Sakuragi's Gang, a Classic Scene Reenacted

Several figures walked in against the light.

The man at the front sported a pompadour, his hands tucked into his pockets and a cocky smile on his face.

Yohei and the others.

Sakuragi's Gang, all present.

"Yohei?!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi cried out in delight.

"We came to see whether Hanamichi had been slacking off."

Yohei glanced over the situation inside, his gaze settling on Hisashi Mitsui and his group.

"Didn't expect to catch such a good show."

"Since Hanamichi's friends are being bullied."

"We can't just stand by and watch."

Yohei rolled his wrists, and his eyes sharpened.

Takamiya Nozomu patted his round belly and chuckled. "Perfect. A little exercise before dinner."

With several fighting experts from Sakuragi's Gang joining in.

The situation instantly became a one-sided beatdown.

Yohei's movements were clean and efficient, practically knocking down one person with every punch.

Using his weight advantage, Takamiya Nozomu charged through the crowd like a human wrecking ball.

In just a few minutes.

Of the delinquents Hisashi Mitsui had brought, only Tetsuo was still struggling to hold on. The rest were basically sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain.

What had begun as an aggressive raid on the basketball club had turned into a one-sided beating.

"Damn it..."

Hisashi Mitsui gripped the mop handle in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He looked at these energetic boys, fighting to protect their teammates.

Jealousy and resentment gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes.

Why...

Why could they shine so brightly?

Why could they have everything he had lost?

"Destroy it..."

"I'll destroy all of it!!"

Hisashi Mitsui's eyes were bloodshot as he raised the stick like a madman and charged at Kiminobu Kogure, who was closest to him.

"Stop it! Mitsui!"

Kiminobu Kogure did not dodge.

He took off his glasses and looked straight at the boy who had once been so full of spirit.

Smack!

The stick stopped mere centimeters above Kiminobu Kogure's head.

A hand had caught it.

It was not Lin Bei, nor was it Hanamichi Sakuragi.

It was Kiminobu Kogure himself.

The vice-captain who was usually gentle and mild-mannered, always playing the nice guy.

Now he gripped Hisashi Mitsui's stick tightly, his eyes filled with pain.

"How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"You... don't actually want this, do you?"

Kiminobu Kogure's voice trembled slightly.

"Shut up!!"

"What do you know?!"

"This is just a club activity! Just a stupid game!"

"I won't let you enjoy yourselves! I won't!" Hisashi Mitsui roared hysterically.

"Then come back!!"

Kiminobu Kogure suddenly shouted, cutting off Hisashi Mitsui's roar.

That shout silenced the entire gym.

Even Lin Bei stopped moving, staring in surprise at the usually timid bespectacled guy.

"If you care that much, if you can't let it go..."

"Then come back! Mitsui!"

"Our team is still here. Basketball is still here..."

"As long as you want to come back..."

Tears streamed down Kiminobu Kogure's face.

"Who gives a damn about this crappy team!!"

Hisashi Mitsui shoved Kiminobu Kogure away and staggered backward.

"I came here to destroy this place!"

"I'll never play basketball again! That thing..."

Just then.

A heavy, suffocating presence suddenly blanketed the entire gymnasium.

It felt as though a sleeping beast had awakened.

The doors opened again.

A tall figure, towering like an iron pillar, slowly walked in.

Takenori Akagi.

He wore his school uniform and carried a schoolbag in one hand.

He looked at the wrecked gym, at the delinquents sprawled all over the floor, at his injured teammates.

Finally, his gaze landed on the long-haired man.

Akagi's face was terrifyingly dark.

But he did not roar or shout.

He simply took heavy steps, walking toward Hisashi Mitsui one step at a time.

"A-Akagi..."

The moment he saw that familiar face.

Hisashi Mitsui's crazed swagger vanished as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was the reverence for a former opponent and teammate, etched deep into his bones.

Akagi stopped in front of Hisashi Mitsui.

The two looked at each other.

One remained as steady as a mountain.

The other had already fallen into the mud.

Smack!!!

With a thunderous crack.

Takenori Akagi swung his arm and slapped Hisashi Mitsui viciously across the face.

That slap carried far too many emotions.

Disappointment, anger, heartbreak.

Hisashi Mitsui spun from the blow, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

But he neither fought back nor cursed.

He simply stood there blankly, clutching his cheek.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Akagi's voice was low and imposing.

"Do you know how much effort everyone has put in for the prefectural tournament?"

"And you..."

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Akagi pointed at the basketball on the floor, then at the teammates around them as he berated him.

"What does it have to do with you..."

"I'm just a delinquent..."

"It has nothing to do with an honor student like you..."

Hisashi Mitsui lowered his head, his body heaving violently.

"Stop pretending!!"

Kiminobu Kogure rushed over and grabbed Hisashi Mitsui by the collar.

With tears streaming down his face, he shouted at the confused people around them:

"Do you know who he is?!"

"He's Hisashi Mitsui!"

"Takeishi Middle School's ace!"

"That year's prefectural MVP!!"

Those words exploded beside Hanamichi Sakuragi and Miyagi like a bolt of thunder.

"MVP?!"

"This old hag... was an MVP?"

Hanamichi Sakuragi's eyes widened as he stared at the long-haired thug in front of him, missing a front tooth.

The other newcomers were stunned as well.

They had all heard that name before.

That legendary sharpshooter.

Could he really... be the man standing before them?

Lin Bei leaned against the wall, quietly watching the scene unfold.

He knew the climax had arrived.

This was probably one of the most moving moments in the entire manga.

Kiminobu Kogure was still tearfully recounting the past.

He spoke of how Hisashi Mitsui had persevered despite his injuries.

And how he had been forced to leave the court after his knee injury flared up again.

He told them how that once high-spirited boy had ended up where he was today, step by step.

"His leg is already healed!"

"But he never came back!"

"Because of his pride! Because he couldn't face Akagi's growth!"

"Idiots! You're all idiots!"

Every word stabbed into Hisashi Mitsui's heart like a knife.

It was a past he desperately wanted to cover up, to forget, yet could never truly let go of.

The floodgates of memory opened.

The version of himself running across the court.

The version of himself sinking the game-winning shot.

The version of himself surrounded by the cheers of the crowd.

And then...

That plump, kindly figure.

"Ho ho ho..."

A familiar laugh drifted over.

Coach Anzai had appeared at the entrance at some point.

He remained as calm as ever, as though he could embrace everything.

"Oh..."

"It's Mitsui."

Coach Anzai looked at Hisashi Mitsui as though he were a lost child.

There was no rebuke, only regret.

The moment he saw Coach Anzai.

Hisashi Mitsui's final psychological defense crumbled completely.

The man who had once told him, "If you give up now, the game is over."

The man he respected most, the one he had wanted most to repay.

Tears poured out like a burst dam.

Mixed with snot and blood, they blurred that once arrogant face.

His former pride.

His present fall.

All his grievances, regret, and resentment.

At this moment, they became the most primal impulse.