"?.? Kaneki, what did you say?" At the cafeteria, Daiki Aomine spat out the food in his mouth. "You and Momoi are dating?"
"You're disgusting, Ao-chan." Atsushi Murasakibara shook his head, rice grains clinging to his hair. For the first time, the food in front of him had lost its appeal.
"Aomine, that was rude." Shintaro Midorima shook his head helplessly. "I knew we'd never get along."
"Jeez, you're so annoying." Daiki Aomine rolled his eyes at Shintaro Midorima, then looked back at Ken Kaneki and Satsuki Momoi, sitting together. "Wait, dude... You really did bump into me on purpose back then, didn't you?"
"..." Ken Kaneki slapped a hand to his forehead and said helplessly, "That really wasn't the case. Never mind, just forget I said anything. Let's eat. This afternoon, come with me while I take the afternoon off to watch Shibuya First Junior High's practice."
"Practice?" Daiki Aomine pursed his lips. "What's so interesting about practice? Games are what's fun. Besides, it's hard for me to get permission to skip class, and I'm not going."
"That's why you'll never amount to anything—you play basketball without using your head." Ken Kaneki shrugged. "Fine, don't come. Momoi and I will go together."
"The teachers let you take time off that easily? What about your classes?" Atsushi Murasakibara asked curiously.
"Sorry, but Momoi and I both have straight A's right now." Ken Kaneki delivered his humblebrag with leisurely ease.
"Damn it! Why won't they let me take time off?" Daiki Aomine grumbled bitterly.
"You have my sympathy, Aomine. You work so hard at attending class every day, yet your grades are no better than someone who skips. What's the point of asking for time off? The teachers already can't stand you. Why would they approve it?" Shintaro Midorima added flatly.
"Damn it, are good grades really that great?" Daiki Aomine wailed like a sore loser.
"Sorry, but good grades really are that great." Ken Kaneki grinned smugly.
"Hmph!" Daiki Aomine carried his tray to a nearby table and ate alone, looking thoroughly glum.
"I'm finished. Enjoy your meal, everyone." Ken Kaneki tidied up his dishes and stood to leave.
"Wait for me, Ken-chan." Satsuki Momoi hurriedly cleared her place and followed after him.
"Damn you, die!" Watching the two walk away hand in hand, paired off together, everyone there cursed them in unison for the first time—except Daiki Aomine.
"Hey, Ao-chan, your childhood friend's dating Ken-chan. Doesn't that bother you at all?" Atsushi Murasakibara asked curiously.
"Heh... Hehahaha!" Head lowered, Daiki Aomine let out the kind of laugh a movie villain might make. "Five years. Five years, you know? Do you know what I've been through all this time? Do you know how many awful things I've had to eat, risking my life every time?"
"Huh?" Atsushi Murasakibara stared at the deranged Daiki Aomine, unable to understand, but deeply shaken.
"At last, I've gotten rid of Momoi, the nagging old maid who loves making terrible food!" Daiki Aomine continued, laughing through his tears as he recounted his miserable past. His face practically glowed with holy light—the joy of escaping death.
"Hey, Ken-kun, wait for me at the school gate. I'm going to ask the teacher for permission." Satsuki Momoi let go of Ken Kaneki's large hand and ran toward the school building. "Make sure you wait for me!"
"Don't worry. Just don't run so fast." Ken Kaneki watched her go with a warm smile.
Before long, Satsuki Momoi reached the school gate, panting. She looked at Ken Kaneki expectantly and asked, "Ken Kaneki, where are we going this afternoon?"
"? Didn't I tell you? We're going to Shibuya First Junior High to watch their practice." Ken Kaneki answered as if it were obvious.
"Huh? We're really going to watch practice?" Satsuki Momoi looked utterly disappointed.
"Don't you want to go, Satsuki?" Ken Kaneki considerately patted her on the head. "It's okay. You don't have to force yourself. I can go alone."
"Oh, no, no! I want to go. I love watching basketball," Satsuki Momoi hurriedly replied.
"Wow, it's an old school, but it feels surprisingly warm and welcoming." Satsuki Momoi and Ken Kaneki strolled around Shibuya First Junior High, both a little surprised.
"Yeah." Ken Kaneki took a notebook and pen from his pocket. "I heard Keisuke Kobayashi and Kotaro Hayama chose this school because it has a long history and is close to home."
"Really? You know that too? You're amazing, Ken-kun!" Satsuki Momoi gazed at Ken Kaneki admiringly. "You're about our age, but it always feels like you know everything."
"Haha, I'm not that amazing, Satsuki." Ken Kaneki felt a little awkward under her intense gaze. "I've just recently gotten into the habit of gathering information on our opponents before a game."
"Information?" Curiosity filled Satsuki Momoi's eyes. "I don't really understand, but it sounds really impressive... Is gathering information hard? Could I help you with it, Ken-kun?"
"Ah, I might have something here!" Satsuki Momoi's offer suddenly gave Ken Kaneki an idea. Though Satsuki Momoi would later only be a team manager, being around the Generation of Miracles had given her an astonishing ability to predict players' habits on the court, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they would develop. In a word, no one short of a player on the level of the Generation of Miracles could escape her scouting and development forecasts.
If Ken Kaneki's main advantages in gathering information were Divine Void Vision and Asura Domain, then Satsuki Momoi's freakishly accurate intuition was the key weapon she could use for scouting and predicting players' development.
"Hahaha, Satsuki, you're incredible!" Ken Kaneki laughed and lifted Satsuki Momoi into his arms, spinning her around several times. "If you're really willing, you'd be helping me a ton."
"Um, I'm just glad I can help you, Ken-kun..." Satsuki Momoi said, blushing.
Before she could finish, Ken Kaneki took her hand and headed straight for Shibuya First Junior High's basketball gym. "Come on, come on! No time to waste. I'll teach you how to gather information."
Before long, they arrived at Shibuya First Junior High's basketball gym. As luck would have it, the team was holding an internal practice.
"Hey, Ken-kun, look! That guy has yellow hair, just like you. Is he the Ace of Shibuya First Junior High that Captain Nijimura and Coach Platinum mentioned, Kotaro Hayama?" Satsuki Momoi asked curiously, pointing at a lively figure on the court.
"Yeah, that's him. How did you know?" Ken Kaneki asked, curious.
"Because you and Kuroko have colored hair, Ken-kun! So I figured the guy with colored hair must be Shibuya First Junior High's Ace!" Satsuki Momoi replied as if it were perfectly obvious.
"Huh? Is that how it works...? I guess that makes some sense..." Ken Kaneki gave a helpless smile and took a camcorder out of his backpack. He was going to give Coach Platinum a little taste of the shock of data-driven basketball.
Heh heh, thought you were only getting two updates today? There are actually three!
Before you continue