"Welcome, everyone, to the Winter Cup Finals! Please stay seated—the match is about to begin!"
The announcer's smooth, magnetic voice echoed from the arena speakers, making Kota pause mid-warmup. The familiar broadcast stirred something inside him.
"First, let us introduce the two teams competing today."
"Interhigh Champions — Kaijo High School!"
The crowd responded with a coordinated roar of cheers.
Kota rubbed his nose, feeling something odd.
"This is different from the Interhigh... Now we're here to defend our title."
"First, Kaijo's coach — Takeuchi!"
Takeuchi turned to the cameras, his shiny chin and slicked-back hair reflecting the lights so brightly that Kota had to squint.
"Now, the starting lineup."
"Number 4, Captain Kasamatsu!"
"Number 2, Kota!"
"Number 8, Kobori!"
"Number 10, Hayakawa!"
"Number 7, Kise!"
Cheers exploded from the crowd — everyone except Hayakawa drew enthusiastic support, with Kise leading by far, followed by Kota.
"Eh... I'll just play my role as the side character"
Hayakawa chuckled awkwardly. It wasn't his first time being the least cheered—he was used to it.
"And now, the dark horse of the Winter Cup — Seirin High School! From relative obscurity in the Interhigh to making a stunning run to the finals!"
Having defeated Rakuzan in the semis and riding Kagami's flashy playstyle, Seirin's popularity had climbed, though still not at Kaijo's level.
"Seirin's coach—Riko!"
Riko brushed her hair behind her ear and bowed gracefully toward the audience.
"Whoa, it's a female coach?"
"She looks so young! Is she a student or something?"
Quite a few spectators were instantly captivated by Riko's youthful appearance—some even switched allegiance on the spot, joining the Seirin cheering section.
Well, between a greasy middle-aged man and a cute, sprightly girl, the choice is obvious.
"Now for the starting lineup!"
"Number 4, Captain Hyuga!"
Hearing his name, Hyuga stepped forward and waved stiffly—clearly uncomfortable with all the attention.
"Number 5, Shun Izuki!"
Izuki's reaction was much the same—no amount of calm-headedness could fully prepare you for this kind of crowd.
"Number 7, Kiyoshi!"
Kiyoshi, ever the laid-back guy, wasn't fazed. He even had the mental space to roughly count the spectators. As one of the Uncrowned Kings, he was no stranger to the spotlight.
"Number 11, Kuroko!"
Kuroko adjusted his wristband and nodded politely to the audience. Despite being a Generation of Miracles member, his presence was faint, and thanks to Akashi's prior warning, he'd been keeping a low profile throughout the tournament. Naturally, his cheer volume was minimal.
"Number 10, Kagami!"
The stadium erupted. Kagami's string of jaw-dropping dunks had won him a huge fanbase.
At some point, saving the ace for last had basically become tradition.
Kise noticed that Kagami's cheers rivaled his own and sneered slightly, his gaze igniting with battle spirit. Sensing the look, Kagami glared back.
"I'm going to beat you again."
"Then come try."
Even before tipoff, the two aces were already dueling with their eyes.
"Players, line up and greet each other."
Kota walked up to Kuroko with a smile tugging at his lips.
"Never thought it'd be you standing here, Kuroko-san."
Kuroko looked up at him, tilting his head in mild confusion.
Kota chuckled.
"Don't get me wrong — it's just surprising. I'm not underestimating you guys. In fact, I did plenty of homework before this."
As he spoke, he shot a subtle glance at Kiyoshi, still smiling.
"Let's have a good game."
Kuroko straightened up and returned the smile.
"Likewise, Kota-kun. We've prepared for Kaijo just as thoroughly."
"Let's make it a great match."
With that, Kuroko nodded and returned to Seirin's half, ready for tipoff.
Kota stood there, staring at the ceiling with a sigh.
"Good thing these guys are the real protagonist squad—no cheesy lines or anything."
"Man… what if they played against Igawa High? That'd be fun to watch…"
Unbeknownst to him, the entire Igawa High team was watching from the stands.
Smiling Guy watched Kota's back with burning resolve.
"Damn it… Next year, I'll be on that court. I'll shock Kota-kun for sure!"
Meanwhile, in the neighboring arena…
Araki sat on the bench, watching Yosen play Rakuzan. She checked the time constantly, fingers tapping nervously.
"I'm running out of time…"
The fourth quarter had just begun — 67-73, Rakuzan leading. Even without Akashi and Murasakibara, Yosen was still trailing. Araki, being a data-driven strategist, could already tell their odds of winning were slim.
Besides, Kaijo vs. Seirin was about to start.
She glanced at her watch again — ten minutes left. The walk between arenas would take ten minutes.
Timeout called. Araki used the break to give some final instructions, then grabbed her bag and headed toward the tunnel.
"I've got a stomachache—gonna hit the restroom. Himuro, call the next timeout if needed."
Himuro watched her leave, mouth half-open.
"Why do you need your bag just to use the bathroom…?"
"Players, please prepare for tipoff."
The announcer's sultry voice echoed again just as Araki arrived in the arena. But it was packed—no seats left. She found a decent standing spot to watch.
Kota felt something and glanced up. Araki nodded at him from the stands. He smiled and waved back.
"Focus" Kasamatsu smacked him on the head and pointed to center court.
Kagami once again stood in for Kiyoshi at the tip.
Winter Cup Finals—Kaijo vs. Seirin. It's finally starting.