Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 112 The Mustache Shopkeeper's AJ 1 Bred

The week-long training camp flew by amidst sweat and collisions.

The Ryonan Basketball Gymnasium witnessed too many scenes: Akagi and Uozumi trembling under the basket, Rukawa chasing Sendoh through every turn, Mitsui shooting a three-pointer from beyond the arc under Ikegami's close defense, and Miyagi getting a headache from Uekusa's constant marking —.

The players from both teams have lost their edge and gained new muscle through the competition.

On the last afternoon, the Shohoku team, led by Coach Anzai, stood in two rows opposite the entire Ryonan team. Taoka Shigeichi stood next to Coach Anzai, the two facing their respective players side-by-side.

Takenori Akagi and Jun Uozumi stood face to face and shook hands, their bond growing stronger after a week of intensive training.

Uozumi spoke first, his gruff voice laced with laughter: "In the National Tournament, let's have another match." Akagi's lips curled slightly, and he tightened his grip: "You guys should focus on getting into the top four first."

Coach Anzai and Shigeichi Taoka stood at the front of the team. Taoka extended his hand first, and Anzai shook it.

Taoka said solemnly, "Thanks to Coach Anzai, I've learned a lot this week. Not only tactics and training methods, but also how to view players."

Coach Anzai chuckled, "The Shohoku players have learned a lot from training with Ryonan. Thank you, Coach Taoka, for your thoughtful arrangements."

The next afternoon, the summer sun blew the streets of Kanagawa white, and the chirping of cicadas poured down from the roadside trees.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, hands in his pockets, his red buzz cut sticking out frizzily in the sunlight, walked side-by-side with Yanai Yuuri down the street. Yanai's long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, one arm linked with Sakuragi's, her gaze passing over the shop windows before suddenly stopping.

"Hanamichi, let's go check out this place." She took Sakuragi's arm and turned a corner.

Sakuragi looked up and saw a sneaker store.

He glanced at Yanai: "Why are you at the shoe store again? Didn't you just—"

Yanai gave him no time to hesitate, and with a slight pull, dragged Sakuragi into the store.

She didn't mention that the soles of Sakuragi's shoes were almost worn down. She simply tilted her head back and calmly said, "The National Tournament is about to start! I wanted to give you a new pair of sneakers so you can compete well and achieve good results."

The single-minded Sakuragi had no idea that the soles of his shoes should have been replaced long ago, nor did he realize that Yanai was going to great lengths to save face for him. Last time it was "buying shoes for herself and getting a discount, and also buying a pair of Sakuragi's shoes." And this time it was "giving you new sneakers to compete in the national tournament."

The wind chimes on the shop door tinkled for a moment. Sakuragi and Yanai had just stepped into the shoe store when they saw a young man in a floral shirt leaning over the counter, his hands clasped together, pleading with a thin, middle-aged man with a small mustache inside: "Manager—please! I really want those shoes! Name your price! I'll pay whatever it takes!"

The bearded shopkeeper wiped the glass of the display case expressionlessly, his voice calm but firm: "Sorry, customer, that's not for sale. We really aren't selling it."

Before the man in the floral shirt could say anything more, the shop manager had already seen Sakuragi and Yanai standing at the door, over his shoulder.

The shopkeeper with the mustache's expression changed dramatically in an instant, from indifference to stunned silence, and from stunned silence to eyes shining brightly.

He walked quickly past the counter to greet him. "Sir, you're Sakuragi Hanamichi from Shohoku, right?"

Sakuragi, seeing that the mustachioed shopkeeper actually recognized him, tilted his head in surprise: "? You know me?"

Yanai also tilted his head slightly, his eyes filled with curiosity.

The mustachioed shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his expression serious. "I go to watch the county tournament's semifinals every year. This year, the game between Shohoku and Hainan—you dunked over Maki Shinichi and hit a step-back three-pointer. That game that beat Hainan really captivated me—"

He took a deep breath, as if recalling a scene he had been holding back for many years. "That felt so satisfying. I played basketball in high school too, on the school team, a proper point guard—and we got eliminated by Hainan in the county tournament."

"So seeing the scene of Shohoku defeating Hainan was so satisfying."

, 7

Sakuragi and Yanai exchanged a glance.

Then Sakuragi's mouth broke into a wide grin, hands on his hips, chin held high: "Hahaha! I see! I really did play incredibly well in that match!"

Yanai lightly pinched his arm with her fingertips, and he immediately pulled away and coughed.

"You're here to buy shoes to prepare for the national competition, right?" The mustachioed shop manager's eyes were full of enthusiasm.

He looked down at Sakuragi's feet, then suddenly remembered something. He turned and walked behind the counter. "Come on, let me measure your size first. You grow quickly at your age, your size can change in a few months. I'll also measure your height."

Sakuragi stood under the measuring tape, his back ramrod straight. The shopkeeper lowered the crossbar until it touched his red buzz cut, then looked up at the scale: "Hmm—191 centimeters."

"He's grown 3 centimeters taller?" Yanai was immediately startled. When he first joined Shohoku, Sakuragi was only 188 cm tall. He didn't expect that he would grow to 191 cm in less than half a year.

What Sakuragi didn't know was that the reason he grew so fast was because Yanai fed him large portions of lovingly prepared bento boxes every day, and Sakuragi often went to Taoka's house for meals. With the right nutrition, he naturally grew quickly.

Upon hearing that he had grown taller, Sakuragi was lost in a wild fantasy: by the time he was in third grade, wouldn't he be about the same height as the gorilla and the monkey boss?

When I stand with them then, I won't be afraid of them anymore.

His mouth was practically stretched to his ears without him even realizing it.

After the store manager measured Sakuragi's foot size, he straightened up, thought for a moment, and then stopped at the glass display case behind the cashier.

He walked over, opened the cabinet door, and took out the red and black Air Jordan 1 Bred shoes with both hands, carefully placing them on the soft cloth mat on the counter.

The red and black color scheme resembles a quietly burning fire under the light.

The young man in the floral shirt, who was still lingering at the door, nearly dropped his jaw when he saw this: "Seriously, manager—you told me it wasn't for sale, and then you just handed it to him like that?"

The mustachioed shop manager turned to Yanai and Sakuragi, gesturing for Sakuragi to sit down and try on the shoes. "These are the perfect size, Sakuragi, why don't you try them on?"

Looking at the pair of shoes that the store manager had carefully taken from the display case, Yanai asked softly, "Manager, aren't these not for sale?"

The store manager looked down at the red and black Air Jordans, his fingers lightly brushing across the shoe's surface.

"That's true." His voice softened slightly, tinged with reverence. "But I've always felt that sneakers shouldn't be locked in display cases. They should be on the court. Scratching on wooden floors, leaping under the basket, and stepping onto the court floor when the final buzzer sounds."

He looked up at Sakuragi, his eyes filled with the solemnity of entrusting something to someone else. "So these shoes are the perfect choice for Sakuragi to conquer the national tournament."

Sakuragi sat on the shoe-fitting stool, the new shoes fitting his feet perfectly, neither too big nor too small. He stood up and took a couple of steps; the comfortable feel of the soles against the floor made him jump a couple more times.

Yanai took out her wallet from her bag to pay, but the shop manager reached out and pressed down on it, then shook his head.

"No, these are free. I'm giving them to Sakuragi-kun personally."

He looked at Yanai and Sakuragi earnestly and said, "Sakuragi helped me fulfill my dream of defeating Hainan, something I dreamed of doing but never achieved in high school. These shoes are a small token of my appreciation."

Then, his tone became serious, "Sakuragi, keep up the good work in the national tournament. Getting good results will be the best reward for me."

As the two walked to the door carrying the shoebox, Yanai turned around and thanked them again: "Manager, thank you so much! I'll definitely recommend my teammates to buy shoes here in the future!"

As they walked the two to the door, the mustachioed shopkeeper suddenly grabbed Sakuragi's arm, pulled him half a step to the side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Sakuragi, your girlfriend is really cute, and her height matches yours perfectly. Cherish her!"

Hearing the store manager praise his girlfriend, Sakuragi blushed and said, "Of course."

The mustachioed shopkeeper released his grip, took a step back, and waved to Sakuragi: "Good luck in the National Tournament! I'll come watch the games when I have time!"

After leaving the sneaker store, Yanai put his arm around Sakuragi's arm again, and the two walked slowly forward, their shadows trailing behind them on the cobblestone path.

A sea breeze blew in from the end of the street, carrying a faint salty smell and the clanging sound of trams passing by in the distance.

Yanai suddenly spoke up, her voice soft: "This shop manager is such a nice person."

Sakuragi raised his chin: "That's because my performance in the game was so amazing that even the shoe store owner knows me!"

Yanagi turned her head to look at him, not calling out his smugness, but just smiled and hummed in agreement. She lowered her gaze and happened to glance at the shoebox he was holding, the red and black AJ shoes, the "not for sale" pair that the store manager had taken out of the display case.

Then she looked at her watch. She glanced at the sky, and a few strands of her hair were lifted by the sea breeze blowing from the street corner.

"Ikebana—it's still early." Yanai's voice suddenly became cheerful, with a hint of something she had planned that only she knew.

"Let's go to the beach." Yanai leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at him. "I bought a new swimsuit—want to see it?"

swimsuit.

These two words were like two precision-guided bombs, detonating simultaneously in Sakuragi Hanamichi's mind. His face burned from the base of his neck upwards, the tips of his ears beneath his red buzz cut turning a deep red that seemed about to bleed.

"Okay!" Sakuragi nodded firmly.

😜