Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 229 Midorima vs Kaneki, a Evenly Matched Beginning
"The more Shintaro worries about fate, the less it seems to be his destiny." Akashi Seijuro said in a complicated tone.

"You react very quickly, Midorima." Kaneki Ken looked at Midorima Shintaro who was blocking his way and exclaimed, ""

"Kaneki..." Midorima Shintaro looked at Kaneki Ken who was smiling in front of him, and his mind inexplicably recalled the scene when the two of them were in Teiko Junior High School.

……

Teiko Junior High School, first-year junior high school training match.

"You're quick to react, Midorima." Kaneki Ken, a first-year junior high school student, said with a smile as he looked at Midorima Shintaro in front of him.

"What else? Do you think I'm just a pure pitcher?" Midorima Shintaro rolled his eyes at Kaneki Ken, "Score as many points as possible in every offensive round, and lose as few points as possible in every defensive round. That's called doing your best!"

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate? I didn't expect you to be a metaphysical expert." Kaneki Ken said with a smile, "But metaphysics may not be enough to help you win this game."

"Then let's try it." Midorima Shintaro said with a hint of stubbornness in his eyes.

"As you wish." Kaneki Ken restrained the smile on his lips, his eyes like an eagle, staring straight into Midorima Shintaro's eyes, and with just a light change of direction, he rushed to the basket.

"That game... I lost..." Midorima Shintaro felt as if he was alone in a theater, with the past being projected scene by scene.

"Haha, I won." Kaneki Ken scored the goal that led the team to victory, turned around and said proudly to Midorima Shintaro.

"Hmph..." Midorima Shintaro snorted coldly in dissatisfaction, turned around and left the court without even taking his things.

"Little Green!" Momoi Satsuki was about to chase out and say something, but was stopped by Kaneki Ken.

"What did Kaneki Ken say later..." Midorima Shintaro kept thinking about it, but his thoughts were like a tangled mess that made his head swell and he couldn't calm down to think. There was no way, Midorima Shintaro could only continue to watch the scene on the screen.

In the next few days, Midorima Shintaro was always avoiding Kaneki Ken. Whether it was eating or training, as long as Kaneki Ken appeared, Midorima Shintaro would quickly finish what he was doing and leave in a hurry.

Fortunately, a few days after this incident, Teikou Junior High School encountered a competition.

"This game is..." Midorima Shintaro looked at the scene on the screen, and kept recalling in his mind, "When we first met Zebei Rongji, Kaneki didn't get to play in the first half of that game,..."

"Zebei-san made a beautiful dunk! The first half is over!" The excited roar of Tashiro Heihachi on the sidelines echoed in Midorima Shintaro's mind, "Zebei-san completely dominated both offense and defense in the first half! Midorima-san was completely inaccurate when facing Zebei-san!"

"Midorima, what are you thinking about?" Nijimura Shuzo shouted at the dazed Midorima Shintaro, "Why didn't you shoot when you had an open spot just now?"

"Yeah...why didn't I shoot that ball just now?" Midorima Shintaro was a little confused when he looked at himself at that time.

"Don't be so strict, Captain." At this time, Kaneki Ken's voice sounded from the screen, "Midorima is just a little nervous."

"Kaneki at that time... was really like a god..." Midorima Shintaro muttered to himself as he looked at Kaneki Kenshou's somewhat immature face on the screen.

In the following games, it was naturally Kaneki Ken who saved everything. In the second half, Midorima Shintaro once again regained his status as the top shooter of the Generation of Miracles, and continued to score three-pointers with Kaneki Ken frequently feeding him the ball.

"The game is over! 133:76, Teiko Junior High School wins!"

Shintaro Midorima heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the referee's decision, but the scene on the screen continued to play.

"Midorima, wait a minute." Just when everyone was packing up their things in the locker room and preparing to leave, Kaneki Ken called out to Midorima Shintaro.

"Yes..." Midorima Shintaro looked at Kaneki Ken with some confusion and stopped what he was doing.

"All of you, go out for a while." Kaneki Ken waved his hand to signal everyone to leave the locker room.

"Oh..." Aomine Daiki picked up his backpack in confusion, and followed his equally confused teammates to leave the locker room.

"Your performance in the first half was not at your level, Midorima." Kaneki Ken took out a bottle of red bean soup and handed it to Midorima Shintaro and said, "Here, your favorite drink."

"Thank you..." Midorima Shintaro took the red bean soup a little stiffly and took a sip and said, "I'm sorry, I will increase my training in the future."

"You don't have to say sorry to me." Kaneki Ken opened the can in his hand, took a big gulp and said, "You have trained very hard, I just want to know why you suddenly became so timid... Judging from your normal performance level, you shouldn't be beaten so badly by Zebei Rongzhi."

"Because... because I feel like my luck hasn't been very good lately, I don't know if my shot will go in..." Midorima Shintaro said hesitantly, "I'm afraid if I don't make the shot, I'll disappoint my teammates..."

"Your luck is not very good?" Kaneki Ken raised his eyebrows and said, "Why do you feel that your luck is not good?"

"Because when I face you, I always miss the shot..." Midorima Shintaro seemed to calm down a lot, and his speech became fluent, "I have done everything I can...but destiny is not on my side..."

"How could destiny not be with you? Destiny has always been behind you." Kaneki Ken listened to Midorima Shintaro's story and suddenly smiled, "As long as you can still hold the ball in your hands and as long as your teammates are still standing behind you, it means that destiny has always kept you on the court!"

"Kaneki..." Midorima Shintaro murmured as he looked at Kaneki Ken, "Is the destiny... in my hands?"

"Of course, it's destiny that you can join a team and have a group of reliable teammates." Kaneki Ken looked at Midorima Shintaro and said, "Whether you can score or not, you have to shoot it to know...If you waver in your determination to shoot because of some trivial things, you are the kind of person abandoned by destiny. So, as long as you can still stand on the court, don't lose the courage to shoot. No matter where you stand, no matter who you are facing - even if it's me, as long as you feel you can shoot, you must keep shooting!"

"Having reliable teammates is already a blessing from heaven..."

"As long as you feel you can vote...you should keep voting!"

This conversation, which had been sealed away in a corner of memory, suddenly rang in Midorima Shintaro's ears like a loud bell. Suddenly, the scene changed, and more and more fragmented memories were awakened in Midorima Shintaro's mind.

"My name is Kazunari Takao. One day I will make a pass that will amaze you..."

"Just shoot boldly, we'll grab the rebound for you!"

"Midorima-san is no worse than Kaneki-san. It's us seniors who haven't worked hard enough..."

……

"Why are you in a daze again?" Kaneki Ken looked at Midorima Shintaro with a hollow look in his eyes, and suddenly felt a little disappointed. He smiled bitterly and said, "Really? I've been looking forward to it for so long... I actually thought you would be the one most likely to defeat me..."

As Kaneki Ken said this, he was about to kill Midorima Shintaro with a crotch-piercing move - at this moment, something strange happened suddenly.

"It was so embarrassing just now. As a point guard, I couldn't even keep the ball..."

"What!" Mibuchi Reo stood up in surprise, "Without turning around, he was able to accurately predict the ball's position!"

The arm of Takao Kazunari, who was passed over, suddenly appeared beside Kaneki Ken, and his long fingers were about to touch the basketball.

"Really, such a blood-boiling scene suddenly happens at this time..." Kaneki Ken instantly changed his actions. The hand that originally flicked the ball pulled the ball back, and he was about to get rid of the two people with a crotch change of direction.

"I really miss you! Kaneki..." Midorima Shintaro lowered his head so that his expression could not be seen, "I remember now, I remember everything..."

"Green algae-head..." Sakuragi Hanamichi felt the aura of Midorima Shintaro and became alert instantly.

"It's never a lucky thing that gives me the confidence to shoot..." Midorima Shintaro suddenly raised his head and looked at Kaneki Ken, his huge palm pressing firmly on the basketball in Kaneki Ken's hand, "It's you, Kaneki Ken!"

"Second time~"

As the sound of lightning rang out, Midorima Shintaro only felt that he had pushed open a door that had been closed for a long time.

"Xiao Zhen..." Takao Kazunari stared at Midorima Shintaro's eyes blankly, and his eyes suddenly turned red.

"We've been waiting for so long..." Taisuke Ohtsubo said with emotion as he looked at Shintaro Midorima who was emitting a fierce aura, "Now that we're in the right state, let's kill them all in one go!"

"boom!"

Kaneki Ken only felt a huge force coming from his hand, and the basketball rolled down his palm to the ground. The basketball lost control and kept jumping playfully towards the sidelines.

"Get it back!!!"

Looking at the situation on the field, Daijiro Itakura couldn't help but stand up and shout loudly.

"Leave it to me!" The moment Takao Kazunari saw the basketball fly out, he ran towards the ball.

"Dream on!" Sakuragi Hanamichi gritted his teeth and chased after Takao Kazunari, using his height and long legs to constantly squeeze Takao Kazunari's space.

“… Never mind!” Takao Kazunari felt the huge force coming from Sakuragi Hanamichi, so he decided to go all out. He jumped up and threw himself into the air in a posture parallel to the ground. He then caught the basketball with both hands before it went out of bounds.

"Takao, this way!" Jun Tsuchiya stretched out his hand and shouted loudly.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was attracted by Tsuchiya Jun's actions, and his eyes couldn't help but look towards Tsuchiya Jun's side.

"At times like this, seniors are the ones who really count on you..." Takao Kazunari suddenly chuckled, with a green glow in his eyes that became brighter and brighter. "I'll leave it to you, Ace!"

"What's the point of passing the ball to him from this position..." Kaneki Ken came to Midorima Shintaro with some confusion, blocking his left hand with a clear goal, "As long as I block Midorima's left hand, he won't be able to get rid of me if he receives the ball with his right hand..."

"You pressed forward right away? That's really your style, Kaneki..." Midorima Shintaro chuckled after receiving the ball and said, "Then let me show you... the gift I prepared especially for you!"

"What!" Izawa Shuji stared at Midorima Shintaro twisting his body in the air and flicking the basketball into the sky with his right hand, muttering to himself, "It's distorted movements... but he used his right hand!"

"There's no way this ball can go in..." Mibuchi Reio said in disbelief, "This is too outrageous..."

"I'm still standing on the court... My teammates are still as reliable as ever..." Midorima Shintaro laughed happily in the air, "Since human affairs have been done, then I, who have destiny, will never miss a shot!"

"Shh!"

As the crisp sound of the basketball net sounded behind Kaneki Ken, Midorima Shintaro stared into Kaneki Ken's eyes and said, "How is it, do you still like it... this surprise!"

"Oh oh oh oh!!!"

"Green Room!", "Green Room!", "Green Room!"

The fans of Shutoku High School watched Midorima Shintaro make such a difficult three-pointer and roared with excitement. Some neutral fans couldn't help but shout out Midorima Shintaro's name. For a moment, the whole stadium was like the home court of Shutoku High School.

"The Miracle Civil War is almost becoming a cliché now..." Imakichi Xiangyi on the sidelines sighed, "Anyway, it will turn into a zone showdown between the Generation of Miracles..."

"But among all of us, Midorima's entry into the zone poses the greatest threat." Aomine Daiki sighed, "Every shot he takes can bring a three-point gain... If he is allowed to shoot, Kaneki might really have a chance to turn the tables..."

"But can't Kaneki enter the zone?" Sakurai Ryo asked curiously, "Kaneki hasn't lost since entering the zone, right?"

"I don't know about that..." Qingfeng Daiki said, "These two guys are completely beyond my expectations..."

"You really surprised me... Midorima." Kaneki Ken's eyes flashed with two flashes of lightning, "This is the first time I see you choose such a bad move..."

"No matter where I am, no matter who I'm facing, as long as I feel I can shoot, I can shoot boldly..." Midorima Shintaro looked at Kaneki Ken meaningfully and said, "You taught me this, Kaneki Ken!"

"You're right, Midorima." Kaneki Ken came to Midorima Shintaro, patted his shoulder and said, "Now it's the next round."

"I'm looking forward to it." Midorima Shintaro said without flinching, looking straight into Kaneki Ken's eyes.

"That shot just now was really dangerous." Takao Kazunari said as he stood next to Midorima Shintaro, "But, having this kind of courage is our Shutoku's trump card!"

"Fight well, Takao." Midorima Shintaro said solemnly, "As long as you win this game, I will give you the Gundam I liked before as your birthday present."

"Why don't you just give me half of the scholarship~" Takao Kazunari teased.

"That won't do." Midorima Shintaro adjusted the frame of his glasses and said, "My money is useful - including buying you a gift."

"Let's talk about dividing the spoils after the game." Takao Kazunari, who had come to the backcourt, turned around and looked at the Shonan High School players with a sharp gaze and said, "The most important thing now is to win this game!"

"I don't need you to remind me of this kind of thing!" Although Midorima Shintaro's tone was cold, there was a happy smile on his face.

"Huh..." As Midorima Shintaro finished speaking, the players of Shonan High School felt a huge pressure coming towards them. A rectangular area extended from the feet of Midorima Shintaro and stretched across the three-point line of Shutoku High School.

"Gulu..."

Izawa Shuji looked at the powerful Shutoku High School and couldn't help but swallow nervously.

"Xiu De, we will win!"

"Xiu De, we will win!"

"Xiu De, we will win!"

The members of the Shude High School Club on the sidelines were shouting at the top of their lungs with their loudspeakers. The enthusiastic atmosphere led the surrounding audience to start supporting Shude High School as well.

"Kaneki-san... you won't lose the game, right?" Nakamura looked at the sudden change in the atmosphere on the court and muttered to himself uncertainly, as if he was asking himself, or as if he was asking Aida Yako.

"The fans' minds are very strange..." Aida Yako sighed with mixed feelings as she looked at the excited fans of Shutoku High School, "When you won your first championship, you were a dragon-slaying warrior, and everyone hoped that you would win in the end..."

"When you win your second championship, people will just think it's pretty good and start to criticize your minor shortcomings..."

"But when you win the third championship, you become the new evil dragon, and people begin to look for warriors who can challenge you..."

"Coach Anton, do you want to call a timeout?" Inoue Ayako asked with some concern, "The situation on the court is not right now..."

"It's okay, Inoue-san." Anton Mitsuyoshi said calmly as he sat on the bench, "Trust Kaneki-san, he can handle everything."

"Are you scared?" Looking at his teammates who seemed a little panicked on the field, Kaneki Ken suddenly asked.

"I'm not afraid of this green algae-head!" Sakuragi Hanamichi spoke first.

"It's okay to be scared. Unlike in the past when the whole audience supported us, now the audience seems to be expecting a miracle to happen." Kaneki Ken came to the baseline, his eyes calm and he stretched out his hand to ask Kabaji Shigehiro to pass the baseline ball, "I know very well that the audience always likes the drama of the warriors slaying the dragon..."

"Boom!"

The basketball fell gently to the ground. Kaneki Ken seemed to ignore his teammates and slowly walked to the front court with the ball. His steady voice rang in the ears of the Shonan High School players: "But what I know more clearly is that when we stand at the highest point again, they will be eager to offer their loyalty to us again."

"Xiao Zhen, whether we can win this game depends on this one goal!" Takao Kazunari looked at Kaneki Ken who was slowly walking towards him, and said to Midorima Shintaro with a trembling voice.

"I know." Midorima Shintaro's voice was more stable than ever before, and he felt that his heart had never been so calm.

"呲呲..."

As Kaneki Ken stepped into Midorima Shintaro's territory, a green light flashed, and Midorima Shintaro's figure appeared in front of Kaneki Ken like lightning.

"Dongdong...Dongdong..." Kaneki Ken gently moved the basketball in his hand, his eyes flashing with lightning and staring at Midorima Shintaro.

As the basketball in Kaneki Ken's hand continued to bounce, the atmosphere above the court became more and more oppressive. The players around him felt as if the air in front of them had been sucked out, and a suffocating feeling came over them, making them dizzy. Suddenly, Kaneki Ken's figure flashed, and the atmosphere above the court became relaxed again.

"Here it comes!" Aomine Daiki looked at Kaneki Ken's figure in the field, and his pupils shrank slightly.

"Shh!"

Midorima Shintaro only felt his eyes blur, and Kaneki Ken's figure disappeared before his eyes.

"It's okay, I was just passed by Kaneki, and it happened more than once..." Midorima Shintaro, who was passed, looked calm, and adjusted his steps with unusual briskness, "I just need to catch up with him!"

"Very good, you chased and defended in time, Midorima." A playful smile appeared on Kaneki Ken's face.

"Don't be so arrogant, Kaneki." Midorima Shintaro said with a firm look, "Today, I must defeat you!"

"Okay, defeat me, right here." Kaneki Ken's smile became a little weird.

"Right here? What is he talking about..." Shintaro Midorima looked at the smile on Kaneki Ken's face and was suddenly startled.

"Xiao Zhen, what are you doing?"

Almost at the same time, Takao Kazunari's voice also sounded in Midorima Shintaro's ears, making his bad premonition more and more intense.

"Click~"

Just as Midorima Shintaro instinctively poked the basketball in Kaneki Ken's hand, the sound of glass breaking was heard again. Looking at Takao Kazunari who collided with him, Midorima Shintaro opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

"How is that possible?" Midorima Shintaro stared blankly at Kaneki Ken's back, "I clearly didn't..."

"You clearly didn't look me in the eyes just now, right?" Kaneki Ken chuckled, with a hint of provocation in his words, "And you kept looking at the basketball as an anchor... but it was useless."

As he said this, Kaneki Ken stood outside the three-point line, holding the ball and bending his knees.

"Stop playing tricks!" Tsuchiya Jun, who was closest to Kaneki Ken, gritted his teeth, rushed forward and jumped up, trying to block the shot.

"Tsuchiya-senpai, don't!" Takao Kazunari looked at the smile on Kaneki Ken's lips and suddenly felt a chill in his heart, so he quickly reminded him.

"I'm so honored..." Mibuchi Reo said as she watched Kaneki Ken's familiar movements. "I didn't expect that my simple trick would be noticed by Kaneki Ken..."

"Is this... a fake move?" Tsuchiya Jun looked at Kaneki Ken who had not yet made a move, and realized that something was wrong - but it was too late.

"Do you think... you are the only one who is making progress, Midorima Shintaro?" Kaneki Ken stared at the basket and jumped towards Tsuchiya Jun in the air.

"boom!"

Kaneki Ken and Tsuchiya Jun's bodies collided in the air, making a loud noise. Seeing this, the referee put the whistle in his mouth.

"Since it's already a foul, just pull him down!" Tsuchiya Jun looked at the smile on Kaneki Ken's lips, gritted his teeth, put his hand on Kaneki Ken's arm, trying to disrupt Kaneki Ken's shooting action.

"You can't even destroy Reo Mibuchi's hand shape, how can you have the confidence to destroy my move?" Kaneki Ken looked at Tsuchiya Jun with a hint of sarcasm, as if he was looking at an ant trying to shake Mount Tai.

As the words fell, Kaneki Ken, who was fouled, stood with his arm as solid as cast steel, and gently pushed the ball out against Tsuchiya Jun.

"Beep~" the referee's whistle officially sounded at this moment.

"Don't let it go in..." Jun Tsuchiya looked at the basketball flying in the air with some despair and prayed helplessly.

"Shh!"

Unfortunately, things did not go as he wished. The basketball drew a perfect arc and fell accurately into the basket.

"Orange number five, defensive foul, white number four, three-pointer counts as one free throw!"

"boom!"

As the referee's decision sounded, the fans of Shonan High School finally got the chance to cheer. The emotions that had been suppressed to the bottom were accompanied by cheers that were enough to shake the entire stadium, and they completely broke out.

"I'm sorry about that ball just now..." Jun Tsuchiya's eyes were slightly red, and he came to Taisuke Otsubo and said with his head down.

"Good defense, Tsuchiya." Ootsubo Taisuke not only did not blame Tsuchiya Jun, but encouraged him in a deep voice, "To be honest, I was suppressed by Kaneki Ken's momentum just now and my legs were a little weak. I didn't have time to defend myself!"

"I missed someone." Midorima Shintaro also came to Tsuchiya Jun and said, "Be careful next time, Kaneki Ken's mirror flower and water moon seem to be one step closer..."

"The atmosphere within the team is very good..." Konyoshi Xiang said with emotion as he looked at the united Shutoku High School.

"That's not the point..." Aomine Daiki gritted his teeth and said, "Midorima's defense is already very good. Even if it's me, I can't guarantee that I can break through Midorima's defense just now..."

"That's because you're not good enough." Wakamatsu Kosuke finally found the opportunity to complain about Aomine Daiki and spoke decisively.

"What do you know? A guy who is good for nothing except his passion..." Aomine Daiki said with a blank look at Wakamatsu Kosuke.

"Then do you know why Midorima was shaken off?" Wakamatsu Kosuke asked unconvinced.

"I have some clues, but I'm not sure yet." Qingfeng Daihui bit his fingers anxiously, "If we have another round, maybe I can figure it out..."

"What a mirage..." Akashi Seijuro sighed as he watched the scenes replaying on the big screen in the stadium. "In the final, we suffered a lot..."

"Did you figure out what was going on, Xiao Zheng?" asked Reio Mibuchi curiously.

"I have some guesses, but I'm not sure yet." Akashi Seijuro narrowed his eyes slightly, "But if that's the case, Kaneki Ken's evolution during this trip to the United States is too terrifying..."

"White 4, one free throw."

Just as the Miracle Generation who were watching the game on the sidelines were whispering, Kaneki Ken came to the free throw line, took the basketball from the referee, and shot the ball steadily into the basket, and the score on the field became 6:3.

"Yes!" Looking at Kaneki Ken who successfully hit the penalty kick, Inoue Ayako excitedly waved her fist.

"Are you relieved now, Inoue-san?" Anton Mitsuyoshi said as he looked at Kaneki Ken retreating on the court. "You can leave everything about basketball to Kaneki-san. Compared to his huge potential and rapid progress... among all the players I have seen in my entire coaching career, no one is stronger than Kaneki-san."

"Yes, Coach Anton." Inoue Ayako said with conviction.

"Do we need to call a timeout? Coach..." Daijiro Itakura came to Hitoshi Nakatani and asked with some concern.

"No need." Nakatani Hitoshi said seriously, "No matter how sophisticated the tactics are, they can't make up for the lack of combat power... Now we can only trust Midorima."

Just when the coaches on the sidelines all chose to bet the game on their own trump cards, the duel between Midorima Shintaro and Kaneki Ken began again.

"Boom!"

After receiving the ball, Midorima Shintaro rushed to Kaneki Ken's side like lightning. When he felt the pressure from Kaneki Ken, he took a step back reflexively, and then used a behind-the-back dribble to create half a body's length of shooting space. Midorima Shintaro took the opportunity to pass the ball and threw it before Kaneki Ken's block came.

"Yes, that's right, Xiaozhen!" Gaowei Kazunari and other teammates have already rushed to the basket in the front court, blocking the opponent behind them, staring straight at the basket, "Shoot when you have the chance, everyone of us will grab the rebound for you!"

"Shh!"

Midorima Shintaro did not disappoint them. With the crisp sound of the basketball hitting the net, the score returned to a tie again.

"These guys from Shutoku... are so resolute that it's amazing!" Alex Garcia couldn't help but exclaimed in amazement in the stands behind the audience. "Is this the generation of miracles you mentioned, Tatsuya?"

"Ah..." Himuro Tatsuya said solemnly, "But just four months ago, they were not so strong... and they will become even stronger!"

"It seems that my special training will have to be brought forward..." Alex Garcia narrowed his eyes slightly, "Before we encounter these monsters!"

"Is that so..." Akashi Seijuro looked at Midorima Shintaro who had scored, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Xiaozhen?" Mibuchi Reio asked in confusion, "Is there something wrong?"

"Have you noticed..." Akashi Seijuro said slowly, "When Shintaro holds the ball, the effect of Kaneki Kyoka Suigetsu is much weaker?"

"If you say so..." Hayama Kotaro took a deep breath, "It's better to say that it didn't work at all... So, do you know how to deal with this move, Akashi?"

"Basketball is the anchor point, there is no doubt about that." Akashi Seijuro narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "The reason why Kaneki can let Shintaro enter the illusion... In a sense, it is thanks to you, Kotaro."

"Ah? Me?" Kotaro Hayama opened his mouth wide and pointed at himself in disbelief.

(End of this chapter)