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"Tch..."
Aomine Daiki couldn't refute Shirogane Kozo's words.
He knew the other was right.
He had indeed felt his body momentarily weaken.
But with the result almost decided, he was still somewhat unwilling to accept it.
Ryu had no complaints about Shirogane Kozo's sudden stoppage of the game.
That dribbling move wasn't something someone his age could handle.
He was currently in a period of rapid growth; if he engaged in such strenuous and exaggerated movements, it would definitely affect his physical development.
That matter ended there.
For the rest of the time, everyone began their training for the day.
After training, Ryu didn't linger, bidding farewell to everyone and leaving.
"That old man was right; your current body isn't suitable for that kind of dribbling."
Hearing Karupin's telepathic message, Ryu didn't argue.
"I know, but I didn't want to lose to Aomine. If I hadn't used that move, I might have lost to him."
Karupin glanced at Ryu.
"Aren't you indifferent to winning or losing?"
"I don't know either. At that time, I was only thinking about defeating him; I didn't think about anything else."
Ryu finished speaking and began to reflect on his own behavior.
He wasn't a competitive person, but his performance today had puzzled him.
Seeing Ryu remain silent, Karupin provided an answer.
"Its Your Body -- I think it's because of this body that you possess talent and strength beyond ordinary people. Naturally, you act according to the body's needs, thus subconsciously influencing your thoughts."
"Is that so?" Ryu frowned.
After a long while, he seemed to understand something.
"I see, I see!"
"It seems you understand now."
Hearing Karupin's words, Ryu nodded repeatedly.
"Hmm, I understand. It's because my physical talent is too high. Many things others can't do in their entire lives, I can accomplish with ease, which unconsciously fostered an arrogant personality."
Ryu lowered his head, pondering.
'Now it makes sense. No wonder the Generation of Miracles all have that chuunibyou look. Even I, a transmigrator, almost changed, let alone those teenagers in middle school.'
...
On the other side.
"Daiki, slow down! Wait for me!"
Aomine Daiki walked ahead while Momoi Satsuki followed behind, speaking irritably.
She jogged to Aomine's side.
"Daiki, you've grown so much lately! Today's duel with Ryu was really exciting!"
"Is that so?" Aomine Daiki said listlessly.
"Of course, your speed today was truly amazing! And Ryu too; you two are both so strong now. With you and Ryu on the team, winning the tournament will be much more certain."
"Oh..."
Aomine Daiki gave a short reply, then fell silent again.
He was thinking about his match against Ryu today, especially the final duel.
The battle between the two kept replaying in his mind.
In the end, he concluded that he would have lost.
Heh...
Aomine Daiki couldn't help but laugh.
Hmm?
Momoi Satsuki smiled slightly upon seeing Aomine's expression.
The image of Ryu flashed through her mind, and she thought to herself, 'Daiki's happiness seems to be all thanks to Ryu!'
---
Teiko Middle School Basketball Club - Coach's Office.
"Coach, why did you stop Ryu and Aomine's match today?"
The assistant coach stood in front of the desk, looking puzzled at Shirogane Kozo, who was sitting in his office chair.
Shirogane, with his back to the assistant, gazed out the window at the dazzling starry sky and said:
"Their growth rate is just too fast, which makes me a little worried."
The assistant was taken aback, not understanding what Shirogane meant. "I don't understand what you mean."
Coach Shirogane continued: "Aomine Daiki, Akashi Seijuro, Midorima Shintaro, Murasakibara Atsushi, and Ryu Shirogane—each of them is a genius seen once in ten years, even a century. Talent is a good thing, but their physical development can't keep up with that talent."
The assistant coach immediately replied, "I understand the head coach's meaning. I'll pay more attention in the future and try my best to stop them from having private duels."
Shirogane Kozo nodded, then added with a worried expression, "Geniuses are always arrogant. While gaining great power, it also clouds their judgment. Next year, the third-year players will retire, and the second-year players will become the core of the team. To integrate the team, we must support them."
Ahem…
Shirogane Kozo couldn't help but cough a few times.
The assistant coach looked at him with both worry and respect.
"There shouldn't be any need to worry about that! As long as the head coach is here, he'll definitely be able to handle this."
Sigh…
Shirogane Kozo sighed.
His eyes were fixed on the starry sky outside the window, lost in thought.
...
Two more days passed.
Teiko finally entered the semifinals.
The matches were scheduled for the afternoon.
The long-awaited mission notification appeared before Ryu's eyes.
[Mission Notification: Achieve first place in the Summer League Semifinals]
[Mission Reward: 30,000 cat food for each victory, 100 cat food for each basket scored]
Indeed, the rewards were higher than during the quarterfinals.
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