Aomine's Challenge: Prelude to a One-on-One Duel

The setting sun dyed the Teikō gymnasium a warm gold as the day's training finally drew to a close. The floor, soaked with sweat, reflected a faint glow, and the air still lingered with the scent of intense competition. Players, in twos and threes, packed their belongings, discussing the thrilling intra-squad match they had just played.

The final score was Red Team 56 : White Team 52. Although Bai Ze You had been called upon at the last minute, successfully limiting Aomine Daiki's second-half surge with astonishing resilience and skill, and providing multiple brilliant assists that revitalized the whole team, the main squad managed to hold onto their victory, albeit narrowly. This was thanks to the significant lead they had built in the first half and Midōrima Shintarō's clutch three-pointers.

However, the outcome of this game had already become a blur in Aomine Daiki's mind. He irritably grabbed a towel and haphazardly wiped his sweat-drenched hair, his chest heaving. It wasn't from exhaustion, but from a strong sense of discomfort—a feeling of being restrained, challenged. Bai Ze You's tenacious defense in the second half, like a leech clinging to his body, had acted as an invisible spiderweb. While it couldn't completely trap the beast that he was, it had severely restricted his rampages, making every point he scored incredibly difficult. That slippery way of deflecting force, the precise positioning and prediction down to the millimeter, and the swift recovery after his feints were seen through—all of it made him feel an unprecedented sense of suffocation.

This wasn't a crushing defeat by strength or speed, but an entanglement of skill and awareness, a resilience that he, with his pure "wildness," couldn't completely tear through for the moment!

"Tch!" Aomine spat in annoyance, his gaze like a torch sweeping across the other end of the court.

Bai Ze You was standing with Murasaki-bara Atsushi and Kuroko Tetsuya. He was also drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, with clear fatigue on his face. But his eyes were astonishingly bright, as if he had just experienced a cathartic baptism rather than a defeat. He was saying something softly to Murasakibara, whose massive frame leaned slightly forward, seemingly listening intently for once. Kuroko stood quietly to the side, his clear blue eyes watching Bai Ze You with a hint of subtle observation.

Captain Nijimura Shūzō also walked over. He didn't offer much commentary on the game's result, merely patting Bai Ze You's shoulder firmly and saying, "Good job, Yū." The weight of those words was evident to everyone present. It meant Bai Ze You had not only passed the test but had also earned the captain's deeper recognition.

This scene was like a spark igniting a powder keg in Aomine's eyes. Why? A newcomer who had only joined the team not long ago receiving such favor from the captain? Why? Could his slippery, soft playstyle really make him play so uncomfortably?

A strong sense of defiance and the urge to prove something churned and boiled within his chest like magma.

"Hey! Shiro!"

Aomine Daiki's voice suddenly rang out, carrying undisguised provocation and irritation, instantly drowning out the other sounds in the gymnasium and drawing everyone's attention.

Bai Ze You turned his head at the sound, calmly looking at Aomine. "Aomine-senpai?"

Aomine strode over, stopping directly in front of Bai Ze You. Their heights were similar, and their gazes clashed in the air. Aomine's eyes burned with fierce battle spirit, his lips curling into a wild, unrestrained smile that was nonetheless full of pressure. He extended his index finger, almost poking Bai Ze You's nose.

"You were quite annoying to defend just now," Aomine's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a beast-like growl. "Those evasive little tricks!"

Bai Ze You didn't flinch, meeting Aomine's burning gaze. His tone remained calm. "I was just doing my best to complete the task assigned by the captain, senpai."

"Task?" Aomine scoffed, as if hearing a joke. "Don't use the captain as an excuse! I hate that style of yours! Slippery, wriggling around like a girl! Basketball should be about overpowering with strength and speed! Like this!" He suddenly made a forceful breakthrough motion, the rush of wind seeming to still whistle in their ears.

"Aomine-kun..." Momoi Satsuki started to step forward with concern but was stopped by a look from Nijimura. Nijimura stood with his arms crossed, his gaze deep. He wanted to see what sparks would fly between these two geniuses with such different styles.

"So?" Bai Ze You raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly anticipating what Aomine was about to say.

"So," Aomine's smile widened, revealing his white teeth, carrying an almost primal fighting spirit. "Don't think you're good just because you can use those little tricks! One-on-one! Now! Right here!"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing to the center of the empty court, his voice abruptly rising like a booming war drum:

"ONE ON ONE! You in, Shiro?! Let me see what else you can do besides dodge!"

"Whoosh—!"

The gymnasium erupted in an instant.

Aomine Daiki, Teikō's recognized ace from the first year, an offensive spearhead with monstrous physical talent, was actually initiating a one-on-one duel with a freshman who had just enrolled! This was explosive news!

Murasaki-bara Atsushi stopped wiping his sweat, his massive body turning slightly as he watched the two facing off with interest. He mumbled, "Oh? Are they going to fight?"

Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses, a flicker of calculation in his eyes behind the lenses. "One-on-one? The data disparity is huge. Aomine's win rate is over 98.7%. Utterly meaningless."

Kuroko Tetsuya quietly watched Bai Ze You's back, the warm glow of the sunset reflected in his clear blue eyes, his emotions unreadable.

Momoi Satsuki's heart leaped into her throat. She nervously flipped open her record board, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her pen. She knew better than anyone the terrifying dominance Aomine possessed in one-on-one matches—a pure, unreasonable offensive machine that crushed everything with sheer talent! Yū...

Nijimura Shūzō remained silent, simply watching. He saw the pure fighting spirit burning in Aomine's eyes and his extreme displeasure with Bai Ze You's defensive style. He also saw Bai Ze You's still calm profile in the face of a huge challenge. This one-on-one might not be a bad thing.

All eyes, all pressure, were focused on Bai Ze You.

Aomine's challenge was like a thunderclap, exploding before him. He felt the contempt in the other's words, and even more so, the wild aura that rushed towards him, almost swallowing him whole. His heart pounded powerfully in his chest, not from fear, but from a flame of "excitement" that had been ignited within him!

He slowly raised his head. The golden light of the setting sun fell on the tips of his slightly sweat-dampened white hair, illuminating his clear yet unfathomably deep eyes. Beneath his calm exterior, his soul, equally eager to prove itself, was roaring!

Facing Aomine's aggressive gaze, Bai Ze You didn't answer immediately. He paused for two seconds, then a slight curve formed on his lips. It wasn't Aomine's wild smile, but one with a hint of restrained sharpness, like an undercurrent surging beneath a calm lake.

He gently pushed away Aomine's finger, which was almost at his nose, his gaze as calm as still water. His voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the suddenly silent gymnasium, carrying an undeniable firmness:

"Exactly as I wish, Aomine-senpai."

The moment the words fell, it was as if an invisible current crackled between the two! The air suddenly became heavy and charged with gunpowder.

Bai Ze You took off his training jacket, revealing the white undershirt beneath, already soaked with sweat. He stretched his neck, a faint clicking sound. He walked directly towards the center of the court, bent down to pick up a basketball that had rolled onto the floor, and felt the familiar texture of the leather under his fingertips.

"Rules?" Bai Ze You tossed the ball to Aomine, his movements crisp and decisive.

"Whatever!" Aomine caught the ball, his eyes burning with even more fighting spirit. "Play until neither of us wants to anymore! Or until someone gives up!" He slammed the ball hard onto the floor, the basketball echoing with a deep, powerful thud.

"Okay," Bai Ze You replied concisely, adopting a defensive stance. His center of gravity was extremely low, his eyes sharp as a falcon's, locked onto the ball in Aomine's hands and every subtle shift in his body. The experience of defending against Aomine in the intra-squad match and that feeling of being pressured raced through his mind, analyzed, and strengthened.

Momoi Satsuki took a deep breath, flipped open a fresh page on her record board, and forcefully wrote at the top:

「Observation Record: Aomine Daiki VS Bai Ze You - First Official ONE ON ONE」

The tip of her pen trembled slightly, a mix of worry and the excitement of witnessing a historic moment.

Nijimura Shūzō nodded slightly, crossing his arms and stepping back to the sidelines, his gaze focused. He knew this sudden one-on-one would far surpass an ordinary match. This was the first head-on collision of two completely different basketball philosophies—pure wild strength versus the balance of ultimate skill!

Murasaki-bara Atsushi produced a bag of Umaibo from somewhere and leaned against the basket pole, looking ready to enjoy the show. Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses again, seemingly wanting to see if that minuscule "variable" existed. Kuroko Tetsuya quietly walked to the sidelines, like a silent phantom, his gaze never leaving the two about to duel on the court.

In the vast, empty gymnasium, the setting sun cast long shadows of the two figures. Aomine Daiki was like a coiled black panther, exuding primal offensive desire; Bai Ze You was like a deep pool, concealing unknown currents beneath its calm surface.

The basketball spun in Aomine's hands, and the "thump, thump" as it hit the floor sounded like a beating war drum.

The prelude to the one-on-one had begun!