"What do you guys want?" Sakuragi Hanamichi, like a ruffled red-haired beast, clenched his fists and pushed into the crowd, his red hair particularly striking among the moving figures. "I'd like to see who dares to touch my brothers."
"Sakuragi, Gu Jin." Oonan Yuuji moved aside, his eyes under his yellow curly hair showing a casual air. "Don't be nervous, dealing with them is easy~ easy!"
Gu Jin's gaze swept over the Seirin group, a mix of purple, green, and blue hair, highlighting their hooligan aura. His voice was as cold as ice: "What's going on?"
"They said they want to get revenge for that Sato guy!" Takamiya Nozomi shouted, patting his stomach. "They also said they'd deal with you and Sakuragi, so we were just waiting to have a go at them!"
"Gu Jin, you take Sakuragi and go first." Mito Yohei stood in front of them, his knuckles white from gripping. "The four of us here are enough. You and Sakuragi are basketball players now; you can't be affected."
Gu Jin's tone unconsciously rose: "What foolish talk? Are we afraid of being affected?"
"Exactly!" Sakuragi immediately puffed out his chest, his red hair almost poking the other person's face. "We're brothers! If we fight, we fight together!" He suddenly clenched his fists, muscles bulging on his strong arms. "Come on! Who's afraid of who? Today I'll let you know how hard this genius's fists are!"
The blue-haired guy swallowed, then forced himself to shout: "I've heard of you guys, but don't think we'll be scared just because your Sakuragi Legion can fight. We have more people--"
"Just a dozen or so minnows." Noma Chuichiro rotated his shoulders, his joints cracking.
"Do you think we're the only ones here?" Kotozuki Misaki suddenly blew a sharp whistle, and immediately over twenty boys stood up on the other side of the stands, a dark mass surging towards them.
"So what if you have more people?" Sakuragi craned his neck and charged forward, only to be pulled back by Gu Jin.
"Sakuragi, too many people are watching. Let's go outside and fight them."
The surrounding spectators had already started screaming, camera shutters clicking like a barrage. Several gymnasium security guards squeezed at the edge of the crowd, shouting "Stop fighting!" but couldn't get through.
Just then, a fierce roar, like a clap of thunder, cut through the chaos: "Everyone, stop right there!"
Taoka Moichi rushed over, clutching a tactics board, his face under his neat side part flushed red. Behind him followed Uozumi Jun, Sendoh Akira, and a host of other Ryonan Team players.
The two-meter-plus Uozumi Jun stood there like a wall, and Sendoh Akira's eyes had lost their usual nonchalance.
"All Ryonan Team members, stand over here! Someone here wants to cause trouble."
The Ryonan Team players, hearing Taoka Moichi's voice, all stood forward with grim expressions.
Taoka Moichi pulled Gu Jin and Sakuragi behind him, then looked at the group of hooligans: "You bunch of scoundrels! You lost the game and now you want to assault our players? Do you really think my Ryonan has no one left?"
Taoka Moichi's furious roar was truly a preemptive strike.
That roar abruptly choked the clamor of the Seirin group, and even the buzzing whispers around them ceased.
At his age, no matter how fierce he was with his players on a daily basis, it always carried a bit of hope for their improvement. But today, he was genuinely enraged.
First Fukuda got injured, then Sakuragi and Gu Jin were surrounded by these hooligans. Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone Taoka Moichi, who treated his players like his own children.
The bloodshot veins in his eyes burned fiercely, and the knuckles clutching the tactics board had turned white.
But despite his anger, he had a very clear sense of what was right: he had to be fully in the right.
Even if he was going to charge in and throw punches, he had to be justified, otherwise it would spread as "Ryonan coach leads a disturbance."
His roar first calmed the scene, serving as both a warning to the other party and a clear message to those watching, photographing, and whispering around them: who was gathering to surround people after losing a game, and who was instigating trouble.
By establishing that he was in the right, if a fight did break out, it would be a forced act of self-defense, not bullying.
This old man was overtly protective of his players, yet he protected them with careful strategy.
He suddenly pointed at Kotozuki Misaki's group, the tactics board nearly poking the other person's face: "Gathering to cause trouble? Want to touch my Ryonan players? I'm telling you! Today, whoever dares to lay a finger on them, I, Taoka Moichi, will be the first to not let you off!"
"Coach--" Gu Jin was about to speak but was glared back fiercely by Taoka Moichi.
"Shut up!" Taoka Moichi turned and yelled at Uozumi Jun, "Uozumi! Take the team and protect Gu Jin, Sakuragi, and their friends! Whoever among those hooligans dares to charge forward, hit them back! I'll take responsibility for anything that happens!"
"Yes!" Uozumi Jun rumbled his agreement, standing ramrod straight with his arms crossed. The Ryonan Team players immediately formed a semicircle, shielding the Sakuragi Legion, Gu Jin, and Sakuragi in the middle.
Several security guards finally pushed through, calling for backup on their walkie-talkies: "Quick, call the security team! There's going to be a fight here!"
Kotozuki Misaki's face turned pale as she saw the sudden appearance of security personnel and the Ryonan Team.
Event staff also came over.
Taoka Moichi's temper was famously volatile in the Kanagawa basketball world, though he had reined it in a lot over the years.
In his youth, to protect his players, he was known to throw punches at troublemakers. Now, the bloodshot veins in his eyes looked like they could devour someone, and his players behind him were all itching for a fight. Even the usually smiling Sendoh Akira had narrowed his eyes.
"Taoka-senpai, please calm down. Just leave this to us." The staff member quickly stepped forward, his gaze sharpening as it swept over the Seirin group. "Seirin, what do you intend to do? Gathering to surround people, carrying weapons—do you really think this gymnasium is your playground? If you don't stop now, we'll call the police immediately and send you to the station for a good reflection!"
"These people certainly need to reflect!" Taoka Moichi didn't back down; instead, he took another half-step forward, his imposing aura making the Seirin hooligans instinctively flinch.
He pointed at the group, his voice carrying the seasoned weight of years: "Who wants to fight? Try me first."
"I'm telling you," his eyes swept over every Seirin student present, cutting like knives, "My Ryonan players, on the court, win against you with skill, fair and square! Whoever tries to play dirty or harbor ill intentions off the court, ask me, Taoka Moichi, if I'll allow it first!"
He paused, a fierce curve forming on his lips: "Want to get rough? Heh, when I, Taoka Moichi, was fighting on the streets back in the day, you little brats, not even fully grown, were still in your mothers' wombs!"
At these words, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
That wasn't the bluster of a young person, but a deterrence that emanated from his very bones—decades of experience mixed with genuine character, more effective than any harsh words.
The sticks in the hands of the Seirin group unconsciously loosened, and their eyes held a hint of fear as they looked at Taoka Moichi.
Sakuragi Hanamichi tugged at Gu Jin's sleeve from behind, muttering: "Hey, the old man seems a bit cool today."
Gu Jin didn't speak, just exchanged a look with Mito Yohei.
The Seirin group looked at the tense Ryonan Team, then glanced at the approaching security guards, and slowly loosened their grip on their sticks.