Chapter 9: Basketball Club

After a full day of orientation events, including school tours, fun games, and introductory sessions by various clubs, the freshmen were granted an early dismissal from Teiko High School.

As Tsuna exited the classroom, he spotted Aomine waiting for him. Aomine greeted him with a friendly smile and a wave.

"Hey, Tsuna! Let's head to the basketball club. They're holding tryouts to determine our placement in the team."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow in response.

"Tryouts on the first day? That's quite interesting," he remarked.

Aomine beamed with excitement. "I know, right!? Our school's basketball team is known for its strength. I'm looking forward to playing with skilled players!"

"Are you guys heading to the basketball club?" A voice inquired.

Just as they were about to continue their conversation, they heard a voice behind them. It was Midorima, holding his school bag in one hand and a fan in the other.

Tsuna nodded and extended an invitation. "Yes, would you like to join us?"

Adjusting his glasses, Midorima accepted the offer. "Sure..."

Intrigued, Aomine couldn't help but inquire about the fan. "By the way, why did you bring a fan with you... umm... I don't think we've exchanged names yet."

Tsuna intervened, introducing Midorima to Aomine. "Right, you two haven't been properly introduced. This is Shintaro Midorima, my classmate. And this is Daiki Aomine, from class C."

Midorima nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Aomine to answer his question. "This is my lucky item, according to the Oha-Asa forecast."

Aomine tilted his head, puzzled. Tsuna wasn't surprised by his confusion, considering Aomine's single-minded focus on basketball.

Unfazed by the skepticism surrounding his belief in lucky items, Midorima simply walked alongside Tsuna and Aomine as they made their way to the basketball club.

As they approached the gym building, the sight before them revealed a bustling scene. Many students had gathered, all vying for a spot in the renowned basketball club.

Teiko High School boasted an elite basketball program with three distinct tiers: the first, second, and third strings. The first string comprised the top-tier players representing the club's main team. The captain of the club was always chosen from this talented group.

The second string served as reserves for the first string, although they also participated in their own matches. While not at the same level as the first string, they were still skilled players.

Unfortunately, the third string seemed to serve as a kind of holding ground for players who did not make it into either the first or second string. Their role in matches remained uncertain, and the third string appeared primarily created to accommodate lower-skilled members.

Although players in the third string were encouraged to improve and strive for advancement to the second string, the likelihood of this happening seemed slim.

"Oh, Daiki, you've arrived!" Momoi's voice rang out amidst the crowded space as she jogged toward them, waving her hand with excitement. As she got closer, she noticed Tsuna and Midorima and greeted them warmly.

"Oh, you're the guy from earlier!" Momoi exclaimed, pointing her finger at Tsuna.

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion, unsure of what he had done to warrant such a remark. He replied, "I'm not sure if I was being rude during our interaction, but if I was, I apologize."

Aomine chuckled and interjected, "Come on, Satsuki. Tsuna was born and raised in the US. He's still getting used to our culture."

Hearing Aomine address Tsuna by his name, Momoi looked puzzled and playfully tilted her head. "Tsuna?"

Tsuna, sensing something was amiss, asked, "I thought I introduced myself before. Is something wrong?"

Momoi giggled awkwardly and explained, "Oh, yes! Tsunayoshi, right? Since Daiki called you by your first name, I'll do the same. So, feel free to call me Satsuki, hehe..."

At that moment, Momoi realized that she may have made a mistake with Tsuna's registration form, miswriting his name. However, there was nothing she could do at this point.

Just then, a senior with short black hair and light grey eyes, who seemed to be in charge of the tryouts, instructed everyone to line up. He announced that they would be calling out names and assigning them to their respective groups.

"Alright, my name is Shuzo Nijimura, and I'm the captain of the Teiko Basketball Club," Nijimura announced, taking charge of the tryouts.

"As you may already know, we'll be conducting a quick tryout to determine your placement in our team. I'll be calling out your names by group, and once your name is called, report to the senior in charge of your group. Let's get started!"

Momoi watched the scene unfold with a helpless expression, observing Tsuna as he patiently waited. Nijimura proceeded to call out more names, one after another, until finally...

"...Jin Tanaka and Minayoshi Kazama. Those are all the names participating in the tryout today."

Tsuna felt a sense of confusion when his name was called last, and he noticed that his name had been mispronounced. He approached Nijimura, seeking clarification. "Excuse me, there seems to be a problem with my name. Did you just call Tsunayoshi?"

Nijimura, slightly puzzled, pointed to the list and replied, "No, the name on the list is Minayoshi. Are you Minayoshi?"

Understanding the reason behind Momoi's earlier confusion, Tsuna ignored Nijimura's question and asked another in return. "What happens if there's an error in the registration?"

Nijimura paused for a moment, recalling a similar incident from the previous year. "Well, in such cases, the person was not allowed to participate and had to register again the following year."

Tsuna simply nodded, taking in the information. He then turned his attention to Momoi, who looked pale and guilty. Unable to meet his gaze, she turned away and whistled nervously.

Observing Momoi's behavior, Tsuna shook his head lightly, understanding her reaction as that of a child caught in the act of wrongdoing. His mind quickly worked to find a solution to rectify the situation.

"So, you're Minayoshi?" Nijimura asked cautiously, sensing something unusual in Tsuna's demeanor.

Despite the mix-up with his name on the list, Tsuna maintained his calm expression. He met Nijimura's gaze directly and replied in a nonchalant tone after taking a long pause as he decided, "...Yes, I am. Where should I go? Who is the senior in charge of my group?"

Nijimura, observing Tsuna's composed demeanor, concluded that Tsuna was not playing any tricks. He nodded and responded, "I'm in charge of your group. Please line up behind me and wait for the others."

Although Tsuna appeared nonchalant on the surface, one could see a glimpse of emptiness in his eyes if one looked closely.

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