Only I Have the Law: Tokyo Fantasy Daily Life

Page 33

"Wait a moment."

Qingze reached out and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "I am Qingze, the homeroom teacher of Class A in the first year of high school."

If you have any worries, you can tell me.

Even though I'm not your teacher, every teacher has an obligation to help students as long as they're at school.

His voice was soft, like a gentle spring breeze, soothing the girl's unease.

She turned around, bowed slightly, and said, "Hello, Teacher Qingze."

I am Araki Mai from Class 2B of Grade 11.

I'm here to ask if Yato from the Philosophy Club could temporarily join the basketball team and play in one of our friendly afternoon matches.

Qingze did not immediately agree or refuse, but said gently, "Let's go inside and talk about the specifics."

Don't worry, Yato is a very easy person to talk to. As long as you patiently explain your reasons to her, she should consider it.

After saying that, Qingze opened the door to the philosophy club activity room.

A refreshing breeze flowed into the room through the open window.

Hoshino Saori stood by the window with her back to the door, arms outstretched, and spoke in a melancholic, poetic tone, "You've come, teacher~"

Meanwhile, Yatohime sat cross-legged on the clean wooden floor, her phone leaning against the empty bento box, where an intense sword fight movie was playing.

She suddenly wanted to watch this because she saw the news about the "human kill" in Kawagoe City and realized that she hadn't watched this kind of movie in a long time, so she found a recently popular movie called "Sword Master's Death Battle" to watch.

She was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even glance at the doorway.

"Please pause what you're doing for a moment, we have guests here."

As Qingze spoke, he skillfully took off his outdoor shoes at the door and put on his dedicated indoor shoes.

Following behind him, Araki Mai quickly took off her shoes, her feet, covered in black stockings, stepping directly onto the cool floor.

She stepped forward a few steps nervously and introduced herself again: "Good afternoon, my name is Araki Mai, and I am the manager of the basketball team."

Hoshino Saori turned around, puzzled, and asked, "Does the basketball club want to see us about something?"

“Here’s the thing,” Araki Mai said, her face full of helplessness, “We have a friendly match against Mingnan High School this afternoon.”

However, our ace player twisted his ankle this morning while going down the stairs, so he definitely won't be able to play today.

She sighed and continued, "We originally wanted to deflate their arrogance before the competition, but now, it's more likely that we'll be defeated by them."

Therefore, I hope that Yato can temporarily fill in for our ace in today's friendly match.

"Night Blade".

Upon hearing this, Hoshino Saori looked at her friend in surprise, "Have you ever played basketball?"

Yato-hime shook her head and said, "I've never played it."

"No way?!"

Araki Mai's face was filled with disbelief. "I remember it very clearly. Once, a basketball accidentally flew out of the gymnasium and was about to hit someone. You caught it easily with one hand, stood still, and casually threw the ball directly into the basket from the gymnasium entrance!"

"Oh, that one."

Yato-hime remained calm, as if she were talking about something trivial. "It's nothing, isn't it?"

"That's nothing?!"

Saori Hoshino stared in astonishment, "Even I, a complete novice who knows nothing about basketball, know that's incredibly amazing!"

"I'm just naturally strong and have better eyesight."

Yatohime offered a humble explanation.

She really didn't think it was difficult at all.

The basket is right there, the ball is in my hand, and I have enough power, so making the shot is a piece of cake, isn't it?

Araki Mai clasped her hands together and pleaded in an almost begging tone, "Yato-kun, please help us."

Otherwise, our ace Rino will definitely take all the blame for this defeat, which could very well affect her mentality and performance in subsequent matches!

Seeing Araki Mai's anxious expression, Yatohime did not answer immediately and fell into contemplation.

Should I agree or not?

Chapter 39 Yato's Code of Conduct

After thinking about it, Yato-hime decided to grant the request.

Her personality was characterized by being proud of superiors but not humiliating inferiors.

If someone comes over arrogantly and orders her to do something that is easy for her...

Her first reaction was to raise her fist and make the other person lie in the hospital for a few months to reflect on their actions.

If someone like Araki Mai sincerely comes to her door seeking help, she will most likely agree.

Of course, this is on the premise that the requested content is valid.

If it's one of those perverted requests—like begging her to stomp on your face with her stockinged feet or asking her to lick you—…

No matter how "sincere" the other party's attitude is, she will not hesitate to raise her fist and beat them twice until they are unrecognizable even to their own mother.

"Okay, let me help you."

Yato-hime readily agreed.

Araki Mai's face instantly lit up with a joyful smile.

The next second, Yatohime continued, "But I don't understand any of the rules of basketball."

"It's ok!"

Araki Mai quickly waved her hand and eagerly offered a solution, "If you're free during lunch break, you can come to the basketball club now, and we'll explain the most basic rules and dribbling techniques to you as quickly as possible."

She placed all her hopes on Yatohime.

Mingnan High School is a very strong opponent. If we are without Rino Nagashima and use other reserve players, we will definitely lose.

This will severely impact Rino Nagashima's mentality.

That person's personality, to put it nicely, is quite responsible; to put it bluntly, it's insecure, and they tend to take the blame for their mistakes.

If her absence leads to a loss in a match, she will be eager to prove herself and make up for her "mistake" in the official match, making it easy for her opponents to seize the opportunity.

Unlike the high-octane basketball games that most people imagine, the most important thing in playing basketball is not passion, but "steadiness".

As long as one's mindset and condition remain stable, it is difficult to expose a fatal flaw.

Unless there is a significant disparity in strength between the two sides, the more "stable" side usually emerges as the ultimate winner.

……

The gymnasium at Nagato High School has two floors, with the basketball team located inside the main entrance on the west side of the ground floor.

The interior space is spacious, with two standard basketball courts side by side.

Nagato Girls' High School's basketball team is a regular participant in the national tournament, and even won the national championship four years ago. It is a well-known and established powerhouse in the Japanese women's basketball world.

However, the attention given to the girls' high school league is incomparable to that of the boys' competitions, so Aozawa only learned about the glorious history of his own basketball team from Araki Mai just now.

He followed the group into the basketball club.

The wooden floor was spotless, and the basketball made a bouncy, resounding "thump" sound when it landed on it.

A group of girls wearing red training jerseys are running around on the court, diligently practicing their tactical combinations.

Meanwhile, some players who looked like newcomers were focused on practicing basic dribbling on the sidelines or helping to retrieve the ball.

The basketball coach, Kana Yoshioka, is an elderly woman with a very auspicious appearance.

Maintaining a round face and a plump waist at sixty is no easy feat; it usually signifies a comfortable life and an extremely peaceful state of mind.

"Mr. Yoshioka."

Qingze stepped forward and greeted him politely.

In Japan, teachers, regardless of gender, can be addressed with "先生" (sensei) after their surname as a sign of respect.

"Mr. Qing, thank you so much for your help this time."

Kana Yoshioka smiled kindly.

Qingze smiled and said modestly, "It has little to do with me that Yato is willing to come and help."

"Without your help in introducing and persuading me, Mai probably wouldn't have dared to step into the Philosophy Club alone."

Kana Yoshioka spoke gently. Although she didn't go to the club building, she was fully aware of the entire process.

After all, Yatohime was renowned throughout the school, and many girls in the basketball team were afraid of her.

Araki Mai was the bravest member she could choose.

She doesn't personally intervene because she believes that such matters are best handled through voluntary communication by students, and that forcibly intervening by teachers might backfire.

"You really can't hide anything from Mr. Yoshioka."

Qingze offered a timely compliment.

Upon hearing this, Kana Yoshioka's smile deepened.

Meanwhile, Yatohime was led to the dressing room by Araki Mai.

Inside, on a long bench, sat a girl with a dejected expression and her head drooping.

"Rino, look, I've already brought in reinforcements, so don't be so downcast anymore!"

Araki Mai raised her voice, trying to dispel the gloom hanging over her friend's head.

Rino Nagashima looked up, tears still welling in her eyes, and said in a sobbing voice, "Yato-kun, I'm counting on you this time!"

But... but please don't put too much pressure on yourself. If we lose, the responsibility will be entirely mine.

It's all my fault for being careless..."

Before she could finish her self-reproaching words, Yatohime interrupted her decisively, saying, "Alright, with me here, we won't lose."

That confident voice stunned Rino Nagashima.