Shōgo's words startled all his teammates, and even Coach Kudo felt a chill down his spine.
Coach Kudo witnessed Shōgo's true strength today. To think that Teikō had five players of Shōgo's caliber, just the idea of such a dream team made Kudo's heart race even faster. The same was likely true for the other teammates, not to mention.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, Shōgo and Rina got off the school bus one after the other and walked side by side.
On the way, as they watched their teammates and coach being startled, Rina couldn't believe it and asked Shōgo again.
"Shōgo-kun, was your previous school, Teikō, really that strong?"
"Even stronger than I said, Rina-chan."
Looking at Rina's exquisitely alluring face and her bright, expressive eyes, Shōgo thought for a moment and spoke.
"Do you know why I transferred?"
"Why?"
"I was forced to quit the basketball club, so I transferred."
"Forced to quit the basketball club?"
The girl before him had an expression that said, "Don't lie to me, I'm asking you seriously."
Shōgo lowered his head, continuing to speak as he walked.
Yeah, I was forced to quit the basketball club. Part of it was because of my laxity in the past, and another part was because the captain believed that the basketball club had gained a genius with even more talent than me. I no longer had a role in the basketball club."
Shōgo walked on, his voice somewhat subdued, recounting his past.
He felt Rina needed to understand what kind of person he was, to know a bit about his past, and to comprehend the power of the Miracle Generation.
Perhaps this could help stimulate and develop Rina's unique abilities, promoting growth.
"Shōgo-kun, are you serious?"
"Yeah!"
Shōgo didn't say anything more, and neither did Rina. A boy and a girl walked side by side on the pedestrian path by the roadside. The road was sparsely populated with vehicles, creating a slightly desolate atmosphere.
After a long while, Shōgo finally heard Rina's encouraging voice from behind.
"Shōgo-kun, I don't know about the others from Teikō Junior High, but I believe your talent must be the strongest, definitely not inferior to anyone."
Shōgo turned around, looking into those clear eyes and the small fist clenched in front of her, full of determination. Shōgo reached out and touched Rina's rosy hair.
A mix of anticipation, nostalgia, desolation, and emotion filled the air.
Confidently, he said to the beautiful girl in front of him, "Thank you! You, Rina-chan, will personally witness my strength."
Seeing the now-revitalized and confidently determined Shōgo, Rina wore a charming smile, exuding an indescribable allure with every expression.
Seeing off Rina, Shōgo, with a basketball on his back, walked step by step towards his home.
By the time he returned home, it was past 5 in the afternoon. Seeing his mother setting the table, Shōgo washed his hands and entered the kitchen to help.
"Shōgo-kun, is today's game over?"
"Yes, Mother, we won."
"Congratulations, Shōgo-kun!"
"Thank you, Mother!"
"Shōgo-kun, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. As long as you have fun, that's what counts. No team in the world can always win. Every team, every individual, will experience failure someday."
"I understand, Mother!"
In their conversation, Shōgo's mother was gently advising him not to fixate on victory or defeat.
Shōgo's transfer due to basketball and his joining the basketball club worried his mother that her son might develop an obsession with winning and losing and the potential shadows it might cast.
With a reassuring look at his mother, Shōgo ate heartily amidst her serene smile.
In the early evening, Shōgo received a call from Satsuki, it was somewhat unexpected, yet entirely within expectations.
"Hello! I'm Shōgo!"
"Shōgo-kun, it's me, Satsuki!"
"Hey, Satsuki-chan, what's up?"
"Shōgo-kun, are you free tomorrow, Sunday? I called Daiki too, let's all go play basketball together."
"I'm free tomorrow, but how about we skip basketball this time? I just finished a game, and I'm exhausted."
"Not playing basketball?"
"Yeah, instead, I'll invite a friend tomorrow. You call Daiki, and we'll all go to Tokyo. Let's go to Disneyland."
"Shōgo-kun?"
"What do you mean? It can't get any more real than this."
"Alright, I'll call Daiki."
Excitedly accepting the invitation, Satsuki agreed, and they arranged the time and location. After hanging up, Shōgo stood by the phone, contemplating how to make the call to invite his friend.
After some consideration, he dialed a number, and a voice, speaking slowly and with a gentle tone, answered on the other end.
"Hello! May I ask whom you're looking for?"
Listening to the voice on the other end, Shōgo didn't hesitate and used a polite address.
"Hello! Is this Mrs. Shimizu? I'm looking for Rina, I'm her classmate."
"Alright, please hold on!"
After a while, as if she had run quite a distance, the phone was finally handed over to Rina, and she answered cautiously.
"Hello, I'm Shimizu..."
Shōgo didn't let Rina finish; he recognized that familiar voice and immediately interrupted.
"It's me, Rina-chan."
"Ah! Shōgo-kun, do you need something?"
Rina's voice sounded surprised, a little excited, and somewhat flustered.
"Rina-chan, are you free tomorrow?"
"I am, why?"
"Tomorrow, I've invited two friends to go to Disneyland. Would you like to join us?"
"Disneyland? I haven't been there in a long time, Shōgo-kun!"
After getting a positive response, Shōgo and Rina arranged the time and place, then hung up the phone.
After ending the call, Shōgo became curious about the first female voice he had heard at Rina's house. It was incredibly gentle and had a beautiful tone.
The person spoke slowly yet distinctly and managed to convey a lot of information in a single sentence that was completely comprehensible.
This subtle difference was something that most people couldn't achieve, which piqued Shōgo's curiosity.
For a normal person, the slower they spoke, the clearer their thoughts became, and their personality appeared more composed.
This was the reason why true masters on television often spoke slowly.