Haru's POV
They're back.
Two men in sleek black jackets, logoed duffel bags slung over their shoulders. I recognize one of them—Coach Ryuzaki. Osaka's scouting coordinator. The other's new, younger. Cold eyes. Clipboard.
They don't smile when they see me.
Just nod.
Like they already own the room.
I hate that feeling.
Like a match you've already lost before stepping onto the court.
Rio's POV
I see them too.
Ryuzaki and some new guy I've never met—but I know exactly what they're here for.
They're not here to watch.
They're here to shop.
And Kaimei?
We're on the shelf.
"Rio Kurosawa," the clipboard guy says during break, smooth as a backhand slice. "We saw your match footage. That Cross Court angle—clean. You could be national-level by next spring with the right system."
He hands me a card.
I stare at it.
"You should think about your future," he adds.
I glance at Aoi—across the court, towel over her shoulders, laughing at something Tanaka said.
And for the first time in months…
I don't want another system.
But I don't throw the card away either.
Aoi's POV
Something's off.
Rio's quieter. Haru's tighter. Sho looks like he swallowed a serve.
I follow Haru after practice—corner him near the vending machines.
"They talked to you," I say.
He doesn't answer.
"They're scouting again."
He exhales. "Yeah."
"And?"
He looks up at me. Eyes tired.
"They offered me a spot on Osaka's winter team. Said I could 'reclaim my momentum.' Said I didn't need to carry—" He stops.
Didn't need to carry us.
Didn't need to carry me.
I don't speak.
Because the worst part?
I don't know what I want him to say.
Coach Kubo's POV
Scouts are vultures in polos.
They circle when your team looks sharp, but they only land when they smell blood—a fracture, a maybe, a player who isn't sure where they belong.
Right now, Kaimei is a buffet of vulnerability.
I can't stop them from circling.
But I can change the menu.
Natsuki's Notes – Emergency Team Meeting
Location: club room.Time: 4:17 p.m.Agenda:What do they want from us?What do we want from each other?
Sho: "Do we even have a future if they keep coming for our top players?"
Tanaka: "Maybe the real regional rival was late-stage capitalism all along."
Aoi (quietly): "I don't care what they offer. I've already lost one partner. I'm not losing another."
Rio (after a long pause): "I'm not going anywhere. Not until we win something worth staying for."
Final Scene – Haru's POV
I stare at the Osaka business card in my locker.
It's crisp. Clean. Tempting.
I close the door.
Turn the lock.
Because Kaimei isn't perfect.
But it's ours.
And that means something no scout can put in a contract.