Guided by Shigure Akihito, the three of them soon arrived at a bookstore.
Almost immediately, Shigure got sidetracked, nearly lured away by a certain... indescribable genre of magazines and visual materials hidden in a corner of the store.
Only when Nijimura Shuzo yanked him back with a blackened expression did he reluctantly, and with a dramatic sigh, bid farewell to that spiritual treasure trove of manhood.
A few moments later,
Shigure eagerly searched for the book he had spotted last time: Techniques of Visual Misdirection.
But today, it seemed to be missing, maybe moved to another shelf, because no matter how hard he looked, it was nowhere to be found.
Just as he was growing frustrated,
Nijimura gave him a tap and gestured behind him.
And there,
In the corner of the bookstore,
They saw Kuroko Tetsuya, completely absorbed, reading a beginner's guide to magic tricks titled Misdirection.
Shigure Akihito: "..."
Was this... destiny at work?
…
Kuroko Tetsuya: "..."
Captain Nijimura's earlier explanation had completely confirmed the possibility of what Shigure-senpai had envisioned. Reflecting on his own confusion and hesitation before, of course he couldn't see that level of understanding on his own. After all, even if Shigure's words had sounded like a joke, he was one of Teikō's legendary Twin Stars, recognized nationwide.
That realization stirred something deep in Kuroko's heart.
Low presence…
Could that really be considered a kind of talent?
Nijimura had already laid out a full framework: a structure with branches, each step clearly defined. The only vague point was the concept of "misdirection" that Shigure had mentioned.
Kuroko knew that his presence could be sensed if someone focused directly on him. So to truly disappear, he'd need to use misdirection to divert their attention and amplify the effect of his low presence, to reach true invisibility.
That was the key.
Clutching the book tightly in his hands, Kuroko's heart was full of urgency. But at first glance, the contents gave him no clue on where to start.
At that moment,
Shigure and Nijimura approached.
Kuroko, voice a little shaky, looked up and asked,
"Senpai…"
"How can I… actually do it?"
But before he could even finish the question, Nijimura gave Shigure a glance that clearly rejected any attempt to offer help.
"Kuroko Tetsuya," he said, "we've done all we can for you."
"We're not you. What we've imagined isn't teaching you some basketball move you already know. It's an entirely new technique."
"To achieve it, you'll need to go through countless trials on your own."
"You'll face setbacks, maybe over a long time, and it'll take unwavering determination to push through. No one else can do it for you."
"Also…"
"The All-Japan Middle School Championship is approaching."
"We have our own training, responsibilities as captain and vice-captain. No matter what, we don't have the time or energy to dive into an entirely new field like this."
"That said, I'm looking forward to it."
"If you really succeed with this new skill, come find me in the First String. I'll arrange a one-on-one assessment just for you, after all, this is about passing."
"The standard promotion test from the Third Squad probably won't recognize something like that."
As they left the bookstore, Kuroko remained behind, still lost in thought.
Shigure glanced back, then finally couldn't hold it in and turned to Nijimura.
"Shouldn't we just tell him exactly how to perform 'misdirection'?"
Shigure had never doubted Nijimura's analytical ability when it came to basketball.
But Nijimura gave him a sidelong look.
"Are you trying to show off?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Your talent allowed you to skip over trials that most players have to go through again and again just to accumulate that kind of skill. And even then, you treated it casually. For you, training is just a way to enhance physical strength, refine experience, and polish already-evolving skills."
"But Kuroko is different."
"Just telling him won't help, because that method is mine. Not his."
"He has to experience that doubt, that pain, wondering whether it'll work or not. And through that struggle, through deep reflection, he'll take his first true step forward."
"That's how he'll find the talent that belongs to him alone."
"If I spoon-feed him every step, once he hits a wall during training in this new realm, he'll lose faith and give up halfway."
Shigure scratched his head awkwardly.
Nijimura's words felt like both a subtle rebuke, that he didn't know how to suffer, and, weirdly, a roundabout compliment.
But then,
Nijimura said something odd.
"Better get ready, Shigure. Unlike you, that guy, someone who's suffered, someone who's challenged himself, he looks like he's finally made up his mind."
He still probably couldn't win…
But,
For him,
This might be the moment of transformation.
Time to give it his all.
…
The next day.
Kuroko Tetsuya began immersing himself in Introduction to Magic.
He visualized, imagined, and planned.
In class, behind a textbook, he discreetly opened a hidden notebook, filled with sketches and thoughts about how to realize misdirection.
In it were also notes, painstakingly recorded, on the framework Nijimura had described for that seemingly impossible "curving pass."
And that very day, after the academic classes ended…
Kuroko began his attempts in training.
But,
The results were, as expected, terrible.
His teammates and the coach kept looking in his direction, not because he was disappearing, but because his passes were so off the mark they drew even more attention.
After practice ended,
Kuroko approached Coach Nagamura of the Third String.
"You want to stay and train tonight?"
"Well, that's fine, but…"
"You're late."
"Gym access at night was reserved a month ago. You'll have to coordinate with the guy who already booked it…"
Kuroko blinked in surprise, he hadn't anticipated this.
"Who is it?"
"Oh…"
"One of the First String regulars, Fukaya Reiji."
…
One week later.
In the Third String gym,
Kuroko and the First String starter with bangs that completely hid his eyes had been training side by side in silence every night for the past week.
During that time…
They only exchanged brief words at the start and end of each session.
Their only interaction during training came when Kuroko practiced his awkward, unpolished misdirection, which occasionally earned a glance from Fukaya, though Kuroko couldn't actually see it beneath the curtain of bangs.
Swish,
Swish,
Swish,
"Whoa…"
Kuroko panted lightly.
He watched the starter across the court, who was practicing solo, self-passing, catching, and shooting from every angle on the floor.
No blind spots.
Kuroko couldn't help but look on in admiration.
"So fast…"
Fukaya-senpai would toss the ball, take one step, and immediately transition into a quick shot, barely needing a single dribble.
His accuracy was incredible.
Among the players Kuroko had seen, maybe only Midorima Shintarō could match that kind of consistency.
But…
Fukaya also had that slick, near-dancing movement when catching the ball off a toss.
Each pass had a different height and angle, but the way he transitioned into the next move was shockingly smooth, like choreography.
Then,
Right in Kuroko's line of sight,
Fukaya suddenly stopped.
He exhaled deeply.
Shhh, !
Kuroko: "!?"
To Kuroko's astonishment, Fukaya raised his hands, gathered the bangs covering his face, and tied them back with a hairband.
Then he turned.
Their eyes met.
Sharp. Piercing.
"Senpai…"
"What's going on…?"
Realizing he might be speaking out of turn, Kuroko adjusted his tone.
"Is training done for today?"
Fukaya nodded,
And for the first time in a week, spoke more than a few words.
"Yeah."
"It's over."
"I might be overestimating myself…"
"But…"
This must be the moment.
He knew full well that he couldn't beat that monster, not in body, not in skill, not in experience.
But,
He couldn't wait any longer.
Fukaya could feel it, his own rate of growth, and that of his opponent.
Maybe,
This was his last chance.
The moment he finally summoned the courage,
To challenge the strongest.
End of chapter...
To be continued...
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