Kuroko’s Basketball: Before Generation Miracles, I Already Crowned Chapter 182: Senpai! You came to challenge me to a one-on-on

For Kuroko Tetsuya, Haizaki Shōgo had absolutely no intention of holding back. Not that it mattered, whether he restrained himself or not, Kuroko's level in a 1v1 would never be enough to stop him.

"Hey!"

"Watch closely!"

"Thunder… Dribble!"

Boom!

Amid the faint rumble of thunder, Haizaki's movents struck like lightning!

It was just a simple crossover, but the exaggerated, almost floating pull-back, followed by the thunderous echo of the ball hitting the floor, left Kuroko wide-eyed in shock.

Because he had been buried in sumr training, preparing for promotion, Kuroko hadn't seen Teikō's finals. This was his first ti witnessing it

The Thunder Dribble!

Well… a half-finished Thunder Dribble.

Pa~!

A sound, identical to the one he himself had just made while dribbling, suddenly echoed right beside Kuroko. The familiar rhythm made him flinch.

"…Eh?"

Wait a second… wasn't he supposed to be on defense right now?

When he turned his head, it was as if the scene had reversed from the last round. Haizaki was frozen stiff, his face as dark as Aomine Daiki's when he was in a foul mood.

And the ball

thud, thud, thud… rolled helplessly out of bounds.

Kuroko understood this scene all too well. He should have been a hundred percent certain: Haizaki must have mishandled the dribble, the ball bouncing off his leg or sowhere else before flying out.

But then again…

This was Haizaki. How could he possibly make the sa mistake as him?

Expressionless, Kuroko turned and fixed Haizaki with a questioning look.

"Haizaki-kun?"

The deadpan, steady tone of the question hit Haizaki's chest like an arrow, clean and rciless.

Haizaki: "…"

Haizaki: "Khh…!"

Haizaki: "Shut it…"

Kuroko: "?"

Kuroko: "Haizaki-kun, just now"

Haizaki: "I said shut it already!"

Embarrassnt prickled under his skin. Scowling, Haizaki snapped his head toward Kuroko, only to whirl back again, because Kuroko had completely vanished from sight.

Since his attention had been elsewhere, Haizaki hadn't braced himself against Kuroko's misdirection.

Huh?!

Damn it!

Where the hell did he go?!

A chill raced down Haizaki's spine. No matter how "invisible" soone could be, to be mid-conversation one second and gone the next was unnerving.

Then, a flat, almost lifeless voice suddenly whispered from right behind him:

"Haizaki-kun… can I speak now?"

Another shiver.

Haizaki spun around angrily—then froze.

Still no one there!

"Haizaki-kun…"

That voice drifted from the other side now.

"I'm over here."

Even Haizaki's usual bravado cracked under Kuroko's ghostlike maneuvering. His mouth betrayed him with a startled cry:

"Uwahh!"

"Kuroko Tetsuya!"

"Misdirection, right?! That was vision misdirection just now, wasn't it?! You circled around on purpose, toying with ?!"

"?"

"No. I've been standing here the whole ti. Haizaki-kun simply didn't notice . Besides… you were the one who told not to speak."

"Quit screwing with , you sneaky bastard!!"

"Haizaki-kun, I can't breathe…"

Haizaki had him by the neck, shaking in frustration, when suddenly a shocked cry echoed from the gym entrance—the exact sa tone Haizaki himself had made earlier. Both froze.

"?"

"!"

"You heard that?"

"Damn it… don't tell there really is a ghost?!"

"No…"

"The basketball club's ghost is , Haizaki-kun."

"You idiot… so you knew about that?!"

Outside the gym, leaning against the wall under faint moonlight, Aomine Daiki's face was pale with lingering fear.

"For real…"

"There's a ghost?"

"That guy… really is that so-called 'Third Gym's Kuroko Tetsuya'?"

Today was supposed to be light recovery practice. But Shigure-senpai, Captain Nijimura, and even Kurokawa and Fukui were absent, apparently off with the coaches to et with high school staff.

So, without getting his fill of basketball, Aomine had co here afterward, intending to polish the half-ford idea of his formless shot. He'd heard the Third Gym was usually left open—Haizaki often snuck in here too.

Sure enough, the door was open, and a few lights were on.

But then—

Haizaki's sudden "scream" split the silence inside.

Instantly, Aomine rembered Momoi's story after the prelims about the "Third Gym Ghost." Even when both Shigure-senpai and Nijimura insisted it was Kuroko, still…

To scare a thug like Haizaki into that state… there was no way it was just so harmless ghost, right?

Aomine stiffened, torn between bolting and braving it. His lips twitched nervously.

"No way there's a ghost…"

"It's just Kuroko Tetsuya."

"The Third Gym's—eh?!"

"Damn it!"

Annoying as Haizaki was, he was still a teammate, soone who had fought alongside him to win the Nationals.

Which ant

"Haizaki! I'm coming to save you!"

Heart pounding, Aomine roared into the darkness and charged inside.

"Ahhh!!"

…Wait.

No way.

There really was a ghost in here?!

His eyes went wide at the sight of Haizaki doubled over, groaning as though in pain. He completely missed Kuroko being held in Haizaki's arm choke.

"Haizaki"

Click!

The lights blazed on at full power. Aomine's shout died in his throat as he turned and locked eyes with Captain Nijimura and Shigure-senpai, both leaning casually at the doorway, staring at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Senpai! Quick, save!"

"What the hell are you yelling for, you dumb black-skin?!"

"Eh… eeeh?!"

And with that, the whole scene was laid bare.

Heat flushed up Aomine's face, steam practically rising from his head, made worse by the muttered exchange of the two senpai.

"Oh~ how terrifying."

"Imagine Teikō's next 'Ace' turning out to be Aomine Daiki…"

"Not so bad. He doesn't seem too bright, but as long as he can score, it works."

"Hm… still, I feel like coming here might have been a mistake. Nijimura, why didn't you spar with today?"

"You an that new move I've been working on?"

"Eh?"

"You figured it out already?"

"How could I not? At Nationals, who could've given you that kind of inspiration? If it were last year, I'd say a powerhouse like Ogioka-senpai. But this year…"

"Heh, take a guess."

At that mont, Aomine's embarrassnt faded, excitent rushing in.

"Senpai!"

"You ca here to challenge to a one-on-one?!"

Shigure Akihito nodded, then shook his head, then pointed at Aomine… and then at Haizaki.

"Mhm. A one-on-one."

" alone, against the two of you~."

Aomine: "?"

Haizaki: "!"

END OF CHAPTER

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