"I'll protect the old man's heart with my rebounds during the National Tournament!"
"As long as I don't make mistakes, the old man won't get excited!"
"And if he doesn't get excited, he won't collapse!"
"That's the genius's perfect plan!"
"Bwahahaha! Aren't I brilliant?"
Maki Shinichi couldn't help but smile as he looked at Sakuragi's carefree grin.
The logic was... questionable, to say the least.
It was the kind of answer that deserved full marks for sincerity and zero for reasoning.
Yet the genuine concern behind those words made it impossible to laugh at him.
"However..."
Maki's expression gradually turned serious.
"Sakuragi. Juro."
"Since you're going to Aichi Prefecture..."
"You'd better prepare yourselves."
He stared out the window at the scenery rushing by.
His deep voice carried the weight of prophecy.
"The National Tournament isn't filled with only one monster."
"Dai Moroboshi, the 'Star of Aichi.' Toyotama from Osaka. And above them all... Sannoh Industries."
"The world you're about to enter..."
"...will completely overturn everything you think you know."
Makino Juro didn't show the solemn expression Maki had expected.
Instead—
He pressed harder on the accelerator.
The GT-R's engine roared louder, like a beast issuing a challenge to the world.
The black machine shot toward the horizon like a bullet.
"Overturn everything I know?"
Meeting Maki's eyes through the rearview mirror, Makino Juro's lips curled into an arrogant smile.
His gaze shone even brighter than the headlights.
"Perfect."
"I've been wanting them to see something too."
"Let's find out..."
"...who ends up overturning whose world."
That afternoon.
The cicadas screamed so fiercely it felt as though they were sawing the air apart.
Heat shimmered over the white walls and blue-tiled roof.
Even the steady tok... tok... of the bamboo water fountain striking its stone basin sounded unusually dry.
Inside the house, the scent of fresh tatami filled the room.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi sat cross-legged before a low wooden table, dressed in a loose dark-blue cotton robe.
The smile that usually made him resemble a cheerful Buddha had faded into the pale complexion of someone recovering from illness.
Only his gentle eyes remained unchanged.
Across from him sat a young man.
His back was ramrod straight.
Both hands gripped his knees so tightly that his knuckles had begun to whiten.
His perpetually sleepy-looking eyes were currently locked in a silent battle with a floating tea stem inside his cup.
The room was so quiet that the silence itself seemed sticky.
Coach Anzai took a sip of tea, gently blowing away the leaves floating on the surface.
"I'm truly sorry..."
His voice was hoarse and slow, like an old bellows.
"I'll recover as soon as possible."
"For the National Tournament..."
"I'll do everything I can... not to miss it."
The young man remained silent.
His black bangs hid his eyes.
Only the fingers clutching his pants grew even whiter as they dug desperately into the fabric.
He wasn't good with words.
Before he'd left, Ayako had practically forced a fruit basket into his hands while teaching him countless polite phrases.
"Get well soon."
"We'll be waiting for you."
Every one of those words had become lodged in his throat.
Like swallowing a dry bun.
He could neither swallow it nor spit it out.
Only silence remained.
Coach Anzai gently set down his teacup.
His eyes were filled with kindness.
This child looked like a block of eternal ice on the outside...
But inside...
A blazing volcano was hidden beneath the surface.
"Well then..."
Anzai leaned forward slightly, breaking the awkward silence.
"Rukawa."
"What is it you wanted to tell me?"
Rukawa Kaede suddenly lifted his head.
The laziness had completely disappeared from his narrow eyes.
In its place burned an obsession bordering on madness.
It was the gaze of a young wolf staring at its prey.
Nagoya.
Venue of the Aichi Prefecture Qualifiers.
The asphalt shimmered beneath the scorching sun.
The air was thick with heat and dust.
Yet none of it diminished the excitement surrounding the Aichi Finals of the Inter-High qualifiers.
Outside the arena, enormous crowds surged forward.
Even through the thick concrete walls, the roaring cheers shook the air.
ROOOAR!!
The savage growl of an engine tore through the noise.
A black GT-R sliced into the parking lot like a blade.
With a beautiful powerslide, it came to a flawless stop in one of the VIP parking spaces.
The doors swung open.
Four people, whose styles couldn't have been more different, stepped out one after another.
The crowd instantly exploded.
"Holy crap! Isn't that... Maki Shinichi?!"
"The Emperor of Kanagawa!"
"He's even more intimidating in person than in the magazines!"
"Why is he in Nagoya?"
"And who's that red-haired guy beside him?"
"He looks terrifying!"
Several students wearing basketball jerseys flushed with excitement.
Their eyes sparkled as though they'd just witnessed a living legend.
After all, in the world of high school basketball...
Maki Shinichi's face alone was practically a symbol of greatness.
"So this is Captain Maki?"
Kiyota Nobunaga listened to the astonished whispers around them.
"Even in Nagoya, he's got fans?"
"Wild monkey."
Sakuragi shoved both hands into his pockets and swaggered forward with the confidence of a crime boss.
"This genius is going to become the biggest superstar in Japan!"
"This is nothing!"
"One day, my fans will block entire streets just to beg for my autograph!"
At that moment, a few girls passing by whispered shyly among themselves.
"Look at that red-haired guy next to Maki Shinichi..."
"He's so tall!"
"Is he a model?"
"He looks really scary."
"Maybe he's Maki's bodyguard?"
"Or perhaps he's Kainan's newest enforcer?"
"Has to be."
"Anyone walking beside Emperor Maki must be someone dangerous."
Their voices weren't loud.
Unfortunately...
Sakuragi's ears came equipped with built-in radar.
"What?!"
"Who are you calling a bodyguard?!"
"I'm from the champion Shohoku!"
"I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi of Shohoku!!"
"The future King of Rebounds!"
"That middle-aged guy is nothing but someone I've already defeated!"
"Do you people understand?!"
Blue veins bulged across Sakuragi's forehead as he roared at the girls.
Startled by the sudden outburst, they screamed and ran away.
"Idiot..."
Makino Juro walked at the rear of the group, sunglasses covering most of his face.
Compared to a basketball player...
He looked more like the wealthy heir of some corporation inspecting one of his family's businesses.
"Sakuragi."
Makino Juro patted his stiff shoulder with a teasing smile.
"With lines like that..."
"You're destined to stay single for the rest of your life."
"Shut up!"
Sakuragi exploded in embarrassment.
"This generation of female fans has terrible taste!"
"They actually mistook this genius for Kainan's sidekick!"
"Unforgivable!"
Walking in front, Maki completely ignored the comedy routine behind him.
His only rule when taking this group of problem children anywhere...
Was making sure they didn't start a fight.
"Hurry up."
He glanced at his watch, his expression growing serious.
"Judging by the noise..."
"The game's already started."
"If we're any later, we'll miss the best part."
As they passed through the entrance tunnel, cool air rushed toward them.
Mixed within it were the smells of sweat and burning rubber from squeaking sneakers.
It was...
The scent of the battlefield.
"Hey, middle-aged guy."
Sakuragi looked around curiously before pointing at a player featured on one of the posters hanging on the wall.
"That so-called 'Star of Aichi'..."
"Is he really that amazing?"
"Worth making a special trip just to watch?"
"Dai Moroboshi."
When Maki spoke that name, his tone carried unusual respect.
"A third-year from Aiwa Academy."
"An elite all-around shooting guard."
He stopped walking and looked back at the two Shohoku first-years.
"If Shohoku wants to make a name for itself at the National Tournament..."
"He's one mountain you simply can't avoid."
"Tch."
"What mountain?"
Sakuragi curled his lip in disdain.
"In front of this genius..."
"He's nothing but a little dirt mound!"
"I don't care if he's the Star of Aichi or the Star of Somewhere Else!"
"I'll bulldoze right through him!"
Makino Juro adjusted his sunglasses.
A knowing smile slowly appeared on his lips.
Dai Moroboshi.
The tragic emperor from the original story.
The face of a National Top Four powerhouse.
Only to become...
A stepping stone for an unbelievable first-year monster.
"Getting out for a change of scenery isn't bad."
Juro spoke casually.
"But, Maki..."
"Sometimes..."
"It only takes a single moment..."
"...for a mountain to collapse."
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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