The gym froze.
Shoes stopped squeaking on the polished floor. The thuds of basketballs bouncing died off one by one. Conversations cut short, replaced by an eerie silence.
Everyone turned.
There he stood in the doorway—Tadao Hoshiguma. Still as a statue, his expression unreadable, the air around him thick with tension.
"What the hell is that bastard doing here?" Noboru snarled, fists tightening at his sides.
Makoto didn't speak. He just stared, eyes flat, lips pressed into a hard line.
Shino staggered back, fear overtaking him like a wave. "Oh... no. Not this again…" he whispered, his voice cracking.
Hayato remained where he was, feet planted firm, though tension radiated from every part of him. Beside him, Liam blinked, confused by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. "Who's that?" he asked quietly.
Nanaho crossed her arms, letting out a long sigh. "What do you want here?" she asked, her voice blunt and devoid of any warmth.
Tadao stood at the center of their scrutiny. He looked around, gaze touching each player like a weight. His shoulders were drawn tight, hands clenched at his sides.Every instinct screamed at him to turn and walk out. But he didn't.
Nanaho took a single cautious step forward. "Well?"
"Why don't you just spit it out already," Tetsuo said coldly, voice even but sharp.
Tadao exhaled slowly through his nose. His jaw worked as if chewing on words too bitter to swallow. Then, finally, he raised his head.
"For those who don't know… my name's Tadao Hoshiguma. I'm a first year."
No reaction. Just stares.
"We met the other day," he continued, voice low but clear. "And I know… it didn't go well. I attacked members of your team after they accidentally dropped my bike. I lost control. I could've seriously hurt someone. I did hurt some of you. And for that…" He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
Some looked away. Others narrowed their eyes. Tadao's chest rose and fell with shallow, strained breaths.
"And to the ones who came afterward to protect their teammates… especially the big guy I punched in the face," he glanced briefly at Liam, then down. "I'm sorry for that too."
"I didn't come here expecting forgiveness," he said after a pause. "I'm not stupid. I know I made a mess of things. I made a lot of you hate me."
His voice cracked, and he paused. His fists tightened until the knuckles turned white.
"But… it wasn't just about the bike. That was an excuse. Truth is…" He sucked in a breath. "I was jealous."
That word seemed to hang in the air longer than it should.
"I was jealous of all of you. Because you could still enjoy basketball. You could play without pain chasing you. I quit… and I've regretted it every day since. Every time I see a ball hit the court, every time I hear shoes squeak—something breaks inside me. I remember who I used to be, and I hated myself even more."
"I used to love this sport more than anything. But then stuff happened. I lost control. I got angry. Bitter. Started lashing out like some punk looking for a fight. And that's all I became—a thug, a lowlife with no real direction. And maybe that's all you see when you look at me. Maybe that's all I am now."
He looked up. "But I don't want to stay that way. I don't want to keep screwing up other people's dreams just because I gave up on mine."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "I just want a chance."
And then, without hesitation, Tadao dropped to his knees.
"I want to play again," he said, bowing low until his head touched the floor. "Please. Let me join the team. I'm begging you."
Gasps whispered through the gym.
Yukio stepped forward. "So it's true. You really are Tadao Hoshiguma. One of the junior high basketball prodigies."
Tadao blinked in surprise, lifting his head slightly.
"You probably don't remember," Yukio continued, "but we played against each other in my final year of junior high. You were a first year and still dropped over twenty points on us. Even Kogure had trouble guarding you."
The others turned to listen.
"After that game, I knew you'd either be a threat to me in high school or someone who could carry a team to Inter-High. But then… you vanished. No warning. Just disappeared."
Nanaho crossed her arms tighter. "Wait, is that why you let him off easy after what he did to your teammates the other day?"
Yukio nodded. "Yeah. I thought I recognized him. Turns out I was right."
He stepped forward. "Everyone, I want to ask something. Be honest. Would you be okay with Tadao joining the team? Despite what happened—despite the damage done—do you believe he can help us reach our goals?"
He turned to Tomoe. "What do you think?"
Tomoe lowered her clipboard slowly. "If he's serious… then maybe it's worth giving him that chance. But the players need to decide. It's their team."
"Tetsuo?" Yukio asked.
Tetsuo gave a small nod. "I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't believe he deserves a shot."
Yukio looked to Takahiro and Shino.
Takahiro shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. If he's as good as you say, and it helps our chances, I say let him join."
Shino hesitated. "It's… hard for me. I'm still afraid of him. He attacked our team. That won't disappear overnight. But… I believe he should be given a chance. For the team's sake."
Tadao lifted his head. Their words struck something deep. He blinked rapidly, struggling to keep composure. His pride ached. His face burned. But he kept his head high.
"Hayato? Liam?" Yukio asked.
Hayato glanced at Liam. "If he apologizes for punching Liam and promises to keep that temper in check, then fine."
Tadao stood shakily and turned to Liam. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you."
Liam grinned and patted his head. "Don't worry. I don't hold grudges."
Tadao winced slightly at the heavy hand. "Jeez… his hand's like a boulder."
"If Liam's fine with it, so am I," Hayato nodded.
"Alright," Yukio said. "Then Makoto. Noboru. You two took the worst of it. The final decision's up to you."
Tadao stiffened. He braced himself.
Makoto walked forward and stood in front of him. Without a word, he drew his fist back and slugged Tadao across the face.
Tadao hit the floor hard, eyes blinking stars.
Nanaho moved to intervene, but Yukio held out a hand. "Let it play out."
Tadao wiped the blood from his lip but didn't retaliate.
Makoto looked down at him. "There. Now we're even."
Tadao stared up, stunned.
"But don't think that means I trust you. It's going to take more than an apology to earn that. Still… for the team's sake, you can join."
Tadao bowed. "Thank you."
Yukio turned to Noboru. "And you?"
Noboru grinned as he stepped forward. "You really want to join that badly?"
"I do."
Noboru's grin vanished. He punched Tadao—once, then again. Then again.
"You think I was gonna let you off easy, you bastard?!"
"Hey—enough!" Nanaho barked, storming in and grabbing Noboru by the ear.
"Ow! Nanaho! That hurts!"
"Quit being insensitive," Nanaho said sharply, stepping forward. "He came here apologizing, bowing down to us, begging for forgiveness and a second chance. Don't you think that's already demoralizing enough for him?"
"Then you add salt to the wound by attacking him while he's vulnerable? You know full well that if it were a fair fight, he could've taken you down. That's not courage. That's cruelty. And it's not what our basketball team stands for." She pointed firmly. "Apologize."
Noboru stared at the floor, ashamed. "Tch… fine. I'm sorry. You can join."
Nanaho turned to Tadao, who was now bleeding from his lip and brow.
"You're not officially on the roster," she said calmly. "Not yet. But if you're serious, show up every day. Run the drills. Practice on your own. No fights. No attitude. You'll earn their respect and mine through discipline. Understand?"
Tadao stood tall despite the bruises. "Got it."
"Good." She clapped. "Everyone—back to warm-ups!"
Then she turned to Tetsuo. "And you. For skipping training? Twenty-five laps around the track. Now."
"Yes, ma'am," Tetsuo replied flatly, heading to the locker room to get changed.
"As for you," she looked at Tadao, "go home for today. Come prepared tomorrow. Let's see if your muscles remember how to move."
"Yes, Coach."
" And thank you," he said, voice clear and firm. "Thank you for everyone for allowing me to join."
Yukio walked up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Well… there you go. Didn't exactly go how we planned—getting punched and all—but hey, it's a start. Welcome to the team, Tadao."
Tadao stood in the center of the gym, heart pounding, lips bleeding—but his hands trembled not from pain, but from something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
"Thank you, Captain."