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The next day.
During recess.
Ryu was eating lunch on the rooftop of the teaching building, holding Karupin in her arms.
There was no way around it; with Karupin around, he couldn't always go to the cafeteria.
Thinking about it now, he felt a little guilty.
He had clearly paid for meals when he paid his tuition.
But more than a year had passed, and he had only been to the cafeteria a handful of times.
Ryu looked at Karupin, who was wolfing down his food, with a hint of reproach.
Just then, with a clang, the rooftop door opened.
Ryu looked up and saw Kise Ryota with blond hair.
Karupin only glanced at him before continuing to eat, ignoring him.
"Little, um... Ryu, I didn't expect you to be a student at Teiko, and a member of the basketball team at that. What surprised me even more was that you were a member of the first team."
Ryu smiled slightly.
"The basketball club doesn't reject anyone who loves basketball; that's what the coach said. But I'm a bit surprised you made it into the first team in such a short time."
He knew Kise Ryota story.
But seeing someone improve so quickly in real life still gave him quite a shock.
You see, Kise Ryota had never even touched a basketball before.
Hearing Ryu's words, Kise Ryota scratched his head and said somewhat modestly:
"Haha, not really! I just picked it up pretty quickly! I'm still far behind Aomine and the others!"
Ryu's lips curled slightly.
He could tell right away.
Although Kise Ryota acted modestly, his words revealed arrogance and self-assurance.
'What do you mean, far behind Aomine and the others? So, I'm behind you?'
Ryu thought to himself, but remained outwardly calm.
He didn't respond to the other's comment and changed the subject.
"You're here to eat too?"
Kise Ryota was taken aback, glancing at the lunchbox in Ryu's hand and Karupin, who was constantly meowing beside him.
"No! I came up here to ask you about Kuroko."
Ryu nodded in realization.
He remembered that there really was such a thing in the story.
It must be Kuroko's strength that made Kise Ryota a little unconvinced!
Ryu looked at him and asked:
"So, what do you want to ask about Kuroko?"
"What kind of person is Kuroko?"
Kise Ryota's question was exactly what Ryu expected.
After thinking for a moment, he replied:
"You mean Kuroko? He's a hardworking, ambitious person who doesn't give up easily and has a very strong sense of responsibility."
Kise Ryota was speechless.
"That's not what I'm asking!"
"Then what do you want to ask?"
Ryu knew the answer already, looking at Kise Ryota with a half-smile.
Kise Ryota took a deep breath and then said:
"Don't you think Kuroko's strength is too weak? Why is someone with that kind of strength a member of the first team?"
Ryu's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Kise Ryota.
"Then why did you ask that question?"
Kise Ryota was puzzled, not understanding the meaning behind Ryu's words.
Ryu continued:
"Since you're asking me this, it means you have a problem with Kuroko. So why do you have a problem with him? Is it because he's too weak? Or is it because someone so weak is your instructor?"
Kise Ryota was completely dumbfounded by Ryu's words.
He stood there, stunned.
Meow…
A meow signaled that Karupin had finished eating.
Ryu gave him a kind smile.
He walked over to Karupin, put away Karupin's lunchbox, and then prepared to leave.
As he passed Kise Ryota, Ryu looked at him and said:
"There are no weak players in the first team, just different understandings of basketball. There are many kinds of basketball skills. Some people jump high, some are fast, some have a broad perspective."
Kise Ryota was completely bewildered, having no idea what Ryu was talking about.
Ryu laughed and waved at Kise Ryota.
"If you want to know the answer, then go and find out for yourself! Oh, and by the way, let me remind you, Kuroko is a bit cunning!"
With that, Ryu's figure vanished completely from the rooftop.
Leaving behind a bewildered Kise Ryota standing there.
One week later.
Ryu learned of Haizaki Shogo's resignation from the team.
He wasn't surprised.
Given Haizaki Shogo's personality and actions, he was destined not to stay in the basketball club for long.
It's worth mentioning that Kise Ryota and Kuroko were arranged for a practice match by Akashi.
This allowed Kise Ryota to fully understand Kuroko's abilities.
From then on, his attitude towards Kuroko became respectful.
On this day, the first team members gathered in the gym.
Aomine Daiki looked around and then spoke:
"So Haizaki really left the team after all? Well, there's nothing we can do then."
Kuroko said sadly:
"Isn't that a bit too cold?"
"Even if you went to see him, it wouldn't do any good, so I can only say there's nothing I can do."
Midorima interrupted Aomine Daiki's words.
"Haizaki is a very proud person. If we or the upperclassmen try to persuade him, it will only backfire."
"But..."
Kuroko wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Nijimura Shuzo.
"Seriously, what nonsense are you talking about! We're teammates, but also competitors. When did you become so noble as to worry about others? Instead of thinking about this, you should focus on making yourself stronger."
Nijimura Shuzo's words were serious, leaving Kuroko speechless.
Ryu, who had seemed indifferent, suddenly spoke up:
"Everyone has their own choices. That guy's actions determined he couldn't stay in the basketball club for long. Every choice has its consequences. It's more dignified for him to quit on his own than to be forcibly expelled."
Ryu's words were reasonable and well-founded, yet cold and ruthless.
He was simply stating the facts, without any other intention.
Although he didn't like Haizaki Shogo, he was indifferent to his presence or absence.
Haizaki Shogo's departure wouldn't affect Ryu in the slightest.
Midorima turned to look at Ryu.
He frowned slightly.
Ryu gave him a sense of a personality different from Akashi's.
What he didn't know was...
The reason Ryu gave him this feeling was because of the relationship between the The Divine-Demon body and the Hyotei Eye.
These two things belonged to two extremely arrogant characters in Prince of Tennis.
The Divine-Demon Body belonged to Akutsu Jin.
From childhood to adulthood, he never took anyone seriously, always ready to fight anyone who disagreed.
The Hyotei Eye, on the other hand, was Atobe Keigo's ability.
Atobe Keigo, the young master of a super-rich conglomerate and an only son; his privileged background and unparalleled status gave him immense confidence, but also fostered an arrogant and self-centered personality.
To put it bluntly, he was a man narcissistic to the point of being abnormal.
You can imaRyue it: someone, during a match, in front of everyone on and off the court, loudly proclaiming, "Be captivated by my superb tennis skills!"
Think about it carefully.
Given these two characteristics, it's understandable that outsiders might have misconceptions about him.
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