The locker room was loud
Laughter bounced off the walls
Shoes thrown
Towels flying
Coach Hibiki barely held them down with a clap
But Amano was just…sitting
No smile
No expression
Just…quiet
"Yo Amano why you always look like you just solved world hunger then got bored of it?"
Koji teased tossing a water bottle his way
He caught it
Didn't answer
That silence
It was different
The assistant coach watched him longer than usual
Everyone else left for the bus
But the assistant stayed behind
"Kid you alright?"
Amano tilted his head like the question confused him
"…Define alright"
"Exactly my point"
He finally stood
Grabbed his bag
"I just realized something today"
"What's that?"
"If I keep doing this they'll never learn to think on their own"
The assistant blinked
Amano walked off without explaining
Left only a notebook behind
Inside
New plays
Counterplays
Player notes
And one sentence at the very bottom of the last page
"Don't let them depend on the ghost too long"
---
That night
On the ride back
Coach Hibiki looked out the window and muttered
"He's pulling away from the game"
Koji heard it
Turned around in his seat
"What do you mean?"
"He's starting to see things players shouldn't see…things coaches fear seeing"
Koji didn't get it
But it chilled him
Because Amano didn't speak a word the entire ride back
And when he got off the bus
He looked up at the night sky
Not like someone dreaming
But like someone…planning to disappear from the stage
And leave behind only chaos and brilliance