Third person's point of view

Night falls, rain falls, Sakuragi hasn't showed up in the gym.

'Sakuragi... Hasn't returned yet... I'll wait for him.' Haruko thought while waiting at the gym door.

With Sakuragi

'It's my fault that we lost, Haruko. But due to that mistake... It's all because of me that we lost... It's my fault!' Sakuragi thought as he seats in the dark by the window at the basketball locker room.

Suddenly the light in the room turned on. Sakuragi looks by the switch.

"What are you doing? Dou ahou!" Rukawa asked, still sweating from practice earlier.

"Rukawa!

Rukawa made his way to his locker and got his towel to wipe his sweat, he closes his locker and left.

"Oi! Wait..." Sakuragi spoke.

Rukawa stopped by the door.

"Don't you blame me?" Sakuragi asked.

"Huh?"

"Don't try to trick me. It's impossible for you to not blame me for Shohoku's loss yesterday!" Sakuragi shouts. "But if you're feeling pity for me... Then, no thanks!"

"Pity?" Rukawa spoke.

With that, he left Sakuragi by himself.

"Ah!? Wait you bastard! Rukawa!" Sakuragi yells.

Sakuragi follows Rukawa outside the locker room to the gym.

"Hmph! You idiot." Rukawa spoke, holding the ball. "You think we lost the game because of you?"

"What?" Sakuragi asked.

"Arrogant fool!" Rukawa said. "The you yesterday already showed skills that are times better than regular players. Your talent has exceeded what everyone imagined."

"WHAT!?"

"The coach and captain are expecting you to summon your true skills." Rukawa said.

"So, I am the savior of Shohoku!" Finally, Sakuragi said something besides 'what'.

"Just by this little." Rukawa said, showing his hand in thumb and pointer finger like a pinching position.

"WHAT?" And 'what' is back, Sakuragi said getting pissed.

"Probably this much at most." Rukawa said, lifting his pointer finger a bit. "Your mistake was calculated and expected from the beginning, it's nothing surprising. I see that this is as far as you go, your mistake doesn't affect our win or lose."

With that, Sakuragi lost it and raised his fist to punch Rukawa but stop in the middle.

'It's useless to win by fists now! If I can't accel him on the courts, there's no point in beating him with my fists!' Sakuragi thought.

"Hiya!" Rukawa punched Sakuragi.

Sakuragi lost it again. "DARN IT! I'LL KILL YOU! LET'S SEE WHO'S BETTER NOW!"

After Rukawa and Sakuragi fists fight

"It's my responsibility that we lost." Rukawa spoke.

"Huh!?"

"If only I could sustain my energy till the end... We would have won yesterday's game." Rukawa said.

"You... You... You..." Sakuragi punched Rukawa in the face. "YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!"

"it's my fault!" Rukawa said and kicked Sakuragi by the stomach.

"MY FAULT!" Sakuragi said.

"No, Mine!" Rukawa said.

They continue to fist fight again.

The next day

Y/n got off the train with her bike. She saw Rukawa with his bike, his face has bandages.

"Kaede-kun." Y/n called and approached him. "What happened to your face."

Rukawa looks at her. Y/n give his bike to Rukawa as she cupped his face and examine him.

"It's nothing, I'm alright." Rukawa said.

"What happened? You not in any gangs, are you?" Y/n asked, she removes her hand from his cheek.

Rukawa missing the warmth from her hand. She took her bike back.

"I'm not into any gangs, come on. Let's go." Rukawa said and walk away

"Okay, you don't have to tell me." Y/n said. "But you really have to."

At Shohoku High School

Mitsui and Miyagi are on their way to the gym.

"I heard that Sakuragi didn't come to class today." Mitsui said to Miyagi.

"Is he still depressed?" Miyagi asked.

"Probably." Mitsui answers.

When they opened the door, Mitsui is shock on what he is seeing right now.

"Hello!" Bald Sakuragi – with band-aids on his face – greeted the two, he was mopping the floor. "Your late!"

The two laughs at their bald kohai.

"Who are you?!"

"Hanamichi, what happened?!"

"We lost because of me!" Sakuragi said.

"Ah... Oh well, I can't deal with him." Rukawa said.

Y/n heard him. "What do you mean by 'can't deal with him'? Did you guys have a fight yesterday?" Y/n asked Rukawa.

Rukawa just shrugged at her.

"You look cute, Sakuragi." Haruko said while patting his head.

"Really!?" Sakuragi said, blush on his cheek while he scratches his nape.

3 days until the two finals!

At the gym

Players are practicing shooting. Sakuragi is now shooting.

"Monk-head shoot it!"

"Great shot!"

"You're in pretty good condition, Hanamichi Sakuragi!" Ayako praises. "You're even better after the haircut!"

Y/n also nodded in agreement to her senpai's statement. She's beside Ayako, writing things in her notebook.

"Of course! Ayako-san, I will become stringer, especially in sweat-dropping situations!" Sakuragi said.

"Yep! Nice, isn't it?" Ayako asked.

"Yeah...

At night time.

"Hey, Akagi!" Anzai-sensei called and gesture for him to come closer.

"Yes." Akagi asked while panting, he come closer to his sensei.

"You're practicing too vigorously..." Anzai-sensei spoke.

"Yes." Akagi replied.

"I understand your feelings but now, just take it easy!" Anzai-sensei said. "The top priority now is to heal your wounds."

"I understand." Akagi said, knowing he can't do anything about it.

"All right – gather up, everyone!"

Everyone has gathered in front of Anzai-sensei, with Sakuragi in the front.

"Oh – Sakuragi, you have a nice haircut." Anzai-sensei said.

"Oh?" Sakuragi questioned.

Anzai-sensei put his hand in Sakuragi's head, rubbing it. "Ho! Ho! Nice and smooth."

Sakuragi got irritated and started patting Anzai-sensei's chin, like he always does. "DON'T TOUCH IT! DON'T TOUCH IT! DON'T TOUCH SOMEONE'S HEAD LIKE THAT!"

"You look more and more like a pro player... HAHAHA!" Akagi said.

Sakuragi turned to him and pointed his finger at Akagi. "HOW DARE YOU MAKE FUN OF ME!" Sakuragi yelled. "Your hair is no better than mine!"

Sakuragi finally calmed down.

"Because it was my mistake! I will use this to remind myself!" Sakuragi said with a serious expression.

Akagi sighed and smiled on what Sakuragi just said.

"All right then, recess for 5 minutes, then start a five-on-five game." Anzai-sensei announced. "That's it for today.

Sakuragi steps in front of Anzai-sensei and started to pull his sensei's chin downward. "What's up chief? You seem to be in a specially good mood today!"

"You don't want to be too exhausted from vigorous practice." Anzai-sensei said.

"Oh, I get it." Sakuragi said finally letting go of his sensei's chin, but now he started to pinch and pull his sensei's belly. "In the Kainan game, someone was too exhausted to continue till the end. Truthfully, we did lose because of Rukawa."

"Later we'll have the first-years vs the second and third-years. All except for Akagi." Anzai-sensei announced.

"Mitsui." Anzai-sensei called.

"Yes!"

"You can be the referee. Then the two sides should be even." Anzai-sensei said and handed him the whistle.

On the other hand, Y/n is still organizing her notes, she is seated beside Ayako.

"So, any news about super rookie and you?" Ayako spoke.

"What do you mean by super rookie and me?" Y/n looks at her.

"There has to be something. He did take you out on a date." Ayako said.

"Yeah, it's a date but not as lovers probably its just a friendly date." Y/n conclude. "Besides, friendly date it is, we didn't saw each other over vacation."

"AHH! You are dense – no, both of you are dense." Ayako stated. "Why? Because I basically see with my own two eyes how both of your eyes' sparkle when you look and talk to each other!"

Y/n looks at her weirdly. "Okay, Ayako-senpai – "

"Don't you dare say that it was only on my head." Ayako said, cutting Y/n's statement.

"Okay, then I'm not going to say it."

"Both of you are hopeless." Ayako whined. "I hope Rukawa will make a move soon."

"Well, he did tell me he has a question when we got in in interhigh." Y/n said.

"REALLY?!" Ayako shouted in excitement; you can see the sparkles in her eyes.

"ALL RIGHT! START!" Mitsui said and blows the whistle to get everyone's attention.

"You better tell me later." Ayako said, she made her way to the scoring board, still wearing a wide grin in her face.

'I feel like I shouldn't say that.' Y/n thought. She stands up and catches up with Ayako.

Second and Third-year Team:

F – Kogure 178cm

C – Kakuta 180cm

G – Shiozaki 170cm

G – Yasuda 165cm

G – Miyagi 168cm

"If you lose to first-years you will all do fifty push ups!" Akagi shouted.

"Good luck everyone!" Ayako cheered.

First-years Team:

F – Rukawa 187cm

C – Sakuragi 188cm

F – Ishii 170cm

F – Sasaok 172cm

G – Kuwata 163cm

"I won't lose even if it's only a practice match." Rukawa said to Sakuragi. "Don't be a bother to me."

"Like he said just now, no one can replace you in the middle of a game even if you're exhausted." Sakuragi replied. "You have to continue on no matter what."

The two starting to scare the players around them.

"Make peace, you two! Okay?"

"With those two we should win!" Ishii

"And, the opponent is missing Akagi and Mitsui both!" Sasaok

"Then the rest of it depends on our team effort!" Kuwata

The game ball is released, game start.

Sakuragi got the ball.

"Great going! Sakuragi!" Ayako shouted.

The game continues, Sakuragi keeps on scoring. 8-12 to First-years.

"Since Sakuragi has played with Maki Takasa and Hanagata... So, in his mind he doesn't consider Kakuta as his opponent anymore." Akagi stated.

"Except for the key players, no one else can beat him." Anzai-sensei spoke.

Sakuragi has the ball again.

"Nice one! Sakuragi!" Haruko cheered.

"Ah..." Sakuragi said and blushed.

"The fact that he's easily satisfied makes me worried..." Anzai-sensei said, he stands up from his seat and approached Mitsui and calls him.

"Go blow put Sakuragi's flame." Anzai-sensei said.

Mitsui smiled and took off his towel from his head. "I'm in..."