*Bang*
Falling… Into eternal darkness… falling… and then…
****
Fourteen seconds remaining… yes, this is the final game… they're two points ahead of us. We can make it. It isn't over yet! Coach called a charged timeout and I faced my team 'we can make it!' I smiled jumping up 'we won't lose as long as Mitsui Hisashi the MVP is on your side!' everybody cheered up. Coach smiled as he ruffled my already messed up hair. 'That's the spirit!' He agreed. The team was… I don't know how to describe them but it's as if what I just said gave them hope… the referee called us back to the court now, I looked at my team, full of hope and determination. We'll win. The ball was in possession of the other team. The clock started ticking, precious seconds being thrown away. 'Mitsui' one of my teammates shouted. Yeah… I know what to do… I ran towards their point guard who was dribbling the ball and…contact. No! I made a crucial mistake of hitting the ball too hard. I ran after it as I tumbled over the coach's seat. I hit the ground… I couldn't feel the pain… what pain? All I could think about was how stupid I was to waste that precious time of ours. I hit the floor with my hands… I lost all hope. A shadow loomed over me. He was one of the coaches who jumped out of the way because of me. 'When you give up… that's the time the game ends' I recall him saying, his glasses sparkled due to the light. He reached down and pick up the ball. He gave it to me, turned around and laughed. Slowly I stood up, his words echoing in my ears… those words which gave me new hope. Seven seconds… the team was now debating. I went up to them and told them to hang on. Like the old man said… when you give up… I haven't given up yet… and this game isn't over. I re-entered the court and possession was ours. My teammate passed the ball to me. I made a side-glance… five seconds. I dribbled the ball… stepped behind the three-point line… two seconds… I released it! The ball left my hands… soaring across the court… the crowd grew quiet. That silence was deafening… I myself was speechless not knowing what will happen. The buzzer rang signaling the end of the game… and then it went in. my teammates started jumping. We won… yes… we did! We won by a point. I owe it all to that coach. We were announced the winners and I… I was the MVP… the highest obtainable award… that day I was the Most Valuable Player of Takeishi Junior High.
The season ended and so did school… that was my last year in Takeishi Junior High. Coach Taoka talked to me one day. He invited me to go to Ryonan High but I said that I was going to Shohoku. 'Why?' because the person who saved my game coaches there. Summer ended quickly but for some strange reason it did not bother me… I was exited to go to my new school… Shohoku. Without any doubt I joined the basketball team, there was this other freshman who was also there… but he's way taller than I am. 'Mitsui Hisashi, shooting guard, 179 centimeter, 70 kilograms, age sixteen… I am going to bring this team to the National Tournaments!!!' Coach Anzai laughed and the other members started whispering. 'That's Mitsui Hisashi, the MVP of Takeishi Junior High' I laughed at this. The other freshman was named Akagi … he's going to be my competitor from this day on.