Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty-Seven
Inside Ryonan's basketball hall, after a brief exchange between the two teams, Coach Taoka arranged for the cleaning staff to tidy up the court.
Taking advantage of this time, Coach Anzai led the Shohoku to their dressing room to discuss their match tactics.
Once inside the dressing room, he gestured for everyone to take a seat.
He then turned to Ayako with a warm smile and said, "Ayako, please distribute the jerseys to everyone."
She nodded in acknowledgment.
Since this was not an intra-team practice match, having proper jerseys was a basic requirement.
She opened a large bag behind her, revealing a dozen red jerseys inside.
The sight of the jerseys made Long Yan and the other first-year players' eyes shine with excitement and anticipation.
She began calling out the jersey numbers, allocating them to each player:
"Captain Akagi, No. 4 shirt. Vice-Captain Kogure, No. 5 shirt. Yasuda, No. 6. Ryouta, No. 7, who didn't come. Shiozaki, No. 8. Kakuta, No. 9. Long Yan, No. 10. Rukawa, No. 11. Ishii, No. 12. Sasaoka, No. 13. Kawata, No. 14."
With that, she handed each player their designated jersey.
The allocation of jerseys was not limited to senior players like Akagi; even players like Kuwata were delighted to receive one, signifying their official status as team members for this match.
'Number 10? Isn't that Sakuragi's jersey?'
However, Long Yan knew he couldn't worry about his behavior at the moment.
The jersey he received was his own, and Ayako would handle the situation with Sakuragi.
In the far corner, he blinked his eyes in disbelief.
"Ayako, I don't have a jersey yet," he said with a hint of disappointment, wondering why he was left without one.
Ayako pursed her lips and smiled, coming to the rescue.
She took out white tape from her bag and affixed a large number fifteen on top of his white T-shirt, creating a makeshift jersey for him.
"There you go, now you have a jersey too."
She said, ensuring that he felt included and part of the team despite the last-minute improvisation.
"Hahahaha, Sakuragi, it looks good,"
Rukawa chimed in with a playful remark, "Big idiot, this outfit suits you perfectly."
Other team members couldn't help but smile at the lighthearted banter, but they also felt a sense of apprehension.
They knew that Sakuragi's unpredictable behavior could lead to unexpected incidents.
In the next moment, without warning, he abruptly threw the clothes on the ground, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction with the makeshift jersey.
Akagi, ready to intervene, was about to step in, but Coach Anzai intervened, holding him back to avoid escalating the situation.
He knew Sakuragi well and understood the need to handle his reactions carefully.
In a bold move, Sakuragi grabbed Kuwata's jersey and issued a veiled threat.
"Kuwata, you don't mind giving me this jersey, right?"
Terrified by his intimidating demeanor, Kuwata, who had a timid personality, shivered and reluctantly handed over the jersey with tears in his eyes.
"Hahaha, I knew you wouldn't mind. The genius always gets what he wants."
He gloated, accepting the jersey.
Unfazed by the commotion, he quickly grabbed the tape and skillfully affixed a large number 15 on Kuwata's T-shirt, creating a makeshift jersey for him as well.
Sitting back in his seat, he looked proud of his successful tactic.
The other team members watched the scene, sympathizing with the aggrieved Kuwata.
However, they understood Sakuragi's playful and childlike nature.
They knew that refusing to give him the jersey could lead to more trouble, so they could only make the team uniform corrected for Kuwata later.
With the distribution of jerseys finally completed, Kuwata stood in the corner, still feeling aggrieved by the whole ordeal.
Coach Anzai sighed, understanding the situation, and proceeded to assign surveillance personnel for the upcoming match.
"Starters: Akagi, Rukawa, Long Yan, Kogure, and Yasuda."
"There's no word on whether Sendoh will play yet. If he does, Rukawa will be responsible for guarding him, as they are about the same height."
Everyone, except for Sakuragi, nodded in agreement with Coach Anzai's arrangement.
They understood the importance of strategic defense and accepted their roles in the team's game plan.
Long Yan wasn't surprised by Coach Anzai's decision, considering the height difference between him and Sendoh.
He knew it would be challenging to guard him effectively and didn't want to risk getting exhausted during the game.
As for Sakuragi, he expressed his disappointment at not being selected to play.
Coach Anzai assured him, "Sakuragi, you are our secret weapon. We can't reveal you so early in the game."
Amused by the notion of being a secret weapon, Sakuragi has a smug expression and then playfully taunts Rukawa.
"Rukawa, since I'm a secret weapon, I'll give you a chance to shine first."
Akagi and the others could only shake their heads in response to his antics, knowing that he was a unique and unpredictable individual.
Rukawa, unbothered by his taunts, simply rolled his eyes, showing his indifference to the whole situation.
Ayako and Kogure, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile at the lively atmosphere created by Sakuragi.
With the uncertainty factor of Sakuragi in place, and with Akagi, Long Yan, and Rukawa forming a strong and well-rounded lineup, the team felt confident going into the game.
As the game approached, the team members walked out of the dressing room one after another, ready to face their first challenge before the prefectural competition.
Their faces were filled with determination and a strong fighting spirit, ready to give it their all in the upcoming match.
The stage was set for an intense and thrilling basketball showdown.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
haigeku
haigeku i don't know why in this ff, 15 is the number while in the anime it's 16...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone