Gliding Upward Spinning Slicing Shot

Smack!
Smack!
Smack!

The two players dashed continuously from side to side. The flamboyant tennis style displayed by Hiro Wakahito captured the attention of many spectators. Yet, beneath that dazzling style, whether Matsudaira Narui unleashed a no-spin ball, an over-spin ball, or a heavy drive, every single one was returned in kind by Wakahito. This phenomenon astonished not only the onlookers outside the court but also left Matsudaira himself in utter disbelief. Exactly which basketball star was this player imitating to have neutralized all three of his most frequently used offensive tactics?

Thud!
"2-1! Wakahito of Josai Shonan leads! Change sides!"

Hiro Wakahito ended the game with a gliding, upward-sweeping spin shot. Watching Wakahito land on his feet, Matsudaira Narui parted his lips and murmured, "The Glide..."

"Clyde Drexler..." Inoue Mamoru added.

"Clyde Drexler?" Shibasai Shiori repeated with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, nicknamed 'The Glide,' famous worldwide for his breathtakingly gorgeous high-flying layups. The posture of that magnificent lifting shot just now was an exact replica of Drexler's layup. No wonder he is able to dismantle Matsudaira's shots one by one. Drexler possessed not only a flamboyant style of play, but his all-around skill also allowed him to handle various opponents with complete composure," Inoue explained.

"This is the result of the meticulous combination I tailored for Wakahito. No matter what trump cards you have, go ahead and use them all, Matsudaira." Aoi Wakatsuki watched as Matsudaira Narui wiped the sweat with a towel, the corners of her lips curling upward gently.

When she had first joined Josai Shonan, she had noticed Hiro Wakahito—an ordinary and self-confident boy who lacked any distinctive strengths. His athletic coordination was somewhat inferior to the others, and he seemed to have very little genuine passion for tennis. Despite having joined the tennis club, he showed an overwhelming interest in basketball. This caused the woman to merely take note of him and then pay him no further heed, as Wakahito's various behaviors were virtually contrary to her own training regimen.

However, during a casual tennis practice match, Wakahito had shouted aloud while mimicking the movements of a basketball star, which suddenly caused Aoi Wakatsuki, previously uninterested in him, to cast a second glance.

Not only was the movement imitated with astonishing accuracy, but it also won him the point on his serve, leaving his opponent without the slightest chance of touching the ball.

Aoi Wakatsuki did not understand basketball, but from the envious remarks she overheard from the other students, she could tell that Wakahito was genuinely capable of integrating basketball techniques into tennis to achieve unexpected results.

Ever since then, the woman began to pay attention to this boy whose tennis skills were mediocre but whose imitation abilities were exceptionally strong. She cram-studied basketball knowledge specifically based on the movements he imitated. On one fortuitous occasion, Aoi Wakatsuki encountered Wakahito practicing on a tennis court in the park.

Several months ago.

"Do you practice in this park every day?" Aoi Wakatsuki asked as she sat side by side with Wakahito on a wooden bench.

"I'm not actually interested in tennis; basketball is the only thing I like. But my family wanted me to play tennis, so I joined the tennis club." Wakahito dangled his legs back and forth with a carefree attitude, giving a reply that had little to do with the essence of Wakatsuki's question.

"I find your technique of combining tennis and basketball quite fascinating. Up until now, this is the first time I've witnessed a style of play where techniques from another field are grafted onto a different domain without creating any sense of discordance." Aoi Wakatsuki smiled gently.

Faced with Wakatsuki's words of praise, Wakahito looked at her earnest expression, and the guarded resistance in his heart quietly subsided for reasons unknown.

"Actually... I come to this park because I don't like being watched while practicing. Everyone in the tennis club is amazing and deeply passionate about tennis. Seeing them work so hard and with such dedication sometimes puts a lot of pressure on me." Wakahito spoke out the inner thoughts he had never dared to voice before.

"I don't think that way at all. I believe that relying on the techniques of basketball stars to play tennis puts you at absolutely no disadvantage compared to anyone else. We always tend to think that other people's possessions are the best while our own are always the worst—much like... much like going to someone else's house for dinner. In reality, parents' cooking skills don't vary all that much, yet we always feel that someone else's home-cooked food is the most fragrant and delicious." Aoi Wakatsuki shook her head, her encouraging words filled with warmth and reassurance.

"My parents are both tennis fans, but I have no interest in tennis. Instead of watching professional match recordings that were shoved in my face from the start, I much preferred basketball. So I seized every opportunity, whether in shopping malls or street basketball courts, to watch old game replays or study the techniques of my favorite basketball stars." Wakahito flashed an immature smile. Although dodging his parents to study various basketball skills was exhausting, he found it immensely joyful. Every time he mastered a star's technique, Wakahito felt as thrilled as if he had unraveled a long-standing puzzle, an excitement he could hardly contain.

"I was a child once too, and I know very well that children want to imitate everything they see. In reality, this is a very precious spirit of learning. It is precisely because of ambition and the thirst for knowledge that one imitates. As we grow older, we gradually and deliberately try to shake off this inclination, casting imitation in a derogatory light. The fact that you are still in the tennis club to this day instead of transferring to the basketball department shows that you still harbor the desire to play tennis well, am I right?"

Wakatsuki's words caused Wakahito's expression to relax bit by bit, until he unconsciously nodded.

"Actually, I can mimic not just point guards and shooting guards, but center moves as well—like Ewing, Shaq..."

Watching Wakahito rattle off the names of formidable, heavyweight centers, Aoi Wakatsuki's soft, rosy lips parted slightly.

Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Aoi Wakatsuki closed her eyes briefly and looked at Wakahito, who had finished resting and was now rising to his feet. Seemingly simple yet incomparably practical, the art of imitation was also a great talent. After all, who among us is not standing on the shoulders of giants to view this world?

"Ever since I listened to Coach Wakatsuki's words, I've studied the style of every player even more meticulously and trained under her guidance. A technique that might have originally taken me months to master could now be practiced to perfection in just a few months. Not only can I freely transform my playing style, but I can do so without disrupting my own muscle memory. In other words... the enemy cannot adapt to my continuous style shifts, but I can!"

Wakahito executed a gliding upward-sweeping spin shot, and Matsudaira Narui lost another game.

"Game, Josai Shonan, 3-1!"

"How about that, Matsudaira? Can you still not find a way to crack it? I was actually hoping you could continue breaking through my transformed mimicry, but it seems that's unlikely." Wakahito smiled at the boy, his tone carrying a faint trace of disappointment.