Teiko Middle School — Gym No. 1
Friday afternoon.
The air inside the gym was thick and heavy, hot enough to make tempers short.
The regional qualifiers for the National Junior High Tournament were right around the corner.
As the defending champions—
Teiko's training intensity had been cranked to the absolute maximum.
Sneakers screeched.
Basketballs slammed against hardwood.
Coaches barked themselves hoarse.
Sweat hit the floor like rain.
Hundreds of members moved in perfect order, like parts of a massive machine.
It was a sound that could only belong to one thing—
A powerhouse.
But on the First String's exclusive half-court…
There was one note that didn't belong.
One stain in the picture of discipline.
On a bench meant for resting between drills—
Satoru Gojo was lying flat on his back.
Still.
Dead asleep.
The white-and-gold regular jacket covered him like a blanket.
Long legs hanging lazily over the armrest.
White hair glowing under the sunlight.
Hands behind his head.
Breathing slow and steady.
Completely at peace.
While everyone else was fighting like their lives depended on it—
This first-year regular…
Was napping.
The candidates doing shuttle runs passed by.
They couldn't help glancing at him.
"…He's seriously sleeping."
"Captain already looked over there three times…"
"He's gonna explode…"
"Don't stare! You'll get dragged into it!"
Tweet—!!
The assembly whistle pierced the gym.
"All First String members! Assemble immediately!"
Nijimura Shuzo's voice thundered.
Instantly—
Balls dropped.
Shoes stopped.
Players sprinted.
Within ten seconds, dozens of regulars stood in perfect formation.
Chest out.
Chin up.
Hands behind their backs.
Absolute discipline.
Even Aomine stood properly.
Even Murasakibara stopped chewing.
Akashi and Midorima were flawless as always.
But—
One spot was empty.
Painfully empty.
Like an open provocation.
On the bench—
Gojo rolled over in his sleep.
"…mmm…"
The gym temperature dropped several degrees.
Even the Second and Third Strings upstairs stopped moving.
Everyone felt it.
The captain was about to explode.
Nijimura inhaled deeply.
Veins throbbed at his temples.
But he didn't snap.
Not yet.
Instead, he began the routine speech.
"The qualifiers are next week."
His voice echoed.
"We are Teiko. The champions. Every school wants to drag us down."
"What we carry isn't just wins or losses."
"It's the school's honor."
His gaze swept across the formation.
Sharp. Heavy.
"Basketball is NOT a one-man sport."
This time—
His eyes flicked toward the bench.
"No matter how talented someone is, without the team, they're nothing but loose sand."
"What we need is unity. Discipline. Sacrifice."
"Each person must become a screw in the machine that is Teiko."
"Only then can we be invincible."
Perfect logic.
Perfectly reasonable.
The kind of speech no one could argue against.
"Yes, Captain!!"
The response shook the gym.
And then—
"Haaaaah—"
A long.
Lazy.
Annoyed yawn.
It sliced straight through the atmosphere.
Everyone froze.
Slowly—
Heads turned.
Gojo had sat up.
Still wearing sunglasses.
Hair messy.
Cheek propped in his palm.
Looking like someone forced awake from a good nap.
"So noisy…"
His voice was casual.
But in the dead silence—
It was crystal clear.
"Captain, how long is this speech going to last?"
"These lines sound like something from a third-rate hot-blooded manga."
Silence.
Pure, suffocating silence.
Midorima's glasses stopped mid-adjust.
Aomine smirked.
Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
And Nijimura…
Finally snapped.
"Satoru Gojo!!"
He marched over, each step heavy.
"Stand up!"
"No."
Flat. Immediate.
"I just woke up. Low blood sugar. I'll faint."
"…You bastard."
Nijimura's fists clenched.
"Do you even consider yourself part of Teiko?! Everyone else is listening and you're sleeping!"
"Are you looking down on this team?!"
Gojo adjusted his sunglasses.
Behind the lenses—
Azure eyes flickered lazily.
"Looking down?"
He tilted his head.
"No."
A small smile.
"I just think it's funny."
"…Funny?"
"Yeah."
He stretched, voice slow and casual.
"All that talk about 'sacrifice' and 'being screws'…"
"Doesn't that just sound like excuses for the weak?"
Whoosh—
The entire formation exploded.
"What did he say—?!"
"Excuse me?!"
Even the regulars looked angry.
But Gojo didn't care.
Didn't even look at them.
His voice stayed lazy.
Almost bored.
"Because you aren't strong enough, you huddle together for warmth."
"Because you can't win alone, you split the responsibility."
"Calling it 'teamwork' just sounds nicer."
He shrugged.
"Dumping your limits onto others is what weak people do."
Satoru Gojo finally stood up.
And when he did—
The difference became obvious.
Nearly 192 centimeters of height.
Long limbs.
Relaxed posture.
Yet the pressure he gave off alone was suffocating.
Even Nijimura subconsciously stiffened.
Gojo leaned forward slightly, their faces almost level.
The corner of his mouth curved into an arrogant smile.
"For the strong… those burdensome things aren't necessary."
"I sleep when I want to sleep."
"I win when I want to win."
"The strong only need to do as they please."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"This so-called 'discipline'…"
"It's just a cage you mortals built to shackle geniuses."
"You bastard!!"
Nijimura finally snapped.
Those words didn't just insult him—
They denied Teiko.
Denied everyone who trained until their lungs burned.
Denied effort itself.
"If your parents never taught you respect—"
"I will!"
He lunged forward.
Fast.
Explosive.
Years of training packed into one grab.
If he caught Gojo's collar, he could easily lift him off the ground.
"Nijimura-senpai—!"
Akashi tried to stop him.
Too late.
Nijimura's hand reached Gojo's chest—
And stopped.
One centimeter away.
"…Huh?"
His fingers trembled in midair.
Like they had struck invisible steel.
No—
It felt worse.
Like sinking into endless mud.
No matter how hard he pushed…
He couldn't move forward even a millimeter.
Veins bulged.
Muscles shook.
Nothing.
"This… what is this?!"
Gojo didn't move.
Hands still in his pockets.
Posture lazy.
The blue eyes behind the sunglasses were calm.
Almost pitying.
"See?"
His voice was soft.
Like a god speaking to an ant.
"This is the gap between you and me."
[Limitless — Automatic Defense]
"If you can't even touch me…"
"What right do you have to talk about rules?"
"What right do you have to order me around?"
Then—
Gojo stepped forward.
Just one casual step.
But Nijimura felt a terrifying force slam into him.
His instincts screamed.
His body moved on its own.
He stumbled back.
Almost fell.
In front of everyone.
The result was obvious.
Teiko's iron-blooded captain—
Forced back.
By a first-year.
Silence swallowed the gym.
"Alright."
Gojo yawned.
"Is the boring lecture finally over?"
He turned toward the locker room without even looking at Nijimura.
"Instead of wasting time on speeches, practice your fundamentals."
Then he paused.
Turned slightly.
His gaze swept across Akashi.
Aomine.
Midorima.
Murasakibara.
"If you don't get stronger…"
"You won't even have the right to stand behind me."
And just like that—
His white figure disappeared into the shadows.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
What he left behind wasn't just arrogance.
It was doubt.
Like poison dripping into their hearts.
"…Pushing responsibility onto a team is the behavior of the weak…"
Aomine stared at the ball in his hands.
His grip tightened.
Before today, he would've called that nonsense.
But…
Nijimura couldn't even touch him.
"As long as you're strong enough… you can do anything…?"
Something inside him ignited.
Not anger.
Ambition.
Further back—
Kuroko Tetsuya lowered his head.
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
"…That's not right…"
Basketball shouldn't be like that.
Winning together—
Laughing together—
That was supposed to be the best feeling.
But…
He couldn't argue.
Because he was weak.
Too weak to even stand on that court.
Too weak to refute the strongest person there.
"…I have to find my own basketball."
From the second-floor railing—
A pair of eyes watched everything.
Haizaki Shogo.
A coin flipped between his fingers.
A crooked grin stretched across his face.
"Heh… how interesting."
"Nijimura's authority got crushed just like that."
"Satoru Gojo… annoying guy."
"But I kinda like what you said."
His gaze shifted.
Toward Kuroko.
Malice flickered.
"If I can't beat the monster…"
"…I'll just break something weaker."