Back in Shohoku, Kawamoto Kazuki did not participate in the afternoon team practice.
He didn't even go back to school, but went straight to Boss Kobayashi's seafood shop.
Evening was the busiest time, and he needed this familiar fatigue to dilute the chaotic thoughts brought about by Shinichi Maki's recruitment.
On the other side, at the entrance of Shohoku School.
Hanamichi Sakuragi was about to rush back to the gymnasium for training when he was stopped by four familiar figures.
"Hey, Hanamichi!"
With a Pocky stick dangling from his mouth, Nozomi Takamiya asked vaguely.
Did you guys win today?
Sakuragi immediately puffed out his chest, put his hands on his hips, and began to boast, "Of course! With this genius Hanamichi Sakuragi here, it's a piece of cake! Wahahaha! Those guys Tsukubu are no match for this genius!"
"Really?"
Yuji Okusu glanced at him sideways.
"Of course it's true! My one dunk blew them all away!"
Sakuragi got more and more excited as he spoke, "Listen up, you bunch of bastards! The next game against Shoyo is this Saturday. You guys absolutely have to come and cheer for this genius! You hear me? Shout ' Sakuragi is a genius!' at the top of your lungs!"
With his hands in his pockets, Yohei Mito looked at Sakuragi's energetic appearance and a slight smile played on his lips.
He nodded. "Okay, we'll go."
"Alright! It's settled then! This genius is off to train!"
Sakuragi charged toward the basketball court like a red whirlwind.
Watching Sakuragi's figure disappear in the direction of the gymnasium, Yohei Mito's smile turned into relief.
He said softly, " Sakuragi... seems to be drifting further and further away from us."
Chuichiro Noma calmly replied, "It's not just a feeling, it's a fact. Right now, all he cares about is basketball, training, and Haruko. He spends less and less time hanging out with us."
Isn't this a good thing?
Okusu shrugged. "He wasn't supposed to be hanging out with us anyway. Now he looks like a real basketball player."
"By the way, this week's Saturday... is June 4th, right?"
Noma suddenly spoke, his tone unchanged, but it made the other three pause at the same time.
The Pocky stick in Nozomi Takamiya's mouth fell to the ground.
The ease on Yuji Okusu's face vanished.
Even the usually composed Yohei Mito clenched his fists slightly, his hands still in his pockets.
The atmosphere, which had just been somewhat melancholic because of Sakuragi, instantly plummeted to freezing point.
A somber atmosphere replaced the surrounding mood.
The four people stood in the drizzle, and none of them spoke.
Only the noisy flow of students leaving school passed by them.
Meanwhile, at the Tsukubu High School basketball gym.
The atmosphere was equally somber, filled with a sorrowful sadness of parting.
Koichiro Nango washed his face, shook his wet hair, and shouted at his dejected seniors, "Hey! Cheer up! We lost, so what? We'll get back at them next year. From today onwards, we need to train even harder!"
"Next time, we must defeat that expressionless number 15 from Shohoku, Akagi, and that Red-Haired Monkey!"
He shouted enthusiastically, but found no one responded.
" Godai? Natsume- senpai? Tamura -senpai? Mine-senpai?"
Tomokazu Godai made a precise three-pointer and turned to face Nango.
Natsume, Tamura, Kenta Mine also stopped what they were doing and watched him quietly.
Their eyes were filled with deep longing.
Godai spoke softly, "There won't be a next year."
"Huh? What did you say, Captain? Isn't there still the Winter Selection Tournament? We can still..."
" Nango..."
Hiroshi Natsume interrupted him; the usually honest point guard now wore a helpless, bitter smile.
"We've decided long ago that this summer will be our last chance."
Yoshikazu Tamura also said in a low voice, "We've fought for six years, we've given it our all... We're tired, Nango. Not physically tired, but mentally tired too."
Kenta Mine wiped his eyes hard. "Actually, we shouldn't have stayed on the basketball court in the first place. After graduation, we have to go to school, find jobs, and support ourselves... It's time to put basketball down."
"What nonsense are you spouting, you bastards!"
Nango became agitated, rushed forward and grabbed Godai's collar, his eyes red. "You're just giving up after losing the match?"
"What about all the sweat you've shed over the years? What about the days you trained until you vomited? What about the dream you shared of making it to the national championships?"
"Ah?!"
His roar echoed in the empty arena.
"It's not giving up, Nango."
Godai didn't break free, his eyes filled with understanding and entrustment as he looked at him. "It's because we've come to understand ourselves."
"Our talent, our limits, lie right here."
"Through hard work and passion, we made it to the top eight in the county last year. With you on the team this year, we thought we could go even further, but then we encountered monsters like Shohoku..."
"They are very likely to be this year's national champions, and we have no regrets about playing against the champion team."
Coach Kazumi Kawasaki also came over, put his hand on Nango's shoulder, and said gently, " Nango, you're different from us."
"You're still young, and the talent you possess is something we can only dream of. Staying in Tsukubu would be a waste for you."
"I've already spoken with Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai of Shohoku."
"He was my teacher, a former Japanese national team player who represented Japan at the Montreal Olympics, and a legendary figure in Japan basketball history."
"Going to Shohoku will allow you to receive top-notch guidance and training, and compete with stronger teammates. Your future shouldn't be limited to Kanagawa, or even just Japan."
"So what if they're Japan national team players? So what if they're from Shohoku? Who cares! I..."
Nango retorted excitedly, but halfway through his sentence, he suddenly seemed to be paused.
He blinked, tilted his head, and the angry expression on his face froze instantly.
Then slowly... slowly... it transformed into an extremely strange expression.
It was like confusion, yet also like a sudden realization.
"Etc..."
Nango loosened his grip on Godai's collar, took a step back, and picked at his ear with his finger, as if he hadn't heard clearly.
"Coach, you just mentioned... Shohoku?"
"Yes, Shohoku High School." Coach Kawasaki nodded.
" The Haruko High School that Shohoku is in?"
Nango's eyes lit up instantly, as if all the grief and resentment he had felt moments before had been wiped away with a single click.
"Uh... yes, Takenori Akagi does have a younger sister named Haruko Akagi, who is a first-year student at Shohoku High School..."
Tomokazu Godai was a little confused by his train of thought.
Holy crap!!!
Nango slapped his thigh and jumped up like a spring, his face instantly filled with ecstasy and eagerness.
"Why didn't you say so sooner! It's Shohoku! It's Haruko -san's Shohoku!"
"Is the transfer procedure complete? Are there any difficulties? Should I contact my family immediately to expedite the process? My dad knows someone on the Education Commission! Can the student record, files, and uniform be processed today?"
He spoke at breakneck speed, like a machine gun, then turned to Godai and the others, who were still reeling from the somber atmosphere and looking completely bewildered. "You guys, why are you only telling me about this now!"
"You're really dawdling, wasting my time seeing Haruko- san. Enough said, I need to pack my things. I'm going to report to Shohoku right now!"
"Miss Haruko... wait for me!"
After saying that, he turned around and rushed out of the stadium, as if Haruko would disappear if he was a second Haruko.
"Wait... wait! Nango!"
Godai and the others then realized what was happening and rushed over in a flurry, grabbing the overly excited blond-haired man and holding him back tightly.
School's out now, and Shohoku School is closed too.
"The fastest the procedures can be completed is tomorrow."
"Calm down, you bastard!"
"At least finish today's training summary!"
It took a lot of effort for a group of people to finally subdue the struggling Nango.
Despite being pinned down by the crowd, Nango still managed to look up, glaring angrily at Coach Kawasaki, and loudly complained, "Why has such an important matter been delayed until now? It almost ruined my life's most important event!"
Coach Kawasaki and the rest of the Godai: "..."