Kuroko's Basketball: I'm not the boss?

Before Luoshan even entered the arena, Haichang had already started warming up.

Another three-pointer swished through the net. Kise, beaming with pride, shook his head and was about to brag to Xiangyang when he realized that Xiangyang, who had just been standing on the sidelines practicing his dribbling, was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Yuuki, have you seen our captain?"

Kise looked around and asked a few teammates, but all of them gave negative answers.

[Strange? Where did Xiao Xiangyang go? Did he go to the toilet...?]

Just as Kise was hesitating about whether to look for Hikaru, a shout suddenly came from the audience.

"

Ryota!!

Ok?

Kise looked up and, because of the distance, he initially thought they were two familiar figures. But as he got closer, a look of surprise slowly appeared on his face.

"Kasamatsu-senpai! Hayakawa-senpai!"

Kaijo's previous starting shooting guard and captain was Yukio Kasamatsu, and their previous starting power forward was Okihiro Hayakawa.

Having graduated from Haichang University this year, they made a special trip to watch their juniors compete.

Seeing his long-lost senior suddenly appear, Kise excitedly turned and ran towards the audience, while Kasamatsu and Hayakawa also smiled.

"Kasamatsu-senpai, what brings you two here!"

Kise had barely uttered his question when he received a chop to the neck from Kasamatsu-senpai.

Kasamatsu looked at Kise, who was clutching his back and looking pained, and said with his arms crossed, "As a senior, of course I have to come and see how the juniors are doing. If I see you guys neglecting your training after I leave, you can just wait to die!"

After being scolded by Kasamatsu, Kise wore a resentful expression, but secretly he was delighted.

He hadn't been beaten by Kasamatsu-senpai in a long time, and he actually missed it!

"By the way, where did Xiangyang go? Why isn't he warming up on the field?"

Kasamatsu glanced at the court and asked Kise, "Before I left the team, my two closest friends were Kise and Hikaru."

"Uh... I don't know either. To be honest, I was just looking for Xiangyang."

Kise scratched his head, looked around, and guessed, "But... I guess Xiao Xiangyang probably went to the toilet, right? That guy often goes to the bathroom before a match."

At this moment, the players from Los Angeles also entered the stadium to warm up.

Kasamatsu turned his head and looked around. After a while, he said, "Rakuzan's ace... Akashi Seijuro is not here either."

huh?

Kise was stunned. He followed Kasamatsu's gaze and saw that Akashi was not in the crowd. Although Akashi was small, his striking presence made him easy to spot.

"That's strange...where did those two go?"

……

……

"Ah!"

Inside the restroom, Xiangyang rubbed his nose while looking at Akashi washing his hands at the sink. He smiled and said, "Akashi, you weren't secretly cursing me in your heart just now, were you? You made me sneeze."

Upon hearing Xiangyang's words, Akashi paused in washing his hands, and without turning his head, said, "Don't worry, I'm not that bored."

Xiangyang sniffed noncommittally. Of course, he knew that Akashi would never do such a thing. If he had any issues with him, he would have already slashed him with scissors. He wouldn't be cursing him in his heart.

"Tell me, what a coincidence that we always seem to run into each other in the restroom!"

Xiangyang clicked his tongue, walked over to Akashi and looked in the mirror, while Akashi lightly hummed in agreement beside him.

The air fell silent…

After an unknown amount of time, Akashi shook the water off his hands, looked up at himself in the mirror, and asked Xiangyang, "When are you leaving Japan?"

Xiangyang: ? ? ?

Seriously? How did you all know?

"Hey, I clearly didn't tell anyone except Kise!"

Xiangyang looked at Akashi with a puzzled expression. If he could understand that Takeuchi knew the news in advance, then Akashi's situation was impossible from both a logical and emotional standpoint!

Sensing Xiangyang's doubts, Akashi explained, "Akashi's family has connections in the Basketball Association, and I watched your interview. You're probably... going to play professional basketball somewhere else, right?"

"Is that right, Xiangyang?"

Akashi turned his head and looked directly into Hikari's eyes. This time, his gaze was no longer cold, but rather mixed with a hint of doubt and inquiry.

"Is Xiangyang going to leave Japan?" Akashi didn't want to admit it, but he was really concerned about this question.

"call…"

Xiangyang sighed and said, "Are you the great detective Akashi?"

"You guessed right, I'm leaving Japan, probably shortly after I come of age, when I'm able to change my nationality..."

"I will go plant flowers."

Having received an affirmative reply from Xiangyang, Akashi looked away, staring down at the remaining water in the pool, and said nothing more.

Xiangyang remained silent, and the two stood facing each other in silence for an unknown period of time…

Why don't you want to join the Japanese Basketball Association?

Akashi kept his head down, but his voice was very clear to Hikaru's ears.

"You can't possibly not know that, given my status, I would never play professional basketball, and apart from me, there is no point guard in Japan who can compare to you."

Xiangyang licked his lips; Akashi's question had pulled his memories back to that summer...

"The way you put it, Akashi, you really are a narcissist."

Xiangyang jokingly teased Akashi, but this time his banter had no effect.

Akashi kept his head down and didn't move, as if waiting for Hikaru's answer.

Seeing Akashi's expression, Xiangyang sighed helplessly, thinking to himself: The Generation of Miracles are not only a bunch of weirdos, but they're all problem kids...

"Some things are inexplicable. I've made up my mind to leave Japan..."

Xiangyang touched his nose, turned and walked towards the bathroom door. In front of the sink, Akashi, who was lying on it with his head down, quietly clenched his fist.

squeak-

The sound of the bathroom door being pushed open.

Xiangyang stood there, turning to look at Akashi's retreating figure, a hint of relief in his eyes.

It feels really good to be noticed.

Akashi.

Xiangyang called out, but Akashi, standing in front of the sink, remained motionless, as if washing his hands was a very important matter.

Xiang Yang didn't mind. He nodded slightly and a smile appeared on his lips.

"I forgot to tell you, although I will change my nationality after I become an adult, I will not actually leave Japan until after I graduate. In other words... our war is not over yet... Assuming you live up to expectations, we will clash at least three more times."

Upon hearing this, Akashi's body trembled almost imperceptibly, but the movement was so slight that even Hikaru didn't notice it.

"Akashi's gone, the match is about to start. Our bathroom date has gone way too long!"

Xiang Yang scoffed and then stood at the door, waiting for Akashi's reaction. However, the latter remained motionless. If it weren't for Akashi standing there, Xiang Yang would probably have guessed that the person was unconscious on the sink.

"You rascal... I'm leaving now."

Xiangyang shook his head, ignoring Akashi, and closed the door, giving Akashi some personal space in the bathroom.

As Xiangyang's footsteps faded away, Akashi, who had been lying prone with his head down, finally raised his face.

He frowned slightly as he looked at himself in the mirror.

A faint golden light emanated from Akashi's left pupil, and his second personality, which he had not fully digested, reappeared.

"I thought you just wanted to defeat him, Seijuro..."

Chapter 169 Are You Ready?

"Hello, Mr. Xiangyang!"

Xiangyang, who had just come out of the restroom, had not yet stepped onto the court when he heard a shout from afar. He turned his head to look.

Reiko Tajima and Masako Araki sat side by side in the audience. Reiko was smiling and waving at him, while Masako remained silent, sitting there with her arms crossed.

"Oh, Miss Reiko, Miss Masako."

Xiang Yang raised his eyebrows and greeted the two. Without lingering, Xiang Yang hummed a little tune as he walked back to the arena. His warm-up wasn't enough; if he couldn't find his rhythm or got injured once the match started, he'd have nowhere to cry.

Xiangyang picked up a basketball that someone had left on the sidelines and began warming up.

"Little Xiangyang, where did you go? Senior Kasamatsu and the others are here!"

Kise jogged back to the arena from the stands and excitedly spoke to Xiangyang.

【Hmm? Kasamatsu-senpai?】

Xiangyang was slightly taken aback. He looked up and followed the direction Kise was pointing, and sure enough, he saw Kasamatsu in the audience, waving at the two of them.

"Well, that gives us another reason not to lose this match."

With a smile in his eyes, Xiangyang responded to Kasamatsu while speaking to Kise.

"To lose a match with your own senior in attendance, God, is there anything more humiliating than that?"

More importantly, if they really lose to Rakuzan this time, wouldn't that indirectly prove that without Kasamatsu, they can't beat Rakuzan?

Winning isn't scary, but losing is embarrassing; losing isn't scary either, but losing makes people arrogant!

[What's going on? You guys can't function without me!]

"These are the words I never want to hear, even if it kills me!"

At this moment, Xiangyang and Kise reached a consensus, and by chance, the Kaijo twins' desire for victory deepened even further!

As time slowly passed, the crowd in the stadium gradually increased. This year's finals can be called the second installment of the "Los Angeles vs. Changchun" battle, attracting an astonishing number of viewers.