On the court.
Under Kanagawa's basket.
Sakuragi Hanamichi was lying face-down on the floor, his fingers still tightly clutching a bunch of white fabric—that was Morishige Hiroshi's shorts, yanked clean off.
Looking ahead, Morishige stood frozen, his two muscular legs planted stiffly in place. His white basketball shorts had fallen to his ankles. Only a pair of cartoon bear underwear remained, barely covering him.
The round, smiling bear face pointed directly at the stands, hilariously exaggerated against his pale skin. If not for that thin layer of cloth, the entire arena might've gotten an eyeful.
The gym lights hit Morishige's tense lower back, his muscle lines sharp and defined. But the edge of the cartoon briefs broke the visual with absurd comedy, throwing off the whole mood.
A blush spread over Morishige's usually honest face, climbing from his ears all the way down his neck.
Sakuragi Hanamichi gritted his teeth and lifted his head, hand over his face. His gaze accidentally caught sight of all that exposed skin. His eyes bulged and his mouth dropped into a giant O.
Morishige squatted and fumbled with his shorts, desperately trying to pull them up. The cartoon bear danced at his knees, looking ridiculous and humiliating.
"You bastard…" Morishige's voice came out muffled, like a soaked towel. His fingers turned white from gripping the waistband too tightly.
"I-I'm sorry! I swear it was an accident!" Sakuragi waved his hands frantically.
He wanted to explain that he slipped and grabbed instinctively, but Morishige's look was full of rare hurt and annoyance.
Even Moroboshi Dai, frustrated over possibly losing the game, was slightly cheered by the sight.
From the bench, Nomoto Reizou gave a bitter chuckle and shook his head. He had no idea what to say.
After all, anything could happen in a game.
This would probably be a memory Morishige Hiroshi would never forget.
After the incident, whether out of shame or distraction, Morishige's edge dulled. His footwork while boxing out turned unsteady, his passes lost accuracy. Sakuragi seized the opportunity, mustering all his strength for a few clumsy but determined dunks.
By the end, Kanagawa's offensive surge completely wiped out Aichi's last stand.
Tweet…
The referee's whistle split the air. At once, Aichi's players dropped their shoulders.
A wave of numbness crept from their fingertips to their chests—but mixed in was a strange, quiet relief.
This long, agonizing game was finally over.
Morishige turned and walked toward the tunnel the moment the whistle blew.
His back stayed perfectly straight. But the lingering blush at his ears and how he avoided the stands betrayed his inner humiliation.
Every extra second on that court felt like torture.
Moroboshi Dai stared at the scoreboard, bitterness welling in his throat.
Kanagawa 119 to Aichi 88.
That glaring red score stung his eyes. A 31-point difference—like a wound torn open. But the worst pain came from the frustration surging in his chest.
They'd given it everything. And still got crushed.
He was no stranger to this kind of despair, but he'd never learned how to accept it calmly.
Kanagawa vs. Aichi Prefecture's representative team—Kanagawa won by a 31-point margin.
With that, Kanagawa officially took 1st place in Group A and advanced.
At the same time…
The final whistle blew over in Group B as well.
As expected, Akita took 1st place in their group with an overwhelming victory.
According to the tournament structure:
The winner of Group A would face the loser of Group B, and the Group B winner would go against the Group A runner-up. The two teams with the most wins in this next phase would qualify for the final.
Anyone could see it. This crossover round was just a warm-up for the real showdown.
The final was clearly going to be Kanagawa vs. Akita.
Neither team had lost a single game up to now. Both held perfect records.
Unless something wild happened, those two spots were already theirs.
The audience was already buzzing with anticipation.
Just imagine. Two top-of-the-pyramid powerhouse teams were about to go head-to-head. A true clash of titans—what every basketball fan dreamed of witnessing.
They were already counting the days. Even though the final match-ups hadn't been confirmed yet, the buzz around Kanagawa vs. Akita had already spread through the entire high school basketball scene.
At the hotel where Kanagawa was staying.
Aoi Kunisaku and the others returned directly from the gym.
None of them looked particularly smug about winning the group. Instead, their expressions were serious.
They knew very well—this was just the first step onto the big stage. The real match was always the last one.
Over the next three days, they'd face the team that lost in Group B.
In terms of strength, they were absolutely confident. They knew they could win that match without question.
But the worst thing on the court is underestimating the opponent.
Like the saying goes—better safe than sorry.
Too many variables happen during a game. A small mistake can flip the entire match.
No one wants to lose because of a moment of carelessness.
If they really slipped up and lost to a weaker team, people would mock them for life. That kind of shame would stick forever.
Of course, Aoi Kunisaku was still the exception.
Right now, he looked exactly the same as always. Not a hint of tension or pride. His every move carried that usual calm, relaxed air, even his gaze was full of effortless composure, like the game meant nothing to him at all.
It felt like winning this match was something totally expected for him.
As for the thought of losing...
No one had ever considered that.
And the reason no one ever did was largely because Aoi Kunisaku was on their side.
In everyone's heart, his skill had already reached the top. Like the brightest star in the sky—so dazzling you could only look up in awe, never hope to match.
In today's match, anyone could tell he was just treating it like a joke.
The way he moved so effortlessly didn't feel like someone playing a serious match. It was more like he was lazily flicking ants in his backyard.
Their feelings were complicated—relieved, proud, moved, lucky… but also a little heavy and anxious.
It felt reassuring to be on the same team as Aoi Kunisaku.
Just knowing he was standing on their side made them unconsciously stand straighter. Like they had a backbone now. Like they couldn't be shaken.
They were in awe of his almost godlike power. It let them go all out. Even if they messed up, they'd be fine.
They were even more grateful that Aoi Kunisaku was from Kanagawa.
Just imagining a monster like him standing against them was enough to make anyone's scalp go numb.
But for the players from Ryonan, Kainan, and Shoyo, Aoi Kunisaku was like a massive mountain blocking their path. One they couldn't hope to climb.
In future regional tournaments, Aoi Kunisaku would definitely be the biggest wall in front of them. The kind of wall that was basically impossible to overcome.
Night fell.
Akagi Takenori sat by the window, resting his chin on one hand, quietly staring into the dark night.
Moonlight passed through the glass, outlining his sharp features in pale white. His brow carried a look of both acceptance and regret.
"You look like you've got something on your mind," Uozumi Jun's rough voice sounded from behind him.
Akagi turned his head, glanced at Uozumi, and deliberately curled his lips into a sarcastic smile. "You sure you've recovered from being humiliated so badly?"
Hearing that, Uozumi's face instantly darkened. A thick vein bulged on his forehead as he growled, "Look who's talking. Weren't you the first one to get crushed?"
"Hmph..."
Akagi snorted through his nose, then looked away again, eyes back on the window.
The night outside was deep. A few streetlights cast faint yellow light like scattered ink on rice paper.
Uozumi walked to the bed and followed his gaze. His voice held a bit of challenge. "It's our last year. We didn't get to meet in the summer tournament, so there's only the Winter Cup left. Maki will retire after this one, so will Fujima and Hanagata."
He turned his head, eyes sharp. "So? Want to go all out in the Winter Cup and settle it for good?"
The room fell into a strange silence. They could even hear the leaves rustling outside the window.
After a long while, Akagi finally spoke. "The Winter Cup, huh… This team doesn't need me anymore. Besides, I already achieved my dream."
Uozumi blinked. His expression darkened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. "I see..."
He understood what Akagi meant.
Though it left him feeling a bit empty inside, he didn't try to persuade him.
He really did envy Akagi. At least he had already fulfilled the dream he chased all this time.
Saying he wasn't jealous would be a lie.
But he still had a goal left.
At the very least, he wanted to lead Ryonan into the national tournament.
The Winter Cup was his last shot.
Now that Kainan and Shoyo were both out of the way, Ryonan had everything going for them—timing, location, and people.
He believed they could do it this time.
As for Shohoku…
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
So what if they won the regional title?
They could just give up on chasing that top spot.