Hiroshima Central Gymnasium.
The Shohoku team was caught in a "sea vortex" of reporters.
Men and women holding all kinds of long-lens cameras and microphones surged in like a tide, crowding in and surrounding them completely.
The scene before them was no less intense than the packed audience during the match.
The earlier crowd was spectators. This one was reporters.
In the cramped space, even the air felt thick. The Shohoku players felt like it was getting hard to breathe.
At this moment, only Aoi Kunisaku and Rukawa Kaede stayed calm, unaffected by the outside chaos. Shimizu Kanon, used to this kind of scene, also stayed composed.
As for the rest of Shohoku, they were already drenched in sweat, hearts thumping wildly.
Coach Anzai Mitsuyoshi had vanished without a trace—no one knew when he slipped away.
All they could vaguely hear was his signature chuckle echoing faintly amidst the noise.
"Hohohohoho..."
"Akagi-san, may I ask how it feels to win the championship in this tournament?"
Akagi Takenori: "…"
How does it feel? Of course, it feels amazing. He's on cloud nine.
But being suddenly asked that, what was he supposed to say?
His tanned face turned bright red from holding it in.
"Mitsui-san, you were once the MVP in junior high. Why haven't we seen you these past two years? Were you training in secret for this championship?"
The questions came crashing down one after another.
Mitsui Hisashi: "…"
Training?
Like hell!
What could he say?
That he'd gone delinquent for two years?
He was speechless.
"Rukawa-san, you're hailed as this year's super rookie. What are your thoughts on Aoi Kunisaku's sudden emergence?"
Rukawa Kaede: "…"
"You there, can you tell us why you dyed your hair red? Is that your secret to winning?"
Sakuragi Hanamichi: "…"
Why is my question about hair color?
Can't they see the genius-level performance I gave on court?
…
The reporters' questions poured down like a storm. One after another, giving Shohoku no chance to breathe.
The scene was a mess. Microphones and flashing lights constantly surrounded them, filling the space with a sense of pressure.
The Shohoku team had never faced such a scene. One by one, they shrank back into the crowd, stammering, unable to string together a complete sentence.
Beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads in panic.
Just as things were spiraling out of control, Shimizu Kanon stepped forward with elegance and composure, placing herself in front of the crowd.
With a pleasant smile, her clear voice rang out: "Hello, I'm Shimizu Kanon, manager of the Shohoku basketball team. My teammates are still overwhelmed with excitement from the victory. Your questions are too many and too chaotic. Please ask them one at a time. Thank you."
Shimizu Kanon handled the chaos with ease, leaving the Shohoku players stunned.
Ayako blinked her big eyes, full of admiration. She muttered to herself, "As expected of a rich girl. She really steps up when it counts."
But when she turned to look at Aoi Kunisaku, her admiration instantly turned into black lines.
Aoi Kunisaku, completely ignoring the intense stares from the reporters, looked as relaxed as if he were at home. He yawned lazily.
It was as if he wasn't in the middle of a media frenzy, but lounging on a sofa in his living room.
"Seriously, how can two kids from rich families be so different?" Ayako muttered bitterly in her heart.
Aida Yayoi, drenched in sweat, squeezed through the crowd and made her way to Aoi Kunisaku.
She pointed her recorder directly at him and asked, "Aoi Kunisaku, we meet again. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
Seeing that it was Aida Yayoi, Aoi Kunisaku thought for a moment and nodded.
After all, she was part of his childhood memories from his previous life.
They'd also met before. She gave off a good impression, and he was relatively familiar with her.
Aida Yayoi asked directly, "First, congratulations on leading your team to win the championship. How do you feel right now? Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
Aida Yayoi's question was a textbook opener that all reporters used.
Aoi Kunisaku had heard these kinds of questions countless times in past-life anime and TV shows.
But he never played by the rules. He didn't give some polished, proper answer or use any fancy words. He just coldly replied, "Feels whatever. As for what I want to say…"
He paused for a moment, then slowly added, "The opponents were too weak. It was boring."
Uh…
Aida Yayoi was stunned. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
"Hehe…"
She gave an awkward laugh, her face stiff. Pushing through, she asked, "You seem very confident in your skills. Now that the tournament is over, many schools are definitely watching you. What are your thoughts on the next tournament?"
Aoi Kunisaku answered without thinking, blurting out, "I just hope some players show up that can actually interest me next time!"
Aida Yayoi's mouth twitched hard. She couldn't stop herself from muttering inside.
'What's up with this guy?! Why does he never follow the script?'
Was it really okay to answer so bluntly? Wasn't he afraid of offending anyone?
Aida Yayoi took a deep breath and threw out the next question. "Then, Aoi-kun, do you have any goals from here on?"
"Goals…" Aoi tilted his head and thought for a while before saying, "I heard there's some kind of tournament in autumn? Sounds like there'll be a lot of strong players. I'm kind of interested."
"Oh!" Aida Yayoi's eyes lit up and she quickly followed up, "You're talking about the Autumn National Athletic Meet, right? With the strength you've shown, Aoi-kun, there's a good chance you'll be selected."
At that, an idea suddenly popped into her head. She asked, "Right—if you do get picked, who would you want as teammates? Sendoh… Fujima… or maybe Maki Shinichi?"
Aoi replied with a face full of indifference, "Doesn't matter to me. I don't care who the teammates are. As long as the opponents are strong."
Uh…
Aida Yayoi was once again at a loss for words.
Heh… heh heh…
She gave a dry laugh to cover the awkward silence and then said, "I really look forward to seeing your performance then. As a reporter from Kanagawa, I hope you can lead our prefecture to a great result."
…
On the other side—
With the help of Shimizu Kanon, the Shohoku team gradually calmed down. They weren't as panicked as before. They managed to settle their nerves and found the courage to face the reporters.
Even though the tension hadn't completely faded, they could at least barely handle the situation, no longer floundering like before.
As time passed, the barrage of reporter questions finally started to wrap up after nearly one full hour.
…
One week later.
Kanagawa · Shohoku High School.
The news of the basketball team winning the national championship had already spread like wildfire across campus the moment the game ended.
That day, when the school leadership and students heard the news, their faces first showed shock and disbelief.
But very soon, those expressions turned into excitement and cheers.
After all, winning a national championship was no small thing—it was enough to be written into the school's history.
With that kind of prestige, even the school leadership and teachers could bask in the glory.
As for the students, although the direct benefits were minimal, they could now say they graduated from a famous school when out in the world.
It's just like the saying: "One person's rise lifts everyone around them."
That afternoon, the Shohoku basketball team returned in triumph.
A huge banner had already been strung across the school gates, filled with praise and congratulations for them.
The principal, leading a group of school administrators and a sea of passionate students and teachers, eagerly awaited their arrival at the school gate.
The principal was all smiles, eyes filled with pride, and even personally promised to increase the basketball team's funding and renovate the gym.
Naturally, Anzai Mitsuyoshi, Shimizu Kanon, and Ayako were the ones handling all that.
As for Aoi Kunisaku and the others—they just carried on doing their thing like usual.
Shohoku High School · Gymnasium.
All the basketball players were fully immersed in training as always.
Since winning the championship, everyone's spirits had undergone a complete transformation.
The first- and second-year bench players who used to be timid now, although still a little green, were showing confidence and a sense of responsibility they'd never had before. It was like they'd grown up overnight.
"Gather up!"
A loud shout rang through the gym like thunder.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward the voice. Akagi Takenori and Kogure Kiminobu were already standing at the gym entrance.
The first- and second-years quickly lined up, standing at attention, their expressions serious as they waited for Akagi Takenori to speak.
Akagi slowly walked to the front of the group, eyes sharp, scanning each person carefully.
He frowned slightly and asked, "Where's Aoi and Sakuragi?"
The gym instantly went silent. The players all looked at each other. No one knew what to say.
Seeing no response, Akagi sighed helplessly.
He really had nothing he could do about those two guys.
"So everyone's already here, huh?" Just when the air was getting a little awkward, Ayako walked into the gym with light steps, a calm smile on her face as she greeted everyone.
Kogure saw her and said, "You're here too? Great, Akagi has something to announce."
Hm?
Ayako was full of curiosity. She walked up quickly, wanting to hear what Akagi was about to say.
Akagi paused for a moment, then said, "Forget it. Let's not wait for those two."
He took a deep breath, paused again, and said, "Starting today, I'll no longer be the captain of Shohoku's basketball team."
That line hit like a bolt from the blue. The entire gym fell into stunned silence.
Everyone wore a look of disbelief.
"No way! That sudden?" Ayako couldn't help but cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
The first- and second-years were also frozen, staring dumbly at Akagi Takenori, completely at a loss.
Kogure Kiminobu stepped in and explained, "Akagi and I are both third-years. We need to start focusing more on our studies."
Miyagi Ryota asked with confusion, "Wait—aren't you guys going to play in this year's Winter Cup?"
Akagi shook his head and clarified, "Of course we are. We're still participating. We're just shifting more of our time toward academics, not retiring."
Phew…
As soon as they heard that Akagi would still play in the Winter Cup, everyone visibly relaxed and let out a long breath.
Mitsui Hisashi, eyes as dead as ever, stared at Akagi with slight confusion and said, "Then what do you mean by stepping down as captain?"
Akagi's face was serious as he replied, "Just what it sounds like. I won't have the extra time to manage the team. So we need to pick a new captain."
The room instantly erupted.
They were about to choose the next Shohoku captain!
Everyone was full of curiosity, wondering who it would be.
Mitsui couldn't hold it in and asked, "So do you already have someone in mind?"
Kogure adjusted his glasses and shook his head. "We've talked about it before, but we couldn't settle on a decision. That's why we want to hear everyone's thoughts today."
Miyagi Ryota stepped forward confidently, pointing at himself with his thumb and said loudly, "Do we even need to think about it? The next captain should obviously be me, Miyagi Ryota!"
Mitsui gave him a sideways glare, looking totally annoyed, and said mockingly, "Oh, give me a break. Quit pretending. Sit down and behave."
"You're so damn annoying!" Miyagi growled, veins bulging on his forehead, a huge pound sign practically bouncing off his head.
Just as the two were about to get into it, Yasuda Yasuharu raised his hand and said, "What about Mitsui-senpai? He used to be a middle school MVP. He could be captain, right?"
Hearing that, everyone nodded slightly, genuinely considering Mitsui for the role.
Miyagi glared at Yasuda with clear hostility, making Yasuda shiver and shrink his neck in fear.
Mitsui waved his hand with a helpless look on his face. "Forget it. I'm not captain material. And I'm a third-year too. Even if I become captain, I'll have to hand it off again soon. Let someone else do it."
The group fell silent again.
They had to admit—if Mitsui were a second-year, he'd have been a great pick.
So who should be the next captain?
Would they really let Miyagi take it?
Nobody had a serious objection, but something about it just felt off.
Then Ayako's eyes suddenly lit up. An idea popped into her head, and she suggested, "What about Aoi? He's strong enough to be captain, right?"
But as soon as she said that, everyone looked at her with weird expressions.
The stares made Ayako squirm. She couldn't help asking, "What? What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Akagi sighed and shut his eyes. "Just forget about him."
He pictured Aoi Kunisaku's lazy, indifferent face.
If Aoi ever became captain, Shohoku's basketball team would probably fall apart in no time.
That guy had no sense of time or responsibility. There's no way they could entrust the team to someone like that.
Ayako seemed to realize it too. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she clammed up.
Everyone's thoughts drifted toward Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi.
Tch tch tch…
But the moment those names popped up, the idea burst like a bubble in everyone's head.
Rukawa's cold, stay-away-from-me vibe and his silent attitude made him totally unfit to be captain.
The guy could barely talk to his teammates properly, let alone lead them.
Nobody had any idea how he ever managed to be captain back in middle school.
As for Sakuragi Hanamichi…
Heh…
The day he became captain would be the day the team officially shut down.
Nobody even dared imagine the consequences. Just thinking about it was like triggering a landmine.
They went through everyone on the team one by one, and somehow, everyone's gaze landed on Miyagi Ryota again.
Even though it felt a little off, they couldn't think of anyone more suitable.
Just when the room was about to go stiff, first-year Ishii Kentaro timidly raised his hand and said in a soft voice, "Um… can't the captain be a girl?"
The moment he spoke, it was like someone hit the pause button. Everyone turned their heads toward him at once, their eyes full of surprise and confusion.
Ayako frowned and was the first to speak. "What do you mean by that?"
Ishii Kentaro swallowed nervously under all the stares and stammered, "I just think… Shimizu-san would be a really good captain. Even though she's not a player, her abilities are obvious to everyone. She handles prep before games, talks to Coach about strategy, and takes care of all the little stuff. She's super organized. And when the reporters swarmed us, she stayed calm and helped us get through it."
That landed like a rock tossed into a still lake—ripples spread instantly.
The room went silent. All that remained were the sounds of people breathing.
Akagi Takenori and Kogure Kiminobu exchanged a glance. Their brows furrowed as they fell into thought.
Shimizu Kanon as captain?
That had never even crossed their minds.
But thinking about it now… maybe… it wasn't a bad idea at all.
"There you all are."
Just then, a warm, calm voice rolled in like a breeze. Everyone turned toward it.
There came Coach Anzai, belly out front, slowly walking over with that signature gentle smile on his face.
"Coach Anzai," everyone greeted in unison.
Ho ho ho ho ho…
Coach Anzai gave his trademark chuckle, then looked around and asked, "So, what's going on here?"
Ayako stepped forward with a hint of resignation in her tone. "Coach, we're discussing who should be the next captain."
"Oh?" Coach Anzai's gaze landed on Akagi, his voice filled with meaning. "Akagi, have you made up your mind?"
Akagi straightened his back and nodded firmly. "Yes, Coach Anzai. I've thought it through. I want to step down early so the new captain can adjust and settle in before I retire."
"Hmm…" Coach Anzai gave a small nod, his eyes showing a trace of warmth. "So have you decided who it'll be?"
Akagi shook his head, a little helpless. "Still discussing it. No answer yet."
Kogure spoke up. "Coach Anzai, someone suggested Shimizu Kanon as the next Shohoku captain. Do you think that's possible?"
"Oh?" Coach Anzai raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. "Kanon, huh… She is a very strong candidate. She's always taken the team's affairs seriously. Whether it's communication with the players or game prep, she handles everything flawlessly. She's thoughtful and cares about everyone's feelings. If not for her age, she'd be more than qualified to be a coach."
Everyone was stunned by Coach Anzai's praise.
They all knew Shimizu Kanon was capable—but they hadn't expected Coach Anzai to think this highly of her.
Coach Anzai looked around and asked, "What do the rest of you think?"
Everyone glanced at one another. No one said a word at first.
Miyagi Ryota scratched his head and broke the silence. "Well, even though Shimizu Kanon's not a player, her skills are the real deal. If she became captain, I wouldn't mind."
Mitsui Hisashi crossed his arms and added casually, "No objections here either. As long as the team gets stronger, I don't care who's captain."
He clearly had zero interest in the captain role. Whoever took it made no difference to him.
The first- and second-years also shook their heads—none of them had any objections.
Having a team manager become the basketball team's captain wasn't something anyone had seen before. But Shohoku had always been a team of surprises and miracles.
Everyone knew Shimizu Kanon was capable. Making her captain might actually be the best choice.
Honestly, if Aoi Kunisaku had a more reliable personality, he'd be the perfect fit.
Unfortunately…
Coach Anzai sighed quietly to himself. Then he said, "Since no one objects, then it's decided."
And just like that, Shohoku's new captain was set: Shimizu Kanon.
Of course, once she took over as captain, her responsibilities changed. She wouldn't be able to handle all the minor tasks a team manager usually took care of.
But Shohoku would still have two team managers.
Because after that, Akagi Haruko applied to join the basketball team and officially became a Shohoku team manager.
So now, the team had one captain and two managers—every one of them a beautiful girl.
The three of them standing together looked like a radiant, dazzling sight.
If other school teams saw that, who knows how many would be jealous out of their minds.