Aomine and Kise burned with excitement.
They too began thinking about going overseas. But Midorima stayed calm.
He understood everything Yuuto had said, including the unspoken parts.
Before, he'd been confident in his own talent.
But after witnessing Yuuto and Nash today, he realized he might not be ready yet.
At least not now.
If they rashly went to America, they might not even make the roster.
Rather than waiting endlessly for opportunities, better to stay in Japan and continue preparing.
After all, in Japan they were their teams' absolute cores. Coaches and teammates revolved around them.
This was a very real concern.
Take Covanord, for example—of the players who joined alongside Yuuto, not a single one made the team roster.
The only sophomore on the starting lineup was Yuuto himself. Everyone else was a junior or senior.
So Midorima's worry had merit.
At least in Japan, they could still get playing time. Over there? Not guaranteed.
What about Kagami?
He sat with the Seirin group but had been listening intently to Yuuto's words.
Then he made his decision.
A week ago, his mentor Alexandra Garcia had called him, arranging a spot at a school for him.
He'd been hesitant, unable to commit, unwilling to leave his teammates behind.
But now, having witnessed Yuuto and Nash's overwhelming power, he resolved to return to America and continue his basketball journey.
When he'd first come back to Japan and introduced himself to his classmates, he'd been asked about his dream.
He said he wanted to make it to the NBA.
To achieve that dream, staying in Japan wouldn't cut it.
...
The celebration ended.
Everyone went their separate ways.
Kagami called his teammates outside and announced his decision.
"Everyone, I know this is sudden, but I wanted to tell you face to face."
"I've decided to go to America!"
Seirin's reactions varied.
Koganei Shinji had suspected this but didn't want to believe it. "Like before? Going there to train?"
"No. Alexandra introduced me to some basketball powerhouse schools that want me."
Kagami paused.
"Actually, she told me a week ago. I couldn't make up my mind then, but after seeing Yuuto and Nash's battle today, I've decided. I'm going there to keep playing, to work toward the NBA!"
The sudden news stunned Hyūga and the others.
They thought about next year. Without Kagami, how could they compete against Tōō, Shūtoku, and Seihō?
They might revert to their old selves, unable to even make it out of Tokyo.
Subconsciously, they didn't want Kagami to leave—at least not until after senior year.
But as teammates and friends, they knew opportunities like this were rare. Especially after witnessing Yuuto's strength, deep down they wanted to play there too. They just didn't have the chance.
So.
"The fact that you struggled with this for a week already makes me happy." Hyūga stepped forward as captain. "Go all out and chase your dream. We'll all support you."
And so, amid blessings, Kagami decided to return to America.
Akashi happened to overhear on his way back. He sighed.
He was different from the others. He had a corporate empire to inherit; basketball couldn't be his career.
His future goal would be growing a multi-billion-dollar fortune into something worth hundreds of billions.
Basketball? It could only be entertainment for him.
If he really loved it that much, maybe someday he'd buy a team for fun.
...
As for Yuuto?
He wasn't overthinking things. He'd given his advice; the choice was theirs.
After the game ended, he didn't rush to leave. He stayed in Japan for a vacation.
The prize money from the match funded a trip for him, Sora, and Momoi.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder—that saying wasn't wrong.
A year ago, Momoi and Sora would've been at each other's throats the moment they met, each wanting to kick the other out.
A year later, they'd agreed to share the same bed.
Now they didn't even object to a three-person trip. How wonderful!
Yuuto figured he'd need a very big bed someday.
As for Walker?
Yuuto couldn't bear to leave him out. He recommended a top-tier red-light district, and Walker blew through that $2,500 in a heartbeat.
Those few days, he walked around in a daze.
"Seriously, Walker, if you keep indulging yourself like this, you won't get drafted. The opportunity will pass you by."
On the flight back, Yuuto tried to counsel his friend.
But Walker replied, "I know. But I also know the NBA isn't somewhere I can play."
His answer surprised Yuuto.
"Why that look? Of course I've had the same dream as you. I wanted to be an NBA star, make tons of money, become a millionaire. But that life isn't for me."
"Especially after being your teammate for a year. Yu! That place is for people like you, not me."
Over the past year, Covanord had achieved unprecedented success. The whole team was thrilled.
But Walker hadn't been overjoyed.
He was perceptive, and he'd noticed early on that Yuuto was gradually replacing him as Covanord's most popular basketball player.
Then that popularity spread from the school to all of Indianapolis, then to all of Indiana.
Everyone loved Yuuto, even though he never interacted with fans.
When girls rushed toward them on the street, they were always headed for Yuuto, not him.
Even for autographs, he was just an afterthought.
Walker had been jealous. Furiously jealous.
"There was a time I wanted to cut ties with you. I felt like you'd taken everything from me. You know what, Yu? For a while, I really hated you."
"But in the end, I couldn't keep hating you. Because I couldn't do what you do—dedicate almost everything in my life to basketball."
"More importantly, I could never lead Covanord to a championship like you did."
His expression showed pain, but gradually it turned to acceptance.
Just like the transformation in his heart over the past year.
"I've been holding all this in, and it was eating me up. Feels better getting it out. I hope you don't look down on me."
"I never thought any less of you, Walker."
"I know. Because we're brothers. Later, I'll brag to people—my brother is an NBA star. We won a championship together."
Yuuto looked at him intently.
"If you decide not to play ball later, or if the draft doesn't work out, you could be my agent."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"I said you could consider being my agent. Like LeBron James and his friend Rich Paul."
Rich Paul had been a player in high school too, dreaming of making the NBA.
But limited by his talent, he eventually chose the agent path and, riding LeBron's coattails, became a super-agent.
Walker might not have quit drinking, but he hadn't quit women either—and this guy had natural charisma. Smooth-talking came easy to him.
Today, he'd impressed Yuuto even more. This bastard had been carrying all this inside him. He was more capable than he appeared.
This gave Yuuto some new ideas.
Rather than partnering with those bloodsucking agents, maybe he could team up with someone he knew well.
Of course.
If Walker turned out to be no good at it, Yuuto wouldn't hesitate to fire him.
...
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