The Shadow Manager: The Girl Who Controls Shohoku Basketball Club - The Quiet Pride of the Shadow Ruler

The rhythmic bounce of basketballs echoed through the after-school gymnasium. That rhythm of the ball striking the floor. I loved it. Standing courtside, stopwatch in hand, I breathed in air thick with the mingled scents of sweat and polished wood. This was my battlefield. Inoue Ayako, eighteen years old. Manager of the Shohoku High School basketball club. My black hair, just past shoulder length, was tied back, and I wore a simple black-and-white jersey. The stopwatch hanging from my neck and the thick binder in my hands were my weapons. The players didn't know it, but inside this binder, every last detail about them was recorded. " Wahaha! Behold the shot of the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi!" Along with that booming voice, a head of bright red hair came bouncing into view. Sakuragi Hanamichi. A first-year, 188 centimeters tall. With his close-cropped hair dyed a blazing red, you could spot him anywhere in the gym in an instant. His eyes gleamed with overconfidence. Like some kind of rambunctious puppy, he hurled the ball toward the hoop. The ball bounced pathetically off the rim and flew straight into Rukawa's face. The air on the court froze solid. "……You." Rukawa Kaede. Also a first-year, and our ace. Nearly 190 centimeters tall, with genius-level scoring ability. But his narrow, sharp eyes were always cold, showing not even a shred of interest in the team. Even now, the glare he fixed on Hanamichi looked like he was staring at garbage. " What'd you say, you bastard?! Your face is the one that got in the way of my ball!" Hanamichi grabbed Rukawa by the collar. Rukawa silently twisted Hanamichi's arm in return. "Break it up, both of you!" "Let go, I said!" The other club members rushed in to stop them, but no one could hold back Hanamichi's monstrous strength. And Rukawa, for his part, looked like he'd rather die than lose to Hanamichi of all people. Gori—Captain Akagi—was absent today for a career counseling session. Miyagi-senpai was running late due to knee care. And Miyagi… he hadn't shown up yet today either. Which meant the only person who could settle this was— I opened my binder and pulled out today's practice menu sheet. Slowly, I walked toward the two of them. It was a strange thing. The moment I approached, the clamoring club members fell silent, as if a bucket of water had been thrown over them. Guys over 180 centimeters tall parted to make way for me, at just 165. " If you're going to fight, I'll cancel today's scrimmage." I waved the menu sheet lightly. Hanamichi's movements stopped dead. " Wh-What are you saying, Ayako-san?! That's a problem!" " Rukawa, too." Rukawa clicked his tongue and let go of Hanamichi. Hanamichi also scrambled backward in a panic. "Alright, alright, both of you calm down!" "Hanamichi, you wanna do the scrimmage, right? Yeah?" The club members desperately started placating them. Just moments ago they'd been trying to break up the fight, and now they were soothing them for the sake of the scrimmage. This quickness to switch gears. This was fine. This was the shape of the team I was aiming for. *Maybe I came on a little too strong while I was at it*, I thought. But this was my way of doing things. After all, this team had too many star players. Hanamichi, who moved purely on emotion. Rukawa, who cared about nothing but himself. Miyagi-senpai, fresh off his return and still unstable. And Miyagi, on the verge of being crushed under the pressure of being captain. Someone had to pull the strings, with invisible threads. Someone had to volunteer for the role of the bad guy. That was my job. Practice ended. I went into the empty equipment room and pulled a single notebook from the steel shelf. There was nothing written on the cover. Just an ordinary school notebook. But this was my everything. I flipped through the pages. *Sakuragi Hanamichi — Base Physical Ability: S — Mental State: Unstable (judgment deteriorates especially due to rivalry with Rukawa) — Recommendation: Focus on fundamental drills; separate shooting practice from Rukawa.* *Rukawa Kaede — Scoring Ability: S — Cooperativeness: D — Fatigue Level: High (due to excessive solo morning practice; adjust with lighter load on Thursdays).* *Mitsui Hisashi — Shooting Ability: A — Stamina: C (strain on knees; requires care) — Mental State: Period of instability (possible guilt over his former delinquent self?).* Detailed information on every single player, packed in densely. Not just physical data. Personality weaknesses, bad chemistry combinations, ways to boost motivation. For example: never putting Hanamichi and Rukawa on the same practice menu. Increasing shooting drills on days when Mitsui-senpai was in a bad mood. For Miyagi, not saying "for the team," but "because *you* have to do it." I closed the notebook and shut my eyes. A memory from middle school drifted up, unbidden. Back then, I was a player on the basketball team too. I was decently good, and I even dated an older guy on the team. But he didn't actually like me. He only got close because I knew a lot of inside info about basketball. I was used, and then tossed aside. That was a bitter memory. But now, things were different. I wasn't just some girl to be used by others anymore. I was the one in the position to use others. Not in a bad way, of course. It was so everyone could play comfortably—that's what it was. I didn't need anyone to understand. This was my quiet, solitary battle, after all. "Inoue-kun." A voice called out, and I looked up. At the entrance to the gym stood a white-haired, slightly plump old man. Coach Anzai. The advisor for the Shohoku basketball club. He was always smiling, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. The players called him the "White-Haired Devil" and feared him, but I knew. I knew just how much he trusted the club, and how much he entrusted to me. " Coach, what brings you here at this hour?" " Ho ho ho. There's something I wanted to give you." He held out a single envelope. Inside was a formal request for a practice match. " We've arranged a practice match with Ryonan High School in one week. They're a strong opponent, but it will be good experience. I'm leaving all the arrangements to you." Ryonan High School. I'd heard of them. One of the top private powerhouse schools in the prefecture. Their facilities and number of coaches were on a completely different level from ours. Which meant the preparation would be tough, too. But my chest swelled with heat. "Leaving it to you," he'd said. That meant he fully approved of everything about my methods. " ……Leave it to me." Coach nodded with a satisfied hum and left the gym. I clutched the envelope. I was being relied upon. That made me happy. Happy, but at the same time, it was heavy. If I didn't do this right, everyone's efforts would be wasted. That night. At my desk at home, I was looking over the Ryonan High documents again. A six-tatami-mat Japanese-style room. The sound of insects drifted in from outside the window. Handwritten menu sheets, the players' data notebook, and now the file on our new opponent. The opposing team's record. Data on their key players. Hmm, they really were strong. Their ace was ranked third in scoring in last year's prefectural tournament. I was a little worried about whether Hanamichi could guard him. And then, the manager introduction section. *Manager: Shirakawa Kanade, Second Year.* My finger stopped. Shirakawa, Kanade. A photo was attached. A sharp-looking girl with short hair. Her large eyes were striking. The moment I saw that name, for some reason, my fingertips trembled faintly. Shirakawa Kanade. It felt like I'd heard the name somewhere before, and yet not. It should have been the first time I'd ever seen it, but a restlessness stirred deep in my chest. I felt something cold spreading through me. (*What… is this?*) I closed the documents and let out a deep breath. Only the sound of the insects filled the room. Outside the window, it was already pitch black. The distant sound of a train running passed by, and then silence returned. Something was about to begin. I couldn't put it into words well, but that was the premonition I had. I stood up and opened the window. A cold night breeze rushed in, making the papers on my desk flutter slightly. One week from now. The practice match against Ryonan High. A manager named Shirakawa Kanade. A new wind was about to blow into my quiet battlefield. What it would bring with it, I didn't yet know. But there was one thing I was certain of. I would absolutely protect this team, no matter what. I wouldn't lose to anyone. No matter how skilled the opposing manager might be. No matter what the true nature of this restlessness in my chest turned out to be. I took a deep breath and closed the window. Perhaps from preparations for the culture festival, faint music could be heard in the distance. Autumn was already just around the corner.

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Episode 1

Name: The Shadow Manager: The Girl Who Controls Shohoku Basketball Club
Author: Novelia

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