Third person's point of view

The next day, at class 2nd year class 1.

While their teacher is starting their lesson. Miyagi is sleeping due to exhaustion by the yesterday's game.

"Oh wow! Miyagi-kun has been dozing off since this morning! It's because he was too exhausted yesterday!" Ayako's seatmate said to her. "Though he used to be the best player. But, that's too bad."

At 3rd year class 3, Mitsui is present but also sleeping in his seat.

At 1st year class 10, Rukawa is sleeping with his head on his desk, he also is drooling.

"Teacher! Today is an exception! Because yesterday's game." Rukawa's classmate reasoned to their teacher.

"That's right." Their teacher said while fighting his urge to blow in anger because Rukawa is sleeping in his lesson again. "He's sleeping more soundly today than normal."

At 3rd year class 6, Kogure is yawning. Akagi is absent today.

'There seems to be something wrong with Akagi's leg' Kogure thought.

1st year class 7. Sakuragi is also absent today.

'He's probably sound asleep due to the shock yesterday.' Mito thought.

After school

"Good afternoon." Two players said bluntly while entering the gym.

As they enter, both of them yelped in pain.

"Your voices are too weak!" Ayako yells at the two boys. "Say it again!"

"Ayako-san!"

"Ayako-senpai, you don't have to hit them!" Y/n said at her senpai.

"But Y/n-chan, this is no time to be depress." Ayako said to her kohai. He turns to the two boys. "You don't have time to be depressed anymore!"

Y/n put the cartolina in the wall. The players are gathered in front of the wall.

"These are the winning teams competing for victory!" Ayako starts to discuss about the cartolina on the wall. "Next weekend we play Takezato, and Kainan plays Ryonan!"

"Yeah, and the weekend after that Kainan plays Takezato, and we play Ryonan!" Miyagi said while standing beside Ayako with a blush on his face.

"Right!" Ayako said.

"Good afternoon!"

"Good morning!"

Ayako senses the bluntness in their voices.

"Not load enough!" Ayako yells at them and also hit them.

"Senpai! I told you not to hit them hard." Y/n scold her senpai.

"W... Wh... Why?" Mitsui and Kogure asked.

"Ah? Senpais... How are you doing?" Ayako nervously asked.

"Ah! Ayako-senpai, did you just hit Mitsui-senpai and Kogure-senpai?!" Y/n asked her senpai with wide eyes.

Ayako slightly nods.

"Idiots! Do you think we can keep on being depressed like this?" Mitsui spoke. "We still have to more games!"

Everyone is gathered again in front of the cartolina.

"Kanagawa can have up to 2 teams enter the Interhighs." Mitsui discuses. "If we win the next two games, and with the score of 2 wins and 1 loss, we will definitely take 1st or 2nd place. With that said, are you still going to be depressed?"

Everyone's spirit was lifted up.

"You're different from the usual!" Miyagi said to Mitsui.

"Be quiet! Do you understand now?" Mitsui said.

"Of course!" Miyagi said. "One loss is enough for me!"

"Heh... That's right!" Kogure said.

"Yup! Right here!" Y/n said to gather everyone's attention while Ayako put up the banner beside the cartolina.

"In the next game, if we lose even once, we're dead for sure!" Ayako spoke. "And the summer will have ended too!"

"That's that!" Someone yells from the gym entrance.

"Akagi!" Everyone greeted and gathered in front of him. "Good afternoon!"

Akagi is standing by the door with a crutch.

"Eh? You can't walk without that crutch?" Mitsui asked with concern.

"So, there was something wrong with his legs?" Kogure also asked with concern.

"Sempai! What happened to you?" Ayako asked.

"Sempai, you should take a rest. You don't need to force you legs any further." Y/n said.

"it's just a sprain!" Akagi assures them. "Don't worry about it!"

"What about the crutches?" Mitsui asked while pointing at Akagi's crutch.

"For the sake of my legs healing faster, I'm using this. Since we're playing Takezato this Sunday!" Akagi explains.

"Is that so?"

"What? Did you fall at that time because you were seriously injured?"

"That's why you're called the undefeatable!"

"Where is Sakuragi?" Akagi asked.

"He doesn't seem to have come to school today..." One player spoke

"Ah, Sakuragi-kun didn't go to school today." Y/n confirmed.

"He still cares that much about that pass? What an idiot..." Mitsui said.

Speaking of Sakuragi, he did not attend school today. Right now, his at a public basketball court, watching by the fence. Mitsui is right, he is still thinking about that pass in yesterday's game.

"You shouldn't ditch school!" Haruko – who pop out of nowhere – spoke behind Sakuragi.

Sakuragi became fluttered and decided to run.

"Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko yells as she run after him.

Haruko being Haruko, she trips.

"Haruko-san!" Sakuragi stops and approaches Haruko to aid her.

"That hurts." Haruko said.

After checking Haruko's wound, Sakuragi stands by the fence again to watch people playing basketball. Haruko approach him from behind.

"You will never forget the game that day for the rest of your life." Haruko spoke.

'That's right' Sakuragi thought.

"Because..." Haruko continues. "Sakuragi-kun, you are the king of basketball... You have decided in the first place to join the basketball competitions."

Sakuragi just stands there with wide eyes.

"Player Sakuragi, when did you first decide to join the basketball team?" Haruko asked, acting like a reporter for sports magazine.

Sakuragi looks over his shoulder.

"You will definitely be asked this question in the future." Haruko spoke.

Sakuragi just stared at Haruko.

"Sakuragi-kun! I'll waiting for you in the gym, I'm going to watch them practice!" Haruko said.

Sakuragi faces Haruko.

"Even for a genius, he makes mistakes sometimes too!" Haruko said before she left.

Unknown to the two of them, someone was watching them from inside the court.

"That guy... Is Sakuragi?" The guy with thick lips and tan skin asked. "Tell Sakuragi to come here."

After a while, the three boys came back. "He said, 'Who the heck does he think he is? Tell him to come over himself!'. He's a very scary person!"

"Tell him that I'm class higher than him, so he should come over!" He replied to the three boys.

After a while, the boys came back again with a bigger bump in their forehead.

"He said, 'Tell that bastard to get his butt over here now, I'm only going to wait 2 minutes!'."

"Damn it! Tell him this then..." He cut himself and saw Sakuragi left his spot by the fence.

"What do you mean by you're a class higher than him?"

"You sound arrogant having said that."

"Who's that Fuku!?"

"Fuku, why are you calling him here?"

"We were about to beat up by him this bad already."

The three boys asked 'Fuku' the guy with thick lips and tan skin.

"That guy is..." Fuku spoke. "The guy that was underestimated by Sendo."

"You said Sendoh."

"That genius Sendoh?"

Fuku dunks the ball.

"AHH! FUKU!" The three boys' cheer.

Back to Kanagawa Province, Shohoku High School

"HEY! EVERYONE TRY HARDER!" Ayako shouts to the players. "We'll gain victory when two more games!"

"Ano... Ayako-senpai, are you putting too much pressure on them?" Y/n asked.

"No, we need to try harder to win." Ayako replied.

After practice

"Ano... Kaede-kun? Are you going to stay for a while?" Y/n asked.

"Yeah." Rukawa answers. "But you should go home first, I think it's about to rain."

"But what about you? I want to stay." Y/n said.

"No, you go home first. You brother will get angry if you went home soaked." Rukawa said. "You might catch a cold."

"But – "

"No."

Y/n sighs. "Okay I'll go but you have to ask me that question you said before." Y/n said.

"Nope, can't do that." Rukawa said.

"But said – "

"I said when we win against Kainan but we lost, so I'm not going to tell you." Rukawa said.

"But Kaede-kun, it will be a long time before you face Kainan again and I am dying in curiosity. So, ask away, come on~." Y/n whined.

Rukawa sighed. "Okay, if I tell you, you will go home."

"Yes! I promise!" Y/n exclaimed with excitement even rising her right hand.

There was short pause.

"I... Will you listen to me if I ask another question if we got in? In the interhigh?" Rukawa asked with a serious face.

Y/n looks at him in disbelief. "WHAT!?" Y/n exclaimed at him. "Are you serious? I've been dying to know the question and this – Wah! Unbelievable."

Rukawa smile. "I guess you have to wait again." Y/n frown. "Now before you go, if I remember clearly, before you go inside the train last time, you kissed my cheek. What was that about?"

Y/n blushed with eyes wide open. "W-what are you t-talking about?"

Rukawa walked closer to Y/n and lean down towards her ear. "Do you want me to do it to you, so that you can remember again?"

Y/n's eyes widen even more. Rukawa blows her ear, she tenses up and became a blushing mess.

"Ah! I'm going now! Looks like it's going to rain very soon. I've got to go! Bye!" Y/n said while pick up her bag and exited the gym without looking at Rukawa.

AfterY/n left, Rukawa stands and sighed. "Idiot."