Sekine always had a keen eye for recognizing talent. That was a fact that all the Tokyo Thunder coaching staff knew. Out of nearly thirty players on the team, from the main echelon to the U-19 team, almost all were scouted by the old man himself. Even though some came through friends' recommendations, he was always impartial, never hesitating to reject anyone who didn't meet the standard.
However, this was probably the first time Ryotaro Kawaki, the U-19 team coach, saw the old man introduce two high school students to join the team.
There was no rule preventing this; the team always emphasized developing their young players. But there had never been a high school student on the team. Besides the fact that they were still minors and restricted by their school activities, their bodies hadn't fully developed yet, making it harder to adapt to the pace of older players.
