The gym was loud one second and dead quiet the next.
Marcus whispered, eyes widening,
"...no way."
Yuuto's head snapped up.
Daichi dropped his water bottle.
Even the stray basketball bounced once, then rolled to a slow, eerie stop.
Because someone else had stepped inside.
A shadow rose behind Coach Takeda.
A familiar silhouette… strict posture, glasses perched neatly on her nose, clipboard tucked under her arm.
Coach Hikari.
She stood in the doorway, blinking at the chaos.
"…I leave for ten minutes and you all lose your minds?"
The boys practically jumped out of their shoes.
"COACH HIKARI?!"
"She's back too?!"
"No way—BOTH coaches?!"
Marcus let out a relieved breath.
Yuuto felt his chest loosen, like a weight had been quietly lifted.
Takeda raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell them?"
Hikari shot him a glare. "You were supposed to."
"Oh."
Takeda shrugged. "My bad."
Daichi stuttered, "S-So… Coach Hikari isn't leaving?"
Hikari chuckled softly.
