Ace of the Bench

The hardwood inside Shikoku High practice gym gleamed under the floodlights, a mirror of sweat and polish. Rows of championship banners hung from the rafters like silent sentries, each one dated and gold-stitched, whispering the school's history of dominance. The thud of balls, the squeak of sneakers, and the clipped bark of a whistle rolled together into an unbroken rhythm an army drilling for war.

At center court, Coach Daigo Shimizu stood with his arms folded. In his late forties, with a square jaw and eyes sharp as hawks, he was the kind of man who never raised his voice and never needed to. One look was enough. When he finally spoke, his tone carried over the echoing space.

"Again. Five-out motion. No hero plays. If you cut, you cut like you mean it."

The five players on court snapped into formation. They weren't the faces the city sports pages drooled over their jerseys didn't bear the captain's patch, and none of them were seniors but they moved like veterans anyway. Crisp passes. Perfect spacing. Layup off the glass. Next possession, same thing. Their sneakers barely seemed to touch the ground before they were somewhere else, ghosts on hardwood.

On the sideline, more boys watched, towels slung around their necks. A few murmured jokes, but nobody laughed too loud. When you were part of Shikoku's program, even the second string was expected to be sharp enough to cut glass.

Shimizu let the play end, then blew his whistle. "Stop."

The gym fell silent except for panting.

"You know the plan for tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!" the five on court chorused.

"Say it louder."

"YES, SIR!"

He nodded, satisfied. "Good. We're not using our veterans for this scrimmage. They've had their share of blood. Tomorrow belongs to you."

A ripple of excitement passed through the boys. Even the ones wiping sweat on the bench straightened. Shikoku High didn't hand out starting spots lightly; scrimmage or not, this was a battlefield.

Freshman guard Riku Senda six-one, all arms and legs grinned at his teammate Kaito Mizuno, a stocky forward built like a wrestler. "Coach is giving us the keys, man."

Kaito smirked. "Yeah, but he expects us to drive like champs, not crash the car."

Another voice, deeper and calmer, joined them. Akira Hoshino, the quietest of the group, twirled a ball on one finger. "We're not just filling in. We're setting the tone for next season."

Coach Shimizu heard them and allowed the corner of his mouth to twitch upward. "Exactly. The school we're playing has talent, but they're undisciplined. They're looking at your birth certificates, not your game. Make them regret it."

He turned his back and clicked a remote. A projector hummed to life, casting grainy footage on the far wall. Clips of Seiryō High, the opponent, cycled: a scrappy offense, a raw but promising point guard named Marcus, a ace shunjin that has skills and power

"This is who you're facing. Watch their eyes, not their feet. Eyes tell the truth."

The players leaned forward, soaking it in. In Tenryū's gym, even rookies were taught to study film like pros. When the projector clicked off, Shimizu spoke again, voice lower now.

"One if our senoir players will be watching tomorrow."

Heads turned instinctively toward the bleachers.

In the highest row of the empty stands sat a figure in a black hoodie, long legs stretched out, hood shadowing his face. Even from across the gym, an aura clung to him a kind of stillness that made noise die. The players felt it even if they didn't know why.

Shimizu gestured with two fingers. "Some of you already know him. Most of you only know his tittle has. 1 of the 5 king of the Court.'"

A collective intake of breath. The rookies whispered among themselves. They'd heard the stories: a sophomore who had hung forty points on a college exhibition team; a boy whose hang time looked like he'd learned gravity's cheat code; a player said to rival adults even though he was still technically in high school.

Riku swallowed hard. "He's playing tomorrow?"

Shimizu shook his head once. "No. He's not on the roster. Just watching. If you're lucky, he'll leave impressed."

A strange mixture of relief and disappointment rippled through the team. Without him, their path to playing time was clear. Without him, the spotlight was also dimmer.

Up in the stands, the hooded figure shifted, elbow on knee, chin in hand. His eyes ice-blue and bored followed the rookies on court like a predator watching a flock of birds. They felt it, though he hadn't moved.

Shimizu clapped once, snapping everyone back. "Enough staring. Run the weave. This time, hit your reads. If the cut's not there, swing it. We punish mistakes, we don't pray for bailouts."

The drill resumed. Balls zipped. Sneakers squeaked. Every movement a little sharper now, as if the King's presence had raised the temperature.

After an hour the scrimmage drill ended, sweat soaking through jerseys. Coach gathered them at center court.

"Tomorrow isn't about flash. It's about discipline. You think because you're rookies you get to make excuses? Wrong. Tenryū basketball is bigger than you. Bigger than me. You're going to show them that even our bench is elite. Understood?"

"UNDERSTOOD!"

He held their gaze one by one, then nodded to his assistants. Water bottles were passed out, towels thrown. Players collapsed on the floor, chests heaving.

Riku lay back staring at the banners. "We win tomorrow, Coach keeps starting us."

Kaito rolled onto his stomach, grinning. "We're going to win."

Akira said nothing, eyes fixed on the hooded figure. A part of him wanted to ask for an autograph. Another part wanted to test himself against that legend right now, scrimmage or no.

Up in the stands, the King of the Court finally stood. In one smooth motion he pulled back his hood. Sweat-damp hair the color of midnight spilled out, and his profile came into view: sharp cheekbones, a small scar over his left brow, a faint smile like a blade. He stretched, hands slipping into his pockets, and turned to leave.

For a second his eyes met Akira's. Just a second. But it felt like a challenge thrown across a canyon.

The door clanged shut behind him. The echo lingered.

Later, as the gym emptied, Coach Shimizu stood alone under the banners. He thought about the scrimmage. About rookies and veterans. About the King.

"They think tomorrow's just another practice game," he murmured to himself. "Let them. By the time the whistle blows, they'll learn what Shikoku really means."

He flicked off the lights. The gym fell dark, but the gleam of the hardwood still caught a sliver of moonlight, like a blade waiting to be drawn.