The Guide

Shogo Haizaki's mental state was collapsing. Having always been a powerhouse on the court since childhood, he never imagined he would one day be called trash by others, just like the opponents he used to trample. The pain of being crushed by Ken Kaneki might also be the reason he would constantly make things difficult for Ryota Kise in the future.

He certainly didn't know what the future held, but he knew clearly that the guy in front of him was not someone he could defeat.

"Um, I forfeit... I'm willing to be your substitute..." Shogo Haizaki caved, completely and utterly caved. His knees buckled, and he collapsed powerlessly onto the ground.

"Useless trash, what's with that expression? What's with your reddened eyes? What's with your tears?" Ken Kaneki chided him with disappointment. "Weak post-ups, inaccurate shots, loose footwork, not a single decent move! And now you don't even have the courage to challenge me! Is your basketball only for bullying the weak? People like you don't deserve to be on the court!"

"Alright, Kaneki-kun," Kōzō Shirogane stepped forward with a chuckle to ease the tension. "Since Haizaki has realized his mistake, why not give him another chance."

Kōzō Shirogane paused, then looked at Shogo Haizaki, who was still on the ground, and continued, "According to the plan, he will be Kaneki-kun's substitute. You need to teach him well."

"Yes, Coach," Ken Kaneki bowed in response.

"Alright, the show's over, let's start training," Kōzō Shirogane clapped his hands, beginning the Basketball Club's training for the day.

"Get up, it's time to train. Stop playing dead," Ken Kaneki said coldly to Shogo Haizaki before turning and diving into practice.

Hearing Ken Kaneki's taunt, Shogo Haizaki's inner resentment reached its peak.

"Sooner or later... Sooner or later, I'll take everything from you!" Shogo Haizaki stared intently at Ken Kaneki's figure on the court and said fiercely.

"Hey, Kaneki, when did you steal my moves?" Daiki Aomine asked curiously, coming over to Ken Kaneki during a break.

"What do you mean steal? When it comes to playing basketball, how can it be called stealing?" Ken Kaneki shot him a look. "Besides, it's just streetball, right? You can learn this style just by watching it once."

"What Kaneki-kun said is correct," Seijuro Akashi chimed in, joining the two. "Kaneki-kun's streetball skills just now were even above yours, Aomine-kun."

"But, Kaneki, for such a long time, whether it was practice matches or regular team practices, he's always been the model of orthodox basketball according to the coach," Daiki Aomine said with some surprise. "I never expected his streetball to be this good too."

"It's just day after day of practice," Ken Kaneki said, taking a sip of water. "As long as your fundamentals are solid, you can play any style of basketball."

"Hey, let's have a one-on-one, Kaneki," Daiki Aomine's inner basketball fanatic erupted. "We've known each other for so long, and we've never had a one-on-one!"

"Forget it, Aomine, we're still training," Ken Kaneki wanted to refuse, but seeing Daiki Aomine's eager gaze, he knew that if he didn't agree, Aomine would pester him endlessly.

"How about this: starting next week, the prefectural tournament will begin. Before we enter the national tournament, if you can score an average of 30 points per game, I'll play you one-on-one," Ken Kaneki said with a hint of helplessness, changing the subject.

"Deal! It's settled then," Daiki Aomine, having received Ken Kaneki's promise, bounced away to practice. Ken Kaneki, having rested enough, also prepared to dive back into a new round of training.

"Wait, Kaneki-kun!" Seijuro Akashi called out to Ken Kaneki, who was about to leave.

"What is it? Tell me," Ken Kaneki looked at Seijuro Akashi with confusion.

"Kaneki-kun, I'm very curious about you," Seijuro Akashi said frankly. "I always feel that beneath your gentle exterior, you have an unwillingness to yield to anyone... No, rather, a heart that wants to conquer everything. I'm curious, where does your confidence come from?"

Where does my confidence come from? Isn't that obvious? I'm cheating. Ken Kaneki thought inwardly, feeling a bit speechless. He's too idle to be having these existential crises.

Of course, he couldn't say these things to Seijuro Akashi. Ken Kaneki pondered for a moment, then, with a gentle smile, said to Seijuro Akashi, "Because I can see the future further ahead. Because I've seen it, I have more confidence."

"See... so you have more confidence...?" Seijuro Akashi's pupils contracted. Something terrifying seemed to be roaring and shouting within him. Deep in his eyes, a golden light flashed like a spark.

"Thank you for your guidance, Kaneki-kun," Seijuro Akashi bowed gratefully. "You've really helped me a lot."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing..." Ken Kaneki was a bit bewildered by Seijuro Akashi's solemn attitude, but he still waved his hand. "No need to be so formal, Akashi-kun. If there's nothing else, I'll go back to training."

"Please, go ahead, Kaneki-kun," Seijuro Akashi replied politely.

"What did he just say, Akashi?" Shintaro Midorima, who had been observing from the side for a long time, stepped forward and asked.

"Nothing... we just talked about some unimportant things," Seijuro Akashi said vaguely, watching Ken Kaneki's retreating back. "Kaneki-kun's talent is not as simple as it appears..."

"Yeah," Shintaro Midorima recalled Ken Kaneki's Logo shot from earlier and sighed. "I've never seen such a terrifying three-point shooter... taking that shot from that position, and with such confidence."

While Shintaro Midorima and Seijuro Akashi were whispering nearby, the System notification sound in Ken Kaneki's mind chimed in at the opportune moment.

"Congratulations, Host! Character Bond level with Seijuro Akashi has reached 'Close Friend'! Reward: One S-class lottery chance, one A-class lottery chance!"

"Congratulations, Host! Character Bond level with Shintaro Midorima has reached 'Close Friend'! Reward: One S-class lottery chance, one A-class lottery chance!"

"Congratulations, Host! Character Bond level with Shogo Haizaki has reached 'Hate to the Bone'! Reward: One A-class lottery chance, one B-class lottery chance!"

"Congratulations, Host! Hidden Quest 'The Guide' unlocked; Quest Objective: Successfully guide members of the Generation of Miracles to find their own path in basketball and accelerate the blooming of their talents; Quest Progress: 3/6; Quest Reward: One S-class lottery chance."

"Emmm... I didn't expect to get rewards from beating Shogo Haizaki like that..." Ken Kaneki chuckled at the System. "What dark humor. If Shogo Haizaki knew, he'd probably want to die... But 'The Guide'... when did I guide anyone?"