"We're here."
Miyamoto Tokima murmured softly as the train slowly came to a stop.
The members of Kirisaki Daiichi all turned toward the train.
The moment a tall figure stepped down, they froze.
Kentaro Seto's pupils contracted.
'At… Atsushi Murasakibara?!'
Having faced Teikō before, Kentaro Seto clearly remembered the other players.
And the one stepping off the train was none other than the center of the Generation of Miracles—Atsushi Murasakibara.
Kentaro Seto never imagined he would one day be Murasakibara's backup. Fate truly worked in strange ways.
The moment Murasakibara stepped off, he spotted Miyamoto Tokima at once. His expression immediately lit up.
"Miyamoto Tokima! I'm here!"
He rushed forward and lifted Miyamoto Tokima off the ground in a hug.
Miyamoto Tokima smiled helplessly and lightly patted his shoulder.
"Alright, you're not a kid anymore. You don't need to keep hugging me."
Murasakibara nodded happily and set him down.
Tatsuya Himuro watched him from behind, his expression shifting subtly.
He had never seen Murasakibara like this before.
Then he glanced at the people standing beside Miyamoto Tokima. One look was enough to make his heart jolt.
Every single person beside Miyamoto Tokima radiated an intense sense of pressure.
'How is this possible… they're all…'
'Wait! He's here too!'
The moment Tatsuya Himuro saw Shuzo Nijimura, he was startled.
He never expected the powerhouse he had once encountered in the United States to appear here.
And before he could recover from that shock, he saw something even more astonishing.
Dicky Anthony.
The instant he recognized him, Tatsuya Himuro was stunned.
'Anthony?! How is that possible? Why is he here?!'
He knew of Dicky Anthony—though only one-sidedly.
By pure coincidence, he had once watched him play.
From the very first moment he saw Dicky Anthony's style, it left a deep impression on him.
It was too unique.
Himuro had never imagined someone could play basketball like that—completely driven by raw talent.
He had learned Dicky Anthony's name back then, though he never had the chance to meet him.
And now, this kind of player had come to Japan—and might even become Murasakibara's teammate.
Murasakibara also noticed Dicky Anthony. He looked at him curiously.
"Miyamoto Tokima, is he a foreigner?"
Miyamoto Tokima nodded with a smile.
"His name is Dicky Anthony. He's from the United States. He's our teammate—shooting guard."
Dicky Anthony politely extended his hand and said in English,
"Hello."
Murasakibara shook his hand, staring at him blankly.
"He's so tall."
It was the first time Murasakibara had seen someone in Japan so much taller than himself.
He had assumed someone that tall would play center. He didn't expect him to be a shooting guard.
"Oh, then what do I play, Miyamoto Tokima?"
"Center."
A smile immediately spread across Murasakibara's face.
"Thanks, Miyamoto Tokima."
Miyamoto Tokima nodded, then turned to Himuro.
"Purps, aren't you going to introduce this one?"
Murasakibara blinked, finally remembering there was someone behind him.
"Oh, Himuro, he's—"
Before he could finish, Himuro stepped forward on his own.
"My name is Tatsuya Himuro. Nice to meet you."
He introduced himself while offering a friendly handshake.
Miyamoto Tokima looked at him thoughtfully.
On the phone, Himuro's tone had clearly carried dissatisfaction. But now, he seemed completely restrained.
Was he intimidated?
Still, there was no need to reject a polite gesture.
Miyamoto Tokima shook his hand.
"Hello. I'm Miyamoto Tokima. I heard on the phone that you wanted to see me. Now you have."
At that moment, Murasakibara suddenly said,
"Oh right, Miyamoto Tokima, Himuro said on the train that—"
Before he could finish, Himuro clamped a hand over his mouth.
Was he crazy? He'd said that on the train out of sheer ignorance!
Now that he had seen this lineup—and felt this kind of pressure—if he repeated those words, it would be suicidal.
Fighting spirit and recklessness were not the same thing.
You challenged someone when you were evenly matched—or at least had a chance. If the gap was too wide and you still provoked them, that was just asking to be crushed.
What, was he supposed to have a casual basketball fan challenge Michael Jordan? Wasn't that just begging to have your confidence destroyed?
Miyamoto Tokima blinked.
"What is it?"
Himuro quickly forced an awkward smile.
"It's nothing. I was just worried Atsushi might blurt out something random."
Then he leaned close to Murasakibara's ear and whispered,
"Don't mention what happened on the train. I'll treat you to a huge meal afterward."
Murasakibara's eyes instantly lit up at the mention of food.
As long as Miyamoto Tokima didn't ask, he wouldn't say anything.
But if Miyamoto Tokima asked… well, sorry, Himuro. They weren't that close.
Seeing this, Himuro let out a quiet sigh of relief and removed his hand.
"Sorry. That was rude."
Miyamoto Tokima waved it off.
"It's fine. But if Purps had something to say, then that really would've been rude."
Himuro stiffened immediately.
Thankfully, Murasakibara spoke up.
"It's fine, Miyamoto Tokima. Himuro didn't mean anything bad."
Only then did Himuro finally relax.
There was no helping it—Miyamoto Tokima's presence was overwhelming. For a moment, Himuro had even felt like he was standing in front of a true professional All-Star.
Since Murasakibara had spoken, Miyamoto Tokima didn't pursue it further.
"Alright. If you don't have anything else, we're heading back to school."
With that, he turned and began walking away with the Kirisaki Daiichi members and Murasakibara.
Murasakibara glanced at Himuro, then at Miyamoto Tokima, and without hesitation moved to follow Miyamoto Tokima.
Himuro? Sorry. Miyamoto Tokima came first.
Himuro stood there, stunned, struggling internally.
Seeing them about to disappear into the distance, he clenched his teeth and ran after them.
"Wait!"
Miyamoto Tokima stopped and turned around.
"Is there something else?"
The members of Kirisaki Daiichi turned as well. Their expressions grew serious, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Himuro swallowed hard and forced the words out.
"Can I… join you?"
...