That Manager - Kuroko no Basuke (Book 3)

第57Q

The buzzer went off, and the Shutoku bench was quiet, including the team players, as they stared at the floor dejectedly. "Game over!" announced the referee. Both teams then went to the center and lined up across each other. "Final score, 86 to 70. Rakuzan High wins! Bow!"

"Thank you very much!" said the players in unison.

"Somehow, Rakuzan seems very quiet." noted Kobori, when the said team didn't cheer like others did. "Instead of being happy, they looked relieved to have overcome an obstacle."

"Of course." said Kasamatsu. "Winning is a matter of course to them. Anything but the championship is failure. The pressure of being the strongest is beyond imagination. They absolutely cannot loose. That is the destiny of the emperor."

Akashi was walking to the bench when he heard someone walking towards him, making him stop in his tracks to look at the person. "Shintaro." he said.

The said boy stared at him for a moment before holding out a hand to him. "It was in fact our loss." he said. "But next time, we will make sure to win!"

"I will give you my thanks, Shintaro." said Akashi. "That was the first game in a while that had a bit of thrill. However, I apologise that I cannot accept that handshake." Midorima's eyes widened at this. "If you seek victory, you must become more merciless. Winning is everything. I wish to stay the foe for all of you."

"I see." said Midorima while lowering his hand, and it returned to his side. "You haven't changed, Akashi, from back then. But, in fact, we will win next time even then."

"All of you, stand proud!" commanded Otsubo to his downhearted teammates. "Don't act slovenly until we're off the court! We're not the only ones who fought! Everyone line up in front of the supporters' area!"

All the players, both the regulars and from the bench, lined up in front of where theirs schoolmates were sitting. "Thank you for all your support!" they shouted in unison before bowing to them. Their supporters clapped for their effort, even the others among the audience clapped for them. Once they had raised their heads, they packed up their things and returned to their locker room.

"Sixteen points." noted Murasakibara. "Well, I guess that sounds about, right? Considering how they played, the game could also have been more contested."

'It's true that Shutoku was strong.' thought Himuro, who was looking suspicious about something. 'But even then, the power of the Emperor goes beyond that. Especially...' He then recalled Akashi using his Emperor Eye to ankle-break his opponents to drive past them. 'But what's this sense that something is wrong? It didn't look like they were going easy at all. But still, was that really Rakuzan at full strength? Was that really Akashi Seijuro at full strength?'

"Hm?" said someone from behind the Yosen players. "Looks like I made it in time." Both of them turned around, and Murasakibara was surprised to see who had joined them.

"Gii-chin." he greeted.

"Long time no see, Murasakibara." he greeted with a grin before his gaze landed on the other boy. "And who's this? Your teammate?"

Murasakibara hummed as a reply. "He's Muro-chin." he introduced.

Giichi and Himuro shook hands and introduced themselves before the latter asked, "So Giichi-san, how did you know Atsushi?"

"When my little sister was in the basketball club back in middle school, I visited her at the school once during her first-year." he replied. "That was how I got acquainted with the other members of the Generation of Miracles, with the exception Kise, whom I hadn't met at that time yet."