Chapter 131

In the blink of an eye.

The next morning.

The devilish training camp continued.

Eight o'clock sharp.

Everyone formally gathered by the seaside.

Originally, this was the training time set by Bai Shui, but just as the Bai Shui team was lining up, a group of spirited people came charging over, shouting loudly.

"You guys are way too slow — only two hours in and you're already worn out? If you can't take it, then get lost."

An angry roar came from afar. Everyone instinctively turned their heads and saw Matsumoto Fuminori, wearing beach shorts, walking over from a distance.

"Good morning, Niimatsu-senpai!" Niimatsu Osamu was of a higher seniority here than him, so out of politeness, everyone — including the Shouhou players — greeted him.

But after the greetings, Matsumoto Fuminori turned to look at his own players, and his face suddenly changed: "Hmph! A bunch of slackers!"

Matsumoto Fuminori was famously hot-tempered at Shouhou; the Shouhou people had long grown used to it, especially since they had lost a match just yesterday.

Niimatsu Osamu's face still wore a smile at first, but after Matsumoto Fuminori left, everyone watched as the smile on Niimatsu Osamu's face vanished in an instant.

Immediately after, Niimatsu Osamu's icy voice rang out: "Everyone get ready — today's training officially begins."

……

Niimatsu Osamu had changed.

From the second half of Shouhou's participation in the training camp onward, Niimatsu Osamu had ramped up the training intensity. In past training, Bai Shui players only got "rewarded" with a lap of running after every five mistakes.

But now, it had become one lap for every three mistakes.

After so many days of training, the Bai Shui players who had finally adapted somewhat to the training intensity were instantly knocked back to square one.

But the even more miserable ones were the newly arrived Shouhou players. When Yukimiya Kazuma took a mid-break, he could no longer see on the Shouhou players' faces that foolish, expectant look they had at the start of the camp.

……

Matsumoto Fuminori had also changed.

Although Matsumoto Fuminori had always advocated Spartan-style training in the past, overall he still trained in his own way and wouldn't let others' emotions affect him.

But when the Bai Shui people appeared on the beach at eight in the morning, he suddenly seemed like he'd been injected with chicken blood.

He waved his hand and said with overflowing swagger:

"Come on, two more laps!"

And so Shouhou's punishment went from one lap to two.

……

Then Niimatsu Osamu changed again.

To win the match, they had to win in training.

Since Shouhou could raise the intensity, so could they. So he immediately ordered on the spot that the "reward" be at least two laps each time.

Then Matsumoto Fuminori's face changed yet again.

The training intensity kept climbing.

Just like that.

The two coaches — senior and junior, with no small age gap between them — engaged in a battle of wits and courage. When their gazes collided, sparks flew.

Meanwhile, the players of both teams lay on the ground like dead dogs.

"Huff huff huff~~ What's going on? Was he always like this?" Kasuga Ryuhei pressed both hands on the sand; after running three full laps, he was completely out of breath.

"Who knows… huff huff huff!"

"It's not like we just lost a practice match, right?"

"Isn't that obvious? When has our Shouhou ever lost to middle schoolers!"

The third-year captain of Shouhou took a deep breath, steadied his panting, and then continued: "Don't underestimate the coach's desire to win…"

At the same time.

The Bai Shui people were also completely dumbfounded.

We clearly won, right?

Right?

But meeting Niimatsu Osamu's gaze, everyone looked away and said nothing — they didn't even have the strength to speak.

By the afternoon.

Sure enough.

Niimatsu Osamu and Matsumoto Fuminori clashed again, dragging Bai Shui and Shouhou into battle with them.

Of course.

They were talking about a practice match.

Only, unlike yesterday afternoon's match, in today's match Yukimiya Kazuma wouldn't be playing, and the task of the other Bai Shui players on the court was to develop offensive tools and to work on their reaction when facing help defense during catch-and-shoot situations.

But…

Losing meant running laps.

This news instantly made both teams' players shudder all over.

The Bai Shui people were all thinking: without Yukimiya, they're sure to lose — might as well get ready to run laps.

On the Shouhou side, Kasuga Ryuhei in particular stared at Kasuga Yuji with shining eyes: Run yourself to death, smelly little brother!

……

The days of the training camp passed one by one.

When the month-long training camp ended, Yukimiya Kazuma's stats had also updated quite a bit — several attributes crossed the 85 threshold, and a few were approaching the 90 mark.

【Name: Yukimiya Kazuma】

【Team: Bai Shui Hall Middle School】

【Height: 186.7cm】

【Weight: 80kg】

【Wingspan: 194cm】

【Speed: 92.6】

【Strength: 87.7】

【Ball Handling: 96.2】

【Passing: 93.5】

【Jumping: 88.2】

【Layup: 84.4】

【Dunk: 85.3】

【Mid-Range Shot: 85.1】

【Three-Pointer: 85.0】

【Rebounding: 85.9】

【Block: 86.6】

【Steal: 82.1】

【Single Defense: 85.4】

【Help Defense: 85.3】

【Stamina: 88.6】

【Badges: Passing and Control Master (Gold), Monster Immersion·Flying Bird (Gold), I Love to Attempt Dunks (Purple), Receive, Neutralize, Release (Purple), I Love to Attempt Jump Shots (Blue), Rookie Ace's War Cry (Green Lv. 2)】

After the training camp ended.

The basketball team members happily went home each to their own.

……

Time was neither fast nor slow.

As if in the blink of an eye, time had suddenly passed.

In a flash, August, the day the National Middle School Basketball Tournament opened.

The members of Bai Shui Hall Middle School, each wearing their uniform team jerseys, marched angrily toward the school bus.

Compared to the Selection Tournament Period in the Tokyo District, this time the people of Bai Shui Hall Middle School no longer had that novelty and excitement from before, but instead possessed more steadiness and more confidence.

Upon arriving at the location, the Bai Shui Hall school bus slowly pulled over to the parking lot outside the venue.