Kise Ryōta wandered aimlessly around the school, bored out of his mind, mulling over thoughts that, if spoken aloud, would no doubt sound like shameless bragging.
Good looks, check.
Athletics, check.
Grades, check.
And yet—everything felt unbearably dull.
It wasn't that he disliked sports—on the contrary, he loved them. But no matter what he tried, it was always the same. He'd pick something up, master it in no time, and before long surpass the senpai who had introduced him to it. In the end, he'd be left with no one willing to play with him.
"Tch…"
But there had to be someone out there, right? Someone so overwhelmingly strong that even he couldn't catch up…
"Does someone like that really exist…?" he muttered with a sigh.
Just as he was wallowing in his own melodramatic thoughts
Thwack!
A basketball smacked him squarely on the back of the head.
"Ugh!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Eh? Isn't that Kise-kun, the model everyone talks about?"
His head buzzing, hair a mess from the impact, Kise picked up the ball with clear irritation and chucked it back at the dark-skinned boy who had thrown it.
"Watch where you're throwing things."
"Got it, thanks!"
With that, Aomine Daiki took the ball and sprinted back toward the gym. The sudden burst of speed left Kise frozen in place.
He's fast!
And more than that, how had that ball traveled such a distance with such ridiculous force? The gym was still a good ways off. Were these guys playing basketball or shot put?
…Basketball, huh.
He'd never actually tried it. But if he remembered correctly, Teiko's basketball team was supposed to be pretty famous.
Intrigued, Kise followed the sound of bouncing balls toward the gym.
Inside, Aomine was wreaking havoc. His free-flowing streetball style had only grown sharper and faster. The first-string defenders in front of him barely had time to register his moves before he blew past them with ease.
Through the legs.
A sudden split.
A nutmeg.
One defender after another collapsed under his onslaught. Then, like a leopard springing at its prey, Aomine exploded into the paint. Only one man stood between him and the hoop. Aomine rose high into the air
Kise's eyes widened in awe. Amazing!
Those high-speed, high-difficulty moves… could he pull them off? Probably not.
No—if he worked hard enough, maybe…
His heart thudded wildly in his chest. For the first time in a long while, he felt truly excited.
Yes, this was what he wanted.
A smile crept across Kise's face. If he played alongside someone like this, then maybe, someday, he could catch up.
But just as that thought took root
A towering figure on the court suddenly shifted gears. From a lazy stroll, his speed spiked to a level that made Kise's jaw drop.
And then
Just as Aomine was about to slam the ball into the hoop
"No good, Aomine. That's worse than your formless shot earlier."
Bam!
Shigure Akihito launched into the air, performing his signature Nobunaga Kiyota–style Instant Step Block, swatting the ball out of the air with explosive force.
The ball rocketed across the gym, whistling past Kise's ear. The sheer velocity of it told him all he needed to know about the force behind that block.
Kise: "!?"
Terrifying.
And then
That terrifying player turned his gaze on Kise, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
"Eh? Aren't you Kise Ryōta, the model?"
Shigure Akihito gave a casual wave in greeting.
On the adjacent court, Nijimura and Akashi noticed someone had entered, but when they saw Shigure speaking with him, they let it be.
Kise, meanwhile, felt a pang of awkwardness. He knew he was somewhat well-known at school, but mostly among the girls. The boys—especially those in sports clubs—hardly paid attention to his modeling work, at most commenting on his height.
Seeing the confusion on Kise's face, Shigure chuckled and pointed at Aomine. "That guy's your biggest fan. He loves flipping through shady magazines, and he swears he saw you in one."
"…I see," Kise replied with a nod.
Wait. What does he mean, shady magazines?
Facing the tall, intimidating third-year in front of him, Kise recalled the devastating block from moments ago. His expression hardened.
"You're a senior from the basketball club, aren't you?"
Shigure nodded. "Yeah. Third year. Shigure Akihito."
As expected. No wonder his presence felt so overwhelming. And that block… terrifying.
And the height—he had to be around 190 cm. Almost ten centimeters taller than Kise himself.
But if that was impressive, then what about the purple-haired giant on the other court? Nearly two meters tall, and still only in middle school?
Kise's first impression of the basketball club was that it was full of monsters. Not just Aomine, not just this oppressive senpai in front of him—but an entire gym of them. Even his own above-average height felt completely ordinary here.
And somehow… he liked that.
Walking further inside with a newfound sense of excitement, Kise greeted him with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Shigure-senpai."
Noticing the way Kise's eyes kept drifting toward Aomine, Shigure spoke up. "That's Aomine. Same grade as you. Nationally, people are already calling him part of the 'Generation of Miracles.'"
Then, with a sly smile, he added, "So, Kise—want to give basketball a try?"
Kise's heart leapt. He had just made the decision moments ago, and here was the invitation he'd been waiting for. "Yes! Senpai, I've never played before, but I pick things up fast. Give me one month—no, two! I'll be good enough!"
Not far away, Haizaki Shōgo scowled at Kise's confident declaration.
"Don't get cocky, idiot!"
Before he could say more, Nijimura casually pinned him to the ground with a practiced move, while Shigure turned back to Kise, eyes glinting mischievously.
"Why don't you start by testing yourself—against me?"
END OF CHAPTER
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