Preliminaries Begin

Episode 72: So this was Ryonan? Just walking over here made it hard to breathe. Look, that was Sendoh! He was even more handsome in person than in the photos!

Wow, that was Uozumi, right? Oh my God, he was practically a giant. If I stood beside him, I'd probably only reach his chest. But who was the one walking at the front? His hair color was so unusual.

Didn't they say the captain had changed this year? I heard it was a first-year. Could that be him?

Chi Tong and the others turned a deaf ear to the discussions around them and walked straight through the passage formed by the crowd, disappearing one by one into the shadows beyond the gymnasium entrance.

Soon, the Ryonan group had completely vanished inside the gymnasium.

At that moment, the atmosphere across Kanagawa's major tournament zones quietly tightened as well. Teams competing at the other venues began arriving one after another, stopping before different Gymnasiums and stepping onto the starting point of their own battlefields.

Time slipped quietly by amid the tense, hectic rhythm.

The lights in Ryonan's locker room were faintly yellow, and the air still carried the mixed scent of disinfectant and old basketball shoes. Spare protective gear was piled in the corner, while a few scribbles remained on the tactics board.

Xiangtian Yanyi stood before the team, holding a notebook with curled edges that was filled with writing. Her expression was solemn. "I've already investigated Kawanobe's information thoroughly."

Her voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire room.

She opened her notes and read them out page by page. "Ryukawa Detective, Kawanobe's captain."

"Ushiro, point guard. Height: 177 centimeters. Weight: 65 kilograms."

"Sato Shotai is Kawanobe's shooting guard. Height: 183 centimeters. Weight: 69 kilograms."

"Watanabe Yutai plays small forward.