Next to the vending machine in the county stadium.
Toru Hanagata bent down, took out two bottles of drinks, and handed one to Fujima.
"Those guys from Tsukubu's gang..."
He didn't seem to be commenting on his opponent, but rather speaking to himself, "Despite a clear difference in skill, they gritted their teeth and dragged the match to the very end. That kind of playing style is practically burning themselves out."
Fujima took the drink.
"Being moved and being rational are two different things."
" Tsukubu showed us just how terrifying the power can be when a team is pushed to the brink."
"But Shohoku possesses pure strength."
"But no matter how much ability they still have..."
He slightly raised his chin, his tone firm.
"All we need to do is be stronger than them. With the teamwork we've honed over three years, with the basketball of Shoyo, we'll crush them head-on."
"They want to win, and we want to win even more. It's that simple."
Suddenly, footsteps sounded.
The two looked up.
" Maki!"
Hanagata unzipped the sports drink can in her hand and greeted them.
"The match between Shohoku and Tsukubu probably doesn't hold much appeal for you, right?"
Shepherd did not answer immediately.
He stopped and looked out the window at the incessant drizzle. The profile of his face appeared particularly sharp under the light of the corridor ceiling lamp.
He remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
"When I saw the group assignments, I thought Shoyo was pretty lucky."
Maki turned his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over Fujima and Hanagata.
"There are no strong teams in Group B. I thought we would be playing against Shoyo for the championship and runner-up title this year."
"I didn't expect Shohoku to be this strong this year; they'll probably give you a lot of trouble."
Upon hearing Fujima, Fujima's lips curled up slightly.
"It's no fun if they're all weak teams."
He looked at Mu, his eyes clear and firm.
"Without competitors, how can we know how strong we will become after a year of hard work?"
Maki's deep gaze lingered on Fujima's face for a moment, then he nodded slightly.
It was as if he had confirmed something, or perhaps he had accepted the statement.
"Then keep it up!"
See you in the finals.
After saying that, he turned and left, his firm footsteps echoing rhythmically in the corridor.
Hanagata only looked away when Maki's figure had completely disappeared into the rain.
He chuckled softly, "Mu, that guy, is still as confident as ever."
Fujima didn't reply immediately; the light shone on his face, creating a play of light and shadow.
"It's pressure."
Fujima finally spoke.
The Hanagata turned its head, looking puzzled.
" Kainan's seventeen years of dominance have placed a heavy burden on each Kainan captain, beyond just basketball."
"Nobody wants to see Kainan's winning streak broken by their own efforts. That awareness that it can't be a turning point is ingrained in their bones."
Fujima's tone was calm. "So no matter which team plays, Maki will watch. He's not doing it for fun; he's assessing the strength of every potential opponent and preparing for any unexpected events."
Fujima turned to look at Hanagata, his eyes revealing a clarity beyond his years.
"He is not only technically superb, but also possesses the ability to lead a team, a highly calm mind, strong willpower, keen observation and analysis skills, and never underestimates opponents, no matter how weak they may seem. And also..."
Fujima paused for a moment, looking out the window at the sky, which had completely darkened.
"An almost obsessive desire for victory."
Hanagata listened silently, gripping the beverage can in her hand tightly.
Fujima continued, "Think about Kainan's previous captains, Ishikawa, Nanao... In the end, they're all the same kind of people. How do you think Maki's talent was discovered? Wasn't he specially recruited by Kainan's former captain, Ishikawa, from a group of junior high school students, personally going to Kainan Aichi Prefecture?"
Even as they move on to university, they will still do their utmost to find the next "shepherd" for the team, ensuring the foundation of the dynasty remains unshaken. Their sights are never set on their own graduation season.
Fujima remained silent for a moment after speaking.
"A champion... is not just someone who receives cheers from the stands, trophies in the cabinet, or a shining achievement on their resume."
"It's more of a pressure, a responsibility etched into our bones, a weight silently passed down from generation to generation of Kainan team captains... a weight as heavy as a mountain."
Hanagata remained silent for a long time, the beverage can in her hand now deformed from being squeezed.
He looked in the direction Mu had left, his eyes less relaxed than usual, and more heavy with emotion.
" Yazawa..."
Anzai finally spoke.
Kazumi Kawasaki held her breath.
"That kid was the most talented player I've ever seen."
Anzai's gaze seemed to pierce through time, returning to many years ago.
"Height, wingspan, athleticism, touch... he possesses a talent that has been rarely seen in Japan basketball for decades."
"Looking at him, I felt like I was seeing a sapling stubbornly breaking through the soil in a barren desert, about to grow into a towering tree."
"I placed all my hopes and all my dreams for the future of Japan basketball on him."
"I pushed him hard, eager to mold him into a giant capable of challenging the world's highest walls."
His voice trembled slightly, and his hands were unusually clenched into fists.
"But I was wrong. I was too impatient. I only saw his talent, but I didn't listen to him properly, and I didn't try to understand his confusion and pressure. I treated him as a tool to realize his dreams, instead of a child who needed guidance and care."
"I pushed him too hard, and I pushed him too far."
Tears, without warning, streamed down Anzai's face.
The ever-smiling White-Haired Buddha's face was now filled with profound pain and regret.
"After he died in the car accident, I asked myself countless times, what am I doing?"
"What qualifications do I, a coach, have to teach those young people full of dreams?"
"Watching the gap between Japan basketball and the world's best widen, watching our so-called geniuses utterly helpless against the monsters from Europe and America..."
"I felt despair. My passion for basketball seemed to have died along with Yazawa."
He looked up, through his blurry, tear-filled eyes, at Akagi, who was talking to Rukawa on the field, and Miyagi, who was helping Ayako pack her things.
" Akagi is hardworking, strong, and responsible; he's a good captain, but his talent is limited and his technique is rough."
" Miyagi..."
" Kaede Rukawa... has great talent and solid skills, but he only has eyes for the basket and himself."
He commented on each point, his tone calm yet cruel.
That was the perspective of a national team player who had stood on the world stage and witnessed the true top talents of European and American players.
" Mitsui..."
When this name was mentioned, Anzai's voice visibly paused, becoming more hesitant than when he spoke of others.
"That child..."