"Beep! Game over!"
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Shohoku's bench players erupted in cheers.
"Awesome! We made it to the Top Eight!"
"Hooray! Long live Shohoku!"
Just like their previous game against Toyotama High, both Shohoku and Daiei substituted their bench players near the end, tacitly letting the clock run out.
Toyotama's players had left after watching less than five minutes of the second half, while Aiwa Academy arrived at the venue with about seven minutes remaining.
Point guard Fukuoka Yuji scratched his head, grumbling, "Tch… We didn't get to see anything!"
"There's nothing we can do. That's just how the schedule works," Moroboshi Dai said calmly. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "But I heard from Maki of Kainan that we should be wary of Shohoku's three first-year players. Keep an eye on them tomorrow."
When Shohoku's post-game celebration began to settle, the referee stood at center court and raised his arm.
"Line up!"
Both teams slowly gathered and faced each other along the center line. The Shohoku players, moments ago full of smiles, now stood with calm, composed expressions.
Across from them, Daiei's players looked visibly deflated. They were about to follow Toyotama's footsteps—heading back to Osaka that same afternoon.
The referee glanced left and right.
"Bow!"
"Thank you for the game!"
Both teams shouted in unison, then shook hands, officially marking the end of the match.
Tsuchiya Atsushi turned away to leave. His face remained unreadable, but inside, emotions churned.
For him, a third-year, this was the end of his summer. Whether he would stay and prepare for the Winter Tournament… that was something he'd have to think long and hard about.
"Wait!"
He turned around. It was Sakuragi calling out.
"Thank you for the game—you played great."
Sakuragi awkwardly extended his right hand.
Seeing Tsuchiya hesitate, he scratched his cheek with his other hand, visibly nervous. It was his first time doing something like this, and honestly, he was afraid of being ignored—it would've been embarrassing.
But Sakuragi meant it sincerely. He'd learned a lot from this match.
And Tsuchiya, unlike many of his loud or arrogant opponents, had earned his respect.
Tsuchiya pressed his lips together, then smiled faintly and shook Sakuragi's hand.
"Good luck in your next games. Keep it up."
"Nango, what are you smiling at?" Kogure adjusted his glasses, noticing Nango's grin.
Nango turned back. "Nothing, Senior. Don't you think Sakuragi's… grown up a little?"
Mitsui snorted. "Grown up? That's not 'growing up,' that's just finally acting like a normal person."
Nango laughed. "You've got a point."
Kogure couldn't help but smile too. "Still… seeing him like that, it really shows how much basketball can change someone."
"Alright," Akagi said, trying to sound stern but failing to hide the small smile tugging at his lips. "Let's go. It's time to watch the King's game."
They were now officially one of the top eight teams in Japan.
Akagi's promise to Coach Tangze had been fulfilled.
He could finally relax and pursue his dream—now a recognized member of Fukasawa Sports University.
"Go, Sannoh!"
"Take them down in one go!"
When Shohoku entered the stadium, they were immediately overwhelmed by the sheer volume of cheers. Almost everyone in the stands was a Sannoh Industrial supporter. The air practically shook with excitement.
Kogure swallowed hard, whispering, "They… play in an atmosphere like this?"
He suddenly felt sympathy for Sannoh's opponents. Facing the defending champions was one thing, but playing under this kind of pressure? It was crushing.
"Go, Sawakita!"
"It's all up to you, our ace!"
On the court, Sawakita went on a solo fast break.
Facing two defenders, he used a sharp spin move to lose one, ignored the other beneath the basket, and dunked with one hand.
His movements were fluid—almost too fast to follow.
Rukawa's eyes gleamed.
"Sawakita… Sendo said Kitazawa, right? That can't be the same person… He wouldn't mistake someone's name like that… would he?"
As the crowd roared for Sawakita's play, Shohoku could barely hear one another. They looked around, found a spot, and sat together on the steps.
"Sit down," Nango said. He took off his jacket and spread it out for Kano and Eri to sit on, then sat beside them.
Kano sat down naturally, leaning slightly toward him, while Eri settled on her other side.
Noticing this, Miyagi quickly followed suit—taking off his jacket and offering it to Ayako with a confident grin.
"Thanks," Ayako said sweetly, smiling as she accepted it.
Miyagi scratched his head, laughing awkwardly, secretly praising himself for his smooth timing.
Then, finally realizing what was going on, Sakuragi hurriedly pulled off his jacket too and spread it out.
"Haruko, you can sit on my jacket!"
Haruko froze, her cheeks flushing. Before she could answer, Matsui and Fujii—ever the golden wingmen—each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her down to sit.
"Thanks, Sakuragi!" they said in unison.
"Ah… thank you," Haruko added softly.
Sakuragi chuckled, scratching his head again. "You're welcome."
Everyone knew about Nango and Kano.
Everyone also knew about Miyagi and Ayako.
So now… what about Haruko and Sakuragi?
Haruko glanced sideways at Sakuragi, her heart beating faster. She couldn't focus on the game at all.
Kano, noticing her reaction, twirled a strand of hair and whispered, "Are all these people Sannoh's fans?"
Nango leaned close and whispered back, "Yeah, Sannoh Industrial's—"
Before he could finish, Kano burst into giggles, "Oh! That tickles!"
Eri groaned, turning away dramatically. Go to hell, you two! You're torturing all of us single people!
The rest of Shohoku's players shared her silent suffering. Watching the couple flirt beside them made them wish they could just head back to the hotel early.
Seeing their looks, Nango laughed softly, taking Kano's hand.
"Alright, alright, let's just watch the game."
Kano smiled and leaned against his arm.
"Mhm."
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