Scrimmage

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew through the air. Momoi bounced happily over to Shiro, her face lit up with an exuberant smile. Her bright eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What's up? You look so cheerful — did something good happen?" Shiro asked curiously, his lips curving into a slight smile, his gaze soft and affectionate.

"Hehe... Guess what? I applied to be the basketball team manager during lunch, and they accepted me! Now I can be with you all the time again!" Momoi was so excited she almost jumped for joy, clenching her fists in anticipation.

Hearing this, Shiro couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, is that so? That's great news! Not surprising, though — look at my girlfriend, she's amazing!"

He reached out and gently patted Momoi's head, his eyes filled with doting affection.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Momoi tugged Shiro's hand eagerly and dashed toward the basketball gym like a joyous little bird.

Along the way, Momoi's heart was full of joy, her steps light and lively.

She glanced back at Shiro from time to time, her eyes radiating happiness.

Shiro smiled as he followed her, savoring the blissful moment.

When they finally arrived at the gym, they found Nijimura already waiting for them.

Seeing Momoi, Nijimura wasn't surprised. He was well aware of her skills and abilities.

Back in middle school, Momoi had demonstrated exceptional insight and predictive skills. Not to mention, she was a master of gathering intelligence.

The three entered the gym together, where most of the players were already waiting.

As Shiro and Nijimura entered, Kawamura immediately walked over to a middle-aged man sitting on the bench and whispered something in his ear.

The man nodded and stood up, calling out in a strong voice, "Everyone, gather up!"

At the coach's command, the team quickly assembled in front of him.

"Hello, everyone. Let me introduce myself. I'm Coach Miyamoto, your head coach. I look forward to working with you all. Now, let's get to business. Today's training plan involves a scrimmage. New members of the basketball club will form their own team"

Coach Miyamoto turned his gaze to Shiro and Nijimura, clearly anticipating their performance.

After all, they were from Teiko, and their talent was unquestionable.

The teams were quickly divided: Shiro and Nijimura led the White Team, while Kawamura led the Black Team. Everyone started warming up.

"Go easy on us, will you?" Kawamura said with a wry smile. He was acutely aware of the disparity in skill and knew how the game would likely end.

After all, their opponents included the ace of the Generation of Miracles and the former number-one power forward in middle school.

Even without considering the other players, just these two alone were enough to create immense pressure.

Still, the thought of having Shiro and Nijimura as future teammates lifted Kawamura's spirits.

This year could very well be his best chance at a championship!

The game was about to begin. Shiro and the opposing center — a towering player over 190 cm — stepped into the circle for the tip-off.

Since the new recruits' team lacked a true center, Shiro had to take on the jump ball task.

With the referee's whistle, the game officially began. Shiro effortlessly tipped the ball over the opposing center to a teammate, and the White Team launched their attack.

Their point guard, knowing Shiro's reputation, wasted no time passing him the ball.

Standing two steps behind the three-point line, Shiro noticed his defender lingering at the arc. Without hesitation, he pulled up for the shot.

"Defense!" Kawamura shouted, urging his team to contest the shot.

The defender, jolted by Kawamura's call, scrambled to close out on Shiro. But it was too late.

With a smooth motion, Shiro released the ball.

Swish!

The ball arced beautifully through the air and sank cleanly into the hoop.

Kawamura sighed, a mix of resignation and admiration on his face. He knew all too well that unless you've faced Shiro on the court, you can't truly understand how monstrous his abilities are.

The defender who failed to stop Shiro scratched his head and muttered, "My bad"

"It's fine" Kawamura reassured. "Their team's got a Generation of Miracles player. Their scoring is practically unfair. Just stay focused"

Taking the inbound pass, Kawamura sprinted up the court.

He deliberately avoided matching up against Nijimura or Shiro, knowing full well his teammates couldn't penetrate their defense.

Charging toward the basket, Kawamura made a sharp crossover to evade the White Team's point guard. He drove into the paint, drawing the opposing center out of position, and lobbed a high pass to his own center.

The Black Team's center leapt for a spectacular alley-oop attempt.

But before he could finish, a blur streaked across the court.

It was Shiro, soaring into the paint with incredible speed. 

Leaping powerfully, Shiro swatted the ball from the center's hands with a resounding block.

The Black Team's center was stunned, unable to react in time.

Shiro landed firmly on the court, his block leaving the gym in stunned silence.

The Black Team players were dumbfounded.

"He's insane! To cover that much ground and jump that high — unreal!"

"That guy's a monster" another player added, shaking his head in disbelief.