"After this, we will officially be retired from this team," Kumiko spoke, her eyes went teary once again. She had been preparing herself for a moment like this, but once the moment arrived, the girl couldn’t help but feel like crying right then. "Besides Ryukkun, Kuroki-kun, and Makino-kun, all of you will be the backbone of the team next year. I don’t have too many requests, but I just hope that you can still take care of each other like this forever."

The three senior members couldn’t help but snort, trying to hold back their tears as well.

"Don’t worry about the head coach vacancy. I will make sure that whoever takes the role next year will be capable of guiding you to be a better player and a better team. In fact, the person in charge after this will probably be better than me."

This caused a wave of complaints to erupt all over the place.

"No, Senpai! Don’t say something like that!"

"Yeah! For us, you are the best coach we could’ve imagined!"

Even Denki, who had been replaced by Kumiko several times in the last couple of games before getting completely sidelined today, couldn’t help but nod here. The boy might have some sort of grievance, but he would never dismiss the girl’s brilliance in guiding the team and him, in particular, in the last couple of months.

Kumiko herself just sighed helplessly, having to raise her hand to stop the commotion.

"You guys are so kind, but I know my own capability." She smiled wanly. "I mean, no matter how harsh the Daily Sports said about me, there is still some truth in it, right? I am inexperienced, my tactical knowledge is limited, and sometimes, my judgment is questionable. Some of you might even resent me for my decision over time. So, I really apologize for my incompetence during our time together." She bowed once again.

Some of the boys clenched their fists unconsciously. For them, Kumiko was always the heart of the team, the one presence that held the team together. They always put her on the highest regard, treating her like some sort of a goddess. Not just because of her beauty, but also because of her brilliance in mind.

Now, to hear the girl admitting that she was far from perfect was like a punch in their guts.

"You still cannot deny your own merit, Kumiko-chan," Makino said flatly, his arms crossing in front of his chest. "You carried the whole team full of amateurs to the national level. No sane head coach will be good enough to do what you have done here. At least, appreciate your own achievement here, and don’t get your mind shaken by that damn Daily Sports."

Kumiko was so stunned for a moment before she let out another helpless sigh. "I know, I know. Also, why are you guys reacting like this? Having a weakness is normal, even for me, you know? I am a human, after all, and I also accept it. This way, I can improve myself in the future as well, coming back stronger than ever!"

Well... They couldn’t really deny that. A person could only get further when they acknowledged their own weakness, after all. It also helped that Kumiko said all of those words with such a cheerful mood, easing the tension in the room a little bit.

"As for the next year’s head coach, I am still negotiating with the headmaster on the budget. However, I can reveal that you will not be managed by one person." She smiled mischievously.

"Um?" The players just looked at each other in confusion, especially those freshmen and sophomore students who would still be on the team next year. "Care to explain, Senpai?" Hiroshi raised his hand quickly.

"Well, even though it is not official yet, next year, you will have at least one head coach, one assistant coach, and one staff member with a medical qualification to join the team!" She announced enthusiastically.

This left the players stunned once again. Honestly, they started to grow tired of this feeling. Still, this was definitely good news.

"Wait, what?! Three official staff?!"

"Are we finally entering the realm of professionalism?!"

"Damn, I am so excited for the next tournament!"

The atmosphere was buzzing with the news. It couldn’t be helped, as while they acknowledged Kumiko’s brilliance, everyone could also see the arduous task of being the team’s head coach and manager at the same time. Now, at least, the task would be separated into two people, and the head coach would be able to concentrate on the team more.

This also didn’t count the presence of someone with a medical qualification. They were lucky this year to have no one suffering from an injury, but professional sports were always cruel. No one knew when an incident would occur, and having a safety net in the team would definitely be a big help in the future.

After this, Kumiko started talking about more trivial matters. She mentioned the parade back home later, the interview awaiting, and even the award ceremony that the headmaster would hold.

The more she talked, the more excited the players became.

However, they finally came to the end of the discussion, and before finishing the meeting, Kumiko turned around to the three senior members of the team. The first two gave a nod and stepped forward, while the last one was so clueless about this.

"Chibi, you bastard! Come here!" Makino hissed at Higo, embarrassed.

"Wait, what? What is going on here?! How could I not know what you want to do?" Higo was still baffled, but he followed his friend immediately.

This made some of the guys chuckle amusedly. However, the atmosphere went south in a second as they realized that this was probably going to be their last time witnessing those two bickering with each other like that.

"Well, some of you might have already guessed this, but today is the day I am going to step down as the team’s captain." Makino cleared his throat for a moment. "So, let me begin my speech right now by saying thank you for giving me the most wonderful memory I have ever experienced in my life. I am so grateful that at the end of my high school career, I am blessed to have a chance to lead such an amazing group of people. For that, I am truly grateful. Thank you."