Kise Ryōta: "…"
This guy,
his temper stinks.
Well…
forget it.
Since he joined the basketball club before me, I'll let it slide, he's still a senpai after all.
On the other side of the court, Aomine Daiki—currently going through the same boot camp under Vice-Captain Shigure Akihito—looked much more in his element than Haizaki. When he turned his head, he noticed Kise standing with Momoi Satsuki.
At that moment, Momoi stepped forward and announced:
"Everyone, from today, Kise will be part of the First String."
Aomine, who had already heard whispers about it, simply nodded in understanding. "Oh, so today's the day? That was fast. He's just a complete beginner, yet already… pretty impressive."
"Keep it up, the more strong players, the better."
Kise glanced at Aomine, then at the gray-haired guy with a foul personality, and finally let his gaze settle on the two third-year captains who had just defeated both of them.
And he thought…
As expected,
he was still far from their level.
Wiping away the initial shock from when he first entered the gym, Kise's face lit up again with an enthusiastic smile. In that moment, he looked exactly like an excited golden retriever wagging its tail.
"I joined because I want to play basketball with everyone here!"
Haizaki Shōgo: "…"
That stupid grin…
Tch, weakling.
Nijimura Shuzo gave a firm nod. "Welcome to the First String."
Then, as usual, he brought Kise beneath the banner hanging above the court—'Invincible Victory'—and began explaining Teiko's philosophy of winning.
Kise didn't have any deeper understanding of it, he simply thought, of course we have to win. But after seeing Nijimura's strength firsthand just now, he made sure to listen carefully without drifting off.
When the speech ended, Vice-Captain Shigure waved over another figure.
"This is Kuroko Tetsuya, he's in the same year as you, but he joined the First String last year. He'll be your mentor for now."
Kise Ryōta: "…?"
Eh? Who?
Kise blinked, because from his perspective, Shigure was pointing into empty space.
Then, Shigure smirked mischievously, his finger shifting toward his side.
"Can't see him? Kise, if you're going to play basketball, you'll need to improve your vision."
Kise turned his head in confusion, completely unaware that a small, blue-haired boy had already appeared right beside him.
The boy looked up at him, his pale-blue eyes calm and steady.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya from the First String."
A chill ran down Kise's spine, from head to toe. He shivered uncontrollably, a cold sweat breaking across his forehead.
"Wahhh! You—when did you—how?!"
Watching Kise's horrified reaction, Shigure, who knew exactly how mischievously underhanded Kuroko could be, couldn't suppress a grin.
And it wasn't just him.
Haizaki, Aomine, Kurokami, and Midorima,
all of them, whether overt pranksters or secretly amused, curved their lips in barely concealed smiles.
"I've been here the whole time. From today, I'll be your mentor, Kise-kun," Kuroko said with a perfectly straight face.
Kise stared at him in disbelief.
This guy… First String?
Impossible.
There were far too many things wrong with this picture, but most importantly…
He was just too unremarkable!
Noticing Kise's doubtful expression, Vice-Captain Shigure stepped forward and patted Kuroko's shoulder.
"You'd better listen well to his guidance. Kuroko Tetsuya is one of Teiko's regulars, the players who can represent our school in official matches."
At those words, everyone around nodded in agreement.
Kise might be new to basketball, but his time in the modeling world had sharpened his instincts. He could tell—the First String genuinely respected Kuroko.
He steadied himself, then turned to Kuroko. "I understand."
…
The day passed.
Kise's first practice with the First String was, as expected, exhausting.
The First String and Second String, they were two completely different worlds.
And yet…
As Kise watched the scrimmage among the regulars, he couldn't help but compare.
On one side, Aomine, Haizaki, Midorima, Akashi, and Murasakibara—the second-years of the Generation of Miracles.
On the other side, Teiko's Twin Stars, the two third-year captains, plus veterans Kurokami and Fukasaya… and Kuroko Tetsuya.
Kise Ryōta: "…?"
Wait.
Why was he allowed to be in that lineup?!
Murasakibara and Kurokami were both powerful centers, though Murasakibara's sheer physical dominance gave him the edge.
Midorima versus Fukasaya was harder to judge.
Midorima's threes were terrifying—if he got the shot off, it was practically guaranteed to go in, and his range was absurd.
But Fukasaya…
Kise was shocked.
He had assumed Fukasaya was just some plain-looking senpai.
Yet once he swept his bangs aside, it was like he transformed. He effectively shut down Midorima's shots, his defense explosive like a multi-stage rocket. On offense, his seamless, almost dance-like rhythm, combined with dazzling feints, completely threw opponents off balance.
As for Haizaki and Aomine against the captains… no need to say more, they were completely overpowered.
The only common thread?
All four of them displayed that wild instinct.
Overall, every matchup on the court was thrilling.
Every matchup except one.
Akashi, the conductor, his court vision and command made him seem omniscient. And across from him was… Kuroko Tetsuya.
The result was obvious.
Physical ability?
Invisible.
Technical skill?
Also invisible.
So what was he doing in the First String?
Was this some kind of backdoor entry?!
At that moment, the third-years' side caught a fast-break opportunity. And because Kuroko's slow movement had left him trailing behind during the last transition, he now found himself lingering near the opponent's basket.
"Go for it, Tetsuya!"
Whizz!
A perfect full-court pass from Vice-Captain Shigure sailed straight into Kuroko's hands.
Kise's eyes widened. Kuroko caught the ball right under the open hoop, went up for the layup, the sunlight streaming through the gym window glinting off his pale-blue hair, making him almost radiant
Then…
BANG!
The ball bricked off the rim.
A missed wide-open layup.
Kise Ryōta: "!?!"
Kise Ryōta: "Manager Momoi, I want to change mentors!"
Kise Ryōta: "Absolutely!"
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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