The fallout was swift.
Within hours of Yukito Aizawa's leak, social media had exploded with the scandal. The files, damning in their detail, spread like wildfire—emails, game footage, and financial records exposing the deep corruption at the heart of Seisen High's basketball dynasty and the Phantom Five's control. News outlets picked up the story quickly, and the once-untouchable Phantom Five were suddenly under siege.
As Yukito walked through the hallways of Seisen High the next morning, the atmosphere was electric with whispers. Students crowded around their phones, scrolling through the latest updates and murmuring in disbelief. It was all anyone could talk about—the Phantom Five's fall from grace.
For the first time, Yukito saw the cracks in their image. His classmates, who had once worshipped the Phantom Five, were starting to turn on them. People were angry. Betrayed.
But Yukito knew better than to celebrate just yet. This was only the beginning.
Yukito made his way to the gym, his heart pounding. He wasn't sure what he'd find there, but he knew he had to face it head-on. As he pushed open the doors, he saw the Phantom Five gathered near the center of the court, surrounded by a group of coaches and officials. Their usual smug confidence was gone, replaced by tension and thinly veiled fury.
Kaoru stood at the center, his eyes burning with anger. When he saw Yukito enter the gym, he locked onto him like a predator eyeing its prey.
"Aizawa," Kaoru said, his voice low and dangerous. "You've got some nerve showing up here."
Yukito didn't flinch. "I didn't do anything wrong. All I did was expose the truth."
Kaoru's fists clenched at his sides, but he didn't move. The rest of the Phantom Five stood behind him, silent but seething. They all knew what Yukito had done. They knew he was the one responsible for the leak, and they knew that their empire was crumbling because of him.
"Do you think this makes you a hero?" Kaoru asked, stepping forward. His voice was venomous, but there was something else in his eyes—fear. "You've ruined everything. You've ruined us."
Yukito met his gaze, his expression cold. "No, you ruined yourselves. All I did was make sure everyone saw what you've been hiding."
For a moment, Kaoru looked like he was going to snap. His hands twitched, and the other Phantom Five members shifted uncomfortably behind him. But then one of the coaches stepped in, his voice sharp.
"That's enough!" Coach Takanashi barked, stepping between them. He turned to Yukito, his face a mask of frustration and anger. "You've caused enough damage, Aizawa. This is a mess, and it's not just about you and the Phantom Five anymore. This affects the entire school."
Yukito narrowed his eyes. "Then maybe the school should've thought about that before letting them control everything."
After the tense confrontation in the gym, Yukito made his way to the locker room, the weight of what he had done pressing down on him. He had expected resistance, but the intensity of Kaoru's anger shook him more than he cared to admit. The Phantom Five had been powerful for so long, and now their entire world was crashing down around them.
As he sat on the bench, his phone buzzed with a new message. It was from the stranger.
"You did well. But be ready. They're going to fight back. Hard."
Yukito frowned. He had expected retaliation, but the stranger's words sent a chill down his spine. The Phantom Five weren't going to go down without a fight—and they had resources, connections, and influence that Yukito couldn't even begin to match. He had exposed them, but now they were desperate. And desperate people were dangerous.
True to the stranger's warning, the retaliation came fast.
That afternoon, Yukito was called to the principal's office. As he entered, he saw not only the principal but also several high-ranking officials from the basketball league. They wore grim expressions, and Yukito knew immediately that they weren't here to congratulate him on his victory.
"Yukito Aizawa," the principal began, her voice cold and formal. "You've caused quite a stir with your recent actions."
Yukito stood tall, his heart racing but his resolve unshaken. "I exposed the truth."
"That may be," one of the officials interjected, "but in doing so, you've also damaged the reputation of this school, and more importantly, the league itself. The Phantom Five have been a cornerstone of our program, and this scandal is going to have far-reaching consequences."
Yukito's jaw tightened. "They were corrupt. They deserved to be exposed."
The principal sighed, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. "Be that as it may, there are consequences for your actions as well. Effective immediately, you're suspended from the team."
Yukito's heart sank. He had expected backlash, but he hadn't anticipated being cut from the team. "What? You're punishing me for doing the right thing?"
"This isn't just about right or wrong," the principal said, her voice hard. "This is about the damage you've caused. The school is under intense scrutiny now, and we need to distance ourselves from the controversy. Your actions, while well-intentioned, have put us all in a difficult position."
Yukito clenched his fists, his anger rising. This was exactly what he had feared—the system was protecting itself, just like it always had. Even when the truth came out, they were still trying to bury it.
"You can't just pretend this didn't happen," Yukito said, his voice shaking with frustration.
"We're not pretending," the official replied, his tone dismissive. "But we're dealing with it in our own way. And for now, you're no longer a part of this team."
As Yukito left the office, the weight of what had just happened hit him hard. He had done what he set out to do—he had exposed the Phantom Five. But now he was paying the price. He had been cast out, and the people in power were already working to contain the damage, to protect their own interests.
But Yukito wasn't done. He had come too far to back down now. The truth was out, and no matter how hard they tried to suppress it, they couldn't change what had been revealed.
As he walked away from the principal's office, his phone buzzed again. Another message from the stranger.
"This is only the beginning. Stay strong."
Yukito stared at the message, his resolve hardening. The fight was far from over.