Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 79 War begins

"Kaneki said... I'm a friend who can fight alongside him..." Akashi Seijuro looked at Kaneki Ken's back and said to himself, "It's basketball... It's the basketball my mom left for me that brought me these friends..."

"Then do you think you are worthy of being his friend?" A similar but unusually cold voice came from Akashi Seijuro's mouth, "You have to understand, it's not basketball that brings you friends, it's victory that brings you friends!"

"Victory..." Akashi Seijuro's original voice sounded a little confused.

"Yes...Victory! Only I can bring absolute victory!" The cold voice came again.

"Impossible! Just give up on this idea!" The gentle Akashi Seijuro seemed like an enraged tiger at this moment, "I can also bring victory continuously by myself!"

"Look at how miserable you are now. Only those who stand shoulder to shoulder with you can be called friends. Those who lag behind are just a burden! If we rely on you, sooner or later we will lose these friends!" he sneered in a cold voice.

"Akagi." Just when the gentle Akashi Seijuro was about to retort, Midorima Shintaro's voice rang out, "Just now, Nijimura-senpai asked me to tell you that he has decided to give up the starting point guard position. He has already reported it to the coach. Starting from the next game, you will be the starting point guard."

"First start?" Akashi Seijuro's eyes gradually became firm, but his voice remained gentle, "Then I really have to thank Nijimura-senpai!"

"Yeah, let's go early. We still have to continue training tomorrow." Midorima Shintaro adjusted the frame of his glasses, "Since you are the vice-captain, you must lead by example."

"You're right, Shintaro." Akashi Seijuro smiled and followed Midorima Shintaro's back, with a circle of gold faintly visible in the pupil of his left eye.

"Akagi's performance today was exceptionally outstanding!" During the basketball team's practice the next day, Shirogane Kozo looked at Akashi Seijuro, who was playing back and forth with the substitutes and the starting lineup without Kaneki Ken, and said with a gratified look, "You really are worthy of being you, Kaneki."

"Come on, Coach Shirogane." Kaneki Ken yawned listlessly, "You can make a decision so quickly, you must have already made up your mind."

"Hahaha, who knows." Shirogane Kozo laughed and glossed over the topic. "By the way, your training intensity has decreased recently. Even your participation in team training has decreased. The national competition will start next week. Don't let down your team then..."

"What are you talking about, coach?" Kaneki Ken smiled bitterly and shook his head, forgetting the fact that he was beaten by the reduced-profile version of Jordan for the tenth time in a row. "I am just doing my own special training. I participated in the training in school. How can they train... As for failing, if I fail in a game of this level, I will let Aomine Daiki hang himself at the entrance of the basketball hall."

"You and Aomine are really good friends..." Shirogane Kozou didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "You really don't treat Aomine as an outsider... You don't treat him as a human being either!"

A week is not too long or too short. During the week-long tactical training, Teikou Junior High School gradually became familiar with the starting lineup, with Akashi Seijuro replacing Nijimura Shuzo, and the first round of the national competition qualifiers kicked off.

……

"Dear leaders and distinguished guests..."

“…Therefore, I hope that all the students participating in the competition will put friendship first and competition second, and compete in style and at their best level!”

"I declare that the Neon Country Junior High School Basketball Summer Cup League National Competition is officially open!"

"It's finally over... Yanzi..." Murasakihara Atsushi, who had been repeatedly told not to eat snacks when the leader was speaking, felt sick, "Why does that bald uncle upstairs have so much to say..."

"Okay, okay, Murasakibara." Kaneki Ken turned his head and looked at Murasakibara Atsushi with a smile, "The game will start soon, I'll give you the snacks after the game." "Ah~ Why is there such a thing as an opening ceremony... It's so boring..." Aomine Daiki looked desperate, "If he recites for another ten minutes, I feel like I'll hit my head and die here..."

"Alright, alright, stop complaining." After greeting his acquaintances, Shirogane Kozo came over to the crowd, "Hurry up and go to the locker room to change your jerseys and sneakers. This is our first game against Toyama Junior High School, so don't delay the warm-up!"

"Yes!" Kaneki Ken nodded slightly and led everyone into the player tunnel.

……

"The first match of the first round of the national competition, Teiko Junior High School vs. Toyama Junior High School, is about to begin. Teams, please get ready!"

"The first match of the first round of the national competition, Teiko Junior High School vs. Toyama Junior High School, is about to begin. Teams, please get ready!"

As the traces of the opening ceremony inside the stadium were cleaned up, players from both teams filed in through the player tunnel.

"Ken-kun, you have been wearing headphones since you changed your clothes. What are you listening to?" Momoi Satsuki stood on the sidelines and asked curiously while watching Kaneki Ken who was doing shooting training.

"A rap song." Kaneki Ken took off the headphones from his neck. "It's a good opportunity for you to put them away for me. The competition will start soon."

"What on earth is Yan-kun listening to..." Taoi Satsuki put on his headphones curiously and found that it was a song with a very rhythmic feel, but he could not understand it at all.

“Don’t sleep here, why are you crying?
Who told you that you still can't figure out the difference between you and me?

......"

"A rap in Chinese?" Tao Jing Satsuki took off her headphones, looking confused, "I didn't expect that Yan-kun's Chinese is so good..."

"Hey, are you Kaneki Ken?" Just when Kaneki Ken was warming up, Rukawa Kaede from Toyama Junior High School came to Kaneki Ken.

Kaneki Ken looked at Rukawa Kaede, who was staring at his shaved bangs with a cool poker face, and replied with a smile: "I am Kaneki Ken, what's wrong, classmate?"

"Remember this, the person who defeated you is called Rukawa Kaede!" Rukawa Kaede tightly grasped the basketball in his hand, his eyes full of eagerness to fight.

"Who?" Kaneki Ken tilted his head slightly, as if he didn't hear clearly what Rukawa Kaede said just now.

"He said that the person who will defeat you today will be Rukawa Kaede." A figure who was about the same height as Murasakibara Atsushi came to Rukawa Kaede, "And there's also Kabaji Shigehiro."

"Although I admire your fighting spirit." Kaneki Ken slowly threw the last basketball in the basket and breathed a sigh of relief, "But basketball is a very cruel game. I am very happy that you dare to stand up and challenge me, but I don't like your arrogance."

As he spoke, Kaneki Ken picked up a basketball, closed his eyes gently, and threw the ball out with a slight force of his fingers. The basketball went into the net with a swish.

(End of this chapter)