Staring at Osaka, Ueno froze for a moment, then lowered his gaze to the basketball that had rolled to his feet.
A beat later, he looked back up—only to find Osaka staring at him just as blankly.
"Slipped?" Ueno asked.
"..."
Before the attack had even begun, Osaka's possession had already ended.
Watching the awkward scene unfold on the court, Miyara felt several veins throb at his temple.
He could tell by now—Osaka's defense was genuinely strong, but as for everything else… that was harder to say.
...
Time ticked by, second after second.
The sky gradually darkened.
Tōdai High School's basketball court.
The steady thump thump thump of the ball hitting the floor echoed through the air, mixed with the sharp squeak of sneakers scraping against the court.
Panting heavily, Ueno faced Osaka, who was also breathing hard as he guarded him closely.
Ueno glanced to the side, where Kyōichi was calling for the ball. Without hesitation, he snapped a pass over.
Going head-to-head with Osaka put enormous pressure on him. Even if Osaka lacked versatility, his defensive ability was absolutely undeniable.
Catching the ball, Kyōichi glanced at Shin, who was glued tightly to him. He carefully dribbled while laughing loudly through heavy breaths.
"Shin, are you into me or something? You're sticking way too close."
"You talk too much."
Blocking Kyōichi with both arms, Shin panted as fatigue flickered through his eyes. His expression remained flat as he shot back coldly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shin suddenly shifted and reached toward the ball in Kyōichi's hands.
Startled, Kyōichi hurriedly hugged the basketball to his chest.
Seeing how tense Kyōichi looked, a hint of amusement flashed through Shin's eyes.
"Why are you hugging the ball? I just reached out a little."
Kyōichi bristled at the mockery in Shin's gaze. Anger flared, and he nearly lashed out before forcing himself to calm down. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his voice.
"I'm just tired. Is it wrong to hold the ball and rest for a second?"
"It's fine."
Shin nodded seriously.
That earnest response nearly made Kyōichi grind his teeth in frustration again.
Watching everyone on the court showing signs of exhaustion, Miyara checked the time. Training had gone on long enough—there was a match tomorrow, after all.
Clapping his hands, he called out, "Alright, gather up!"
Once everyone had assembled, Miyara spoke to Ueno and the others. "Tomorrow morning, eight o'clock sharp. Meet at the school gate. We'll take the bus together to Tōō Academy. Don't be late."
After glancing at the sweat-soaked, panting players, he added, "Get a good rest tonight. I'll call everyone in the morning as a reminder."
"Yes!" the team replied in unison.
After packing up, Miyara glanced at the three first-years still cleaning the court—Ueno, Kurumatani Sora, and Osaka. After a moment's thought, he called out.
"Ueno, don't mop tonight. Just return the balls to the club room."
"Yes, senpai."
Picking up the scattered basketballs, Ueno answered clearly.
"We're heading out first. Thanks for your hard work, Ueno-kun."
"Yes, senpai."
"See you tomorrow morning! Don't be late."
"Yes."
Once Miyara and the others left, only Ueno, Kurumatani Sora, and Osaka remained on the court.
After placing the balls back into the rack, Ueno and Osaka carried the basket toward the basketball club room, while Sora followed behind absentmindedly.
Turning off the floodlights, Ueno glanced back at Sora's distracted expression, concern creeping in.
"Sora, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
Hearing that, Sora forced a smile and shook his head.
"No… I'm just thinking about tomorrow's practice match."
"If you're not feeling well or something's going on, you have to say it, okay?"
"Yeah."
Sora nodded, shooting Ueno a grateful look.
After locking the club room with the new lock, Ueno checked the time on his phone—it was already 7:30 p.m.
He glanced at Sora and Osaka beside him, then spoke after a brief pause.
"How about we grab some milk tea? My treat."
Sora didn't mind, and the usually silent Osaka didn't object either.
Ueno led the way toward the milk tea shop on the commercial street.
Staring at the familiar storefront—Ichiraku Milk Tea—Sora felt a vague sense of déjà vu and asked Ueno, who was busy ordering.
"Ueno… haven't we been here before?"
"I'll take this one, thanks."
After placing his order, Ueno looked at Sora with mild helplessness. "Yeah. We have."
"What do you want to drink?"
"Pearl milk tea for me!"
"Original milk tea is fine."
They sat in a corner of the shop.
Watching Sora occasionally sneak glances toward the hospital across the street, Ueno sighed quietly to himself.
Some things, he could help with. Others… he simply couldn't.
While sipping his drink, Osaka suddenly spoke.
"Ueno."
Ueno looked up and smiled. "Just call me Ueno. What's up?"
Osaka nodded. "Is Tōō Academy… really that strong?"
Even without seeing his eyes, Ueno could hear the curiosity in Osaka's voice.
After a moment of silence, Ueno looked at him seriously.
"Very strong."
...
The next morning.
Since it was a rest day, the school gate was quiet, with only a few people around.
A white bus was parked off to the side.
Coach Shinkawa—who hadn't been able to attend practice the day before—stood calmly beside it.
Nearby, Miyara, Kyōichi, and the others chatted excitedly.
When Ueno arrived while eating breakfast, he noticed that almost the entire team had already gathered.
Almost.
Kurumatani Sora was missing.
Checking the time—7:50 a.m.—Ueno's heart sank slightly as he saw the frown on Coach Shinkawa's face.
He'd thought he was the last one to arrive. He hadn't expected Sora to still be absent.
Seeing Ueno, Kyōichi peeked behind him curiously.
"Where's Sora?"
"I don't know."
Ueno shook his head. They lived along the same route, but not together.
Coach Shinkawa glanced at his watch but said nothing, arms crossed as he stared in the direction of Sora's home.
The others fell silent as well, standing stiffly, not daring to provoke him.
After another tense wait—
Just as anxiety began to rise, Sora came running from a side street.
Panting heavily, he rushed straight to Coach Shinkawa, bowed to Ueno and the others, then bowed deeply again.
"Sorry, Coach Shinkawa! I'm late!"
Coach Shinkawa was about to scold him, but his eyes drifted toward the route Sora had come from. Something flickered through his gaze—concern.
Looking at the still-bowed Sora, he sighed quietly.
"You're here. That's enough. Just don't be late next time."
" Kyōichi, get them on the bus."
"Yes, Coach."
As Coach Shinkawa boarded first, Miyara looked worriedly at Sora, who was drenched in sweat.
"Did something happen?"
After half a month together, he knew Sora wasn't the type to oversleep. He was always the earliest to arrive and the last to leave.
This delay had to mean something.
Others gathered closer, equally concerned.
Seeing their expressions, warmth spread through Sora's chest. He smiled.
"It's nothing."