A dayter, Yuki found himself back at the Tokyo Thunder''s home court, ready to join the training session again. He didn''t arrivete, but he was definitely not the first one to get there. Before he entered the building, the sounds of people chatting and the ball bouncing echoed throughout the facility. After dozing off for a moment, a person he recognized—the guy who had been responsible for testing him before he joined the club—suddenly approached him.


    "So, you''re finally good enough to join the training session, huh?" the boy asked.


    "Oh, yeah. Sorry to disappoint you, Tondo-senpai," Yuki replied cheekily.


    After staring at each other for a moment, they shared a simr grin before the older boy pped Yuki''s back hard. "You scare us all, Brat! When Riku said that you were the victim of the pharmacy explosion and had to be hospitalized, we wanted to visit you, but we were toote, and you had already been discharged."


    "Well, shouldn''t you be d that you didn''t have to bring anything for the sick person?" Yuki yfully shoved the older boy.


    "Don''t underestimate me, Brat! Unlike you, I''ve already signed a professional contract and can afford to buy something on my own!"


    "Then, why are you still on this team and not on the main one?"


    "Why not you?!"


    Yeah, the boy in front of him was Tondo, the one Yuki had yed against during the test. After everything was over and they hadmunicated with each other, Yuki discovered that Tondo didn''t harbor ill feelings toward Kato; he just liked to flirt with beautiful girls, and that was all. Other than that, Tondo was a nice guy who was cheerful by nature and easy to talk to. If Yuki had topare him with the others, he would say he was just like Riku.@@novelbin@@


    That was probably why, after they resolved their misunderstanding, it didn''t take long for Yuki and Tondo to be close. Though their usualmunication involved mocking and teasing, they had fun together, and everyone could see it too.


    "Oi, Yuki! Go put on your sneakers quickly! We''re about to warm up in a minute!" Riku suddenly called out, reminding him.


    "I got it!" Yuki quickly took his sneakers out of the bag and put them on. As he tied theces, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. This was his first training session after leaving the hospital, and honestly, he felt a bit anxious. An irrational thought that he would be left behind crept into his mind, slightly bothering him.


    ''No, I cannot do this.'' Yuki shook his head. ''I may be a bit behind after not training for almost a week, but I cannot be weak. I have to catch up with the others as soon as possible and not be a burden to the team.''


    After a while, Kawaki finally blew his whistle, asking all the yers to gather around him. When his eyesnded on Yuki, he smiled at the boy and said, "First, let''s wee back Kobayashi-kun after surviving the disaster and being able to join us once again on this team."


    All attention turned to the bespectacled boy as everyone apuded loudly. Yuki could only rub the back of his neck, slightly abashed, not expecting the coach to call him out like this.


    After the apuse died down, Kawaki continued his exnation. "Now, let me tell you our schedule for the next month." All of his yers immediately straightened their backs, knowing it was time to get serious. "Since summer is here, the main team will have about a month off. Unfortunately for you guys, that means this will also be our busiest schedule of the year, so I hope you brace yourselves for it." Everyone gulped when they heard that.


    It was no secret that the U-19 team''s schedule always depended on the main team''s. When the main team had a tight schedule, the U-19 team would have plenty of holidays, and vice versa. The main team''s holidays always fell in the summer or winter when the national tournament for high school students was held. The reason behind this scheduling was simple—it was to ensure everyone received the exposure they deserved.


    However, the U-19petition had almost no reputation, especially given that it was overshadowed by the professional league and high school Inter-Highpetitions. The U-19 tournaments should mainly target university students. Unfortunately, thepetitions alwayscked viewers, making them an unprofitable venture. That was why few teams invested their money in their U-19 teams, making it harder to establish a healthypetition.


    It was a cycle of problems with no end.


    Fortunately, two years ago, the Sandai Group—a conglomerate that monopolized the real estate business in many cities in Japan—suddenly decided to invest in this sport, including the U-19petition. Even though it was not a lot, at least the funding provided was enough for the officials to improve thepetition, and while it remained less prestigious than the high school Inter-High, the number of viewers had increased each year, giving it enough reputation for the yers to feel proud when they won thepetition.


    "So, for the next month, we will have six games, and after that, until the end of October, we will have at least three more games for the regrpetition. My target is for us to reach afortable position, at least in eighth ce and advance through the yoff section next November. To do that, we need to win at least five games, considering our current position is rather low."


    Some of the yers winced unconsciously at their coach''s words.


    Thepetition format was simple: 18 teams yed against each other during the regr season, and after each team yed about 17 games, the top eight teams would advance to the yoff stage topete for the championship.


    Yuki had already checked the Tokyo Thunder''s situation—or at least that of its U-19 team—and knew they were in eleventh ce. A bit low on the table, yet still not too far from the yoff cutoff. So when he heard what Kawaki said, he clenched his fists tightly, knowing it was an attainable goal.


    "I know we are still a new team, having been established only two years ago," Kawaki''s expression turned solemn. "However, that doesn''t mean we cannot try to reach the highest stage! If the main team could make a ssh in the realpetition, why do you think we can''t do that? Come on, keep your spirits up! Let''s win the next game and aim for the yoff spot!"


    "Yes, Sir!" Continue reading at empire