Early the next morning, Haizaki Shogo slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.
A few seconds later—
A sharp, energetic military drum solo echoed in his ears.
It was the custom alarm tone he had set himself.
He stretched lazily.
Today… he had a final against Aomine Daiki.
For some reason, that thought alone made his heart stir with excitement.
After breakfast, he said goodbye to his mother and waved off the barking dog at the entrance before stepping out of the house.
His journey had begun.
The city sports arena was already packed beyond belief.
Even though it was still thirty minutes before the final, the stands were completely full.
Even the upper railings and narrow viewing platforms were crowded with people.
There were simply too many spectators.
Students from other schools who came to watch were scattered everywhere, unable to even sit together.
Even well-known schools were separated by the massive crowd.
There was no such thing as organized viewing groups today.
Only chaos.
Only anticipation.
"This is unbelievable… I feel like there are more people here than at a professional league game."
"That's obvious. A match between those two—just thinking about it is exciting."
"Hey, Kise, who do you think has the higher chance of winning?"
"Hmm… hard to say. Haizaki might have a slightly better chance… but I've got a feeling. Momoi said it so naturally yesterday… so Aomine might also reach that level."
"What?!"
"Don't be surprised. That's Aomine Daiki. The ace of the Generation of Miracles. In my opinion, he's the strongest. He's my idol."
Kise Ryouta stood out in his light gray stylish suit, looking unusually refined—almost aristocratic—but still spoke with his usual friendly tone.
Beside him, Yukio Kasamatsu watched the final with a complicated expression of envy and expectation.
Around them, the Kaijo team looked up at the packed arena in awe.
"This is the national stage…"
"So many cameras… even a live broadcast setup…"
"It makes sense. This is the most important high school tournament in Japan."
Then—
"Ah, it would've been nice if we were the ones playing today."
That single sentence from Takao Kazunari made the atmosphere shift instantly.
Silence fell over Shutoku's team.
A quiet sense of regret lingered.
Midorima Shintaro finally spoke.
"Train properly. We still have the Winter Cup."
It sounded like encouragement—but also like a reminder to himself.
His words broke the silence.
The team slowly returned to normal.
"I'll do my best too… I don't want to hold you back anymore."
"That attitude is good enough."
Takao laughed awkwardly.
Even with Midorima's blunt honesty, their strange chemistry somehow worked.
Maybe that awkwardness itself… was trust.
======
At that moment, both Tōō Academy and Fukuda Sogo had entered the court.
Warm-ups had begun.
Kagami Taiga looked at the two figures on the court and asked seriously.
"Hey, Kuroko… who do you think will win?"
Kuroko Tetsuya, holding hotdog in one hand and drinking yogurt with the other, turned his head blankly.
His blue eyes stared softly at Kagami.
"I don't know, Kagami-kun. But I think this will be a very interesting match. It might help you a lot."
Kagami nodded slowly.
He could feel it too.
After watching so many high-level matches, something inside him had been ignited.
But no matter how hard he tried—
He still couldn't break through that invisible barrier inside him.
======
On another side of the stands, something unusual was happening.
Murasakibara Atsushi had arrived without snacks.
He simply sat there quietly, staring blankly at the court as if thinking about something.
Everyone from Yosen exchanged confused glances.
Something felt off.
Like the team was missing something essential.
Perhaps… the sound of constant snacking.
No one said it aloud.
But everyone felt it.
======
"Reo-senpai, who are you rooting for?"
"I don't know. After Aomine's match, I leaned toward him. But after yesterday's game… I might lean toward Haizaki."
"You've changed your mind!"
"Shut up. My heart belongs only to Seijuro."
The Rakuzan players around them froze in awkward silence.
Why were their teammates all so strange?
And then—
A faint, almost invisible presence reminded everyone:
The match was about to begin.
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena, reading the starting lineups.
Fukuda Sogo Starting Five:
#6 Haizaki Shogo
#7 Suzuran Karasu
#5 Okawa Sawano
#12 Kimura Tosho
#4 Mochizuki Kazuhiro
Tōō Academy Starting Five:
#4 Imayoshi Shoichi
#5 Aomine Daiki
#9 Sakurai Ryo
#6 Wakamatsu Kousuke
#7 Yoshinori Susa
At the sound of those names, the entire audience fell silent.
Then—
Excitement exploded.
When everyone heard Haizaki Shogo and Aomine Daiki in the same lineup…
They knew.
This was it.
======
On the court, warm-ups ended.
Staff rushed in quickly, cleaning the floor once more with large mops.
Final preparations.
======
Fukuda Sogo bench.
Coach Ichiro Kudo looked at his players and said calmly,
"Go. You've already faced Tōō Academy before. Give everything you have for this final victory."
"Yes, Coach!"
"Yes!"
Kudo watched Haizaki lead his team onto the court.
His gaze softened.
I've fulfilled my promise to the school… we've finally reached this stage.
Go, boys. I believe in you.
======
Tōō Academy bench.
Coach Harasawa Katsunori rested his chin on his hand lazily.
"Go win it. Bring Tōō Academy its first national championship."
"Yes, Coach!"
"Let's go!"
Aomine stretched his arms casually, walking ahead of his teammates.
Imayoshi led the formation.
Behind them, the team looked energized—almost glowing with confidence.
As if the entire team was floating with momentum.
The stage was set.
The final match was about to begin.
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