Stay There longer than Anyone else.

The fourth day of the Tokyo preliminaries had arrived, and Hiro had just returned from school; the coach had ordered the day off. They had played two matches the day before and needed to recuperate.

Hiro finished his piled-up homework from yesterday and today before doing some housework. When his mother returned, he made her tea and, as usual, they talked about their day.

At that precise moment, "In a few days, a new family will move in next door. We will have new neighbours. I wonder what kind of people they are! Hiro! What would you do if you met a girl?" With a smile, Hiro's mother stated.

"Why, Mom?"

Hiro was taken aback to find that someone was moving in next door, and he, too, wondered what kind of people they would be.

"Do you want me to go shopping for them tomorrow? It's a Saturday, and I'm free. I'd want to go shopping. But not because there is or not a girl!" Hiro intervened.

"Yes, that is a creative suggestion. What about going to a florist and purchasing a home plant? We'll be there to greet them when they arrive!" Hiro's mother spoke out.

Houseplants were a nice welcome gift because they were easy to care for and added a natural sense and colour to the home.

"All right, I will go and get a houseplant tomorrow!" Hiro returned the smile and nodded.

When Hiro's father returned home and was told about the new neighbour while eating dinner, he decided to help by compiling a list of beneficial sites in the neighbourhood.

While his parents went for their daily couple's walk, Hiro went for a brief run.

Hiro didn't get the chance to get Haranishi's match film from the coach since he had returned from school without going to the gym, but even if he did have the tapes, Hiro decided not to watch them.

Hiro simply stood up straight and thought to himself, "My next opponent is Fukushima, not Haranishi. I should forget about Haranishi today and concentrate on Fukushima. I should not grow cocky by believing that Haranishi is the only team capable of posing a challenge; instead, I should recall what coach usually says. Never underestimate my opponents!" taking a deep breath

Hiro returned to his room, fixed his alarm, and went to bed without thinking about Haranishi's middle.

...

On Day 5, Hiro was out shopping for a Houseplant for his new neighbours.

Haruto Nagamo and Akira Daiki from Fukushima Middle School were analysing Kamiya's match footage at Akira's house on that day.

"How about it, Haruto? Do you believe you can take on Sano Kojiro?" Akira inquired of Haruto Nagamo.

Haruto Nagamo replied with a smile, "Sano is taller than I am, but I am faster. It may be difficult to compete with him for rebounds, but I will not lose in blocks or scoring. Do you believe you can compete with Chiba Yoshinaka? And how about that first-year rookie, Shot-maker Yagami Hiro?" interestingly.

"Good! There is no need to predict defeat simply because they are the incumbent champs. When it comes to Chiba and Yagami, I believe Chiba and I are on the same level, but we don't know much about that kid Yagami Hiro. True, his last five minutes versus Musashi were incredible, and his scoring in the semi-finals was also impressive for a first-year player, but he plays like a point guard from what I can see. Let's see what happens!" Akira Daiki spoke forward.

Haruto Nagamo sighed as he continued to Akira Daiki, "I believe he is comparable to you in that he plays small forward but aspires to play point guard." You, in particular, play as a centre." Haruto Nagamo responded with a sigh.

Haruto Nagamo gazed at the screen, which was showing the third round game between Midoriya Middle School and Kamiya Middle School.

Haruto Nagamo grinned "You are right; notice how he quickly assumed the point guard position when Utada was replaced. I'm guessing he's waiting till next year to switch to point guard, but unlike me, he can set up plays as a small forward. He's very awesome, man! "He stated.

Akira felt sympathy for his friend, Haruto Nagamo, who wanted to play point guard but was more beneficial to the squad as a centre due to his height.

Akira Daiki was likewise concerned about Haruto Nagamo, knowing how hard Haruto worked in practice.

"They are not the only ones to be wary of; consider Daichi Middle's performance in the semi-finals, when he displayed a hazardous move: a high fadeaway jumper. By the time you know Chiba is already above and out of reach, that will be tough to block." Haruto Nagamo replied solemnly.

Haruto Nagamo was afraid that their defence wouldn't be able to keep up with Kamiya's offence, but Fukushima's current members were more focused on offence than defence.

Haruto Nagamo's biggest concern was whether Shoei could outscore Kamiya if the match became an offensive scoring game.

Haruto Nagamo enjoyed playing basketball, but he always saw his enormous physique as a barrier. However, when Akira Daiki encouraged him to play, he discovered that his body was not a problem but an asset.

Basketball was a sport of heights, and taller and stronger players were stronger, but what set Haruto Nagamo apart from other big men was that he valued talent over physical strength.

When Haruto Nagamo joined the club in middle school, he was a complete newcomer to basketball; despite his size, he couldn't handle the ball properly.

When he witnessed his peers handle the ball better than him, he concluded that if he paired his strength with improved skill, he would become even better at the sport he had begun to enjoy.

Haruto Nagamo smiled as he remembered how, when he fumbled the ball on several occasions, he always messed up and was called for a travelling violation.

But now he was in love with the hardwood floor and the leather ball that wasn't like the small things he struggled with, and more significantly, he adored his teammates; he had found a different kind of family than his grandparents.

He belonged on a basketball court, and he wanted to stay there longer than anyone else.