In one of Tokyo's schools, the top ten teams from the Tokyo District qualifiers for Nationals had gathered. They were here to participate in the Ten Schools Tournament, hosted annually by the district.
Although it wasn't an official competition, the excitement of the players and the number of spectators who came to watch clearly showed how much anticipation surrounded this event.
Then…
With the entrance of a team clad in white, the atmosphere instantly reached its peak.
"They're here."
"It's… Teiko Middle School!"
"No way…"
"Even those two monsters came?!"
"The reigning two-time champions—Teiko…"
At the head of Teiko's formation walked Shigure Akihito and Captain Nijimura Shuzo. Behind them, Midorima Shintarō wore his usual stern face, struggling to endure something, but finally snapped:
"Mur… Murasakibara!"
"It's one thing that you're eating again…"
"But can you at least open the packaging without scattering crumbs all over me?!"
"Eh?"
"Sorry, sorry, Midorimacchi~"
Murasakibara stuffed another handful of chips into his mouth, speaking with exaggerated seriousness: "We've got new tactics today, so I need to keep my energy up~"
Midorima brushed crumbs off his shoulder and glared at him.
"And what does that have to do with you? Just grab the rebounds and pass me the ball!"
"Nope~"
"I wanna score too~"
"My 'spin move' is really strong now, so I'm gonna compete with Vice-Captain Shigure to see who scores more~"
"Idiot! Shigure-senpai isn't even playing today, were you not listening?!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Haizaki Shōgo smirked. Knowing those two "monsters" wouldn't be stepping on the court today, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"Tch, about time. The old guys should just hand their spots over. Honestly, even with just me, we could still win!"
He shoved Kuroko Tetsuya on the shoulder and snapped,
"Hey, what the hell are you nervous about?!"
Kuroko turned stiffly to look at him. Haizaki could almost hear his neck creaking like rusty hinges.
"Um… sorry, what did you say, Haizaki-kun?"
"It's not like this is your first match. Quit shaking."
Kuroko shook his head blankly.
"It's different. Back in the club, during outside games, my role was only to cheer for teammates. But now, I'm an official player. And… this is actually my first time in a real… ma—mathc…"
Haizaki: "…"
"M-mathc? Oi!"
"Straighten your tongue when you talk!"
He groaned, unsure if this guy could really hold up.
Next to them, Aomine Daiki had been listening to their back-and-forth, along with Midorima and Murasakibara's spat. Finally, he couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
At that moment, Shigure Akihito turned back. Before Murasakibara could react, he snatched a chip out of his hand, popped it into his mouth, and spoke quickly in one smooth motion:
"There's no need to be nervous. You'll be fine."
"Eh?!"
"Senpai!"
Nijimura glanced back at the commotion. Murasakibara pouted, then sighed like a sulking child, finally turning his gaze to Kuroko.
"Oi! If you hold us back, I'll crush you like a snack~!"
Kuroko: "…"
He didn't hear a word of it.
…
On the bench, Nijimura began announcing the starters:
"Today's starting lineup is Akashi, Aomine, Murasakibara, Midorima, and… Kuroko Tetsuya!"
The moment his name was called, Kuroko froze in shock.
And when his name wasn't called, Haizaki froze in disbelief.
Kuroko: "Eh?"
Haizaki: "You've gotta be kidding me!"
Nijimura pressed Haizaki back onto the bench.
"That's my decision. It's your punishment for recklessly overtraining and ignoring instructions."
Haizaki bristled, wanting to fight back, but under Nijimura's intimidating glare, he quickly wilted. Scowling, he glanced at Kuroko.
"Congrats, you took my spot. I was gonna show everyone what I've been working on… Damn bastard Nijimura's doing this on purpose."
Still grumbling in his head, he noticed Kuroko's hands trembling, his face blank, as if he'd turned to stone.
Haizaki clicked his tongue. "Oi, you'd better give it your all. That's my position you're holding."
…
"The match is about to begin. Teiko's opponent is Ryuzaki Middle School, another strong team that placed high in the Tokyo qualifiers."
"But… why does Teiko only have four players on the court?"
"Wait, there's one more!"
"Oh, there he is. Wow, his presence is practically invisible!"
"Huh? That guy's actually starting alongside Aomine Daiki?!"
The crowd buzzed in confusion. From the bench, Haizaki twitched as he watched Kuroko shuffle forward with the clumsy steps of a toddler learning to walk.
Then
As the game was about to tip off, Akashi's voice came gently in Kuroko's ear.
"Don't panic. Just focus on adapting to the pace first"
But before he could finish
Thud!
Kuroko tripped over his own feet, crashing to the ground. The once-fiery atmosphere went ice-cold in an instant.
"Sorry…"
Kuroko stood up slowly, voice calm. "I just tripped. I'm fine…"
If only he wasn't still bleeding profusely from his nose.
Akashi might've pretended to believe him.
On the sidelines, Shigure nearly doubled over in laughter.
On the court, everyone else—including Midorima—was dumbstruck. Aomine recovered first, his face twisting into disbelief.
"Kuroko, you're bleeding, y'know…"
"Uh, yes. I've got a nosebleed."
Expressionless, Kuroko answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Because of the injury, Kuroko had to be subbed out immediately. The match hadn't even started properly, and Teiko was already forced into a change.
Meeting Haizaki's eager gaze, Nijimura shook his head without hesitation.
"No choice. The purpose of the Ten Schools Tournament is to test whether the first-years can endure playing full games. Aside from Kuroko, we didn't bring any other first-year subs."
He looked at Shigure.
"You'll take over as emergency substitute. It's up to you now, Shigure."
"Mm," Shigure replied with a calm smile.
"Leave it to me."
"…No," Nijimura corrected him.
"My point is, don't overdo it. Play relaxed."
END OF CHAPTER
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