1,000 shots every day...
He must have lost his mind.
Why the hell would anybody need to go that damn far?
Isn't it obvious?
Because that kid...
...lacks the greatest asset that anybody can possibly have in basketball: height.
If he practices 1,000 shots every day, then that adds up to 7,000 every week.
And 30,000 every month.
Which means, in one year that pipsqueak does...
Forget it. Too much math.
Where to go? The land, sea or sky?
Ahiru no Sora
I wanna invite you to come along
The pages of our story have started to turn
If you lose your nerve then recycle it
And let it push you past hesitation
Give and go! With the flow
Instincts that are buried deep will always rear their head again
People can't just hide the dreams they once dreamed of
Even if these wings can't fly
We want to spread them wide and embrace the sky
Becoming the people who we want to be
You never know, the impossible could be possible tomorrow
So let's keep up the struggle
Happy go ducky!
Momoharu's Wings
Gotta hurry!
I'm gonna beat everyone to the locker rooms
and start practice before they tell me to do anything!
Early duck gets the worm!
What're you doing, man?
That's supposed to be where we keep all the balls!
This is better.
I had some guys on the swim team fill it with water from the heated pool.
You want to take a dip?
Absolutely not! And please put on some pants!
Jeez... I rushed all the way here so I could actually get in some practice.
What is it about basketball that you enjoy so much?
What do you mean?
Let's say that you're a guy who can't make a shot to save his life.
Do you think it's fun for someone like that to play the game?
I think it can be fun for anyone if they practice and get good at it.
What if they practiced but never got any good?
Then they should practice even more.
We're just going in circles.
To be honest, I'm not sure anybody actually needs a reason to play basketball.
Um, hold up for a second!
Where are we going? I'd really like to start practice...
Let me simplify what I was trying to say earlier.
Take a kid who absolutely hates eating carrots, for example.
Uh, okay.
Do you think if he kept eating carrots nonstop, that he would start to like them eventually?
That's hard for me to say.
I'm not a big fan of carrots myself.
But frankly...
...I don't really understand the point of the question.
Take a good look.
Momoharu is... actually practicing?
What happened? Why now?
Well, that's simple.
It's 'cuz he saw some dummy chow down on 1,000 carrots
like they were the most delicious thing in the world.
Momoharu...
Even if he's wrong about them,
I don't think he'll ever come around to enjoying carrots.
It'll work out.
For now, what's important is that Momoharu found the drive to get back into the game.
Goddammit!
JUST GO IN THE DAMN BASKET, YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!
Whoa! That jump!
H-h-he was flying!
The ball didn't go in, but...
...he jumped so high that half of his arm was totally above the rim!
H-he's incredible!
That was so awesome, Momoharu!
Kuzu High really is full of losers.
Last time I saw something like you, I flushed it.
I hear you gave some of my boys a hard time yesterday,
so we came here to return the favor.
More shitheads from Maru High, huh?
Out of all the places we looked, I never expected you'd be on the court.
Feel free to hit yourself with the ball some more.
How the mighty have fallen. Do you have any street cred left?
You gonna be one of those pathetic normies from now on?
Oh man, check it out. He's sweating like a pig!
Holy shit, he was actually trying to practice for real earlier!
Take my advice and quit wasting your time with all this basketball bullshit.
Because you fucking suck at it.
You don't think I already know that?!
Whoa!
With one hand!
Let him go, dipshit!
Take this!
Get wrecked!
That punk bitch... I'm gonna make him bleed.
That's enough, guys! Make some room for me.
Dammit, I'm so pissed off right now.
Punks like you can't just go on the straight and narrow, it's a goddamn disgrace.
I'm gonna make sure you never play basketball again!
The hell do you think you're doing, squirt?!
Quit making fun of people who are trying their hardest!
Huh?
The hell are you going on about?
Calcium Bar
Don't you dare laugh at Momoharu again. If you do then I swear...
...I'll put you all six feet under!
Goddammit...
Who the hell just gangs up on people like that?
Why don't they ever settle things with words?
Man... are you just stupid or what?
Well, the two of us managed to fend all those assholes off.
That makes us the winners in the end.
My ears are ringing like a bell!
What should I do?! Hey? Do you know?!
Don't ask me, moron!
Crap! It won't stop! It's so loud!
Do you hear it too?! There it goes again! Gah! This sucks!
Back in middle school... I used to play basketball.
But I never made any of my shots.
I screwed up bad in my very first match.
And after that I was regulated to just being a sub on the bench.
Even though I was practicing so much more than anybody else...
In the end... I quit before I even got to my third year.
Just to make it clear...
...there's no point in waiting for me to join you.
I dunno what you think I'm capable of.
But I don't have any talent for the game of basketball.
You saw me earlier, right? I couldn't make a single damn shot.
This is bad, Momoharu! We gotta get moving or else there won't be any time for practice!
Dude, I just told you. Get it through your head already.
What?
I'm sorry. My ears have been ringing really bad this whole time.
H-he seriously didn't hear a word I said?
Oh, hey! I think it stopped!
I can hear just fine, now!
Okay, Momoharu!
Let's hurry over to the gym. I want to see that move of yours one more time!
Huh? What move?
That was the first time I've ever seen a dunk in real life!
Just do it one more time!
Like I said earlier... I quit, man.
How does it feel... to actually fly?
Huh?
What kind of view do you see when you use your wings?
Please tell me all about it.
Um, Momoharu? Where are you going?
The gym, obviously.
I can dunk a lot better... on those baskets.
Great!
Yahoo~!
Jeez. How can I say no to that?
Well, I've always been a man of my word.
BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM
Seriously?
Those bastards from Maru High came to pick a fight?
Not a fight! A basketball game!
So they want a round of fisticuffs on the court, then.
No! Just a perfectly ordinary game of basketball!
Apparently, they put in an official request through their coach.
Though I have no idea if their team is any good or not.
They turned tail and said...
You'll regret this. We're gonna make you a total laughingstock!
Or some shit like that.
They want to make us the butt of everybody's joke.
It's true that we're not in any shape to compete on a serious level.
But they wouldn't have challenged us without knowing that already.
Well, in any case...
I don't want to be thought of as a weakling or a coward.
What do you say, guys?
I won't force you into it or anything.
O-okay.
Let's put on a show! We'll teach 'em how basketball is really played!
Hey, Yasuhara.
Please drop your knees down a little more.
Stuff it, pipsqueak! I don't take any orders from you!
Forget that! Why are we holding our arms out like this?
Are we gonna be spinning turntables or what?
It's to put space between you and the defense.
Keep your eyes on the opponent!
Oh dear.
Shh. Don't laugh.
Um, so hey. It's totally okay to take it slow, but form is really importan-
Screw this.
Huh?
I've had enough.
Well, I figured things would turn out this way.
It's not hard to sympathize what those guys are feeling right now.
You should try scouting out more freshman like yourself.
Somebody out there's gotta be down to play basketball.
It'd be easier to form a team with members like that.
That's not an option.
Huh?
We're the ones that they challenged to a fight,
so we have to be the ones who put an end to it.
Yatsui Sporting Goods
We appreciate your business.
Yo, Momoharu. Are those a new pair of sneakers?
Hey, Chiaki.
I gotta admit, I just can't wrap my head around you at all lately.
I thought you weren't interested in suffering that pain a second time.
Well, unlike you, I don't live off junk food and always get a goodnight's sleep.
I also never eat shit off the ground and don't leave my dick hanging out all the time.
That puts me on track to outlive your sorry ass by about 20 years.
I've got a long life to live.
It ain't such a bad idea to spend it doing things a second time.
Are you really planning to outlast me?!
I thought you promised that we'd die together!
You know damn well that's not what this is about!
I'll be straight with you. That pipsqueak managed to get me excited.
It suddenly hit me.
I might actually give a shit about basketball if I'm on a team with him.
Pretty please! I really want to play basketball with you guys!
Damn, you're annoying. We ain't interested in your stupid game.
Give it up already, pipsqueak.
But even Momoharu is really motivated about playing in a real game for once.
Momoharu ain't got nothing to do with it.
Then can you at least tell me what the problem is?
I'll clean the locker room again! I'll even go and buy any snacks that you want!
And also, in addition to that I'll uh... um...
You'll have to do more than that. And also, in addition to that I'll uh... um...
Huh?
Play basketball... in front of all the girls wearing only your boxers.
If you manage that, we'll play basketball or any damn sport you want!
Nice. A perfect fit.
Oh, hey! Momoharu!
Did you buy a new pair of sneakers?
Yep. Gotta have the right gear to shoot the sphere.
You're really going all out!
All right. Then it's time for me to pull out all the stops, too!
HERE WE GO!
What the hell was I ever expecting from this idiot?
He's coming this way!
We said in your boxers!
You better hold up your end of the bargain after this!
Yeah... sure...
Now on Sale New Snacks and Lunches
UMAIBO
We still got roped into playing basketball in the end, huh?
He really put us between a rock and a hard place with that stunt.
That's true.
But...
...he was really small.
KANAGAWA PREFECTURE SHINMARUKO HIGH SCHOOL
Our first opponents.
I figured I would come scout out the school and see what kind of team they have, but...
Yikes... They all look like bad news...
Anyways...
...I really think I should have just handled this on my own.
Don't be stupid.
You would've been cornered like a mouse at a cat convention if you'd come here alone.
Follow me.
I could part a goddamn sea of yakuza if I wanted to.
We're gonna slip right in to the middle of the school, no sweat.
The hell are you staring at, you piece of shit?!
What toilet did you crawl out of?
Huh? You want me to smash your face in, bitch?!
He was right about slipping in...
...for one of us, anyway.
What should I do?
It looks like I can sit in on their practice,
but I'm totally dead if they find out I'm from Kuzu High.
Is something wrong?
Don't get the wrong idea! I'm definitely not a spy or anything!
My pet elephant just so happened to run off in this general direction!
"Elephant"?
That's a pretty weird joke.
You're one of the new freshmen, right?
Hoping to join the team?
No, uh, well...
Basketball must be tough at your height.
I admire your guts.
Come on in and take a closer look.
He's not really the type I was expecting...
Welcome to the Maru High basketball team.
Hey defense! What the hell was that?!
S-sorry!
You're late, Tokiwa.
Sorry, I got stuck in class.
All of the guys on the court are huge...
Say Chiba, it looks like we have a lot of hopeful newbies this year.
Yeah, assuming they're any good.
Our team doesn't just accept everybody who wants to play.
Hey. You and you over there.
Also, you and you.
You, too. Come up front.
Even me?
We don't need you here. Get lost.
Huh?
Please wait a second!
I've been doing basketball since middle school,
and I was a starter on my team for 2 years.
Okay, how tall are you?
168 centimeters, sir...
Is that all?
You're suited for a junior team, at best.
Listen up.
Anybody that's under 170 centimeters has no place on a high school court.
Basketball is a sport where your height determines everything.
Putting shrimps like you on the court does nothing but waste precious space.
Are you serious? What difference does 2 centimeters make?!
I don't think that's reason enough to reject me!
"What difference does it make"? I don't think that's reason enough to reject me!
"What difference does it make"?
That kind of thinking is what losers are made of!
Calm down, Chiba.
You're burning calories that you should save for practice.
Anyway, we don't need any shrimps on our team and that's final.
Now hurry up and get off the court!
And the rest of you should stop standing around! Get back to practice!
Yes, sir!
I told you to keep your eyes on the damn ball!
I-I'm sorry!
Oh, thank you.
It's that kid...
That shorty is totally challenging Tokiwa to stop him!
What an idiot!
Tokiwa! Shut him down!
I'm already on it.
He's really fast on his feet.
But...
...at that height...
...the basket is still way out of his reach!
A double clutch?!
Such a quick reaction in mid-air...
He changed the ball position that smoothly?!
Ouch!
That hurt...
I think putting in effort is all it takes to make up for being short!
Not bad, kid.
Hey brat! Are you trying to pick a fight or what?!
You're the ones who picked a fight with us.
Huh?
Our team is looking forward to seeing you on the court!
"Our team"?
Is he talking about our match with Kuzu High?
Then is that brat part of the Kuzu High team?!
Seriously? A punk from Kuzu High?
Kuzu High is treading on our turf?
That's the one! Don't let him get away!
Let's make a punching bag out of him!
You've got a lot of balls pulling a stunt like that, brat.
Tell me something, Chiba.
Why did you accept a match against Kuzu High, just because the seniors wanted it?
You know that our team is aiming to compete in the inter-high tournament.
We have better things to do than waste time playing against Kuzu High.
Truth be told, there's a certain guy who piqued my interest.
It didn't matter how long you stared up at the sky
You always said that you would never be able to fly
One night I cried wondering how long it would take
Until I could finally reach you with my hands
Eventually I got used to just running away
Until the day I realized that was a weakness
So let's start it all over, right now
The things precious to us were always close at hand
We are never completely alone at any time in our lives
The truth is that you can fly, wherever you want
Spreading your wings to go far higher than anyone else
The more tears that you shed
Then the stronger you become
Let's use those wings to travel the world over
And find a path to a future that no one knows about
Always, always, always
Walking onwards, all of us together
Yo, where the hell did you get off to?
W-we're in big trouble, Momoharu!
Yeah, I can see that.
That's not what I mean!
The team that we're playing against might be way out of our league!
Ahiru no Sora Next Time: First Flight
Next time: "First Flight."