Before training begins, I have an announcement to make—today, Gu Jin officially joins the Ryonan Basketball Team.
As soon as Taoka Moichi finished speaking, warm applause erupted from the sidelines.
“Koshino, is the cheerleading squad ready?” he asked, turning his head.
“Ready, Coach!” Koshino Hiroaki responded.
“Go arrange it.”
“Alright!”
Koshino quickly ran to the control room and, with a whoosh, turned on all the lights in the arena, and dynamic music immediately poured out of the speakers.
The Ryonan Basketball Team's cheerleaders stepped onto the stage to the beat—a dozen or so people wearing blue and white uniforms, with white ribbons on their collars fluttering with their movements, skirts just above their knees, revealing calves that were sharp and full of vitality when they ran.
The captain in the front row wore a high ponytail, her hair flicking with her dance steps, her eyes bright as if immersed in starlight, two shallow dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth when she smiled, and her waistline, revealed during turns, was as supple as a willow branch in early spring.
The girl on the left wearing jersey number 11 had shoulder-length short hair, with slightly curled ends; when performing floor moves, her knees lightly tapped the ground, and when she looked up, her eyelashes fluttered, carrying a hint of playful wildness.
In the back row, there was a girl wearing thin-rimmed glasses; though she looked quiet, when she did a mid-air split, she was as graceful as a swift, and when she landed, she adjusted her glasses, her ear tips red like ripe cherries.
Their movements weren't flawless, but they possessed a raw, vibrant energy—the arc of a hair tie cutting through the air during a head toss, the crisp flick of a wrist during a hand raise, and even the momentary panic when someone nearly stepped on a teammate's skirt, sharing a smile—all like the bubbles in a summer soda, crackling and tickling one's heart.
After a After this energetic dance，The captain and his team shouted in unison：“Once again, we welcome Gu Jin to join the Lingnan family.！”
Gu Jin looked at the lively scene before him and couldn't help but murmur, “This is too grand a display... No wonder some people would be jealous.”
But then he thought, a man dies for his confidant; he, Gu Jin, had not chosen the wrong place.
Taoka Moichi stepped forward, beaming, “Today is truly a double celebration! Besides Gu Jin's joining, the school board has approved the official establishment of the Ryonan Basketball Team's cheerleading squad starting today!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the male players immediately erupted in excited cheers.
“You rascals, you're an absolute disgrace!” Taoka Moichi scolded, his face red, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards slightly.
“How about this, after training tonight, I'll treat everyone—all members of the basketball team and the cheerleading squad—to barbecue!”
At this, the cheers from the entire venue grew even louder, and even the cheerleaders excitedly high-fived each other.
“Gu Jin, come with me for a moment.” Taoka Moichi gestured for him to come to the sidelines.
Once the other players began training, Gu Jin walked to the sidelines, and Taoka Moichi then spoke, “Bring your classmate, Shimamura Yoko, too; I've already applied for a cheerleading squad spot for her, and the school will provide regular subsidies.”
“Coach Taoka, I thank you on Yoko's behalf.” Gu Jin said sincerely.
Taoka Moichi waved his hand, “I only found out recently that she is Shimamura Yuji's daughter.”
Gu Jin was stunned, “Coach, you know Uncle Shimamura?”
Taoka Moichi's gaze softened, and he said softly, “Ten years ago, among the hostages he saved by sacrificing himself, one was my daughter.”
“So that's it!” Gu Jin nodded.
“Oh, by the way, Gu Jin, did you figure out the footwork you just used on your own?” Taoka Moichi suddenly remembered that astonishingly brilliant move, his eyes full of inquiry.
Gu Jin's heart stirred; he wanted to say it was the Soma Step, widely known in later generations, but this era had indeed not seen such footwork, so he could only scratch his head, “Uh, I just casually figured it out in my free time.”
“Don't be modest.” Taoka Moichi waved his hand, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty, “This is the most scientific footwork I have ever seen. I'm giving you a task.”
“Coach, just give the order!” Gu Jin immediately responded.
“Teach this footwork to everyone on the team as soon as possible.” Taoka Moichi said in a deep voice.
“No problem.” Gu Jin readily agreed, and then proactively added, “Coach, this footwork is more suitable for frontcourt players. I also have a set of footwork suitable for perimeter players to avoid blocks; would you like me to demonstrate it now?” He never hoarded his skills; since he had joined the team, he wanted to help as much as he could.
“Oh? There's more?” Taoka Moichi's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued.
“Yes, specifically designed for perimeter players.” Gu Jin nodded.
“Beep—everyone stop!” Taoka Moichi blew his whistle, and the players in training all stopped their actions and looked over.
“Gu Jin, demonstrate the footwork you just mentioned.” Taoka Moichi instructed.
“Coach, I need someone to defend me.” Gu Jin looked towards the court.
Taoka Moichi's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Sendo, “Sendo, you go defend him.”
“Huh?” Sendo looked bewildered, walking forward somewhat confused.
Gu Jin held the ball and stood still, a faint smile playing on his lips—he was about to demonstrate the highly variable Cash Step.
Gu Jin stood with the ball outside the three-point line, and Sendo immediately lowered his center of gravity and pressed close.
Those eyes, usually filled with a casual smile, were now narrowed into thin lines, his feet like weights nailed to the floor; no matter how Gu Jin tried to feint and change direction, Sendo clung to his side like a shadow, even the rhythm of his breathing revealing seasoned defensive anticipation.
“Sendo's defense... it's too steady, isn't it?” Koshino on the sidelines couldn't help but murmur.
Uozumi nodded; if it were him, he probably would have lost his balance from Gu Jin's earlier fakes.
Just then, Gu Jin suddenly accelerated and dashed to the right, Sendo almost simultaneously shuffled sideways to block, their shoulders seemingly about to collide—but Gu Jin's right foot was like a spring, retracting sharply diagonally backward an instant before landing, while his left hand pulled the ball to his side.
“Is he going for a step-back?” Taoka Moichi was about to speak, but his pupils suddenly constricted.
Gu Jin's step-back didn't stop at all! The moment his right foot landed, his left foot, like a spinning top, used the inertia to step forward, his entire body twisting around his waist in a bizarre arc, forcing his way through Sendo's right armpit!
These two steps were as fast as a gust of wind; his front foot had just landed near the free-throw line, and his back foot had already pushed off the ground with the twisting force, his right hand smoothly sending the ball towards the hoop.
Sendo only felt a blur before his eyes; the figure that was just in front of him suddenly appeared at his side, and he instinctively reached out to grab, but his fingertips only brushed Gu Jin's jersey.
By the time he spun around, the basketball had already traced a low arc, swishing through the net.
The sidelines were deathly silent.
After a full three seconds, Koshino finally gasped as if his throat had been squeezed, “Wh-what kind of footwork was that?! Did he just slip past Sendo?”
Uozumi's brows furrowed into a knot; he repeatedly replayed the scene in his mind—step-back, crossover step, twist—three movements interlocking like gears, so fast that one couldn't see the transitions, yet each step was perfectly timed with the dribble, even the squeak of his shoe soles on the floor had a strange coordination.
Sendo stood still, looking down at his defensive position from a moment ago, then looked up at Gu Jin, a smile, for the first time, absent from his lips.
He raised his hand to touch the tip of his nose and said softly, “That move just now... I felt like I almost grasped his movement, yet I completely didn't.”
Meanwhile, Taoka Moichi's hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white.
He had been immersed in the basketball world for decades and had never seen such footwork—it had both the explosiveness of a breakthrough and the rhythm changes of a step-back, but the most terrifying part was that twisting crossover step, which seemed to use the defender's center of gravity as a pivot point, forcing a change of direction using that very force.
How was this footwork for avoiding blocks? This was clearly using the defender as a stepping stone!
“This... this is simply mastering the spatial awareness of basketball!” Taoka Moichi's voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor, “He's not breaking through Sendo; he's utilizing Sendo's defensive inertia!”
When Gu Jin landed, the hem of his jersey was still slightly swaying. He looked at Sendo and smiled, “The key to this footwork is to use the defender's center of gravity as your point of leverage.”
Sendo raised an eyebrow, then suddenly bent down and bounced the ball, “Again.”
This time, Gu Jin's Kashgar Step changed its rhythm—first, his left foot feigned forward, and the moment Sendo's center of gravity shifted, his right foot suddenly stepped half a pace diagonally forward, while his body tilted to the left like a reed swayed by the wind, his left hand brought the ball from between his legs to his right hand, using the twisting force of his waist to cut directly from Sendo's front left side.
Sendo reacted half a beat faster this time, but as he reached out to block, he saw Gu Jin suddenly pull the ball back half an inch in mid-air, avoiding his fingertips before gently pushing it out again.
Another crisp “swish.”
“It's over, it's over, Sendo was actually beaten twice in a row?” Koshino's voice had changed pitch.
Taoka Moichi stood up, staring intently at Gu Jin's footwork trajectory, then suddenly grabbed the tactical board and slammed it against his palm, “A genius! This is a true basketball genius! This kind of control over his body and the ball is beyond the scope of a high school student!”
Gu Jin wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Sendo, who was still replaying the moment, “There are many more variations to this footwork, such as combining it with a spin...”
Sendo suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him, his eyes shining with an unprecedented excitement, “Wait, let me defend him again.”
The players on the sidelines didn't dare to breathe, even their breathing rising and falling with the rhythm of the two players' footsteps on the court.
Uozumi looked at the figure, still as slippery as an eel under Sendo's defense, and suddenly remembered what Sendo had said earlier—"His strength far surpasses Ryonan's starters, including you and me."
It turned out that Sendo wasn't just being polite.