Teiko Junior High
a school with a brilliant legacy.
A powerhouse that had dominated the nation for years, holding four national titles to its name.
From this golden era, naturally, a number of superhuman prodigies were born.
Among them were
The Twin Stars of Teiko.
The Generation of Miracles.
But among those legends…
there was one peculiar rumor.
They said there was someone
a player who always kept himself hidden, so quiet and unassuming that people often forgot he existed at all.
Even sports magazines occasionally skipped over him in interviews.
He was called
The Phantom Sixth Man.
Springtime at Seirin High School
Morning sunlight poured down on Seirin High School,
its warm rays brushing across the sea of blooming cherry blossoms.
The new school year had begun.
Founded just a year ago, Seirin was a young, energetic school, and its clubs had finally begun to flourish.
On this year's recruitment day, the campus was bursting with energy—youthful voices echoing beneath the falling sakura petals.
From the very entrance, the roads were packed with students; even moving a few steps was a struggle.
"Ugh, we can't get through—there are too many people!"
"Seriously…"
"It's been ten minutes, have we even moved five meters?"
"Aah!"
"Maybe we should just bring in a snowplow and clear the path!"
"Isn't that… a little extreme?"
Amid the noisy crowd, a light-blue-haired boy walked calmly, holding a book in his hands.
Despite the chaos, Kuroko Tetsuya moved effortlessly through the throng, almost like the air itself made room for him.
"Hey, you there!"
"You like reading, right?"
"Wanna join the literature club?"
Kuroko lifted his gaze slightly, surprised for a moment
but then lowered it again.
Of course, the voice wasn't directed at him.
It was for the person behind him.
"Nah, I can't stand reading. This is just a manga."
Kuroko: "…"—late again?
He'd wait for him.
Meanwhile, at the Seirin Basketball Club Booth
Since its founding last year alongside the school itself, Seirin's basketball club had quickly become one of its star attractions.
Even if—its fame existed only within Seirin.
Even if—most people only knew them for their ridiculous rooftop oath.
"Just write your name and student number here."
"Then your middle school and your reason for joining. Don't overthink it—it's just for reference."
Behind a worn table hung a crisp new poster:
the entirety of Seirin's basketball recruitment setup.
Aida Riko watched another first-year fill out a form, though her mind was elsewhere.
Kuroko and Haizaki still hadn't shown up.
Don't tell me… they changed their minds?
No—please, no accidents!
Those two were crucial.
The future of Seirin's basketball club depended on them!
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
Okay, focus, Riko.
She glanced toward the group she'd sent out earlier to hand out flyers. Hopefully, they'd bring in at least some usable recruits—even if not miracle-tier ones like Kuroko or Haizaki.
Just as she was thinking that, the first scout team came rushing back.
"I—I brought a new recruit!"
"He's supposed to fill out the form here, right?"
"Eh…"
"EHH?!"
At first glance, Riko didn't recognize the tall boy who had just lifted Koganei off the ground with one hand.
But when her eyes caught sight of those split eyebrows
her mind froze.
"Kagami…?"
Kagami Taiga frowned.
"You are…? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
"Of course! The street court! You played Haizaki there—Kuroko was with him too!"
"!"
At the mention of those two names, Kagami's eyes flickered.
But the first face that came to mind wasn't the one he hated
it was that terrifying guy—Shigure Akihito.
Riko's heart pounded hard.
Even though Kagami had been utterly crushed by Haizaki back then, his raw athletic ability was undeniable.
And now, standing before her—he radiated the aura of a wild tiger.
Just like Haizaki's untamed beastly pressure.
Riko seized the opportunity immediately, introducing the basketball club and painting Seirin's future in the brightest colors possible.
"You might not know, but Seirin's only a year old. All our upperclassmen are second-years. With your skill, you could easily—"
"Doesn't matter."
"Just give me the form. I'll fill it out and go."
Moments later, Riko scanned through his completed profile.
Studied in the U.S., returned to Japan during his final year of junior high…
So he'd received proper basketball training.
No wonder his fundamentals and athleticism were so solid.
Of course, losing to Haizaki wasn't surprising either.
After all—Haizaki had once been part of the Generation of Miracles.
Kagami Taiga.
Hehe…
Perfect!
"Huh?"
"Motivation?"
"To defeat the players from Teiko Middle School?"
Kagami crushed his plastic bottle with one hand.
"Yeah. Them. Those two guys—and the so-called Generation of Miracles. Aren't they supposed to be the strongest?"
"I've trained hard just to beat them someday."
He tossed the bottle backward toward the trash can
but right then, someone walking past casually caught it midair.
"Sorry."
"Heh~"
"What's with that, split-eyebrow idiot? What language are you even speaking? Say it properly!"
Kagami's pupils contracted sharply.
He turned—and there he was.
That familiar face from the street court.
The one who had left a deep impression on him.
"You?!"
Another voice came softly from beside him.
"Haizaki, Kagami said he was apologizing."
"…"
"Tetsuya…"
"I do know what 'sorry' means, you know! Are you treating me like an idiot?!"
Kagami froze.
This guy—wasn't he the one whose dribbling vanished during the game?
With a loud clang, Riko leapt up from her seat behind the table the moment she saw Haizaki Shōgo and Kuroko Tetsuya walk in.
Her face shone with pure joy—almost moved to tears.
"You two finally made it! Kuroko, Haizaki!"
Finally...
finally, Seirin's future had arrived.
END OF CHAPTER
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