Y/n point of view

It's been a week since I've joined the basketball team. Sakuragi is still learning about the basics with Ayako-senpai. Kaede-kun is now a 'Super Rookie', every day the number of girls that watch him practice grow at a steady rate. I started to feel sad that I can't talk to Kaede-kun alone without burning a hole in the back of my head with their glares.

While Ayako-senpai is still monitoring Sakuragi's basic training I was taking down notes.

Everyone turned their attention to Sakuragi who is spinning the ball around his waist and over his legs in a fast pace. Everyone is impressed.

"How about that!?" Sakuragi asked Ayako-senpai while catching his breath.

"That's great! Sakuragi Hanamichi!" Ayako-senpai praised.

Everyone started to praise Sakuragi about what he did

"For someone who is going to be the next captain this is nothing!" Sakuragi stated.

"Not bad! Determined!"

"Then I can practice with the rest? Here I go!" Sakuragi said and was about to ran inside the court.

"Where do you think you are going?" Akagi-senpai said while blocking Sakuragi's way.

"I was going to practice with you guys." Sakuragi answered.

"Go practice passes." Akagi-senpai ordered.

Sakuragi is trying to get inside the court but Akagi-senpai was still blocking his way.

'I think his getting pissed' I worriedly thought.

Sakuragi is trying to get pas Akagi-senpai between his legs but Akagi-senpai caught Sakuragi's feet he slammed is head.

Everyone panicked.

Sakuragi yells. "Why am I the only one practicing dribbling on the side like a moron? I can't stand it anymore!" Sakuragi yelled.

Sakuragi's friends rushed towards to calm him down.

"Don't bother..." Sakuragi said and turn to face his friends and headbutt them hard. "Me!"

He started to rampage.

"Assh*l*s! do you know who polished this ball!? Huh!?" Sakuragi angrily said and started gathering the balls in his arms. "Give them back to me! Give me! Give me!"

"What?! 'Give them back'? You jerk! You're still talking about something that happened a week ago?!" Akagi-senpai yells at Sakuragi. "Go and do 500 passes! If you fail you have to do double the amount!"

"Just because I beat you, you bully me! Shut up, gorilla!" Sakuragi yelled at Akagi-senpai.

"Bully? Are you in grade school!?" Akagi-senpai yells.

Everyone is started to get scared. I hide who is closest to me, behind him. I was clutching his shirt with my fists.

"I am not going to listen to you anymore!" Sakuragi yelled and making his way to the ring. "I'm going to slam dunk right now."

"You moron." Akagi-senpai said and kicked Sakuragi's back. "You have no idea what sports are! Even know that basics are the most important part! What's the use of only knowing how to slam dunk? You have no use in a match if you don't know any basics!"

"You bastard... You are still trying to lie to me?!" Sakuragi said and he walked closer to Akagi-senpai.

'Sakuragi, you're not going to do what I think you are going to do' I thought and do what I think he would do.

He headbutt Akagi-senpai. Hard.

"Captain!" Everyone yelled.

Everyone panicked some are planning to stop them before it gets any worse.

"Damn it! I really want to slam dunk!" Sakuragi yelled. "All you need to do is to let me slam dunk."

"You have more important things to do! You don't even know the rules to the game yet!" Akagi-senpai answered. "Hey! Sakuragi! Where do you think you're going?!"

"I'm leaving!" he said and headed to the door. "I can't stay at such a boring place anymore!"

Everyone was shocked about Sakuragi leaving the basketball team.

"You can let go of me now." The guy in front of me said. I was holding his shirt.

"I-I'm sorry." I said and let go of his shirt. I really don't know it was until I looked up.

"It's fine. Don't let that idiot scare you." Kaede-kun replied. "I won't let him hurt you."

I bushed on what he said. 'So, he does care for me.'

After Sakuragi left, practice continued.

'Should I ask him about what he said earlier? What if I just misheard him.' My thoughts run wild because of his simple sentence.

"Helloooo earth to Y/n-chan." I was back when I was Ayako-senpai waving her hand on my face.

"Y-y-yes, Ayako-senpai?" I asked.

"What are you thinking huh?" She asked. "You've been staring at Rukawa for a long time."

"I-I was not!" I stuttered. I can feel my face was hot.

"Hmm, catching feelings to you 'friend'?" She said while emphasizing the friend word.

"What was the thing you were going to ask me?" I changed the subject.

"I'll let this slide for ones." She said in defeat. "Well, how's taking notes is going. What are the things you wrote?"

"Well, a lot." I said and gave her my notebook.

We discussed about the things I wrote for the past week.

Ayako-senpai stopped when she saw someone past the gym door.

Everyone turned their attention the door.

"Yeah! Sakuragi Hanamichi! He came back!"

"What?!"

Everyone shouted in joy.

"Oh? What? Really? HAHAHA! That's great! Great!" Kogure-senpai said.

'He can't even construct a sentence.' I thought.

"Oi, Akagi, Sakuragi's already overcome his faults!" He said to Akagi-senpai and turned to Sakuragi. "Right Sakuragi?"

"HAHA... That's great! He is ready to learn pother things besides dribbling, right? Akagi-senpai!?" Ayako-senpai said to Akagi-senpai. "Ah! That's a brilliant idea!"

"Sure, he can also – "

"And... And slam dunking?" Sakuragi said cutting Akagi-senpai's words.

"Practice on basic passing!" Akagi-senpai said to Sakuragi.

"That... That'll be great, Sakuragi! One step further towards a professional!" Kogure-senpai said, trying to convince Sakuragi.

"Fine..." Sakuragi answered.

"Yeah... Yeah that's right! That's great Sakuragi!" Ayako-senpai said, encouraging Sakuragi.

Haruko-chan entered the gym while catching her breath.

She said that it's great that Sakuragi is back in playing basketball.

Sakuragi felt motivated in practicing basic passing and continue to practice.

Practice continued. Sakuragi practicing pass with Ayako-senpai and the others were practicing inside the court.