CHAPTER 101: THE FINAL WEEK

After the game ended, the arena roared in celebration.

Confetti rained, reporters swarmed, and cameras flashed. There were cheers, interviews, handshakes—even tears.

But for Horizon, the celebration was brief.

Because now, they knew.

They would face Toyonaka.

Again.

"Another one against Toyonaka, huh?" Kaito stood up from the bench, stretching with a grin.

"Yeah," Dirga nodded. "It’s them."

"Nice. A revenge match," Taiga said, fire gleaming in his eyes.

"They’ve gotten better," Aizawa added, adjusting his headband. "But so have we. We’re not the same team they beat last time."

Rikuya gave his signature calm Buddha smile.

Hiroki and Rei didn’t say anything, but their expressions said enough—focused, serious, ready.

"Alright," Coach Tsugawa clapped once. "Let’s head back. Recovery starts now."

The team started to move, packing up slowly, the weight of the next battle already settling into their shoulders.

Takeshi-sensei lingered, standing next to Dirga. They were waiting—Aoi was still coming out of the media room.

As the rest of the team filed out, Dirga caught Ayaka’s eye near the stands.

He walked over, wiping sweat off his forehead with a towel.

"See you at school?" he asked.

Ayaka gave him a bright smile. "Yeah. I’ll make sure every single student shows up to cheer for you guys in the final."

Dirga laughed. "I’ll hold you to that."

With that, the Horizon team disappeared into the tunnel, leaving behind Takeshi-sensei and Dirga under the fading stadium lights.

...

With the cheers fading behind them, the Horizon team disappeared into the tunnel—leaving only silence and a pair of figures still standing beneath the dim glow of the stadium lights: Dirga and Takeshi-sensei.

They waited.

Minutes turned into an hour.

And then—

The Toyonaka team emerged from the locker room.

Laughter.

Light conversation.

They weren’t broken, not anymore.

Masaki and Yuto were talking—not arguing, just... talking. A sign that the cracks had healed.

But then, both of them paused.

Their eyes locked on Dirga.

Dirga stepped forward first, offering a relaxed smile.

"Yo, Masaki. Yuto. So... we meet again in the final?"

Masaki smirked. "Like we promised, right?"

"Yeah. But this time... we’re complete."

Dirga’s tone held weight—because last time, Kaito had been injured and couldn’t start. Now? Everyone was ready.

Yuto crossed his arms, stepping up. "We’ve evolved too. Don’t think we’re the same team you faced before."

Dirga met his gaze, not flinching.

"Let’s find out next week."

A moment passed. The air between them was electric.

Old rivals. Brothers in arms.

And only one team could stand at the top.

Not far off, Coach Reina and Takeshi-sensei exchanged a few quiet words of respect and strategy—the mutual understanding of seasoned mentors.

Then it was time to leave.

Dirga, Aoi, and Takeshi-sensei walked toward the parking lot, the last golden rays of the sun melting into the darkening sky. The air smelled faintly of summer and sweat. Of endings... and new beginnings.

As they reached the car, Takeshi-sensei tossed Dirga a glance through the rearview mirror.

"So... how’s life in Japan treating you?" he asked casually.

Dirga blinked, surprised.

It hadn’t been that long since he reincarnated. But somehow... it felt like years.

Like he belonged here.

Maybe because... he did.

"It’s good so far," Dirga replied with a soft smile.

Takeshi chuckled. "Yeah, feels like you’ve been here forever."

From the back seat, Aoi chimed in with a teasing grin, "Your team’s gonna lose though, Dirga."

Dirga laughed. "Better try harder, then."

The car echoed with light laughter.

It was a simple moment. Warm. Honest.

In his past life, Dirga had always kept a wall between himself and this family. Aoi and Takeshi weren’t his "real" family—so he never let them in. Never accepted them.

But in this second life... something had changed.

He had let them in.

And he realized they’d been there for him all along—quietly cheering, supporting, standing by him through every step.

No matter what.

...

The first day back at school wasn’t like usual.

The hallways felt heavier—not with pressure from basketball, but something arguably scarier: exams.

In just two weeks, midterms would begin. That meant only one week after the regional finals. For student-athletes like Dirga, it was a tight squeeze. And the stakes? Higher than most realized.

If you didn’t pass, you’d be stuck in remedial classes.

And if you were stuck in remedial classes...

You couldn’t play in the national tournament.

No matter how good you were, the rules were clear: balance sports and school, or you’re benched. And Dirga knew he wasn’t about to miss nationals because of a few bad test scores.

That’s why, for once, he wasn’t carrying a ball or a towel.

He was carrying notes.

When he arrived at the gym for light recovery training, he was surprised by what he saw.

Rikuya was flipping through a math workbook.

Rei was highlighting pages in a biology text.

Hiroki, as quiet as ever, was solving practice problems like a monk in meditation.

And then... there was Kaito, casually leaning back with his textbook closed.

"You’re not studying, Kaito-senpai?" Dirga asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kaito adjusted his glasses like a total nerd.

"Already done. Studying last-minute is exhausting. I’ve been reviewing little by little every day."

"Top scorer in the grade," Aizawa chimed in with a proud shrug. As another second-year, he clearly knew the legend of Kaito’s double life: ace on the court, genius off of it.

Dirga nodded, then turned. "What about you two—Aizawa-senpai? Taiga?"

The two grinned.

And then... they struck a pose.

"GIVEEE UPPPP!!"

—Henshin!

They transformed into full-on Kamen Rider-style losers, complete with sound effects and dramatic gestures.

Dirga facepalmed.

Sayaka did not.

"What the hell are you two doing!?" she snapped, storming over. "Do you know what happens if you fail these exams?!"

Taiga and Aizawa shrunk like scolded children.

"If you fail," Sayaka continued, voice rising, "we lose our shot at Nationals or Inter-High! You think you can fight elite teams if you’re not even allowed to play?!"

Everyone in the gym froze. Even Dirga sat up straighter.

Sayaka wasn’t angry often—but when she was, the whole team knew it.

The rest of practice that day wasn’t intense.

Just stretching. Recovery. Focused on keeping their bodies in top shape after yesterday match

But off the court?

Everyone was grinding—pens, notebooks, equations.

Because now, they weren’t just fighting for a championship.

They were fighting to even stay in the game.