Murasakibara wasn't dumb.
He actually understood what Tendou meant by "growing up."
Back in middle school, after being beaten down by Akashi, he'd thrown a huge tantrum.
When he got home and told his family, they just smiled and said:
"No one's life is smooth sailing forever. On the road to growing up, we all face setbacks."
"Even the friends you care about most… sometimes, because of misunderstandings, you'll fight."
"In those moments, you might feel lost, frustrated, unsure what to do. But once you pick yourself back up, that's when… you've grown up."
He remembered his mom had said a lot.
But frankly, he didn't like thinking about stuff like that—too much of a hassle.
Wouldn't it be easier if he just won?
Then there'd be no need for the drama.
Suddenly, he realized something—
After losing to Tendou, both Kise and Aomine had changed.
So don't think about the complicated stuff.
If winning can solve everything…
Then I'll just win.
And that, oddly enough, was where Murasakibara's strange obsession with winning came from.
...
"Araki."
"Call me Coach, you idiot!"
Araki Masako was already on edge. The last thing she needed was Murasakibara casually calling her by name again—she nearly drew her sword on instinct.
But as she raised her hand, she paused.
Murasakibara… felt different.
His eyes were brighter than she had ever seen.
"…What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing. My hair's just too long. Got a hair tie?"
"…What?"
Araki was stunned.
Still, she tossed away her wooden sword, dug through her pocket, and handed him a hair tie, eyeing him skeptically.
"Thanks."
Murasakibara bit down on the band and tied his long hair back, neat and tight.
"I hate losing."
Because every time he lost, something bad happened.
So he had to keep winning.
I hate losing.
Just four simple words—but when Araki Masako heard them, it felt like she'd been struck by lightning.
Wasn't that… her line?
Timeout ended.
Yōsen didn't look any different on the surface.
But something felt like it had completely changed.
"Looks like… you might've grown up a little, Atsushi," Tendou said.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Hair now tied up, Murasakibara stepped onto the court with a new look—and a whole new presence.
"I just don't want to lose!"
"Then let's see what you've got."
Tendou returned to the paint, his aura even more intense than before.
"…Did I say too much?"
Tendou could feel it—Murasakibara had changed.
Without even needing a lecture or a punch to the face like Himuro, he had already released the seal.
Yōsen on offense.
"Sure, tying your hair looks cool and all," Fukui muttered. "But we still don't have a way to crack their defense, do we?"
Then he noticed Murasakibara already posted up in the paint—hand raised, asking for the ball.
Huh?!
Was this the same guy who never called for the ball?
Fukui froze for half a second.
Then suddenly—he grinned.
"What's with that creepy smile?" Hanamiya scoffed.
"Don't tell me your plan is just to chuck it in and hope for the best?"
"Hope? Nah. Didn't you see? Our 'hopeless case' just woke up."
Hanamiya didn't get what he meant—until the very next second.
Fukui faked a shot and lobbed the ball straight into the paint.
Murasakibara leapt, caught the ball in midair, landed with force, and immediately slammed his back into Tendou's chest.
BOOM!
"...Huh?"
Feeling the sheer force hit his chest, Tendou immediately realized—yep, he'd said too much.
"Such a powerful post-up!"
"But... it's still not enough! Tendou's holding his ground!"
Naturally, Murasakibara's sudden transformation caught attention.
People had expected Yōsen to change tactics. Instead, they… just threw it inside?
The crowd was disappointed.
Especially after seeing Murasakibara execute a simple spin into a dunk—only for Tendou to swat it away.
They thought: Yōsen's done for.
But they didn't know what they were watching.
Murasakibara's old teammates did.
Their eyes widened.
Even viewers in the real world sat up straighter.
Kirisaki Daiichi counterattacked.
Tendou flew down the court and passed the ball to Yamazaki for a clean jumper.
But this time—no luck.
The shot clanged off the rim.
Yōsen got the rebound.
They fed it straight to Murasakibara again.
Just like before, he backed down against Tendou—actively seeking contact.
"Wait… is this still the same Murasakibara?" Kise blinked.
Kasamatsu nudged him.
"Look at him. Since the timeout, all his pointless movements are gone."
The Kaijō captain could clearly see the difference.
Murasakibara wasn't charging in recklessly anymore.
He was moving with purpose.
There was structure to his game now.
He was even using footwork like a seasoned post player.
"I don't know how to explain it…" Kise murmured.
"But sometimes I wonder—because Murasakibara's so big and strong, does he hold back in games without realizing it?"
"Like, maybe he's afraid of hurting people."
"But Tendou's different."
"For the first time, Murasakibara sees someone he can go all out against."
It's like he unlocked his "movie version" form early.
Tendou felt it.
The force pressing into his chest was growing stronger—sharper.
Murasakibara was adjusting his own movements, learning to use his power properly.
"If you're in my way, Tendou—I'll crush you!"
He roared, spinning with the ball in hand.
His muscles coiled as he launched upward toward the rim.
BOOM!
Tendou rose to meet him, putting everything into the block attempt.
But—
Nothing happened.
The ball didn't budge.
"This guy...!"
Tendou released his hand.
No point in forcing it.
CRASH!
The rim shook violently.
For the first time ever, Tendou Kageyoshi was dunked on.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
Then—like a volcano erupting—cheers exploded across the arena.
"He dunked it?!"
"Tendou Kageyoshi… just got posterized?!"
"Is this for real?!"
Even the Bad Boys of Kirisaki Daiichi were dumbfounded.
It was their first time seeing their leader get dunked on.
He'd always been the one doing the bullying—sending people flying.
This time?
He didn't get blown away, but the basket absolutely did.
...
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