Time flew by.
It had been nearly a month since the Generation of Miracles candidates officially joined Teiko's First Team.
And once again
It was time for an external match for Teiko's First Team.
Inside the Third Team Gym.
"Alright, break's over!"
"Next up, pick-and-roll passing and shooting drills!"
At this intense training session for the Third Team, Kuroko Tetsuya blended into the group so seamlessly he was practically invisible. Though the coach barely paid him any attention, he still tackled every drill with absolute focus and seriousness.
It's just that…
His condition looked pretty rough.
Huff…
Huff…
He was breathing so heavily it sounded like he might pass out any second. Even so, he still had to keep up and respond along with his teammates whenever Coach Nagamura Yō called out.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"…Yes…"
…
"Hey, Number 43?"
"Kuro…"
"Wait, what was it again…"
"Kuroko Tetsuya!"
"Right, Kuroko Tetsuya! Are you kidding me?! Ten consecutive open shots missed?!"
Despite his low presence, Kuroko's ridiculous streak of misses had finally drawn Coach Nagamura's attention, especially in a drill this demanding.
But soon enough,
Coach Nagamura realized something was off.
"…Huh?"
"Hey! Someone go help that first-year, don't let him puke on the court!"
It sounded a little heartless coming from the iron-blooded Coach Nagamura, but Kuroko didn't utter a word. Just hunched over and slowly dragged himself off the court.
, Blegh!
Yep, he threw up.
Coach Nagamura frowned, then muttered to the players nearby, "Get him somewhere to rest. Hmm… bathroom first. Clean him up before anything else."
"Huh?"
"Who?"
Whoosh,
A sharp glare swept over the group. "Can't you see?! Number 43. Kuroko Tetsuya!"
"R-right!"
"Got it!"
The player ordered to help ran over quickly, but to his surprise, Kuroko Tetsuya, someone he barely even remembered, flat-out refused the generous gesture from the coach infamous for his cruelty.
"Are you really okay?"
"Dude…"
"You just puked…"
They were used to Teiko's intense training, even in the Third Team, but someone puking from overwork? That was a first.
Kuroko simply shook his head.
At the same time,
His attention was drawn to a few players nearby, quietly gossiping during the drill rotations.
"Hey, did you hear? A few of the guys who joined at the same time as us, all first-years, already made it onto the First Team in less than a month, and I mean starting players, with official numbers and everything."
"What? That fast?!"
"Yeah…"
"Damn, the gap is brutal. We're still stuck in the Third Team, and they're already up there with the likes of Captain Nijimura and Vice-Captain Shigure. Playing in the All-Japan Middle School Championship as first-years?!"
"Pretty much. And it's not just them, remember that gray-haired delinquent who got dropped into the Second Team a couple weeks ago? He's a starter now too. That makes five first-years who got promoted."
"No way, you mean that guy? The one with the scary dead-eyed stare?!"
"He's not that bad, honestly. If we're talking scary, I once saw Captain Nijimura discipline Haizaki Shōgo, dude was wrecked. They had to drag him off the court like a corpse."
"Shh, "
"What?"
Their whispers cut off immediately.
A full squad, geared up and ready, had just walked past the gym entrance.
And leading the squad wasn't just any player…
It was the captain himself, Nijimura Shuzo.
Right beside him was the green-haired Midorima Shintarō, and that same gray-haired Haizaki Shōgo, two of the most striking first-year starters in the whole team.
"An away match for the First Team?"
"Captain Nijimura's personally leading them? That must mean the opponent's got some skill."
"Wait… is that Vice-Captain Shigure with them too?"
To their growing astonishment,
The squad that had just passed was clearly too long to be a single unit.
Looking closer,
There was another group following behind the first one.
Then,
They made a turn.
And marched straight into the Third Team gym.
Leading the second group, Shigure Akihito.
Behind him, a handful of First-Year Third Team members trailed along. The only recognizable one was the towering, yawning Murasakibara Atsushi, whose height was outrageous for a first-year.
"Coach Nagamura, I'm back again~"
"Haha~"
"I know, I know. It's been a while since Nijimura or I borrowed the Third Team gym, hasn't it?"
"You're so stingy."
"Right, "
"The practice match with Iizumi Middle. Which court is it on?"
The moment Shigure Akihito stepped inside, the gym fell instantly silent. His voice, clear and lazy, echoed across the room and quickly spread.
"So Iizumi Middle's coming for a practice match today, and it's being held here in the Third Team gym?"
"Only Vice-Captain Shigure from the First Team is playing? The rest are all Second Team… oh, and Murasakibara from First Team."
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean we get to watch Shigure-senpai in action?"
"Yeah, heard the same thing from the upperclassmen. If either Captain Nijimura or Vice-Captain Shigure's playing, they'll even pause regular training here."
Soon enough,
To the envious stares of Kuroko and the other Third Team players…
The Iizumi Middle players arrived.
And the scrimmage began.
However,
It wasn't until the second half that Third Team training was officially paused.
Because Shigure Akihito, who had spent the entire first half sitting on the bench…
Was finally subbed in.
…
Shigure glanced at the scoreboard.
Teiko vs. Iizumi.
Score: 55–50.
With Murasakibara as the centerpiece and supported by the Second Team, Teiko had only managed a 5-point lead at halftime, against an Iizumi Middle School team that had leveled up considerably this year.
"Shigure,"
"Go on in."
"But remember to tone it down a bit~"
The First Team's assistant coach patted Shigure's shoulder, but all he got in return was a very… peculiar smile.
"…Forget it."
"Do what you want~"
As Shigure jogged onto the court, the first thing he heard was Murasakibara's muttered complaints.
"These Second Team senpai… are totally useless…"
"It's just passing…"
"How hard can it be?"
"They just need to give the ball to me."
Shigure raised an eyebrow, then reached out and messed up Murasakibara's hair.
"I'll pass it to you in a second. Don't blink."
"Okay~ Smiley-senpai~"
"…Huh?"
"What'd you call me?"
"Careful or I'll tell Nijimura and have all your hidden snacks in the locker confiscated."
Murasakibara: "?"
"…How'd you know?!"
Under Shigure's glare, Murasakibara's voice immediately dropped:
"S-Sorry…"
"Shigure-senpai!"
So mean…
End of chapter...
To be continued...
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