"Haizaki!"
"Stop fooling around with that 'Thunder Dribble'!"
"Get back and train your stamina!"
"Hah?"
"Why should I?"
"Aomine's over there just throwing the ball around too, isn't he?"
"That's why he's next!"
"Ah!"
"Ow—damn it!"
"You violent brute!"
"Shigure, drag Haizaki back. I'll go haul Aomine in."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
Before Shuzo Nijimura turned to grab Aomine, the aura surrounding his body was so wild it felt feral. He cast a glance at Haizaki Shōgo, the look in his eyes as cold as if he were staring at a dead man.
Haizaki's instincts kicked in instantly.
The moment Nijimura said that, Haizaki bolted. From experience, he knew the only safe spot was sticking close to Coach Sanada. That was the only way to keep Nijimura from laying hands on him.
But his real problem wasn't Nijimura Shuzo.
It was Shigure Akihito.
Boom!
"!" Haizaki's heart nearly stopped.
What the hell?!
While sprinting, he suddenly felt a crushing presence right behind him.
He turned his head
And there it was.
A giant elephant, conjured out of pure aura, its massive tusks raised high, bearing down on him.
"Oi, oi, oi!"
"You've got to be kidding me, you freak!"
Haizaki's legs carried him faster than Kuroko could have ever imagined. But no matter how fast he ran, the vice-captain Shigure trailed him effortlessly, moving with an ease that mocked his desperation.
And that oppressive, beastlike aura—it was enough to make Haizaki tremble.
Shigure even had the composure to laugh and taunt him:
"Little wolf, Nijimura already gave the order. Stop struggling. What he can't stand most are players who ignore team discipline."
"So just take your punishment like a good boy~"
Boom!
With a sudden surge, Shigure unleashed even more of his feral aura. In a flash, he used the technique "Godai Tomokazu: Full-Force Acceleration," and with ease slammed Haizaki, who was also struggling with his own aura, flat onto the court.
The poor little wolf had no strength left to resist.
…
Later, when Kuroko Tetsuya glanced at both sides of the court, he saw them: Haizaki and Aomine, both battered and covered in dust after being dragged back like misbehaving strays.
But his mind was elsewhere.
Compared to teammates like Kiyoshi, Fukaya, Midorima, or even the towering center Murasakibara, Kuroko could hardly focus on their antics.
Because right now
His body was screaming in pain.
"Haizaki…"
"Is first string training… always this intense?"
Haizaki, despite having already exhausted himself practicing Nijimura's brutal "Thunder Dribble" earlier, showed no signs of fatigue compared to Kuroko, who had nearly collapsed after only a short while.
"Hah?"
"You're already done? Training only just started."
"And you're already on the floor?"
"Pathetic."
"You're weak as hell."
"…" Kuroko had no words.
Aomine, watching nearby, could tell Haizaki wasn't being truly cruel this time. In fact, his tone was practically gentle compared to usual.
And the way Kuroko reacted—like he was already used to being teased—made it clear.
These two, as different as their personalities were, had somehow found common ground.
Strange.
Really strange.
Still, Aomine muttered as he studied Kuroko's pale face:
"Yeah, the first few days are rough… The training's intense, and with so few people on first string, the rotations go fast."
"Eh?!"
"Oi, oi, don't puke on the court!"
After one more sprint drill, Kuroko collapsed to his knees, his face ghastly white. Aomine froze—he had never seen someone pushed to this limit so quickly.
Just how weak was this guy's body?
Chaos broke out on the sidelines.
"Someone, quick!"
"Momoi!"
"Get a bucket and a towel!"
"Eh?!"
"Kuroko-kun?!"
…
After practice ended that day, Coach Sanada addressed the team:
"Alright, good work. That's it for today."
Meanwhile, Kuroko, who had somehow endured the entire session with nothing but sheer willpower—and several close calls with vomiting—turned his head.
He saw Haizaki and Aomine, still full of energy, bickering as they walked.
Kuroko could only stare in silence.
Incredible.
How could they still look so lively?
And it wasn't just them.
Every other first-year who had played in Nationals looked unfazed by the grueling training, while he could barely stay on his feet.
When Haizaki and Aomine came over, Aomine hesitated, then stayed quiet after glancing at Haizaki.
Haizaki smirked.
"Not bad, First String's Kuroko Tetsuya~"
"You still heading to the gym tonight?"
Aomine's eyes widened.
The third-string gym? After this?
This guy looked like he was about to keel over any second!
Come to think of it—Seijūrō Akashi wasn't much taller than Kuroko, yet after training he was always perfectly composed. What was up with this guy?
So weak.
And this wasn't even with Head Coach Shirogane around yet—the toughest part hadn't even begun.
Was he going to make it?
Dripping with sweat, Kuroko looked like he'd just been dragged out of a river. He hesitated, wanting to push himself further, but every nerve in his body screamed danger.
Finally, he shook his head.
"Sorry… not today. I'll go home and rest."
When Kuroko lifted his face, Haizaki finally noticed just how terrible he looked. For a moment, even he was stunned.
"Ah… I see."
"…Hey. Are you really okay?"
Momoi Satsuki and Shigure happened to pass by. Seeing Kuroko's condition, Momoi frowned and whispered to Shigure:
"Senpai… Is Kuroko-kun really going to be alright?"
"It's fine. This is just normal training. He'll adapt soon enough."
Momoi wasn't convinced.
"Kuroko-kun's different from Aomine and Haizaki. There's no way he'll get used to this so quickly. Honestly…"
"I don't think he'll last."
But then she abruptly dropped the subject, her voice bouncing with sudden cheer.
"Anyway~ never mind that!"
"Senpai, which way are you walking today? I'll go with you, I'm on the way too~"
Shigure gave her a sidelong look, exhaling in mild exasperation.
She changes topics fast. And since when is everywhere 'on the way' for her?
Still…
"Well, yeah. I guess it's on your way."
Momoi grinned.
"Every day's on my way~ And that's just fine~"
END OF CHAPTER
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