[Please vote with the power stones; the more you vote, the more chapters will be published. Thank you.]
50 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapters.
100 Power Stones = 3 bonus chapters.
150 Power Stones = 5 bonus chapters.
------------------------
Two weeks later.
"Aomine's been leaving early lately!" Midorima Shintaro said with some dissatisfaction.
He was a meticulous person and couldn't stand people who gave up halfway.
Murasakibara Atsushi said lazily, "I don't know! Judging from Aomine's expression, it seems something happened at home."
"Is that so?" Hearing Murasakibara's words, Midorima's somewhat displeased expression softened.
Ryu interjected with a smile, "Don't worry, Aomine isn't the type to give up halfway. He must have something to do!"
Ryu guessed that the reason Aomine Daiki had skipped practice so early was because of Kuroko.
Judging by the timing, Kuroko should be showing up around now.
"Speaking of which, how about we go ghost hunting tonight?" Ryu's words left Midorima and Murasakibara completely bewildered.
"What? Ghost hunting?" They both looked at Ryu with strange expressions.
Ryu just smiled mysteriously and said, "Don't you two want to find out the truth behind the ghost story at the basketball court?"
Midorima and Murasakibara both fell silent.
Midorima was afraid, while Murasakibara seemed indifferent.
However, they were also quite curious about it.
"Since you sincerely invite me, then I'll gladly accept," Midorima said.
Although he was somewhat averse to ghosts, having someone with him would make him feel more at ease.
Looking at Midorima's arrogant words that didn't reflect his true feelings, Ryu couldn't help but complain inwardly, 'This guy is really not honest at all.'
"Well! I'm fine with it!" Murasakibara simply wanted to see what an oni looked like.
"What are you guys talking about?" Just then, Akashi Seijuro walked over.
"It's Akashi! After we finish training, how about we go check out the haunted gym? Akashi, want to come with us?" Ryu explained.
"Oh, I see!" Akashi thought for a moment. He was quite curious about the rumor. "In that case, count me in!"
And so, the four of them successfully formed a ghost-hunting adventure team.
The crimson sunset gradually faded with the passage of time.
The team finished their grueling training session.
Ryu, Akashi, Midorima, and Murasakibara, as planned, teamed up and headed to Gymnasium 3. Upon entering Gymnasium 3, Ryu and the others saw Aomine Daiki standing alone, seemingly doing something.
"Aomine," Akashi greeted Aomine Daiki.
Aomine Daiki looked over at the sound of his voice.
Then he saw Ryu and the others. "What are you guys doing here?"
"You've been skipping training lately, so you've been practicing here!"
Aomine Daiki nodded upon hearing Akashi's words. "Yeah! There are too many people in that gym over there, so we're both practicing here."
"Both of us?" Akashi was a little confused, so he subconsciously scanned the entire gym.
Then he saw Kuroko Tetsuya, who had a blank expression and blue hair.
Hmm? Akashi's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes lit up when he saw Kuroko.
"That's strange. Was this guy here just now?" Murasakibara Atsushi asked Kuroko curiously.
Akashi smiled. "I'm actually a little interested in him!"
Midorima Shintaro, standing nearby, was somewhat surprised by Akashi's words.
He was closest to Akashi, and they often played shogi together.
Although he had never won against him, he knew Akashi's personality very well.
Akashi saying he was interested was quite surprising.
This meant that the blue-haired boy before him must possess some extraordinary ability.
Ryu noticed Kuroko the moment he entered.
Whether it was due to his own preparation or the effect of the Emperor ice Eye, Kuroko was now no different from anyone else in his eyes.
"Excuse me, could you keep me company for a moment?" Akashi suddenly said to Kuroko.
Kuroko was taken aback at first, then nodded. "That's alright."
Akashi led Kuroko to the other side of the court.
Watching Akashi and Kuroko's retreating figures, Midorima Shintaro adjusted his glasses.
His gaze involuntarily shifted to Ryu, his heart filled with unease.
'Did this guy bring everyone here on purpose? Were Akashi's actions also within your prediction? Or perhaps…?' Ryu gave him a sense of unfathomable depth.
He had never truly understood Ryu.
Normally harmless, he displays extraordinary skill during matches.
Ryu's expression remained unchanged, revealing no flaw.
He spoke to Aomine Daiki. "So you've made some new friends; no wonder we haven't seen you around much!"
Aomine Daiki chuckled, scratching his head. "Ah, Kuroko; I met him a while ago. His love for basketball is no less than mine; we get along very well."
"Everyone, that's enough. Let's go." Just then, Akashi and Kuroko returned.
"Is it over? Then let's hurry up and leave!" Murasakibara Atsushi said impatiently.
Ryu waved his hand and said, "Ah, you guys go first! I want to stay for a while."
Akashi and the others didn't ask any further questions. "In that case, we'll take our leave."
Midorima Shintaro gave Ryu a meaningful look, then turned and left the gym with Akashi and Murasakibara.
After Akashi and the others left, before Ryu could speak, Aomine Daiki approached him expectantly. "Ryu, let's have a match!"
Ryu looked at him speechlessly. "You're really energetic! But I refuse."
Hearing this, Aomine Daiki's momentum deflated, and he said disappointedly, "Seriously, it's like this again!"
"It's too late today; let's spar another day!" Saying this, Ryu looked at Kuroko. "You must be Kuroko! Akashi must have told you everything!"
Kuroko nodded. "He did tell me some things, but I still don't understand what he meant."
Ryu grinned, revealing a meaningful smile. "Then think it over carefully! Think more about what you can do for the team; don't just blindly follow the rules. Often, what works for others is a dead end for you."
With that, Ryu stretched and waved to Kuroko and Aomine. "It's getting late; I'll head back now. Aomine, Kuroko, see you tomorrow."
Just as Ryu reached the gym entrance, a cat suddenly rushed in from outside.
The cat expertly climbed onto Ryu's shoulder.
Seeing this, Aomine Daiki didn't react much; he was used to it.
But Kuroko Tetsuya blinked, watching all this with curiosity.
He had heard rumors about students bringing cats to school; he just hadn't expected it to be someone from the basketball team.
Ryu then seemed to suddenly remember something, turning to Kuroko and saying, "Oh, by the way, judging from your appearance just now, if you didn't play basketball, you might be a magician!"
With that, Ryu chuckled and left the gym, leaving Aomine Daiki and Kuroko Tetsuya standing there, dumbfounded.
After a long while, Kuroko finally looked at Aomine Daiki and asked, "Aomine-kun, this must be Ryu-kun!"
"That's right, this is Ryu. He's on the first team just like me. He's incredibly strong; I've never beaten him even once!" Aomine Daiki had endless things to say about Ryu. He highly praised Ryu's abilities.
Kuroko was also taken aback. "So Ryu-kun is that good." Because they had trained together these past few days, he could deduce Aomine's strength; he was far superior to those on the second or third teams.
Aomine actually said he was inferior to Ryu. It was easy to imagine just how powerful Ryu was.
After a long silence, Kuroko suddenly spoke up. "By the way, Aomine-kun. What was the deal with that cat earlier?"
Aomine Daiki was taken aback, then replied, "Ah... you're asking about that? Well, it's because..."
...
Ryu walked along the familiar street with Karupin.
In the dim light, they cast a deep, dark shadow.
A slight smile played on Ryu's lips.
Kuroko Tetsuya had appeared.
That proves Kise Ryota isn't far behind.
After next year, the team will probably disband.
Even though he's become their partner, he has no intention of stopping them.
He knows that even if he tried, it wouldn't have much effect; it would only damage their relationship.
After all, "chuunibyou" isn't something you can cure by saying or doing anything.
The only way to cure it is to ruthlessly defeat them at their peak.
High school is the most suitable time because everyone's bodies will be fully developed by then.
'Perhaps Akashi has the same idea! That's why he told the others to give up on the high school summer league,' Ryu thought to himself.
Under the streetlight, a resolute glint flashed in Ryu's eyes. 'Forget it, I won't think about it too much. As long as I'm the strongest, that's enough. No matter who it is, no matter when, I just need to keep winning.'
-----
Can you help me reach 20 subscribers on Patreon this month? + Don't worry, whether I reach it or not, I will continue publishing the novel.
patreon.com/ayan41x