Akashi Seijūrō's bone-chilling words—denouncing basketball as a victory tool where "efficiency came first" and dismissing Bai Ze You's love for it as a "weak fantasy"—had stabbed deep into Bai Ze You's heart like a poisoned icicle. The pain did not fade with the end of the practice game. Instead, it fermented and swelled amid day after day of harsh, efficient, and icy training, eventually becoming a thick fog called "confusion" that wrapped tightly around him.
Under the bright lights of Teikō's gymnasium, sweat dripped onto the polished wooden floor with a faint patter. The players were carrying out the "Absolute Efficiency" shooting drills Akashi had newly designed. The requirements were simple: receive the ball in a designated area, then shoot with the most standard, fastest motion and the lowest error rate possible, pursuing the highest accuracy.
Bai Ze You stood at a forty-five-degree angle on the left side. The ball reached his hands. He bent his knees, dropped his shoulder, raised his elbow, and flicked his wrist—the motion was textbook-perfect, even more meticulous than Midōrima Shintarō's. The basketball traced a precise arc and swished cleanly through the net.
"Excellent shot! Bai Ze-kun! Motion-efficiency rating: A+!" Akashi's cold voice rang out from the sidelines, carrying a hint of formulaic "approval."
Yet Bai Ze You's heart remained utterly unmoved. He silently ran to the next spot and repeated the same motions. Standard knee bend. Standard shoulder drop. Standard elbow raise. Standard wrist flick. Swish! Another clean shot.
It was accurate. Extremely accurate. Highly efficient.
But... he felt absolutely nothing.
Momoi Satsuki stood on the sidelines. The clipboard in her hands was no longer merely a tool for recording data; it had become more like a weighty "White Phantom Observation Report." Her eyes followed Bai Ze You closely, her delicate brows locked in unconcealable worry.
**"Training Log D-7"** **"Project: Spot Efficiency Shooting (Akashi's Standard Template)"** **"Bai Ze You: Accuracy 98.3% (Extremely High)"** **"Motion Conformity: S (Perfectly Matches Akashi's Standard)"** **"Emotional/Condition Observation:"** * **Eyes:** Calm and focused, but lacking any radiance. No excitement, no desire for challenge, no creative impulse. Like a machine executing a precision program. * **Body Language:** Fluid yet mechanical movements, lacking his distinctive personal rhythm, flexibility, and coordination. The catch-to-shot process was formulaic, with no unnecessary movements (as Akashi required), but no spark either. * **Microexpressions:** No smile, no look of enjoyment. After completing a difficult or highly efficient shot, no sense of accomplishment appeared—only the calm of someone completing a task (Abnormal!).** **"Comparative Analysis (Nijimura Period):"** * **Accuracy:** Equal or slightly lower (he placed greater emphasis on practical simulations then). * **Motions:** At the time, he incorporated his own flexible style, such as smoother transitions and more economical use of space during his jumps. Though "nonstandard," the movements were full of spirit, combining efficiency with beauty. * **Condition:** He clearly enjoyed the training process. His eyes were bright, and he often wore a confident smile. He enjoyed trying new moves, such as linking fake moves into shots, and natural delight or smug satisfaction would show after he scored.** **"Conclusion: Technical execution perfectly meets the requirements of 'Absolute Efficiency,' but **the core drivers (fun, passion, and creative desire) have significantly withered**. Basketball behavior is mutating from 'love-driven' to 'task-driven.'"** **"Risk Level: SSS (Core beliefs shaken; crisis of lost enjoyment!)"**
During a break in training, Bai Ze You walked to the sidelines for a drink of water. Momoi hesitated, but still worked up the courage to approach him and handed him a clean towel.
"Yū... your shooting is really accurate," she said softly, trying to find a topic.
"Mm." Bai Ze You took the towel and wiped away his sweat. His voice was somewhat low. "I met Captain Akashi's standard."
"But..." Momoi looked at his lifeless eyes, and her worry deepened. "You don't look... happy?"
Bai Ze You's hand stopped mid-wipe. He was silent for several seconds before turning his gaze toward the high domed ceiling of the gym, where a massive banner symbolizing three consecutive championships hung.
"Happy?" he murmured, as if asking Momoi, yet also himself. "Satsuki, do you remember... why we fell in love with basketball in the first place?"
Momoi was slightly startled, then sank into her memories. A warm smile unconsciously appeared on her face. "Of course I remember! When we were little, at the street court, I watched you bamboozle your opponents with those dazzling fake moves, then sink the ball with an especially cool pose... Your eyes were as bright as stars back then! And you, Yū—whenever you pulled off a beautiful drive or scored, you'd smile so happily, as if you owned the whole world..."
As Bai Ze You listened to Momoi's description, the corners of his mouth seemed to want to form a smile, but ultimately only became a bitter curve. He lowered his head and looked at his hands, their knuckles distinct and their fingertips bearing the thin calluses built up over years of dribbling.
"Yes... back then." His voice carried a distant, almost unreal nostalgia. "Basketball... was such a happy thing. Every time a fake move successfully fooled an opponent, there was that sense of control. Every time I slipped past a defender in midair and knocked the ball in with an awkward pose, there was that thrill of challenging my limits. Every time I connected with my teammates in a brilliant play, there was that satisfaction of being in perfect sync... Sweat was hot, hearts beat fast, winning was joyful, and losing... losing was frustrating, but we could still laugh and say we'd come back tomorrow."
His voice gradually sank, carrying a confusion too thick to dispel.
"But what about now?"
"Every time I catch the ball, I don't think about how to fool my opponent. I think about whether the motion meets the 'Absolute Efficiency' standard, and whether the risk falls below the threshold Captain Akashi allows."
"Every time I drive, my instinct is to use the method I'm best at, but my body unconsciously hits the brakes and chooses the most 'correct' and 'reliable' route, even if it's as dull as chewing wax."
"Every time I score... heh." He gave a self-mocking laugh. "It's merely a 'task' that meets the efficiency requirements. No excitement, no exhilaration, only... the numbness of completing a task."
"Basketball seems to have become a subject requiring precise calculations. Captain Akashi is a strict teacher, and we're machines solving problems. Solving the problem—winning—is the only goal. The process... doesn't matter. Enjoyment? That's been cast aside as 'useless.'"
Bai Ze You raised his head and looked toward his teammates, who were carrying out Akashi's orders on the court: Aomine suppressing his wildness as he ran "reasonable" shuttle sprints, Midōrima meticulously shooting "safe" three-pointers, Murasbara lazily holding his "necessary" position, Kise imitating "efficient" routes, and Kuroko silently passing "zero-risk" balls...
"Satsuki," Bai Ze You said, his voice filled with deep confusion and helplessness, "where is the fun in basketball like this?"
"If even happiness is gone, leaving only the cold goal of 'victory,' then what meaning is there in all the sweat we shed day after day, the pain we endure, and the effort we put in? Is it merely to prove that Teikō is unbeatable?"
"I... I feel like I'm losing it. Losing the thing that first made me love basketball without reservation." His voice trembled almost imperceptibly. "I feel trapped in a precision cage called 'Absolute Victory.' Even breathing feels oppressive. What should I do?"
Momoi Satsuki looked at the confused and tormented Bai Ze You before her, her heart squeezed tightly by an invisible hand. She could feel the enormous struggle and loss inside him. She desperately wanted to give him an answer, to tell him to hold on to himself, but Akashi's cold, overwhelming will and Teikō's iron law of "Absolute Victory" were heavy shackles that left her powerless.
"Yū..." Momoi's voice caught. She reached out and gently held Bai Ze You's fingers, which had gone slightly pale from the force he was exerting. "I... I don't know the answer. But..."
She took a deep breath. Her eyes became exceptionally firm as she looked straight into Bai Ze You's confused gaze.
"But I know that the Yū I know—the one who danced freely across the court like a White Phantom, deceived the world with fake moves, sent the ball into the basket with unbelievable poses, and showed a dazzling smile after scoring—the Yū who enjoyed basketball itself—is the most dazzling Bai Ze You of all!"
"Your basketball is alive! It shouldn't be locked away by cold formulas!"
"Don't... don't throw it away, Yū! No matter what Captain Akashi says, no matter how great the pressure is, that love is the source of your strength!"
Bai Ze You stared blankly at Momoi Satsuki. Tears shimmered in her eyes, yet they were filled with unquestionable sincerity and encouragement. Her words were like a ray of faint light piercing the thick fog. Though weak, they carried scorching warmth and stabbed straight into his cold, confused heart.
Just then, Akashi's cold voice rang out again like a death knell. "Break's over! Next group, tactical positioning drills! Requirements: zero errors! Maximum efficiency! Begin!"
The command was like a cold tide, instantly drowning out the faint light Momoi's words had brought.
Bai Ze You's body stiffened. The confusion and vulnerability in his eyes were forcibly suppressed, restoring the calm yet hollow state he wore during training. He released Momoi's hand and said quietly, "...It's time to train." Then he turned and ran silently toward the court, merging once more into the precision machine that pursued "Absolute Victory."
Momoi watched his white back disappear into the formation. It remained straight as ever, yet seemed to bear invisible, crushing shackles. She bit down hard on her lower lip and wrote at the bottom of the clipboard with enough force to nearly tear through the paper.
**"Core Diagnosis: Basketball Fun Loss Syndrome (Bai Ze You)"** **"Cause: High-Pressure Ideological Environment (Akashi's Reign) + Core Value Conflict + Suppression of Self-Expression"** **"Symptoms: Passion Fading, Creativity Frozen, Behavior Mechanized, Lack of Sense of Accomplishment, Deep Confusion"** **"Potential Treatment: Preserve the Core of His Love, Find Cracks for Self-Expression, External Support (Momoi)..."** **"Prognosis: Without intervention, the essence of the 'Phantom' may be extinguished!"** **"Action: Continue Observation, Provide Emotional Support, Seek an Opportunity..."**
Training continued. Bai Ze You moved precisely, caught the ball precisely, and passed it precisely. His movements remained standard and efficient, fulfilling every one of Akashi's requirements. But in Momoi's eyes, that white figure looked like a traveler lost in the desert of "Absolute Victory," desperately searching for the oasis called "the fun of basketball," which seemed to have become impossibly distant.
Where is the fun?
This simple question was like a key, hanging beneath Teikō's cold, efficient façade and deep within the turbulent lake of Bai Ze You's struggling heart.
The red iron curtain had already fallen, turning basketball into a cold symbol of victory and defeat.
Could the soul-question of the White Phantom pierce through this thick layer of ice and reclaim the lost light of love?
The answer flowed silently through the boy's heavy footsteps and confused eyes, through every instinctive movement forcibly suppressed, and between each worried line of writing on Momoi's clipboard, waiting for the moment it could break free from its cocoon.
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