I want to reach 20 paid subscriptions on Patreon this week to complete this novel, as it has been over a month since the last subscription.
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"It's a tie after all,"
Ryu murmured, looking at the result of the match.
Momoi, standing beside him, explained.
"Normally, there would be an overtime period, but because of the exceptional increase in the number of participants this year, the number of schools participating surged. To shorten the time, there was no overtime rule."
Ryu didn't seem to care.
He shrugged and turned to say.
"Anyway, regardless of the outcome, both teams are destined to advance, aren't they?"
Watching Ryu's departing figure, Momoi flicked a strand of hair and said with a smile.
"That's true."
Ryu stopped at the entrance of the passage and turned to look at Momoi standing there.
"Aren't you leaving?"
Huh?
Seeing Ryu's look, as if he were looking at an idiot, Momoi suddenly blushed, gave Ryu an embarrassed glare, and then ran after him.
"Yo…you…you're so mean."
Huh?
"I just saw you standing there like an idiot. It's crowded here; it's not safe for you to be alone."
Hearing Ryu's words, Momoi's cheeks puffed out like steamed buns.
"How could there be so many bad people? Don't talk nonsense! You're clearly just trying to scare me."
Karupin, nestled in Ryu's arms, squinted at the two flirting, its round cat eyes filled with disdain.
In its mind, it, "Cat Lord," was at the very top of the pyramid.
Therefore, it considered everyone else superior.
Of course, this was just its own thought.
If trouble came, it would still run away.
A typical egoist.
The two walked out of the stadium together.
Momoi asked.
"Yu-chan…are you going back?"
Ryu thought for a moment and shook his head.
"I've finally made it to Tokyo, so I'm not going back yet. I'm planning to wander around here. What about you? Want to come along?"
Hearing this, Momoi's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed.
"Although I really want to say yes, I can't today! I still need to check out some other schools."
"You're really destined to be busy!"
Saying this, Ryu waved to Momoi.
"In that case, you go ahead and get busy!"
Momoi smiled and waved to Ryu.
"Okay, then goodbye!"
Watching Momoi's retreating figure, Ryu shook his head slightly.
This girl is always busy.
"I think I smell grilled fish. I want to eat fish."
Karupin's voice suddenly reached Ryu's ears.
Ryu looked around but didn't see any grilled fish.
He glanced at Karupin.
"You just want to eat grilled fish, right?"
Karupin rolled its eyes at Ryu.
"I really can smell grilled fish, it's to your right."
Ryu looked to her right.
To her right, besides a wide square, there was only a street.
Even if there were restaurants, they would be at the other end of that street.
Ryu looked at Karupin in his arms suspiciously.
"Are you sure it's over there?"
Karupin said firmly.
"Yes, it's over there, my nose never makes a mistake."
Ryu was speechless.
"Aren't you a cat? Why is your nose so sensitive?"
The distance from here to the street is at least 2 kilometers.
Even dogs might not have such a sensitive nose.
Feeling Ryu's strange gaze, Karupin looked up and glanced at him.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Hurry up and let's go!"
Ryu didn't say anything and started walking towards that direction.
He had been standing for a while watching the match.
He was also a little hungry.
He hadn't really decided what to eat.
Since Karupin wanted grilled fish, he might as well go get some!
After a long while, Ryu finally arrived at the grilled fish restaurant.
Looking at the restaurant, Ryu fell into a brief moment of thought.
The grilled fish restaurant was closed.
How did Karupin smell the grilled fish?
He entered the restaurant.
There weren't many people eating there at the moment.
Ryu casually found a quiet spot and sat down.
He ordered five 1.5-pound fish and a clear fish soup hot pot.
Ever since he started playing basketball, Ryu's appetite has increased day by day.
Now, his appetite is probably no less than Kagami's.
Five 1.5-pound fish are nothing to him.
After waiting for more than half an hour, the waiter finally brought out a huge… plate of grilled fish.
The surrounding diners were all dumbfounded at the sight.
When had they ever seen such a large plate?
And it contained a full five grilled fish.
They all turned their gaze to Ryu, who was sitting there petting his cat.
Could this kid really eat that much?
Or is he just a spendthrift?
Judging from his pretty-boy appearance, he's probably a complete rich kid.
Ryu ignored the stares from those around him.
He picked up an empty plate and first placed a grilled fish on Karupin's plate.
Seeing this, the surrounding diners began to whisper again.
Even the owner of the grilled fish restaurant cast a curious glance.
It wasn't uncommon for people to bring their pets to restaurants.
But to give one's pet a whole fish was a first.
Soon, Ryu also began to eat heartily.
Hmm…
The taste was quite good, fresh, spicy, and refreshing, with just the right amount of seasoning.
The fish was slightly salty and melted in his mouth.
He was eating.
The door of the grilled fish restaurant opened again.
"Finally, we can eat! I'm starving!"
"We don't have much money. Will the grilled fish really be enough to fill us up?"
"I don't eat much, but I can't be sure about Kagami."
"Don't worry, this restaurant has a promotion. Everyone's guaranteed to have a good meal."
Hearing their conversation, Ryu raised an eyebrow and looked towards the entrance.
Sure enough, familiar figures came into view.
The newcomers were none other than the members of the Seirin basketball team.
'I can't believe they eat at this restaurant too!'
As if sensing something, Kuroko turned to look at Ryu.
Their eyes met.
Ryu smiled slightly and waved.
Kuroko's pupils contracted, and she remained silent.
"What's wrong, Kuroko?"
Hyuga Junpei noticed Kuroko's unusual behavior and asked what was wrong.
Seeing Kuroko staring in one direction, he followed his gaze.
Then his eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed.
"Ah...it's...it's you..."
Hearing Hyuga Junpei's exclamation, the entire Seirin team turned their gazes in that direction.
When they saw Ryu...
Everyone stared, mouths agape, as if their minds had gone blank.
"Ryu…"
Kagami clenched his fists, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Ryu wiped his mouth with a tissue, then smiled at the Seirin members.
"Hello, everyone from Seirin! What a coincidence, you all ended up at this shop."
Hearing his words, the Seirin members' lips twitched.
Is that a coincidence?
It certainly is.
But why is Ryu in Tokyo?
And specifically at this grilled fish restaurant?
Kuroko then spoke up.
"Why are you here?"
Ryu replied.
"I watched your match with Shutoku, and I got a little hungry, so I came here to eat."
As he spoke, he pointed to a spot in front of him.
"There are quite a few of you. It's quieter here, and there's plenty of space. Would you like to come and sit with me?"
Hearing his words, Aida Riko didn't refuse and said so directly.
"Thank you very much then."
The rest of the Seirin members had no objections.
The group scurried to the tables next to Ryu.
Kagami and Kuroko were seated at Ryu's table.
When they approached Ryu's table, they saw a huge spread of fish.
This is…
Koganei Shinji's eyes widened as he pointed at the table and exclaimed.
"Good heavens! Did you order this? There's so much! Can you finish it all?"
Bang…
Aida Riko quickly punched him, then turned to Ryu with an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry, he didn't mean anything by it."
Ryu didn't seem to care.
"It's alright, he's right. I ordered this food. If you're really hungry, sit down and eat with us!"
"Oh... then I won't be polite."
Kagami, ignoring the others, plopped down and started eating with his chopsticks.
"Kagami..."
Aida Riko was speechless.
This guy...
Before she could say anything more,
Kuroko spoke to Ryu.
"Thank you, Ryu-kun."
She also plopped down and, like Kagami, started eating with her chopsticks.
Seeing this, Aida Riko sighed and rubbed her forehead.
But seeing that Ryu didn't say anything, she didn't bother with it anymore.
For a moment, the only sounds at Ryu's table were the sounds of eating.
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
The other members of Seirin were all subtly glancing over, their thoughts unknown.
They then turned their attention to Karupin, who was standing to the side.
Seeing Karupin holding a fish bigger than itself in both hands and gnawing on it, their eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
Shortly afterward, the grilled fish were served to each table one after another.
The Seirin members finally turned their attention back to the main table.
Seeing that Kagami and Kuroko had almost finished eating, Ryu spoke up.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention, congratulations on your successful advancement."
Kagami swallowed the food in his mouth and replied.
"Heh...of course, our goal is to defeat you."
Ryu maintained his enigmatic smile.
"The idea is good, but with your current strength, you're still far from it!"
Kagami's expression stiffened, but he still forced a smile and said.
"I will become stronger, and one day, I will defeat you all."
Ryu didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
Kuroko then looked at Ryu and asked.
"Ryu-kun, did you come here specifically to watch our match?"
Upon hearing his words, the Seirin members all turned their attention to him once again.
Ryu nodded.
"Of course, after all, it's your match against Midorima. It was worth the trip. It was a very exciting match, Kuroko. You've really impressed me!"
Kuroko wasn't arrogant; she simply spoke earnestly.
"It's all thanks to everyone's hard work. I just did what I was supposed to do."
"I see."
Ryu smiled slightly.
"You haven't changed at all!"
Kuroko replied.
"Aren't you the same, Ryu-kun?"
Squeak…
Just then.
The shop door was pushed open again.
A new group of people walked in.
"Hey! shin-chan! Can you throw away that lucky charm of yours? It's in the way!"
"No, it's something to boost my luck."
"Anyway, anything is fine. Let's eat! I'm starving."
Ryu and the rest of Seirin all turned their gazes towards the doorway.
Ryu blinked, a slight smile playing on his lips.
'What a coincidence, I didn't expect the Shutoku people to be here too.'
The Seirin members' expressions were even more comical.
They looked at Ryu, then at the Shutoku group.
What's going on today?
Why are they all gathered together for no reason?
The Shutoku group felt the gazes directed at them.
They looked up, then froze, speechless for a long time.
Takao's lips twitched incessantly, and his eyes twitched.
Midorima's upper face was obscured by shadows, making his expression unreadable.
Ryu spoke first.
"Oh! Isn't this Midorima? What a coincidence! Since you're here, come and sit down! It's quieter here."
The Shutoku members discussed it briefly and ultimately decided to follow Ryu's suggestion.
And so, Ryu, Midorima, Kuroko, and Kagami sat down at a table.
Seeing this scene, both Seirin and Shutoku members looked at them with extremely strange eyes.
Aida Riko was particularly excited, as if something was about to happen.
The people at Ryu's table looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Seeing that there wasn't much of the five fish he had ordered left, Ryu spoke up.
"Let's order some more food!"
Kagami agreed.
"Okay, I have no objection."
He and Ryu had similar appetites.
Five fish wouldn't be enough for the two of them.
Midorima immediately picked up the menu and started ordering.
Kuroko's appetite was practically negligible.
his appetite wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap between Ryu and Kagami's teeth.
After ordering, Midorima looked at Ryu.
"What are you doing here?"
Ryu replied helplessly.
"Honestly, why do you all ask me the same question! I'm here to watch Seirin and Shutoku's match, of course! Because the only ones who can threaten me are you guys!"
A silence fell over the room.
Ryu was telling the truth; they couldn't refute it.
Who could possibly threaten Tōhō now?
Without exception, they must be teams with a Generation of Miracles.
This was evident in today's match.
Seirin also possesses such potential.
Ryu spoke up.
"Seeing how much you've all grown, I'm under a lot of pressure!"
Midorima adjusted his glasses and said.
"Speaking of growth, I'm curious how far you've progressed?"
"Me?..."
Ryu's lips curled slightly, his silver eyes gleaming.
"I have grown a bit, but you probably wouldn't understand now. You'll find out in due time."
It's always like this.
Midorima and Kuroko felt a sense of familiarity.
Ryu had always been like this.
He always kept any new techniques to himself, never revealing them when asked, only to showcase them brilliantly in matches.
Midorima and Kuroko became wary.
If Ryu had truly developed a new technique, then this technique was definitely not simple.
Based on their past understanding of Ryu, he develops moves as easily as drinking water, and each move is extremely difficult to counter, making it hard to find any weaknesses.
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I want to reach 20 paid subscriptions on Patreon this week to complete this novel, as it has been over a month since the last subscription.
patreon.com/ayan41x