Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

The second game was played on Sunday, the second game of the back-to-back.

When Sakuragi Hanamichi and his teammates walked out of the player tunnel again, their eyes searched the stands before their bodies, and they immediately spotted that beautiful figure.

Today, she changed her light gray dress into a white dress, and she stood out in the crowd like a bright light, instantly attracting Sakuragi's attention.

Yanai sat next to the Sakuragi Army again today with her best friend. The four members of the Sakuragi Army shamelessly approached again and were talking to Kato with their heads down.

Sakuragi unconsciously slowed his pace.

His teammates walked past him, and Xiao Tian patted him on the shoulder: "Come on, what are you standing there for?"

Just as Sakuragi was about to take a step, the white figure in the stands looked up and their eyes met.

Yuri Yanai smiled, raised her hand and waved at him, her lips moving slightly.

She was too far away to hear what she was saying, but you could tell from her lip movements: "Sakuragi-kun, good luck."

Sakuragi waved vigorously with a bright smile, then turned and ran towards the court.

The other end of the stands.

Haruko Akagi sat in the stands with her classmates to watch the match of her school, Shonan Fourth Middle School.

"Haruko, have you heard?" A classmate leaned over, her voice low but her eyes wide. "Wako Junior High School has produced a really amazing person this year."

"Who is it?" Haruko tilted her head.

"That's the one..."

A classmate pointed to a red figure warming up on the court, "Number 15, Sakuragi Hanamichi. Yesterday against Momiji Junior High, he dunked several times, including an alley-oop dunk! And another dunk over two people!"

Haruko's gaze followed her classmate's finger.

The red-haired guy was shooting a basket under the rim. His movements were standard and graceful; his wrist was supple as he released the ball, which spun beautifully as it left his fingertips.

He was very tall, towering over everyone else on the field, with broad shoulders and clearly defined muscles in his arms. His striking red pompadour was particularly eye-catching under the lights.

"Eh! He can dunk, just like Rukawa Kaede?" Haruko asked in surprise.

In junior high school basketball games, those who can dunk are extremely rare.

"Yes! And not the kind of dunk where you barely reach the rim, but the kind where..."

The classmate gestured with both hands, "It slammed in with a 'bang'! A lot of people were talking about him yesterday. This year, Heguang Middle School is twice as strong as last year, and they are the favorites to win the championship."

Haruko nodded, her gaze returning to the red-haired man.

She remembered the figure she had seen at the county competition last year.

Rukawa Kaede, number 11 at Tomioka Junior High School, the ace of the second year.

He plays basketball beautifully, with clean and crisp movements. When he shoots, his body leans slightly backward in the air, like a bird spreading its wings.

The ball flew out of his hands, and the net swished with a "whoosh." That image lingered in her mind for a long time.

I wonder who's stronger, this red-haired guy or Rukawa Kaede?

Game start.

During the jump ball, Sakuragi's opponent was two centimeters shorter than the center from yesterday.

The moment the ball was tossed up, Sakuragi's toes seemed to spring into the air, propelling him forward. With a gentle flick of his fingers, the ball flew steadily into his teammate's hands.

Before the opposing center forward's heel even left the ground, his head was already empty.

He Guang Middle School's offensive strategy was exactly the same as yesterday: pass the ball to the inside, and the twin towers would solve everything.

Sakuragi called for the ball in the low post, sticking his butt out. The defender behind him felt like he was being blocked by a moving wall, his feet kept sliding backward, and the soles of his shoes rubbed against the floor, making a "squeaking" sound.

The ball was passed in from the outside, Sakuragi caught it, turned, jumped, and the defender's hand slapped his forearm. The whistle blew, but the ball had already flown out. It went in off the backboard.

"Goal stands! Penalty kick-off!"

Sakuragi stood at the free-throw line, dribbled the ball twice, took a deep breath, and flicked his wrist.

The ball bounced twice on the rim and rolled in.

In the stands, the students from No. 4 Middle School began to feel uneasy.

The following matches became individual performances by the Twin Towers of Light.

Defensively, Sakuragi and Oda formed an impenetrable wall in the paint. Every time a player from No. 4 Middle School tried to break through, they would encounter a wall of players near the free-throw line, either Oda's chest or Sakuragi's arm.

There was no chance of getting rebounds. Sakuragi stood under the basket, his arms outstretched, and no one within two meters could get close.

The moment the ball bounced off the rim, his knees began to bend, as if there was an invisible thread connecting the ball and his knees.

On offense, the No. 4 Middle School coach was yelling himself hoarse on the sidelines: "Double-team! Double-team that damn number 15!"

But with Sakuragi double-teamed, Oda's side was left open.

Without double-teaming Sakuragi, he easily scored under the basket. The players from No. 4 Middle School ran around the court like puppets on strings, always a step behind.

As the game progressed, the expressions of the No. 4 Middle School players on the field grew increasingly grim. Some began to shake their heads, while others stood with their hands on their hips, panting, their eyes unfocused.

A guard had the ball stolen by Akiyama while dribbling, but he didn't even turn around to chase after him. He just stood there, hands on his knees, head down.

That emoji translates to five words: I don't want to type anymore.

The coach from No. 4 Middle School called a timeout, gathered the players together, and clapped his hands and shouted something.

The team members sat in a circle; some drank water, some wiped their sweat with towels, and some looked down at the floor.

The coach's voice was loud, trying to give the players a pep talk, but the expressions on their faces didn't change much. That feeling of helplessness, of "we've tried our best but we really can't win," couldn't be dispelled by a few inspiring words.

Haruko Akagi watched the entire first half from the stands.

Her gaze remained fixed on the red-haired man. When he grabbed a rebound, he was like a wild beast; the timing of his jump, his positioning, the strength with which he gripped the ball—everything exuded a primal instinct.

When he blocks a shot, he's like a wall. Even though the opponent can clearly see him there, they still crash into him, and then the ball flies off somewhere.

When he dunked, it was like a bomb; the rim shook, the backboard swayed, and the air in the entire arena trembled.

He's completely different from Rukawa Kaede.

Rukawa Kaede is a blade—thin, fast, and cold. A single cut leaves no blood; the opponent only realizes they've been cut after they've fallen.

Sakuragi is like a hammer—heavy, powerful, and hot. One strike shakes the earth, and the opponent knows they're done for the moment they're hit.

Haruko's classmate next to her was shaking her arm excitedly: "Look, look! He slammed it in again! My goodness, he jumped so high!"

Haruko was shaken so badly that her body swayed from side to side, but her eyes never left the white number 15 on the court.

He and Rukawa Kaede have different playing styles, but they are both very good.

She couldn't figure out who was stronger. But she knew it would be a great sight to see these two face off in the same match.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard showed 71 to 35.

He Guang Middle School won the game by a large margin of 36 points.

The cheers from the stands continued. The students of He Guang Middle School had witnessed their team's resounding victory for two consecutive days, and their emotions were even more fervent than yesterday.

"Sakuragi! Sakuragi! Sakuragi!"

That name echoed again in the stadium.

Sakuragi sat on the bench, trying to keep a straight face and act cool, but he couldn't help but grin.

He turned his head and looked towards the stands.

When Yanai Yuri saw Sakuragi looking over, she smiled and waved at him.

Sakuragi's face instantly lit up.

Looking at Sakuragi's face, which was as bright as a chrysanthemum in contrast to his own, Yanai felt that he was even more interesting and fun.

Kato Rena, standing nearby, watched the two laughing at each other from a distance and couldn't help but cover her face with her hands.

She peeked at Yanai's expression through her fingers, then glanced at Sakuragi on the field, before burying her face even deeper.

Sigh... This young lady is hopeless.