Hiroshima Central Gymnasium, Ryonan locker room.
The players had just finished an intense first half, and most were slumped against the benches, resting. Some lowered their heads to wipe sweat from their foreheads, while others unscrewed their sports drinks and took long gulps.
As they rested, the conversation naturally turned to the first half.
"What a shame," Xiangtian Yanyi said regretfully. "Shohoku still managed to take the lead at the very end. If we'd stopped that three-pointer, we could have stayed ahead going into halftime."
Shishang Liang'er leaned against a locker, looking reflective. "I really didn't expect Rukawa to get this strong. Looks like all that talk about him being a super rookie wasn't just hype!"
"Yeah." Uekusa had just taken a sip of his drink. He nodded repeatedly, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes, then frowned as worry crept into his voice. "But are we really going to be okay?"
"Shohoku is on a completely different level now. With Liu Chuanfeng playing this well, can we hold them off in the second half?"
Yueye Hongming set down his water bottle and offered some reassurance.
"Don't worry. If Chi Tong said so, then he must be right."
Then his tone shifted, taking on a note of guilt. "But that last basket really was my fault. I got careless. If I'd kept a closer eye on Mitsui Hisashi, Shohoku wouldn't have taken the lead." "There wasn't much you could do in that situation!"
Looking a little embarrassed, Xiangtian Yanyi hurried to reassure him. "Nobody could have predicted Miyagi would suddenly throw a bounce pass like that. Anyone would have struggled to react."
"Oh, right."
Xiangtian Yanyi looked around the spacious locker room, her gaze passing over the familiar faces. Her brows drew together slightly, and confusion entered her voice.