Hanagata Longs for His Moon
HANAGATA.EXE RUNNING ON LOW BATTERY
📍NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING CAMP
Toru Hanagata ☘️ — one of the centers for Japan's national basketball team
Y/N — you (or me. Lol.) Y/N here is a sports photographer who's also friends with the national team players since she's known most of them since middle school. Some of them call her "Moon." 🌙
Coach Anzai 🍵 — one of the national team's head coaches
Other characters in this scene:
Akira Sendoh 🍋 — national team's vice-captain
Hisashi Mitsui 🧢 — one of the national team's shooting guards
Kenji Fujima 🎯 — national team's point guard and captain
The gym is loud—sneakers, whistles, thuds—but Hanagata moves through it like he’s underwater.
But the second he hits the sideline for water break?
☘️ glances at phone again
☘️ opens messages, sees no new notification
☘️ sighs like he just lost a championship game in overtime
Coach Anzai watches him with that gentle, knowing gaze.
Your fundamentals are strong today…
but your heart seems somewhere else.”
And Toru—calm, logical, unshakably analytical Toru—
☘️ “…She’s in the mountains.”
Anzai smiles like he knew before Toru even spoke.
🍵 “Then do your best here,
and let your best reach her.”
Toru lowers his eyes, breaths slow and heavy.
He isn’t clingy right now, not needy, not desperate—
The kind of ache that fills all the spaces he used to occupy with her warmth.
His teammates notice too:
🎣 Sendoh, shooting a three:
“…Someone’s missing his Moon.”
🧢 Mitsui, towel over his head:
“Tch. Keep it together, Hanagata.”
🎯 Fujima, adjusting his glasses:
“…Focus, Toru. She’d want that.”
And Toru just nods again—
Every time he exhales, he swears he smells pine trees.
Every time he gets a rebound, he remembers how she curls against his chest.
Every time Coach calls “CENTER!”
his instinct is to look toward the doors—
as if she might walk in, hoodie sleeves too long,
soft eyes searching for him. 📷
Breathing air that isn’t heavy with Kanagawa drama.
…But it doesn’t stop the warm ache in his chest when he wipes sweat from his jaw and looks at his phone again.
The notification bar is empty.
For a moment, he lets himself feel it, really feel it:
Then he inhales, stands tall, and returns to the court.
Every motion whispers the same thought he won’t say out loud:
☘️ She’ll be proud when she sees the highlights.
his teammates chattering and laughing around him,
Toru walks to the locker room, towel slung over his neck.
He checks his phone one more time.
But instead of panicking, the upgraded Clover just breathes… steady.
A faint, quiet smile touches his lips—
one reserved only for her.
And he whispers into the empty hallway, barely a breath:
She only went on vacation, Toru-san.
Please don't overthink it too much. 😌
Hi, love. This is my first time posting a story here. If you're a Slam Dunk, Shoyo, or a basketball fan like me, let's connect! 🏀
Thank you for taking the time to read this.