Becoming a Starter

Then, the ball Shiro swatted away was picked up by Nijimura. Like a bolt of lightning, he sprinted down the court, reaching the basket in the blink of an eye, and executed a spectacular windmill dunk.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, an elegant combination of power and finesse.

The Black Team, unable to catch up, could only watch helplessly as Nijimura slammed the ball into the hoop.

When it was the Black Team's turn to attack, Kawamura advanced quickly. Suddenly, from just beyond the three-point line, he pulled up for a shot. The White Team's point guard, caught completely off guard by Kawamura's sudden long-range attempt, failed to react in time.

The basketball arced beautifully through the air and swished through the net, finally earning the Black Team their first points.

Next came Shiro's time to shine. Like a shark, he darted into the opposing half of the court.

Facing his defender, Shiro used a quick crossover, effortlessly shaking them off.

When the Black Team's power forward rotated over to help, Shiro remained composed. A fake sent the defender airborne, allowing him to break into the paint with ease.

As the Black Team's center stepped up to challenge him, Shiro showed no hesitation. Ignoring the defense, he soared high and dunked powerfully over the center, sending him crashing to the floor.

After slamming the ball through the hoop, Shiro immediately returned to defense. Watching this, Kawamura's expression grew serious. He turned to his teammates and said, "Listen, whenever Shiro gets the ball, double-team him. If two defenders aren't enough, make it three. We must stop him. Got it?"

His teammates nodded in agreement.

The next time Shiro had possession, three players, including Kawamura, closed in on him.

But Shiro only smirked. With quick crossovers and feints, he deftly evaded all three defenders.

Facing the recovering power forward, Shiro posted up, delivering a solid bump to create space. Then, with a smooth shoulder fake, he executed a flawless fadeaway jumper.

The basketball soared gracefully through the air and dropped cleanly into the basket.

Witnessing Shiro's dazzling display, Coach Miyamoto, who had been observing from the sidelines, felt a flicker of excitement in his previously indifferent eyes.

"Looks like we've struck gold with this one! With Shiro, Nijimura, and Kawamura, winning both the Inter-High and Winter Cup championships this year seems very possible" he thought to himself.

For the rest of the game, Shiro and Nijimura turned the court into their personal stage, combining seamlessly to rack up points. The Black Team had no answer for their dominance.

In just 20 minutes, the score widened to 55:29, with the White Team crushing the Black Team.

Seeing the lopsided score, Coach Miyamoto called for a halt. He understood there was no point in continuing the game and had already gotten a good sense of the rookies' abilities.

Turning his gaze toward Shiro and Nijimura, Miyamoto couldn't help but marvel silently, "These two are monsters. As expected from Teiko's alumni."

Meanwhile, the Black Team players were exhausted, hunched over with their hands on their knees, their jerseys drenched in sweat. They stared at Shiro and Nijimura in disbelief.

Kawamura wiped the sweat from his forehead, a look of resignation in his eyes. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "I still can't match up to them."

In contrast, Shiro and Nijimura appeared relaxed, with only a light sheen of sweat on their foreheads. It was clear this game's intensity didn't even match their regular training.

Coach Miyamoto turned to address the team. "Based on this game, everyone has seen Shiro and Nijimura's performance. I've decided they will both be starters. Does anyone have any objections?"

The room was silent.

The game had clearly demonstrated their skills, and everyone accepted their abilities.

Even the previous starters had no complaints, knowing full well they were no match for Shiro and Nijimura. Talent takes precedence, and they understood this.

Coach Miyamoto then gestured for Momoi to step forward. "Let me introduce our new basketball club manager, Satsuki Momoi. Please, give her a warm welcome."

Momoi walked forward gracefully, her smile radiant. "Hello, everyone. I'm Satsuki Momoi. I'm thrilled to join the basketball club as your manager. I look forward to working together to create wonderful memories."

Her soft, melodious voice carried a comforting warmth, yet it wasn't overly delicate.

Those who hadn't seen Momoi before couldn't help but admire her beauty, secretly thinking, She's stunning!

"And I'm also Shiro's girlfriend. Please take care of us" Momoi added shyly, her cheeks flushing slightly as she lowered her head.

Hearing this revelation, many players felt a wave of disappointment.

They had hoped the new manager might still be single and within their reach. But learning she was already taken—and by Shiro, no less—shattered their hopes.

Shiro, with a gentle smile, said nothing. His gaze remained on Momoi, filled with love and affection.

Momoi, feeling his gaze, looked up, her cheeks turning even redder. Though shy, she didn't look away, meeting Shiro's eyes with unwavering determination, as if to etch this moment into their hearts.

The rest of the team, witnessing this tender exchange, felt a mix of envy and frustration.

As single players, being subjected to this kind of public display of affection was almost unbearable. Some even jokingly clenched their fists, pretending they wanted to punch Shiro.

Breaking the mood, Coach Miyamoto spoke again. "Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow, I'll provide a detailed training plan. Get some rest—you'll need it. Training won't be easy!"

The team responded enthusiastically, "Yes, Coach!"

With that, they began packing up and leaving the court.