"We need to go out," Coach Tsugawa finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "We owe it to our fans. We have to show them our respect."
The locker room was quiet. Silent, heavy, like everyone had left a part of themselves out there on the court.
I sat there, still feeling the throb in my heel. We lost. By one point. One painful, unforgettable point.
Taiga and Aizawa walked up to me, each taking one side. "Come on," Taiga said, half smiling. "Don't make us carry your dramatic ass like a wounded hero."
Aizawa chuckled, though his voice was low. "Hey, you were the hero. Now let's limp out of here like proper warriors."
I stood up—slowly. Every step was an ache, but my heart ached more than anything. We gave everything. We bled, fought, clawed our way through titans and chaos. We made it all the way to the finals. And still… it wasn't enough.
But at least, we could hold our heads high.
