In the midst of the game, sakura da tells the other players that he's sorry to keep them all. He tells them that they've put their hearts into the game and that the enemy is waiting for them. They're going to the national tournament, he says, but they're already beaten. . He says he can't stop eating ramen, which is what he usually eats for lunch. He's not worried if someone leaves the team, because he doesn't need to rely on them. He wonders what aoba was talking about when he said he'd whisper to himself that he was done playing. He also wonders why aoba didn't say something like, "notice of resignation." . After all, if everyone knows what's going on, they'll be able to work things out. They all agree that it's a good thing that he joined the team because he was so perfect. He wants to pit them against, not against himself, first-year, he tells them. But he also wants to make sure that they don't start getting ahead of each other. He asks if he can join the team if he beats kota, and kota responds that he can, too. They talk about how the team is trying to catch up with the first year kid, and how kota is catching up with him. They both feel sorry for each other, but .