The sunlight streamed through the canopy of trees lining the path to Toshigawa Academy, dappling the ground with shifting patches of gold. A cool breeze rustled the branches, carrying the faint scent of dew. Students moved in pairs and clusters, chatter and laughter blending into the soft hum of a typical morning.
"Hey, Naomi, good morning," Sachiko said, gently tapping Naomi's shoulder.
"Ow—!" Naomi winced, clutching her side.
"Eh? What's wrong?" Sachiko blinked, concern flickering in her voice.
"My muscles… they're screaming." Naomi let out a sharp breath, dragging her feet a little. "Yesterday's training was brutal. Coach had us running drills like we're prepping for nationals. I even woke up twice last night with cramps."
Sachiko tilted her head, lips pressing together in sympathy. "That bad, huh? Well… you do have the track meet coming up. Guess it's part of the deal."
"Yeah, yeah." Naomi groaned dramatically, massaging her thigh. "If Toshigawa's ever gonna matter in the track world, we gotta grind. No shortcuts."
"Right." Sachiko adjusted the strap of her schoolbag as they reached the sliding doors of Class 1T.
The moment they stepped inside, Naomi froze mid-step.
"Wait. Something feels… off."
Sachiko blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's quiet," Naomi said slowly, scanning the room. Usually by now Noboru would've been yelling about something idiotic. His seat, however, sat empty. A sly smile tugged at her lips. "He's probably skipping again. Lazy, obnoxious punk. At least today might actually be peaceful."
Sachiko's gaze drifted further. "Hmm… Kawaguchi isn't here either. Weird."
The classroom felt hollow without its usual chaos. Sunlight slanted across the rows of desks, but instead of the normal morning buzz, only the soft scratching of pens and faint creak of chairs filled the silence.
At the back of the room, Makoto yawned so wide it almost looked painful. He lazily covered his mouth and glanced at the row of desks, his eyes landing briefly on Shino's empty seat before sliding away. Not just Noboru, huh. He leaned back, balancing on two chair legs with a look of indifference—though a faint spark of memory flickered in his half-lidded eyes.
It tugged him back to that day during the class-versus-class scrimmage.
The ball slapped hard against the floorboards as Makoto's crossover left the defender frozen. His jumper swished cleanly through the net. Shino, panting, had stared at him with awe.
"I was wondering if you wanted to join the basketball team with me. I mean, you're really talented—you'd definitely make the team stronger."
Makoto's expression had darkened like a shadow passing over a calm lake. "No thanks. I don't think you've heard from your upperclassmen, but I quit basketball over a year ago. I'm not going back. I made a promise to myself."
"But… you played with us today, and you looked like you were enjoying it."
Makoto had glanced away, hands buried deep in his blazer pockets. "I only played today as a favor to you. That's all."
Shino had stepped closer, desperation faint but visible. "I understand, but—couldn't you just think about it? We really need you."
Makoto had turned his back, the spring breeze ruffling his hair as he walked off, shoulders rigid. "No. I'm leaving. See you around."
The memory faded as Makoto tilted his head back further now, eyes half-shut. A practice match, huh? Wonder which school they're facing… Well....Not my problem.
The sliding door creaked open, and Hayami-sensei stepped in with her usual calm poise.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Sensei," the class echoed, standing to bow.
"You may be seated."
As notebooks and pens shifted into place, Naomi raised her hand. "Sensei, it seems Noboru, Kawaguchi, and Katsuragi are all absent today."
"Oh, those boys?" Hayami-sensei smiled knowingly. "They're excused. They have a basketball practice match today."
Naomi froze mid-blink. "Wait… Noboru's on the basketball team? No way. I thought he was just… messing around."
Sachiko's fingers tightened subtly on her bag strap. So Tetsuo's playing basketball now? That'll make convincing him to join the student council even harder. She bit the inside of her cheek. I'll have to bring it up with President Yoshida later…
Meanwhile, Rie rested her chin in her hands, a faint sigh slipping past her lips. A match today? So Katsuragi won't be here… Her pen hovered over her notebook as she doodled absentmindedly, tracing little shapes that vaguely resembled Shino. She wanted to watch him play—see the way he focused, maybe even surprised himself. Guess I'll just have to cheer him on silently from here.
Hayami-sensei clapped her hands softly to recenter the class. "Alright, let's begin."
The quiet hum of morning lessons faded into the background, and elsewhere, the atmosphere shifted entirely.
At Hachioji Academy, the air was heavy with late-morning warmth, sunlight spilling in wide streaks across polished floors.
At the very back of the classroom, Usagi doodled little stars in the margins of her notebook, her thoughts drifting far from the lesson. Today's the day… my brother finally plays his first game in so long. He'll dominate. Thirty points from him, sixty from the rest of the team—ninety total, easy. No way they'll lose. And with the kiss I gave him this morning for luck, he's definitely winning.
Her lips curled into a small, private smile as the teacher's voice droned faintly in the background.
A few doors down, in the third-year wing, Sayaka scribbled notes dutifully, though her gaze kept drifting toward Haruko's empty seat. Haruko's out today… did she catch a cold? If she can't make it to the café after school, should we cancel?
—
Across Toshigawa's campus, the faint click of camera shutters echoed from the newspaper clubroom.
Kanae, the president of the club, stepped inside with Airi close behind. "Alright, let's grab the gear for the basketball coverage—cameras, recorders, everything."
She reached for the door but stopped. It was already ajar.
"…That's odd."
Pushing it open, she found Yuri reclining casually in a chair, a book open in her lap, the late morning sun painting her hair gold.
"Yuri? Don't you have class right now?" Kanae raised a brow.
"Yes, but it was boring. I needed a break," Yuri replied nonchalantly, flipping a page without even glancing up.
Kanae exhaled through her nose. "Figures. Well, since you're already ditching, come with us. We're covering the basketball team's practice match for the paper."
Yuri closed the book with a soft thud. "Fine, why not? But what about Rie? She's still a first-year—you're not letting her skip, are you?"
"She's in class, don't worry. We'll fill her in later. Anyway, we're heading to Yokonan High. Let's move."
"Yokonan?" Yuri tilted her head thoughtfully, then smirked. "This should be interesting."
Meanwhile, in the school's parking lot, the bus sat waiting with its engine quietly rumbling, the warm smell of asphalt rising under the midday sun.
"What's taking Noboru so long? We've got a game to get to," Nanaho grumbled, arms crossed, her foot tapping an impatient rhythm against the pavement.
"He's probably still waking up," Yukio said with a shrug, adjusting the strap of his sports bag.
Shino stood slightly apart, his hands twitching at his sides. The faint rubber scent of fresh basketballs from his bag mixed with the warm metallic tang of the bus engine. His palms were damp, his breathing shallow and uneven, and his knees already felt like jelly. He stared at the ground, willing it to steady him, but the creeping nerves crawled up his spine like ants.
What if I mess up the first pass? What if I freeze?
A warm hand landed on his shoulder, and he jumped with a startled squeak.
"Relax, Shino," Hayato said, his tone calm and reassuring. "We're not even there yet. You'll be fine."
"Y-Yeah… fine…" Shino's voice cracked embarrassingly.
"There's no need to be nervous," Takahiro added gently.
"I-I'm not n-nervous!" Shino stammered, forcing a shaky laugh—only to stumble over his own feet and hit the ground with a soft thud.
Hayato and Takahiro exchanged a glance. He's totally nervous.
As Shino scrambled upright, brushing dirt off his knees, his eyes flicked toward Tetsuo. Unlike him, Tetsuo stood straight and silent, his expression unreadable. His breathing was steady, his posture relaxed—like the match was just another practice.
How is he so calm? This is his first basketball game… Shino swallowed hard, feeling even more restless.
Then Nanaho's sharp eyes caught a small movement down the sidewalk. She narrowed her gaze. "Someone's coming."
Before anyone could ask, a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Your MVP has arrived! Hope you didn't start missing me already!"
Noboru jogged up with a grin far too casual for the occasion, hair slightly messy like he'd only just rolled out of bed.
"You sure took your sweet time," Nanaho muttered, glaring.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to be well-rested for the match," Noboru said with a shrug and a playful smirk.
Nanaho pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you…"
"Since everyone's finally here," Yukio began, "let's move out—"
"Wait," Tetsuo's voice cut in, calm but firm.
Nanaho blinked. "What is it?"
"She's almost here," he replied simply.
Nanaho turned slightly, realizing the figure she'd seen approaching earlier was closer now—jogging lightly toward them.
Haruko came to a stop, slightly out of breath, strands of hair clinging to her forehead. "I… made it," she said between breaths.
"Yeah, right on time," Tetsuo said evenly, his tone as flat and composed as ever.
Noboru's eyes widened. "Whoa, Tetsuo, you sly dog! Didn't know you had a girlfriend. Why keep her a secret?"
Haruko blinked and glanced at Tetsuo accidentally locking eyes with him. She immediately looked away, a faint pink brushing her cheeks. "N-No, it's not like that." She straightened quickly, regaining composure. "My name is Haruko Takahashi. I'm on the girls' basketball team at Hachioji Academy. Tetsuo's been… teaching me more about the game so that I can improve."
"She's here to watch the match and pick up a few things," Tetsuo explained.
"Oh, I see." Yukio nodded. "I'm the captain, Yukio Hamaguchi. Nice to meet you, Takahashi. Hope you'll learn something useful today."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it," Haruko replied politely.
Noboru puffed his chest out. "Don't worry, Takahashi. After you see me play, you'll be—"
"Shut up before I make you start on the bench," Nanaho snapped.
"Wha—? No way! You can't be serious!" Noboru paled as the rest of the team burst into laughter.
"Alright," Yukio said firmly, his voice cutting through the noise. "Team, let's go out there and win this."
"Yes!" they answered in unison, energy crackling in the air as they boarded the bus. The faint scent of sweat and fresh uniforms mixed with the low hum of the engine, vibrating softly beneath their feet.
Shino swallowed hard, gripping his bag a little tighter as the doors closed with a soft hiss. Haruko glanced quietly at Tetsuo, then at the team, her expression unreadable but faintly curious.
The ride to Yokonan—and the match—had begun.