Inside the Shark Gym
"Hiss… oh"
"Miss Masako, slow down—hey hey, that spot! Hiss!"
Kota was sprawled on the yoga mat, while Yako sat on top of him, helping him with post-training stretches.
Expressionless, Masako looked down at the panting Kota — whether intentionally or not — and suddenly increased the pressure of her hands, pressing down hard on his lower back.
"AAAH—ohhh!"
Kota's voice suddenly shot up several octaves.
"Miss Masako, you definitely did that on purpose!"
Kota rolled over, baring his teeth in pain, staring at Araki with a wounded expression. She slowly stood up, still completely expressionless.
"If you make that disgusting noise again, I'll use a force way beyond your imagination."
Araki walked to the counter, grabbed a towel, and wiped her hands like a surgeon who just finished an operation.
Kota lay motionless on the mat. After a moment, he suddenly popped up like a carp flip.
"Don't be so mean! Your attitude toward me is kinda harsh, you know."
Kota stretched his body. Thanks to Araki's massage, the soreness from strength training had drastically reduced.
"For someone who owes me money, I think my attitude is already gentle."
Araki walked to the water dispenser, poured two cups, and sat back on the sofa, speaking leisurely: "You seem pretty relaxed. Winter Cup is around the corner. Doesn't Kaijō have special training or extra practice or something?"
Kota plopped down beside her and yawned.
"Coach Takeuchi already left our daily training schedule to me. Since he trusts me that much, I can't disappoint him."
"So today, I gave everyone the day off."
Araki: "???"
"You're really arrogant, huh? So in your eyes, this year's championship is already in Kaijō's pocket?"
She sipped her water while eyeing Kota's expression. He scratched his cheek and explained:
"Of course there's a reason I gave them a break."
"In the Winter Cup schedule, last Interhigh's top three get direct entry into the main bracket. That means Kaijō still has over a month before the actual games begin. No need to rush at all."
Staying in top form before a game was important, sure—but only when the game was near. If Kaijō had a match tomorrow, Kota would have to be brain-dead to grant a holiday.
But the next match was almost two months away. So Kota wasn't worried. In fact, with Kaijō's current strength, not winning the championship would be the real miracle.
"Anyway, Miss Masako, you're not wrong. I'm absolutely confident about taking the Winter Cup this year."
Kota picked up the cup Yako poured him and even swirled it like red wine. If you replaced the paper cup with a crystal goblet, he'd pass as some high-class aristocrat.
Unlike during the Interhigh, Kota — now officially part of the national team — had completed his main mission. His strength had grown far beyond what it was back then.
(His new main mission was winning the World Basketball Championship. Which… given the current state of the national team… well, let's just say it'll take a miracle.)
If Interhigh Kota, with "Zone" and "Fourth Quarter King" was around 0.8 of a Generation of Miracles… Now he was at least 1.5 Miracles.
And playing alongside Kaijō, with all-rounder Kise backing him up?
If this Kaijō didn't win, the heavens would riot.
This was like a dragon descending onto the battlefield — how do you possibly lose?
Watching Kota's smug, overconfident face, Araki rolled her eyes hard enough to see the back of her skull.
"By the way, let me ask you something. After Reiko came back, she asked me to help her find a place to lay low. Did she piss someone off?"
At this, Kota's expression grew strange.
"She didn't just piss someone off…"
"She pretty much signed her own death sentence…"
"Welcome to today's episode of Basketball Rendezvous, exclusively sponsored by Akashi Group! I'm your host, Sasa!"
"I'm your co-host, Nini!"
"Hello everyone, I'm Bobo!"
"The Winter Cup has officially begun! All major regions held their first-round qualifiers yesterday, fighting for the limited main-tournament spots!"
Sasa glanced at her cue cards and passed the second half of the segment to Bobo.
"Compared to last year, this Winter Cup has a lot of new faces. Many dark horses too. Honestly, discussing who will win the championship is quite an interesting topic this year."
Bobo kept his tone cautious and steady as usual.
"And of course, as everyone knows, Kaijō has already won three consecutive championships! Their lineup remains strong this year. Kaijō fans have been laughing so much their jaws probably hurt, hahaha!"
Bobo brought up Kaijō's roster.
"First, the All-Japan High School First Team, as chosen by fans!"
"Point guard: Seijuro Akashi — he received the highest number of votes nationwide!"
"Worth mentioning: Kaijo's point guard Kota came extremely close to beating him, losing by only a tiny margin. Very unfortunate!"
"The First Team's shooting guard is Shutoku's Shintaro Midorima! In the semifinals against Kaijo, he not only set the all-time single-game scoring record but also hit three-pointers at 100% accuracy!"
"We believe this record may remain unbroken for years to come!"
"First Team small forward: Kaijo's Kise. His talent speaks for itself. With Kaijo winning the championship, the First Team SF slot was practically made for him."
"First Team power forward: Tōō's Daiki Aomine."
"First Team center: Yōsen's Atsushi Murasakibara."
"Some led their teams far; others were eliminated early. But all delivered absolutely epic performances!"
"Now for the Second Team, also chosen by fans."
"Second Team PG: Kota."
"Second Team SG: Tatsuya Himuro."
"In the SG votes, Kaijō's Hashimoto Yūki also lost by a tiny margin. Kaijō's backcourt duo really shares the same fate this year."
"Second Team SF: Shogo Haizaki."
"Second Team PF: Taiga Kagami."
"Kagami's popularity is high. But his poor performance in the third round against Kaijō hurt his voting surge. Otherwise, the First Team PF slot might've been a battle."
"Second Team center: Nebuya Eikichi."
"This year's Rookie of the Year goes to Kaijō's Yuki Hashimoto! Even though he didn't make Second Team SG, Rookie of the Year is already a great achievement for a newcomer."
Finishing the list, Bobo looked into the camera.
"In short, this year's tournament is packed with excitement! All the top teams are working hard right now. After losing three straight titles to Kaijō, they must be itching for revenge!"
"And Kaijō, of course, wants their fourth consecutive championship."
Bobo's analysis was spot-on. Except for Seirin and Yōsen, who struggled in the Interhigh, even Rakuzan and Tōō — who already secured main bracket spots — were training intensely for the Winter Cup.
Meanwhile… Kaijō was the outlier.
Inside the Kaijō Gym
Kota jogged around while glancing at his watch.
The moment the clock hit 6 PM, he stopped and clapped his hands loudly:
"Alright! Time's up! Go home early and eat something good!"
He grabbed his bag and walked straight out of the gym.
Behind him, the Kaijō players stared at each other.
Kise put his hands on his hips, dead-fish eyes activated.
"This is the first time practice felt like a regular office job."
Yuki stood behind him hugging a basketball, hesitating.
"Kise-senpai… is this really okay? The Winter Cup starts in a month. Shouldn't we be doing extra practice…?"
He voiced everyone's thoughts. With Takeuchi completely checked out, they had grown used to Kota running their training.
Now he was checking out too!
A three-peat team whose coach and captain both refused to add extra practice before the biggest tournament of the year? If the internet heard this, people would go crazy.
Kise rubbed his hair irritably.
"Ugh… let's just listen to him. Coach isn't here and Kota's captain. He's the boss."
"Come on, come on! Clock out time!"
Whistling, Kise slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out.
He complained, sure—but his face looked relaxed. After all, even without extra practice, both he and Kota knew one thing very clearly:
With Kota and Kise on the roster, this Kaijo team isn't losing to anyone.