Ryonan High School
A quiet corner outside the basketball gym.
Ake silently followed Coach Taoka Moichi there.
Coach Taoka turned around. His usual stern expression softened into a warm smile.
"Ake-kun! I heard you and Sendoh were teammates back in middle school?"
Ake nodded, his tone calm and composed.
"Yes, Coach. Sendoh and I met in his second year at Seiyo Middle School. We played together until he graduated."
"Hmm… Seiyo Middle School, you say." Coach Taoka nodded thoughtfully. "That school was rumored to have won two consecutive championships, but their third-year performance wasn't quite as good. Why was that?"
As a seasoned high school basketball coach, he naturally kept track of the middle school leagues.
He had long known about Seiyo Middle's two straight titles— and that was when he first heard the name Sendoh.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to attend any of their games during those two years.
Later, when Sendoh mentioned Ake, Taoka had planned to scout him personally during their third year.
But to his surprise, Ake had already left the Seiyo Basketball Club by then.
They had missed each other completely.
That curiosity had lingered ever since.
After all, most players who'd already won two championships would fight tooth and nail for a third.
But the boy standing before him had walked away instead.
He couldn't help but wonder—why?
Ake remained calm.
"In my third year of middle school, I left the basketball club due to personal reasons."
"I see." Coach Taoka nodded slowly, then asked,
"Now that you've officially joined the Ryonan Basketball Club… what do you think of the team?"
It was both a test—and a way to gauge the young man's mindset.
From Ake's performance in the game earlier, Taoka could already tell— this boy possessed a rare talent for leadership and control.
A true commander on the court.
Watching him play, Taoka couldn't help but recall another name—
Maki Shinichi, captain of Kainan's basketball team.
And yet, judging by Ake's presence and composure, even Maki might not necessarily perform better.
This was exactly what Ryonan needed.
Hearing the question, Ake smiled faintly.
"I do have a few thoughts about the team, Coach."
He spoke evenly, his voice confident but calm.
"First, there's Uekusa-senpai. As a point guard, he struggles to direct his teammates effectively. He tends to hesitate and wait for others to take initiative instead of organizing the offense himself."
"Also, his mid- and long-range shooting. While a point guard's main role is to manage the offense, being able to shoot reliably from midrange or beyond is essential. Yet throughout the entire game, Uekusa-senpai barely attempted a single shot."
"On defense…"
"On offense…"
"Consistency…"
Each point Ake raised was clear, precise, and brutally accurate.
Coach Taoka's eyes widened more and more as he listened.
In all his years of coaching, he had never analyzed Uekusa Tomoyuki's flaws with such precision.
But as Ake spoke, Taoka realized—it was all true.
Then Ake moved on.
Uozumi.
Koshino Hiroaki.
Ikegami Ryoji.
Sendoh.
One by one, he listed every key player— breaking down their weaknesses, decision-making, and areas that needed improvement.
He didn't stop there.
He went on to assess the freshmen, pointing out each of their technical flaws, mental habits, and tendencies on the court— then calmly offered clear, practical suggestions for how to improve.
Every word cut deep, but none were malicious. It was simply the truth— cold, sharp, and undeniable.
Coach Taoka was stunned into silence.
His heart trembled with a mix of awe and disbelief.
'Is this guy really just a freshman?'
He wasn't a normal student.
He was a monster.
After recovering from the shock, Taoka quietly noted down every one of Ake's insights.
And then— a sudden thought crossed his mind.
'If I made this kid captain… my job would get a lot easier.'
When Ake finished speaking, Coach Taoka's eyes glimmered with interest.
He asked carefully,
"Ake-kun, if you were made captain, what would you do? Do you believe you can lead this team?"
Ake met his gaze.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, forming a confident, steady smile.
"Of course."
In truth, this was exactly what he had been aiming for.
He had only intended to plant a seed in the coach's mind— to make him realize that he had what it took to lead.
He hadn't expected Taoka to bring it up so soon.
Still, it made sense.
Uozumi was captain mainly because he was the most senior member and the team's main center.
But with Sendoh's arrival and growing influence, Uozumi's authority as captain naturally began to fade.
If Ake became captain, however, everything would change.
With his strength and commanding presence, he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sendoh— not as a rival, but as an equal pillar of the team.
And with his natural leadership, he could unite everyone even more.
Coach Taoka lowered his head, lost in thought for a long moment.
Finally, he looked up and said seriously,
"Ake-kun, I can give you a chance."
"The current captain is Uozumi. Whether or not you can win everyone's approval to replace him… depends entirely on you."
"I understand," Ake replied evenly. His expression didn't change.
There was no need to rush.
If he wanted the captain's position— it would eventually be his.
It was only a matter of time.
"Ake"
A clear voice called from nearby.
Both of them turned to look.
Standing not far away was Rukia, gently waving in their direction.
Ake turned to the coach.
"Coach, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Mm." Coach Taoka nodded. "Go ahead."
The next day — Ryonan High School Gymnasium
"Hey, did you hear? The coach's planning to replace Uozumi as captain."
"What? No way! That can't be true!"
"I'm serious! But I heard we'll know the result today."
"Come on, that's just a rumor! There's no way anyone else could replace Uozumi!"
Inside the gym, the freshmen whispered among themselves, buzzing with gossip.
The older players, meanwhile, exchanged uneasy glances.
They'd heard the same rumors— but none of them wanted to believe it.
They'd long been used to having Uozumi as captain.
Replacing him felt unthinkable.
After all, who else could fill that role?
Koshino turned to Ikegami beside him.
"Hey, Ikegami, you heard the rumor too?"
Ikegami nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Word is, the coach talked to Uozumi about it yesterday."
"No way…" Koshino's eyes widened. "Then who's competing for the captain's spot?"
Ikegami shook his head.
"No idea."
Uekusa, who was standing nearby, spoke firmly,
"True or not, I only recognize Uozumi as captain."
Sendoh listened quietly, his expression thoughtful.
He muttered under his breath,
"Captain, huh? That's interesting… Besides Uozumi, there's really no one else who could—"
He froze mid-sentence.
Then his eyes widened slightly as realization struck.
"…Wait. Actually, there is one."
His lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
"Could it be…"