Chapter 7 – Shadows From the Sidelines
Three Days After the Misora Game
Kaizen High – Media Room
Cameras. Microphones. Reporters.
For the first time ever, Kaizen was on record.
> "Riku Aoyama, is the 'Ghost Team' title still accurate?"
> "Renji, how does it feel dunking on teams with real funding?"
> "Souta, are your plays self-taught or stolen?"
They were joking questions, but every word hit with weight.
Kaizen's players looked uncomfortable—except Riku.
> "We're not ghosts," he said calmly.
"We're the fire they forgot about."
---
📰 Media Headlines Blew Up:
"Kaizen Shocks Again – Real Contenders?"
"Riku Aoyama: Calm Killer with the Zero Step"
"Crownless Kings—Hype or Destiny?"
But with the spotlight...
Came shadows.
---
🧊 Flashback – 6 Years Ago
A dusty court.
A mentor with long white sleeves and a cracked whistle.
> "Basketball's not just a sport. It's how you leave your name behind."
Riku, age 10, dribbled until his hands bled.
His mentor smiled.
> "You're gonna change the game, Riku."
---
🕶️ Present – Next Opponent: Hakumei East
Souta flipped open the bracket.
> "Uh… we're facing Hakumei East next."
Riku froze.
Keigo looked over.
> "What's up?"
> "That team... their coach is Tetsuya Shiranami."
Renji:
> "Wait—the dude who coached Black Fang before Jin's reign?"
Riku:
> "No. The man who built Black Fang. And trained me... before he vanished."
---
📍 Hakumei East Practice Gym
Tetsuya stood watching footage of Kaizen.
Still. Silent.
White hoodie. Same cracked whistle.
One of his players stepped up.
> "We gonna crush 'em?"
He smiled softly.
> "No. We're going to remind them what perfection looks like."
---
🔥 Match Day – Kaizen vs. Hakumei East
Arena packed.
Tetsuya stood courtside, calm. Distant.
Riku stared across at him.
No words. Just history.
Renji:
> "Yo, he really trained you?"
Riku:
> "He taught me how to win. But I had to teach myself how to lose."
---
🏀 First Half – Hakumei's Style: Precision Hell
Every pass was perfect.
Every shot, clean.
They played like a machine.
Kaizen couldn't get anything going.
Renji was clamped.
Keigo couldn't break the paint.
Riku's drives were met with traps.
Score at half: Hakumei 31 – Kaizen 18
In the locker room, no one spoke.
---
🧠 Riku's Mind – The Breakdown
> "Was I never good enough?"
"He left me. Did I deserve that?"
"If I lose now... it proves him right."
Then—he looked at his team.
Souta bandaging Daiki's leg.
Renji bouncing a ball slowly, refusing to break.
Keigo drinking silently, eyes locked on the floor.
They were still standing.
---
🗣️ Riku Stands
> "Forget the cameras."
"Forget the fans."
"Forget him."
"We don't play to prove someone wrong."
"We play to become someone new."
He grabbed the Kaizen jersey.
> "We don't need crowns. We don't need legends. We just need each other."
---
🔥 Second Half – Kaizen Wakes Up
Riku unlocked something new—Delayed Zero Step.
It threw off Hakumei's perfect rhythm.
Renji got cooking.
Backdoor cuts. Transition buckets.
Daiki, barely able to jump, took a charge that shifted momentum.
Keigo cleaned the boards.
Souta broke down their sets in real-time.
Run after run.
Score: 52–52
Final seconds.
---
🎯 Final Play
Ball in Riku's hands.
Tetsuya shouted a defense Riku remembered from when he was 12.
He smiled.
> "You taught me that."
Then—exploded.
Drove.
Froze.
Pulled back.
Everyone bit.
He kicked it to Souta—the quietest one.
Corner three.
Splash.
Buzzer.
Kaizen wins. 55–52.
---
🧢 Aftermath
Tetsuya approached.
They stood face to face.
> "You've changed, Riku."
> "So did you. I just never stopped playing."
Tetsuya smiled, this time soft and proud.
> "Then keep going. And make sure they remember your name."
---
👤 Final Scene – Black Fang HQ
Jin watched the Hakumei game in silence.
Beside him stood a new figure—lean, sharp, with icy eyes.
> "They beat Shiranami's team?"
> "Barely," Jin said. "But I'm not worried."
He turned to the newcomer.
> "Yusei. You'll be facing them next."