"What's going on here?"
Outside the basketball gym, a few curious students tried to squeeze their way in to see what all the commotion was about, but the crowd was too thick.
Just as one boy was getting irritated for not arriving earlier, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Oi," a lazy-sounding voice drawled.
Already annoyed, the boy turned around with a scowl—only to freeze the moment he saw who it was.
Towering over him was a dark-skinned, sharply built teen with a naturally imposing presence. Though he stood there casually, his sheer size and aura made the other boy feel like he was standing in front of a wild beast.
He swallowed hard.
Is this even the kind of height someone our age should have?
Isn't this guy just… a monster?
Although the boy had been fuming a moment ago, now he didn't dare speak out of turn.
"U-Uhm," he stammered. "T-There's a first-year inside challenging a second-string player from the basketball team. They even made a bet."
"Oh?" the dark-skinned teen raised an eyebrow. "A first-year challenging a second-stringer? That's interesting."
He peered into the gym with renewed interest, the laziness in his eyes fading slightly.
"Thanks," he said simply, then began to push his way through the crowd.
"Eh? O-Oh… you're welcome…"
The boy stood stunned.
He hadn't expected such a terrifying guy to say thank you so politely.
"Daiki, wait up!"
A girl's voice called out from behind him.
"Hurry up, Satsuki. A first-year challenge like this doesn't happen every day."
The boy didn't even look back as he spoke, completely ignoring the fact that the one chasing him was a delicate-looking girl.
"You jerk! You know you can't just leave me behind!" the girl pouted, glaring at him.
"Tch… Fine, fine. Come on, already."
With a sigh, Daiki Aomine reluctantly helped her through the crowd.
Despite the packed space, his superior athleticism made squeezing through easy. Wherever he went, people parted like waves.
"Ow! Watch it!"
"Hey, who just shoved me?"
"Damn, that guy's strong!"
"Who the hell…?"
Curses followed in his wake, but no one dared complain once they caught a glimpse of him.
Momoi Satsuki followed right behind, exasperated but also kind of impressed.
Well… it is faster this way.
"Freshmen? That him?" Daiki asked, eyes landing on the two teens standing at the center of the gym.
"He looks decent."
"Huh?" Momoi blinked. "How can you tell who the freshman is?"
Daiki gave her a look that said, Seriously?
"Uh… the guy on the other side is wearing a team jersey. Obviously the one not wearing it is the first-year."
Momoi's face flushed.
She hadn't noticed.
Worse—Daiki Aomine, who never paid attention to anything, had noticed before her.
She felt utterly humiliated.
"Idiot! I just didn't see it clearly, that's all!"
"Sure," Daiki replied flatly, clearly not believing her.
His expression practically shouted: I don't buy it.
Momoi gritted her teeth.
This stupid idiot is gonna drive me crazy one day. Am I really going to be his manager?!
Frustrated, she turned away and looked back at the two on the court.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
The freshman was tall—noticeably so.
But… is he any good? Or just tall for no reason?
The second-stringer looked pretty solid too.
Despite her height, Momoi had always loved basketball. Though she didn't play herself, she had a natural talent for data analysis and player evaluation—more than enough to be a proper team manager.
Maybe it was her love of basketball, maybe it was how good-looking the freshman was, or maybe it was because he was also a first-year…
Momoi suddenly cupped her hands and shouted out:
"You got this, newbie!"
Reo Byakuya turned his head slightly, flashing a soft smile.
So they're finally here.
That long, unmistakable pink hair… and the tall, tan-skinned boy next to her who still looked kind of cute in his younger years.
Momoi Satsuki… Aomine Daiki…
Looks like the Generation of Miracles is starting to gather.
"Excuse me, coming through."
Outside the gym, another gentle voice spoke.
It was that same nervous boy from earlier.
But this time, he turned around obediently—and froze again.
Behind him stood a calm, soft-spoken red-haired boy. There was a warmth to him, but also a quiet authority. He was polite, but left no room for argument.
"Ah, yes. Please—go ahead."
"Thanks."
The red-haired boy walked inside without trouble. Nobody wanted to stand in his way.
Trailing close behind him were two others—one extremely tall, flipping through a notebook, and the other a small but sturdy boy with a serious expression.
Reo glanced toward the new arrivals and grinned.
Akashi Seijuro. Murasakibara Atsushi. Midorima Shintaro.
In that case, I guess it's time to give everyone… a little welcome present.
"Shall we get started?" Reo asked casually, turning to face Tajima Shotai.
The relaxed tone made Tajima feel even more uneasy.
He was now certain—this freshman had been playing him from the start.
There was no way he didn't know how to play.
"…Let's begin."
"Heh, in the spirit of respect, I'll let the senior have the first possession," Reo said, almost mockingly.
"…"
Tajima's face twitched.
This brat is clearly looking down on me!
Nearby, someone tossed Tajima the ball.
"Tajima-kun, give it to him! Show this kid how we do things in Teikō!"
"Yeah, Tajima! Don't let a newbie show you up!"
"Wooo! Crush him!"
The crowd jeered and whooped.
Tajima caught the ball with one hand, face grim.
This kid… I'm gonna humiliate him so bad he'll never show his face here again!
But Reo just smiled, completely unbothered.
Hope you keep that same face when you're on your knees later.
"Offense: Tajima Shotai!"
"Defense: Reo Byakuya!"
"First to five points wins. Any objections?"
The club member who had given Reo his form earlier stepped forward to act as the referee.
"Nope."
"None."
Both boys nodded in unison.
First to five?
Doesn't matter—just keep scoring, and it's over before it begins.
"Beep! Beep!"
The whistle blew.
And the gym erupted in excitement.