Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Sakuragi remembered what Coach Takeda had taught him: defend the basket, protect the rim, and grab rebounds. That was the only thing he had to do on the defensive end.

The center from Hongye Junior High School was moving towards the basket, trying to box out. He was 1.81 meters tall, which wasn't short for junior high basketball, but at that moment he ran into a wall.

Sakuragi stuck out his butt and stretched out his left arm, pinning him tightly behind him.

The center felt like he had been pushed onto a huge rock, and he couldn't budge an inch.

He looked up at the back of Sakuragi's head; the red hair looked like a ball of fire under the light, so close yet just out of reach.

The ball spun twice on the outside. The point guard from Hongye Junior High was stuck with Qiushan and couldn't pass the ball out, so he had to pass it to the small forward.

The small forward received the ball, faked a shot, and broke through on the right side. His first step was quick, but just as he entered the free-throw line, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sakuragi moved to the side, blocking his path to break through.

He looked up at Sakuragi's face and tall figure, especially his fiery red pompadour.

Then he chickened out.

He stopped abruptly, turned around, and passed the ball to the shooting guard on the outside.

The shooting guard caught the ball and shot. The motion was fairly smooth, but his center of gravity was a bit off when he jumped, causing the ball's trajectory to be flat.

"Clang!" The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced high into the air.

"Rebound!" the coaches from both sides shouted from the sidelines.

Sakuragi turned around, his rear end pushing the center behind him half a step outward, his legs slightly bent, his eyes locked on the trajectory of the ball.

As the ball fell, he jumped up, raised his hands high above his head, and caught the ball firmly with a "snap".

The rebound was easily secured.

The moment he landed, he didn't look for his own point guard or wait for his teammates; instead, he dribbled forward on his own.

The ball bounced rapidly on his right, as fast as a downpour. His strides were long, each one equivalent to two of someone else's.

The red hair flew across the field, and the people in the stands felt as if a ball of fire was burning before their eyes.

"Get back to defense now—!!!" The captain of Hongye Middle School shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking.

The three men turned and chased after them. The soles of their shoes made a sharp squeaking sound on the wooden floor, one after another, like mice whose tails had been stepped on.

The two players from Hongye Junior High School retreated from both sides, taking their positions under the basket with their feet spread apart and arms raised overhead, ready to block.

Sakuragi did not slow down.

His eyes were fixed on the basket, his peripheral vision catching glimpses of the figures on either side, but only one thought occupied his mind: the basket, and he had to dunk it.

He jumped from just a step in front of the free-throw line. From that spot, even a normal person would have a hard time making a layup, but he took off.

He slammed his right foot down, leaving two marks on the wooden floor with the sole of his white cloth shoes. His thigh muscles sprang up like springs, releasing all their power, and he was launched into the air.

His body stretched out in the air, his arms raised high, and the ball was firmly held in his palm.

Two people jumped up in front of him. They jumped later than Sakuragi, and their height difference was significant. The three of them collided in mid-air…

The sound of physical contact was muffled, then with a loud "bang," the two bodies were simultaneously pushed apart, like two doors being pushed open by a strong wind.

Their arms couldn't reach the ball, couldn't reach Sakuragi's hand, and they could only watch helplessly as the orange ball flew over their heads...

"Bang!!!" A powerful one-handed dunk.

The rim sank sharply, and the metal ring emitted a long "hum" sound, like a startled beast roaring.

The net was lifted into the air by the ball, drew an arc in the air, and then hung down softly.

The two defenders fell from the air, lost their footing, and landed hard on their backsides.

He braced himself on the ground with his palms, raised his head, and looked at the red figure hanging on the basketball hoop, his eyes losing all light.

The whole place erupted.

It was as if someone had dropped a bomb in the stands; the sound waves surged in from all directions, filling the stadium and everyone's ears.

"Another dunk!!!"

"A dunk over two people! He just dunked over two people!"

"Is this really a middle school student?!"

"What's that red-haired guy's name?!"

"Sakuragi! Number 15 from Wako Junior High! Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

"Why haven't I watched his matches before?"

"I don't know, is this your first time playing this year?"

The students in the stands jumped up from their seats. Some threw their little flags away, some held their heads in disbelief, and some grabbed the shoulders of strangers next to them and shook them vigorously.

The students at Heguang Middle School shouted like madmen, their voices cracking as they continued to shout.

The referee paused for a second.

His hand was raised in mid-air, the whistle was in his mouth, and he seemed to be frozen in place.

He's been officiating in junior high basketball games for so many years, calling traveling, fouls, and technical fouls, but he's never called anything like this before: a junior high student, on a fast break, dunking over two people.

But his professionalism brought him back to his senses.

The whistle blew, "beep—", and he made a gesture, clenching his right fist and slapping his right wrist with his left hand.

"Dangering foul! Goal stands! One penalty!"

The students at Heguang Middle School had completely gone mad. Several boys were standing on chairs waving their school uniforms, some were whistling wildly, and others were clapping until their palms were red.

The players on the bench all jumped up, their towels flying in arcs through the air.

The four members of Sakuragi's team were as excited as if they had dunked a basket themselves.

Takamiya stood on the chair, clenching his fists and pounding his chest, letting out a series of incomprehensible howls. Da Nan jumped and clapped his hands beside him, while Noma put his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply.

Sitting in the stands, Yuri Yanai felt her heart racing again.

It's not the feeling of being "bumped" like before; now it's a continuous, wave-like impact.

As Sakuragi jumped, her heart jumped.

He slammed the ball into the basket again, and her heart skipped a beat.

She had never felt this way before. She used to think basketball was boring; a bunch of people chasing a ball, running for ages to shoot a single basket—what was so interesting about that?

But now she realizes she was wrong. The problem wasn't basketball, it was the people playing it.

Kato Rena sat to the side, her mouth slightly open, her eyes fixed on the red-haired guy on the field who was high-fiving his teammates.

She wasn't unfamiliar with dunks; she'd seen them on TV. But witnessing someone jump from the free-throw line and slam the ball into the basket over two defenders firsthand—the impact was incomparable to anything seen on television.

Kato turned his head and glanced at Yanai. Yanai's eyes were shining, a kind of light that Kato had never seen before.

She finally understood why this young lady was interested in this redhead.

On the court, Sakuragi high-fived his teammates one by one.

Oda slapped his palm, the sound crisp and clear, without saying a word. Akiyama ran over and patted him on the waist with a smile, and even the players on the bench stretched out their arms to give him a high-five.

Sakuragi slapped them one by one, his palms getting a little numb, and a wide grin spreading across his face.

The referee passed the ball to us.

Sakuragi stood at the free-throw line, caught the ball, and dribbled it twice. The ball hit the floor with a dull "thump, thump."

He took a deep breath, bent his knees slightly, and aimed at the basket. With a flick of his wrist, the ball slid from his fingertips, its arc high and steady.

"Swish." The needle went into the net.

The free throw was made. Two points became three.