Back in the locker room, Hakata Commercial's players sat down in silence. The atmosphere remained heavy.
Tetsuya Takao still had a towel over his head and said nothing.
The head coach looked around, his gaze finally settling on Tetsuya Takao.
He walked over, sat beside Takao, and sighed softly.
"Takao, want to hear a story from when your coach was young?" the coach asked calmly.
Tetsuya Takao stirred slightly. His towel-covered head gave a small nod, but he still did not look up.
The coach's gaze grew distant as he slowly began, "When I was your age, I was the team's undisputed ace too. I was arrogant beyond belief and thought no one in the world could touch me."
"It wasn't until I reached the National Tournament that I truly realized... within one school, I might be a genius, the number one player.
But across an entire prefecture, there were seven or eight players about as good as me.
And nationwide... there were dozens like me, or even stronger."
"And I finally saw what it meant to be a genius who could utterly crush me... I still remember that despair vividly.
Back then, I was just like you are now. I thought I could never catch up to those guys for the rest of my life, as though my road in basketball had reached its end."
Tetsuya Takao's towel-covered head moved again, as though he was listening closely.
"I floundered for several years and nearly gave up basketball.
Then, later on, I met my college coach." The coach's voice softened, filling with respect.
"He taught me that when one person's strength isn't enough to beat a genius, you can rely on your team.
As long as all five players share the same goal, pull in the same direction, and stick