"Those two perimeter players are nothing but mediocre guys with a bit of brains, if you ask me." Ken Kaneki said nonchalantly, a lollipop between his teeth. "They think they can shut us down from the outside? They can go to hell."
Sanada Naoto listened to Ken Kaneki's explanation and suddenly saw the light. He'd already felt that the Second String players' constant mistakes seemed off. After hearing Ken Kaneki's reasoning, he no longer hesitated and signaled to the players. "You all heard what Ken Kaneki just said, right? Wataru Yamazaki, Shoichi Imagawa is your matchup. Make sure he doesn't get a chance to get near Makoto Hanamiya. Also, if Hanamiya comes up to press, remember to set a screen."
"Yes, Coach!" Wataru Yamazaki replied with a nod.
"Itsuki Fujii, don't panic when they press you, and don't make pointless passes. You, Wataru Yamazaki, and Taro Sugiya just need to keep the ball moving between you."
"Yes, Coach!" Itsuki Fujii, who had a protagonist's name but the face of an extra, said he understood.
"The rest is up to you, Sugiya."
"Leave it to me, Coach. I'll crush them!" Taro Sugiya struck a muscle-flexing pose and answered with confidence.
Just as Sanada Naoto finished adjusting the strategy, the whistle sounded to end the timeout. The players returned to the court, and the game resumed.
"You still haven't given up?" Makoto Hanamiya said excitedly, as if he'd discovered some treasure. "Looks like crushing you will be the most fun of all!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Makoto Hanamiya moved as if to press, but before he could make a move, Wataru Yamazaki appeared beside him and set a solid screen, giving Itsuki Fujii an open lane.
Itsuki Fujii didn't hesitate. He charged down the open lane toward the basket, forcing the player who'd been guarding Taro Sugiya to come over and help. Itsuki Fujii sent a beautiful bounce pass through, and Taro Sugiya scored with a layup, ending Teiko Junior High School's five-minute scoring drought.
"Yeah!" Taro Sugiya cried, pumping his fist. As they headed back on defense, he enthusiastically slapped hands with his two teammates.
That basket seemed to give them momentum. On defense, Itsuki Fujii even dared to press Makoto Hanamiya. He and Wataru Yamazaki gave him a taste of his own medicine, forcing a turnover that Itsuki Fujii converted into a fast-break layup.
"This is getting troublesome, isn't it, Makoto?" Shoichi Imagawa came over to Makoto Hanamiya. Watching Teiko Junior High School's players retreat on defense, he spoke in a teasing tone. "Looks like they're gradually getting used to your web. And just now, you got caught in their web yourself."
"Shut up." Makoto Hanamiya's expression twisted with fury, his face darkening. "If the prey can adapt to the web, it only means the spider's venom hasn't taken effect yet. I won't hold back anymore."
"Honestly, compared to me, you're even more unlikeable," Shoichi Imagawa said with a bitter smile.
"Cut the crap. Pass me the ball next time." After tossing out the remark, Makoto Hanamiya ran toward the frontcourt.
Before long, Shoichi Imagawa brought the ball steadily over half court and, as usual, passed it to Makoto Hanamiya to put on a show.
Makoto Hanamiya looked at Itsuki Fujii, who was still excited about scoring, and curled his lips into a cold smile. He waved for everyone to spread out, then used Itsuki Fujii to break into the paint. As he gathered the ball and spun around, he slammed an elbow into the back of Itsuki Fujii's head. Itsuki Fujii fell to the floor, and Makoto Hanamiya tossed the ball toward the basket.
Taro Sugiya hurried forward to block the shot, but Makoto Hanamiya's expression remained perfectly calm. "You think I'd let you ruin my carefully planned spiderweb this much? You think one elbow is all there is to it?"
Taro Sugiya realized something was wrong, but he'd already jumped with all his strength and couldn't adjust his posture in midair. When he landed, just as expected, he came down on Makoto Hanamiya's foot. There was a sharp crack, and Taro Sugiya felt intense pain shoot through his foot. The agony was so excruciating that cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"Beep, beep! Time out." Seeing another player get injured, the referee on the sidelines immediately blew the whistle. The Teiko Junior High School players could no longer hold back. They rushed forward and began shoving the players from Kirisaki Daiichi Junior High School.
"What's the matter? Is this all the so-called powerhouse from Tokyo has got? Can't beat us at basketball, so you resort to hitting us?" Seeing the situation on the verge of escalating, Makoto Hanamiya not only showed no fear but mocked them almost hysterically. "Come on, hit me! There are cameras above the gym. If you dare lay a hand on me today, every official on the sports committee will get a recording tomorrow. So this is all the so-called Tokyo powerhouse Teiko Junior High School is—a bunch of thugs relying on brute force."
The players on the court hesitated, wary of the consequences. One of Teiko's players pointed indignantly at Makoto Hanamiya. "We all love basketball. Don't you think it's despicable to play dirty like this?"
"Huh? Basketball? Love?" Makoto Hanamiya sneered. "Who cares about that? The only thing I enjoy is crushing you like ants underfoot!"
"I'm not that fond of basketball either, but that long-haired guy is so annoying. I really want to crush him, Ken-chan," Atsushi Murasakibara said. Even he, usually so gentle on the sidelines, couldn't stand Makoto Hanamiya's arrogance. "He's no different from an incompetent player."
"Yeah, Murasaki. I really want to smash their heads in, too." Ken Kaneki's anger had reached its breaking point.
The argument on the court continued, and the groans of Sugiya and Fujii echoed in Ken Kaneki's ears. Seeing that Sanada Naoto was considering abandoning the practice match, Ken Kaneki knew he couldn't just sit there any longer.
"You're right, Makoto Hanamiya." Ken Kaneki's booming voice rang through the gym, cutting off the argument. "What happens on the court should be settled on the court, right, Makoto Hanamiya?"
Makoto Hanamiya stared at Ken Kaneki. His tall frame and short blond hair stood out vividly in everyone's eyes.
"Ah, you're absolutely right, kid." Makoto Hanamiya's voice was as cold as an Arctic glacier, his smile openly malicious. "What happens on the court should, of course, be settled with basketball."
"That's what you said, Makoto Hanamiya." Ken Kaneki wore a cold smile. This time, he didn't even call him senpai. "In that case, let me and Atsushi Murasakibara have a proper talk with you. What do you say, Murasaki?"
"Yeah, Ken-chan." Atsushi Murasakibara had somehow found a hair tie and gathered his long hair into a ponytail. He walked over to Ken Kaneki and spoke. Under the lights, his usually languid expression had turned remarkably serious.
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