The bell rang sharply, echoing through the room.
Before the teacher even finished dismissing them, Tetsuo stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the classroom without a word. His footsteps were quick, controlled, but urgent.
Noboru watched him leave, his face twisting in irritation. He clicked his tongue.
"There he goes again… I'm sick and tired of that bastard."
Makoto glanced at Noboru but stayed quiet. He thought to himself, It's obvious something's wrong. Can't you see how uneasy he looks? But of course, a blockhead like you wouldn't notice…
Naomi leaned back in her chair, resting her chin in her hand. "He didn't have to make it so obvious. Well, I guess that's just how Tetsuo is."
Sachiko stared silently at the classroom door as it slid shut. A faint uneasiness settled in her chest. She couldn't explain why, but something about his expression as he left unsettled her.
Meanwhile, Tetsuo was already moving through the halls toward Class 2-O.
When he stepped inside, he scanned the room quickly. Empty seats, students chatting, the hum of after-class noise… but no Tomoe.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Hayato, noticing his presence, raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Tetsuo? What brings you to our class today? You looking for Yukimura?"
"Yes." His reply was curt, his voice carrying a faint edge.
"She left the class in a panic," Hayato said, his tone shifting to concern. "About half an hour ago."
"Yeah," Liam added, leaning on his desk. "The look on her face… it wasn't good. Something must've happened."
Tetsuo's gaze sharpened. "Do you know where she might've gone?"
"No clue," Hayato replied, shaking his head slightly. "But if I had to guess, probably the library. She's been spending most of her free time there lately. Liam and I both saw her reading there during breaks."
"I see. Thanks."
Without another word, Tetsuo turned and left, his pace quickening.
"Wait! Do you even know what's going on?!" Hayato called out after him. "Jeez, what's with that guy?"
Tetsuo's footsteps echoed softly as he entered the library. The smell of old paper and polished wood hit him immediately. The quiet air felt heavy.
He headed straight to the corner where Tomoe usually kept her books.
When he saw the mess, his steps stopped.
Books lay scattered across the floor—pages torn, spines bent, covers mangled.
He crouched down slowly. His fingers brushed over the shredded paper.
"I see…" he muttered quietly, his voice low. "So that's what happened… I was too late."
His eyes shifted. Above him, mounted high on the wall, a small security camera blinked faintly, its lens pointing in his direction.
Elsewhere in the hallway, Takahiro and Yukio were deep in conversation as they strolled side by side.
"The season starts in five weeks," Yukio said, glancing at his teammate. "We need Noboru and Shino to level up. We're going to need them if we want to win."
Takahiro nodded, folding his arms. "I know. But Liam also needs work. He's the backbone of our defense. And against the teams we're facing this year? Being center is no joke."
"True." Yukio sighed lightly. "We can't afford any weak links."
Suddenly, someone collided with Yukio from the side.
"Whoa—" Yukio steadied himself and looked down.
A girl had run straight into him. Her head was lowered, shoulders trembling. When she looked up, her tear-streaked face caught him off guard.
She froze for a split second before bolting away, her shoes tapping rapidly against the floor as she vanished down the hall.
"…No way." Takahiro's eyes widened.
Yukio watched her go, his expression hardening. "That was… Hiroki's younger sister. Tomoe Yukimura."
"I've never seen her cry before," Takahiro muttered. "Not since the day her brother was arrested."
"That can only mean one thing," Yukio said quietly, his tone heavy. "Jirou must be out of the hospital."
Takahiro's lips tightened. "…You're right. And didn't Tetsuo bring her to the court the other day?"
"Yeah," Yukio replied. "He did."
Just then, Tetsuo came running around the corner. He spotted them immediately.
"Captain," he called out.
"Oh, Tetsuo!" Yukio straightened, surprised. "We were just talking about you."
Tetsuo stopped in front of them, catching his breath only slightly. "Did you see a girl run past here? Just now?"
"Yes," Yukio said. "It was Tomoe Yukimura, wasn't it?"
"I knew it," Tetsuo muttered under his breath. His eyes narrowed.
"Jirou's back in school. That explains her behavior."
"Wait—how do you know Jirou?" Tetsuo asked, glancing between them.
Yukio sighed. "Of course I know Jirou more than anyone else. He was on the basketball team too. Back when Hiroki—Tomoe's brother—was vice captain. Jirou and Tomoe were… involved. But a lot happened back then."
Tetsuo stayed silent, listening intently.
"The first time I met Jirou was at the start of our first year," Yukio began, his voice carrying a faint tone of nostalgia. "Takahiro and I were trying out for the basketball team. My older brother, Seiji Hamaguchi, was the captain back then. Hiroki was vice captain."
Yukio's mind drifted back to that day.
The gym was loud with squeaking sneakers and bouncing basketballs. First-years lined up nervously, facing the older players.
"Today, we'll assess you by making you play against the seniors," Seiji had said, tossing the ball up for the opening tip.
The game started.
Hiroki caught the ball, drove down the court, and passed to Seiji. With one powerful step, Seiji leapt into the air and slammed the ball through the hoop.
"Whoa—" Takahiro had gasped on the sideline. "Seiji completely overpowered Yukio!"
Seiji landed lightly, already sprinting back on defense. "There are stronger and faster players in the league than me. If that's all you've got, Yukio, what use are you to the team?"
Yukio had stood there, frozen for a moment, frustration bubbling in his chest.
Then—
"Here," a voice said.
Jirou stood beside him, hand outstretched.
Yukio took it. "…Thanks."
"Don't beat yourself up over what he said," Jirou said with an easy grin. "He's your older brother, yeah? He might be better than you right now, but let's even the playing field together, alright?"
On the next play, Jirou dribbled with confident rhythm, calling for a screen. He passed to Takahiro, who drove in for a layup—only for Hiroki to jump in and swat the ball away with ease.
Hiroki grabbed the rebound, sprinted down the court, and drained a clean three-pointer right over Yukio.
But they didn't give up.
Jirou pushed the ball up the court again, dribbling with sharp control. At the top of the key, he called for another screen, slipped past his defender, and dished it out to Yukio.
Yukio caught it. Quick release. Two points.
"Nice shot, Yukio!" Jirou grinned, slapping his hand for a high-five.
From that day on, Jirou, Takahiro, and Yukio became close. Jirou was charismatic, easy to get along with. He had a charm that drew people in—especially the girls. At first, Yukio thought it was harmless.
Until everything changed.
Yukio's voice grew quieter as he continued.
"That year, we made it to the fourth round. We played Seisen International High School. Lost seventy-nine to eighty-five… because we were missing a key player." He exhaled slowly. "But things changed the next year when new first-years joined. That's when Hayato Nakajima came. He was exactly what we needed—an excellent point guard, deadly from the three-point line.
"But that same year, Tomoe enrolled. I don't know exactly how it happened, but she and Jirou started dating. And after that… everything went downhill."
Tetsuo's gaze sharpened slightly.
"In a practice match against Yokonan, third quarter… Hayato got a fast-break layup. Keichiro blocked him hard. Too hard. Hayato broke his femur that day. Even though we were close to beating Yokonan, we lost our best point guard.
"And then, a few days later, something worse happened. Between Jirou and Hiroki."
Yukio's expression darkened. "Hiroki hurt Jirou so badly he broke several bones. Hiroki was sent to jail. Jirou was hospitalized. And just like that, we lost half our starting members."
He paused, his voice carrying the weight of memory.
"Before they took Hiroki away, he and Seiji got into a heated argument. I still remember it."
The school courtyard had been silent except for Seiji's angry voice.
"How could you do this to me, Hiroki?! This year was supposed to be OUR year!" Seiji's fists were clenched, angry tears in his eyes.
Hiroki glared back, his own voice raw with rage. "Do you think I'd throw everything away for nothing?! That bastard—he tried to have his way with my sister! What if he'd done something that scarred her for life?!"
"That's enough out of you," an officer cut in, grabbing Hiroki. "Get in the car."
The door shut. The car pulled away.
Back in the present, Yukio finished quietly. "I don't know all the details. But based on Hiroki's actions… it's clear Jirou tried to defile her."
Tetsuo didn't respond immediately. He simply lowered his gaze, thinking deeply. So that's why she's like this…
Meanwhile, in another classroom, Nanaho was tapping her pen against her notebook.
"It's almost time for training," she murmured with a slight grin. "I can't wait to work them half to death. What kind of drills should I make them do today? Something fun… for me."
She stomped her foot lightly, gazing out the window absentmindedly.
Her eyes caught movement.
Outside, near the courtyard, Tomoe was crouched low, her shoulders shaking.
Nanaho blinked, her grin fading.
"…Wait. Is that… Tomoe?"
Shock flickered in her eyes.