At the same time...
Kitamura General Hospital.
The corridor outside the emergency ward was filled with the sharp scent of disinfectant.
It was the smell of death and new life intertwining.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
A frantic barrage of footsteps shattered the oppressive silence.
Mitsui Hisashi was the first to arrive.
The once-arrogant delinquent now wore nothing but fear on his face, looking like a lost child who had misplaced his soul.
Close behind him were Miyagi Ryota, Rukawa Kaede, and Sakuragi Hanamichi, whose shoe had lost its heel from running so hard.
"This way!"
Miyagi's voice was hoarse as he pointed toward the special care ward at the end of the hallway.
The group skidded to an abrupt stop.
Their sneakers screeched against the polished floor as every pair of eyes locked onto the hospital room ahead.
Two people stood outside the door.
Makino Juro leaned against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets.
The lazy, carefree aura he usually carried had completely disappeared.
His head was lowered, his bangs hiding his eyes.
His expression was as cold and rigid as a slab of freshly frozen meat, radiating an icy pressure that warned everyone to stay away.
Beside him stood Ayako, clutching a tissue.
Her eyes were red and swollen.
She had clearly been crying.
"Oh no..."
Mitsui's heart skipped a beat.
A chill shot up from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
The atmosphere.
Those expressions.
The way they were standing...
Could it be...
"Old Man!!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Sakuragi let out a heart-wrenching scream and burst through the hospital room door like a rampaging bull.
"Old Man, you can't die!"
"The genius hasn't led Shohoku to the national championship yet!"
"And you still owe me hamburgers! Waaaaah!"
The others rushed in with red-rimmed eyes.
Rukawa clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
However...
The instant they entered the room...
Every one of them froze.
It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on reality.
The tragic scene they had imagined...
A body covered by a white sheet...
Never appeared.
Coach Anzai lay peacefully in the hospital bed, dressed in a patient gown.
His trademark round belly rose and fell rhythmically beneath the blanket like an overinflated balloon.
"Fwooo... snore..."
"Fwooo... snore..."
His thunderous snoring echoed throughout the quiet room, even making his white mustache flutter with every breath, complete with its own background soundtrack.
Everyone:
"..."
Sakuragi stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Tears still clung to his cheeks as he turned into a comical stone statue.
Mitsui was so embarrassed he wished he could dig a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
This...
"Shhh."
Beside the bed, a graceful middle-aged woman dressed in a kimono slowly stood up.
She placed a finger gently against her lips.
"Please keep your voices down."
"He just fell asleep."
Mrs. Anzai looked at the group of sweaty, flustered boys with eyes as gentle as spring water.
Everyone slowly turned around.
Dozens of murderous glares instantly focused on Juro.
Coach was only sleeping.
So why were you standing outside looking like someone had died?!
What was with that funeral-face at the door?!
Leaning against the doorway, Makino Juro felt everyone's resentment.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
He merely shrugged before the corner of his mouth curled into an infuriating grin.
"Why are you all looking at me?"
"I never said the old man had kicked the bucket."
"You..."
Mitsui was so furious he wanted to punch him.
But remembering they were inside a hospital, he could only swallow the curse that had reached the tip of his tongue, his face turning bright red.
Kogure Kiminobu adjusted his glasses and cautiously stepped forward.
Lowering his voice, he asked,
"Mrs. Anzai... Coach... is he going to be alright?"
"He's fine for now."
Mrs. Anzai gently tucked the blanket around her husband with practiced tenderness.
"It's an old condition."
"His heart was simply placed under too much strain."
"The doctor said he was brought here just in time."
"And the specialists arranged by Juro were extremely professional."
As she spoke, she looked toward Makino Juro with heartfelt gratitude.
"However..."
"The doctors still recommend a full examination."
"He'll need to stay in the hospital for observation for another two or three days."
She paused, an apologetic smile appearing on her face.
"I'm so sorry, everyone."
"It's the most important stage of the prefectural tournament."
"You probably still have games to play..."
"And yet he collapsed at a time like this..."
"No!"
"Please don't say that!"
Kogure hurriedly waved his hands.
His eyes reddened as his voice caught in his throat.
"We're the ones who failed to take good care of Coach."
"We're the ones who made him worry."
"I'm sorry... I forgot to introduce myself."
Straightening his back, Kogure gave a respectful bow.
"I'm the team's vice-captain, Kogure Kiminobu."
"I know who you are."
Mrs. Anzai smiled and nodded.
Her gaze slowly swept across every member of the team.
She looked at them as though they were her own children.
"Kogure-kun..."
"The energetic red-haired one is Sakuragi-kun."
"The one beside him is Rukawa-kun."
"That's Mitsui-kun."
"And Miyagi-kun..."
Finally, her eyes settled on Ayako, who was still wiping away tears.
"And lastly..."
"Our beautiful team manager, Ayako-chan."
Ayako blinked in surprise.
Her cheeks immediately turned red as she awkwardly wiped her eyes.
"Oh my..."
"Mrs. Anzai, you're the beautiful one."
"I've cried so much my makeup's a mess."
"Hehehe..."
Mrs. Anzai covered her mouth as she laughed softly.
The warm laughter instantly dissolved the tension filling the room.
"Mrs. Anzai..."
"How do you know all of us?"
Miyagi scratched the back of his head, feeling both surprised and honored.
Coach Anzai rarely talked.
He didn't seem like someone who would go home gossiping about his players.
Mrs. Anzai walked over to the window and replaced the water in the vase of lilies.
Her eyes became distant with nostalgia.
"Actually..."
"I occasionally sneak over to the gym to watch your games."
"So I've remembered all of your faces."
Everyone exchanged glances.
A warm feeling quietly welled up inside their hearts.
"When he was still coaching at the university..."
"He was known as the 'White-Haired Devil.'"
"He was very strict."
"And... very unhappy."
"Back then, I never wanted to watch his games."
"I didn't like seeing him with a constant frown."
She turned around and looked at her sleeping husband.
Her eyes became incredibly gentle.
"But lately..."
"He seems... happy."
"Happy?"
Sakuragi blinked in confusion.
"Old Man's always just going 'Ho, ho, ho,' rubbing his chin."
"When was he ever happy?"
He pointed innocently at Coach Anzai's round belly.
"It's true."
Mrs. Anzai smiled as she looked at the vibrant group of boys.
"In the past..."
"When he came home..."
"He hardly spoke."
"But recently..."
"He tells me stories."
"He tells me about the red-haired boy who did something outrageous again today..."
"He tells me about how amazing a player named Makino Juro is..."
"He tells me that the cold-faced boy has improved once again..."
"And that one of his former students has returned..."
"When he talks about all of you..."
"There's a light in his eyes."
Her voice was soft.
Yet every word struck their hearts like a heavy hammer.
Mitsui lowered his head.
His fists tightened until his nails dug into his palms.
Rukawa silently gazed at Coach Anzai's white hair.
His eyes flickered with emotion.
So...
Inside the heart of that smiling old man...
This troublesome group of kids...
Had always meant this much to him.
"So..."
"I've started enjoying basketball games too."
Mrs. Anzai smiled, the gentle lines at the corners of her eyes carrying the warmth of passing years.
"Because I wanted to see..."
"What kind of children..."
"Could help this stubborn old man..."
"Rediscover the joy of basketball."
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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