Aida Yayoi's Interview (Part One)

He refused to believe that he had given it everything he had, only to suffer such a crushing defeat.

Tu Chun slowly closed his eyes the moment the whistle blew.

His body trembled uncontrollably, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he kept forcing back his tears.

As Daiei Academy's captain, he could not lose his composure on the court. No matter how badly they lost, he had to preserve that last shred of dignity.

Yet only he knew how much it hurt. The tactics he had painstakingly devised, all his teammates' hard work—none of it had stood a chance against Ryonan.

In a corner of the stands, Toyotama High's Minami Ryo and Anben Shili sat quietly, neither saying a word.

They had watched the entire game, from Ryonan's slow-paced probing to Xiangtian Yanyi's Gaze Induction, then the crushing onslaught when the team finally picked up the pace. Every moment remained etched clearly in their minds.

They had lost to Ryonan, and now Daiei Academy, another powerhouse from Osaka, had lost to Ryonan too. That meant both Osaka teams had been eliminated from the national tournament.

The Ryonan players soon returned to the locker room. The smell of sweat from the court still lingered in the air, but the atmosphere was relaxed.

Their next game was the day after tomorrow, leaving them a full day to rest and get themselves ready.

The players changed their clothes while chatting about the highlights of the game.

Just as everyone finished packing and prepared to leave, someone suddenly knocked on the locker room door.

Tiangang Maoyi went over and opened the door. He paused when he saw who was standing outside, then smiled. "Miss Mukai! Are you here to see Yanyi?"

As a well-known reporter for Kanagawa's Basketball Weekly, Mukai Yayo often