained locked on Chinatsu Kazushi. "Next—it's my turn."