After the bus chaos, the teams finally arrived at the station. But just because they reached didn't mean things got any easier.
As soon as the bus doors opened, a stampede erupted.
"RUNNNNN!!"
"WE HAVE EXACTLY 10 MINUTES!"
"WHY ARE WE ALWAYS LATE!?"
"WHO CARES, JUST RUN!"
Just as they were about to enter the station, someone yelled:
"WAIT, I FORGOT MY TICKET!!"
Everyone froze.
"YOU WHAT!?"
One guy—poor Kento again—dug through his bag like a madman.
"I SWEAR I HAD IT—IT WAS RIGHT HERE—OH NO OH NO—!"
Renji grabbed his collar. "IF YOU LOST IT, YOU'RE WALKING HOME, BRO!"
"GOT IT! ...Oh wait, no, this is my exam paper."
"WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THAT!?"
After one full minute of panic, he found his ticket inside his sock for some reason.
"WHO EVEN KEEPS A TICKET IN THEIR SOCK!?"
"I DON'T KNOW, MAN, JUST LET ME LIVE!"
With that disaster barely avoided, they ran inside.
The next obstacle: Security check.
The boys were tossing their bags onto the scanner belt like maniacs.
"HURRY UP! THE TRAIN LEAVES IN 5 MINUTES!"
But then—
"Sir, step aside."
The security guard stopped Daigo.
"Huh? Why?"
"What's in your bag?"
Daigo looked confused. He unzipped his bag and—
🔥 A WHOLE JAR OF CHILI POWDER FELL OUT. 🔥
The entire team: "....."
The security guard: "......Why?"
"I like my food spicy..."
"BRO, WHY ARE YOU CARRYING A JAR OF CHILI TO A TRAIN!?"
"I DIDN'T THINK IT'D BE A PROBLEM!"
"THEY PROBABLY THINK YOU'RE SMUGGLING SOMETHING!!"
Rika and her teammates burst out laughing as the guards interrogated Daigo for three full minutes about his chili addiction.
"WE'RE GONNA MISS THE TRAIN BECAUSE OF CHILI!?"
With barely 2 minutes left, the group finally got through security and sprinted toward the platform.
"RUN LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!"
People in the station watched in shock as a bunch of high schoolers carrying sports bags dashed through like they were in the finals of an Olympic relay race.
Rika was leading the girls, while Shun, Renji, and the others raced ahead.
"WHERE IS THE PLATFORM!?"
"RIGHT THERE—HURRY!!"
They reached the platform entrance just as the whistle blew.
The train was moving.
"OH HELL NO—"
Without thinking, Shun, Rika, and the others leaped onto the train.
Renji grabbed Kento by the collar and dragged him in just before the doors slammed shut.
"WE MADE IT!!!"
The whole team collapsed onto the train seats, panting like they just finished a 120-minute soccer match.
"NEVER. AGAIN."
The coach, sitting calmly, looked at them.
"I told you all to wake up early."
"SHUT UP, COACH."
Rika glanced at Shun, who was sweating and breathless but smirking.
"See? That was easy."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure, 'easy'."
And with that, the team finally left the state tournament behind—but their chaotic journey had only just begun.