Chapter 114

Silence.

Absolute silence.

After Shinmatsuji finished announcing this news, the expressions of everyone in the basketball club instantly shifted from pleasant surprise to shock.

What did a full month of summer training camp even mean?

Put it this way.

This year's summer training camp was longer than the high school-level training camp, and the key was that the quality was even higher.

You have to understand.

Generally speaking, for basketball club activities like this training camp, the school would allocate part of the funding. A month-long seaside training camp — how much money would that cost?

"Ah, this! Coach, are you sure you didn't 660 get the time wrong? Really a month, not a week?"

"Rest assured! I'm very sure."

Shinmatsuji said with certainty: "Speaking of which, the fact that we can go to the seaside for training camp this time is also thanks to everyone's hard work. Because our basketball club made it into the national tournament this time, and as the second seed right behind Teikou, the school specially approved two weeks of training camp funding."

"Two weeks?"

"That's not right! Coach, the school only allocated two weeks, so who's paying for the remaining two weeks?"

"Um…"

"Because there are other teams sharing the cost with us."

"Eh?"

……

Seiho High School.

Also located in the Tokyo district.

In the high school basketball world, it was famous nationwide for the titles of Tokyo's three great kings — the 'King of the North' and the 'Strongest Wall of Tokyo'.

At the same time.

All along.

Just as well-known as the basketball club's tough style was their excellent university admission rate, which people loved to talk about.

Students who could get into this school generally wouldn't have grades that were too bad, and because of that, the academic grades of the entire basketball club weren't too bad either.

But there were always exceptions to everything.

For example, the two players who had been established early as the core of Seiho's basketball club — Iwamura Tsutomu and Kasuga Ryuhei — were the two odd ones out in the basketball club.

Although just from Iwamura Tsutomu's muscular build all over, one could tell he wasn't the clever type.

But Kasuga Ryuhei, this clever commander on the court who liked to toy with opponents using soft moves — the fact that he was a poor student left many people inside Seiho baffled.

It sounded absurd just saying it.

Not to mention their homeroom teachers, even Iwamura Tsutomu, who was a poor student alongside Kasuga Ryuhei, couldn't figure out why Kasuga Ryuhei, who had eight hundred tricks up his sleeve on the court, would have grades on the same level as his own.

Originally, the reason these two could enter Seiho was entirely because the coach designated them as special basketball recruits. Otherwise, relying on grades alone, these two would most likely have ended up at Seirin.

That's right — Seirin, the very team they had led by over 20 points in just the first quarter not long ago.

Ah…

No, wait.

They probably couldn't even get into Seirin, since Seirin had only just been established this year.

Seirin: "???"

"Achoo! Achoo!"

At Seiho High School, Iwamura Tsutomu and Kasuga Ryuhei, who had just finished their final exams and were awaiting their life-or-death moment, suddenly sneezed in unison.

This scene immediately caught the attention of Teramae Tatsuya beside them: "Hahaha, you two are already this close now, huh? Even sneezing together?"

Iwamura Tsutomu: "…"

Kasuga Ryuhei: "…"

In the past, if someone said the two of them were close, Iwamura Tsutomu and Kasuga Ryuhei would have at least argued back a couple of times. But this time, the two of them stayed silent.

It wasn't that they weren't giving their senior Teramae Tatsuya face — mainly, they really didn't have the mind for it. Their attention right now was entirely on their final exam results.

"Uh… why are you two so nervous? It's already over anyway, the result is already set in stone. There's no use being nervous."

"Yes, senior… phew!!"

Iwamura Tsutomu let out a long breath, trying hard to calm himself down.

"By the way, senior, does our basketball club have any plans for summer break this year?"

"Plans?" Teramae Tatsuya was stunned for a moment, then said: "Isn't break just the time to go home and rest? Of course we still have to attend regular training, what other plans could there be?"

Kasuga Ryuhei said in surprise: "Huh? So there's no training camp or anything this year?"

"Ah, you mean that? Nope."

Teramae Tatsuya directly crushed Kasuga Ryuhei's fantasy and explained: "We already held one last year, but after all, we're a national high school, and our school funding is very limited compared to other schools."

At the end, although Teramae Tatsuya was still smiling, a slight frown had also crept between his brows.

Kasuga Ryuhei: "…"

Clearly, even that middle schooler Kasuga Yuji had a summer training camp.

Sigh…

Sakamoto Kenjiro, who had just walked over and overheard this conversation: "Ha~"

Iwamura Tsutomu asked in confusion: "Sakamoto, what are you laughing at?"

Sakamoto Kenjiro: "Laughing at Ryuhei's long face~ His younger brother's school made it into the national tournament this year, and I heard they'll be going to the seaside for a month-long training camp~"

"Huh?"

"Aren't they middle schoolers?"

"A whole month is way too long, and it's by the sea, wasn't it the Bai Shui Hall? Are they that rich?"

Looking at the third-year seniors who suddenly swarmed around them, their eyes burning with intensity, Kasuga Ryuhei got quite a scare. "That's right, I heard this is a reward Bai Shui Hall specifically prepared for their basketball club making it to the national tournament."

"On what grounds?! Our Seiho is also the 'Strongest Wall of Tokyo' that makes it to nationals every year! We absolutely cannot be outdone by middle schoolers!"

"Oh no, oh no, we're done for now!"

"The Five Uncrowned Generals joined Luoshan this year and have been rampaging through Kyoto. Just watching the recordings, they look terrifyingly strong. A powerhouse like them that can gather the Five Generals must also be doing training camp, right? If a month passes, won't the gap between us and them grow even wider?"

"Whoa! It's not like after a month passes, when we look back, we won't even be able to hold down Izumishinkan, right?"

"No way, right?"

"Hey! Coach-dude, what do you think?!"

Coach Matsumoto Ikunori: "..."

A bunch of stinky brats, playing off each other.

Meanwhile, Kasuga Ryuhei, watching the antics of the third-year seniors nearby, suddenly caught on.

Good grief.

Each and every one of them looked like they didn't care about the training camp, but it turns out they were all just waiting for this!

Speaking of which...

Kasuga Ryuhei turned his head to look at Sakamoto Kenjiro, the one who first stirred up the training camp matter for his little brother, thinking, You little punk with your bushy brows and big eyes, you wouldn't be a plant sent by the Qianbeimen Sect, would you?!

July 15th.

Bai Shui Hall basketball club's summer training camp officially began.

The schools over here in Little Sakura use a three-term system.

The first term runs from around April 8th to around July 20th, with summer break from mid-July to the end of August.

The second term runs from around September 1st to around December 20th, with winter break from mid-December to around January 9th.

The third term runs from around January 10th to around March 20th, with spring break from mid-March to around April 7th.

So this basketball club training camp might seem a bit late in timing, but in reality, the moment summer break started, everyone had already set off without a moment's delay.

After a little over an hour's drive, they arrived at the destination and put down their luggage at the seaside inn.

Not long after, the entire Bai Shui Hall basketball club gathered at a nearby gymnasium, excitement written all over everyone's faces. Even Yukimiya Kazuma's eyes flashed with a few glimmers of light — after all, this was his first time too.

Not long after.

Arimatsu Osamu walked in holding the training schedule, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and baggy shorts, with Kawasumi Yoshiko beside him. The school side needed at least two supervisors to accompany them — this was also a necessary condition for middle school club activities to hold training camps.

Arimatsu Osamu took out the training plan.