The Yokonan players' sneakers squeaked against the polished gym floor as they pushed themselves harder, sprinting up and down the court in steady, grueling repetition. Muscles strained and lungs burned, but they pressed on with grim determination. Today was about making up for the sting of their recent loss.
"Yes, keep it up, everyone! Only two more suicides left to go!" the captain shouted, voice cutting sharply through the rhythm of heavy breaths and footfalls. His tone was firm, unyielding.
The team's feet pounded on the hardwood like a steady drumbeat, echoing through the empty gym. Sweat slicked the skin on their foreheads and ran in rivulets down their backs, dampening their jerseys. The faint smell of rubber soles against the floor mixed with the metallic tang of the gym's ventilation.
"Alright, break! You guys can go home for the day," Keichiro finally called out, his voice rough with fatigue.
Everyone staggered to a stop. Some hunched over, hands on their knees, others lay flat on the floor, chests heaving. Shirts clung to their bodies, and every inhale felt like dragging air through heat.
This was punishment for our poor performance in the game against Toshigawa, so why did he do it with us? Eiji wiped sweat from his brow and looked at his captain. He's truly a man of discipline and a team-oriented person.
Keichiro scanned the court, watching how a few players collapsed from exhaustion while two figures remained upright, breathing steadily.
It seems like these suicides barely phased Kogure or Kayano. Well, that is to be expected since these guys are the key to our victory this year, Keichiro thought.
"A plastic snap broke the quiet as a cooler lid opened.
"Great work, everyone! Whoever wants water can line up right here and take a cup or two. I just got this igloo filled," said a girl near the sideline, holding a stack of white paper cups.
"Rinka, you're the best! Thanks," said Kayano, grabbing a cup and gulping it down in a few swift mouthfuls.
Keichiro stepped closer, eyes narrowing over the statistics sheet Rinka had printed out. "Rinka, did you get the whole statistics for that practice match?"
"Yeah, I did," she replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "That team was quite the shocker."
"Let me see it," Keichiro said, taking the sheet. The paper crinkled softly under his fingers as he scanned the names and numbers.
Name: Shino Katsuragi
Number worn: 6
Points scored in the game: 2
Blocks: 0
Rebounds: 0
Steals: 1
Assists: 1
Fouls: 0
Name: Yukio Hamaguchi
Number worn: 7
Points scored in the game: 25
Blocks: 3
Rebounds: 12
Steals: 2
Assists: 2
Fouls: 2
Name: Takahiro Morikawa
Number worn: 8
Points scored in the game: 14
Blocks: 2
Rebounds: 4
Steals: 0
Assists: 4
Fouls: 2
Name: Noboru Takemoto
Number worn: 10
Points scored in the game: 8
Blocks: 0
Rebounds: 0
Steals: 0
Assists: 1
Fouls: 4
"This one's name is Tetsuo Kawaguchi. He wears number eleven. He scored twenty-seven points in the game and blocked the ball five times. He collected two rebounds and made three steals and four assists, yet he only fouled once," Rinka explained.
"And finally, Hayato Nakajima, who wore number four and scored thirteen points. He blocked the ball zero times and collected one rebound. He made two steals and fifteen assists, which is impressive, as well as not receiving a single foul."
Keichiro tapped the paper thoughtfully. "I see. They have a well-balanced team despite their lack of experience."
"Yes. What surprised me the most is Tetsuo. He scored twenty-seven points while Kogure scored thirty-four. However, if Kogure had come on from the start, I don't think the match would have been this close," Rinka added.
Keichiro nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "You're right, but they still hung on until the last second. Yukio found himself a second and a great point guard. That's good. However, their team and ours are on totally different levels. If they somehow manage to make it to the inter-high preliminaries, we won't have any problem beating them."
The train rumbled steadily along its tracks as it carried the team back. The hum of the engine filled the car, mingling with the muffled chatter of the players, who mostly sat quietly, lost in their thoughts. The weight of the loss hung heavy in the air.
This is awkward, Haruko thought, fingers curled tightly in her lap. First, they lost the match, and then Tetsuo had a run-in with that girl. I wonder how he knows her.
Nanaho sighed softly, breaking the silence. "Listen up, everyone. You guys did well against Yokonan, so there is no need to beat yourselves up. The game could have gone either way."
Yukio's voice rang out next, calm but resolute. "Nanaho is right. We went out there, did our best, and almost won. The only thing we can do from here is keep on growing and improving before the start of the tournament. Think of that match as a minor setback or a test to assess where you are now and how much work you need to put in for us to go to the inter-high."
Nanaho lifted her chin with renewed energy. "On that note, I gained a lot of information on how I should prepare your individual training regimens. We also learned some key information, like who our main scorer is and where most of our points come from. We are on the right track, so don't let that loss break your spirit! You got that?!"
"Yes!" the team chorused, voices ringing with a mixture of exhaustion and determination.
I know they're trying to cheer us up, but let's be real—we were never a match for Yokonan. We're lucky we didn't get humiliated, Hayato thought, jaw clenched, eyes staring at the darkening windows.
The afternoon sun slanted low as Haruko and Tetsuo walked together through the quiet streets. The city hummed softly with life—birds flitted between power lines, and a faint scent of grilled street food wafted past.
"You truly are amazing, Kawaguchi, and so is everyone on your team," Haruko said, her voice light but sincere. "Despite having six members, Yokonan still felt your presence. I got to see you in action today—you are truly an amazing shooter."
Tetsuo shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you learn anything from that match?"
Haruko nodded, breath catching on a cool breeze. "Yes, I did. No matter how small or limited a team is, as long as you focus on your strong points in a match, it will bring great results."
"That's right, but don't forget—we are all human, so there is no such thing as impossible. There is always a way to win."
Haruko smiled warmly. "I won't ever forget."
A nearby café was filled with the low hum of conversation, the soft clink of cups against saucers, and the faint hiss of steamed milk from behind the counter. A little light spilled in through the tall windows, casting warm streaks across the wooden table where the three girls sat.
Sayaka checked her phone for the third time in five minutes. Her brow furrowed, and she exhaled through her nose.
"I wonder what's taking Haruko so long," she said, fingers drumming nervously against her iced drink. "She took the day off from school today to watch a practice match at Yokonan. Do you think she forgot about us?"
Suzume stared blankly out the window, her expression unreadable. She slowly stirred the straw in her lemonade but said nothing.
Kotone leaned back in her chair, her lips curling into a grin as she twirled a spoon between her fingers.
"It's possible," she said with a teasing lilt. "You know Haruko—that girl's obsessed with basketball. She's probably playing right now as we speak."
both Tetsuo and Haruko passed the window of a small café where Haruko's friends were gathered.
"Um, guys… there she is," Suzume whispered, pointing.
Sayaka jumped up, pushing her chair back with a scraping sound, then rushed outside. "Haruko!!"
Haruko blinked in surprise. "Huh? Sayaka, what are you doing here?"
"Where have you been? We've been waiting for an hour now!" Sayaka said, hands on her hips.
"Oh crap, I almost forgot about our meeting! I'm so sorry. You can go ahead without me, Kawaguchi. Today was fun—see you later," Haruko said quickly, waving goodbye.
"Yeah, see you," Tetsuo replied, his footsteps fading as he turned down another street.
"So that's what you've been doing, huh? You were on a date with your boyfriend," Kotone teased, grinning as Haruko entered.
"It's not like that! We are not—" Haruko stammered, cheeks flushing bright red as she sat at their table.
"He's so tall and handsome! Where did you meet him?" Kotone asked, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"He's a basketball player from Toshigawa Academy. I was just at his match watching his team play. That's all there is to it."
"So the reason you went to that practice match today was to watch him?" Suzume pressed.
"Who wouldn't want to cheer him on? I mean, he's a total hottie," Kotone teased again.
"Again, it's not like that!!" Haruko shouted, waving her hands in protest.
At home, Takahiro dropped his bag onto the floor with a soft thud.
"Big bro, how'd the match go?" Chihiro asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"We lost 89–90, but we almost won," Takahiro replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I see. I didn't expect you to win anyway, so you don't need to explain—you suck, big bro," Chihiro said with a teasing grin.
"Mom!! Takahiro lost the match today!!" Chihiro shouted suddenly.
"What, really? Oh dear, I hope he's doing alright," their mother said, worry creasing her brow.
Takahiro clenched his fists, jaw tight. "I might have lost today, but next time, I'll definitely…"
Tetsuo stepped inside his house, the quiet creak of the door announcing his arrival.
"I'm home, Usagi," he called.
"Welcome back. So, how did the practice match go?" she asked, her voice calm and gentle.
"We lost by a single point."
"I see. It was a close game, then."
"Yeah, something like that."
"I prepared the bath for you. Go ahead and relax."
"Thank you. You're really a big help, Usagi" he said as he walked off to his room.
"You're truly changing, Tetsuo, but it's slowly showing through your recent actions," she said, smiling softly as she glance at her brother.
Later that evening, Yukio's footsteps echoed faintly on the pavement as he approached his front door.
A voice floated through the cool night air. "That's all I'm carrying to the apartment today, Mom. I'll come back for the rest of my things when I get time off from work and college."
"Okay. Be sure to take care of yourself, Seiji. Ensure that you're eating right and that your clothes are washed properly," his mother's voice replied, gentle and concerned.
"I'm not a child anymore, Mom. I'll be alright. See you later," Seiji said, a forced smile in his tone as he left the house.
Seiji stepped outside and nearly collided with Yukio. His eyes flickered over him briefly before he brushed past, deliberately bumping Yukio aside.
"Seiji… so that's all you're going to do? Walk away without saying a word?" Yukio asked quietly.
"I thought I made myself clear when I said I was done with you and Dad for good. I shouldn't even be calling him that," Seiji said coldly.
"I heard you. However, it wasn't my decision, and I didn't ask for the inheritance, so why are you acting so coldly toward me?" Yukio said, voice low but steady.
"Don't worry about it. Just keep away from me. I'm done with all of you except Mom. Don't consider me your brother anymore," Seiji said and walked off.
Yukio stood motionless at his door, watching his brother disappear into the night. The faint hum of distant traffic was the only sound around him.