Ryota Kise was completely lost.
His thoughts drifted back to the past.
Back in junior high, Kise picked up anything he tried almost instantly.
Soccer, badminton, table tennis—whatever it was, he learned it in no time.
And once he learned it, he would go on to defeat everyone in the club.
He had slowly started losing interest in sports—until, by chance, he saw Daiki Aomine.
After witnessing Aomine's basketball, Kise gradually fell in love with the game.
He learned quickly. After only a few weeks of playing basketball, he made it into Teikō Middle School's first string—the national championship team.
The coach and captain even assigned him someone to guide him.
Tetsuya Kuroko.
At first, Kise looked down on Kuroko. He thought he was too weak—so weak that Kise had no interest in him at all.
Later, he heard that if "that person" hadn't left, the one guiding him would have been that person instead.
At the time, Kise didn't know who "that person" was. He only found out later.
Even while looking down on Kuroko, Kise still followed him to games.
It was during one match that he realized what made Kuroko special.
Kuroko was the shadow—the one who supported the light.
From that moment on, Kise acknowledged him.
Not long after, Kise secured a spot as a regular on the first string.
Around that time, he started hearing a name constantly.
Miyamoto.
Whether it was Seijuro Akashi, Shintaro Midorima, or even Daiki Aomine—the very person Kise wanted most to defeat—they all spoke of that name.
When Kise asked who it was, everyone gave him the same answer:
"The one we absolutely must defeat."
From that moment on, Kise became deeply interested in Miyamoto.
But his immediate goal was still to defeat Aomine.
He kept challenging Aomine to one-on-one matches, but he never won a single time.
That was how things continued—until one day.
Seijuro Akashi seemed to change into a different person.
The moment he stepped forward, he demanded that Shogo Haizaki give up his starting position.
Haizaki refused and immediately fired back at Akashi.
The two even made a one-on-one wager.
Haizaki lost.
And he withdrew from the basketball club.
Kise understood clearly—Akashi was clearing the path for him.
From then on, Kise became Teikō's starting small forward. Soon, the audience gave them a name.
[Generation of Miracles]
It was also during that time that Miyamoto received a title—
A title that stood above the [Generation of Miracles].
[Magic Cube]
Everything seemed to be falling into place.
But then Akashi began to change.
He stopped passing the ball and started favoring isolation plays.
He even said that if he wanted to attack, he would grab the rebound himself and score.
At first, Kise didn't think much of it.
But gradually, everyone changed.
Aomine stopped enjoying games and threw himself into training instead.
He barely exerted himself during matches and would return to practice immediately afterward.
Akashi was the same. Even though no one often saw him training, Kise knew he had built a private training court at home.
Atsushi Murasakibara and Shintaro Midorima continued their usual routines.
On the surface, they hadn't changed much.
But Kise knew… their hearts had drifted apart.
As the five of them grew stronger and stronger, Kuroko lost his opportunity to play.
The shadow…
was scattered by the light…
In the final game, Akashi issued the order for a shutout.
Though reluctant, Kise followed it.
Their opponent fought stubbornly and refused to give up until the very last moment.
But after that game—
Kuroko disappeared.
And everyone went their separate ways.
Kise chose Kaijo High School.
When he first arrived, he was proud and full of confidence.
Then he met a senior.
Yukio Kasamatsu.
Kasamatsu taught him many things and made him understand even more.
Little by little, Kise became part of the team.
He had made up his mind to defeat the other members of the Generation of Miracles.
To advance to the Interhigh.
To lift that national championship trophy.
And then—
An accident happened.
He ran into Kirisaki.
That overwhelming sense of despair plunged him into self-doubt.
It even made him consider…
giving up basketball.
'Can I… still win?'
Kise stared at himself in the mirror as the question echoed in his heart.
Tap…
Thud!
Suddenly—
A sharp jab hit him in the side.
"Ah!"
Kise cried out and spun around.
"Kuroko! What are you doing?! That hurt!"
Tetsuya Kuroko stood beside him, his right hand still extended from the poke.
Seeing that Kise had snapped out of it, Kuroko spoke calmly.
"Who are you?"
Kise clutched his side, wincing.
"Who am I? Kuroko, what are you talking about?!"
Kuroko looked straight into his eyes.
"Losing confidence after one defeat… That's not the Ryota Kise I know."
Kise's protests gradually faded, and his expression slowly changed.
Kuroko continued,
"The Ryota Kise I know is someone who can lose countless times and still reignite his confidence. Not someone who falls into self-doubt after a single loss."
"So… who are you?"
Kise froze.
'Who… am I?'
Looking at Kuroko's serious expression, the weight in his chest slowly began to lift.
That's right.
He had never beaten Aomine in basketball.
Now he had just lost to someone even stronger than Aomine.
So why was he doubting himself?
If he lost, then he lost. Admit it openly. Train harder. Win it back next time.
When had he become so fragile?
No.
That's not me.
I'm not fragile.
I'm resilient.
"I am Ryota Kise!"
He shouted, as if casting off everything weighing him down.
The dullness in his eyes vanished, replaced by their usual brilliance.
That familiar smile returned to his handsome face.
"Thanks, Kuroko. You're right."
Kise smiled as he thanked him.
Seeing him recover, Kuroko allowed a faint smile to appear as well.
The Ryota Kise he knew—
was back.
......