"Hey, no way… are you actually trying to figure out who my spy is?"
To everyone's surprise, when Kota lowered his head and fell silent, Akashi actually laughed.
"You're overthinking it. Using corporate espionage tricks in high school basketball? That'd be overkill. I was just messing with you."
He casually sipped his coke, giving Kota a cryptic grin.
"But it looks like I hit the mark. Kaijo's freshmen this year—pretty good, huh?"
What?! Did Akashi just… make a joke?? Character development speedrun unlocked. The guy who usually acted like an ice-cold CEO suddenly dropped a line like this?
Not just Kota — even the rest of the Generation of Miracles looked like they'd just seen a UFO land on the table.
"Hm? What's wrong? Did I say something strange?"
Seeing their expressions, Akashi straightened up, checked his reflection in the mirror, fixed his hair, then turned back, puzzled.
Momoi broke the silence first, grinning.
"It just feels like you've really changed, Akashi-kun."
Midorima adjusted his glasses, studying him carefully.
"Momoi's right. You're… different."
Akashi blinked, then smiled faintly at his own reflection.
"Maybe I have. I don't mind. I like it this way."
The little episode passed and the mood lightened, but Kota wasn't going to let himself be the butt of Akashi's joke without striking back.
He clinked his coke against Akashi's, smiling slyly.
"You're right, though. Kaijo's first-years are monsters."
"Not bragging, but let's be real. Unless you guys got some miracle recruits this year, both championships are already Kaijo's."
He downed his drink, sweeping his gaze across the room—blatantly provoking everyone. Sure enough, every face darkened—except Kise's. Even Murasakibara paused mid-bite, burger hanging out of his mouth, staring at Kota.
Aomine snapped first.
"Hah? You think only Kaijo got good rookies? Let me tell you—Too Academy's new point guard isn't weaker than you!"
"Aomine! You weren't supposed to say that!" Momoi panicked, but too late—the secret was out.
Kota didn't flinch. Inside, though, he was amused.
"Not weaker than me? Yeah, sure. But judging by Momoi's reaction, at least this guy isn't a pushover like Too's last captain… what was his name again? Imaizumi?"
Imayoshi: …Excuse me??
Aomine realized he'd slipped, but just crossed his arms and grunted, refusing to say more.
Kota wasn't disappointed. He shifted his eyes to Kagami, raising his brows expectantly. Everyone followed his gaze. Even Aomine leaned forward, ears perked up.
Kagami froze. He finally blurted out:
"We don't have new recruits. Just us five. More than enough!"
Seirin's core was intact—three returning starters, plus Kuroko and Kagami. Chemistry-wise, they were ahead of everyone.
Akashi nodded slightly. "Looks like we all have bright futures."
Kota lost interest in Kagami and turned his attention back to Akashi. What he really wanted to know was—who's Rakuzan's mysterious fifth man? With Akashi plus the Uncrowned Kings, even adding a stray dog would make them scary. And Rakuzan's reputation guaranteed elite signings every year.
"Not gonna say anything, Akashi?" Kota asked casually, but the implication was clear: cards on the table.
Akashi understood. He glanced at his watch, then leaned forward, his eyes sharp.
"Words are cheap. How about a game?"
"Seconded." Kota immediately raised his hand. This was exactly what he'd been waiting for—the perfect chance to scout the new blood.
The others blinked, confused. "Wait, what game?"
Kota grinned. "A freshmen showdown."
Akashi continued smoothly: "All six schools brought in strong rookies this year. Why not see how they measure up? Curious, aren't you?"
Aomine and Kagami's eyes lit up. Even Midorima adjusted his glasses with interest. A battle of the next generation? Too tempting.
"Each school picks two players. Five-on-five. Let's settle it on the court."
Later, walking home together just like last year, Kise scratched his head.
"Kota, are you sure about this?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, it's not that I'm against it… I just feel nervous about Yūki playing against all these other schools' rookies next week."
Kota gave him a look. "You're worried for Yuki? You should be worried for them. Seriously, do you think any freshman can compare to him?"
With Yuki's talent, he could already be compared to first-year Kise — before unlocking Zone and Perfect Copy. Way too strong for normal rookies.
"I know, I know! It's just… I feel like a parent dropping off their kid at kindergarten" Kise sighed dramatically.
"By the way, Akashi said two players per school, right? Besides Yuki, who's our second?"
Kota thought for a moment. "Takumi. He's solid. Strong body, active defense. Since Kobori graduated, we need someone at the center spot. If we polish him, he'll be perfect."
Kise blinked, pretending to remember. "Ah, yeah, of course. Good choice!"
Kota smirked but let it slide. Yuki would take shooting guard, leaving point guard to him. At nearly 190cm, with versatile offense and high basketball IQ, Yuki could comfortably handle the 1–3 spots. Perfect fit.
"Man, Kota, you're seriously built different" Kise said, eyes shining. With Yuki and Takumi, Kaijo's championship streak looked very safe.
Arriving at his house, Kise turned and held out his fist. Kota bumped it without a word. Both just grinned.