Chapter 6: I Might Not Be Fit, but I Definitely Know Ball!

Basketball, a sport I understood well enough, was fast-paced and intense. Normally, the hoop is 10 feet high, but for our P.E. class, it was lowered to 8 feet—probably to spare us from too much humiliation. The game is played on a rectangular court, with each team defending their basket and attempting to score in the opponent's.

Think of it like soccer, but with a much smaller playing area and using hands instead of feet. Of course, both sports are more complicated than this, but that's all that really needs to be known.

As for the time limit, we have until the end of class, which is about 45 minutes, but seeing as most students can't last a full game, I'm sure our coach will intervene when he sees fit.

"Alright, teams, take your sides! Captains, choose your starters and meet at center court!" The coach stood in position, holding the ball. It seemed like we weren't just deciding who got possession first—we'd be fighting for it.

I turned toward Yūta, waiting for his decision.

"Fujimiya-san, go ahead!"

Of course…

Not really having the energy to be suspicious, I just went to the center, and no surprise.

"Get ready to lose, Amane~." Itsuki taunted. He sure had some nerve talking smack before even seeing what I could do.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Look at this! You already can't handle your loss, and it's going to be on my court to make it even better!"

I stared Itsuki down, my eyes locking with his as I matched his taunting energy.

"Let's not get it twisted. You're the challenger here!" The smile on my face widened, referencing my blue-eyed king, and I waited for the signal.

[Confidence Level 1 (0/10) → 10/10 → Level 2!][Confidence Level 2 (0/50)]

Perfectly timed, a whistle blew, signaling the start of the game. I immediately rushed for control of the ball, completely stunning Itsuki. But my friend, that's something you should never do in a game like this.

I rushed past him, dribbling with my right hand as I entered the three-point range.

Two defenders stepped into my path—one of average height and the other shorter, both lunging to block my way. With a quick fake to the right and a smooth crossover, I sent one stumbling and the other frozen in place.

"Stop him, Irido-san!"

Itsuki gave his best warning, but Mizuto couldn't have stopped me even if he wanted to. I maneuvered past him as he stood in a daze, finishing with a layup.

Swish~

Landing back on the ground, I could feel that I used a little too much energy, but with this strong opening, I probably didn't have to worry. When you show that you're a good player, people start comparing themselves, and if they're worse, they don't even try—unless they have a good leader. A good leader can turn an average team into a good team or a good team into a great team.

I turned around to see Itsuki and Yūta staring in disbelief.

Itsuki: "O—"Yūta: "Eh?"

"Your turn now, Itsuki!" I resumed the taunting.

"AMANE, YOU BASTARD!"

Fweeeet~!

"Language, kid!" The coach warned. Yikes.

"I don't care! This dude has been hiding his talents from me!" Itsuki came to his side of the court, and I returned to mine. After a team scores, the other team gets possession. If this wasn't a rule, I'd have fun not giving Itsuki a chance at all.

Mizuto passed the ball straight to Itsuki, whose eagerness was impossible to miss. He rushed toward our net, but I interfered, applying pressure. He passed the ball to the average-height dude from earlier.

One of my teammates was guarding him well. Realizing he couldn't do anything, the dude passed to another teammate, who was being guarded by Yūta.

"Better luck next time!" Yūta caught the ball before the plain-looking dude could even react.

I linked up with Yūta as he ran down the court, staying open for a pass while Itsuki chased us. Yūta matched my earlier move and executed a solid layup.

Swish~

"Akazawa-san, I don't think you stand a chance!" Yūta… bro went straight for the throat.

Itsuki had an imaginary tick mark on his forehead (in my eyes). "I'll show you two!"

Yeah, alright~ I couldn't take him seriously, not because of his skill but because of his team's.

... ...

[Sometime later; Approaching the end of the class]

"Hah~ Hah~" Thirty-five minutes of straight sports is totally not within my endurance level yet. My lungs were taking in all the oxygen they could get, and my legs were killing me. Most of everyone was the same, except for Itsuki and Yūta, who were visibly tired but not exhausted.

The score was 21-21, and the coach informed us there was time for one more team to score. I really needed to get in a position to dunk; I stealthily tested it throughout the game, and I can do it—barely, but I can. With this last play, I'll do it!

"Kadowaki-san! Pass me the ball!"

Yūta stood out of bounds, passing the ball in like Mizuto had done for Itsuki earlier in the game. I caught it and took a rather slow approach to the enemy net. I needed as much energy as I could get!

"Haha, it's over, Amane!"

"You can try getting in my head later, Itsuki."

"I don't have to. You're exhausted!"

"You really haven't realized, have you?"

"What?"

"The reason you're even this close in score is simply because I hadn't tried yet!"

"...Dude, why are you acting like some anime character."

"Damn it, Itsuki! Why'd you ruin it?!"

"'Cause it's cringe, bro."

"Touche... HMPH!" Feeling recharged enough, I ran past Itsuki, who actually kept his guard better than I thought. I joked with him in order to set up the opportunity, but he was ready!

Squeak~!Squeak~!

We both maneuvered around our teammates, completely zoning them out as I went for his net and he tried to stop me. Mizuto retreated for some reason, giving me the perfect opportunity. I signaled for Yūta, and he gave a firm nod.

"Hah!"

"I don't think so, Amane!"

I jumped, and Itsuki matched me.

"Fujimiya!" Yūta passed the ball straight toward me, and unfortunately for Itsuki, I was taller. I caught the ball mid-air and slammed it down into the net, sending Itsuki straight to the floor.

BAM!

I didn't hold onto the net, landing right above Itsuki. I put out my right hand to try and help him up.

[Side Quest Completed]

I put the system prompt to the side. I didn't wanna look like a lunatic after all. Instead, I started talking with Itsuki.

"Why did you challenge that? I'm like three inches taller than you, and my wingspan is much longer."

"So what? I couldn't let my team down."

"I don't think our classmates care that much. This isn't the NBA—it's just P.E."

"Doesn't matter when or where—a game's a game."

"Haha, I see."

"I'll be honest, though. I'm exhausted, man, and starving!"

A thought entered my mind. Looking at Itsuki, I asked, "Wanna go out and eat after school? On me."

"Seriously?!" The supposed fatigue vanished from Itsuki.

"Can I invite Kadowaki?"

"Hmm, sure."

"Cool! Hey, Kadowaki-san!"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go hang after this with me and Amane?"

"Count me in!"

"Alright! Meet ya at the gates!"

"Sweet!"

Itsuki turned back toward me. "Let's go get cleaned up! There is food waiting!"

"Hahaha~" A hard laugh escaped me.