Just as the five of them were talking, a weak, exhausted voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"Um… can I get a drink, Shin-chan?"
Hearing that, Haizaki Shogo, Shimizu Rena, Aomine Daiki, and Satsuki Momoi all turned around together. Standing there, drenched in sweat, was Takao Kazunari.
Haizaki recognized him at a glance—the unlucky guy who had lost a bet with Midorima and had pedaled a tricycle all the way here to watch the game.
Then the four of them turned their heads in unison to stare at Midorima Shintaro, all with the same look in their eyes.
Shin-chan?
Midorima glanced at Takao with clear "disdain" and introduced him seriously.
"Takao Kazunari. Teammate from Shutoku High."
"Oh."
"Ah."
"Mm."
"Takao Kazunari… one of the Five Rising Stars?"
The first three "so that's how it is" reactions came from Haizaki, Aomine, and Satsuki.
The one who mentioned the Five Rising Stars was Shimizu Rena. Because she worked hard gathering data, these names were extremely familiar to her. She recognized him instantly.
"Y-Yeah, I'm that so-called rising star. Please take care of me!"
Behind them, thirsty and exhausted, Takao stared at the snacks and drinks in Shimizu's and Momoi's hands. His eyes practically turned green.
"Takao-kun, this is yours."
Shimizu Rena took a drink from the bag and handed it to him.
"Thanks!!"
Takao opened it immediately and gulped it down, chugging more than half the bottle in one go.
After letting out a satisfied burp, he finally smiled awkwardly at everyone.
Because of this little episode, Takao successfully left a strong impression on Aomine, Momoi, and Shimizu as someone worthy of the "Five Rising Stars" title.
"It's starting."
With Midorima's reminder, the others focused, their eyes falling onto the court.
The whistle blew. Players from Kaijo High and Seirin High stepped onto the court. As the referee tossed the ball high, Kagami Taiga and Kaijo's tall center Kobori Hiroshi jumped for the opening tip.
In the stands, seeing Kaijo's starters, the group began murmuring.
"Ryouta isn't playing."
"Why isn't Kise-kun on the court?"
"Seirin's full lineup is out."
"Tetsu-kun is playing."
Each of them said a line, then quietly continued watching.
The ball was tapped by both Kagami and Kobori, but Kobori had the advantage. It fell into Kaijo captain Yukio Kasamatsu's hands.
But just as Kasamatsu prepared to organize the offense, a shadow appeared and stole the ball.
The one who intercepted it was the Phantom Sixth Man—Kuroko Tetsuya. He dribbled lightly forward, linked up with the trailing Kagami, and finished with a dunk.
"BANG!""CREAK!"
The slam echoed, followed by a sharp creak. Kagami Taiga dunked successfully—and yanked the rim on Kaijo's practice basket so hard that it came loose.
Everyone from Kaijo froze in shock, except Kise Ryouta… and the six people in the stands.
"Shogo-kun, that figure just now was…"
"The easter egg from the last game, Shimizu-chan. Teiko Junior High's Phantom Sixth Man—Kuroko Tetsuya."
"So that's Kuroko Tetsuya… What a strange feeling. His presence is so thin."
"Hehe. Keep watching. You'll understand soon."
While Haizaki and Shimizu talked, the others stayed silent. Midorima, Aomine, and Momoi stared at that slender figure on the court,
their eyes filled with memories.
Behind them, Takao Kazunari narrowed his eyes at the same figure, a hunter's look appearing in his gaze.
At that moment, the usually quiet Midorima and Aomine spoke.
"Good jump… but he's just a brute."
"This new 'light' is average at best. Kind of disappointing."
"Yeah. Pretty disappointing."
The one praising Kagami's jumping ability was Midorima, though calling him a brute fit perfectly. Kagami was still worlds away from true refinement.
Aomine was even prouder. Seeing Kagami's play, he practically ignored him. When "average" came from Aomine's mouth, it truly meant ordinary.
As for Haizaki, he agreed. Right now, Kagami Taiga really wasn't good enough for the three of them to take seriously.
Because the rim was damaged, the game paused, giving them time to talk.
Nearby, Momoi and Shimizu began whispering softly, exchanging notes like data analysts.
Then Takao, who had been sitting behind them, spoke again.
"Number 7—Kise Ryouta—is being subbed in."
No one replied. They simply turned their eyes back to the court.
Suddenly, Haizaki said something that puzzled everyone.
"Shimizu-chan, the little game continues."
"Is that okay, Shogo-kun?"
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
"Then… I chose Seirin High."
Ignoring their exchange, the others continued watching the match.
But in less than five minutes, Aomine and Midorima lost interest.
"A brute is still a brute."
"This light isn't as strong as I imagined, Tetsuya."
Haizaki glanced at the two beside him and said nothing. At this point, they truly looked down on Kagami Taiga.
And honestly, they had the capital to do so.
To be fair, Haizaki also looked down on him—but he couldn't afford to be careless, because these two were legendary children of fate.
With them, Seirin somehow won the Winter Cup in a miracle run. Who would believe that?
Against Tōō, Aomine ran out of stamina, was forced out of Zone, and lost.
Against Shutoku, Kagami was exhausted in the first quarter yet somehow lasted to the end and won.
Against Kaijo, Kise was injured and lost.
Against Yosen, Murasakibara couldn't jump and lost.
If someone said there was no trick behind all that, Haizaki wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death. Yet those memories were real.
So now, Haizaki could only keep adjusting his predictions based on reality. That was one reason he had started that "game" with Shimizu Rena earlier.
"Ryouta's growth really is fast. He's only been playing basketball for less than two years, yet he's already at this level. That's impressive."
Haizaki said this deliberately, wanting to hear Midorima's and Aomine's opinions on Kise Ryouta.
"That kind of growth rate is honestly scary."
"I think highly of him."
However, the answers Haizaki received were vague and ambiguous—neither fully praising nor denying.