The following day, Hikki and the other first string players assembled for a quick meeting regarding their upcoming game and an overview of the Nationals. There were also conversations about the opening ceremony and various welcoming performances.
Following the briefing, they headed to Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the competition's opening ceremony venue. This ceremony held special significance, marking the start of the tournament and was attended by all participating schools.
Once the ceremony concluded, most teams departed from the gymnasium. The group stage games were not all held in the exact location, so teams needed to travel to their respective venues.
Luckily, their first match occurred in the same venue, which was quite convenient for them.
In the locker room assigned to their team, Assistant Coach Makiyama gave them a final overview of their game plan before heading to the court.
The match unfolded smoothly according to their strategy. Armed with a deep understanding of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses, Meikō Junior High secured a straightforward victory against Shoto Junior High.
Despite Shoto High's tenacity throughout the first three quarters, they ultimately couldn't withstand Meikō's prowess and ended up losing the game.
–––
"...Man, their star player was seriously impressive! I wish I could have been on the court against him."
Momoharu grumbled aloud.
"Can you please stop complaining for once? You've been whining nonstop. It's getting on my nerves."
Mibuchi, growing visibly irritated, finally snapped. He would usually tolerate Momoharu's complaints, but today, he'd reached his limits.
"Bu-kun's right, Haru-kun. Give it a rest. You will have your chance later in the next game," Asuka chimed in, her tone filled with exasperation.
Momoharu, seemingly undeterred,
suddenly perked up. "Wait, did you say we're playing in the next game? Woohoo! That's awesome!"
Asuka and Mibuchi exchanged incredulous glances as Momoharu continued to express his excitement.
Momoharu's chatter continued, much to the amusement of some and the annoyance of others.
Ogiwara couldn't supress a smile and even Hikigaya, sitting nearby, gave a subtle shake of his head while allowing a small grin. In contrast, Masahiko seemed entirely lost in his snacks, his mind far away.
They were all seated in the bustling school cafeteria, the noise of conversations and clattering trays surrounding them.
"How's the game?"
Ogiwara shifted his attention to Hikigaya, inquiring about the game they had just played. Hikki, sipping his coffee, shared his thoughts.
"It was enjoyable. They put up a good fight, but they didn't pose a significant threat to us."
Ogiwara nodded in agreement. Hikki was about to continue with the conversation when he noticed someone passing by their table. It was Watanabe holding a milkshake.
"Ikari! Hey, it's been a while. Why don't you join us here?"
Hikki extended an invitation to Watanabe, prompting everyone at the table to turn to the unexpected guest.
"W...When did he?"
Asuka couldn't contain her surprise. She mumbled to herself, her eyes locked on Watanabe, who had seemingly materialised out of thin air. Ghe same bewildered expression graced Mibuchi's and Ogiwara's faces.
And as for Masahiko...
"Well. Isn't that Ika over there? Man, your low presence still gets to me," Momoharu remarked, greeting Watanabe with an enthusiastic wave.
Mibuchi was taken aback. "You guys know each other?"
"Ika's my training buddy," Momoharu said with a proud grin, sharing this newfound connection.
Mibuchi acknowledged the connection between Momoharu and Watanabe, figuring that they must have met while Hikigaya was away for those two days, supposedly on a 'business trip'. His family had known the truth however.
Hikki introduced Watanabe to the others who hadn't met him yet.
"Hey there, I've heard about your first game as a starter, congratulations on the win Hikigaya-kun." Watanabe said as he took a seat and greeted everyone, then turned his attention back to Hikki.
"Arigatō. But how's your progress?" Hikki inquired, remembering that he had given Watanabe some tips during their initial encounter. As he observed Watanabe, he could clearly see the improvement in his fundamentals, appearing slightly more built than before, but not enough to fix his natural low presence.
Watanabe appeared somewhat happy in response to Hikki's question as he let a small smile play at his lips.
"Since you shared those insights months ago, I've been working tirelessly to master my fundamentals and I along with the help of Momoharu-kun have figured out a way on how to utilise my low presence better," Watanabe explained, his tone clearly showing his pride in what he had achieved over the months.
Hikigaya, hearing this could only smile as they continued their conversation, delving into Hikki's plan to assist Watanabe and touching on their upcoming opponent, Nambara High.
Hikigaya expressed his intention to provide Watanabe with a crucial book, and Watanabe eagerly anticipated receiving it after Hikki offered some insights on how the book could benefit him.
–––
"So that's the story, huh?" Assistant Coach Makiyama sighed, clearly grappling with the situation. He eventually relented, saying, "Alright. I'll put my trust in you, Hikigaya."
Hikki nodded respectfully. "Thank you for your trust sensei."
"Come on! I know you got this..."
Momoharu clapped a nervous freshman on the back, trying to offer some encouragement. The freshman seemed to be trembling with anxiety, likely experiencing his first official match.
Observing this, Hikki couldn't help but shake his head. He gave the nervous player a reassuring pat on the shoulder and stated, "You know...if you're this nervous, it'll be tough to play your best out there..."
"...Ikari."
"Saying that will just make him even more nervous."
Mibuchi interjected.
–––
TBC
