Chapter 81: One Fruition
And so, the prefectural qualifiers for the Winter Cup begin.
If we win today, it's two matches. If we win tomorrow too, another two, making a total of four wins to advance to the final league.
Airi "The first round should be fine! Don't stiffen up, okay? Let's keep the ball moving!"
Coach "I can't tell who the coach is here!"
Ahahaha!!
With the tension eased, the coach announces the starting lineup!
Me! I'm in the starting lineup!
Coach "You and the captain will control the game, spread out, and use the court widely!"
"Yes!"
Starting in an official match! I'm thrilled!
Koji congratulates me, but he looks a bit frustrated, doesn't he?
Still, our basketball is about solid game management with total team effort, so his chance will definitely come! Unusually, there are a lot of "!" marks here!
The match begins! We lost the jump ball!
Right away, we apply pressure with a triangle-two defense (three players guard the area while two tightly mark the ball's source).
The captain intercepts their clumsy ball movement and scores with a fast break!
Fast breaks were our basic tactic until spring, so they're still a weapon for us!
I handle the ball passed to me, spreading it out.
If they think I release the ball quickly, it'll be easier to break through with a dribble!
Scored with a fast break from a drive! Yes!
Airi "Kousuke-kun! You're showing the results of your practice!"
Thanks, senpai!
We're leading 20-8 in the first quarter!
They were stiff, so the gap isn't this big normally. The first goal was huge—captain, you're so reliable!
In the second quarter, the lineup stays the same. It's a back-and-forth battle, but our defense is stronger, so we're turning it into attack opportunities effectively!
38-22
In the third quarter, I'm subbed out, and Koji and a second-year point guard come in.
After that, we use various players and ultimately win 83-47!
Koji scored points too and played a huge role!
Airi "Everyone, we've got another match this afternoon!"
The coach praises us and points out a few things to work on.
I'm... okay! Just keep going like this!
Airi "Point guards tend to expend a lot of energy, so don't overdo it, okay? It's fine, Kousuke-kun, your practice is paying off! Your versatility and clever decision-making are your strengths! Keep it up!"
"Got it!"
We win the second round too, onto the second day.
I heard we lost in the third round last year...
They've also won two matches like us, so they've got momentum too.
They look strong...!
I'm used in the starting lineup again this time!
While spreading the ball, at critical moments, I pass to the captain. That's our winning pattern! If their focus is on the captain, the others are left open...! Even so, it's a close race! The opponents are definitely strong!
Before, my energy would've dropped in the third quarter. Drives wouldn't have worked this well either. The opponents are strong under the goal, and our average height disadvantage shows. Still, we fight with our strong points!
The casual chat with Nagase-san about increasing fake patterns helped. Not everything from practice comes out in a game. Still, nothing was wasted, I thought as I heard the whistle for the end of the match.
We made it to the top 8! It was really a close race; we gave it everything.
If we win the next one, we advance to the final league.
Our afternoon opponent is the champion of our prefecture, Takane Agricultural. A powerhouse school that's a regular at nationals.
We barely won in the morning, even after revealing all our cards.
They've probably recorded and analyzed that, because the game development is tough.
Tough doesn't even begin to describe it.
The point gap keeps widening, my body feels heavy, and breathing is hard.
But everyone is watching, the bench members and Airi-senpai are cheering with hoarse voices.
Facing a powerhouse school is scary.
It's like everything we've done so far is being denied, as if they're telling us our efforts don't count.
Some teammates start to give up...
The captain is trying to encourage us, but some seniors are in despair...
They're seniors, but I slap them on the back.
I'm not great at talking... At times like this, I borrow words from my best friend. It's a phrase Nozomi loves.
"Until the whistle blows at the end of the match, whether we're winning or losing by any number of points, we just fight with all we've got to score! Until then, the score is just numbers! Don't lose in spirit!"
Captain "That's right! Well said, Kousuke!"
The last part was that person's line from Hokkaido Variety, wasn't it?
We suffered a crushing defeat.
44-102
I learned so much; I have to turn this into a lesson, or this experience means nothing!
I'm frustrated and tears come out, but I'm relieved to know I practiced so hard and had enough passion to feel this frustrated.
It's probably Sho's influence; I'm getting all fired up!
We return to school, hear the coach's overall review, and disband for the day.
We made it to the top 8, but it was a bitter experience...
Everyone cried after the review.
We're not a powerhouse, and though we're a preparatory school, we've worked hard together.
That's why no one mocks us for losing, and the second-years are crying too. If you cry now, what will you do when you retire next year? But still,
Airi "Eeeeeeh, fueeeeeeh..."
Someone was crying even more, so our tears stopped.
After losing like that, some members must have felt like giving up.
Even so, she makes us want to try hard again, our goddess (lol).
The club members, with wry smiles, say one after another,
"Manager, we'll win next time, okay? Stop crying?"
"We'll get much stronger by summer!"
"Next time, for sure!"
Airi "...Really?"
Airi-senpai is the treasure of our club.
☆ ☆ ☆
Today's Yukari
While Kousuke is burning an insane amount of calories.
Crunch!
Yukari "...Were potato chips always this delicious? ...Seaweed salt... Seaweed is basically zero calories, right...? ...Washing down potato chips with cola... ...This is criminal...!!"
※ Potato chips have been unlocked, slight weight gain.
Cola has been unlocked, slight weight gain.