Saturday—game day.
There were two matches scheduled, but Haizaki Shogo wasn't in the starting lineup. This was Coach Ichiro Kudo's "training day." One match in the morning, one in the afternoon. After that, it would be the national tournament.
Fukuda Sogo Academy won their matches smoothly. Suzuran Karasu, Okawa Sawano, Kimura Tosho, Harano Shinichi, Ishida Hideki, and Mochizuki Kazuhiro—these players rotated on the court, dominating their opponents with ease.
After the afternoon match, the team and managers didn't leave immediately. They huddled together, waiting for something—the national tournament schedule.
Soon, Coach Ichiro Kudo emerged from the gym office, holding a sheet of paper. His expression was neutral, giving nothing away.
He handed the schedule first to Shimizu Rena, who noted it down carefully, before distributing it to the team.
Shogo scanned the 48-team schedule and quickly spotted the teams he cared about most.
Seirin, Rakuzan, Yosen, Shutoku, and Kaijo were all listed. As Shogo leaned in for a closer look, Rena's crisp voice rang out, catching the surrounding teammates by surprise.
"Shogo-kun, our schedule is out. Our first match is against Shigemitsu High, the second against Nakamiya South. Win those, and we advance to the round of 16."
"Next, our likely opponent is Kajiyama High. Beat them, and we're in the quarterfinals."
"Then, the likely opponent is Yosen High. They have a player from the Generation of Miracles, Atsushi Murasawa. Win against them, and we reach the semifinals."
"After that, the semifinals will likely be against Shutoku High—they also have a Generation of Miracles player, Shintaro Midorima. The finals… that's still uncertain."
"The most unpredictable match is against Kajiyama High. It could be another school instead. My predictions are based on what I know about the schools' strengths."
Shogo didn't speak, instead focusing on the schedule. This national tournament was unusual: 48 teams, three per group, but only one team would advance.
The three teams didn't all play each other. Two were drawn to face off, with the winner playing the third. The victor of that second match advanced to the round of 16.
In other words, 16 of the 48 teams would play one less match.
Unfortunately, Fukuda Sogo Academy—Shogo's team—had to play both matches.
At that moment, Coach Kudo's deep voice broke the silence.
"Let's head back and rest. The schedule is out. We need to conserve our energy."
Shogo followed Rena silently onto the school bus, the schedule still in hand.
He quickly located his team's path, cross-referencing with Rena's predictive notes. Fukuda Sogo's route to the final became clear.
Up until the quarterfinals, it should be smooth sailing. Past that, they'd face Yosen High. In this season's memory, Atsushi Murasawa hadn't played—but in this world, who could say?
This world was no longer the same as the one Shogo had known. His tiny "butterfly" had already flapped its wings—this future would be uncertain.
After that, they'd face Shutoku High and Shintaro Midorima to fight for a spot in the final.
The final opponent? Either Seirin or Rakuzan.
Shogo felt a rush of anticipation. If Seijuro Akashi of Rakuzan didn't play, the final opponent would be Seirin.
If Akashi appeared… well, that was unpredictable—but in any case, it promised a thrilling showdown.
As for Kise Ryouta and Kaijo High, they had no hope. They would face Aomine Daiki in the quarterfinals—far too tough a match.
Shogo passed the schedule to teammates who wanted to see it, then gazed out the bus window at the passing city lights.
This national tournament was just an appetizer. The real action would be at the Winter Cup, where all the Generation of Miracles players would compete fully—even Taiga Kagami would make an appearance.
Yet something felt… off. Would events really unfold as expected?
Shimizu Rena, the ponytailed beauty, stole a glance at the boy next to her. It seemed the national tournament schedule had plunged him into deep thought. His usual calm aura flickered strangely, almost terrifying.
Her intuition told her: she needed to wake him.
"Shogo-kun! Shogo-kun!"
Lost in speculation and daydreams, frowning in hesitation, Shogo heard a crisp, familiar, heart-stirring voice.
Snapping back to reality, he turned to see the girl staring at him. Within a fraction of a second, Shogo's eyes gleamed with a bright, almost hypnotic light.
"What is it, Shimizu-chan?"
"Shogo-kun, are we going to practice fencing tonight?"
"Yes. After dinner, we'll go together."
"Mm!"
Rena smiled, sensing the return of the familiar Shogo. The "What's wrong with you?" on her lips faded quietly.
And Shogo?
He looked at the beautiful, polite, and graceful girl beside him. What if this were all a dream?What should I do with her?
Yet Rena was undeniably real.
Looking into her large, rose-colored eyes, Shogo leaned forward and kissed her inviting, vivid lips.
"Shogo-kun… you…"
"Hehe…"
Feeling the warmth and reality of her lips, Shogo chuckled softly, then spoke earnestly.
"Thank you!"
The moment happened so quickly that no one on the bus noticed—except for Mayuzumi, the manager sitting on the single seat beside them.
Her wide, dark eyes widened in disbelief. She had a new understanding of the courage of her team captain.
My god… in front of everyone!
The bus was full of people!
Shimizu Rena, hearing Shogo's "thank you," melted, cheeks blazing, yet smiling brightly.
She lowered her head, silent, lost in her own world of happy, foolish giggles.