"Ugh, this is such a pain." On the bus, Atsushi Murasakibara grumbled around a bran roll. "It's still so hot out. Why do we have to go play a game off campus? I should've known better than to join First String."
"Come on, Murasakibara, stop complaining," Ken Kaneki soothed him. "It's a First String tradition, after all. Besides, the upperclassmen are here, so watch what you say."
"Yeah, yeah," Atsushi Murasakibara replied sullenly.
"Everyone, perk up." Naoto Sanada stood and clapped his hands. "Today we're playing Kirigi First Affiliated Junior High School. Their main offensive threat is their backcourt duo. Atsushi Murasakibara and Ken Kaneki won't be starting today. As upperclassmen, you need to show them what we're made of."
"Yessir!" the Second String members answered with enthusiasm. Taro Sugiya, who had fought his way back to Second String from Third String, looked at Ken Kaneki smugly, his expression challenging.
Ken Kaneki rolled his eyes, not interested in dealing with him. He put on his eye mask and settled in for a nap.
"Eeeek!" The bus brakes squealed, and the Teiko players filed off. To their surprise, they were greeted by a welcoming party led by Kirigi First Affiliated Junior High School's coach.
"You're too kind, Coach Sanada." Naoto Sanada clasped Noriaki Sanada's hand.
"Not at all! The Tokyo district champions and national tournament runners-up have come all the way to Kirigi First Affiliated Junior High School to give us some pointers. How could we not give you a proper welcome?" Noriaki Sanada replied with a similarly false smile.
Ken Kaneki paid no attention to the two men exchanging pleasantries. His gaze shifted to the players standing behind Noriaki Sanada, and met that of a bespectacled, narrow-eyed boy. They nodded to each other, then looked away.
"So this is Teiko Junior High School, the team you were talking about, Shoichi? They certainly look well trained," said a sullen-looking figure chewing gum.
"They're a powerhouse on the national stage, after all. Teiko made the national top four in each of the last two years... Especially their captain, Shuzo Nijimura. He was unstoppable on the court last year." Shoichi Imagawa searched the Teiko players, then asked in confusion, "But I wonder why he isn't here today."
"Whether he's here or not, it makes no difference." Makoto Hanamiya flicked his bangs, sounding indifferent. "Genius, prodigy—it doesn't matter. Once they're broken, they're nothing but useless trash."
"Honestly, your nasty personality hasn't changed one bit," Shoichi Imagawa said with an amused smile.
"Boring. I'm out." Makoto Hanamiya popped his bubble gum and turned toward the school without waiting for the coach's instructions.
"Haha, we old fellows have been talking too long. The kids must be getting impatient." Seeing the awkward moment, Naoto Sanada offered them a way out.
"Right, right. I wasn't paying attention." Noriaki Sanada quickly gestured for them to follow and led everyone to Kirigi First Affiliated Junior High School's gym.
"Okay, as we agreed, the Second String lineup will start. Atsushi Murasakibara and Ken Kaneki, be ready to step in if needed." Naoto Sanada gave a brief pregame talk, then waved everyone over to warm up.
"Swish," "swish," "swish"...
"Bang," "bang," "bang"...
Atsushi Murasakibara and Ken Kaneki soon drew everyone's attention as they warmed up. Ken Kaneki kept sinking three-pointers from beyond the arc, while Atsushi Murasakibara showed off his powerful dunks in the paint.
Before long, the whistle sounded and warm-ups ended. Ken Kaneki and Atsushi Murasakibara headed to the sidelines to watch.
"Tweet!" The referee tossed the ball high into the air, and Taro Sugiya tipped it to his point guard.
"Hey, kid, where's your captain, Shuzo Nijimura?" Makoto Hanamiya asked, his eyes dark, as the Second String point guard dribbled over half court.
"Huh? The captain?" The Second String point guard was taken aback, but answered honestly. "The captain doesn't play in practice games like this. Usually, they pick new First String members to play alongside us Second String players."
"Second String?" Makoto Hanamiya's eyes narrowed, then he burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! This really is Teiko, all right."
The Second String point guard looked at Makoto Hanamiya, baffled. Following the play, he passed the ball inside to Taro Sugiya, who used his height to muscle past the defender and score with a layup.
"What's wrong, Makoto?" Shoichi Imagawa came over and asked, looking at Makoto Hanamiya, whose expression had grown even more sinister.
"These arrogant bastards are sending Second String to deal with us!" Makoto Hanamiya's voice showed no emotion, but his anger was clear to everyone.
"There's no need to get mad about that. Just beat them," Shoichi Imagawa said with a smile. "The strong have their pride. It's only natural."
"Sure. But just thinking about crushing their pride underfoot makes me so excited I can hardly stop myself from trembling!" Makoto Hanamiya gave a savage grin and began Kirigi First Affiliated Junior High School's first possession.
Makoto Hanamiya held the ball at the top of the key. Facing the defender in front of him, he gave a sly smile and feinted a drive. The Second String point guard hurried to keep up, trying to defend him.
Then Makoto Hanamiya casually swung his off arm and slammed an elbow into the Second String point guard's lower back. The point guard flinched, and Makoto Hanamiya drove past him before stopping for a jump shot and scoring.
"What was that?" Taro Sugiya complained. "How could you let him get past you so easily?"
"Senpai, that guy's dirty. He just drove an elbow into my back," the Second String point guard protested, aggrieved.
"What are you talking about? What do you mean, dirty? How am I dirty? I've always played this way. The referees on the sidelines know better than anyone whether I play dirty. Don't go making wild accusations. Take a good look at yourself. Have you been working hard in practice? Why are you still Second String after all this time?" Makoto Hanamiya taunted him from the side, a smug smile on his lips.
"You bastard!" The Second String point guard was so furious he rushed at Makoto Hanamiya, ready to punch him, but Taro Sugiya grabbed him and held him back.
"Don't lose your temper. Let's keep playing and see how things go," Taro Sugiya said, stopping him.
The Second String point guard swallowed his anger, took the inbound pass, and began their second possession. This time, Makoto Hanamiya rushed up to press him. The point guard had no choice but to clutch the ball tightly to his chest and look for a passing opportunity. Makoto Hanamiya reached out as if to steal the ball, then, while the point guard wasn't looking, drove another well-timed elbow into his shoulder. The point guard winced and lost his grip on the ball. Makoto Hanamiya snatched it, raced down the court, and scored with a layup.
"Well, well. I thought the famous Teiko would be something special." Makoto Hanamiya's taunting voice rang out from the front court. "Turns out you're all just a bunch of butterfingers."
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