Thump.
Mitsui Hisashi dropped to his knees.
Both hands braced against the floor, his head bowed deeply.
His shoulders trembled violently.
His sobs echoed through the wrecked gymnasium.
"Coach Anzai…"
He slowly raised his head.
Through tear-blurred eyes, something reignited—
A longing for basketball.
A flame that could never truly be extinguished, no matter how far he had fallen… no matter how long he had run from it.
"I…"
His voice choked.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had, he cried out the words buried deep in his heart for two long years—
"I want to play basketball…!"
The confession—soaked in blood, tears, and regret—fell into the air.
And silence followed.
The entire gym seemed to be muted.
No one spoke.
Only Mitsui's sobbing remained.
Sakuragi Hanamichi scratched his head, lowering his fists.
"Tch… so he's just a crybaby who wants to play ball."
Miyagi Ryota turned away, shaking his head.
Akagi Takenori tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling as he let out a long, heavy breath.
That guy who always clashed with him…
Had finally come back.
Makino Juro stood quietly in the corner, watching everything unfold.
He already knew how this would go.
And yet—
Seeing it with his own eyes still stirred something inside him.
This… was youth.
Passion. Recklessness. Mistakes.
And the courage to turn back.
"…Nice."
Makino Juro picked up a bottle, finished the last sip, and casually tossed it toward the trash can in the distance.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
"Now that even the MVP's back…"
"I guess I'll have to work a little harder too."
He stretched lazily, letting out a long yawn.
His gaze swept over Mitsui kneeling on the ground—
Over the battered but still bright-eyed boys around him.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Guess I'll go crazy with you guys for a bit."
"After all…"
"I kinda like basketball too."
But the emotional atmosphere didn't last long.
"Hey! What's going on in there?!"
"That noise just now—what was it?!"
A sharp, familiar voice rang out from outside the gym doors.
Footsteps followed—quick, urgent.
The earlier commotion had clearly alerted the school.
The atmosphere inside froze instantly.
If the school found out about a full-scale brawl in the basketball club—
Forget the prefectural tournament.
The entire team might be disbanded.
Akagi's expression darkened.
Mitsui froze where he stood.
The tears in his eyes hadn't even dried before fear replaced them.
"…This is bad," Kogure Kiminobu muttered, adjusting his glasses in despair.
At that critical moment—
Mito Yohei moved.
He still wore that carefree smile.
But now, there was resolve in his eyes.
He brushed the dust off his uniform and strode toward the entrance.
"Yohei?"
Sakuragi seemed to sense something and reached out to stop him.
Yohei simply turned back—
And flashed him a "V" sign.
Then he pulled the doors open—
Right as the dean and several PE teachers rushed in.
"Well, well, teachers. Good afternoon."
Yohei stepped forward, blocking their view with a grin.
"Mito Yohei?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"Is this… a fight?!"
The dean looked at Yohei's bruised face—
Then at the delinquents sprawled all over the floor.
His anger exploded.
"Yeah. We got into a fight."
"Old grudges. We came here to pick a fight with the basketball club."
Yohei shrugged casually, as if discussing the weather.
He pointed at the battered members of Mitsui's group, then at Hotta Norio.
"Right, boss?"
Hotta froze for a moment—
Then caught the meaning behind Yohei's gaze.
This usually blustering delinquent suddenly showed surprising loyalty.
"Y-Yeah!"
Clutching his swollen face, he shouted,
"It was us!"
"Mitsui wanted to go back to the basketball club, and we didn't like it—so we started fighting!"
"It has nothing to do with the basketball team! They were trying to stop us!"
"That's right!"
Takamiya, Ohkusu, and Noma immediately caught on.
"Mitsui wants to return to the basketball club?"
The dean frowned, glancing inside.
Mitsui was kneeling before Coach Anzai, crying his heart out.
Akagi and Kogure stood nearby, injured—but clearly not aggressors.
"…We're taking Mitsui with us," Yohei added.
"But these basketball nerds insisted on protecting him."
He pointed at his own mouth.
"See? We beat each other up."
The dean stared at the group of troublemakers he dealt with regularly.
Finally, he snorted.
"You lot again! All of you—come with me to the office! This time, you won't get off easy!"
"Yes, yes, we accept our punishment."
Yohei turned his back to Sakuragi and the others, waving casually.
That departing figure—
Carefree.
Unbelievably cool.
"Yohei…"
Sakuragi clenched his fists tightly, eyes reddening.
Leaning against the wall, Makino Juro watched Yohei leave, a faint smile on his lips.
"…Not a bad guy at all."
"So this is what brotherhood looks like."
The school's decision came quickly.
Mito Yohei, the Sakuragi Gang, Hotta Norio, and the others—
Were suspended for three days for group fighting on school grounds.
As for the basketball team.
They were classified as victims and mediators.
Miraculously, they escaped punishment.
Just then—
Akagi suddenly turned around.
Those bell-like eyes locked onto everyone—
Especially Makino Juro, Sakuragi, Rukawa Kaede, and Miyagi.
"The touching scene is over."
He pointed at the shattered glass, broken mops, and scattered debris all over the floor.
A devilish smile appeared on his face.
"Now—"
"Immediately. Right now."
"Clean. Everything."
"No one goes home until it's done!"
"WHAT?!" Sakuragi and Miyagi howled in unison.
"That's not fair! Gorilla, you—"
"Shut it! You're the ones who broke it!"
Makino Juro froze.
He looked at the disaster around him—
Then at the clock on the wall.
He was already an hour past his planned JoJo time.
"…What a disaster."
He looked up at the sky and sighed dramatically.
"Mitsui Hisashi, you owe me my Ripple Overdrive!!"
That night.
The lights in Shohoku's gym stayed on until late.
That was the first true gathering—
Of Shohoku's Five Tigers.
Though… it happened while mopping floors and wiping windows.
…
The next day.
Shohoku Gym.
"Defense! Defense! Move your feet!"
Akagi Takenori's roar still shook the walls.
As if yesterday's chaos had never happened.
But everyone knew—
Something had changed.
Swish!
A clean shot.
The basketball bounced a few times before rolling to Makino Juro's feet.
He had just finished conditioning training and was sitting on the floor, drenched in sweat.
"Hey, you—dead fish eyes."
END OF CHAPTER
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