Chapter 15: The Spring Qualifier Begins
The Spring Tournament had finally arrived.
This year, the Osaka Prefecture Qualifier featured over 100 teams. That's right—every single high school in the prefecture was allowed to enter. It was chaotic. Unpredictable. But it also meant that a no-name team like ours could still climb to the top.
To avoid early bloodbaths, the tournament used partial seeding. Top teams wouldn't clash right away, which gave the powerhouses a smoother start. Naturally, a first seed team in the prefecture, drew a random school for their opening match. Easy win. The crowd was already gathering for them—even though they weren't playing until later.
And us?
We stood in our freshly printed gym uniforms, looking like delinquents cosplaying as athletes.
Maybe it was the all-black tracksuits. Maybe it was Rikuya Asano, our walking Buddha-slash-enforcer, towering at the front with that calm, "I'll crush you with peace" look on his face. Either way, we were catching eyes.
"Yo, we actually look kinda cool," Aizawa muttered, tugging at his sleeve.
"Gangster cool," Taiga smirked.
"Stop posing. You look like failed background actors from Crows Zero," Kaito shot back, already bouncing with nervous energy.
"Better than looking like a tired accountant," Aizawa grinned, elbowing him.
On the side, Hiroki adjusted his hair, keeping quiet as always. Rei stood beside him, serene and unreadable. That guy could be waiting in line for ramen or facing a death match—his face wouldn't change.