What Kind of Monster Are You (3)

"Nice to meet you!" After the new recruits and the First String exchanged greetings, Ken Kaneki, the second tallest among the rookies, and Taro Sugiya came to the center line to prepare for the tip-off.

Seeing the sweat beads falling from Taro Sugiya's forehead, Ken Kaneki couldn't help but chuckle and say comfortingly, "Don't be too nervous, senpai. We're just a bunch of rookies."

"Hmph, don't expect me to go easy on you!" Taro Sugiya let out a tough-sounding snort, threatening him.

Tch, these senpais are too rude, Ken Kaneki thought, not saying anything aloud but feeling annoyed.

"Beep beep~" The referee's whistle cut through Ken Kaneki's thoughts. He saw the referee toss the basketball into the air, and Taro Sugiya in front of him was already jumping.

"Hey, senpai, at least wait until I'm ready before jumping!" Ken Kaneki, who had jumped later, surged forward. His feet seemed to have springs, and he easily tipped the ball to his team's side.

This simple tip-off alone left everyone present in awe.

"No way, Captain Sugiya is half a head taller than him!" exclaimed a Second String member watching the game.

"And this kid jumped later, but when he tipped the ball in the air, Taro could only touch his elbow. You know Taro can dunk easily. This kind of talent is truly... breathtaking!" the scorer next to him sighed.

"Shuzo, what do you think of this match?" Kōzō Shirogane asked Shuzo Nijimura with great interest.

Shuzo Nijimura's expression remained calm as he replied earnestly, "Taro is going to lose. The gap in skill is too large."

While the crowd below was still discussing, the game on the court continued. It had to be said that the Teiko Junior High School team was well-trained. Seeing that they had lost the ball, they immediately pressed the rookie Shoichi Hidari, who had just received the ball. Shoichi Hidari, unaccustomed to such defensive intensity, immediately panicked. He wanted to pass the ball, but the more anxious he became, the more mistakes he made. As expected, Koji Nishida, the First String's shooting guard, seized the opportunity and stole the ball.

"Yosh." Taro Sugiya was so excited he was about to clench his fist in celebration, but a figure flashed past his peripheral vision. He looked closely and saw it was Ken Kaneki, who had rushed forward.

"Seriously, can't the senpais give the juniors some time to adjust?" Ken Kaneki's voice of complaint came from behind him as Koji Nishida was about to go for a layup. Before Koji Nishida could react, the ball he had just shot was forcefully slammed against the backboard by Ken Kaneki. This scene stung Taro Sugiya's eyes. He looked down at the spot where Ken Kaneki had started his jump, unable to believe it. The bright white free-throw line seemed to blind him.

"Ken Kaneki is going to win," Seijuro Akashi said, his eyes fixed on the court.

"Tch, I can do that too," Daiki Aomine said, looking at Ken Kaneki's amazing play on the court with a hint of jealousy.

Ken Kaneki, as if unaware he had become the center of attention, grabbed the basketball and passed it to Shoichi Hidari, who had just made a mistake, encouraging him, "It's okay, play steadily. If you can't make it, pass it to me. If you can't pass, shoot, and I'll get the rebound."

"Yes! Kaneki-kun!" Shoichi Hidari, who had been blaming himself for his foolish mistake, felt inexplicably moved.

Rookies without training really lack court sense, Ken Kaneki thought regretfully. For that play, if it had been him, he would have already been on a fast break for a score.

"Kaneki-kun has great leadership potential," Kōzō Shirogane said with emotion, watching the clearly more spirited rookies on the court. "Shuzo, you didn't care about your teammates' feelings like this when you first joined the team."

"Coach is right to criticize," Shuzo Nijimura replied, not refuting but frankly admitting, "I've talked to Satsuki Momoi and Daiki Aomine. Ken Kaneki is a very gentle person in private, which isn't my personality."

"Haha, Shuzo, don't take it to heart. I was just saying it casually, not criticizing. You're a lion-king type of player, focusing on doing your best to lead the whole team. Kaneki-kun is a wolf-king type of player, focusing on pulling his teammates along to lead the team. Who's to say one is better than the other? As long as we win, that's all that matters," Kōzō Shirogane said with a smile, waving his hand and returning his gaze to the game.

At this moment, Shoichi Hidari had hesitantly brought the ball past half-court. Seeing the senpais subtly moving to double-team him, he decisively passed the ball back to Ken Kaneki.

"Seriously, I wanted to let you guys play a few more shots first," Ken Kaneki muttered, adopting a triple-threat stance and staring intently at Koji Nishida, who had volunteered to guard him.

"Kid, that last play was just luck. You won't score this time. I'm the defensive ace of Teiko's First String, and I'm best at crushing offensive players' confidence," Koji Nishida said with a "I'm so strong" aura, trying to disrupt Ken Kaneki's mindset.

Spouting clichés, are you studying for an exam? Ken Kaneki thought speechlessly. Your stance is so loose, who do you think you can guard?

As soon as he finished speaking, Ken Kaneki decisively jumped and shot. Koji Nishida quickly moved to interfere. In his eagerness, Koji Nishida even bumped into Ken Kaneki. But the moment their bodies collided, Ken Kaneki only swayed slightly before regaining his balance. However, Koji Nishida wasn't so lucky and was thrown backward, landing on his backside.

"Foul!" Daiki Aomine exclaimed regretfully. "Looks like Ken Kaneki will get three free throws."

"Impossible, this shot will definitely go in," Shintaro Midorima said seriously, adjusting his glasses.

As expected, with a swish, the basketball went into the net under everyone's gaze. At the same time, the referee's whistle blew: "Koji Nishida, shooting foul. Three-point shot counts, plus one free throw."

Looking at the disheveled Koji Nishida on the court, the onlookers fell silent. As the starting shooting guard for Teiko Junior High School's First String, his tough defense and consistent three-point shots had been one of Teiko Junior High School's important weapons over the past year. Yet, such a player was so utterly defeated by Ken Kaneki.

Ken Kaneki looked at Koji Nishida, who had fallen, and kindly extended his hand, saying, "Are you okay, senpai?"

Koji Nishida looked at Ken Kaneki in front of him. The light shone on his golden hair, making it particularly dazzling. "Tch, I don't need your fake kindness!" Koji Nishida gritted his teeth, slapped Ken Kaneki's hand away, and said resentfully.

Ken Kaneki, having his goodwill met with a cold shoulder, shrugged helplessly and silently walked to the free-throw line, taking the ball from the referee. He bounced the ball, took a deep breath, and casually shot.

This shot... won't go in? The onlookers wore strange expressions. The phrase "missed free throw" felt oddly out of place when associated with the accurate-shooting Ken Kaneki.

"Here it comes!" At this moment, Seijuro Akashi, as if observing something, suddenly spoke, his voice filled with obvious shock.

On the court, Taro Sugiya and the First String's starting power forward, Jun Okazaki, easily boxed out the rookies preparing to fight for the rebound. Their eyes were fixed on the high-bouncing basketball, ready to grab the rebound. But just then, a shadow, like a demon crawling out of the abyss, covered the paint. With a bang, Ken Kaneki slammed the basketball into the hoop with a put-back dunk.

"Teiko senpais, you're being far too rude," Ken Kaneki said slowly as he stood up after landing, his eyes seeming to burn with hellfire.

"Damn it! What kind of monster are you?" Taro Sugiya stared at Ken Kaneki, wailing powerlessly.

"I, of course, I'm Ken Kaneki!" Ken Kaneki grinned, his expression like a beast intent on devouring.