When the phone went silent, leaving only the sound of even breathing, Sakuragi called out softly twice, then hung up with a smile. In the entire guesthouse area, probably only Genji was still awake. However, as he reached his room, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Coach Anzai's room was still lit.
Why isn't Dad asleep yet?
Sakuragi's heart skipped a beat. Coach Anzai was usually the first to go to bed, and the unusual lighting sent a flood of bad thoughts through his mind. He rushed over and pushed open the door, and the sight before him made his pupils shrink sharply— Coach Anzai was slumped on the sofa, not in bed, and there was a bottle of medicine on the table.
Sakuragi's head exploded.
Just then, Coach Anzai stirred slightly, and Sakuragi's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled. He had fallen asleep. The TV was still on, showing a recording of Sannoh's game. Sakuragi turned off the TV and pulled a blanket from the bed to cover Coach Anzai.
"We'll definitely win," Coach Anzai mumbled sleepily.
Sakuragi smiled and tiptoed out. As the door closed, he whispered, "We'll definitely win."
The next day.
The final day of the national tournament has arrived. A week ago, fifty-nine teams flocked to Hiroshima from all directions, and now only two remain.
Fifty-seven teams have fallen.
Finally, it was the turn of these two teams to take the stage in the finals. No one was surprised that Sannoh Industrial High School had reserved their spot in advance, but Shohoku High School's unexpected entry was truly astonishing.
A week ago, anyone who dared to say that Shohoku could make it to the finals would probably be considered crazy.
However, this team, which crawled out of the group of death, swept through all the championship favorites in their path. They disrupted the entire national tournament and were nothing short of disruptive intruders who overturned the script.
They are troublemakers, that's for sure.
Just like they pulled Kainan off its throne in Kanagawa, this time Shohoku is pointing its blade at the entire nation. They want to change the world.
Shohoku's reputation even surpassed that of Sannoh Industrial High School, making them the top contender on the championship prediction list.
Tickets for the finals were being resold at exorbitant prices. The organizers, however, stuck with the original price, allowing scalpers to make a killing. If you dare to set a price, someone will dare to pay it.
Shinichi Maki is the one who dares to spend money.
This high school student, who was given an early holiday and ranked fifth in the nation, was quite satisfied with his ranking—he accepted everyone except for Kazunari Fukatsu, whom he disagreed with. He not only bought votes for himself and Nobunaga Kiyota, but also casually tossed one to Dai Moroboshi.
They're ridiculously extravagant.
The entire Ryonan team also got tickets. The school paid for them, Ryonan provided the players— Hikoichi Aida carried a small stool and queued up overnight. In the end, he lived up to expectations and made the biggest contribution to Ryonan's season.
Two hours before the start of the competition, the area outside the main venue was already packed like sardines.
Tetsuo Hotta's voice was particularly piercing. The Shohoku fan club officially assembled, with many people coming all the way from Kanagawa. Even if they couldn't buy tickets, it didn't stop them; they would still shout themselves hoarse outside the stadium.
Aside from the occasional shouts, the crowd was mostly debating the rankings of the top twenty high school players. In this final, nine out of ten starters made it into the top twenty, making it a true ranking free-for-all. After this match, many players' positions will have to be reshuffled.
To avoid the situation getting out of control, Shohoku and Ryonan arrived three hours early. If they had arrived now, their buses would have been stuck outside.
Both teams went into their respective locker rooms to change their jerseys and make their final preparations.
" The Sannoh! The Sannoh!"
An hour before kickoff, all the spectators had entered the stadium. The fans from both sides were locked in a fierce battle from the moment they sat down, shouting their hearts out for their respective teams. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought the game had already started, but the stadium was completely empty, without a single person in sight.
The fans' enthusiasm has reached its peak.
Why didn't you come with me yesterday?
"What do you think? I don't want to be seen as someone who lacks tact."
In the audience, Sanae and Yayoi Aida sat next to each other. Since becoming the company president, Yayoi Aida's entire demeanor had changed; her clothes and appearance had become more sophisticated, as if she had a completely different face. She was already quite pretty, but now she had an even more refined air about her. Sitting next to Sanae, their styles were completely different.
"No rush to leave, right? Let's have dinner together tonight," Sanae said with a smile.
"With the national champion?" Yayoi Aida replied.
"Certainly."
The two women exchanged a smile; it seemed the championship was already in their pockets.
" Yayoi, you're wearing long pants in this heat. Your legs are quite nice too." Sanae looked Yayoi up and down. Actually, Yayoi's legs could be summed up in three words—long, slender, and straight. But she seemed determined not to show them off.
"Because it's you by my side, I don't like being constantly compared to you." Yayoi Aida pouted.
She's usually quite eye-catching, but the moment she stands next to Sanae, she immediately pales in comparison. This is a thorn in Yayoi's side; no matter how she dresses up, she can't compete with natural beauty. Today, Sanae wore denim shorts, and her legs were simply perfect, her skin flawless. Even as a woman, she couldn't help but be attracted. To show off one's legs next to her would be like asking for trouble.
Yayoi will probably never understand this feeling of Sanae.
The players' tunnel door was kicked open, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"They're here! They're here!"
" Shohoku! Champions!"
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, players from both teams filed out of the tunnel. Takenori Akagi, exuding confidence, strode confidently onto the court, leading Shohoku.
"Boss, a lot of people are calling us the big villains these days." Ryota Miyagi smirked, clearly pleased with the title. Today he was going to prove himself and show everyone just how capable Ryota Miyagi really was.
"Hmph, what's a villain if I can dominate the whole country?" Takenori Akagi smiled, a hint of rebellion in his expression.
" Shohoku!!" Akagi roared, his voice booming, and Shohoku's momentum completely overwhelmed the entire stadium.
" Shohoku's atmosphere is amazing today! Akagi's voice is several times louder!" Hikoichi Aida in the stands was astonished. He didn't remember much from this game.
Hikoichi had figured out both Shohoku and Sannoh long ago, since he had advanced by defeating them.
He only hoped that Shohoku could win, to vent Ryonan's anger, and to carry the championship trophy back to Kanagawa.
" Akagi, don't you dare let me down." Uozumi intently at the field. The shadow cast by the Kawata brothers hadn't faded from his mind, and he was genuinely worried for Akagi. But this wasn't because he wanted Akagi to avenge him; rather, as an opponent, he had already taken his final bow, and someone had to finish the show. How far Akagi could go would determine how far their generation could go.
On the sidelines, Coach Anzai met with Goro Domoto.
"Senior Anzai, it is my honor to play against your team. Please give me your guidance." Domoto bowed. Although he was the top coach in the current high school basketball circle, in terms of seniority, he was still inferior to Anzai. This title of "senior" was well-deserved.
"Hehe, now it's all your young people's stage, but this old body of mine has to go all out today." Coach Anzai chuckled, but his words lacked their usual politeness, and he directly revealed his hand.
"What are you saying? You're a role model for us young coaches. I'm here today to learn from you." Domoto finished speaking, Anzai chuckled again, and they clasped hands together. The two of them had their desire to win laid bare.
But no one paid any attention to the conversation between the two coaches, because everyone's eyes were glued to the field. The players on both sides had already started warming up in their respective halves of the field.
Shohoku was just shooting simple baskets, while Sannoh Industrial High School had already lined up outside the three-point line, ready to unleash their usual fancy moves. Kazunari Fukatsu opened the scoring, and his teammates caught the ball one after another and banked it in perfect unison. This time, Sawakita didn't finish the show; he drove straight to the basket, caught the ball, snatched it between his legs, and tossed it into the air. Masashi Kawata was the last to enter the game, leaping into the air, catching the ball with both hands, and slamming it back with a dunk that was so agile it didn't look like a center at all.
As soon as Sannoh finished his maneuver, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The Shohoku, however, were in perfect unison, all exclaiming, "What a show-off!"
Sannoh is certainly good at putting on an act. Actually, any team could mimic those moves, but to do them so perfectly, so uniformly, is incredibly difficult. Each player's body seems programmed, remarkably synchronized, making it visually appealing, which is why they act with such confidence. If Shohoku were to try and imitate them, they'd likely make a fool of themselves on the bench.
"This is bad! They're getting too cocky now!" In the stands, Nozomi Takamiya around. With Sannoh's performance, their fans' cheers completely drowned out Shohoku's. After all, they brought out their real talent, so we couldn't even shout.
"Look! Sakuragi's charging past!" Yohei Mito pointed sharply at the field, where Sakuragi was sprinting towards Sannoh's half of the court at top speed.
"What's gotten into this guy? Is he going to launch a flying kick?" Tetsuo Hotta's eyes widened in disbelief. Hanamichi Sakuragi's momentum was like a running start before a fight. The red-haired bald man charging across the field instantly drew the attention of all the fans.
"No, Sakuragi won't do anything reckless. He has his own ideas." Yoko's gaze was firm. She knew that Sakuragi was impulsive, but he would never act recklessly in this situation.
Sakuragi had just shouted "Watch me!" and dashed off, his teammates unable to stop him. But everyone had a vague idea of what was going to happen, and they were intrigued by what was to come. Even Takenori Akagi remained silent, staring intently at Sakuragi's back. Just like he said, what did it matter if he was a villain as long as he could dominate the nation? Today, Akagi had completely become a member of the Bad Boys' Army.
In the blink of an eye, Hanamichi Sakuragi had already reached Sannoh's half of the court and easily intercepted their pass. This interception completely stunned the entire Sannoh team. Without stopping, he stepped past the free-throw line and then leaped into the air, flying out like a cannonball. The distance was exaggerated enough to make the entire audience gape in astonishment. Even many Sannoh players stared blankly at Sakuragi gliding through the air.