Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Miyagi suddenly stumbled.

He raised his head, his chest heaving violently.

In the shadows not far away, Coach Anzai stood with his hands behind his back.

Behind those reflective round-framed glasses.

A gaze full of wisdom and kindness quietly watched him.

"coach……"

Miyagi opened his mouth and slowly straightened up.

"I...I must get moving..."

Miyagi's voice trembled slightly uncontrollably.

He stared intently at the ground, speaking rapidly and incoherently:

"I can't stop..."

"When I try to calm down, I can't help but think about..."

"I'm thinking about some really bad things..."

Coach Anzai didn't move; he just stood there quietly, his glasses glinting slightly.

"Why?" he asked softly.

"because……"

Miyagi suddenly raised her head, her eyes red from extreme tension.

"Because...the opponent..."

It's Fukatsu!

It's Fukatsu, the one who made Maki Shinichi look so pathetic in the video!

He was a full twelve centimeters taller than me!

Physique, strength, experience – a complete and utter domination!

This size difference is a disaster for a point guard!

Just as Miyagi was about to reveal all his inner fears.

Coach Anzai suddenly spoke, his calm voice directly interrupting Miyagi.

"Judging from the defenders' man-marking agility..."

He paused, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty:

"They are the better performers on our team."

Miyagi was stunned.

The heart, which was about to leap out of its throat, suddenly skipped a beat.

"What?"

His eyes widened, he pointed to his nose, his face filled with disbelief.

"Am I...I'm better?"

When facing that monster-level point guard.

The coach actually said...

I think I'm better than everyone else?!

Coach Anzai nodded slightly, the curve of his lips softening a bit.

"The opponent was indeed a burly man who was 180 centimeters tall."

He took a step and slowly walked to the palace.

He stretched out his large, thick hand and gently patted Miyagi's tense shoulder.

"But what's there to be afraid of?"

Coach Anzai's voice was like a warm current, slowly flowing into Miyagi's almost frozen blood.

"Haven't you always grown up like this?"

In short, it's like the morning bell and evening drum.

Miyagi gasped sharply.

Fragments of memory flashed wildly through my mind.

From elementary school, to junior high, and then to high school.

Because of his short stature, he was always the least favored player on the court.

He's always the one whose "short stature" is mocked by his opponents.

How many times has he been blocked by opponents who are taller and stronger than him?

How many times has it been knocked over?

But did he back down?

Never!

He relied on his relentless running and his dazzling dribbling skills.

They carved out their own bloody path through the movement of this giant!

"Miyagi-kun."

Coach Anzai looked at the young man whose eyes had rekindled their flame, and said, word by word:

"I've always thought that you have advantages in speed and ball control..."

"We will never lose to anyone."

Coach Anzai withdrew his hand, his gaze behind his glasses becoming incredibly sharp.

It seemed to pierce through all the palace's pretense and cowardice.

"Please don't tell me I saw it wrong."

The corridor was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Only faint noises could be heard coming from the stadium not far away.

Miyagi Ryota lowered his head.

His curly hair obscured his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression.

one second.

two seconds.

Followed by.

Miyagi's trembling shoulders miraculously calmed down.

His clenched fists slowly loosened.

The fear that had been weighing on his nerves vanished like the gloom dispelled by the sunlight.

Instead, a fighting spirit began to surge wildly in their blood!

"yes……"

"I'm Ryota Miyagi, the lightning-fast one!"

"Who cares if he's 1.8 meters or 1.9 meters tall!"

"Want to catch me on this court? Dream on!"

Miyagi suddenly raised his head.

That face, which usually had a slightly roguish air about it.

This moment is filled with unprecedented determination and arrogance.

He looked at Coach Anzai and, with all his might, roared:

"No!!!"

……

In the lounge.

Mitsui Hisashi sat at the very edge of the bench.

His legs were shaking uncontrollably, and his palms were covered in cold sweat.

The second hand of the clock on the wall ticked away.

To him at that moment, it sounded like a death knell.

He then gulped down another large mouthful of sports drink.

Mitsui suddenly stood up.

Because I got up too quickly.

His knee slammed heavily against the metal bench in front of him, making a dull thud.

"Hey, mistress!"

As Sakuragi passed by Lin Bei and his companion, his tone was incredibly irritating:

"Are you going to the bathroom again?"

"How many times has this been?"

"You should have said you had kidney deficiency sooner!"

Mitsui paused, his back teeth grinding together.

He didn't even turn his head, and walked towards the toilet as if he were fleeing a disaster.

He covered his face with his hands in pain.

So embarrassing...

He cursed himself in his heart.

Faced with a monster of Sannoh Industrial's caliber, his body actually sent out a signal of begging for mercy before he could react.

A two-year gap...

Those two years I spent living on the streets.

Have they really completely ruined that once invincible MVP of junior high school?

The images from the videotape slithered through his mind like venomous snakes.

Even after fighting so many tough battles.

But he really stood in front of this group of national hegemons.

That profound sense of powerlessness still overwhelmed him completely, like a tidal wave.

"hateful!"

Mitsui slammed his fist against the wall.

The dull pain in my finger joints was nothing compared to the torment in my heart.

In the shadows not far away, a pair of reflective round-framed glasses silently observed everything.

Coach Anzai, with his hands behind his back, watched Mitsui's hunched back and slowly followed.

The motion-sensor lights in the men's restroom were a stark, unnatural white.

The cold water from the tap was flowing "whoosh".

Mitsui braced his hands on the sink.

Looking at myself in the mirror, pale-faced and with unfocused eyes, I wanted to slap myself twice.

He walked to the urinal, unzipped his pants, and stood there for a full minute.

There was only endless embarrassment.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock..."

The sound of leaking water pipes was extremely jarring in the empty toilet.

Just then, through an empty seat, a faint sound of clothes rubbing together suddenly came from the room.

A gentle, calm voice, yet with an extremely familiar rhythm, rang out in the restroom.

"It's you, Mitsui."

Mitsui shuddered and almost jumped up on the spot.

He turned his head, his eyes wide: "An...Teacher Anzai?!"

Coach Anzai stood there leisurely.

It was as if it were just a chance encounter; he wore his unchanging, gentle smile.

Mitsui's face instantly turned bright red, and he frantically straightened his pants.

Overwhelmed by shame, he didn't even know where to put his hands and could only stand awkwardly in place.

Her voice was barely audible: "I...I just peed, I can't pee at all..."

He closed his eyes in pain and grabbed a handful of his hair.

"This is the third time already, it's terrible."