Splash, splash, splash—
The sound of running water filled the restroom.
Kota rubbed his hands under the sink, casually glancing at his reflection in the mirror.
A loose dark green T-shirt, the most typical Japanese student haircut, and a pair of eyes that, under the restroom lights, looked plain but undeniably confident.
"As expected, I still look the coolest in the bathroom mirror…"
He muttered, pinching his chin and checking his look. From the perspective of his previous life, everything about him was fine — except the hairstyle.
"Hmm… well, I'm still a student. Once I get to China, I'll change it."
Just then, the restroom door swung open.
Kise stood at the doorway, staring at Kota admiring himself in the mirror. He didn't say a word—just stood there.
Without even turning his head, Kota raised his damp hands, combed back his hair a little, and said calmly: "Come in."
"Come in? What is this guy, the bathroom's landlord or something?"
Kise grumbled inwardly, but his body moved on its own. He stepped inside and even closed the door behind him.
"Got something to say?"
Kota already knew, but asked anyway, while mentally preparing for what he had decided to say today.
"It's today. Here. I have to settle this once and for all!"
At that very moment, their thoughts aligned perfectly—both determined to speak their minds.
Kise went first.
"I'm joining China's team. Doesn't matter if I have to change nationality or whatever!"
Kota froze for a second, then stepped back until his full figure was reflected in the mirror.
"Why?"
He straightened his clothes, still staring at the reflection, his tone calm as if he weren't really asking.
"Eh?"
Kise blinked. Why?
"Uh… because…"
"Because I'm going to China, and you want to tag along? To keep playing with me?"
Kise's words were cut short. He swallowed hard as Kota's eyes, now focused directly on him, pierced through the mirror.
Without realizing it, Kota had taken control of the conversation again.
"Well… we did promise we'd keep playing together even after graduation…"
Kise's voice softened, but his stubborn gaze didn't fade. He wasn't giving up.
Seeing this, Kota pressed his lips together. The words he almost blurted out—he forced them back down.
Truthfully, Kota was touched. He had dreamed of this: Kise joining him in China, the two of them shining together on the international stage, rewriting the story of the Twin Stars, etching their legend into basketball history.
But… it couldn't happen.
"When the Japan Basketball Association cut me out during their 'selective' process, I was crushed. My dream shattered. For a kid my age, that's not something you just laugh off."
Kota pulled out the handkerchief Araki had given him, wiping his damp hands as he slowly walked toward Kise.
"Just when I was stuck, unsure if I should give up basketball entirely, China's Basketball Association reached out to me."
"Kise, do you know how it feels when someone tells you, in that exact moment, 'Don't quit. You can still play—just in a different place'?"
He stopped in front of Kise and looked straight into his eyes. His gaze was calm, like the still surface of a lake.
Kota had countless reasons to go—disregarded by Japan's officials, his burning dream of going pro, his rivalry with Yuki that fueled his growth.
But Kise?
For him, it was simple: he just wanted to keep playing alongside Kota.
"Have you talked to your family about this? Do you have any reason—besides me—to go to China? Do you…"
Kota's tone grew firm, his words steady and deliberate.
"…Do you really have that determination, Kise Ryota?"
By the end, his gaze hadn't wavered one bit.
He had already accepted it—the future that didn't include Kise.
Later…
"This tonkotsu ramen still tastes amazing!"
"Pfft, that's nothing. There's a shop in the east that's always packed. Their broth—now that's the real deal!"
"Let's go there next time then!"
"Eh? Where's Kise-senpai? Did he already head home?"
Yuki glanced around outside the ramen shop, only to realize that the boy who seemed born to live in the spotlight was already gone.
Meanwhile, Kota stood at a street corner with Araki's bag slung over his shoulder, casually whistling as he waited for the light to change.
"I'm home."
Kise pushed open his front door, calling out automatically before slipping off his shoes.
Before he could finish, hurried footsteps came rushing down the stairs.
"Did you eat yet?"
His mom, hair messy and still in her pajamas, looked at him with worry.
"Yeah, I already ate, Mom. Go back to bed."
Relieved, she sighed, her tension easing.
"Honestly… I told you to go out with friends, but that doesn't mean coming back this late! And you didn't even call about dinner!"
Kise raised his hands in mock surrender.
"I just forgot, okay? And it's not even late yet!"
He pointed at the clock—it was barely past nine. Compared to the times he'd come home late after hanging out at hotels with questionable company, this was early!
But his mom didn't buy it. She flipped the clock face down and launched into a fresh round of lecturing.
Kise: …
"Okay, okay! I get it, Mom! I'm going to my room now. You should rest too!"
He grabbed his bag and bolted upstairs.
Still, his mom's nagging voice trailed after him, making him sigh.
"Jeez… she nags every day. If one day I'm gone, who's she even going to talk to…"
That thought froze him mid-step. His hand, already on the doorknob, hesitated.
He turned back, watching her slowly climb the stairs. Something stirred in his chest.
"Mom."
"What is it?"
Kise: …
"…Nothing. Just go get some sleep."
The door creaked shut behind him.
Inside, leaning against the door, Kise stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought.
"Forget it… no way I can tell her about changing nationalities. She'd never understand."
Running a hand through his hair, he let out a small laugh, pulled out his phone, and took a deep breath.
Beep—beep.
"Hello?"
Kise bit his lip, not answering right away.
Meanwhile, back at Kota's house, still damp from a shower, a towel slung over his shoulders—he frowned.
"Hello? Hello?"
When no one answered, Kota almost hung up—until a sudden shout erupted from the other end.
"Kota!!"
"Kise?"
Kota's eyes widened. He stayed silent, waiting.
"I've decided. Go to China, go anywhere you want—I don't care! But no matter where you are, I'll face you on the court, head-on!"
"As a member of Japan's national team!"
"…Good. I'll be waiting."
The line went dead.
Kise threw his phone aside and collapsed to the floor, panting.
From outside his room, his mom's panicked voice called out, but he only winced.
"Ugh… maybe I yelled a little too loud for 'dramatic effect'…"
Dragging himself up, he opened the door.
"No, Mom, I'm not stressed! I'm not sick either! I just… had an emotional outburst, that's all. Nothing to worry about!"
"…No, seriously! I'm not heartbroken! Stop assuming things!"
Back at Kota's house—
Kota lowered his phone, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
On the sofa, Araki half-lounged while watching TV. She raised an eyebrow.
"What's got you so happy?"
"Nothing much. Just… kids finally growing up."
Kota scratched his nose, humming a little tune under his breath.
"By the way, you're staying over tonight, right?"
"Why not? After all the food I fed you, I think I've earned a place to crash."
"Of course, but… you know, boys and girls shouldn't really—"
"Want me to take the sofa then?"
"No, no… I was actually thinking you could take the sofa."
Araki: …
Shing! (The sound of a blade being drawn.)
"…Forgive me, Miss Masako!"
...
"Hello everyone, and welcome to Basketball Time, proudly sponsored by the Akashi Corporation! I'm today's host, Shasha."
"Hi everyone, I'm Nini."
"The Interhigh preliminaries have officially wrapped up! Each of the four regions has produced three advancing teams, making a total of twelve who will face off in the first round next week!"
"Among these twelve, aside from Kaijo High, the reigning back-to-back champions, there are plenty of other powerhouse schools that every basketball fan should recognize!"
"For example, Rakuzan High, who tore through the East with a perfect record, led by none other than the Generation of Miracles' captain, Seijuro Akashi!"
"From the South, we have Yosen High, also undefeated in the preliminaries, and a Final Four contender from last year!"
"And from what fans like to call the 'wild' North Region — the true Group of Death — three strong teams have also emerged and are ready to compete in this Interhigh's championship battle!"
"Of course, there are several other skilled teams with impressive performances as well, including…"
Inside Shark Gym.
Kota had just finished a set on the bench press. As he sat up to take a sip of water, he noticed Araki curled up on the couch with a pillow, staring intently at the TV.
"Miss Masako, you've been pretty hooked on this show lately, huh?"
Kota took another slow sip while glancing at the two chatty hosts on the screen. For some reason, they looked oddly familiar.
"Didn't I see these two hanging around Kise once?"
He tried to recall for a moment, but eventually shook his head. Kise had way too many girls buzzing around him—Kota wasn't about to keep track of each one.
Meanwhile, Araki was still glued to the screen, gripping her pillow tighter as if her life depended on it.
Kota sighed. He waved a hand in front of her eyes, only to be met with her trademark death glare.
Judging by her expression, if he kept it up, she'd be pulling a katana out of nowhere any second. With a sheepish grin, he edged a little to the side and asked:
"You're watching that seriously? Since when were you this into TV shows?"
Araki rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen.
"Today Basketball Time is announcing the official schedule for the Interhigh next week. As Yosen's head coach, of course I need to pay attention."
Technically, she didn't have to. The schedule would be made public almost simultaneously with the official committee announcement anyway, maybe off by a single day. But still, she was watching this as if it was breaking news.
Kota decided not to argue. He could tell she was fully invested again, so he wisely shut his mouth and went back to the weights.
"Alright, I know everyone's been waiting for this moment. It's time to reveal the official matchups for the first round!"
On screen, Shasha held up a card prepped by the production crew, putting on an exaggerated playful face and dragging out her words for maximum suspense.
"The very first match of the tournament will be… OMG! I can't believe it's these two teams!"
She widened her eyes like she'd just seen a ghost.
It was cheesy and obviously staged, but hey—it still worked.
At least for Araki, who had already sunk her nails deep into her poor pillow.
"The first game will be Kaijo High versus—"
"Huh? Us?"
From the bench press area, Kota froze mid-rest. Hearing his own team's name, he curiously wandered over, leaned on the couch behind Araki, and stared at the TV.
The host's pace slowed to the speed of a broken record. A line that could've taken two seconds to say dragged into ten. Then—commercial break.
"What the heck?? Is her brain lagging? Who takes a commercial break in the middle of a single sentence? Are they trying to kill us with suspense?"
As an awkward condom commercial blared from the TV, Kota completely lost it. Even in his past life's overly commercialized sports shows, they never pulled something this ridiculous.
And Shasha's suspense-building technique? Just slowing down her speech? Cheap. Too cheap. Kota didn't even know where to start roasting it.
…But apparently, this world ate it up.
"If you don't like it, then shut your mouth."
Araki's tone was ice-cold, eyes still fixed on the screen.
Kota didn't need to see her face to know: if he said another word, he'd be personally greeting her katana.
Out of sheer survival instinct, he clamped his mouth shut and resigned himself to suffering through Basketball Time.
Finally—after yet another overly drawn-out pause—Shasha revealed Kaijo's opponent.
"The first game will be Kaijo High versus… Nara High!"
"Nara? Who?"
Kota frowned, but Araki quickly filled him in:
"They're a decent team from the East. Usually make the Top 10, but last year they drew Shutoku in Round One and got wiped out."
"Oh. So basically fodder."
"…All this buildup for that?"
Kota slumped, ready to ditch for dinner—only to realize that dinner wasn't even cooking. Araki had been too absorbed in TV.
"Miss Masako, I'm starving."
He tugged on her sleeve like a kid begging for snacks.
She didn't even blink. "Deal with it."
Kota: …
Women.
Muttering curses in his head, he plopped down beside her, deciding to just wait it out.
"The second match will be Rakuzan High versus—"
As expected, Shasha dragged the reveal into slow motion again.
"Seirin High versus Igawa High!"
Kota let out a long sigh of relief. At least she finally finished a sentence.
"The third game: Too High versus… Fukuda Sogo!"
"Fukuda Sogo? Haizaki ?"
Instantly, Kota pictured that punk's face—the same one he'd pinned to the ground and beaten before.
"Aomine's playing them, huh? Good. If Haizaki tries any cheap tricks, he'll get destroyed."
"The fourth game: Shutoku High versus… Kurugi High!"
"Shutoku drew another weak team? Shame. One less chance to gather intel on Midorima."
"The fifth game: XX High versus XX High!"
"Seriously? Two nobodies against each other? Not even pretending to build suspense anymore. This host is amateur hour."
By now, Kota was numb. Worst of all, he'd already sat through the whole episode.
"…Finally, the last matchup. Hey wait—Yosen still hasn't been mentioned. And neither has Akashi's team…"
Kota trailed off. Araki had already released her pillow; the outcome was obvious now. The final unannounced teams were bound to face each other.
"The sixth game! Yosen High versus Rakuzan High!"