Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was hosting this year's National High School Boys' Basketball Championship.
The game had not yet begun when Yuto and the others arrived, but the atmosphere was already electric.
Cheers and excited shouts thundered through the building as supporters called out the names of Shohoku and Ryonan.
They were the stars of today's event.
Before the day ended, one of them would be crowned the best boys' high-school basketball team in the country.
"Our seats are near the front."
Uozumi led the way in his deep voice.
His enormous frame drew startled exclamations as he passed through the rows.
People instinctively moved aside, allowing Yuto and the others to follow without difficulty.
Their seats were in the very front row, slightly elevated above the court. From there, they could see everything without anything blocking their view.
"The game starts in twenty minutes."
Uozumi checked his watch, then swept his gaze across the stands as though searching for someone.
When he failed to find them, a trace of disappointment entered his eyes.
A whistle suddenly sounded from the court.
Everyone's attention shifted downward as energetic music filled the arena and two groups of brightly dressed dancers stepped into the center for the opening performance.
"Jun, don't stare too hard..."
Ishiko smiled sweetly at her husband.
The gentleness of her expression made Uozumi's face stiffen.
"Ahem! I came here to watch basketball. I have no interest in performances like this!"
He closed his eyes as though to prove his innocence.
Ishiko gave a quiet hum and looked away.
The instant her attention moved elsewhere, Uozumi secretly opened one eye and began peeking at the dancers.
Yuto simply watched the performance openly.
Megumi was not his girlfriend, so there was no reason for him to feel guilty.
Unfortunately, he failed to notice the faint displeasure on the girl's face beside him. Her cheeks puffed out ever so slightly, though the reaction was subtle enough to escape almost anyone's notice.
Once the performance ended, the players from both teams entered the court.
The arena erupted.
The restless excitement that had already filled the gymnasium surged into a deafening roar.
Supporters throughout the stands raised banners and flags that had been hidden among the crowd.
"Shohoku! Shohoku! Shohoku!"
"Ryonan! Ryonan! Ryonan!"
Neither side was willing to be outdone.
The coaches entered next.
Ryonan's coach was a white-haired elderly man with a gentle face, while Shohoku's was a middle-aged man with short red hair.
"Hmph. So that idiot finally learned how to act responsibly."
The corner of Uozumi's mouth lifted when he saw the red-haired coach.
He called the man an idiot, but the warmth in his voice made his happiness obvious.
After speaking to his players, the red-haired coach glanced up toward the audience. He appeared to be searching for someone as well, but soon looked disappointed.
Then he noticed Uozumi.
His face immediately brightened. He clapped his hands and waved enthusiastically.
"HEY! UOZUMI!"
Uozumi raised a hand in response.
Ishiko looked at her husband in surprise.
"Is that Sakuragi Hanamichi? The one you've told me about?"
"Yeah. He's a complete idiot."
"His red hair certainly stands out. Is that really his natural color?"
"Yes. Only an idiot could be born with hair like that."
Despite everything he said, Uozumi could not stop smiling.
The usually stern man looked genuinely delighted.
"Uozumi came too?"
Ryonan's white-haired coach adjusted his glasses and turned toward the stands.
The moment Uozumi noticed his gaze, he immediately rose.
"Uozumi! Have you been well?"
The elderly coach called out with a smile.
Uozumi bowed deeply. His respect for the man was clear in every part of the gesture.
"Thanks to you, I've been doing well!"
His deep voice carried clearly across the court.
The old coach smiled before turning back to explain the upcoming strategy to his players.
Uozumi sat down again.
"Who was that?" Ishiko asked.
"My high-school coach."
His voice carried a complicated warmth as old memories surfaced in his eyes.
The sweat he had shed on the court.
The anger he had felt whenever he was harshly criticized.
The pride and joy of being chosen as team captain.
It all seemed as though it had happened only yesterday.
"You respect him very much, don't you?"
"Mm. Coach Taoka did a great deal for me back then."
Uozumi released a long sigh.
Down on the court, the two coaches met for the customary handshake.
"Hey, old man! Sorry about this. I know bullying the elderly isn't nice, but Shohoku is definitely taking the championship!"
Sakuragi shamelessly declared victory directly to Taoka's face.
The old man merely smiled.
"Then let us see on the court."
Age had clearly mellowed him.
...
Three minutes later, the game began.
From the opening whistle, Shohoku launched a fierce attack.
Their players moved like predators hunting prey, pressing forward with relentless speed and aggression.
Shohoku scored the first three baskets.
Their supporters exploded into cheers, and the entire arena seemed to shake beneath the noise.
Sakuragi, however, remained surprisingly calm on the sidelines.
"Watch your defense! Don't get cocky!"
He shouted toward his players.
Uozumi raised his brows.
'That reckless brat from years ago really had grown into a proper coach.'
Sure enough, Shohoku's early success made the players overconfident. Ryonan immediately took advantage and answered with a basket of their own.
The match became even more intense.
Amid the roaring crowd, several men appeared beside the railing on the opposite side of the stands.
The one leading them had closely cropped hair, an incredibly muscular build, and exceptional height.
Standing beside Uozumi, he might have looked like the man's twin.
Three shorter men accompanied him.
One was particularly small, not even reaching a hundred and seventy centimeters. His earrings and rough expression gave him a slightly unfriendly appearance.
The second looked calm and dependable.
The last wore glasses and had a gentle, approachable face.
"Wow. Who would've thought Sakuragi could actually look convincing as a coach?"
"Hmph. He's finally made some progress."
"Didn't Rukawa come?"
"Who knows? Even if he did, he's probably hiding somewhere and watching alone."
"This is quite a game. Kids these days really grow tall. There isn't a single short one among them."
"Hahahaha! Miyagi, are you still bothered by that? You're about to get married."
"Shut up!"
As the group joked, Uozumi noticed them.
Recognition entered his eyes, and his mouth spread into a wide grin.
'Of course you came, Akagi.'
His fist tightened slightly, and his breathing grew heavier with excitement.
"Hey, look over there. Isn't that Uozumi?"
Akagi Takenori and the others noticed him at almost the same moment.
Their gazes met.
Akagi smiled in exactly the same way as Uozumi and raised a hand. Uozumi returned the gesture.
Two former rivals had met again after many years.
All that remained between them now was happiness.
...
The whistle sounded, ending the first half.
Ryonan led Shohoku by two points, 26–24.
It was hardly a serious gap.
While Sakuragi arranged his team's defensive strategy, he noticed Akagi and the others in the stands.
His face immediately lit up.
He began waving with his usual loud, shameless energy.
"Hahahahaha! I knew you gorillas would come! Miyagi! Mitsui! Megane-kun! Ooooooh!"
For a moment, Sakuragi sounded exactly like the high-school boy he had once been.
Akagi and the others immediately looked both embarrassed and furious.
"That idiot! Mature, my ass! I'm definitely beating him up later!"
Akagi clenched his fist.
He could not remember the last time anyone had dared call him a gorilla.
"Count me in!" Miyagi shouted.
"Me too!" Mitsui added.
Clearly, Sakuragi's old nicknames had pushed all three men past their limits.
Kogure hurriedly tried to calm them down.
The scene looked almost exactly like their high-school days, when Kogure had always been forced to play peacemaker.
"And where is that bastard Rukawa?" Sakuragi continued, planting his hands on his hips. "Is he too embarrassed to show his face now that I've become a basketball coach? Hahahahaha!"
At the height of his smug laughter, a plastic water bottle struck him on the head.
Sakuragi spun around furiously.
At the back of the upper stands stood an exceptionally handsome man with a completely blank expression. One hand remained extended from where he had thrown the bottle.
"RUKAWA!"
Sakuragi's roar drew the attention of the entire stadium.
Even the officials at the scorer's table stared at him in disbelief.
"Idiot..."
Rukawa Kaede silently mouthed the word.
The distance was too great for Sakuragi to hear him, but the shape of his lips made the meaning obvious.
That only made Sakuragi even angrier.
One of the officials hurried over and reminded him to calm down.
"He really is still an idiot."
Uozumi covered his face and laughed helplessly.
And here he had been thinking Sakuragi had matured.
A short while later, the second half began.
The battle between the two teams grew fiercer than before. Even Uozumi began loudly cheering for Ryonan.
As the final seconds approached, Shohoku gained possession for one last crucial attack.
The ball left the shooter's hands.
A crisp sound echoed through the arena as it passed cleanly through the net.
The final whistle followed immediately.
Final score: 68–67.
Shohoku had won by a single point.
Coach Taoka shook his head with a helpless smile.
"It seems I've lost to the younger generation."
After celebrating together, Shohoku's players prepared to leave.
Sakuragi briefly said goodbye to them before running toward the section where Akagi and the others were waiting.
Rukawa came down from the upper stands as well.
The old group gathered together just as they had so many years ago.
Back then, they had worn basketball uniforms.
Now, they stood together as grown men.
Uozumi watched them, envy and emotion briefly entering his eyes.
He wanted to reunite with his own former teammates too.
"We should leave."
He rose from his seat.
Ishiko gently took his hand.
Yuto glanced toward Megumi.
Faint excitement still lingered on her face.
She might not have understood much about basketball, but the passion of the game had been more than enough to draw her in.
"The match is over. There's nothing left to watch even if we stay."
Megumi's expression suddenly stiffened.
She looked like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
Yuto could not help laughing.
She gave him a mildly annoyed look before quickly regaining her composure.
"Then we should leave too."
The four of them rose and headed for the exit.
Just as they reached the entrance, several people stepped into their path.
The moment Uozumi saw them, excitement spread across his face.
"Hey. It's been a long time, Uozumi."
The handsome man standing in front spoke with a faint smile. He had a calm, dependable presence.
"Captain! We finally meet again!"
"Whoa, I'm suddenly getting emotional!"
"You bastards!" Uozumi shouted, looking both furious and delighted. "Didn't every one of you claim you were busy? Why are you all here now? Sendoh, what happened to your flight?"
A faint shimmer appeared in his eyes.
They were tears of joy.
"Ah, I was supposed to catch it, but after thinking about it, I decided I should come here first."
"My supervisor finally approved my leave! It really wasn't easy!"
"Sigh. I nearly started an argument with my wife over this."
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hey, what are you laughing at? I couldn't help it. My wife is pregnant, so she has a little more authority than I do right now."
"Speaking of wives, is this yours, Uozumi?"
"Unbelievable. Even Captain found someone willing to marry him."
"Hey, Uekusa! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Anyway, shall we go see Coach?"
"Of course!"
Uozumi immediately agreed.
Only then did he remember Yuto.
In his excitement, he had completely forgotten about the young man.
He looked to the side but could not find him.
When he turned toward the street, he spotted Yuto standing some distance away, smiling and waving goodbye.
Uozumi raised a hand in return, then followed his friends back into the stadium.
Their energetic conversation continued as they moved farther away.
Shohoku.
The old days.
Plans for a reunion dinner.
The group of middle-aged men sounded exactly like the reckless, arrogant boys they had once been.
Yuto stood calmly outside.
The moment Sendoh first spoke to Uozumi, he had instinctively taken Megumi's hand and led her away.
His intuition had told him that staying would quickly become awkward.
He had been right.
Fortunately, he had noticed early enough.
Megumi remained silent beside him.
A faint warmth spread through her chest as Yuto was still holding her hand.
It was the first time anyone had ever held it.
And the feeling was surprisingly pleasant.