Everyone gathered on time in the school gym. After a brief discussion, Akagi glanced at Kano standing behind Nango. Noticing her growing impatience, he decisively concluded,
"Then it's settled. We'll meet at the station entrance at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I'll inform Coach Anzai. Everyone, go home and prepare."
"Ugh… no rest again," Mitsui sighed dramatically. "This summer vacation is way too fulfilling."
Whack!
Sakuragi slapped Mitsui hard on the back and declared righteously,
"Mitsui! You can't think like that! Serving the country is a sacred duty!"
After finishing his call with Akagi, Sakuragi checked the mailbox near the door and requested leave from all his part-time jobs.
When everyone heard he had been selected for the Youth Team, they immediately approved his leave and urged him to train hard and bring honor to the nation.
For the first time, Sakuragi truly felt the weight of expectation.
After hanging up, he stared at his reflection in the mirror and solemnly announced,
"The future of Japan depends on you!"
After a moment of silence, his thoughts suddenly became very clear.
Serve the country. Marry Haruko. Reach the peak of life.
"Hiss—!" Mitsui sucked in a breath, rubbing his back. "You bastard! That hurt! Not everyone has infinite energy like you! I need rest, you hear me?!"
"And look at that idiot," Mitsui added, pointing angrily. "He's walking like he's sleepwalking!"
Rukawa Kaede swayed toward the sidelines, eyes half-closed, clearly not fully awake yet.
Akagi shook his head, unwilling to waste energy on them, and walked straight out of the gym.
All five Shohoku starters had received invitations to the Japan Youth Team.
Compared to the original timeline—where only Rukawa was selected—this result was far more shocking. It fully reflected the impact of Shohoku's championship on Japanese basketball.
Nango twirled the gym key around his finger and asked,
"Rukawa, you're not leaving?"
Because Nango often stayed until last, Akagi and Coach Anzai had entrusted him with a spare key—a sign of complete trust.
"I want to practice," Rukawa replied flatly.
Yesterday, he'd planned to train, but the neighborhood kids had surrounded him, forcing him to play coach all day and wasting precious practice time.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you," Nango said, tossing him the key. "Remember to lock up."
He turned to leave with Kano—only to nearly collide with Sakuragi.
"Huh? You're not leaving either?"
"Mm. I'll practice too."
The moment Sakuragi heard Rukawa was staying, the foot he'd already stepped out pulled right back in.
If this was about serving the country, he couldn't slack off—and he absolutely couldn't lose to Rukawa!
What a pair of rivals.
Nango chuckled, took Kano's small hand, and walked away.
"In your right pocket."
Nango carried a huge bucket of popcorn in his left hand and two drinks pinched between the fingers of his right, leaving him with no free hands.
Kano found the movie tickets in his pocket, handed them to the usher, and the two entered the theater, finding their seats.
There were still a few minutes before the movie started.
Kano took a sip of her drink, then reached for popcorn.
"Have you thought about it?" she asked casually. "Eri asked me again yesterday."
"…Yeah."
After a brief pause, Nango replied, "I talked it over with my dad. I decided to stay."
He quickly grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, trying to hide his awkwardness.
"Coach Anzai has more experience in every aspect. Staying here will be more beneficial for my future."
"Oh."
Kano's tone was noticeably cold.
Nango didn't know what to say. Fortunately, the lights dimmed and the movie began.
On the screen, white clouds drifted and rolled endlessly—mirroring their unsettled emotions.
Kano was still thinking about how to get Nango to Ryokufu, but she couldn't come up with a good plan. In the end, she decided to watch the movie first and talk afterward.
"Shh."
Nango tried to speak several times, but Kano kept stopping him. In the end, he could only hold her hand and watch quietly, a little uneasy.
Halfway through the movie, Kano suddenly whispered,
"If you were trapped in the same day like the male lead… what would you do?"
Nango's moment had arrived.
Lowering his voice, he replied,
"I'd come find you every single day."
Kano knew he was sweet-talking her. She snorted softly.
"I don't believe you. You won't even come to our school."
"Do you really want me to go to Ryokufu that badly?"
Nango smiled slightly and gently blew a breath, making her hair flutter.
"It tickles!" Kano protested, but the tone of her voice softened.
"Why?" Nango asked knowingly.
In the dim light of the theater, Kano felt unusually safe. She murmured,
"You receive so many love letters… who knows if you'll run off one day?"
"How could I?" Nango immediately raised his hand like he was swearing an oath.
"My girlfriend is gentle, virtuous, kind, adorable, charming, and sensible!"
"I'm only afraid she will run off. I absolutely won't. If I do, I'm a puppy!"
"Smart answer."
Kano lightly pinched his palm, finally forgiving him.
Seeing her mood improve, Nango suddenly had an idea.
"Kano," he whispered, "if I can't go to Ryokufu… would you consider coming to Shohoku?"
"Eh?!"
Kano was stunned. The topic had flipped completely.
She had come to recruit him—now he was recruiting her.
Before she could refuse, Nango added quickly,
"If you come to Shohoku, I'll pick you up and take you home every day."
Kano fell silent.
…That was tempting.
"Ayako can't manage everything by herself anymore," Nango continued.
"If you come help her, we'd be together all the time. You wouldn't have to just sit in the stands during games."
Kano was genuinely moved now.
Still, whether she could transfer depended on her father—and that would be difficult.
Nango seemed to understand and added gently,
"If you want to come, we'll figure it out together."
"…Okay."
Kano nodded.
"Alright," Nango smiled. "Let's finish the movie first."
After the movie ended, Nango tapped the poster outside the theater.
"Kano, do you know how a groundhog calls?"
"I don't."
Nango suddenly froze, crossed his arms stiffly over his chest, then—
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
"Ah!!" Kano nearly jumped out of her skin. "You scared me to death!"
She smacked his arm hard, but Nango laughed unabashedly.
"That's really how they call! I have a picture! I'll show you later!"
"I don't believe you!"