Tetsuo dribbled the basketball in transition and passed it to Takahiro, who was guarded by Yukio.
"Damn, Yukio's defense is tough," said Takahiro as he passed the ball back to Tetsuo.
Hayato stepped up to guard Tetsuo, preventing him from shooting a three-pointer.
"If shooting threes is all you can do, then you won't make it very far in this sport," said Hayato as he pressured Tetsuo.
Tetsuo calmly dribbled and took a step back to face Hayato. After analyzing the defense, he crossed to the right. Hayato reacted, staying in front of him. Tetsuo then spun, beating Hayato's defense and scoring a layup.
"That was amazing! He tricked Hayato into thinking he was going right with his body language, then changed direction at the last second with a spin move and scored a layup. He's really good. Yukio was right about this one," Nanaho thought to herself, smiling with excitement.
"I guess you're more than just a shooter," said Hayato, smirking.
"This is Tetsuo's first day on the team, so why is he over there training with the captain while I'm stuck doing dribbling drills? This sucks," said Noboru. "We've been dribbling for hours now, and my arms feel like they're about to fall off. Is she that obsessed with basketball? She's so locked in that she forgot about us."
"My arms are getting tired. How much longer do I have to do this, Fukazawa?" asked Noboru.
"Oh, right. Training has ended for the day, so all of you can stop now," said Nanaho.
"Phew, that was quite the workout," said Hayato as he stretched.
"If you think today was a challenge, just wait for tomorrow's training," said Takahiro with a chuckle.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Hayato.
"Nanaho might not look it, but she's a great strategist, and her observation skills are off the charts. Today was just to test our overall skills and endurance, but tomorrow is when the real training starts," said Yukio.
Noboru lay flat on his back, gasping for breath.
"Stop being so dramatic. It's not like you were moving," said Nanaho.
"Finally, it's over… I can't feel my arms."
"Well, that's a good sign, I guess," said Nanaho with a straight face.
"What's that supposed to mean? You made me dribble this basketball the entire day! I deserve better than this!" said Noboru loudly.
"For the last time, you need the basic skills to function on the basketball court."
"Basic skills? A pro like me doesn't need the basics! As long as I can score and make us win, that's all that matters."
"I've had it with you. You better come prepared for tomorrow," said Nanaho.
"Wait… was that a threat? She just threatened me, didn't she?" said Noboru, suddenly frightened.
Shino placed a hand on his knee to catch his breath as he stared at Tetsuo.
"Look at him… he doesn't even look tired at all. Throughout this whole training session, he has done nothing but surprise us. His shooting, dribbling, and passing are exceptional. He even gave the captain a hard time. Will I ever be able to catch up to someone like him?" Shino wondered.
"This was quite the training session. Reminds me of the old days," said Yukio, hit with nostalgia.
"Wait, Yukio, we aren't that old yet," said Takahiro.
"Yes, you're right. Well, everyone always mistakes you for a middle-aged dude, so…" said Yukio, laughing.
"Why did I even bother opening my mouth…" said Takahiro.
"Thank you, everyone, for putting in the effort at training today. Now I can be at peace knowing I have a team to play with. Now then, let's clean up and get ready to go home," said Yukio.
"I'm heading in this direction. See you all tomorrow," said Hayato as he waved goodbye.
"Um, I'm also going that way! Wait up, Nakajima! It's really dark out here," said Shino as he ran to catch up with him.
"Okay, you guys travel safely," said Yukio.
After taking the train, the doors opened at the next stop.
"See you guys at school tomorrow, Takahiro and Kawaguchi," said Nanaho.
"Yeah, I look forward to it," said Takahiro.
"Take care, guys," said Yukio as he waved goodbye.
"Now then, shall we get going, Yukio?" asked Nanaho.
"Today was great, wasn't it? It turned out even better than I imagined," said Nanaho.
"Yeah. The best part was when Tetsuo joined the team. He'll really help us in the long run," said Yukio.
"Yes, I was surprised as well when he suddenly decided to join, especially since he clearly stated he wasn't interested. But nevertheless, with him, we'll be able to make our dream a reality," said Nanaho.
"Yeah, I'm certain that this time, we're capable of making it to the Inter-High," said Yukio.
"We may only have six members now, and the season requires seven per team, but we won't have to worry. It can't be that hard to find one more player. Also, don't for a second think we can't compete this year. We have you as the captain, Hayato as a great point guard, and Tetsuo as an outstanding shooter."
"We have everything we need to make it to the Inter-High," said Nanaho, smiling. "I have high hopes for you since it's your last year, Yukio. You better go out with a bang."
"Now you're making me nervous. That's a lot of pressure for one guy to bear," said Yukio.
"Haha, very funny. I'm heading that way. See you tomorrow, captain. I look forward to seeing you and your newly found team at training tomorrow. I'll work them half to death to prepare them for the tournament," said Nanaho.
"I'm sure you will. Now then, time to go home," said Yukio, smiling.