Yukio caught the ball just outside the arc, set himself up, and launched a three-pointer. The ball bounced and rattled on the rim, echoing in the quiet gym before finally dropping through the net. The crowd erupted as Toshigawa took the lead with only a few seconds remaining.
"It went in!! We've won!" Yukio shouted, a huge smile spreading across his face.
"Finally, man, it's over," Hayato said, exhaling a sigh of relief. "He made the shot. We defeated Yokonan. He scored, Tetsuo won—it's such a relief," Haruko thought to herself, the tension slowly releasing from her body.
"Quit celebrating! Time is still on the clock! Get back on defense!" Tetsuo yelled, his voice sharp as the final moments ticked away.
Kayano quickly inbounded the ball, throwing it across the court. Kogure, fast and determined, sprinted toward it, while Tetsuo chased him down, closing the distance rapidly.
"Damn, we messed up big time," Yukio muttered, running back on defense. But fatigue was taking its toll on him. "Crap!! I'm at my limit," he said, struggling to stay upright. He stumbled and fell to the ground, trying to get back up, but his legs betrayed him.
"Go, Kogure!!! End this game!!" Kayano shouted, desperate for Kogure to make a play.
"Kogure-senpai, finish this!! We believe in you!!" shouted a group of girls from the sidelines.
Kogure took a few more strides and jumped high into the air, going for a dunk. But Tetsuo, determined not to let his team lose, leapt after him and met Kogure in mid-air, blocking the dunk attempt.
"I won't allow you," Tetsuo said with steely determination, his eyes locked on Kogure.
Kogure smirked, recognizing the effort. "Huh? Tetsuo, I see," he thought to himself. "Even though I haven't seen you for years, it seems that you've kept your promise. You've gotten a whole lot better than when we were kids. You may not remember me, but at least you still continued playing basketball, and that's why we were able to meet again."
Kogure gritted his teeth and, in one fluid motion, snatched the ball from Tetsuo's hands mid-air.
"What the…" Tetsuo said to himself, shocked by the move. Kogure spun the ball around his back and banked it off the backboard. The ball swished through the net just as the referee blew his whistle.
The gym fell silent for a brief moment. Everyone was waiting to see if the basket would count.
"Basket counts!" the referee announced.
Kogure, who had been anxiously waiting for the verdict, let out a relieved sigh. "Phew."
"Oh no, we lost. No way," Shino whispered, his voice cracking with disbelief as tears started to form in his eyes. "God dammit, I shouldn't have celebrated so early. That was way too close for comfort. We almost lost there," Kayano added, still processing the chaotic turn of events.
"Damn, we lost, but we were so close," Takahiro said, his voice heavy with regret as he and Tetsuo stood quietly, heads down.
"Oh no, they lost… Tetsuo…" Haruko thought, empathizing with Tetsuo and feeling the weight of defeat.
Despite the loss, the crowd in the stands began to applaud, recognizing Toshigawa's valiant effort.
"Great work, Toshigawa, you're one hell of a team!" one of the soccer players shouted.
"You guys did well, you were so close despite only having six members," a student from Yokonan commented.
"You did well, number eleven! Don't let this get you down! This game could've gone either way. All the best in the tournament; we believe you guys can go places!" a girl from Yokonan said, her words full of encouragement.
"What!! Are they praising us?" Shino said, wide-eyed, surprised by the support.
"Toshigawa Academy did a good job against us," Keichiro said, shaking his head, though he was reluctant to admit it. "I hate to admit it, but they have all the key players they need to compete. All they need now is to elevate their game for the tournament. And let's not forget about their coach—a high school girl. She is absolutely brilliant. Maybe I should hire her as my assistant when she graduates," Coach Arimoto said with a rare look of admiration.
The referee signaled for both teams to line up. "Both teams, line up!" he called, and everyone, except for Noboru, made their way to the half-court line. The game between Yokonan High and Toshigawa Academy ended with a final score of 90-89 in Yokonan's favor. "Bow," the referee ordered.
"Thank you for the match," both teams said as they bowed respectfully to one another.
"You guys did well. I hope this loss doesn't get to their heads," Nanaho thought to herself, trying to stay positive. "That was a great match, Hayato. I hope to see more from you," Kayano said, walking up to Hayato.
"Yes, you're pretty alright yourself," Hayato responded with a grin. "I'll be coming back for revenge at the Inter-High preliminaries."
Kayano raised an eyebrow. "I see, well your team has its work cut out for it."
"What do you mean?" Hayato asked, curious.
"You have two powerhouse teams to overcome before you even get to the preliminaries," Kayano said with a serious look. "And trust me when I say this—they are strong."
"I see. Thanks for the heads up," Hayato nodded, appreciating the advice.
"It's been a while, Yukio," Keichiro said, approaching Yukio.
"Yeah, you could say that," Yukio replied, his tone casual but with a hint of nostalgia. "How's your brother?"
"He's been well; we just haven't spoken as of late," Keichiro answered.
"That's good to hear. Has he been keeping up with his basketball training?" Yukio asked.
"I can't say I'm sure about that," Keichiro said, looking away, his tone hinting at a distance between him and his brother.
"I see. You guys have done well against us. I hope we can play again someday, and next time, I'll be playing," Keichiro said with a smile.
"It won't make a difference. Next time, we plan on winning," Yukio said, his smile showing confidence.
Keichiro gave him a knowing look before turning toward his own team. "We won, huh?" Eiji said ecstatically. "Yeah, barely," Keichiro replied, slapping Eiji on the head.
"Ouch! Why, though? I didn't do anything," Eiji protested.
"That's captain to you," Keichiro responded, a smile tugging at his lips despite his serious tone.
"Listen up, everyone!" Keichiro shouted, addressing the team. "What you did today showed me that all of you are slacking off. We almost lost a game at our own home court, and in the history of this team, that's never happened. I'm really disappointed in your performance, even though we won."
"So, starting tomorrow, the A team will be joining me on our runs before and after training. Am I clear?"
"Yes! Captain!!" the team shouted in unison, a mix of determination and exhaustion in their voices.
"That includes both of you too. We're doing this as a team," Keichiro added, locking eyes with his teammates.
Meanwhile, outside the gym, a boy approached his friend. "Hey, how did the game go against Toshigawa?"
"We won against them, but barely. Kogure scored a basket in the final second," the student said.
"Really? That guy truly is something else," the boy responded, impressed.
"You can say that again," the student said, nodding in agreement as Noboru overheard them from the infirmary. He turned on his side, a small frown on his face. "I see, so we lost, huh?" he murmured to himself.
As evening fell, the team walked quietly toward the front gate of Yokonan, their heads low in the weight of the loss.
"They all seem so bummed out," Haruko thought to herself. "But I think they did a good job. That match could have gone either way. One thing's for sure—Tetsuo is really good, and he's so cool."
"I have to figure out a way to break this silence," Nanaho thought, glancing at her teammates. "The loss seems to have greatly impacted their confidence. Noboru is usually loud and confident, but now he seems really down."
Suddenly, a girl ran toward Tetsuo. "Tetsuo!!! Tetsuo!!!" she called, her voice filled with urgency.
"Huh? Who's that girl?" Shino asked, confused.
Everyone on Toshigawa Academy's team stopped and watched as Aoi embraced Tetsuo in a big hug, tears streaming down her face.
"Whaaat?!" everyone exclaimed in shock.
"How does she know Tetsuo? Are they dating?" Haruko wondered, her heart racing with jealousy.
"Tetsuo, you sly dog. How are you bagging the ladies so easily?" Noboru said to himself with a smirk. "Man, I'm so jealous."
Tetsuo, caught off guard, looked at the girl in confusion. "Who is this girl?" he wondered to himself.
"Aoi... Kogure told me everything. I can't believe you're here after all this time. I missed you so much," Aoi said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Kogure told her? What is she talking about?" Tetsuo thought, trying to recall any memory of the girl. "I don't know her, do I?"