NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Haruko, You’ve Scored a Big One!
Haruko returned to the recruitment area, where her best friend, Fujii, had been waiting for a while.
"Haruko, come eat!" Fujii called out.
"Ugh, I'm saved!" Haruko sighed with relief.
Right then, Saeko-senpai, the basketball team manager, also arrived. She handed Haruko an icy cold cola.
"Haruko, thanks for your hard work."
"It's what I should do." Haruko smiled, but even as she held the cola, she couldn't stop thinking about that popsicle she'd been craving.
"Haruko, how many new recruits do we have today?" Saeko asked.
"Three in total." Haruko handed over the application forms.
At the bottom of the pile was Shirayama Sei's form—the treasure she had discovered.
Although Shirayama was a basketball novice, she saw great potential in him. Haruko was secretly excited, thinking, "This time, I'm definitely going to surprise Saeko-senpai."
While Haruko waited, Saeko began flipping through the forms.
"Issei Kentarou, forward, 170 cm."
"Kuwata Noriki, point guard, 162 cm."
"Ugh, the first-year recruits this year are so unremarkable," Saeko sighed with disappointment.
But when she reached the last form, her eyes widened in shock.
"Huh? A second-year student?"
"Wait, a transfer from Sannoh High?"
"Oh my gosh! He was a regular player on their basketball team?"
"No way! A Sannoh regular came to Shohoku??"
Even though Saeko wasn't familiar with the name "Shirayama Sei," the title Sannoh Regular carried immense weight. Grabbing Haruko's hand excitedly, Saeko exclaimed,
"Haruko, you've done an amazing job!"
"Huh?" Haruko blinked in confusion.
What does she mean by 'amazing job'? What's going on?
Before Haruko could explain Shirayama's potential, Saeko was already gushing.
"Shirayama Sei."
"Second year."
"A former regular player for Sannoh High School."
"Haruko, you've done something incredible!" Saeko's excitement was palpable. "With a Sannoh regular, Kanagawa's genius Rukawa Kaede, and Captain Akagi, this is Shohoku's most promising year yet!"
Her eyes sparkled with joy as she imagined Shohoku's future on the national stage.
Haruko, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded.
"A Sannoh regular??"
Isn't Shirayama a basketball novice?
How did he turn out to be a regular on the strongest high school basketball team in the country?
"What's going on?" she murmured, grabbing the application form and reading it thoroughly for the first time.
There was no mistake.
The blue-haired, soft-spoken boy wasn't a first-year freshman. He was a second-year transfer student.
And most importantly, he wasn't a novice at all.
He was actually a member of the legendary Sannoh team!
Saeko, noticing Haruko's confusion, began to explain the significance.
"You don't understand, Haruko. Sannoh is a basketball dynasty—the reigning champions of high school basketball, with three consecutive national titles."
"Last year, they swept every major award at the national tournament. Every single one of their starters is the best in their position nationwide."
"With over a thousand players competing to join their team, earning a spot as a regular is like winning a one-in-a-hundred battle."
"Any one of their regulars, even the substitutes, could easily become the core player of another team."
"Now, do you see how extraordinary this is?"
Haruko was still processing everything. The image of Shirayama's frail build, his innocent and sincere eyes, and his awkward attempts at learning basketball replayed in her mind.
"Not every Sannoh regular has to be amazing, right?" she muttered.
"Haruko, you don't get it!" Saeko shook her head. "Sannoh regulars are on a completely different level."
At that moment, Saeko's excitement reached a fever pitch. "With a Sannoh regular and Kanagawa's genius Rukawa, Shohoku's lineup is incredible! This is our best chance to dominate the nationals!"
She could hardly wait to gather all of Shirayama's background information and let the entire school know about Shohoku's rising glory.
"I even have a middle school friend who went to Sannoh. I need to ask her about this Shirayama Sei!"
Without another word, Saeko rushed off, leaving Haruko standing there, stunned.
Finally, it clicked for Haruko—Shirayama wasn't just good; he was exceptional.
"I've been tricked…"
But oddly enough, she wasn't upset. Instead, she felt embarrassed.
"Haruko, how could you be so naïve?" she thought.
"When Shirayama-san said he wasn't good at basketball, he was just being modest!"
"That Vanishing Dribble wasn't a fluke—it was a clue!"
Blushing, she remembered how she'd eagerly taken Shirayama under her wing, offering to teach him basketball.
"I'm so clueless!"
Still, thinking about how Shirayama, a Sannoh-level player, patiently let her teach him despite her lack of skill made him seem even more humble and kind.
"To have a genius like Shirayama-san join Shohoku…" Haruko smiled.
"That means my brother's dream of conquering the nationals is finally within reach!"
Without finishing her meal, she dashed toward the third-year classrooms.
"Haruko! You haven't finished eating!" Fujii called after her, hastily packing up the lunchbox and chasing her down.