Inside the gymnasium.
Coach Kōzō Shirogane stood beside his assistant, Naoto Sanada, witnessing a brutal half-court scrimmage, Teiko's starting lineup had thoroughly crushed the bench players.
Shirogane's eyes narrowed ever so slightly after the game ended.
His gaze landed on the court, focusing on the only first-year among the starters, Seijūrō Akashi.
"Seijūrō Akashi..."
"So that's him?"
"This year's first-year starter, huh."
Naoto Sanada nodded. "That's right. Following last year's first-year starters, Shigure and Nijimura, he's the next one to make the starting lineup so soon."
"Though, to be honest…"
"In terms of sheer ability…"
"Daiki Aomine is actually more qualified."
"But as you know," he continued, "when it comes to scoring-type players, whether it's Shigure or Nijimura, those positions are solid. No one's displacing them. And compared to Reiji Fukaya..."
"Well, ever since last year, he's been rejecting your suggestions and forging his own path, "
Shirogane raised a hand and cut him off with a shake of the head.
It wasn't just Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo that had proved him wrong. He had to admit, he had misjudged Fukaya as well. With Shigure and Nijimura, he had underestimated them.
But with Fukaya?
It was a different kind of underestimation altogether.
Last year's class…
Truly a miraculous generation.
"That boy…"
"He did it."
"Just yesterday, in a one-on-one, he broke through Shigure's defense and scored."
Sanada, who had been about to make a case for Aomine's athleticism and shooting ability, blinked in shock. "Reiji... did that?"
"Then it seems my decision was the right one. For now, Aomine should remain on the bench."
[Hoo...]
He really did it.
Though he often seemed caught in self-doubt...
His resolve had always been steadfast. He never did things halfway.
Well done, Reiji.
Sanada's stoic face couldn't quite hide the flicker of excitement that crept in as he continued.
"It's not just Akashi and Aomine."
"There's also Haizaki Shōgo."
"Midorima Shintarō."
"Murasakibara Atsushi."
"All five of them have already outperformed the bench in daily practices. And in matches against other schools, their results have been outstanding."
"That's why, "
"While you were away, I made a judgment call. I broke protocol and promoted all five of them to the main roster. Aside from Akashi, the others are currently second-string, but they're all officially on the team."
Sanada tightened his grip on the training schedule in his hands as he turned to Coach Shirogane. "Do you think I may have gone too far?"
"After all..."
"Last year, only players of Shigure and Nijimura's caliber made the cut. These new first-years still have obvious gaps in stamina and raw experience..."
"At the All-Nationals, especially in the final rounds, the schedule is brutal. Could this decision come back to haunt us?"
"Right now, there are only three third-years in the starting lineup. Two of them are listed as emergency backups. That's something that's never happened before in Teiko's history…"
Promoting five first-years in one go, even with their undeniable talent, made Sanada anxious.
And the sidelining of upperclassmen...
Had he let himself be blinded by their brilliance?
"No."
"You made the right call."
Shirogane's calm affirmation made Sanada exhale in relief.
"These first-years are more than capable. As for stamina, when they're coming off the bench, it won't be a disadvantage."
"And besides…"
"As for the third-years…"
"Sanada, you need to remember, this is Teiko, not a friendly exchange club. Even though they're all on the same squad, these players are also rivals."
"Even if they only lost to a first-year in practice, it doesn't matter. As regulars, there's no excuse. If they're bitter about it, too bad. They haven't earned the right to complain."
"After all…"
"They became starters by outlasting dozens of players from the third, second, and first teams. If their performance slips and they're replaced, that's just how it is. Complaining would be the real surprise."
With the coach's support, Sanada nodded in understanding.
"These five newcomers…"
"They really are exciting to watch."
"And more than anything..."
"This year's championship title will once again belong to Teiko!"
At his words,
Coach Shirogane's gaze shifted toward Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo.
"Well, that much is obvious."
With those two on the roster,
"Next year will be ours too."
But starting from this year...
This championship might carry a whole new weight.
May the other teams...
Not have nightmares.
In the blink of an eye,
It was another sweltering summer for middle school basketball.
The Tokyo preliminaries for the All-Nationals officially began today.
As the players of Iwai Middle School entered the Tokyo No. 2 Gymnasium with their coach, they were struck by the thunderous cheers, the screech of sneakers on hardwood, and the raucous energy of fans from every school.
The first-years, tagging along with their seniors, felt like they'd been hit by a jolt of electricity.
Most of them had played in plenty of games before entering middle school, but nothing came close to the heat of this atmosphere.
And this was just the prelims.
Clearly, they weren't the only ones stunned.
Even the third-years had looks of pure excitement on their faces.
Then,
A wave of roaring cheers erupted through the stadium as a team in white uniforms walked onto the court.
The newcomers turned around,
"!!"
It was Teiko!
Even as brand-new first-years, many had already been keeping tabs on the middle school basketball scene. Of course they knew Teiko.
And they definitely knew about...
The "Teiko Twin Stars" who led the team to victory last year, as first-years.
Leading the charge,
Were none other than Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo!
"Hey!"
"That's Teiko!"
"The two up front, it's Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo!"
"Shigure's grown a lot taller!"
"I heard Nijimura took over as captain after last year's All-Nationals. Makes sense, they say he's like a lion! Even his face looks fierce!"
"You know, after the All-Nationals, in the follow-up [Ten Schools Tournament], the Teiko Twin Stars took their game to a whole new level!"
"Yeah! Even though they were still first-years, their lineup dominated, winning with margins three times higher than their opponents!"
"What?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
Around Iwai's bench, the other schools' teams were whispering amongst themselves, many of them powerhouses in their own right.
"In any case, Teiko's definitely taking the top seed in Tokyo again. At Nationals, too, it's already a done deal. Just pray you don't get humiliated too badly when facing them…"
One of Iwai's first-years recognized the speaker, it was the ace of a school that had qualified for the Ten Schools Tournament.
He added:
"There's no helping it…"
"Those two monsters are just too damn strong."
"Once Nationals begin, the rest of the country will be even more shocked than they were last year."
Just then,
Someone finally noticed something different about this year's Teiko lineup.
By now, Shinji Kurokami and Reiji Fukaya, already known from last year's Ten Schools Tournament, had naturally moved up to jerseys No. 6 and No. 7.
But No. 8…
A red-haired, unfamiliar face, wearing a starter's jersey.
Further back...
No. 10, with purple hair. Nearly the same height as center Kurokami, a rare height for a middle schooler.
No. 9, dark-skinned with teal hair, a cheerful expression, but his sharp eyes held a glint similar to Nijimura and the silver-haired No. 12.
And finally...
No. 11.
If anyone was weird, it was this green-haired player, holding a pocket watch, his hand wrapped in bandages.
More importantly,
Aside from the slightly short No. 8 and the towering No. 10,
The other three...
Were all around 175 cm, the exact build of Shigure and Nijimura last year.
That's when it hit every coach in the gym who hadn't yet played Teiko in a practice game this year:
Damn it…
Are they first-years again?
"Shigure-senpai~ I think everyone's looking at me kinda funny~?"
"Is it because of Haizaki~?"
"Hah?!"
"What's that got to do with me?!"
"You idiot, obviously it's because you always look like a delinquent. Plus, you got your face smashed in by Captain Nijimura! Because of you, everyone probably thinks we're trouble."
"Tch..."
"How is that my fault?! Shouldn't you blame that violent maniac?!"
At that,
Nijimura Shuzo turned his head sharply, glaring daggers at the drama queens: Murasakibara, Aomine, and Haizaki.
Shigure just chuckled. "Or maybe it's just because your hair colors are too flashy~"
Midorima: "..."
Akashi: "..."
Was it really that weird?
Senpai always seems weirdly sensitive about this kind of thing.
These colors are…
Totally normal, right?
Besides,
The wary, curious stares they were getting...
Akashi and Midorima both immediately recognized the reason.
It wasn't about hair or injuries.
It was the lingering aura of last year's Teiko Twin Stars—Shigure and Nijimura.
As this year's first-years and new starters, they were simply riding the wave of terror those two had left behind.
End of chapter...
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