CHAPTER 40: MOUNTAIN TRIAL: BEGINS

After the long ride and chaotic lunch truce on the bus, we finally arrived at the edge of Kurama Village. As we stepped off the bus, the late evening air wrapped around us—cool, crisp, and quiet. Mist trailed between the trees like soft white serpents, curling over the gravel path that led up to a traditional wooden inn nestled in the mountainside.

Dirga glanced around, trying to shake a strange feeling in his gut. The fog. The silence. The way the forest seemed to lean in just a little too close. Maybe it was fatigue—or maybe it was the atmosphere—but something definitely felt... off.

Still, he threw that thought under the bed of his mind and followed the others inside.

Unexpectedly, the interior of the inn was nothing like the ominous exterior. A wave of warmth and cleanliness hit the team as soon as they stepped through the sliding doors.

The wooden floors gleamed. The air smelled of hinoki wood and fresh tatami. Soft yellow lanterns cast cozy shadows along the hall. Everything looked newly polished, yet it held the nostalgia of old Japan.

"Obasan!" Coach Tsugawa called out.

A woman emerged from the side corridor, wiping her hands on a white apron. She had curly black hair starting to gray, skin like porcelain, and the smile of someone who had seen a lifetime of chaos and handled it with grace.

"Ohhh, Tsuga! Look at you, still as loud as ever!" she laughed.

"Everyone, this is my aunt—the owner of this lodge," Coach Tsugawa said proudly. "Back in my high school days, I stayed here during summer. Learned basketball on the mountain and cooked in her kitchen."

So that’s where his legendary ramen came from.

Obasan welcomed us warmly, ushering us in and assigning rooms.

"Horizon team, you’re in the east room," she said, pointing with her fan. "Toyonaka boys, you’ll be across the hall. The girls—Reina, Aoi, and Sayaka—take the garden-side room. The last room is for Tsugawa and Takeshi-sensei."

We all split into our respective rooms.

Dirga entered Horizon’s room and was immediately hit with the perfect blend of pine-scented air and clean futons laid over smooth tatami mats. A round paper lantern swayed gently from the ceiling, casting a warm glow.

"This is niiiceee~" Taiga and Aizawa said at the same time, spinning like kids.

"These futons feel better than my bed at home," Kaito muttered, bouncing on one.

"But the quality..." Rei raised a brow. "Isn’t this way too high-end for a high school training camp?"

"Probably a discount. Coach’s family, after all," Dirga replied.

In the corner, Hiroki was already changed into the provided yukata, sipping tea like a monk.

Even the yukata fabric felt expensive. Traditional blue patterns over thick, comfortable cotton.

Dinner was at 7:00 PM sharp. After everyone cleaned up and dressed, we headed down the hall toward the lodge restaurant. On the way, we bumped into Toyonaka’s team—also dressed in yukata. Even Masaki’s usual scowl seemed softened by the calm of the inn.

"Keep it quiet," Rikuya murmured. "Walls are thin."

"Roger that," Aizawa whispered, giving him a ridiculous salute.

Kaito opened the sliding door at the front of the restaurant.

"Excuse us," he said, bowing slightly.

Inside, Takeshi-sensei waved us in. "Come in. Sit. Eat first. Talk later."

What followed was pure bliss.

Grilled beef. Steamed veggies. Tempura. Tofu simmered in soy and dashi. Fluffy rice. Pickled radishes. Even fresh sashimi. The kind of meal you dream about after practice.

No one spoke.

They were too busy chewing.

Rei cried after one bite of tofu. "I didn’t know tofu could taste like this."

Fifteen minutes later, after dessert—a matcha pudding topped with red bean paste—Takeshi-sensei stood and clapped once.

"Now that you’ve eaten heaven," he said, "here’s hell."

Everyone stiffened.

"Starting tomorrow, Horizon and Toyonaka will face off in daily team challenges. The losing team eats the alternate menu."

The air grew cold.

"Alternate?" Dirga asked.

"You’ll see," Coach Tsugawa grinned like a devil.

"I have two mouths, I’ll eat with both," Takeshi added with a laugh. No one laughed with him.

Taiga raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"There’s only two teams here... right?" he asked, glancing around.

Takeshi’s smile didn’t falter. "Yes. Just two."

But something about the way he said it made Dirga’s stomach clench. The same salty tension that hadn’t gone away since the bus ride.

Still, the team laughed it off.

After dinner, we returned to our rooms and fell asleep instantly.

Exhausted.

Full.

Peaceful.

...

Until morning.

Dirga woke at 5:00 AM. The sky outside was still dark, tinged only slightly with gray-blue as the sun prepared to rise. Everyone else was still asleep, snoring softly.

He stood quietly, grabbed a jacket, and stepped out into the chilly morning.

The air up here felt cleaner. Every breath stung—but in a good way. He walked past the courtyard and into the clearing behind the lodge.

Birds chirped gently.

The fog was thinner now, curling around the tree trunks like silk threads.

But something was still... odd.

Dirga looked around. There was no sign of a basketball court. No gym. No hoops.

Only mountain paths, trees, and that faint silhouette of an old building way off in the distance—half-hidden by the forest.

A low voice startled him.

"Morning."

It was Coach Tsugawa, standing by a stone lantern, sipping from a ceramic cup.

"Coach," Dirga said. "Uh... where’s the court?"

Coach grinned. "You see that building up there?"

He pointed toward the distant silhouette.

"That’s the court."

"...We’re climbing the mountain?" Dirga’s eyes widened.

"Every morning before training begins," Coach laughed. "This is how I trained when I was your age. My uncle—this lodge’s original owner—taught me everything. Basketball. Cooking. And discipline."

There was a strange warmth in his voice—but also something melancholy.

"Be here by 7:30," he said. "Bring your team. Run starts sharp."

He turned and walked away, vanishing into the lodge like a ghost.

Dirga looked back at the forested slope again.

The old court stood waiting, silent in the mist.