"Then what about Makino Juro?"
"Makino Juro's strong too—doesn't Rukawa-kun see him as a rival?" Kuwata asked innocently.
Hearing that, Makino Juro—who had been sitting on the bench with his eyes closed, fully committed to maintaining his "invisible mode"—felt his eyelid twitch slightly.
Rukawa Kaede seemed to catch the discussion. He tightened his shoelaces without turning his head.
Probably because Makino Juro is a teammate.
And besides… that guy seems to prefer slacking off.
Rukawa silently added that last thought in his mind, even rolling his eyes.
"Number 14, shooting guard—Mitsui Hisashi!"
"MITSUI——!!!"
In one corner of the stands, a massive banner reading "Man of Fire" waved wildly.
Horita Norio was in tears, shouting at the top of his lungs with a hoarse, broken voice:
"Mitsui! You're the best!"
"Show these mortals your three-point rain!"
Mitsui Hisashi, who had been about to make a cool entrance, stumbled mid-step—nearly bowing to the crowd like it was New Year's.
His face flushed bright red. He could practically dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes inside his sneakers as he snarled toward the stands:
"Shut up, Norio!"
"Stop yelling! This is so embarrassing!"
With that, Shohoku's starting five were fully assembled.
As for Makino Juro—assigned as a "secret weapon" (substitute) for this match—he wasn't introduced.
And honestly, he preferred it that way.
Wrapping his jacket tighter around himself, he slumped into the chair in the most ergonomically perfect position he could find.
"Ah… this is nice."
"Finally done with that 'paraded like a zoo animal' segment."
"I just want to be a quiet VIP spectator," Makino Juro thought contentedly.
On the other side of the court.
At Ryonan High's bench.
Coach Taoka Moichi stood with his arms crossed, gaze sharp as a blade as it swept across Shohoku's lineup.
His eyes lingered on Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa for quite a while. The muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably.
Mitsui Hisashi… Miyagi Ryota… Rukawa Kaede…
A long sigh echoed in his heart.
It was a complicated mix of "losing a billion yen" and "watching your ex marry your rival."
"These guys… they were all supposed to be mine at Ryonan!"
"If they had come, along with Sendoh and Uozumi…"
In an instant, Taoka's mind conjured a high-definition fantasy—
A dream team conquering the nation, himself standing on the championship podium, bathed in flashing cameras, worshipped by the masses.
"…What a shame."
Reality slapped him hard across the face.
Shaking his head, he forcefully discarded those unrealistic fantasies. His gaze sharpened again.
"Next, introducing the team in white—Ryonan High!"
"Number 4, center—Uozumi Jun!"
A massive figure slowly rose.
At 202 centimeters tall, he towered above the rest like a crane among chickens, radiating pressure.
Watching Uozumi's broad back, Taoka couldn't help but drift back three years.
Back then, Uozumi had been tall—but clumsy, insecure, mocked behind his back as "a useless giant."
Uozumi…
Taoka murmured inwardly, his gaze turning almost fatherly.
"The moment you chose Ryonan, I knew—we were heading for the national stage."
"You're the weapon I forged with my own hands… the cornerstone of Ryonan."
"From that moment on, I started recruiting like a madman—for you."
His gaze once again turned resentful as it drifted toward Shohoku, like a bitter man abandoned by fate.
"I went after Mitsui—he said he wanted to follow Coach Anzai, his 'white moonlight.'"
"I went after Miyagi—same answer, Shohoku, because of Coach Anzai."
"And when I finally waited for Rukawa Kaede to graduate…"
Taoka shut his eyes in pain, clutching his chest.
That conversation still stabbed into his heart like a poisoned dagger.
'Rukawa-kun, come to Ryonan…'
'No. I'm going to Shohoku.'
'Why? Because of Coach Anzai again?'
'No. It's closer to home.'
Closer to home!!!
Taoka roared internally.
What kind of reason was that?!
It wasn't even that damaging—but the humiliation was off the charts!
A complete dimensionality reduction strike against a passionate coach like him!
But…
Taoka suddenly opened his eyes, gaze sweeping over the Ryonan players warming up.
"It doesn't matter."
"Even if I failed to collect those geniuses…"
"My current team—tempered through hell—is still the strongest!"
The introductions continued.
"Number 6, guard—Koshino Hiroaki!"
Koshino stepped forward, head held high, a fierce "try me if you dare" look in his eyes.
"Koshino may lack the talent of those prodigies, but his competitive spirit is unmatched. His fighting will drives the entire team," Taoka nodded in satisfaction.
"Number 8, guard—Uekusa Tomoyuki!"
Uekusa walked onto the court steadily, expression calm as if he were just out for a stroll.
"Uekusa may not be as flashy as Miyagi, but he's steady, composed—zero mistakes. A point guard who understands basketball inside out."
"The two of them have grown into indispensable pieces of Ryonan."
At that moment, the announcer's voice suddenly shot up an octave—almost cracking.
"Next!"
"Number 7, small forward—Sendoh AKIRA!!!"
"BOOM——!!!"
If Rukawa's entrance had drawn screams, then Sendoh's was a tsunami.
The entire arena seemed to tremble—this was the presence of a true ace.
Sendoh Akira stepped onto the court with his signature messy "broom head," a casual smile on his lips.
He strolled forward as if this weren't a life-or-death match—but a walk in his own backyard.
Yet beneath that lazy smile lay a pair of razor-sharp eyes.
Sendoh looked toward Shohoku's half.
His gaze first collided with Rukawa's cold stare—sparks flying.
Not bad, Rukawa…
Sendoh thought, a long-lost excitement stirring within him.
Then his gaze shifted past Rukawa—landing precisely on a corner of Shohoku's bench.
There, Makino Juro was yawning without a shred of dignity.
Sensing the look, Makino Juro lazily raised a hand and gave a half-hearted "peace" sign.
His face clearly said: Don't cue me. I want to go home.
Sendoh froze for a moment—then the smile on his lips deepened.
Makino Juro… that unfathomable guy.
Even as a substitute, Sendoh knew very well—
That seemingly sleepy player was Shohoku's most dangerous hidden weapon.
At that moment, a red-haired figure suddenly blocked his line of sight.
"Hey! Broom-head!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi had somehow rushed to midcourt, shoving his face right up to Sendoh's.
Nostrils flared skyward, arrogance maxed out.
"Quit looking around!"
"Your opponent is me—the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi!"
"Today I'm gonna beat you into the ground! You better be ready!"
Sendoh looked at him, smile unchanged.
"Oh, Sakuragi. Long time no see."
"Don't act familiar! I—"
THUD!
A dull rang out.
Akagi Takenori's fist of "fatherly love" slammed down onto Sakuragi's head, instantly raising a smoking lump.
"Idiot! The game hasn't even started! Get back here!"
Like grabbing a chicken, Akagi hauled Sakuragi back to their half by the collar.
"Let go of me, Gorilla!"
"I'm gonna teach that broom-head a lesson!"
"I'll punish him in the name of the moon!" Sakuragi flailed wildly.
Sendoh chuckled at the sight.
"Heh… hasn't changed at all."
"Finally—Number 13, power forward—Fukuda Kicchou!"
The announcement rang out again.
Fukuda Kicchou stepped onto the court with his head lowered, messy hair covering his eyes.
Silent.
But beneath that silence, his exposed eyes burned with a near-mad hunger—for victory, for recognition.
The ten starters stood at center court.
Akagi Takenori vs. Uozumi Jun.
Rukawa Kaede vs. Sendoh Akira.
Miyagi Ryota vs. Uekusa Tomoyuki.
Mitsui Hisashi vs. Koshino Hiroaki.
Sakuragi Hanamichi vs. Fukuda Kicchou.
The air seemed to freeze—thick with gunpowder.
The referee stepped forward, ball in hand.
"Get ready!"
Akagi and Uozumi crouched simultaneously.
Their eyes locked onto the basketball like two primordial beasts about to clash.
"Tweet!"
The whistle pierced the air.
The ball was tossed high.
"The game begins!"
Akagi and Uozumi roared at the same time, their massive bodies launching upward, blotting out the sky.
Up in the stands, Makino Juro narrowed his eyes, casually popping a mint candy into his mouth—crunch.
"Well then… the show begins."
"Just don't make me work too hard in the second half."
END OF CHAPTER
You can access now the advanced chapters of this game!
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer