"Hah!"
Mitsui burst into laughter and slapped Sakuragi on the shoulder.
"Hahaha! That's our genius!"
"You've got sharp eyes!"
"I told you I didn't step on the line!"
Rukawa's face instantly darkened.
He stared coldly at Sakuragi.
"You did that on purpose..."
"Big idiot."
The moment Sakuragi heard that, he exploded.
He shrugged Mitsui's hand off and strode straight up to Rukawa.
Their foreheads collided, sparks practically flying between them.
"Who are you calling an idiot, you damn fox?!"
"You dare question this genius's perfectly fair judgment?!"
"If I say it was a three, then it was a three!"
Jealous flames burned fiercely in Sakuragi's eyes.
But deep down, he was thinking something entirely different.
Damn fox...
You actually ignored this genius's challenge just now.
And you still think you're going to win? Dream on! Bleh!
"If you don't accept it..."
"Then it's my turn to teach you a lesson!"
Rukawa ignored Sakuragi's provocation.
He tucked the basketball under one arm and turned to leave.
"Tch."
A faint snort escaped his nose.
He had no time to play childish games with a complete basketball amateur.
"Stop right there, damn fox!"
Sakuragi's temper shot through the roof.
He charged forward in a single stride and planted himself squarely in Rukawa's path like a solid wall.
"Running away?"
"Are you scared of this genius?"
Rukawa stopped.
He didn't even bother raising his eyelids.
His narrow eyes were filled with nothing but impatience.
"What did you say?"
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet it carried a chill that made everyone's scalp tingle.
Instead of backing off, Sakuragi leaned even closer.
His gleaming bald head nearly touched Rukawa's face.
Their gazes clashed violently, as though sparks were crackling through the air.
"Come to think of it..."
"We've never had a real match against each other, have we?"
For once, Sakuragi cast aside his usual clownish attitude.
His expression became more serious than anyone had ever seen.
There was even a hint of obsessive fanaticism in his eyes.
He jabbed a thumb forcefully against his own chest.
"I don't care if you're the Rookie King."
"Can you honestly pat your chest and say you'd definitely beat me?"
"I'm a man who's already pushed open that door."
"What about you?"
That door.
The instant those words were spoken...
Makino Juro, who had been lounging nearby with one leg crossed over the other, raised an eyebrow.
The corner of Rukawa's eye twitched.
In that instant, his memories were violently dragged back to the match against Kainan.
That earth-shattering poster dunk...
The overwhelming aura Sakuragi had released at that moment—an aura so terrifying that even Rukawa had felt his heart tremble.
It was the realm of the gods.
A forbidden domain he longed to reach day and night...
Yet remained only one step away from entering.
The air seemed to freeze.
Miyagi Ryota and Mitsui Hisashi exchanged glances, the amused smiles disappearing from their faces.
The atmosphere had changed.
This was no longer two childish boys bickering.
It had become two alpha predators baring their fangs over the same territory.
Rukawa slowly lowered the basketball.
Thump.
The ball struck the ground...
Bounced once...
And settled neatly back into his hand.
He slowly raised his head.
His usually lifeless eyes now burned with frightening intensity.
His fighting spirit erupted like oil poured onto blazing fire.
"I'd love nothing more."
At the same time...
The Akagi residence.
The atmosphere inside the living room was so heavy it felt suffocating, as though even the oxygen had been drained away.
The old-fashioned wall clock continued its steady...
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Every sound landed like a hammer striking Akagi Takenori's heart.
Akagi sat rigidly on the sofa.
His hands gripped his thighs so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
Although he tried to remain composed...
His heart was already a stormy sea.
Fukasawa Sports University.
The undisputed king.
The holy land of Japanese college basketball.
The ultimate destination every high school player dreamed of but hardly dared imagine reaching.
And now...
The university's legendary head coach and ace center were sitting right across from him.
Offering him an invitation in person.
They actually want me...
They really chose me...
Akagi swallowed with difficulty as sweat trickled down his chiseled jaw.
Beside him, Haruko twisted the hem of her clothes nervously.
Yet her bright eyes shone with unconcealed pride.
Big Brother... you're incredible!
That's Fukasawa Sports University!
Across from them...
Coach Karasawa calmly sipped his tea.
His movements were elegant and unhurried.
Behind his glasses, his eyes carefully examined Akagi, like a master craftsman evaluating a priceless piece of raw material.
"Akagi."
"You possess exceptional talent."
"But on the national stage..."
"You're still a nobody."
Those words were like a bucket of ice water.
Half the excitement burning inside Akagi was extinguished instantly.
His head shot up.
A flicker of disbelief flashed through his eyes.
"...A nobody."
His lips moved.
He wanted to object.
But no words came.
Because it was true.
Shohoku hadn't even survived the first round of the prefectural tournament during the previous two years.
Although they had won Kanagawa this year...
Nationally...
The name Akagi Takenori was still completely unknown.
"Heh, don't look so tense."
Beside Coach Karasawa, Sugiyama Shota smiled and leaned back.
The sofa creaked beneath his massive frame.
"When I was a third-year..."
"I didn't reach the National Tournament until then either."
"In that regard, we're very similar."
Looking at Akagi, Sugiyama's eyes carried the understanding of someone who had walked the same road.
"Back then, we were practically a one-man team."
"I was the only player worth mentioning."
"But even so..."
"We fought our way into the national Top Eight."
His eyes suddenly sharpened.
Pride filled his voice.
"That was when my life truly began."
"Only by standing on that stage..."
"Will people finally see you."
"Only then will they recognise your worth."
"To silence the university board..."
"And to prove that our judgment wasn't mistaken..."
"You must produce results at the National Tournament."
Coach Karasawa leaned forward.
The pressure of a man accustomed to commanding others instantly filled the room.
"Akagi."
"Reach the Top Eight."
Top Eight.
Those two words struck the coffee table like an official military order.
Haruko covered her mouth, nearly crying out in shock.
The National Top Eight?
For a team that had spent years being eliminated in the opening rounds...
It sounded like nothing short of a fantasy.
Silence consumed the living room.
Akagi lowered his head.
His eyes remained fixed on the wooden grain of the floor.
Silence.
A suffocating silence.
Sugiyama and Coach Karasawa exchanged a glance.
They assumed the impossible challenge had frightened the young man.
After all...
The gap between being an unknown player and leading a team into the National Top Eight was enormous.
What they didn't see...
Was the fire hidden beneath Akagi's lowered gaze.
The wavering spark had already become an unstoppable inferno.
He slowly lifted his head.
There wasn't the slightest trace of fear on his face.
Instead...
There was a wild determination unlike anything he had ever shown before.
"Mr. Sugiyama."
"Coach Karasawa."
Akagi's deep voice echoed through the small living room.
"Please forgive my bluntness..."
"But Shohoku has never been a one-man team."
Sugiyama froze.
His hand stopped halfway through adjusting his glasses.
Akagi straightened his back like an unshakable mountain.
"I have the best teammates in the country."
"Rukawa Kaede."
"The Rookie King."
"His potential is beyond measure."
"Miyagi Ryota."
"The best point guard in Kanagawa."
"Without question."
"Mitsui Hisashi."
"A former MVP."
"And now, the deadliest three-point shooter around."
He paused.
A certain lazy figure, absurdly strong beyond reason, appeared in his mind.
An unconscious smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"And there's another guy..."
"Makino Juro."
"It won't be long before basketball fans across Japan understand exactly what kind of team Shohoku really is."
Coach Karasawa and Sugiyama both raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh?"
That's quite a bold claim.
Haruko gazed at her brother's broad back.
Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
The already towering figure she admired seemed to shine even brighter at that moment.
Akagi took a deep breath.
His eyes burned with unwavering conviction as he looked straight at the two giants of Japanese basketball.
Speaking each word slowly and clearly, he declared,
"And besides..."
"Our goal has never been the Top Eight."
He clenched his fist tightly.
His voice exploded like thunder throughout the room.
"We're going..."
"To conquer the nation!"
END OF CHAPTER
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
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