The air in the Seiryuu High field was thick with anticipation. The team had gathered near the bleachers, forming a loose circle as Jack Mercer stood in the center, his presence commanding but casual. He had his signature clipboard tucked under one arm and a whistle dangling from his neck. The faint hum of cicadas from the surrounding trees blended with the soft murmur of conversations among the players, who were buzzing with the news that had spread like wildfire that morning.
The announcement of the Regionals.
It was the moment they had all been waiting for, the culmination of weeks of hard work and perseverance. But as the adrenaline coursed through the team, Sota stood slightly apart from the group, arms crossed and mind elsewhere. His thoughts had been fractured ever since Ayane's sudden reappearance, and now, with the Regionals looming, his focus felt like it was being pulled in two different directions.
