Bang!
On the empty basketball court, Akashi Asuka was facing off against Tsugawa Tomoki in a one-on-one match.
Asuka drove forward with the ball, using his increasingly sturdy elbow to shield himself like a bulldozer plowing into the paint. Tsugawa did his best to stop him, but every time Asuka even barely exerted any strength, Tsugawa would be sent stumbling backward with a loud thud.
Just as Asuka finally broke into the paint, before Tsugawa could regain his balance, he abruptly spun away, retreating beyond the three-point line.
Then, turnaround, fadeaway jumper...
Swish!
The ball fell cleanly through the hoop.
What the hell is wrong with you!?
You were already in the paint! You could've just dropped it in with a flick of the wrist! But no, you ran all the way back out just to sink a three-pointer!? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me, the shooting guard!?
Fuming, Tsugawa stomped up to Asuka. He was the blunt type, straightforward and never one to hold back what was on his mind.
Just as Tsugawa opened his mouth to lash out at Asuka's insultingly flashy play, Asuka flexed his shoulder a bit, feeling a slight soreness in his elbow.
"You... damn, that was a nice shot! That fadeaway three was insane," Tsugawa suddenly gave a thumbs-up, his mood flipping like a switch.
"You think so too? Honestly, I felt the same. If only I weren't this tall, I could've made that release feel even smoother," Asuka replied with a smile, patting his thick elbow.
The fadeaway jumper had been Asuka's signature move in his previous life. As a diehard Lakers fan, how could he not master a move as elegant as a picture-perfect fadeaway?
Unfortunately, in this new body, his vertical leap and hang time weren't quite there. Add his bulk into the equation, and what should've been graceful ended up looking... kind of clunky.
Still, there was one benefit to being this tall, his release point was extremely high. Even a standard pull-up was nearly impossible to block, and with the added backward motion of the fadeaway? Once he perfected it, not even the "Generation of Miracles" would be able to stop it.
"One more play. Let's keep going."
They were playing a game of five offensive and five defensive possessions each. It was Asuka's turn to attack, and so far, the score was 4–0.
Tsugawa gritted his teeth. I have to stop at least one.
Back when they were on the same team, Tsugawa had been the most technically skilled player. Even with Asuka's height, Tsugawa still usually came out on top in one-on-ones.
But ever since the Winter Cup Nationals ended a month ago, Asuka had changed, like he'd been pumped full of steroids. His progress was terrifying.
Now, even Tsugawa, known for his defensive prowess, hadn't managed to stop a single possession.
Something like that would've been unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
Asuka, meanwhile, wasn't thinking about Tsugawa's pride. He stayed focused on the ball, dribbling calmly without rushing the drive.
He understood his own weaknesses. Whether as a shooting guard or center, he wasn't built for flashy drives or crossovers.
And Tsugawa, due to his shorter stature, had specialized in defending against drives. Trying to break through him was just asking to get blocked, it'd be a case of attacking with your weaknesses against his strengths. A losing battle.
Tsugawa locked in, eyes following Asuka's every move.
Asuka dribbled twice more, then suddenly accelerated like he was going to drive. Tsugawa didn't flinch, immediately going for the steal.
But Asuka pulled back.
Dodging the steal attempt, he raised the ball for a three-point shot. Just then, Tsugawa caught up again, closing the distance in an instant.
Two consecutive defensive reactions shut down Asuka's shooting angle, at least, it looked that way.
But Asuka's eyes stayed calm and focused.
The very next moment,
Tsugawa's vision shifted. Despite having just caught up, the gap between them widened again in a flash.
Tsugawa's expression changed.
"Step-back!?"
Asuka had predicted Tsugawa's prediction, he'd been planning the step-back all along. It was just one step, but with Asuka's towering height, it opened up a massive space between them.
Tsugawa reacted quickly.
He had defended against the "Generation of Miracles" before. Say what you will, but when it came to reflexes and explosive agility, Tsugawa still had the edge over Asuka.
Realizing it was a step-back, he instantly sprang forward,
But when he jumped…
A new problem presented itself.
He wasn't tall enough.
Tsugawa stood at 179 cm, and even after entering high school, he barely hit 180 cm. That might work against the average player, but against Asuka, who had now reached 200 cm, the height difference was simply too much.
Just as Tsugawa's fingertips barely passed the top of Asuka's head, the ball was already sailing out of his hand.
Swish!
No need to turn around. Just from the familiar sound of the net, Tsugawa knew it was in.
5–0.
To Tsugawa, it was like a door to a whole new world had just opened.
"Damn it! Next round's mine! I swear I'll score five straight and shut you out too! Just wait, you damn Asuka!"
Getting completely shut out by a former teammate he once dominated, it was a major blow to Tsugawa's pride.
But it only took three seconds for him to bounce back. His energy was restored instantly.
That kind of resilience, paired with his passionate personality, even made Asuka start to wonder, do buzz cuts come with some special buff in Japan or something?
They had plenty of time to spare.
The high school entrance exams were over, and after the crushing defeat at the Winter Cup Nationals, all the other third-year members of the club had quit basketball entirely.
That left only the two of them in the gym.
They took turns on offense and defense.
Now it was Tsugawa's turn to attack, and Asuka's to defend.
Compared to defense, Tsugawa's offensive skills were nothing to write home about. Asuka, on the other hand, at least for now, was far more reliable on defense than offense...
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