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Two days later.
The Toho Kotei Gakuen group arrived at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium by bus.
As soon as the bus stopped, it was surrounded by a huge crowd of reporters.
Even before Ryu and the others disembarked, they could already hear the reporters' questions from outside.
"Ryu, what are your chances of winning against Yosen this time?"
"Coach Kazama Kouki, are you confident about playing against Yosen High School this time?"
"Captain Kamimono, as the captain, is there anything you want to say to your opponents?"
...
Seeing the commotion outside, the Toho Kotei Gakuen members were stunned.
When had they ever seen such a scene?
"My god... so many reporters! We're officially famous now!" Kuroki Ryuichi exclaimed excitedly.
Kugawa muttered, looking at the reporters outside, "Should we go down and give them an interview?"
Hanafuji Souji suggested, "Have you all forgotten what happened last time when we were surrounded by reporters?"
Hearing his words, everyone turned pale. The memory of being surrounded by reporters last time still sent chills down their spines!
Kamimono turned to the composed Ryu and asked, "Ryu, you must have given quite a few interviews before! What do you think we should do now?"
Ryu chuckled. "In this situation, if we don't give them an interview, we probably won't even be able to get into the stadium."
Hearing this, Kamimono and the others looked bewildered.
Kazama Kouki, however, remained calm throughout. He didn't participate in the team's discussion.
"Have you decided? If you have, get off the bus!"
Hearing this, Kamimono and the others exchanged glances.
Ryu stood up and said, "Let's go! We just need to answer a few questions."
The moment the bus door opened, a cacophony of questions from reporters flooded the bus. This reminded Ryu of his middle school days.
Getting off the bus, Ryu was immediately surrounded by reporters.
"Ryu, can we ask you some questions?"
"What do you want to say about defeating Aomine Daiki?"
"Today, Toho Kotei Gakuen's opponent is Yosen High School. Yosen High School's center is your former teammate. You were both members of the Generation of Miracles. Is there anything you want to say to him?"
...
Hearing the diverse questions, Ryu coughed twice and said, "Um, we can talk about these issues later. Let's not block the car door yet; let my teammates get out first!"
As he said this, a sly glint flashed in Ryu's eyes. 'He can't be the only one to shoulder this burden; it's fair to drag the others down with him.'
Hearing this, the reporters made way for him.
Kamimono and the others had been waiting for Ryu to finish bluffing the reporters before they got out of the car! Who knew the situation would suddenly change like this, leaving them somewhat bewildered.
In the end, everyone had no choice but to get out of the car reluctantly.
When they reached Ryu's side, Kamimono and the others were all looking at him with resentful eyes. Ryu turned his head to the side, acting as if he hadn't seen them.
Half an hour later.
The group from Toho Kotei Gakuen looked like deflated balloons, all listless and dispirited. Kamimono and the others had been giving Ryu resentful looks the whole way.
"Ryu, you rascal, you did this on purpose, didn't you?" Kamimono said irritably.
Ryu smiled, inwardly delighted, but said aloud, "How could I? I just felt that this kind of opportunity to shine should be shared with everyone."
Kamimono narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you serious? I don't believe it at all!"
"You're overthinking it. I was surrounded just like you guys!"
Kuroki Ryuichi said, hearing Ryu's words, "But you always steered the conversation towards us."
Let's go back half an hour.
Reporter: "Ryu, are you confident about the match against Yosen High School?"
Ryu: "I am confident. I believe my teammates won't let everyone down."
...
Reporter: "Ryu, is there anything you'd like to say to your former teammate, Murasakibara Atsushi?"
Ryu: "Murasakibara and I play different positions. If you want to know, you'll have to ask my captain."
...
Reporter: "Yosen is said to have a 'Shield-level' defense. How many points can you score against such a team?"
Ryu: "Basketball isn't a one-man sport. My teammates all have their own ideas. You can ask them."
...
Ryu: "Our shooting guard might become the main scorer. You can ask him."
Ryu: "Our captain won't lose to Murasakibara. He must have something to say."
Ryu: "I believe in our point guard. He'll tell you his determination."
Ryu: "With our power forward, I believe even a 'Shield-level' defense won't be a problem. Let him answer that himself!"
...
Recalling Ryu's previous answers to the reporters, the gazes of everyone from Toho Kotei Gakuen towards Ryu were filled with resentment and reproach.
Ryu, unable to bear the stares any longer, waved his hand. "Ahem... well, let's talk about the competition now!"
Hearing this, everyone finally looked away.
Ryu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, the door to the restroom was pushed open.
Everyone looked over and saw a pink-haired girl walk in. It was Momoi Satsuki.
"It's Satsuki!" Ryu greeted her.
Satsuki smiled brightly at everyone in the restroom. "Hello everyone!"
Kamimono and the others had met Satsuki before and were quite familiar with her.
"You've come to see Ryu again, haven't you! It's really enviable!"
Hearing Kamimono's words, Satsuki's pretty face blushed.
"Meow..." A meow drew everyone's attention.
"Isn't that Karupin? I was wondering where it was these past few days! Turns out it's here!" Kuroki Ryuichi said.
Ryu's gaze also fell on Karupin in Satsuki's arms.
He narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura spreading through the lounge.
Karupin's ears twitched, its large, round eyes glancing at Ryu. Seeing Ryu's clenched, it raised its head arrogantly.
Ryu grew angrier the more he looked, his teeth grinding together.
Ever since the cat escaped last time, Ryu hadn't seen Karupin for the past two days.
However, the cat had been unharmed, so he hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was just avoiding him.
And that was indeed the case.
Karupin had been avoiding Ryu for the past two days.
Meeting Satsuki was a coincidence. Satsuki had wanted to return the cat to Ryu, but Karupin refused to come back.
Satsuki had no choice but to take Karupin home.
Ryu approached Satsuki, but his eyes were fixed intently on Karupin in her arms.
His gaze was as if he wanted to devour Karupin.
Satsuki noticed Ryu's gaze. However, she mistakenly thought his gaze was fixed intently on her chest.
Her pretty face instantly turned as red. Her heart pounded wildly, a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment coursing through her.
"Um... um... Yu-chan... where are you looking?"
"I'm looking here, of course!" Saying this, Ryu lowered his head, moving a few steps closer to Karupin.
Satsuki's face turned even redder. Her breathing was now a little heavy.
"Um, I brought Karupin back to you. I have something to do, so I'll be going now." With that, she let go of Karupin, tossed him aside, and turned to run out of the lounge.
But no one saw that as she ran, Her face was as red as blood.
Ryu was a little confused. They hadn't even exchanged a few words! Why was she leaving so quickly?
However, he didn't think much of it.
Now, all he wanted to do was teach Karupin a lesson.
He turned and glared fiercely at Karupin, who was hiding in the corner of the lounge.
"Where can you run now?" Ryu walked step by step towards Karupin.
Karupin wasn't one to wait to be beaten. It leaped onto the wardrobe in the lounge in a flash.
Ryu roared angrily, "Get down here! Did you think you could get away with hiding?"
Karupin looked down at Ryu. "Hmph, I wasn't hiding from you. I was just bored and spent two days traveling."
Hehehe… "Traveling? What a 'traveling'! Today I'm going to pluck all the fur off your body."
The others in the lounge stared at Ryu in bewilderment.
What's wrong with this guy? Has he gone mad? Why is he picking a fight with a cat?
Kamimono spoke up. "Ryu, are you alright? Should I call a doctor?"
Hearing this, Ryu's forehead creased with worry. He also realized that now wasn't the time to settle scores with Karupin. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm fine."
Kamimono and the others looked at Ryu and found that he was alright. Kamimono said, "That's good. The match is about to start, so get yourself together!"
Ryu calmed himself down and found a seat.
However, his eyes never left Karupin.
That always gave people a strange feeling.
Kamimono and the others also glanced at him every now and then.
Creak…
A short while later, the door to the restroom opened again.
The newcomer was Coach Kazama Kouki.
Kazama Kouki glanced around and then said, "It's almost time. We should go on stage."
Ryu glared at Karupin and then transmitted his voice, "I'll deal with you later."
"Ryu…" Kamimono saw that Ryu was still sitting on the bench without moving, so he reminded him.
Hearing Kamimono's call, Ryu also stood up. "Oh, coming."
Kamimono looked at Ryu strangely, then glanced at Karupin, wondering to himself, 'What's wrong with him today? Aren't he and his cat usually on good terms? Why do they seem like enemies today?' Since he couldn't figure it out, he stopped thinking about it.
Before closing the door, Ryu transmitted his voice to Karupin, "What are you doing there? Hurry up and come out!"
Karupin didn't move, but just lay on the wardrobe staring at Ryu. "You go first! I'll come over later."
"The door's closed, how are you going to get through?" Ryu said through gritted teeth.
Karupin didn't speak, but turned his head and looked at a ventilation opening in the lounge. Ryu followed its gaze and saw a fan-type ventilation opening, just big enough for Karupin to pass through.
Ryu gave Karupin one last sharp look, then slammed the lounge door shut.
Bang…
Hearing the heavy sound of the door closing, the Toho Kotei Gakuen members walking ahead all turned around curiously.
Kuroki Ryuichi asked suspiciously, "Isn't Ryu acting a little strange today?"
Kugawa stroked his chin and nodded. "Indeed, he seems to have some kind of secret with his cat."
Kamimono interjected, "It's probably because Karupin disappeared for two days, making Ryu very worried!"
Everyone agreed with Kamimono's assessment.
"Alright," Kamimono continued, "This is Ryu's private matter, let's not interfere."
Hearing this, everyone stopped mentioning it. What they truly thought, only they themselves knew.
A short while later, the group emerged from the passageway.
The moment the Toho Kotei Gakuen members stepped out, the entire stadium erupted in deafening cheers. Waves of cheers surged towards Ryu and the others time and again.
However, Ryu's face was grim; anyone could tell he was in a bad mood. The other members of Toho Kotei Gakuen were curious, but no one asked.
On the other side, the passageway door opened. One by one, tall figures emerged from the passageway.
"It's Yosen."
"So tall! They look so intimidating."
"Truly worthy of a shield-level defense, everyone looks like a giant."
"I wonder if they can withstand the attacks from Toho Kotei Gakuen."
"Another clash between the Generation of Miracles, it's really something to look forward to."
...
The audience discussed their opinions among themselves.
As soon as the Yosen team emerged, they turned their gazes to the Toho Kotei Gakuen team opposite them.
"The day has finally come!" Himuro Tatsuya said with emotion.
"Your opponent is Ryu, are you really okay?" Okamura Kenichi asked with some concern.
Himuro Tatsuya smiled wryly. "Honestly, I have absolutely no confidence, but I still want to have a good, hard-fought fight with him."
Kenichi Okamura patted him on the shoulder and laughed. "Just go for it! Don't forget, you have us backing you!"
Hearing this, Tatsuya Himuro also showed a relieved smile.
Kensuke Fukui noticed that Murasakibara had been staring at his opponent silently since earlier, so he asked, "Murasakibara, your opponent today is that Kamimono. His strength is not to be underestimated."
Murasakibara said lazily, "Ah, I know, but I won't lose to him."
Murasakibara wasn't took Kamimono seriously. But that was all. He was more concerned about Ryu.
Ryu was the most dangerous existence in Toho Kotei Gakuen, and also one of the people he feared most.
Another person he feared was Akashi. Because in his heart, there were only two people he felt he couldn't beat.
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