Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 5 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4: The Finals

It was time for the boys’ basketball finals. This was the last act of the ball game competition, so nearly the entire student body was here. The kids who had absolutely zero interest in the event were likely skipping out elsewhere, but there were more people taking the opportunity to watch while chatting. Tons of students sat along both sides of the center court. There were plenty of spectators standing on the second floor too.

Almost all of class 1-2 was cheering from our bench. The other team’s bench was the same. They even had someone wearing a headband and hitting a plastic megaphone who looked like the leader of a cheer squad. Where did they get that...? They’ve got way too much team spirit. This feels like a game between two powerhouse schools.

“Whoooa... I’m feelin’ nervous,” Okajima-kun said as he scanned our surroundings. He was quivering.

“Of cooourse the crowd would get huge at this stage. I’m freaking out a little too.” Hino retied the laces of his gym shoes, forcing a smile.

“Half of them are just sitting here. I doubt they’re actually going to watch,” Reita said, trying to loosen them up.

“D-Doesn’t that just mean half of them are actually watching us play?” Okajima-kun replied.

I didn’t expect Okajima-kun to be this nervous. “Tatsuya, say something to them too.” I turned to him, but his eyes were locked on Reita for some reason. “Tatsuya? Something up?”

He suddenly snapped out of whatever it was with a small gasp. “R-Right... It’s nothing. The nerves will fly away once the match starts.”

“Maybe that’s true for you, Nagiura,” Okajima-kun groaned.

Panicking Okajima-kun aside, Tatsuya’s acting weird. The moment I thought that, Tatsuya smacked his cheeks with his hands.

“Aight! Focus!” he muttered, and then the spirit returned to his eyes.

Looks like I’m fussing over him too much. Okajima-kun keeps grumbling, but he’ll probably be fine too.

“All right, we’re starting!” called the referee.

We lined up in the center of the court. I looked around the gym and spotted my friends among the bustling crowd. Miori and I locked eyes for a split second before she averted her gaze, wearing a disgruntled expression. Hey! Cheer for me!

Serika was, strangely enough, waving a pen light. Where’d you get that?!

Mei and Funayama-san were next to each other, their attention set in our direction. I’m glad they’re getting along well.

Iwano-senpai looked my way, his arms crossed. He taciturnly shot me a thumbs-up.

And of course, our classmates were gathered around our team bench. Hikari, Uta, Nanase, and Fujiwara cheered for us loudly.

“We’re gonna win this thing for sure,” Tatsuya said, rousing the rest of us up.

Yeah. When he talks, even when he’s being quiet, his words have a magical effect. Hino, Reita, and Okajima-kun—everyone’s morale had clearly shot up.

However, there was someone on the enemy team who possessed even more charisma than Tatsuya.

“Let’s have a good game,” Yanagishita-senpai said.

“Yanagishita-senpai. Long time no see,” Tatsuya told him.

“Yeah, not since I retired. I heard rumors that you’d settled down lately, but it doesn’t look true.”

The one chatting with Tatsuya in a friendly manner was the former captain of the basketball team, Yanagishita Yugo.

The number two on the other team greeted Reita and Okajima-kun. “Hey, Shiratori, Okajima. You guys are lookin’ good.”

“Fortunately,” Reita said.

“Hello, Watanabe-senpai! How are you doing?” Okajima-kun asked.

“Every day it’s study, study, study. Show me a good time today, ’kay?” Watanabe-senpai replied.

He must be an upperclassman from the soccer team. Watanabe-senpai? I vaguely remember that name. Wasn’t he the soccer team’s former ace? Their other players also looked like sporty people. I’d expect nothing less since they made it to the finals. Their physique is also different from first-years like us.

“Haibara-kun,” Yanagishita-senpai said. “I watched all your games. Wanna join the basketball team?”

My eyes widened. I wondered what he was gonna say, but...that surprised me.

“I know you’re part of the light music club, but I just think it’s a waste of your skills. You played in middle school, right? Our team’s competitive, but I’m sure you could make it to the starting lineup,” Yanagishita-senpai said.

To be honest, his invitation put me over the moon. I never ever would’ve imagined that he would notice me. In my first round as a first-year, I couldn’t keep up with the other members, so I’d stayed behind after practices to train on my own. Yanagishita-senpai had been the one to teach me the fundamentals—he was my basketball teacher.

“Thanks for the invite, but I can’t. Sorry,” I said.

“Really? Ah, right. You’re a terrific singer and guitarist too. Sorry for springing that on you out of the blue.” He forced a smile. “It was a futile invitation from the get-go.”

“Okay, we’re starting now! Time for the jump ball,” the ref said, deciding that we’d finished talking.

The tallest kid in our class, Okajima-kun, and their number eight took their places in the center circle. The ref threw the ball, and it whirled high up into the air.

“Holy— That’s high!” Okajima-kun exclaimed without thinking.

I was of the same sentiment. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes—a giant was dancing through the air. Class 3-1 secured the ball. Their number eight must be around 190 centimeters. That’s way too tall! He’s definitely one of the main factors behind their victories.

“Time for the first point. Stay cool, guys.” Yanagishita-senpai raised a pointer finger while dribbling the ball.

It felt like the clamor around us had suddenly gone quiet. The sound of the ball bouncing up and down seemed frightfully heavy.

Tatsuya faced Yanagishita-senpai, the three-point line sandwiched in between them. He’s coming. As I thought that, Yanagishita-senpai simultaneously passed Tatsuya. He penetrated our line from the top of the key. I gave up on marking their number three and immediately went to cover Tatsuya.

But the instant I did, Yanagishita-senpai flicked his eyes towards number three. Thinking that he was about to pass, I began to return to my former position, but he took that opportunity to push forward. It was a fake!

Yanagishita-senpai stepped in with a crossover, and I couldn’t react at all. I wondered if he was just going to continue charging forward, but he stopped at the short corner zone and made one fluid jump shot. The ball smoothly sailed through the net.

“Whoa!” yelled the audience. They’d been completely still until now, so their cheers were even more deafening. His movements were unbelievably elegant—you couldn’t help but be sucked in by his every action.

“Damn him... He hasn’t lost it at all!” Tatsuya shouted, a vein popping on his forehead. However, his lips were curled up in a fierce grin.

“And that’s why he’s worth taking down, right?” I said.

“Yeah. Natsuki, let’s work together. We’re gonna blow this crowd’s minds.”

We were on offense next. With Yanagishita-senpai on him, Tatsuya passed the ball to Reita. I rushed to the wing, and Reita sent the ball my way.

When I faced the hoop, number three was against me in a defensive stance with his hips low. He was wary of any attempt to drive the ball past him, but he also kept close, probably because he knew I was a shooter. I could tell he was a seasoned player based on his perfect spacing. I tried to throw him off with my gaze and slight movements, but he stayed unperturbed.

“Natsuki!”

My body reacted as soon as I heard my name. Tatsuya had shaken off Yanagishita-senpai and run across the other side of the court. I passed to him at bullet speed when he got in front of the hoop. He tightly grasped the ball and did a layup.

“Nice one, Natsuki,” he said.

“How’d you shake him off?” I asked.

“Got behind the deny. You know, with a backdoor cut.”

Yanagishita-senpai whistled. “Things are getting fun now.” His grin was instinctive. He didn’t even notice he was showing us his pearly whites.

It was time for the third-years’ offense. I waited for my chance as Yanagishita-senpai and the experienced number three passed the ball around. As if on a whim, Yanagishita-senpai launched into their play. He once again got past our defense and then passed back to the number three.

I’d abandoned my mark on number three again to cover Tatsuya, but in doing so, I’d left him open at the three-point line. I need to pressure him! Trying to disrupt his shot, I extended my arms and jumped up, but... It was a fake?!

The number three transitioned into a dribble instead, sidestepping me slightly to the right, and passed. It was a high, floaty pass. Who’s going to catch that? Suddenly, their tall number eight appeared. He caught the ball right in front of the hoop and leaped up. What’s he doi—?

“N-No way. Whoa...”

BAM! He dunked the ball in with a staggering slam. The audience exploded into wild roars. Even the uninterested students were watching now.

I was blown away. What’s going on? Isn’t this a ball game competition? What...

“We formed the ultimate team to win at basketball in return for sacrificing the other events. Pretty awesome, right?” Yanagishita-senpai bragged, puffed up with pride.

He looks like he’s having a blast—he always does when he’s playing basketball. His thrilled grin suddenly made memories of the past rush back to me.

***

Back when I entered high school the first time, I blithely joined the basketball team. I’m pretty tall. I’ll become popular. It seems like something an outgoing person would do. I like it the most out of all the sports. It was a decision merely based on superficial reasons, which was why I soon regretted it.

“Th-This is too much...” I panted heavily, splayed out on the gym floor.

On top of having no experience and being atrocious, I also wasn’t learning the ropes well. I tried to hang on and improve, but I’d been a member of the go home club in middle school, so it felt like I’d never catch up to the others with my sedentary body.

There were two other students who had no basketball background like me, but because they’d been part of other sports clubs, they could easily keep up with practice. I was the only one leagues behind everyone else.

And yet, Yanagishita-senpai had amicably spoken to me. “Ha ha! Having it rough?”

None of the other upperclassmen paid me any attention; only he was different.

“I... I can’t run anymore,” I groaned.

“What’re you saying? We’re just getting to the meat of things. It’s time for individual training,” he said.

“I... I want to, but I really can’t today.”

“Don’t you want to catch up to Tatsuya and the boys? If a beginner’s gonna do that, you need some serious resolve. I’ll help you out if you’re gonna plug away. As a special deal, I’ll even teach you the basics myself.”

“Huh? Yanagishita-senpai, you’ll give me lessons?”

“I won’t force you, of course. The choice is yours. So, what’ll you do?”

“I... I’ll do it! Please teach me!”

In the beginning, it was all thanks to Yanagishita-senpai that I continued playing basketball.

“Hang in there. You’ll improve—I guarantee it,” he said.

I was able to work hard because he looked after me. He made me believe I could keep it up for a little bit longer.

Yanagishita-senpai likely thought he was just helping out the club misfit, but at the time, he was my savior. He’d taught me not only basketball’s fundamentals, but also how fun it was.

As a result, though all that awaited me was a gray-colored youth, I didn’t regret joining the basketball team. I owed that to Yanagishita-senpai for showing me the joy in basketball.

I’d only known him for a short amount of time before he retired in the summer, but I was indebted to him the most. All these years, I’d wanted to show him how much I’d improved. The opportunity to accomplish that had luckily fallen right into my lap.

I know that the Yanagishita-senpai of the present has no recollection of helping me out. Still... I came to love basketball because of him, and now I’ve improved a ton. That’s why I’ll win this match to prove it. And then I’ll thank him.

***

There were three minutes left in the first half. The score was twelve to eighteen—we were behind by six points. With Yanagishita-senpai hounding him, Tatsuya couldn’t initiate, so it was up to me.

I caught a pass from Hino and quickly took a shot without any fakes. My mark, number three, misread my play and clicked his tongue. Though the ball hit the hoop with a loud rattle, it went in—I’d made a three-pointer.

“Three more points.” The moment those words slipped out of my mouth, I realized I’d relaxed my guard.

“Fast break!” Yanagishita-senpai yelled.

All the third-years simultaneously ran off, and he catapulted the ball from the hoop all the way up front. Neither I, Tatsuya, nor anyone else on our team could react. Yanagishita-senpai’s long pass went to their number two, Watanabe-senpai, who effortlessly made a layup.

They easily got two points back. Dammit, they got us right when we were focused on offense.

“Fast breaks are the easiest thing to teach beginners, since all they need to do is run forward.” Yanagishita-senpai shot me a triumphant look as though to provoke me.

He carefully deliberates and polishes his plan. He never cuts corners with anything he does, and he’s seriously trying to win the ball game competition. I’d expect nothing less from him. But I’m not complaining—it wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.

“Natsuki,” Tatsuya said as he carried the ball forward.

“Yeah?” I replied.

“Beat him,” he said bluntly.

I could use more explanation than that.

I caught Tatsuya’s pass in the right wing. Facing me, as always, was number three. Tatsuya handed out instructions to Okajima-kun, Hino, and Reita via gestures, and then went to the left. They all distanced themselves from me and number three. The other team was employing a man-to-man defense, so they followed my teammates. Number three and I were the only ones left on the right side of the court.

“Isolation...?” muttered number three. “You underestimate me.” His motivation spiked, and I could feel him thinking, “Come at me!”

I get why he’s mad. We’re playing under the assumption that I can bring number three down in a one-on-one when we’re behind. From his perspective, we’re treating him as the lesser player here. Tatsuya, you bastard, is this what you meant by “beat him”?

Ball in hand, I fell still. Number three and I glared at each other. One second, two seconds passed, and our surroundings settled into complete silence. On the third second, I made my move.

I kicked off the floor and sharply cut to the right. However, I couldn’t shake him off. I stopped and dribbled the ball between my legs to straighten my posture in one step. At the same time, I flicked my gaze to the hoop.

“Oh no you don’t!” yelled number three.

The moment he jumped to block my shot, I drove left and slipped past him. Yanagishita-senpai had been the one to teach me that fakes should be made with the slightest body and eye movement.

Yanagishita-senpai tried to help his teammate, but he couldn’t make it in time. I was faster to release my shot. Right after I got us two points back, the halftime whistle blew.

“Tatsuya, listen, you—” I said.

“What? I didn’t need to explain. Wouldn’t have changed what you needed to do, anyway,” he said, stifling a snicker.

The five of us returned to our bench and were greeted with blaring encouragement.

“Here, Natsuki-kun.” Hikari handed me a sports drink.

I quenched my parched throat. Huh, is this a parallel world where Hikari’s a manager? Hey, that’s pretty nice!

“Three-point difference, huh?” I muttered when I checked the score. It was seventeen to twenty—we were three points behind.

“It’s nothin’ to mourn over. There’s a clear path to victory,” Tatsuya said matter-of-factly as he wiped his sweat off with a towel. “You, Natsuki. You’re better than that number three. We’re gonna pressure them there.”

“Yeah, but the isolation strategy was way too obvious. We can’t do that every time,” I said.

“It’s fine. That was just feeling him out.”

This is unexpected. “Are you sure? Don’t you want to score points too? Knock Yanagishita-senpai down?”

“It’s frustrating, but I’m still no match for him. If we wanna win, we needa fight from an angle we can win. I learned that from Yanagishita-senpai, so no more complaints.” Wearing a savage grin, Tatsuya eyed Yanagishita-senpai on the opposite bench.

It seems like those two are fighting on a larger scale. All right, I’ll trust Tatsuya here. I don’t have a broad outlook on the game, so I can’t control the flow. I have a limited pool of plays I excel at: shooting and one-on-ones. I don’t need to overreach by trying things I can’t do. I’m just a piece on the board. I’ll focus on the role he wants me to play.

“Use me well, Tatsuya,” I said.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m the basketball team’s ace,” he replied.

Our break was almost over. Once the timer hit zero, the match started up again. When I stood and started walking towards the court, someone smacked me on the shoulders with full force—and not just me, Tatsuya too.

“All right! Go get ’em, you guys!”

I looked behind me to see Uta smiling at us.

When all five of us were back on the court, Reita restlessly glanced around the gym.

“Reita, something wrong?” I asked.

“Natsuki... Do you know where Miori is?”

“Hmm? She’s right there.” I pointed to the end of the second floor. “No idea why she’s way over there, though.” Miori was with some girls from her class. For some reason, they were watching the game a few steps back from the railing, so even someone as observant as Reita would struggle to find her.

He stared at me with a serious expression. “Miori told me you’re good at finding her when it comes to hide-and-seek.”

“Now that you mention it...” I thought for a second. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” I vaguely kinda sorta remember that. I massaged my temples; it felt like I was about to recall something.

“Natsuki, don’t take your eyes off the ball,” Reita said.

***

We began the second half with possession of the ball.

“The points are going to come from you, yeah?” Yanagishita-senpai said.

“You’re overestimating me,” I replied.

Yanagishita-senpai was now marking me, and number three was on Tatsuya. Their new positioning isn’t much of a countermeasure against our offense. If I can get past number three, then so can Tatsuya.

Tatsuya must’ve thought the same, because he immediately dived in with a drive. However, number eight instantly appeared to double-team him. He used his giant build to block Tatsuya’s path.

Tatsuya clicked his tongue.

“Tatsuya! Over here!” Reita shouted. Tatsuya passed the ball to him.

Since number eight had quickly moved to cover Tatsuya, his original mark, Okajima-kun, was now unguarded. Realizing that fact before me, Reita sent the ball to Okajima-kun, who was hanging around the low post area, with a pass as sharp as an arrow.

As expected of Reita, he’s speedy at assessing the situation.

“Nice pass!” Okajima-kun caught the ball and took a shot from right in front of the hoop. However, with nimble movements that didn’t seem possible for someone of his colossal size, number eight leaped up and smacked the ball out of the air.

“Huh?!” yelled Okajima-kun, shocked.

That guy doesn’t have any basketball background, but he’s huge and fast.

“They’ll keep two guys on Tatsuya even if that means leaving Okajima-kun free half the time,” Reita noted as we moved back to our side of the court.

“Even if Okajima-kun gets the ball, they’re confident number eight can stop him from behind,” I said. They adjusted their plan fast and handily covered up their weak point.

“S-Sorry!” Okajima-kun said.

“Don’t let it get you! We’ll get the next one!” I exclaimed. It wasn’t his fault, but it would be harder to attack now. And to begin with...

“Nice one, Yanagishita!”

The third-years clearly had the edge when it came to overall skill.

Yanagishita-senpai drove past Tatsuya and easily sidestepped me when I came to help. He boldly took a shot from the center. The ball plummeted through the net.

“This is bad,” I muttered. We didn’t have a solution, and all the while, the point difference kept increasing. What should we do? How do we overcome this? It’s vexing, but I can’t beat Yanagishita-senpai.

“You’re not alone. We’re going to win together,” Reita said, and patted me on the shoulder.

I must’ve been making a grim expression. “I know, but...”

“Believe in me. I’m more useful than you think.”

I met his gaze and nodded when I saw the serious glint in his eyes. It was now time for our offense.

“Natsuki!”

My body moved instinctively when I heard my name. Tatsuya kept Yanagishita-senpai off the ball with a screen. I ran to the corner. The moment the ball came flying at me from Reita, I knew it was a flawless pass. I jumped as soon as I caught it.

People often say that the quality of a shot is decided by the quality of the pass. The second the ball left my fingers, I knew it would go in. The ball soared high in the air, swished clean through the net, and bounced off the floor.

Reita, Tatsuya, and I high-fived each other.

“See?” Reita said with a triumphant smile.

I didn’t have any rebuttal. “I get why you told me not to take my eyes off the ball now.”

We moved back for defense. Our opponents circulated the ball between themselves, waiting for their chance to attack. Number three made a slow throw to number two—Reita instantly rushed between them and intercepted the pass. He tipped the ball forward and dribbled away.

Their defense caught up to Reita, but he passed backwards to me. He really is observant as heck! For all that, Yanagishita-senpai still caught up to me.

“I’m gonna have to stop you here,” he said, licking his lips.

Bring it on. I’ll get past you this time. I maintained my momentum and jumped, acting like I was going to go for a layup. I raised the ball, but then swiftly pulled it back to my chest. Though my form was in disarray, I released the ball from that position.

“Double clutch?!” someone in the audience cried in surprise.

However, the ball got knocked down. Yanagishita-senpai had completely seen through me. He knew the layup would be a fake and had only reached his hand out for the second shot.

“Your rhythm resembles mine, and that makes it easy to read.” He smiled gleefully.

It resembles yours because I learned it from you. I suppressed the urge to tell him and said, “I’ll make the next one.”

***

In basketball, there are no home runs to turn things around.

Due to Yanagishita-senpai’s efforts, the point difference slowly widened as the game continued. There were two minutes left in the second half, and we were eight points behind. Time was against us.

We’ll come back if we make three threes. Four two-pointers will tie us up. We can’t miss anymore. The game will basically be over if the gap gets any bigger. I need to do everything I can to defend. In the time it took those thoughts to go through my head, the person in front of me had disappeared.

I turned around—Yanagishita-senpai had stepped in front of the hoop. It’s over if that goes in.

Unlike me who’d given up, Tatsuya chased after Yanagishita-senpai. “I won’t let you!” He blocked Yanagishita-senpai’s shot with a tremendous jump, and the ball bounced off the backboard.

Reita reacted faster than anyone else and caught it. I automatically broke into a run.

“Natsuki!” The ball came flying into my hands.

The third-years were still on our side, too far away to catch me. I ran across the court and scored a layup.

“We can win! Focus up!” Tatsuya reinvigorated our team, which had been on the verge of surrendering.

That’s why he’s got what it takes to be the future captain. He makes me want to follow him.

There was one minute and twenty seconds left, and a six point difference. The spectators’ cheers were remarkably louder. We were back on offense. Though Tatsuya had both number three and eight marking him, he forced his way between them. You’re going through them?!

Number eight stepped in and forced Tatsuya to pass in the end. In the process, Tatsuya collapsed from the pressure of number eight’s gigantic stature. Hino caught the ball right in front of the hoop and made the shot.

“Nice, Hino!” I exclaimed. “Being athletic is the only thing you’ve got going for you, but at least we can count on that!”

“Hey! That’s not the only good thing about me!” he cried in an offended tone.

I left him behind and returned to defend. I knew what the other team would do.

The moment that Yanagishita-senpai shouted, “Fast break!” all the third-years dashed forward. But the same trick wouldn’t work every time. We’d also returned. Unfortunately, Tatsuya was behind because of his fall, which meant Yanagishita-senpai was unguarded.

Reita was about to mark him, but I signaled to Reita with my hand. “I’ll stop him,” I said.

The ball reached Yanagishita-senpai’s hands right as I caught up to defend him. There was one minute left. If they scored another point here, the game truly would be over. I knew Yanagishita-senpai would try to deliver the finishing blow now. That was the type of person he was, after all.

“Here I come,” he said.

At the height of this tense moment, a scene from the past suddenly flashed through my mind.

***

“Become a starter, Haibara.”

It happened one night when I’d stayed behind late to practice more.

Dripping with sweat, Yanagishita-senpai patted my back and said, “Get better than me, then you and Tatsuya will both be our aces in the hole.”

“Where’s this coming from? That’s impossible for me. It takes all I got just to keep up with him,” I replied.

“Don’t say that! Believe in yourself. I know you can be better than me.” He was the only person who’d ever set such high expectations for me.

“Why do you think that?” I asked, flabbergasted.

Yanagishita-senpai shrugged his shoulders in an exasperated manner. “Because, you and I are the only ones who practice until this late.”

This was around the time when it had hit me that my high school debut was a failure. I regretted my naivete and imprudence. I realized I hadn’t put in enough effort. My world had been dyed gray, and I wanted to give up on just about everything.

But the only thing I didn’t want to betray was his expectations for me.

***

Our eyes locked. He piled on layers and layers of fakes with his gaze, but I didn’t bite. I won’t fall for it! I’ve played one-on-ones against Yanagishita-senpai numerous times. If my rhythm is easy for him to read, then the same goes for me.

Yanagishita-senpai dribbled. Scissor step. Crossover. React. Immediately turn. He held me at an arm’s length and rolled around, getting past me on the other side. But I had read that much, so I could keep up. I completely shut down his path to the hoop. However, Yanagishita-senpai stopped, immediately jumped backwards, and transitioned into taking a shot.

“A fadeaway?!” the spectators gasped.

I was the only one who knew it was coming. When Yanagishita-senpai was cornered, he would pull out his best shot, a fadeaway. I stepped forward and jumped with all my might.

“Haaah!” I roared. I’ll stop you for sure. I desperately extended my fingers and grazed the ball. “Miss!”

My prayers were answered. The ball bounced off the hoop and flew high up. Number eight was lying in wait by the goal, but Tatsuya had returned to our side at some point. With a mighty leap, Tatsuya overwhelmed the giant and secured the rebound.

Damn, he took a fall and still made it back—he’s fast. And he jumps way too high. What a beast!

“Counter!” Reita yelled.

Tatsuya threw the ball at Hino, who forwarded it to Reita. Yanagishita-senpai was off-balance because of the fadeaway, while number eight was still by our hoop. We were in the final seconds of the match, so the other third-years must’ve been fatigued. None of them could catch up. They’d retired from club activities, so Reita and the others won in terms of stamina. We easily scored.

“Don’t back down! Attack!” Tatsuya instructed the others who were about to return to defend.

There were ten seconds left with a one point difference. We couldn’t wait for the opponent to leisurely launch their offense. A full-court press was our chance to win now that we knew we had more stamina.

Yanagishita-senpai caught a pass and searched for an opening to break through. However, he didn’t rush it. He knew the worst possible outcome would be if we stole the ball. He skillfully dribbled, playing for time. If he kept possession of the ball, we would run out of time.

“Tatsuya!”

“On it!”

Tatsuya and I double-teamed him and forced him to the edge of the court.

“Dammit!” For the first time, Yanagishita-senpai’s expression twisted. There was nowhere for him to pass. Tatsuya stretched out his arm and slapped the ball away from Yanagishita-senpai, then grabbed it, dribbled away, and pushed his way forward—the hoop was right before his eyes.

As Yanagishita-senpai shouted, “I won’t let you!” Tatsuya passed back to me.

“Natsuki! Take the shot!”

And I did. As the ball whirled through the air, the gym fell completely silent. The timer hit zero, and the end-of-match buzzer rang. Everyone’s eyes followed the ball.

It fell through the net, and two points were added to our score.

“Whoooa!” The crowd exploded into the loudest cheers of the day. Our classmates rushed at us from the bench.

The match ended with a buzzer-beater. The final score was forty-five to forty-four. We had won.

“You got us,” Yanagishita-senpai said.

“Yeah, we did. And Yanagishita-senpai,” I said, “thank you.”

“Same here, thanks. It was a good game. It’s been a long time since I felt this sting.”

“Well, that too, but I owe you for some other stuff.” I bowed.

He shot me a questioning look and cocked his head to the side. The Yanagishita-senpai of the present doesn’t know what I mean, but hey, it’s fine like this.

“Natsuki! We won!” Tatsuya roared and threw his arm around my shoulders. Okajima-kun pounced on us. Even Hino and Reita piled on, and all five of us celebrated together. Our classmates joined our huddle.

Since we’d clinched first place in the boys’ basketball event, class 1-2 had won the ball game competition.