Chapter 5

After that hospital visit, Yukimura gave them a strict limit on the number of cranes they could make in one day, and Sanada enforced it. Yukimura would ask about it every time he went to visit, and Sanada had never been able to lie to him.

At the same time, they stepped up their training in preparation for Nationals. And right now, with their law of no defeat, they thought themselves invincible.

Sanada made it clear that the loss of energy to the cranes was no excuse for failure, and they held onto their high standard of performance.

Meanwhile, Yukimura could only sit on his hospital bed and stare at his racket. He'd been allowed to keep it with him only if he promised not to use it. The doctors were afraid he might worsen his condition if he practiced at his usual level.

And so the once-proud captain of Rikkai stayed in bed, turning the grip of his beloved racket over in his hands, wishing he could guide his team to the Nationals in person.

But Yukimura would regain his pride with his ability to play, assuming his operation went well. The only day it could be scheduled was the day of the Regional finals, so he couldn't even watch his team play. There was a fifty-fifty chance of the operation being a success. Yukimura didn't want to think about the odds for very long; they didn't seem to be in his favor.

He was afraid. Even with all his skill on the court, he was only fourteen years old. But in much the same way that he commanded his team, he commanded himself, trying to believe he had no reason to be afraid. His teammates had promised to win the Regionals for him, and then once his operation was over, they would all go to Nationals together.

So for the sake of both his and his team's future, he would stay strong. Even when it was difficult. Even when Sanada sometimes seemed worried, or Yukimura wanted nothing more than to tell Sanada everything and cry on his shoulder, he didn't mention his fear. He simply told Sanada that he had to lead until Yukimura was out of the hospital, and that wasn't open for debate.

Rikkai would win, Yukimura would recover quickly, and they would go dominate Nationals together. That was the plan he told Sanada. But plans don't always work out as well in reality as they do in theory.

Sanada and Yukimura fought their own separate battles, but for the same reasons, and to reach the same goal in the end.