JSWGAS Chapter 48

48.

An incredibly standard posture, taut muscles, perfect positioning, and a focused gaze.

Everything indicated that this shot should fall flawlessly into the net, winning a point, but yet—it just didn’t make it into the basket.

The atmosphere solidified.

Maki looked at the ball near the coach’s feet, about to mock, “Ha…”

“Hahahahahaha! Nice ball!”

A series of loud laughter echoing through the gymnasium attracted everyone’s attention. Nijimura Shuzo was laughing like an inside agent sent by Maki’s team, with the words “gloating” written all over him.

“Th-that’s truly a perfect shot, hahahaha! Kokonoe—no—I can’t, my stomach hurts from laughing…”

This demonic laughter broke the silence in the gymnasium. Other members standing on the sidelines couldn’t help but either turn their heads away, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, or join Nijimura Shuzo in laughing like squawking ducks. For a moment, the gymnasium was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Hachimoto’s cheeks were flushed red, and his voice trembled: “It-it’s okay, just try harder next time… pfft.”

Kokonoe Taka: “…”

Help me.

He covered his face.

Nijimura Shuzo and Maki even crowded over together. At this moment, they disregarded their past grudges and formed a united front. “Why are you covering your face? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about; everyone does it… pfft.”

Maki even showed his rare conscience: “Ahem, it’s your first time, unfamiliarity is normal, very normal.”

His skin was fair, making his exposed ear tips appear even redder. By the time he was so bothered by Nijimura and Maki that he lowered his hands, not only his entire face but even half of his neck had turned red. Yet, he still maintained a composed expression, which only made it seem like he was trying to hide something even more.

The coach’s light cough finally rescued him from the embarrassing state where he wished he could find a crack to crawl into.

“Ahem—stop fooling around, continue the game.”

Although it was a reprimand, there was a faint smile on the coach’s face, and his wrinkles had softened into laugh lines.

But despite the laughter, many people were wondering why that shot hadn’t gone in.

Kokonoe Taka drooped his shoulders dejectedly. Hachimoto patted his back, and he straightened up subconsciously.

He took advantage of the coach’s rare leniency in allowing them time to gather themselves and whispered, “I noticed just now that your shooting posture was off?”

He simply raised his hand to demonstrate for Kokonoe, “The thumbs of your left and right hands should form a ‘T’ shape, and the index finger of your right hand should press on the center of the ball. The index finger should be the last to leave the ball, flicking it like this.”

Kokonoe Taka stared at his fingers for a while, frowning slightly: “My hand shape is round, and I don’t flick the ball with my index finger either…”

Ignoring the burning sensation on his face, he repeated the hand motion of shooting. This attempt made him completely understand: although his overall posture was correct, when aiming at the basket, he subconsciously used the force of a volleyball setter, which resulted in a beautiful arc that approached his aiming point, but failed to enter the basket.

Hachimoto breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s good that you understand.”

He watched Nijimura run over to prepare to serve, grinning, and nudged Kokonoe Taka slightly: “But I didn’t expect you to get past Doama so quickly just now.” He praised without restraint, “Did you see Maki’s expression at that time?”

Kokonoe Taka squeezed his fingers and looked up: “I saw it.”

Hachimoto lifted an unkind smile: “Want to see it again?”

“Wait for my pass.” Hachimoto continued, his brown pupils narrowing. Kokonoe Taka felt an inexplicable aura that made him shiver involuntarily. But soon that aura disappeared, and Hachimoto turned back to tease him, “But don’t miss again this time, okay?”

Kokonoe Taka immediately choked, ending with a muffled reply: “Yeah.”

During their conversation, Shiroiwa’s side also gathered together to say a few words.

“Although I don’t want to admit it, that shot of ours just now was lucky,” Shiroiwa narrowed his eyes. “Doama, why didn’t you stop him?”

Doama refused to tell them what Kokonoe Taka had said to him. He was thinking about whether he really did have such a habit, as the other had said, and was somewhat absent-minded about Shiroiwa’s question.

“I was momentarily careless… I didn’t expect him to suddenly rush past.”

This was a terrible answer, making Shiroiwa somewhat dissatisfied, and his brows furrowed: “Don’t let your guard down just because the other side is a newbie.” He warned, “Hachimoto will definitely add the newbie to the attacking points later, Doama, you must stop him, and also receive my passes well.”

Doama was embarrassed by what he said and reluctantly responded.

Maki didn’t notice the undercurrents at all, and like a fool, he came over with a silly smile: “That steal just now was really pretty… Ow!”

Shiroiwa punched him, grinding his teeth, and said, “You better defend Nijimura properly for me!”

Maki: “…Alright. Shiroiwa, don’t be so fierce…”

The game started again.

From the beginning of this play, Nijimura Shuzo showed even more terrifying focus than in the first half. Maki, who had been evenly matched with him, tried to steal this layup. But as soon as he jumped, he was bumped and almost lost his balance, failing to interrupt Nijimura’s attack.

The offense and defense switched, and the ball came into Shiroiwa’s hands. He calmly looked around and passed the ball out while Hachimoto’s vision was blocked. Maki had been holding his breath after failing to steal the ball on the previous layup, and at this time he actually stopped suddenly to dodge Nijimura Shuzo’s interception, successfully getting the ball.

He changed his rhythm skillfully, and Nijimura Shuzo couldn’t keep up for a moment. Maki was secretly pleased and raised his hand to shoot, already imagining the opponent’s frustration.

But just as this ball left his hand, before it had risen to its highest point, it was blocked by a hand that suddenly reached out from the side!

“Nice ball!”

Maki: “Huh?!”

He looked in shock at the landing Kokonoe, who unhesitatingly passed the ball to Hachimoto. Maki immediately recovered. It was too late for him to switch to marking, so he could only step forward to block Kokonoe’s offensive route.

“How did you block it, you jerk!”

He said in a low voice.

“Senior Doama’s speed is too slow.” Only a faint blush remained on Kokonoe Taka’s neck to prove his embarrassment just now. He was now very willing to answer Maki’s doubts. “It’s easy for me to shake him off.”

Speed?

Maki repeated the word in his mind. He had failed to notice Kokonoe Taka’s steals twice, and he didn’t know if the situation was indeed like that.

Doama shouldn’t be shaken off so easily, that guy is considered to be at the upper-middle level of the second string, no matter how you slice it.

Maki calmed down, wary of Kokonoe Taka’s movements.

“Kokonoe!” Hachimoto’s voice arrived before the ball. A skillful pass avoided Maki’s attempt to block it. Kokonoe Taka raised his hand to catch this ball, but Maki wouldn’t let him shake him off so easily.

“Don’t underestimate your senior!” he shouted, following Kokonoe Taka’s accelerating pace, arriving under the basket in almost two seconds.

He defended excellently, and Kokonoe Taka, lacking experience, couldn’t find a place to break through for a moment. Seeing that he had been holding the ball for too long, he simply jumped up without regard for anything—

The height of this jump was beyond everyone’s expectations, but Maki followed closely behind, his arms raised high, seemingly about to completely block this shot!

“He’s still too green. Senior Maki’s blocking level is very high.”

“But his speed just now was really fast, and he jumped very high too.”

“But his technique is too unskilled.”

This shot was not favored by the crowd. Everyone thought that this shot would definitely be blocked.

Kokonoe Taka also judged it that way.

In the blink of an eye, his wrist made a sharp turn, tossing the basketball back lightly.

This may be a small gift left over from his past tennis career, allowing his wrist to support the strength needed to push the basketball out. After the orange basketball was released, he stared at Maki’s shocked expression, recalling what Hachimoto had said before the start of the match.

“If you can’t attack, leave it to Nijimura. That’s the only advantage that muscle-brained idiot has.”

‘?You’re scolding me, I can tell!’

Entrust it to his teammates.

For a brief moment, the instant of entrusting trust. Would someone behind him receive this ball? Would someone become his support?

Kokonoe Taka heard the sound of the basketball being shot into the basket as he fell. Then the orange ball, which he had only become familiar with not long ago, fell vertically, bouncing on the floor.

Another heavy landing sound came from behind, and then a hot body approached. Kokonoe Taka was embraced by Nijimura Shuzo, who was laughing unrestrainedly: “Nice pass! Maki was completely fooled by you!”

Hachimoto, who had risked passing the basketball to Kokonoe Taka, also ran over, occupying Kokonoe Taka’s other shoulder, “Hey! Nice one!”

The unfamiliar physical contact caused a thin layer of sweat to break out on his skin. But it might also be the sweat brought about by running. Kokonoe Taka couldn’t explain what kind of feeling he was experiencing now. This shot was clearly not his own score, and this match was just an intra-team 3v3 game. His teammates had only met him today. But his heart was beating fiercely, and his cerebral cortex was experiencing a restless, numbingly comfortable and stimulating sensation.

Hachimoto shouted: “Win another point!”

Nijimura egged on: “We should win ten more points!”

He tilted his head and saw his own overly bright, flamboyant smile reflected in the center of Hachimoto’s eyes.

……

…………

Beside the coach sat a middle-aged man with white hair and a vigorous spirit.

The middle-aged man was the coach of Teiko Middle School, Shirokane. He had been attracted by the laughter that almost lifted the roof coming from the gymnasium when he was passing by the second-string entrance.

“That’s a brilliant decision,” he said. “Even I didn’t expect him to throw it behind him.”

The coach continued: “And Nijimura didn’t miss that ball. His court awareness and vision are outstanding, and his reaction speed is also excellent, so he was able to catch this ball.”

“Hachimoto is also very good, he has improved again.” Hachimoto had been guided by Coach Shirokane a few times. “He is guiding that young man’s strength. That ball was also found Shiroiwa’s opening and released with speed and accuracy, the route and angle was very comfortable.”

He pondered for a moment: “I haven’t seen that young man before. Is he a newcomer who was promoted to the second string this time?”

The coach replied: “His name is Kokonoe Taka. He joined the basketball club not long ago and also missed the initial freshman test.”

“Kokonoe?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I just feel that this name is a little familiar…” Coach Shirokane quickly gave up recalling. “But looking at his movements, they are not very smooth, and the transition of rhythm is also very unfamiliar…”

At this time, Kokonoe Taka was being closely guarded by Doama. After being passed by him several times in a row, the latter had completely become as if facing a great enemy, even abandoning most of the offensive opportunities Shiroiwa gave him, determined to stop Kokonoe Taka. His actions had achieved some success, because Kokonoe Taka’s lack of practical experience had resulted in several balls being successfully blocked by Doama.

“Switching rhythm and being shaken off as a result… and the shooting posture.” As he was speaking, Kokonoe Taka’s jump shot on the court grazed the basket again and was snatched away by the waiting Maki. “Kokonoe… is he a beginner?”

The coach was stunned: “Are you saying…”

“Although traces of being trained can be seen in his movements, it is not basketball training.” Coach Shirokane explained, “His strides, positioning, and some of the details of his posture are more like other ball sports… tennis or volleyball?” He smiled. “He jumps very high, and that hand shape is the standard setter’s hand shape for volleyball. Although you can see that he is trying to change it, it is not easy to adjust in a fast-paced, intense battle.”

After saying this, Coach Shirokane stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

Although very inexperienced and immature, this is undoubtedly a good seed for sports. What surprised him even more was that he was growing rapidly in the continuous failures, constantly being blocked, breaking through, and absorbing all the knowledge he observed.

His eyes were extremely focused, so focused that it was even a little frightening. At first, missing a shot could make him feel frustrated and embarrassed, but now he completely lacked this extra emotion.

Kokonoe Taka got the ball again. He glanced at the position on the court and gave up the idea of passing the ball to his teammates.

Calm down.

Concentrate.

What is the correct hand gesture?

He answered his own question in his heart.

Bend your calves, center your weight between your feet, and raise the ball while jumping hard, your arms should not block your vision.

All the scenery in his field of vision was gradually disappearing, only the basketball hoop and the basket above were extremely conspicuous.

Doama raised his arms, trying to block him.

The basketball left his hand, but his palm still retained the touch of holding the basketball. The trajectory of that ball was smooth and perfect, even without touching the basket, it fell directly into the net.

Score!

Coach Shirokane had seen countless geniuses in the half of his life that he had already lived.

But in the next few short minutes, he believed that he had encountered a ‘monster-like genius’!