"Look over there…"
"Isn't that… Rakuzan High, the Emperor?"
"They just crushed their opponents in the final round-robin match next door with a victory margin in the triple digits, why are they suddenly here?"
"And…"
"They're with Teiko!"
"The first and second gymnasiums are connected by a public corridor, guess they came this way since it's closer to the parking lot?"
"Shigure Akihito and Hagioka Kasayuki… What a nostalgic sight. Last year's final was without question the most spectacular middle school basketball game in history."
"A year has passed, yet their height difference hasn't changed much…"
The Kaijō team watched Shigure Akihito chatting and laughing with Hagioka Kasayuki, finally realizing that the boy in front of them wasn't just an ordinary middle school player, he was a monster on Hagioka's level.
Why did Kaijō, a team in Kanagawa, know so much about Hagioka before the InterHigh even reached the Nationals? It all went back to their "Eastern Expedition" earlier this year, before the IH prelims.
When they reached the Kyoto leg of the trip…
They suffered a crushing defeat.
So the instant Hagioka appeared, Kaijō's players instinctively shifted their attention away from Teiko, and even Shigure, to focus on him instead.
The first- and second-year underclassmen who had come along stood behind their seniors, whispering:
"So that's Hagioka Kasayuki?"
"He's incredible…"
"A two-meter-tall point guard."
A first-year who hadn't been part of the expedition cautiously asked, "Is he really that strong?"
At that, the Kaijō seniors fell silent for a moment.
The second-years who had traveled with the team, even without much playing time, widened their eyes and said, "Of course… That guy became Rakuzan's ace in his very first year."
"And he's the one Basketball Weekly calls 'the Future of Basketball.'"
…
Shigure spoke with Hagioka for quite some time, and on his way out, he even exchanged a few words with Nijimura Shuzo.
"Tch~"
"You talked with that guy for a long time, senpai. You two close?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"What'd you talk about?"
Once the Rakuzan group left, Teiko's players immediately swarmed over, especially the first-years. Haizaki Shōgo wore his usual sullen look, but after Aomine Daiki asked in curiosity, he silently followed.
Nearby, Midorima adjusted his glasses and subtly perked up his ears.
Akashi stood smiling at Shigure.
The only one completely uninterested was Murasakibara, who was too busy with his snacks.
Seeing this, Shigure raised a brow. "Close? Not exactly. But even a year ago, back in middle school, Hagioka Kasayuki was, "
"In the truest sense, the only real opponent Teiko ever had."
"After that…"
"There wasn't even a team that could cut the score difference in half."
"Let alone…"
"A 129 to 103 kind of game."
Spectators who had been quietly eavesdropping exchanged startled looks before nodding in understanding. It sounded absurd, but it was the truth.
"What happened next?"
"Senpai!"
"What else did you say?"
Shigure looked at Aomine strangely, wondering why the kid was so fired up, but still replied, "Mostly just bragging about how strong we and our teams have gotten this year…"
"Oh, right…"
"He also invited me to watch a Rakuzan game."
Aomine's eyes lit up instantly,
, but the next second…
"I refused."
Aomine blinked. "Why, "
"As a challenger," Shigure said, "it'd be smart to prepare as much as possible… but, "
"It's still too soon."
"If I watched them now without getting to face them, it would drive me crazy. Better not to watch at all, save all that anticipation for high school."
For him, it was simple, he was indeed a challenger.
And Hagioka Kasayuki…
…was without question a huge challenge.
But not yet.
Since the stage for the challenge, and the prey to be hunted, was already set for high school, it was better to save the freshness for the next phase.
Hagioka Kasayuki… including you, I'll defeat everyone when the time comes. Keep your neck clean.
Without explaining further, Shigure suddenly said to Aomine, "As long as you keep getting stronger, you'll have more and more amazing games to play. The stronger you get, the more incredible opponents will appear in front of you…"
Aomine's eyes widened. For a moment, he imagined himself in Shigure's position and nodded.
"…"
So cool!
Even someone as strong as Shigure could take on the role of a challenger!
Aomine glanced at Shigure, then at Nijimura standing a short distance away with his hands in his pockets, lost in thought, and even at the silent Fukaya Reiji.
He had to get stronger,
, so he could settle the score with each of them.
At that moment, Rakuzan's head coach, Shirogane Eiji, and assistant coach Satō Takuo unexpectedly returned.
Compared to Kaijō's coach Takeuchi Genta, whose glory days were in the past, Shirogane, still in his prime, walked right up to Shigure and made a crisp, direct offer.
"Although with Hagioka here the chances may be slim… with your talent, Shigure-kun, I can't help but want to try. When you enter high school the year after next, how about coming to Rakuzan?"
"Shigure Akihito and Hagioka Kasayuki…"
"With that combination, we could sweep the nation."
Shigure gave Eiji a curious look, then decisively shook his head.
"Hagioka-senpai alone is more than enough, isn't he?"
"As for me…"
"I'd rather be your opponent."
"And beat Rakuzan."
Shirogane raised a brow, exchanged a glance with Satō, then nodded knowingly. "Then I suppose Nijimura-kun feels the same way?"
But before Nijimura could answer,
Kaijō's coach, Takeuchi Genta, strode forward eagerly.
"That's right! He feels the same!"
"Come to Kaijō instead. We're a nationally renowned powerhouse, regulars in the InterHigh, and constant championship contenders!"
"We invest heavily in athletic resources, and we're a balanced, all-round team!"
"They call us 'The Blue Elites'!"
"If you and Nijimura-kun join, I'll build the team and system around you, and you won't have to worry about scholarships either…"
"I, Takeuchi Genta, still have some pull in the basketball world!"
"Everything's negotiable!"
"And most importantly, "
"Our goal has always been to defeat Rakuzan!"
End of chapter...
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