Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 230 Bonds and Promises

"Kise, what are you looking at?" In the locker room of the Osaka Gymnasium, Kasamatsu Yukio was changing his sports equipment while looking at Kise Ryota who was staring at his phone and asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm watching the second round of the East Division." Kise Ryota said with a smile, "The fight between Midorima and Kaneki was very intense. Five minutes into the game, the two sides were tied at 12-12."

"Oh?" Kasamatsu Yukio raised his eyebrows slightly, walked to Kise Ryota with interest and started watching together.

"Why are you all gathered here instead of changing your clothes?" Takeuchi Genta frowned as he looked at the players gathered by Kise Ryota and Kasamatsu Yukio.

"Coach, Shutoku High School and Shonan High School are tied." Kise Ryouta shook his phone and said, "And Midorima and Kaneki both entered the Zone at the beginning of the game."

"Midorima can enter the zone too..." Takeuchi Genta was shocked at first, then shook his head and said, "Don't worry about other people's business for now. The game will start soon. Hurry up and warm up. The opponent, Haizaki Shogo, is not an easy guy to deal with."

"Yes!" Everyone from Haichang High School nodded and gradually dispersed, picking up their backpacks and walking towards the player tunnel.

"Kaneki..." Kise Ryouta kept muttering to himself as he walked through the player tunnel, recalling the scenes broadcast on his phone, "I must meet you in the finals... I must!"

……

"Great shot! Kaneki-san shakes off Midorima-san and scores again!" At this moment in the Tokyo Gymnasium, Tashiro Heihachi shouted excitedly on the commentary stand, "Will Midorima-san fight back again?"

"You've been watching for a long time, have you figured it out, Aomine?" In the audience, Wakamatsu Kosuke looked at Kaneki Ken who kept shaking off Midorima Shintaro, and couldn't help but look at Aomine Daiki and asked.

"I've seen that a long time ago." Aomine Daiki looked at Wakamatsu Kosuke with a hint of teasing in his eyes, "I thought you would hold back a little longer before asking..."

"Stop pretending and tell me." Wakamatsu Kosuke gave Aomine Daiki a blank look and said.

"You should be familiar with Hayama Kotaro's thunderous dribbling, right?" Aomine Daiki pouted and said, "The reason why Kaneki Ken can't find an anchor is that the basic principle is very similar to Hayama Kotaro's thunderous dribbling."

"Kaneki's move is basically the same as your thunderous dribble, Kotaro." Akashi Chushiro said firmly after observing several rounds, "The most fundamental trick is speed... the speed of the ball."

"The speed of the ball..." Kotaro Hayama looked thoughtfully at Shintaro Midorima who was struggling with Kaneki Ken on the field, and repeated Akashi Seijuro's words softly.

"Just like Barry Allen..." Akashi Seijuro exclaimed with a smile, "When the ball moves fast enough, it can form an illusion in people's vision. In other words, every dribble of Kaneki Ken is fake and real..."

"boom……"

As the audience on the sidelines were whispering, the sound of a basketball hitting the billboard on the sidelines attracted people's attention again. Everyone looked at the big screen on the court in confusion, and saw the scene of Kaneki Ken easily blocking Midorima Shintaro just now being replayed on it.

Just now, after receiving the pass from Takao Kazunari, Midorima Shintaro used the double pick-and-roll of Ootsubo Yasuke and Kishimoto Minoru to easily pass Sakuragi Hanamichi who was defending him. Just when everyone at Shutoku High School thought that this ball would be easily scored, Kaneki Ken appeared in front of Midorima Shintaro like a flash, and blocked the shot at lightning speed at the moment when he was about to shoot.

"How is it possible..." Midorima Shintaro looked at Kaneki Ken who didn't even jump, his eyelids twitching slightly, and the shock in his heart was beyond words.

"Your surprise is just this much, Midorima Shintaro." In the field, Kaneki Ken looked into Midorima Shintaro's eyes and said.

"How is it possible... Xiaozhen's attack was so fast..." Takao Kazunari looked at the two people fighting in the field with tears in his eyes.

"After all, your progress is just from being able to shoot with your left hand double-action to being able to shoot with your left hand double-action and with your right hand single-action. And you still shamelessly say in front of me that fate is in your hands..." Kaneki Ken sighed softly, "You have to shoot three-pointers? Haha... I won't give you the time to be picky, Midorima Shintaro!"

……

"I say, you left Kaneki Ken's match behind and came all the way here to watch Kise Ryouta's match..." Kagami Daiga squeezed through the crowd with some displeasure, and said to Kuroko Tetsuya who had already sat down, "I remember you said before... that your relationship with Kise is not very good?"

"It's indeed average." Kuroko Tetsuya said while staring at Kise Ryota who was warming up in the field.

"Then you still..." Kagami Daiga looked at Kuroko Tetsuya in confusion, "I turned down Alex and Tatsuya's invitation and followed you here to watch the game..."

"Sit down first, Kagami-san." Kuroko Tetsuya turned his head and looked at Kagami Daiga and said.

"Tsk..." Kagami Daigo looked at Kuroko Tetsuya's calm eyes, curled his lips in dissatisfaction, and sat down.

"Basically there won't be any surprises in the match between Kaneki and Midorima. Shonan High School will definitely win." Kuroko Tetsuya stared at Fukuda Sogo across from Kaijo High School and said, "But there may be some changes in today's match."

"Variables..." Kagami Taiga said in disbelief, "Kise Ryouta is now a generation that can imitate miracles! Who else can defeat him?"

"Yes." Kuroko Tetsuya said in a deep voice, "Before Kise-san joined Teiko, Kaneki-san had a substitute. And the speed at which he was promoted from the second team to the first team... is no worse than Kise-san back then!"

"Wait, Kuroko..." Kagami Taiga stretched out his hand to stop Kuroko Tetsuya from continuing. You tried to organize your thoughts and said word by word, "You don't mean to say that before Kise Ryouta... there was an unknown generation of miracles, right?"

"I'm afraid that's the case, Kagami-kun. And before he left, Kise-san never defeated him once." Kuroko Tetsuya said seriously, "His name... is Haizaki Shogo."

"Hey, isn't this Kise?" When the warm-up was almost over, Haizaki Shogo lazily walked to Kise Ryouta and said, "You borrowed the name from me, so it's time to return it today, right?"

"I'm sorry, Haizaki." Kise Ryouta chuckled and said, "Today... I have a reason why I can't lose!"

"You've said this to me more than once, Kise." Haizaki Shogo shook his head with contempt and said, "But you've never defeated me... That's right, although I hate that guy Akashi, but there's one thing he said that's very true, a fake copycat... can never be better than the original!"

……

"pause!"

At Tokyo Gymnasium, since Kaneki Ken blocked the ball out of bounds, the ball was still in Shutoku High School's possession. Nakatani Hitoshi also took this opportunity to call a timeout.

"Midorima, take a break." Nakatani Hitoshi handed over water and a towel to Midorima Shintaro, who was sweating profusely, and said, "Don't worry too much about that ball just now."

"Hu...Hu..." Midorima Shintaro panted, his eyes scanning the determined eyes of his teammates around him, wondering what he was thinking.

"Coach, what should we do next?" Takao Kazunari asked Nakatani Hitoshi while taking big gulps of his drink.

"Coach, we need to advance our pre-match plan." Just as Nakatani Jinliang was about to say something, Midorima Shintaro suddenly said, "It's time for Inoue-san to play."

"Isn't this too risky, Midorima..." Nakatani Jinliang's eyes flashed with hesitation, "According to the plan, Inoue-san should be used as a surprise soldier in the decisive battle..."

"Now is the time to decide the winner." Midorima Shintaro said solemnly, "Let Inoue-san take the field. Consider it my first time using my right to be willful today."

"..." Nakatani Jinliang stared at Midorima Shintaro, and after a long silence, he said, "Okay, I'll do as you say."

"Midorima..." Takehiko Inoue stared blankly at the profile of Shintaro Midorima, not knowing what to say.

"Don't be confused. Even though you once lost to Aomine and gave up..." Midorima Shintaro lowered his head, and his voice rang in Inoue Takehiko's ears, "But since you haven't left basketball, I believe in you, just like I believe in my other teammates!"

"Yes!" A hint of fighting spirit flashed in Takehiko Inoue's eyes again, "I won't let you down, Midorima."

"Buzz~"

As the timer buzzed, the players from both teams stood up and returned to the court. The personnel changes at Shude High School also attracted the attention of the spectators on the sidelines.

"What does it mean that Shutoku High School is changing players at this time..." Mibuchi Reo frowned and said, "It's a bit confusing... Are they going to completely give up the inside line?"

"It's time to burn our boats. We'd rather make a mistake than not do it." Akashi Seijuro stared at Midorima Shintaro on the field and said, "They have already made up their mind that they can't catch up with Kaneki's goal just now. What they have to do now is... not let the score difference widen again."

The development of the game was exactly as Akashi Seijuro said. With Midorima Shintaro's gambling shot being intercepted by Kaneki Ken again, the pressure was once again on Shutoku High School.

"Three people?" Inoue Ayako looked at the joint defense line formed by Tsuchiya Jun, Midorima Shintaro and Inoue Takehiko blocking Kaneki Ken, and murmured to herself in disbelief, "Aren't they afraid that Kaneki-san will pass the ball to Sakuragi-san?"

As Inoue Ayako finished speaking, Takao Kazunari and Kishimoto Miri came to Sakuragi Hanamichi and surrounded him.

"This is like risking everything..." Aomine Daiki sighed as he looked at Inoue Takehiko, who played back and forth with Kaneki Ken in their first year, "Whether Kaneki Ken passes the ball to Izawa or Rukawa, Shutoku High School has no room for adjustment..."

"We know this is a risky choice." Takao Kazunari seemed to have seen the surprise in Kaneki Ken's eyes, and his smile revealed a hint of madness, "Let's bet everything here, we must stop you!"

"I salute you." Kaneki Ken said as he looked at the three people who surrounded him, not giving him any space to start or pass the ball, "But it's useless."

As he said this, Kaneki Ken easily passed the ball under the triple-team and stepped back.

"Whether Shutoku's efficient and all-in gamble will be useful...it all depends on this one goal!" Akashi Seijuro said softly as he looked at Kaneki Ken who was surrounded on the field.

"I don't quite understand, Xiaozhen..." Mibuchi Reo said in confusion, "Shouldn't we pass the ball at this time? With three people double-teaming, there is not much space... Even if it is the Age of Miracles, it's hard to do anything, right?"

"The Generation of Miracles is the Generation of Miracles, and Kaneki Ken is Kaneki Ken..." Akashi Seijuro said softly.

"But their defense is already very good..." Hayama Kotaro said, his eyes fixed on the field, "Tsuchiya Jun and Inoue Takehiko are defending Kaneki Ken's left and right hands, Midorima Shintaro is defending the center line... There is no space no matter how you look at it, right?"

"Just keep watching and you'll know." Akashi Seijuro nodded without comment and took a deep breath.

“Bang…bang…bang…bang…”

As Kaneki Ken's dribbling rhythm became faster and faster, the three people standing next to Kaneki Ken felt more and more pressure on them.

"Boom!"

As the sound of a ball exploding was heard, Takehiko Inoue and Jun Tsuchiya rushed towards Kaneki Ken's left and right hands respectively, but both missed.

"Click~"

"Midorima! Be careful!" The familiar sound of breaking glass rang in their ears. Tsuchiya Jun and Inoue Takehiko thought something was wrong and quickly spoke out to warn them.

"Come on! Kaneki!" Midorima Shintaro opened his eyes wide and stared at Kaneki Ken. The lightning in his eyes flashed wildly, and his long arms stabbed towards the basketball in Kaneki Ken's hand like lightning.

"boom!"

As the sound of fingers hitting the basketball was heard, Kaneki Ken looked at the basketball flying to the sidelines in shock, and turned to look at Midorima Shintaro, as if he was meeting this old friend for the first time.

"Well done! Midorima!" Takehiko Inoue excitedly looked at the basketball flying towards the sidelines and pounced on it. Tsuchiya Jun stood in front of Kaneki Ken as if by reflex, preventing him from getting close to the basketball in the first place.

"Inoue..." Aomine Daiki looked at Takehiko Inoue's back as he rushed to the front court with a serious expression, and couldn't help but recall the scene when he first fought with Takehiko Inoue.

"So fast!" Sakurai Ryo exclaimed as he looked at Inoue Takehiko's back, "This guy is just like Aomine!"

"stop!"

But Sakuragi Hanamichi was faster than Takehiko Inoue. With a flash of red light, Sakuragi Hanamichi blocked Takehiko Inoue.

"The talents of the Generation of Miracles are so enviable that it makes people helpless..." Inoue Takehiko sighed, tapped the ball lightly with his fingers, and the basketball hit the ground hard and flew towards Midorima Shintaro.

(End of this chapter)