Kanehira's voice was low and heavy.
Yet beneath it was a ruthless determination, the kind that came from having nothing left to lose.
"You little brats haven't even grown all your hair yet, and you're already acting like you own the damn world!"
He stepped forward and glared directly at Kishimoto.
"What kind of attitude is that?! Huh?!"
"I'm your coach! I'm your senior!"
"No wonder I'm so damn sick of you!"
Kanehira completely tore off his mask and roared, the veins on his neck bulging.
"You spend every damn day talking about Coach Kitano."
"If you worship him that much, why don't you learn something from the way he carries himself?"
"You learned a little bit of his system, and now you treat the basketball court like some gladiator arena where murder and arson are fair game!"
The Toyotama players fell completely silent under his tirade.
Minami Tsuyoshi finally showed a trace of life.
He stared at Kanehira in shock.
This was the first time he had ever seen something called "backbone" in this seemingly timid coach.
In the stands, the spectators immediately erupted.
"Holy shit, look over there!"
"Did Toyotama's coach just hit one of his own players?!"
"Tsk, tsk. Losing the game and losing their dignity too. This is painful to watch."
The mocking voices rolled over them like a wave.
Kishimoto covered his swollen cheek.
The shock slowly faded, replaced by overwhelming humiliation.
He was Toyotama's star player!
And he had just been slapped in front of everyone by a useless coach!
"Are you fucking crazy?!"
"This is a nationally televised game!"
"If the tournament committee investigates this, you'll never…"
Kishimoto gritted his teeth, forcing the words out from between them.
"I don't care anymore."
Kanehira coldly cut him off, the corners of his mouth pulling into a bitter smile that looked worse than crying.
His expression suddenly became unnaturally calm.
It was the strange relaxation of someone who had completely given up.
"After today, I'll be packing my things and getting the hell out anyway."
Kanehira turned around and pointed at the glaring numbers on the scoreboard.
"The school board already gave me a death sentence."
"I had two years to break through the barrier of Coach Kitano's best-ever top-eight finish. If I failed, I was out."
"This tournament was the final deadline."
Kanehira pointed toward the Shohoku players standing across the court, their momentum soaring.
"The moment the final whistle blows, I'll have to pack up and leave."
"Just like the Coach Kitano you all loved so much back then."
Kishimoto was completely dumbfounded.
His mouth hung open, but for a long moment, he couldn't get a single word out.
So this old man they had always trampled beneath their feet…
had been standing on the edge of the same cliff as them all along.
Kanehira turned back and swept his gaze across these troublesome kids he both hated and cared about.
"I really do hate you."
"I hate your arrogance. I hate the way you look down on everyone."
"But I'm still your head coach."
"As long as the game isn't over, I have to stand here and see this final shift through."
Kanehira took a deep breath, his eyes sharper than ever.
"Don't let the name Toyotama become a complete joke to the entire country!"
Kishimoto stared blankly at Kanehira.
He lowered his head like a defeated rooster and silently sat back down on the bench.
He stopped causing a scene.
He stopped cursing.
The Toyotama bench sank into an eerie silence.
It was the despair that came from finally accepting reality.
On the other side of the court.
The atmosphere at Shohoku's bench was completely different.
In the stands, the Sakuragi Army was practically hanging over the railing, eagerly watching the drama unfold.
Takamiya Nozomi had his mouth stuffed with potato chips, chewing loudly.
"Holy shit, look over there! He actually hit him!"
"That coach really went for it. Kishimoto must be sweating bullets right now."
Ohkusu Yuji let out a wolf whistle, his face filled with excitement.
"They're actually turning on each other?!"
"After getting beaten this badly, I'd be shocked if their mental state didn't collapse."
Mito Yohei crossed his arms, grinning with amusement.
"They're down by almost thirty. Even a god would lose his temper."
"But I'll admit, those last few things that old man said had some backbone."
The Shohoku players also began peeking over to watch the spectacle.
Mitsui Hisashi pulled up his jersey and wiped the sweat from his face, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"What an ugly mess."
"The game isn't even over, and they're already tearing each other apart."
Miyagi Ryota spun the basketball in his hand, wearing a smug grin.
"Who cares what kind of circus they put on? We've already got this game."
Akagi Takenori darkened his expression and was just about to bark at everyone to calm down.
Then Coach Anzai's leisurely voice sounded at just the right moment.
"Everyone, look here."
The old man pushed up his reflective glasses, not even sparing the other team a glance.
He calmly stared at the tactics board, his voice steady and unhurried.
"What happens over there is their business."
"We only have one task right now."
Coach Anzai raised his head, his kindly gaze sweeping across the fired-up young players.
"Hold on for the final few minutes."
"Take the victory."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly steadying the team.
At the bench, Makino Juro lazily leaned against the back of his chair.
He twisted open a bottle of mineral water and took a long drink, the cold droplets sliding down his throat.
He glanced at the Toyotama players across the court, who looked as if their world had ended, and immediately laughed.
That coach named Kanehira was quite the stubborn old bastard.
Too bad he had realized it all too late.
In competitive sports, being bad is the original sin.
No matter what your circumstances are, once you get blown out, you have to stand there and take it.
Makino Juro stood up and casually rolled his neck, his joints cracking one after another.
"Old man's right."
Juro walked to the sideline and waved at everyone without turning around, his tone completely relaxed.
"Now that you've had your fill of the drama, get back to work."
"Let's clock out early."
"I'm so hungry my stomach's practically touching my spine."
Everyone froze for a second.
Then the entire bench burst into laughter.
Akagi's mouth twitched twice before he let out a thunderous roar.
"Good! Everyone, get on the court!"
"Finish them in one run!"
"The first step toward conquering the nation starts today!"
"YEAH!"
The entire Shohoku team roared in unison, their collective energy practically blowing the roof off the gymnasium.
Rukawa Kaede still had his left eye wrapped in gauze, but the fighting spirit in his right eye was almost overflowing.
Sakuragi Hanamichi rubbed his smooth head and grinned arrogantly.
"Watch this genius finish the game!"
"Beep!"
The sharp whistle cut through the court.
The game resumed.
The five Toyotama players mechanically stepped back onto the court.
No one said a word.
The atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.
Coach Kanehira dropped heavily back onto the bench.
He grabbed his hair with both hands, his knuckles turning white.
"What the hell was I even saying…"
He gritted his teeth, his voice leaking through his fingers.
"Saying I was sick of them…"
He stared at Minami's stiff back, his eyes beginning to sting.
"They're… they're still just a bunch of kids."
The basketball struck the front of the rim and bounced high into the air.
Minami sucked in heavy breaths, sweat blurring his vision.
He didn't even have the strength to raise a hand and wipe it away.
Coach Kitano…
He repeated the name desperately in his mind.
Suddenly, a furious roar erupted beneath the basket!
Sakuragi Hanamichi exploded into the air, his broad back completely sealing Iwata Mitsuaki outside.
Both hands clamped onto the basketball in midair.
He landed with a heavy thud.
"Give me that! The rebound belongs to this genius!"
Sakuragi shouted at the top of his lungs.
The Toyotama bench immediately exploded.
"Holy shit!"
"Captain Minami has gone eight straight shots without scoring! Is he trying to set some kind of record for missing?!"
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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