With that thought in mind, Fujima felt relieved.
He will tell his former teammates everything tomorrow.
He has done more than enough for everyone, and I believe no one will complain about him.
After that,
Sanae then told Fujima about a major task that was about to be carried out!
The Shohoku Basketball Team was busy until noon before they finished dealing with everything they needed to.
They didn't feel particularly tired after the final match.
Perhaps it was because they were too happy and excited.
But now, after dealing with all the media, that excitement has worn off.
I felt weak all over and wished I could just lie down in the locker room.
In the locker room, everyone was slumped over, looking exhausted, hardly resembling a champion team.
"Sigh... so being a champion is this tiring..."
Ryota Miyagi sighed. In terms of total running distance, he was definitely number one.
If it were based on steps, he would definitely be at the top of the list today, dominating the cover.
After dealing with the media, even if you didn't say anything, you should at least sit up straight.
This is a rule that Takenori Akagi has repeatedly emphasized.
No matter what, we have to show our Shohoku spirit and not embarrass ourselves!
After all this commotion, even the Miyagi was exhausted.
"Hey, Miya, are you feeling really down right now? It's okay, you can touch my trophy."
"Don't use too much force!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi approached Miyagi with a smug look on his face.
Physically tired, but the smugness of a genius was still strong.
Speaking of which, among the Shohoku Five Tigers, Miyagi really didn't win any awards.
Even Coach Anzai won the Best Coach award.
Sakuragi's words weren't meant to comfort her; they were clearly a finishing blow.
In Kogure's words, this is the unique characteristic of Shohoku.
These guys off the field don't seem to get along very well.
His words were either sarcastic or sarcastic.
But Kogure was unaware that the friendship between these problem children ran quite deep.
The mere fact that they fought together is something that will never exist in Kogure's world.
"Tch, Kanagawa has really fallen from grace. Even a dummy like you who can only bounce around can become the Rebound King."
"And you, Mitsui, don't they check your criminal record when selecting the best player? Your resume is a bad influence on kids..."
Miyagi was just venting his frustrations. Mitsui and Sakuragi, having won the game, didn't care at all; instead, they grinned slyly.
"Alright, alright, Miyagi has sacrificed a lot for the team. If you ask me, his awards will depend on the national tournament."
Kind-hearted Kogure stepped in at the right moment to smooth things over.
That's true. Miyagi did indeed sacrifice a lot for Shohoku.
After Shirasawa arrived, he switched from point guard to shooting guard.
Sometimes, due to the lineup, I even have to mark the opponent's small forward.
This was definitely not easy for Miyagi, who is only 168 cm tall, but he still tried his best to carry it.
It was for the greater good, even at the cost of my own life.
If there were a Best Teammate award, it would undoubtedly go to Miyagi; no one would disagree.
"Alright, everyone, listen to me."
Takenori Akagi clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"The county tournament is over. As the captain, I need to thank everyone."
"We've gotten this far thanks to everyone's efforts. But the real journey is only just beginning!"
"The national competition, that's the stage we need to fight for!"
"We have to go all out against every team over there."
"So don't let your guard down just because of these achievements. Don't forget what Shohoku goal is!"
"Dominate the entire nation!"
Akagi's words rekindled excitement and anticipation on the faces of his teammates.
That's right.
For Shohoku, the real competition is only just beginning.
It's far from time to take a breather.
If they are eliminated in the first round of the national competition, then this county championship will become a joke.
Even Kanagawa will be embarrassed!
"Hehehe... Akagi -kun is right. There's still a month until the national tournament, we should make the most of it."
"The team has a day off tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, the whole team will gather for the final sprint before the national competition."
Coach Anzai rarely sets such clear training requirements.
He is now full of expectations, hoping that these children will shine on the national stage.
Therefore, more training is necessary to maintain and improve performance.
Being given a day off is already a great favor.
I heard that the neighboring Ryonan went straight back to training this afternoon...
Although Coach Taoka has changed his coaching approach, he will definitely stick to the principle of "forging steel through trials and tribulations."
The Shohoku Team wished this month would pass in the blink of an eye.
It's not that I hate training, it's just that I'm so looking forward to the national competition.
We'll be going to Hiroshima to meet up with 58 other teams from across the country; it'll be a gathering of top players.
Moreover, we eat and stay there. Putting aside the games, it's practically a team trip and team building activity. Just thinking about it is exciting.
"Alright, that's all for today. Everyone go home and get some rest. No one is allowed to be late the day after tomorrow."
With Akagi's words, Shohoku's journey in the prefectural tournament officially came to an end.
However, the team did not disband.
At Shirasawa's suggestion, the entire Shohoku team had a meal together!
You need to be on your guard when you need to be.
When it's time to celebrate, we must celebrate properly!
As the biggest winner of the county competition, it's only right that Shirasawa expends some effort.
It's not like we don't have the means.
He waved his hand generously and said, "Today's expenses are on me!"
This immediately brought the team's atmosphere to a climax.
The cheers of "MVP" rang out again...
Coach Anzai politely declined to attend.
He's also working hard for the national competition, just in a different way: he has to pay attention to his diet and rest to maintain his form...
It's no secret that Shirasawa is rich.
The events that Sanae arranged for him, even the most naive person wouldn't think they were free.
Moreover, he won seven awards today, making a fortune.
We really need to fleece him to appease the public anger!
At Takenori Akagi's suggestion, everyone decided to go to Uozumi's restaurant.
Consider this a small compensation from Akagi to his old rival.
However, Uozumi is probably tidying up at the stadium right now; he's not at the store.
Otherwise, the meal would taste completely different, like someone showing off on someone else's turf.
Although Uozumi home, since it's his family's shop, it's hard not to notice when such a large group of basketball players come.
But Akagi felt that Uozumi would definitely understand what he meant.
They might whisper a few words to each other in private, then go about their business.
"Um... Xiao Bai," Hanamichi Sakuragi sidled up to Shirasawa, scratched the back of his head, and whispered, "Can I bring Yoko along?"
He wasn't worried that Shirasawa would mind having too many mouths to feed; Shirasawa wasn't the type to fuss over such things, and there was no need for formalities between them.
Sakuragi was conflicted because he and Yoko hadn't officially confirmed their relationship yet, and he wondered if it was appropriate to bring her to the team's gathering.
Upon hearing this, Shirasawa raised his eyebrows. Judging from Sakuragi's tone, Yoko had probably been waiting for him nearby!
It seems that during their halftime meeting, the two not only greeted each other but also made plans for a post-match date.
No wonder Sakuragi's smile was practically reaching his ears when he came back.
"Great, excellent!" Shirasawa chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "If you two were to act alone, I was genuinely worried you might say something wrong and mess things up again..."
"It's perfect Ayako -senpai is here too, she can help out. Let's take this opportunity to get everyone's support and help you break through that barrier!"
The next day, in Aichi Prefecture.
The final match between the Aiwa Academy and Meihou Industrial started on time.
This match garnered significant attention locally, as Aiwa Academy is considered the prefecture's flagship team, as evidenced by their ace Dai Moroboshi, being known as the " Star of Aichi."
However, although Kanagawa has been suppressed by Kainan for many years and everyone is eager to overthrow them, Kainan becomes the hope of the whole prefecture when it comes to the national tournament. This is how Shinichi Maki got his title of " Maki the Emperor ".
But in today's final, the spotlight isn't entirely on Aiwa's side.
Meihou Industrial's popularity even slightly surpassed that of the others, for no other reason than that they had a super rookie in their team named Hiroshi Morishige.
" Maki, who is Hiroshi Morishige? The whole place is calling his name."
Nobunaga Kiyota and Shinichi Maki arrived in Aichi Prefecture last night, as had been planned beforehand.
Shinichi Maki wanted to let this kid see a national-level team in advance, to let him know his place. He also planned to take Kiyota to Hiroshima to watch the national tournament in a month.
This intention to cultivate talent has long since transcended the scope of Kainan; it is purely a senior's way of supporting a promising junior.
As for Hiroshi Morishige, Shinichi Maki didn't really know much about him either.
He was busy enough with his own affairs in Kainan this year, especially during the semi-finals, when one unexpected thing after another happened. He didn't have time to inquire about news from other counties.
These days, unless a newcomer becomes an overnight sensation like Shirasawa, it's difficult to attract attention from other counties.
"I don't know much about this newcomer," Shinichi Maki said calmly, "But judging from this situation, Hiroshi Morishige is definitely not simple."
He paused, then looked at Kiyota.
"He's a freshman too. You can see for yourself where you fall short compared to these so-called 'super rookies'."
He spoke calmly, but Shinichi Maki was a little worried for Dai Moroboshi.
He knows this plot like the back of his hand...
Didn't a superstar emerge in Kanagawa, causing his high school career to come to an abrupt end?
Dai Moroboshi was just a bit lucky; even if he lost, he could still compete in the national tournament. But deep down, Shinichi Maki was still somewhat unwilling to see his generation completely outmatched by the newcomers.
It's partly a lingering attachment to those classmates from back then; after all, the taste of a hero's twilight years is always desolate.
Amidst cheers from the crowd, the starting lineups from both sides entered the field.
Hiroshi Morishige finally came into view of Shinichi Maki and Kiyota.
They were stunned after just one glance.
The visual impact is incredible!
Being around two meters tall isn't too unusual; there are plenty of tall people in Kanagawa. But his physique... the word "strong" simply doesn't do him justice.
If Jun Uozumi is considered a monster, then this guy is practically a monster incarnate!
"Holy crap!" Nobunaga Kiyota's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "If Takasago- senpai stood next to him, he'd probably look like a little chick!"
This description, though crude, is apt. Let alone Takasago, even Takenori Akagi would probably look like an ordinary gym-goer next to him.
Neither Shinichi Maki nor Kiyota expected that this super rookie would actually be a center.
It's worth noting that while many star players have emerged nationwide in recent years, there haven't been any particularly noteworthy players at the center position, apart from Masashi Kawata of Sannoh Industrial High School.
Otherwise, Shota Sugiyama wouldn't have made a special trip to Kanagawa to find Akagi, who had never even played in the national tournament.
Judging from the Hiroshi Morishige is no ordinary person.