NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Joining the Team, Meeting Ayako and Miyagi
"It's really you, Mitsui! Haha, still got all your teeth, huh?" Houichi said, studying Mitsui Hisashi's face.
For fans of Slam Dunk, Mitsui was hard not to admire. While Hanamichi Sakuragi brought humor and grit, Mitsui was Shohoku's true backbone. The saying went: Rukawa dominates when things go well, Mitsui shines in adversity, and Sakuragi steps up in desperation.
"Don't get cocky!" Mitsui slapped Houichi's hand away, irritated by his cheeky tone. Knowing Houichi was here for the basketball team only made his mood worse.
"Kid, high school basketball isn't the same as middle school basketball," Mitsui warned.
"I thought you didn't care about basketball anymore," Oda muttered under his breath.
Mitsui silenced him with a sharp glare.
After giving Houichi a long look, Mitsui turned to Oda. "Let's go take our tests. Leave him be."
"Consider yourself lucky. Don't act so full of yourself around your seniors next time!" Oda spat before following Mitsui to the exam hall.
Houichi didn't take their words to heart. In fact, he felt delighted.
It was 1991—not yet the story's main year of 1992—but already, familiar faces from Shohoku were appearing.
Having committed to joining Shohoku's basketball team, Houichi was determined to make an impact.
Mitsui hadn't yet fully descended into delinquency, nor had he lost his teeth. Miyagi Ryota hadn't joined the team yet, either. If Houichi could help bring them back into the fold, Shohoku had a real chance to contend for a championship this year.
First, however, he needed Coach Anzai's approval.
With that plan in mind, Houichi left Shohoku for the day, heading back to Hikaru Middle School to complete his transfer paperwork.
As he approached his old school, a girl in a Hikaru uniform ran toward him. She was a familiar figure who often cheered for him during games, though Houichi had never spoken to her directly.
"Houichi-senpai! Have you decided which high school you'll attend?" she asked breathlessly.
Up close, she was undeniably pretty, with long, glossy black hair and bright, hopeful eyes.
"Shohoku," Houichi replied curtly. He had already set his sights on Haruko and didn't want to appear indecisive.
"Oh!" The girl looked down, flustered, before handing him a pink envelope. Then, without waiting for a response, she turned and dashed away.
In the world of Slam Dunk, basketball players were very popular among girls. Though Houichi didn't have Rukawa Kaede's looks, as Hikaru Middle's star player, he naturally had his share of admirers.
Initially, he considered discarding the letter—it wasn't the first he'd received. But as he glanced at the name on the envelope, something clicked.
"Shimamura Yoko?" he muttered.
It took him a moment to recall: she was the school idol who had famously rejected Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Curious, he opened the envelope. Inside was a single line:
"Senpai, I'll apply to the same high school as you. Wait for me."
Houichi scratched his head. "Sorry, Sakuragi, this isn't on me."
Still, he tucked the letter into his bag, resolving to focus on basketball.
A week later, the new school year began.
After finishing his classes, Houichi headed straight to Shohoku's basketball gym, where the team was already practicing.
Inside, Kogure was overseeing a routine practice, as Akagi was absent.
As Houichi approached, he was greeted by a curvy girl with wavy hair. For a moment, he didn't recognize her.
"You're Houichi, number 11 from Hikaru Middle, right?" she asked with a bright smile.
Caught off guard by her friendly tone, Houichi quickly replied, "Uh, yeah. And you are?"
"Oh, I'm Ayako! I was the manager for Fukuda Middle School's basketball team. I'm here to join Shohoku too."
"Ayako?"
Houichi took a closer look. In the manga, Ayako was usually seen wearing a baseball cap. With her hair down, she looked stunning. Her figure was… impressive.
Compared to her, Haruko seemed almost childlike.
"What's wrong?" Ayako asked, raising an eyebrow at his prolonged stare.
Before Houichi could explain, a sharp voice interrupted.
"Hmph! Some people just can't hide their bad intentions," the newcomer sneered.
Turning, Houichi saw a short, punk-styled boy with sunglasses glaring at him—it was Miyagi Ryota.
Clearly, Miyagi had mistaken Houichi for a rival, thinking he was also there to pursue Ayako.
Houichi decided not to argue. Knowing Miyagi's storyline, he figured Ryota's hospitalization wasn't far off.
Instead, he turned back to Ayako. "Hello, Ayako-san. I'm here to join the basketball team, too."
He smiled confidently. "My goal is to lead Shohoku to dominate the nationals!"
Kogure, overseeing a layup drill, paused. The statement sounded familiar. Looking toward the gym entrance, he saw Houichi and several other new faces.
"It's recruitment day," Kogure said, smiling faintly. "Let's see if any of them stick around once training begins."
There were about 26 students eager to join the basketball team, but Kogure knew enthusiasm alone wasn't enough. The brutal training regimen would soon whittle the numbers down.
"Apologies," Kogure said, addressing the group. "We didn't make it past the group stage of last year's prefectural tournament. Our manager quit, so I'll be handling new member intake."
Ayako stepped forward. "Let me help! I was a manager in middle school."
"Really? Thank you." Kogure handed her a stack of application forms, feeling grateful.
Having a female presence definitely livens things up, he thought as he watched Ayako talk with the recruits.
Last year had been tough for Shohoku. They had hoped Mitsui, the middle school MVP, would lead them to glory, but after recovering from his injury, Mitsui refused to rejoin the team.
In a devastating blow, Shohoku lost 89-22 to Miuradai. Akagi was locked down, and the rest of the team couldn't perform. Rumors spread, accusing Shohoku of sidelining Mitsui out of jealousy, scaring off potential recruits.
"Let's hope there's some real talent here," Kogure murmured, recalling the endless hours of practice with Akagi.
Once the intake was complete, Kogure divided the recruits by position for a practice game.
"I'm not teaming up with that guy," Miyagi declared, glaring at Houichi.
"Do you know each other?" Kogure asked, puzzled.
"Nope," Houichi replied calmly.
Kogure frowned. "Basketball is a team sport. No personal grudges here."
"Don't worry, glasses-kun," Miyagi said with a strained smile. "I'm going to be Kanagawa's best point guard—I won't let personal issues stop me from passing."