The Ikebukuro night buzzed with neon and crowds, but the narrow staircase to Tatami's safehouse felt like a descent into a different world. Kenji Tachibana's heart raced, his healed finger flexing as he gripped Hoshino's encrypted drive from the Meiji Prep friendly. Yesterday's win—71-68, with Rin's clutch three sealing it—had boosted Shinwa's confidence, but Hoshino's discarded Kurogane badge and the idling black van hinted at a shifting game. Kaito Kurogane's on-court traps to frustrate Kenji were escalating, while his father's role as the '98 Saito hit mastermind loomed larger, confirmed by Tatami's network. The Tokyo Principal Cup was months away, but the real battle was here, now.
Hana walked beside Kenji, her notebook tucked under her arm, eyes scanning the alley. "If Hoshino's flipping, this drive's our edge," she whispered, her voice steady despite the Enforcer's shadow from last night. "But Tatami's network needs to deliver." Her hand brushed Kenji's, a quiet anchor.
Haru, laptop bag slung over his shoulder, adjusted his glasses. "The drive's got shadow league contracts and a 'Hoshino Debt Release.' I'm close to cracking it—maybe tonight." His excitement was tempered by caution after Kaito's ambush in Shibuya. Akira, trailing behind, clutched his playbook, Hoshino's badge move burning in his mind. "If he's betraying Kaito, I need to know why," he said, voice low.
The safehouse door creaked open, revealing Tatami, his scarred face grim under dim lights. Inside, a small group—ex-players, a ref, a journalist—huddled around a table strewn with '98 ledgers. "You brought the drive," Tatami said, eyes on Kenji. "Good. Saito'd be proud." He gestured to a laptop displaying a grainy video: Saito, 1998, rejecting a Kurogane bribe, with a young Kaito's father in the background, face cold.
The journalist, a wiry woman named Kaede, spoke up. "Kaito's father ran the '98 cleanup—Saito's hit was to silence his resistance. The shadow league's global now, rigging pro games. Hoshino's family debt was leverage, but this drive…" She tapped it. "It could free him, or it's a trap."
Haru plugged in the drive, his screen flashing. "Contracts confirm Kaito's dad bribed Meiji's coach back then. The debt release is real—Hoshino's family's clear if he delivers 'evidence.' But it's vague—what evidence?" Kenji's gut twisted. Was Hoshino planting the drive to help Shinwa or to sabotage them for Kaito's father?
Hana's pen flew. "If Hoshino's turning, we use the drive to expose Kaito's dad. If not, we bait him at the next friendly." Her eyes met Kenji's, fierce. "We need that second warehouse—shadow league records are there."
Tatami nodded. "It's in Yokohama, heavily guarded. Enforcer's crew. We move tomorrow, but Kaito's watching your games." He glanced at Kenji. "He's obsessed with breaking you on the court."
Back at Shinwa's gym the next morning, the team drilled for their next friendly against Takanotsume High, a team with bruising forwards that tested Rin's shooting range. Coach Morita barked, "Takanotsume's physical—90% rebound rate. Phantom Shift, variation five, Rin's your ace!" Rin sank three after three, his 95% accuracy a weapon, though his knee brace creaked. "Aim. Fire. Win," he muttered, ignoring the pain.
Akira called plays, his voice sharper since Hoshino's badge drop. "Kenji, drive through their bigs. Jiro, cut low. Tatsuya, stretch 'em." Jiro tossed a candy wrapper, grinning. "Kaito's gonna foul you again, Kenji—dodge like Meiji." Riku's speed sparked a fast break, and Kaito Hattori's clumsy block drew laughs, easing tension. Daichi, more aware now, hustled, but Hana spotted a new "scout" in the stands, filming—another Kurogane plant?
Kenji dodged a mock trap, his healed finger flicking a pass to Rin for a deep three. Kaito's mind games—Taiga's fouls, Haruto's traps at Meiji—flashed in his mind, but he pushed them down. "He won't break me," he told Hana during a break, her nod fierce.
Morita pulled Kenji aside. "Saito took those traps, too. Kept going. You're his kid." His '98 guilt lingered, but his trust in Kenji was ironclad.
At a Kurogane studio callback that afternoon, Kenji posed for a quick ad, his healed finger spinning a ball effortlessly. Ami, tense, whispered, "Kaito's pushing the execs to smear you—rumors you're 'distracted' by off-court stuff." Her eyes flicked to a new crew member, wearing a Kurogane pin like the Enforcer's. "He knows about the drive. Be ready at Takanotsume."
Kenji's jaw tightened. Kaito's taunts—calling him "predictable" at Meiji—stung, but his healed finger and Rin's shooting gave him an edge. "Let him try," he said, defiance rising.
That evening, Haru cracked the drive's encryption at his tech-lair bedroom. "It's legit—Hoshino's family debt's cleared, but there's a catch," he said, screen glowing. "He has to deliver 'Tachibana's proof' to Kaito's dad. That's us—the tape, the USB, everything." Kenji's blood ran cold. Hoshino's move wasn't defection—it was a deal, and Shinwa was the target.
Hana's pen stopped. "We use this. Feed Hoshino fake proof at Takanotsume. Let Kaito's dad chase it while we hit the Yokohama warehouse." Her hand found Kenji's, steadying him. Akira, staring at his playbook, said, "If Hoshino's playing us, I'll end it on the court."
As they planned, a shadow moved outside Haru's window—gone in a blink. Tatami's warning echoed: Kaito's watching. The Takanotsume friendly was their chance to bait Hoshino, but as they left, Kenji spotted a basketball on Haru's desk, unmarked but new, like the one from Chapter 31. He picked it up, and a single word fell out, scrawled in Hoshino's hand: "Choose." No trap, no threat—just a challenge, staring them down as the Yokohama raid and the next game loomed.