The Shadow Manager: The Girl Who Controls Shohoku Basketball Club - Love on the Court and the Manager's Romance

The air in the gymnasium was taut with tension. The sharp screech of rubber soles scraping against the floorboards. The steady rhythm of the bouncing ball. And the sound of breathing. I, Inoue Ayako, sat on the bench, clutching a stopwatch as I stared out at the court. Beside me, the players' towels and drinks were arranged in neat, orderly rows. Today was a practice match against Reinan High. Just two days ago—the day that Shirakawa Kanade had mocked my notebook, the day the sight of Ryota and Haruko had torn my chest apart—I had begun preparing everything for this day. The game was already underway. "...I see. Just as I expected." I glanced at the scoreboard. 12 to 22. Shohoku was down by ten points. Out on the court, Sakuragi Hanamichi was dribbling awkwardly, like a newborn fawn. *Thump, thump*—the ball slipped away from his hands, nearly hitting his own feet. "Nghhh! The ball won't listen to me!" The opposing team's point guard stole the ball from Hanamichi with laughable ease. Then, a fast break. The shot traced a parabola through the air before swishing cleanly through the net. From the Reinan bench, the reserve players let out cheers of delight. One of them quickly scribbled something onto a memo in their hand. *(Yes. That's exactly what I want.)* I furrowed my brow, feigning frustration on the surface, but deep in my heart, I was quietly laughing. That memo was surely recording the patterns of Hanamichi's mistakes, under Kanade's orders. Ryota's passing lanes, Miyuki-senpai's stamina depletion rate—all of it. All of it was data I had deliberately *shown* them. "Ugh... what am I doing wrong? Is my movement... weird or something?" Hanamichi came back to the bench and slumped his shoulders dramatically. His eyes flickered toward me, glinting with mischief. *(...Your acting is terrible, Hanamichi.)* It was a little too over-the-top. But the opponent wouldn't notice. They believed wholeheartedly in the god called "data." That night, in the equipment room, I had opened my notebook and realized something. This notebook didn't just contain numbers. The players' hearts lived within it. And hearts can easily create illusions. Kanade never doubted the accuracy of her data. In that case, all I had to do was feed her false data. That was my strategy. The game continued to unfold. As Miyagi Ryota passed in front of me, he gave a small grin. "Ayako-san, is it about time?" "Not yet. Let them swim a little longer." Ryota gave a small nod of understanding and returned to the court. As I watched his back, a small warmth kindled deep within my chest. *(He trusts me.)* He didn't fully understand every detail of my plan. But he trusted me, and he entrusted me with the ball. That trust made me unbearably happy. ********* Halftime. The players gathered in the locker room. The smell of sweat. Tired breathing. Red faces and damp hair. I opened my binder and looked across at the players. "Everyone, thank you for holding back so well. Hanamichi, that idiotic dribbling of yours was the perfect bait." "Right?! A genius's acting skills are Hollywood-level!" "Before you go to Hollywood, show them that jumping power of yours in the second half. The acting is over. Understood?" Hanamichi's eyes flashed. His goofy grin transformed, in an instant, into the face of a wild beast. I stared at him intently. "The opponent is completely convinced that Hanamichi is a total amateur who can't even dribble properly. Because that's what their data says. So, you should be able to get under the goal completely unmarked." "Ryota. For your passes, do the opposite of your usual patterns. Their data says, 'Miyagi Ryota has a habit of faking right and passing left.' So this time, just throw it straight to the right." "Heh, that's easy. I never even noticed that habit myself." Ryota laughed. Seeing that smile made my heart leap. *(No. I have to focus on the game right now.)* "Mitsui-senpai. For you, the second half is a physical battle. They're aiming for your stamina to run out, but based on yesterday's practice volume, you can still move at full power for another ten minutes. In those ten minutes, decide everything." "Ayako, you really watch me closely. That's terrifying, honestly." He said that, and slapped his own knee. "This is a formation that isn't in their data anywhere—it belongs only to us. It has no name, just an improvised set of promises. But that's exactly what will confuse them the most." I looked at each of their faces, one by one. Ryota. Hanamichi. Mitsui-senpai. Rukawa was leaning against the wall with his usual blank expression, but he was surely listening. "I believe in all of you. I am your manager." At those words, Ryota's eyes widened. Then, he nodded deeply. "Let's go, you guys. Ayako-san believes in us. There's no way we can lose." ""Yeah!!"" Rough voices echoed through the locker room. ********* The second half began. The faces of the Reinan players still held composure. They believed the game was progressing exactly as their data predicted. *(Show them the truth.)* On the bench, I clenched my fists on my knees as if in prayer. Ryota had the ball. The opposing defender, wary of a pass to the left, shifted a step to the right. In that instant. The ball was launched from Ryota's hand, straight to the right. "What?!" The pass flew as if being sucked into an empty space. No—it wasn't empty. *Whoosh.* A gust of wind swept through the gymnasium. Sakuragi Hanamichi, who had somehow already dashed into that spot, had launched off the floor. His bright red hair shimmered like flames under the fluorescent lights. "UOOOOOOORAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" *BOOOOOM!!!* Hanamichi's hands grabbed the rim. The ring groaned, and the backboard shook violently. The sound of the ball tearing through the net and slamming onto the floor reached my ears a moment later. A dunk. The gymnasium fell silent, as if doused with water. The total amateur who had been fumbling mistake after mistake just moments ago had suddenly displayed a monstrous leap. Anyone would be at a loss for words. "How's that! This is a genius's true power!!" Hanamichi roared like a beast. I looked at the Reinan bench. Shirakawa Kanade was frozen, staring intently at the laptop in her hands. Her usual confident smile had vanished from her face. *(You're surprised, aren't you? Your data is useless now, Kanade.)* I felt a cool stillness settle deep in my chest. This wasn't just the thrill of revenge. It was a quiet conviction. A team isn't a machine that runs on data. It's a gathering of humans who get hurt, get angry, trust each other, and create miracles. From that point on, the game swung entirely into Shohoku's pace. Ryota unleashed pass after pass that wasn't in the opponent's data. Mitsui-senpai's three-pointers sank in almost laughably. Rukawa, as always, drained his shots with precision. The point gap closed in the blink of an eye, and then reversed. ********* The final buzzer echoed long through the gymnasium. The score was 78 to 63. A crushing victory, by a 15-point margin. The players roared and embraced each other. Hanamichi collapsed spread-eagle in the center circle, laughing loudly. I remained seated on the bench, unable to stand. I was trembling. The relief that the strategy had worked. The joy that my trust in the players had been rewarded. And the burning pride of having led the team to victory as their manager. *(I wasn't wrong.)* Tears welled up. As I desperately fought them back, I tried to write the final numbers on the score sheet. But the pen tip trembled so much I couldn't draw a straight line. That was when it happened. "Ayako-san!" Before I could even lift my head, a heavy weight settled on my shoulders. Ryota's arm. His arm, hot and drenched with sweat from the game, was wrapped around my shoulders. "That was incredible, seriously incredible! We did it, this is our win!" His face was right next to mine, the smell of sweat mingling with his own scent, making me dizzy. "Ayako-san, thank you. I'm really glad you're our manager." My heart, for a moment, stopped. Then it started pounding like it was broken. A throbbing so intense my chest ached. My body temperature shot up, and my face felt like it was on fire. *(You're saying that? Now, of all times?)* When you don't even know the feelings I have for you. "...O-Of course! This much is nothing for me!" I desperately put on a brave front and pretended to shake off his arm. Honestly, I wanted to feel that warmth longer, but that was the best I could manage right now. Ryota didn't show any sign of being offended. He just grinned broadly, patted my shoulder once more, and ran back to join the circle of other players. Hanging my head to hide my burning cheeks, I thought to myself. *(I love him. Hopelessly, I love this person.)* It was a feeling I could no longer suppress. ********* In the gymnasium, still buzzing with the excitement of the game, I was cleaning up alone. The players had shuffled back to the club room, talking excitedly. I put away the stopwatch and filed the score sheet. The usual quiet work. But today was different. Joy still lingered in my fingertips, and my face would relax into a smile at the slightest moment. That's when I heard the click of footsteps. Shirakawa Kanade was standing at the entrance to the equipment room. Her chestnut-brown bob was slightly disheveled. Her lips, which usually held a perfect smile, were now pressed into a tight, thin line. "...What is it? The game is over." I spoke with feigned calm as I returned the file to the shelf. Without a word, Kanade stepped into the equipment room. Her eyes looked slightly moist. "...You tricked me." Her voice was trembling. "That data was all your trap. From the very beginning, Sakuragi Hanamichi was never an amateur. My analysis... wasn't wrong at all." A single tear spilled from Kanade's large eyes. Her shoulders trembled faintly with frustration. I simply watched those tears in silence. "The data was perfect. So why... why were my calculations overturned?" Her beautiful fingers tightened around the laptop she was holding. I took a slow breath, then opened my mouth. "...Players don't move based on numbers alone, Shirakawa-san." Kanade's shoulders twitched. "Your data certainly included today's shooting percentages and stamina depletion rates. But it didn't include this, did it? Something like, 'How much Sakuragi Hanamichi gritted his teeth and endured that ridiculous acting for the sake of his teammates.'" I took a step closer to her. "You overlooked the data called 'heart.' That is why you lost today." Kanade bit her lip and hung her head. Large teardrops fell, *drip, drip*, staining the concrete floor. A heavy silence hung between us for a while. Eventually, Kanade raised her face. Her eyes, wet with tears, were bright red, but the agitation from before was gone. A strong light burned within them. "...This time, you win, Inoue Ayako." She glared sharply at me as she spoke. "But this isn't over. I absolutely won't lose next time. I'll analyze everything—the data, and that 'heart' you speak of—and I will surpass you without fail." Leaving those words behind, she straightened her back, and as if her tears moments ago had been a lie, she turned on her heel and left the equipment room. Left alone, I let out a long breath. "...Bring it on. Come at me anytime." My voice trembled, just a little. The enemy was formidable. But I wasn't afraid anymore. ********* I returned to cleaning up, and was picking up a scrap of athletic tape that had fallen in the corner of the gym when it happened. "Miyagi-senpai, thank you so much for your hard work! You were so, so incredibly cool!!" A bright, bell-like voice rang through the quiet gymnasium. I looked up. At the gym entrance, Akagi Haruko stood in front of Ryota. Her waist-length black hair sw

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Episode 7

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

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