She is known as a supportive wife in the basketball world. She has been quietly supporting Coach Anzai since he first started coaching the college team. Back then, Coach Anzai was known as the " White-Haired Devil " because of his fiery temper and lack of closeness with the players. Mrs. Anzai became the bridge between him and the players, fulfilling her role as a coach's wife perfectly.
Later, when Coach Anzai's most valued disciple, Ryuji Yazawa, had an accident, Mrs. Anzai always blamed herself for it. If she had been able to persuade Yazawa more, or persuade Anzai more, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out that way. Coach Anzai was also depressed for a long time because of this, and even developed heart problems. He eventually resigned from his position as a university coach, making the " White-Haired Devil " a thing of the past.
He chose to retire peacefully at the little-known Shohoku High School, and was always smiling. Over the years, his greatest contribution to Shohoku was recruiting Hisashi Mitsui into the team. Coach Anzai could always vaguely see the shadow of Ryuji Yazawa in Mitsui.
However, fate likes to play tricks. Mitsui had just joined the team and hadn't even played a single official match before being forced to retire due to injury.
He even gave up basketball altogether.
This incident dampened the nascent enthusiasm in Coach Anzai's heart.
It's fair to say that ever since the incident with Yazawa, Coach Anzai has never been truly enthusiastic about coaching again.
Normally, he would just show up at the stadium, chat happily with Akagi for a bit, and that was his way of fulfilling his job duties.
But in the last two months, the situation has changed.
Mrs. Anzai was the first to notice the change in him.
The old man started getting up early to run, became more particular about his meals, and even started mentioning that he needed to go to the hospital for regular check-ups.
Sometimes when his teammates aren't around, he'll wander over to the basketball court.
He would pick up the basketballs that had rolled all over the place and put them back on the ball cart, straighten the mops that were lying all over the place, and even go to the locker room to see if that silly boy Sakuragi had thrown his team uniform around again.
When he's in the mood, he'll even pick up a ball and shoot a few baskets.
Mrs. Anzai noticed all these subtle changes.
She knew in her heart that her husband's passion for basketball had returned.
It's just that as he's gotten older and experienced more, his way of expressing himself is naturally different from that of the " White-Haired Devil " he was in his youth.
Now, I feel more peaceful and more enlightened.
Mrs. Anzai knew that the root of this change lay with Shirasawa, the new number 9 from Shohoku.
Ever since Shirasawa joined Shohoku, Coach Anzai has gradually changed without anyone noticing.
Upon hearing his wife's question, Coach Anzai burst into laughter.
"Of course!" he said, patting his round belly. "I haven't felt this excited in a long time. This year's team is really strong."
Mrs. Anzai smiled and followed up, "How about we invite Xiao Bai over for dinner sometime? He's incredibly popular in Kanagawa these days."
Upon hearing this, Coach Anzai understood his wife's thoughts.
She was afraid; afraid that Shirasawa would become the second Ryuji Yazawa.
What's even more worrying is that, given Coach Anzai's age and physical condition, he might not be able to withstand a second blow like that.
It's understandable that the lady thinks this way.
Coach Anzai only truly values three promising talents: Ryuji Yazawa, Hisashi Mitsui, and now, Shirasawa.
All three of them are undeniably talented; if Mitsui hadn't been injured, his achievements would certainly have been much greater.
But compared to the previous two, the popularity Shirasawa is currently receiving is truly astonishing.
He rose to fame at a young age, defeating Shinichi Maki the Emperor of Kanagawa, in his rookie season and instantly becoming a national star.
With the media's enthusiastic hype, Shirasawa is currently riding high, unmatched by anyone.
At this critical juncture, it's easy for someone to go astray.
Back then, Ryuji Yazawa wasn't as famous as Shirasawa is now, but he already felt that Japan was too small for him and was determined to go abroad.
Coach Anzai tried everything but couldn't keep him.
Once they got there, they realized that nothing was right. The culture was different, the playing style didn't suit them, and they didn't have a team to support them. They simply couldn't fit in.
During that time, Coach Anzai kept a close eye on his news and tried every means to find his match videos to watch.
After watching it, Coach Anzai only said four words: "No improvement whatsoever."
And indeed, this prediction came true; not long after, Yazawa disappeared from the basketball scene.
The next time I heard news of him was that he had died far from home.
Afterwards, Coach Anzai visited his disciple's grave to see him one last time and received a letter of repentance from Yazawa.
In the letter, Yazawa understood everything, but unfortunately, he no longer had the courage to start over.
In Mrs. Anzai's view, Shirasawa is far too likely to follow in Yazawa's footsteps.
Early fame is a double-edged sword, and she was genuinely worried for the child.
The reason for inviting Shirasawa to the house was simply to take the opportunity to get a good feel for the boy and see what he was really thinking.
Coach Anzai understood and gently patted his wife's hand.
"Don't worry," he said confidently, "That kid Xiao Bai is different; I'm very sure of that."
"And in my opinion..." He paused, his small eyes behind his glasses narrowing, "He's already the top high school student in the country."
After speaking, Coach Anzai smiled slightly, his eyes full of anticipation.
Mrs. Anzai had already made up her mind.
She still needed to find a chance to see Shirasawa; she couldn't let her husband down again.
So she changed the subject.
"By the way, if you guys make it to the national tournament this time, you'll get to see Coach Kitano, right? It's been years since you last saw him."
Coach Anzai shook his head regretfully.
In the lady's memory, Kitano was still the head coach of Toyotama High School, leading the team to the national tournament every year.
Moreover, Kitano was Anzai's college classmate, and their relationship was different from that of Taoka and Takato; they actually had a good personal relationship.
If both teams make it to the national championships, it would be only natural for old friends to get together.
But just last year, Kitano was fired from Toyotama High School.
"I'm afraid we won't get to see him," Coach Anzai sighed. "To be honest, I really wanted to have a couple of drinks with him. Kitano's tactical acumen is unparalleled."
"It's such a pity..."
Before he could finish speaking, Coach Anzai's eyes suddenly widened!
Their car was crossing an intersection.
Coach Anzai, sitting in the passenger seat, could see clearly that a black minivan was rushing towards them like a wild horse!
"Madam! Watch out!"
The referee blew the whistle, ending the first half of the match between Ryonan and Takezato.
64 to 15.
This is not a scoreline expected in a semi-final match.
With a massive 49-point deficit, the game was essentially over.
However, according to the rules, Takezato Team must finish the second half.
The halftime whistle blew, and both teams returned to their locker rooms. Coach Takezato didn't seem to be under much pressure, but Moichi Taoka had a stern face from beginning to end; anyone who didn't know better would have thought that Ryonan was trailing by forty-nine points.
It's understandable, really. Although the first half was won easily, Taoka saw nothing but the team's flaws. These flaws could be masked by victory against weaker teams, but they would be magnified tenfold when facing tough opponents.
This is still a long way from the absolute certainty he seeks.
"Hey, Akagi," Kogure glanced around the benches and suddenly remembered something, "Why haven't I seen Haruko and Ayako? Weren't they supposed to be watching?"
As the vice-captain, taking a headcount during halftime is a routine matter. Although, given Kogure's personality, even if he catches someone skipping work, he'll at most give them a few kind words of advice next time they meet.
Actually, he already had a feeling it was probably those same few clowns again. But he was so engrossed in the first half that he only realized now that the silence around him was unusual, completely unlike their usual style.
Kogure wondered to himself, "Could they have really run away?" But when he turned his head to look, he was somewhat surprised.
Mitsui and Miyagi were fast asleep on the bench, while Hanamichi Sakuragi was rubbing his chin, staring blankly, his mind seemingly wandering elsewhere. Shirasawa's seat was empty, and Sanae wasn't there either, though her bag was still there; presumably, the two had only left temporarily to buy water or get some fresh air.
Seeing this, Kogure breathed a sigh of relief, even feeling a little gratified, as if these guys had finally become more sensible. The other team members, of course, didn't need any worry; even if they had three lives, they wouldn't dare leave without permission.
As for Ayako and Haruko, thinking about it carefully, it seems they disappeared as soon as the match ended. When there were reporters at the locker room door before, only Sanae was dealing with them.
Upon hearing this, Akagi smiled mysteriously.
"They've gone to do something beneficial for the team; if all goes well, we'll see a surprise before the game ends."
Kogure was taken aback. What kind of trouble could these two girls possibly cause? Even Akagi was speaking with such certainty.
" Akagi, what exactly are you...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Kogure suddenly stopped. Akagi, seeing his expression, guessed what he was about to ask and shook his head smugly.
"Just wait, this is the biggest player perk in the history of Shohoku."
After saying that, seeing that Kogure didn't respond, Akagi turned around to look. He saw that Kogure looked shocked, his gaze fixed on what was behind him, not looking at him at all.
Just then, a large hand landed on Akagi's shoulder.
It was really big, so big that it could completely encircle Akagi's broad shoulders.
" Akagi, nice to meet you."
Just as Akagi was about to turn around, he heard Kogure stammer out, "Sugi... Sugiyama- senpai!"
The name struck Akagi like a thunderbolt, making his heart leap.
He turned around and saw a man with a much larger build standing next to him, who was taller and bigger than him.
This man is none other than the undisputed number one center in the country, Shota Sugiyama! Akagi plays center, so how could he not recognize this benchmark figure?
Shota Sugiyama gestured with his chin, indicating that Akagi should move over. Akagi nodded blankly, just like Kogure, completely bewildered and forgetting even the most basic greeting.
Standing next to Sugiyama was a smiling middle-aged man with a gentle and kind expression.
Akagi was no stranger to this face— Kazuo Karasawa, the head coach of the Fukazawa Sports University Basketball Team! His fame was in no way inferior to that of Coach Anzai, the " White-Haired Devil " from back then.
The sudden appearance of these two heavyweight figures was completely beyond Akagi's expectations.
After everyone was seated, Akagi finally managed to recover.