After the final match ended, the Winter Cup awards ceremony began.
Standing on the champion's podium was the undisputed winner, Kirisaki Daiichi!
Rakuzan High School took second place, while Shutoku High School took third.
The other schools watched the spirited players on the podium and gave them their most sincere applause.
...
After the Winter Cup ended, each team began planning for the following year.
Usually, those plans were settled before winter break so everyone could properly enjoy their vacation.
At that moment, inside an airport in Japan.
Everyone from Seirin stood in the terminal, their eyes fixed on a tall figure.
Junpei Hyuga slowly walked forward, lightly punched Teppei Kiyoshi in the chest, and said:
"Focus on recovering over there. We'll be waiting for you!"
Riko Aida nodded as well and said:
"That's right, Teppei. We'll be waiting."
Teppei Kiyoshi laughed, his gaze drifting toward a plane bound for some distant place.
"I will. That doctor is very skilled and internationally famous too. I'm sure I'll recover soon."
Everyone from Seirin nodded despite their worry, their eyes full of reluctance.
Teppei Kiyoshi looked at them with a smile, warmth filling his chest.
He truly felt lucky to have met this group of companions who shared the same dream.
Suddenly, Teppei Kiyoshi saw a figure slowly walking over from the distance. He murmured in surprise:
"Hanamiya?"
Makoto Hanamiya and Kentaro Seto were walking slowly toward them.
Everyone from Seirin froze as well. They had not expected Makoto Hanamiya to come here.
Teppei Kiyoshi looked at Makoto Hanamiya in confusion and asked:
"Hanamiya, what are you......."
Makoto Hanamiya looked completely casual as he waved a hand.
"I just happened to be passing by, so I came to see you off."
Hearing that, a smile immediately rose on Teppei Kiyoshi's face.
Passing by all the way to the airport? Hanamiya's excuses were still as clumsy as ever.
Even so, Teppei Kiyoshi felt warmth in his heart and said:
"Thanks, Hanamiya."
Makoto Hanamiya waved him off impatiently.
"Hurry up and get on the plane. Stop dragging it out."
Teppei Kiyoshi smiled and nodded, then waved to everyone.
"Everyone, I'm heading off."
Everyone from Seirin looked reluctant to part with him and waved back.
"We'll be waiting for you!"
Teppei Kiyoshi smiled, then turned and walked toward the plane.
Seeing this, Makoto Hanamiya and Kentaro Seto also turned and left.
Junpei Hyuga had just been about to invite the two of them to join them, but he stopped himself.
He smiled helplessly and lowered his raised hand.
"What am I doing? I knew they'd refuse, and I was still about to invite them."
Riko Aida smacked Junpei Hyuga on the head, making him yelp in pain.
After that, Riko Aida shouted:
"Let's go. Back to school!"
...
Elsewhere.
Kaijō High School.
Yukio Kasamatsu wore a gloomy expression, his face full of despair.
Kōji Kobori asked in confusion:
"What's wrong with Kasamatsu?"
Yoshitaka Moriyama said awkwardly:
"Kasamatsu and I applied to the same school, but he only got a C on his mock exam, so he didn't meet that school's requirements."
Yukio Kasamatsu looked utterly unconvinced. He pointed at Yoshitaka Moriyama and shouted:
"Why does this guy, who only cares about girls, get accepted right away?!"
Yoshitaka Moriyama scratched his cheek sheepishly, not knowing how to respond.
The three of them slowly walked out of the school, and Yoshitaka Moriyama asked:
"By the way, Kobori, you're taking the exam for that school too, right?"
Kōji Kobori nodded and blurted out:
"Yeah. It's basically my safety school."
The moment those words came out, Yukio Kasamatsu fell even deeper into despair, looking completely crushed.
Only then did Kōji Kobori realize he had said the wrong thing. He quickly grabbed Yukio Kasamatsu and tried to comfort him.
"Don't look so depressed, Kasamatsu. There's a gym right next door. Why don't we go play some basketball?"
Seeing that Yukio Kasamatsu had not improved at all, Kōji Kobori continued:
"If that doesn't work, let's head back to the club right now. You can just kick Kise in the butt a couple of times!"
Yoshitaka Moriyama immediately retorted:
"That's way too harsh!"
...
Shutoku High School.
Kazunari Takao dribbled the basketball helplessly and said:
"Looking at it this way, things are kind of bad."
Shintaro Midorima held a basketball and studied it as he asked:
"What do you mean?"
Kazunari Takao continued:
"Otsubo-senpai, Miyaji-senpai, and Kimura-senpai are all third-years. Once they leave, the team will only have you and me left, Shin-chan."
Shintaro Midorima did not answer. Instead, he suddenly remembered what Seijuro Akashi had said.
[In the future, we'll challenge Miyamoto together.]
In truth, ever since Seijuro Akashi had said those words, Shintaro Midorima had already had a vague guess.
Seeing that Shintaro Midorima did not answer, Kazunari Takao continued:
"The other schools at least still have three main players left. Kirisaki Daiichi even has everyone staying. At this rate, things are really going to be tough."
Shintaro Midorima pushed up his glasses and said slowly:
"Do what must be done and leave the rest to fate. Everything will take its proper course."
Kazunari Takao sighed helplessly.
"Shin-chan, there you go again......"
...
Tōō Academy.
Daiki Aomine had the court all to himself, training like crazy. The intensity of his training left even the other club members stunned.
"Oh my god, is that Aomine? That training intensity is terrifying."
"Yeah. If it were me, I'd never last."
Kosuke Wakamatsu watched Daiki Aomine train with everything he had, and a smile appeared on his face.
But in the very next second, he saw Daiki Aomine miss a shot, then stomp over to the side while grumbling. He picked up a Mai-chan photobook and muttered:
"Damn it, I actually missed! It must be because I haven't looked at enough of Mai-chan!"
Kosuke Wakamatsu's expression changed instantly, and he hurled a basketball at him.
"Aomine! You're not allowed to bring that kind of magazine into the club!!!"
...
Rakuzan High School.
Eikichi Nebuya yawned and said sleepily:
"Hey, we lost the match, so shouldn't we hurry up and train? Master won't be happy later."
Reo Mibuchi shook his head helplessly and said:
"What can we do? Today is the third-years' retirement ceremony, after all. It's an old tradition."
Kotaro Hayama glanced at his phone and said:
"So in the end, Mayuzumi-senpai never showed up?"
At that moment, up on the rooftop.
Chihiro Mayuzumi was sitting alone beside the railing, playing with his phone, when Seijuro Akashi suddenly walked over and smiled gently.
"Mayuzumi-senpai......."
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (45 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.