"Nice shot!" the coach couldn't help but mutter from the sidelines. Although Kise's style was flashier, it still leaned heavily on his extraordinary talent. Kota, on the other hand, showcased flawless fundamentals and a masterful ability to read defenses.
This kind of play resonated deeply with the audience. After all, most people aren't prodigies — Kota felt relatable.
As Kota continued to shine, the senior team had no choice but to start marking him more closely. But with Kise already being such a headache, splitting focus between him and Kota? What were they supposed to do—pretend the other three players didn't exist?
Kota kept dribbling under intense pressure from Kasamatsu, skillfully adjusting his position until he caught a slight imbalance in Kasamatsu's stance. He lowered his center of gravity and blew past him with a burst of speed. Even with Kasamatsu's quick reflexes, it wasn't enough to shut Kota down alone.
Kobori, already preparing for the help defense, sprang forward the moment he saw Kasamatsu get beaten, aiming to double-team Kota.
"You can't pass from this angle anymore, right? We've shut you down tight—you can't even see your teammates!"
Kobori flashed a confident grin. It was a clean trap, executed perfectly.
Kota lowered his center of gravity, kept the ball low with his right hand to prevent a steal, and shielded Kasamatsu with his left. He couldn't see his teammates, sure—but he had already memorized all four of their positions earlier.
Let's see… based on where he was standing… he should be heading there now, right?
"That spot... if it's you, you'll reach it."
Kota hop-stepped to the right and sprung upward, his body leaning into a dramatic fadeaway.
Kasamatsu was stunned.
"No way… a fadeaway from that angle?! That's insane—!"
"Of course not, senpai."
Midair, Kota shifted his posture and pushed the ball with both hands—it wasn't a shot, it was a pass!
A blur of golden light cut through the baseline, slicing into the paint and rising for the ball.
Kise, who had anticipated the gap the moment Kobori moved up to help, burst through the lane. He'd been watching Kota's game and figured a pass might be coming—so he sprinted ahead of time. Kota had likewise calculated that Kise would arrive just in time to meet the pass. Their connection was flawless.
Unfortunately… Kota overestimated Kise's vertical. The pass was too high—even with his full stretch, Kise only brushed the ball with his fingertips.
"Oi! Who the hell were you passing to with that height? You think I'm some kind of flying squirrel?"
Kise landed with a scowl. It was like Kota was mocking his jumping ability.
"Aren't you a Generation of Miracles member? Some genius or whatever? Can't even reach that?"
"I am a Generation of Miracles, but I'm still human, you know! That height was ridiculous—though I do appreciate the genius comment~"
"Then act like one! You let a pass that beautiful go to waste—what a disgrace to my assist!"
"What'd you say, you jerk?!"
"Who you calling a jerk, jerk?!"
"Alright, alright, you're both geniuses, okay?"
"Break it up already—senpai and coach are watching, it's embarrassing."
The three teammates with zero presence quickly stepped in to separate the two bickering stars.
Meanwhile, the coach didn't care one bit about the banter. He was already daydreaming about promotions and pay raises after winning nationals — adding another jewel to his coaching resume.
Passes like that… between two freshmen who've barely met? That's not just chemistry—it's domination on another level.
The more he watched Kota, the more the coach liked him. He almost wanted to make him the starting point guard right now. But Kasamatsu still had authority in the locker room. The team respected him. Benching him would cause problems.
Guess I'll have to talk to Kasamatsu, the coach thought, stroking his chin.
On the court, Kasamatsu stood dazed, staring at their own hoop, not even hearing the ref signaling for the inbound.
Why are there so many monsters… and he's a first-year too… and he plays my position…
His heart sank. His starting spot might really be in danger.
Under the ref's urging, Kasamatsu finally inbounded the ball and jogged up the court, still deep in thought.
Kota instantly noticed something was off. Kasamatsu's movements were stiff, his rhythm disrupted. Got to him, huh? Makes sense — he's still a high schooler. Getting outplayed by a new guy… that stings.
"But that's basketball, senpai. If your skills aren't enough, you make way. I respect you as captain, but starting PG? That's my role now. Or maybe… we move you to shooting guard? Your defense and mindset are solid, after all."
Kota was already mentally reorganizing the lineup — as Kaijo's future vice-captain, someone has to plan ahead!
The other upperclassmen also began to feel the gap in level between themselves and the Kise-Kota duo. Their motivation faltered.
Noticing the low energy from the other side, Kota stopped going all out. He started distributing the ball more. Winning against unmotivated opponents? Zero satisfaction.
BEEP! Game over. 56–48.
"You're really good! Kota, right? Wanna grab something to eat?" Kise smiled, walking over and high-fiving him.
Kota returned the high-five, fist-bumping the other three before turning back. "Sure, if the genius is paying."
"Oi oi, still teasing me? That pass wasn't even realistic—but your game? This genius approves."
They walked out of the gym together, Kota glancing back once.
The upperclassmen were being chewed out by the coach. They hadn't played badly, but losing to freshmen—and giving up midway? That was unacceptable, even against their own.
Not surprising, though. How many first-years come in and destroy the seniors?
Let the coach deal with all that. I'm not the team leader. I'm not power-hungry. Not my problem.
…
"Kasamatsu, stay behind."
The coach looked at his beloved student and sighed. "Kise's from the Generation of Miracles, and Kota's clearly talented. As captain, you should be proud."
Kasamatsu bit his lip, lowering his head. "Coach… I'm not giving up my spot that easily. I'll prove I'm Kaijo's number one point guard."
The coach knew what he meant, but how could he just say, You're not as good as Kota — step aside. That would crush him.
"…Tomorrow's scrimmage is against Seirin. You and Kota will each play a half."
Kasamatsu blinked, then straightened up. "Yes, coach! I won't lose to—"
"Kasamatsu." The coach cut him off sharply. "This isn't about winning or losing."
He sighed, eyes closed. "You're dismissed."
Kasamatsu opened his mouth, hesitated, then turned and left in silence.
…
On the street
"You're really popular, huh." Kota sighed as yet another girl approached Kise.
Kise smirked, teasing, "Jealous much? Keep at it, and maybe one day, you'll catch up."
"We're playing Seirin tomorrow" Kota ignored the jab. "Your old teammate's there, right?"
"Yeah—Kuroko. I already said hi to him." Kise waved at a girl across the street. "But he's different from me. He can't be the light — but he is the shadow."
Kota raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds weird, I know" Kise explained. "But he's tricky to deal with. Still, nothing I can't handle."
Kota narrowed his eyes. "No one else on Seirin worth watching?"
Kise scratched his chin. "Not really."
Kota turned away, thoughtful. "Guess Kagami hasn't caught his attention yet. Is Kise getting too cocky? Maybe I should let him lose tomorrow—keep him grounded for when he faces the other Miracles."
Kise, noticing Kota's silence, added, "You know the others from the Generation of Miracles, right? Every one of them is a monster."
Kota knew them better than Kise did. Still, he played dumb. "Probably around your level, right? Not impossible to deal with."
"Wow, that's harsh. But no, you're wrong. I'm the weakest among them. Oh, except Kuroko."
"The weakest?"
"Yep. Compared to them, I still have a long way to go. You too—you're just about at their heels. But if we team up, they won't stand a chance."
Kise grinned. "I thought about asking Kuroko to join me, but he said no. Turns out… I don't need him anymore."
Kota smirked. "Even a big genius needs help, huh? Sorry I'm not your first choice."
Kise caught the teasing and gave him a look.
"You remember how I said Kuroko's the shadow and I'm the light? You be my shadow instead. You'll be even better than him — the best one ever."
His eyes sparkled with sincerity.
Kota blinked, then grinned. "So I'd just be serving the light? That's boring. If you steal all the spotlight, what's the fun for me?"
"Then be my Jordan, genius."
"Who's Jordan?"
"Doesn't matter — just say yes."