Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 254: Shouldn't Eat So Much

On a street in Tokyo, a nearby school had just finished class. A little boy wearing a baseball cap looked at a tricycle slowly passing by with a surprised look on his face. He muttered to himself as if he had seen something extremely new: "Human-powered... tricycle?!"

"Yongshu, what are you looking at?" A child who looked about the same age as him came up to him and asked curiously.

"Yonghui, look, this is a human-powered tricycle..." Togashi Yuuki said, pointing at the tricycle with a look of curiosity.

"Tsk... it's just a human-powered tricycle, what's so great about it." Togashi Yuuki curled his lips in disapproval and urged, "Let's go quickly, Coach Kitano is still waiting for us to train!"

"Oh, here I come!" Yuki Togashi nodded, turned around and ran towards the court.

"Xiao Zhen, can't you just take a taxi? It's embarrassing to travel like this..." Takao Kazunari, who was sitting in the driver's seat, gritted his teeth, veins popping out, pedaled the tricycle with sweat all over his forehead, and said with heavy breaths, "Your foot hasn't healed yet, do you really have to go to the scene to watch the game?"

"Of course." Midorima Shintaro slowly picked up the red bean soup beside him and took a sip, saying, "Some game situations cannot be seen on TV broadcasts... Stop talking nonsense, the game is about to end, hurry up!"

"You've never pedaled a bike before, so what right do you have to say I'm slow?" Takao Kazunari's face flushed red, and he didn't know if it was because he was tired or angry. "I've tried my best, okay!"

"Hmm..." Midorima Shintaro hummed lightly, adjusted his body, and lay down leisurely in a stretched posture.

"Crunch~Crunch~"

As Midorima Shintaro closed his eyes and took a nap, the only sound left on the cold winter street was the sound of Takao Kazunari pedaling his bicycle, echoing in the empty street.

At this time, Murasakibara Atsushi did not dare to be as leisurely as Midorima Shinta.

After entering the second quarter, Murasakibara Atsushi found it almost impossible to put up any effective resistance against Kaneki Ken. Although he could occasionally score one or two goals, his success rate was shockingly low. Until one minute before the halftime break, Murasakibara Atsushi made 8 of 3 shots and 8 of 1 free throws, scoring 1 points + rebound + assist. On both offense and defense, he had completely lost the level of the former No. center in Neon.

反观金木研，在整个第二节的前11分钟共7投7中，三分球四投四中，砍下18分+7篮板+5助攻+3盖帽+3抢断的全面数据，率领湘南高校打出了一波30：10的进攻狂潮。

"Both of them entered the zone... Murasakihara Atsushi didn't even play like a center in front of Kaneki..." Kasamatsu Yukio smacked his lips and said, "If he changed into the Seirin High School uniform, I would believe him if they said he was Kagami..."

"Haha, Captain Kasamatsu, you're being a little too harsh on Komurasaki Hara..." Kise Ryota said with a helpless smile, "But we have to admit that when Komurasaki Hara faces an opponent who is as tall and strong as him... or even stronger than him, he really has no better means of attack except running inside and catching the ball..."

"Murasara..." Kaneki Ken seemed to ignore the spectators on the sidelines. His eyes flashed with lightning as he stared at Murasakihara Atsushi and said, "You should rest in the second half, otherwise your body won't be able to bear it."

"When did you become so long-winded, Ken-chan..." Murasakihara Atsushi's eyes flickered with lightning, and he gritted his teeth as he stared at Kaneki Ken who was dribbling the ball in front of him and said, "I can still play with you like this for a whole day!"

"Don't be so stubborn, Murasakibara. Your calves... are already shaking slightly, right?" Kaneki Ken said helplessly, shaking his head.

"Come on!" Murasakibara Atsushi patted the floor with a determined look, waved at Kaneki Ken and roared.

"Okay..." Kaneki Ken sighed lightly, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, there were no other distracting thoughts in his pupils. Kaneki Ken's center of gravity slowly sank, and the rhythm of the basketball began to become unpredictable.

"Boom thump... thump thump..."

As the sound of the basketball hitting the floor rang out, Murasakibara Atsushi felt as if he heard the heartbeat of a prehistoric beast about to wake up.

"Hu~~"

A breeze came from somewhere on the court and gently brushed across Murasakibara Atsushi's cheek, causing him to squint his eyes.

"It's coming!" Murasakibara Atsushi felt the wind pressure blowing across his cheek and his heart was trembling violently.

"Boom!"

As a loud explosion sounded, Kaneki Ken took a sudden step forward with his right leg, and veins bulged between his legs, as if he was going to step out a deep pit on the ground. Supported by the huge power of his legs, his whole body rushed out like a catapult, and disappeared from Murasakibara Atsushi's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Don't panic, Murasakibara Atsushi... In terms of technical proficiency, you can't be better than Aka and Luzi. They can't guess Yanzi's fake moves, and you can't see it either..." Murasakibara Atsushi whispered to comfort himself, feeling that his mind had never been so clear, "But, if it comes to the body's instinctive reaction... it's no worse than anyone else!"

"Murasara, do something!!!"

Mike Okita looked at Murasakihara Atsushi who was about to be surpassed by Kaneki Ken but was still standing still, and couldn't help but shout a reminder in a very anxious tone.

"Ah, do something... Of course I have to do something!" Murasakibara Atsushi muttered to himself as he listened to the shouts of his teammates behind him, "It's too late to guess anymore. Even if I'm wrong, it's better than doing nothing!"

"Time!"

As Murasakibara Atsushi made up his mind, the electric light that was originally faintly visible in his purple eyes flashed again, and Murasakibara Atsushi's body, which had been a little sluggish, now rushed out like a heavy truck that had been re-lubricated.

"Don't underestimate me, Yanzi!"

Murasakibara Atsushi roared, his eyes bloodshot, and crashed into the edge of the illusion. With the sound of glass breaking, the person who appeared in front of Murasakibara Atsushi was Kaneki Ken with a surprised face.

"What..." Wakamatsu Kosuke was really shocked by Murasakibara Atsushi at this moment, "The guy with the worst skills in the Generation of Miracles actually broke through Kaneki Ken's illusion!"

"What's so surprising about this?" Aomine Daiki said, picking his ears out of boredom. "Rather, it's because it's Murasakibara Atsushi that it's easier to break through the illusion."

"Huh?" Wakamatsu Kosuke looked at Aomine Daiki in confusion, not knowing what he was talking about.

"The more people know, the more they don't know." As soon as Kon Yoshito looked at Wakamatsu Kosuke's expression, he knew that he didn't understand, so he could only explain helplessly, "Whether it's Aomine or Akashi, the better their skills are, the more options they can think of after breaking through, and the more likely they are to hesitate when facing the opponent's breakthrough. On the contrary, Murasakibara Atsushi can only do a brutal breakthrough and a simple change of direction. So, for him, when facing Kaneki Ken, he just needs to guess whether it is left or right... The defense just now... was a correct guess!"

"Ah, you guessed it?" Wakamatsu Kosuke muttered with disappointment.

"Otherwise, do you think Kaneki Ken's illusion is so easy to break?" Aomine Daiki rolled his eyes at Wakamatsu Kosuke and said, "Even this is thanks to Murasakibara's physical talent, which is second only to Kaneki's among the Generation of Miracles..."

"It seems that your tricks are nothing special, Ken-chan!" Murasakihara Atsushi looked at Kaneki Ken in front of him with a look of surprise and said, "I will definitely defend you to death with this ball!"

"Then let's give it a try!" Kaneki Ken curled the corners of his mouth slightly, and with a half turn at the hips, he changed from a face-to-face posture to a back-to-back posture, then lowered his center of gravity and slammed heavily into Murasakibara Atsushi.

"Yanzi is so strong..." Murasakibara Atsushi felt a sudden dullness in his chest from being hit, but he still gritted his teeth and did not take a step back.

"Not bad, you didn't fall down." Kaneki Ken glanced at Murasakihara Atsushi behind him and smiled.

"Don't think you're the only one making progress, Yanzi!" Murasakibara Atsushi frowned and said unconvincedly, "I've been preparing for today's game for a long time!"

"Then let's try and see if you can keep up with me!" Kaneki Ken smiled slightly, and the strength of his left hand suddenly increased a bit. The basketball that was originally flying close to the ground suddenly came to Kaneki Ken's chest. Kaneki Ken also took this opportunity to twist his body, and after a turn, he rushed towards the blind spot of Murasakihara Atsushi's defense.

"I knew you would be here, Yanzi!"

The benefit of frequent extra practice with Kaneki Ken in the first year of junior high school was reflected at this time. Murasakibara Atsushi predicted the direction of Kaneki Ken's turn in advance and was not completely left behind.

"Xiao Zi..." Tao Jing Satsuki looked at the familiar scene in front of her, and the mist in her eyes gradually gathered. "What's wrong, Tao Jing classmate?" Inoue Ayako took out a tissue and handed it to Tao Jing Satsuki with a puzzled look on her face.

"It's nothing, Ayako-senpai..." Taoi Satsuki said with a choked voice, "I'm just happy... everyone is back!"

"It seems familiar, Murasakibara." Kaneki Ken said with emotion, "It's a pity that I don't have the time to spend a whole day with you here. I must win this game!"

As Kaneki Ken finished his words, he turned back again like a high-speed centrifuge, and jumped out backwards in the panic of Murasakibara Atsushi who had missed his attack.

"I said, I must defend you to death on this ball, Yanzi!" Murasakibara Atsushi gritted his teeth and roared as he jumped up.

"No, Murasakibara!" Mike Okita looked at Murasakibara Atsushi's impatient expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly reminded him, but it was too late.

"I taught you, Murasakibara." Kaneki Ken recalled the past when he and Murasakibara Atsushi practiced together. "When facing an opponent with superb back-to-back skills, never jump first!"

"Damn it..." Murasakibara Atsushi realized that something was wrong the moment he jumped up, but he could no longer control the inertia brought by his huge body in the air, and he uncontrollably crashed into Kaneki Ken.

"boom!"

"Beep!"

As the sound of a violent collision of bodies rang out on the field, the referee on the side blew the whistle.

"I got this ball." Kaneki Ken looked at Murasakihara Atsushi with a smile. In the air, he used the force of confrontation to stabilize his body. Then, with his right hand as steady as a sculpture, he gently flicked the basketball. The basketball drew a perfect arc in the air, hit the backboard and bounced into the basket.

"White No. 9, defensive foul, Red No. 4, the ball counts! One free throw!"

The referee's cold voice rang in Murasakibara Atsushi's ears, making him feel relieved. An intense feeling of fatigue spread from his limbs until it penetrated into his heart.

"Although I have no intention of bragging, Murasakibara." After being knocked down, Kaneki Ken climbed up, walked to Murasakibara Atsushi, patted his shoulder and said, "But from the beginning, I was the strongest among everyone."

After saying that, Kaneki Ken went to the free throw line without looking back, waiting for the referee to pass the ball to him.

"Yes, from the very beginning, Yanzi was the strongest..." Murasakibara Atsushi stood there in a daze, his face pale, "There is no way I can defeat Yanzi... After all, even Chizi lost to Yanzi..."

"Huh, we're finally here... I'm almost dying of exhaustion..."

At this time, in the audience seats on the sidelines, Takao Kazuma and Tsuchiya Jun, who were sweating profusely, helped Midorima Shintaro to the square formation on the sidelines of Shutoku High School.

"Ootsubo-senpai, how did the game go?" After Takao Kazunari sat down on the bench, he looked at Ootsubo Taisuke and asked.

"64 to 48, the entire second quarter was dominated by Kaneki Ken." Ootsubo Taisuke stared at the court and said, "Just now Murasakihara Atsushi committed a foul, and Kaneki Ken still has a chance to shoot a free throw. If he makes this free throw, it will be 65 to 48."

"Only 17 points behind?" Takao Kazunari said with some surprise, "It seems that Murasakibara Atsushi is doing quite well..."

"What do you see as good?" Midorima Shintaro said in a deep voice, "Murasara Atsushi... he was almost defeated by Kaneki Ken and wanted to give up!"

"Give up?" Tsuchiya Jun looked at Midorima Shintaro with a surprised look on his face and asked, "But so far, Murasakibara Atsushi seems to be very motivated! He entered the zone from the beginning of the game until this quarter, and even fought against Kaneki Ken in the zone... He doesn't look like he wants to give up!"

"It's better to say that this situation is the worst." Midorima Shintaro sighed lightly, pushed the frame of his glasses with his right hand and said, "If you lose because you don't work hard enough, you can still make an excuse that it's because you didn't try your best. However, if the score difference gets bigger and bigger when you try your best, the confidence and courage you have accumulated will become a monster that devours you in an instant, and you will even doubt whether you should stay on the court..."

"Ah, what should we do then?" Gao Wei and Cheng Cheng said with a worried look on their faces, "Is Yangquan High School going to lose the game before the first half is even over?"

"Hmph..." Midorimaru snorted inexplicably and said, "I've already told that Murasakibara guy that he can't go far just by relying on his body, but he never took it seriously. It would be good for this kind of useless guy to be taught a lesson by Kaneki Ken..."

"But what if Murasakibara Atsushi gives up basketball because of the harsh lesson he receives?" Takao Kazunari asked hesitantly.

"...I don't know either." Midorima Shintaro said after a moment of silence, "But no matter what, I can't just watch this idiot continue to be in such a mess and embarrass our Generation of Miracles!"

As he spoke, Midorima Shintaro propped himself up with crutches and limped to the fence of the stands on the sidelines. After taking a breath, he shouted into the field, "Idiot, what are you hesitating about? I told you to practice your skills a long time ago, but you didn't listen and now you're still standing here in a daze! When will you really grow up?!"

"When will you really grow up..."

"Really grown up..."

Midorima Shintaro's roar echoed over the venue, and the audience cast curious eyes at Midorima Shintaro.

"Hey, Xiaozhen, don't be so hot-blooded, it's embarrassing..." Takao Kazunari felt the gazes of the audience around him and couldn't help but shrink his neck in embarrassment.

"Green boy?" Murasakibara Atsushi's lifeless eyes finally regained some color. He looked up and saw Midorima Shintaro staring at him with a serious face.

"Hmph!" Midorima Shintaro's face changed slightly when he looked at Murasakibara Atsushi's eyes. He adjusted his glasses frame in a concealing manner, snorted coldly, and walked towards his seat again with his crutches.

"Who was that just now...Midorima Shintaro?" Mike Okita raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his eyelids, turned his head to look at Kenichi Okamura and asked.

"Well, he was once the strongest shooter of the Generation of Miracles and a tough guy who fought with Kaneki Ken for most of the game." Okamura Ken nodded and said.

"Well, probably they are here to watch the match between Kaneki and Murasakibara..." Mike Okita said with some regret as he looked at Murasakibara Atsushi's back, "Being beaten in front of everyone without any chance to fight back, this is the first time for Murasakibara, right?"

"It's not the first time."

Just as the players of Yangquan High School fell into silence, Murasakibara Atsushi's voice suddenly rang out.

"Huh?" Mike Okita looked at Murasakibara Atsushi in surprise and asked, "What did you just say, Murasakibara?"

"I said, this is not the first time that I was beaten without any chance to fight back." Murasakibara Atsushi slowly turned around, his huge figure blocked the lights on the top of the stadium, and the area under the basket was completely covered by Murasakibara Atsushi's shadow.

"Uh..." Mike Okita looked at Murasakibara Atsushi with a hint of disbelief in surprise and asked, "Are you okay, Murasakibara?"

"Of course there is something." Murasakibara Atsushi shook his head and said, "We are so far behind now, it doesn't look like everything is fine... But these are not what we should be thinking about right now."

"Then what should we consider?" Mike Okita asked in confusion.

"Of course... I fought back!" Murasakihara Atsushi turned to look at Araki Masako and said, "Masako-chan, give me a hairband!"

"Call me coach, idiot!" Masako Araki took out a hairband from her pocket and handed it to Murasakihara Atsushi, saying unhappily.

"Really? They're all the same." Murasakibara Atsushi licked his fingers and said, "Muro is right, I shouldn't have eaten so many rice bran rolls before the game. The collision with Ken just now almost made me vomit..."

(End of this chapter)