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As they left the stage, all eyes were fixed on Ryu.
No wonder; Ryu today was like a god, utterly awe-inspiring.
Ryu's aura was infectious, captivating everyone around him.
He was like a sunny, cheerful young man, offering a gentle smile to the crowd.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Momoi Satsuki quickly handed Ryu a towel.
"Thank you, Satsuki. You've really worked hard, too."
Ryu took the towel and wiped his sweat.
Momoi Satsuki blushed slightly at Ryu's thanks.
Ryu's presence stirred a flutter in her heart.
"Um, um, um..."
She stammered for a while, unable to finish her sentence.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Ryu smiled slightly and said, "Don't rush, speak slowly."
Momoi Satsuki took a deep breath, steadied herself, and then spoke.
"Ryu, you seem to be in a much better mood today. You seem a bit different!"
"Is that so?" Ryu replied with his usual warm smile. "Perhaps! But I'm enjoying how I feel right now."
"Yeah, me too. You seem even more approachable now, Ryu!" Momoi Satsuki murmured softly.
"Ryu..."
Just then, a voice interrupted their conversation.
Looking toward the voice, Ryu saw that the speaker was Shirogane Kozo.
"Coach, is there something you need?" Ryu asked.
Shirogane Kozo gave Ryu a kind smile and said, "Please come with me for a moment."
He turned and walked to a secluded spot.
Ryu was a little puzzled, but he stood up and followed him.
They arrived at a quiet corner of the rest area, where there was a row of empty benches.
Shirogane Kozo was already sitting there, waiting.
Ryu walked up and said, "Coach, I'm here."
Shirogane Kozo smiled at Ryu.
Sensing the strange aura emanating from Ryu, he was reminded of his younger self.
Back then, he was innocent and pure, playing basketball with his friends, laughing and joking.
Those were some of the few beautiful memories he had of his life.
"Come and sit down!" Shirogane Kozo gestured for Ryu to sit down.
Ryu didn't refuse and sat down next to Shirogane Kozo.
Shirogane Kozo thought for a moment before speaking. "Ryu, do you know about the Zone?"
"The Zone?" Ryu blurted out, then nodded. "I've heard some things, but not all of it. Why did you mention it, Coach?"
Shirogane Kozo continued, "I saw everything you did today, and I have to admit, you were truly amazing."
He praised Ryu without reservation.
Ryu simply smiled slightly.
Shirogane Kozo spoke again. "Could you tell me if you entered the Zone just now?"
Hearing this, Ryu was taken aback.
The Zone?
He had considered entering it, but after all, he hadn't reached that level yet, and this body seemed unable to enter the Zone. He didn't know if it was because he was too stupid, or if it was due to this body.
Ryu recalled the feeling of the previous match. After a long pause, he shook his head.
"No, I just felt joy and happiness."
"I see!" Shirogane Kozo seemed thoughtful.
Suddenly, he looked up at Ryu and asked seriously, "Ryu, if you were to fight Aomine one-on-one, what are your chances of winning?"
Hearing this, Ryu was stunned. He hadn't expected his coach to ask such a question.
After thinking for a moment, Ryu replied, "I wouldn't say 100%, but at least 70 to 80%!"
Hearing Ryu's words, Shirogane Kozo smiled.
His gaze toward Ryu held a hint of relief, a hint of expectation, and a touch of complexity.
"Ryu-kun, can you promise me something?"
"Um…" Being asked so seriously by his coach made Ryu feel a little uncomfortable. "Coach, please tell me. As long as I can do it, I will fulfill it as soon as possible."
"I hope that you won't fight Aomine before graduating from junior high school."
Hearing this, Ryu was somewhat surprised. He didn't understand Shirogane Kozo's intention.
Logically speaking, shouldn't he be asking him to fight Aomine and pull him out of his current predicament? What is the coach trying to do?
Ryu looked at Shirogane Kozo, puzzled.
Shirogane Kozo explained, "Aomine has his own pride and self-esteem. Your talents are extremely rare, and your performance today was too dazzling. Aomine might challenge you to a match. If you fight recklessly, you will inevitably use your full strength. Your bodies haven't fully developed yet. You are both children I have high hopes for, and I don't want you to have any hidden injuries, so I want to ask you for this favor."
Hearing Shirogane Kozo's request, Ryu's smile faded, and he replied solemnly, "Coach, don't worry! I promise. If Aomine challenges me to a duel, I'll stay far away."
"Heh..." Shirogane Kozo smiled slightly. "Then I'll leave it to you."
With that, their conversation ended.
Ryu returned to his seat. His gaze inadvertently fell on Aomine, who was looking at him.
Ryu's lips twitched.
Could the coach really have been right about this guy wanting to duel him?
Sure enough, seeing Ryu return, Aomine stood up and came over to him.
"Ryu, we haven't sparred in a long time. Let's have a match after the competition!"
Upon hearing Aomine's words, the Teiko members' eyes lit up, full of anticipation.
Ryu looked at Aomine, then glanced at Shirogane Kozo in the corner.
'What a nuisance!' Ryu thought to himself.
"Aomine, let's just forget about it! Have you forgotten the rules the coach set?"
"What?! Just because of that stuff? Just once, just once!"
Looking into Aomine's expectant eyes, Ryu shook his head helplessly.
"Sorry, I can't promise you that. But I can promise you that after we win our third championship, I'll agree to a proper fight with you."
The reason he said this was because by then, everyone would have graduated, and their bodies would have matured to a certain extent.
Aomine didn't care about his body, but Ryu couldn't afford to be careless. Ryu wouldn't have agreed to a one-on-one duel with Aomine.
A third championship? That would have to wait until next year.
Aomine immediately objected. "Ryu, you bastard."
Seeing Ryu's insistence, Aomine clenched his fists, then loosened them, then clenched them again. He struggled internally for a long time before finally scoffing and turning back to his seat.
Sigh…
'Finally gone.' Ryu also breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his seat.
As soon as he sat down, Karupin's voice echoed in his mind.
"Have you noticed anything different about yourself?"
"Different?" Ryu was a little confused and asked curiously. "What could be different?"
Karupin continued telepathically, "I suspect that what you're experiencing is…"
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Hello! So far, this novel hasn't gotten me any subscribers on Patreon.
It's really frustrating.
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