Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Meanwhile, Kitamura General Hospital.

The corridors of the emergency building were filled with an unsettling smell of disinfectant.

That's the taste of death and rebirth intertwined.

"Da da da da!"

A series of hurried and chaotic footsteps broke the silence.

Mitsui Hisashi was at the very front.

The once arrogant delinquent was now filled with terror, looking like a child who had lost his soul.

Following behind were Ryota Miyagi, Kaede Rukawa, and Hanamichi Sakuragi, whose shoe heel had fallen off.

"Over here!"

Miyagi's voice was terribly hoarse as he pointed to the special care ward at the end of the corridor.

Everyone slammed on the brakes, their shoes screeching against the floor, their eyes fixed on the ward door.

There were two people standing there.

Lin Bei leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, his usual lazy demeanor completely gone.

He kept his head down, his bangs obscuring his eyes and eyebrows.

His face was as cold and stern as a piece of frozen meat that had just come out of the warehouse, radiating a low pressure that kept strangers at bay.

Beside her, Ayako clutched a tissue in her hand, her eyes red, clearly having just cried.

"It's over..."

Mitsui Hisashi's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran up his spine.

The atmosphere, the expressions, the posture.

Is it...

"Dad!!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi could no longer hold back. With a mournful cry, he smashed open the ward door like a runaway bull.

"Dad, you can't die!"

"The genius hasn't led Shohoku to national domination yet!"

"No one's paying for my burger yet, waaaaah!"

The others, their eyes red with tears, rushed in as well.

Rukawa Kaede gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

however.

The moment they rushed into the ward, everyone's movements seemed to be paused, and the scene froze.

The tragic scene of being covered with a white sheet, which was originally expected, did not appear.

In his hospital bed, Coach Anzai, dressed in a hospital gown, lay peacefully in his blankets.

That iconic round belly was rising and falling rhythmically with his breathing, like an overinflated balloon.

"Hoo-hoo-hoo"

"Hoo-hoo-hoo"

The loud snoring echoed in the quiet ward, even making the white beard around his mouth twitch, as if it had its own background music.

Everyone: "..."

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood there with his mouth agape, tears still streaming down his cheeks, frozen into a comical stone statue.

Mitsui Hisashi was so embarrassed he wanted to dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.

This……

"Shh-"

Beside the hospital bed, a middle-aged woman dressed in a kimono, with a gentle demeanor, stood up and put her finger to her lips.

"Keep your voice down, he just fell asleep."

Looking at the group of sweaty, flustered boys, the teacher's wife's eyes were as gentle as a pool of spring water.

Everyone mechanically turned their heads.

Dozens of murderous gazes instantly focused on Lin Bei at the door.

The coach was just asleep.

Who are you trying to impress by putting that deadpan face on your face at the door?!

What was the meaning behind that gesture of sending them away just now?!

Lin Bei leaned against the door frame, sensing the resentment of the crowd. He shrugged expressionlessly, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"Why are you looking at me? I didn't say the old man passed away."

"you……"

Mitsui was so angry he wanted to hit someone.

But considering that this was a hospital, he had to swallow back a curse word, his face turning red and his neck bulging.

Kogure Kiminobu adjusted his glasses and cautiously stepped forward.

Lowering her voice, she asked, "Madam, is the coach... alright?"

"Everything's alright for now."

Coach Anzai's wife gently tucked the blanket around him, her movements practiced and tender.

"It's an old problem; my heart is under a bit too much strain."

"The doctor said it was fortunate that they were brought in in time, and the specialists arranged by Lin Bei were also very professional."

At this point, the teacher's wife gave Lin Bei a grateful look.

"However, the doctor suggested that some more detailed tests be done and that I need to be hospitalized for observation for two or three days."

The teacher's wife paused, a hint of apology on her face.

"I'm sorry, everyone."

"This is a crucial moment in the county competition; there should still be matches, right?"

"But he just had to do it at this time..."

"No! Please don't say that!"

Kogure quickly waved his hand, his eyes welling up with tears, his voice choked with emotion.

"We didn't take good care of the coach, and that caused him worry."

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."

Kogure straightened up and bowed respectfully. "I am the team's vice-captain, Kogure Kiminobu."

"I know you."

The teacher's wife smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over everyone present as if she were looking at her own children.

"Kogure-kun, that energetic red-haired guy is Sakuragi-kun, next to him is Rukawa-kun, that's Mitsui-kun, and Miyagi-kun..."

Finally, her gaze fell on Ayako, who was still wiping away tears.

"And this last one is the beautiful Manager Ayako, right?"

Ayako was taken aback, her face instantly turning red. She wiped her eyes somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh dear, you're the real beauty, Madam! My face is all stained from crying."

"Hehehe."

The teacher's wife covered her mouth and chuckled, instantly easing the tense atmosphere in the ward.

"Master's wife, how do you... know us all?" Miyagi Ryota scratched his head, somewhat flattered.

After all, Coach Anzai is not a talkative person and doesn't seem like the type to gossip at home.

The teacher's wife walked to the window and changed the water in the vase of lilies, her eyes filled with reminiscence.

"Actually, I sometimes sneak off to the stadium to watch games."

"So I remember everyone's appearance very clearly."

The group looked at each other, a warm feeling welling up in their hearts.

"When he taught at the university, he was known as the 'White-Haired Ghost.' He was very strict and also in pain back then."

"At that time, I had no intention of watching the game because I didn't like seeing him with his brows furrowed."

The teacher's wife turned around and looked at her husband sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, her eyes becoming incredibly gentle.

"But... he seems quite happy lately."

"hapiness?"

"All Dad does all day is chuckle and rub his chin. Where's the happiness in that?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi blinked and pointed at Coach Anzai's belly.

"It's true."

The teacher's wife looked at the group of energetic young people.

"He used to be quiet and reserved when he came home."

"But lately, he'll tell me what that red-haired kid did today, what Lin Bei is really good at, what that cold kid's ball skills have improved, and what a former student has come back..."

"His eyes were shining when he said these things."

The teacher's wife's voice was soft, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Mitsui Hisashi lowered his head, clenching his fists even tighter, his nails digging into his flesh.

Rukawa Kaede looked at Coach Anzai's white hair, his eyes flickering.

It turns out that this always smiling old man had a lot in his heart.

These problem children carry such weight.

"So, I've also started to enjoy watching the games."

The teacher's wife smiled, the corners of her eyes showing the gentle lines of time.

"Because I want to see."

"What kind of kids could make this stubborn old man rediscover the joy of basketball?"