Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 41: I Miss You! (Patreon)

The match between Kawari and Kurosawa has drawn a tremendous amount of public attention.

It’s not just because of Kawari’s phenomenal performance lately.

More importantly, this is a match that will determine which team advances.

Both teams are well known. Kawari may lack the history and tradition of an established powerhouse, but Masato’s sudden emergence and spectacular performances have drawn enormous attention in a very short time.

As for Kurosawa, needless to say, it’s a traditional powerhouse with a solid fan base.

On top of that, the team boasts one of its aces, Makoto Hanamiya, hailed as one of the “Uncrowned Kings.”

He was already a star in the junior high basketball scene.

The “Uncrowned Kings” certainly aren’t lacking in attention.

Below the Generation of Miracles, they were the most highly anticipated players in the country.

However, they’ve had some bad luck these past few years.

Despite being top-tier players, not a single one of them has managed to win a championship.

Before the Generation of Miracles entered junior high, they had at least a sliver of hope.

Even then, Teiko’s Shuzo Nijimura had kept them firmly suppressed.

Once the Generation of Miracles emerged, even that sliver of hope disappeared.

What made it even more frustrating was that every monster in the Generation of Miracles was individually good enough to carry a team.

And yet they had all ended up on the same team.

With the Generation of Miracles around for these three years, everyone else had been shut out of the championship entirely.

Plenty of teams had suffered in silence, and some had even tried to poach one of Teiko’s stars.

Every attempt had ended in failure.

This National Tournament would be the Uncrowned Kings’ final dance in junior high.

They were already third-years. If they failed to win the championship this time, the word “Uncrowned” would become painfully literal.

Just thinking about it was humiliating.

That was why every one of the Uncrowned Kings competing this year was prepared to put everything on the line.

They intended to burn through everything they had on the court.

Makoto Hanamiya, the “Bad Boy,” might not look especially passionate about basketball.

But his pride would never allow him to go out quietly.

...

The day before the game, Kawari’s Basketball Club practiced as usual.

But to prepare for the next day’s game, the intensity was kept low.

The players simply warmed up to maintain their physical condition.

Everyone chatted casually about the upcoming game.

After everything they had been through, the players were far tougher mentally than before.

Even so, tomorrow’s game carried special meaning, and their opponent was no pushover.

A little nervousness was inevitable.

Their earlier game against Fujii, another long-established powerhouse, had forced them to recognize their own level.

And tomorrow’s opponent, Kurosawa, was another strong team.

On top of that, Kurosawa had a star from the Uncrowned Kings.

Players like that were people they used to see only in the newspapers.

For the old Kawari, sharing a court with someone like that would have been unthinkable.

“I never thought we’d actually be on the verge of making it to the Nationals!”

“Yeah, but don’t celebrate too early. They’re not weak.”

“What are you worried about? We’ve got Masato-senpai!”

“Masato-kun is obviously strong. I’m more worried about how the other starters will do.”

“Yeah. Kurosawa’s different from Fujii. They have actual ace-level players. Forget Hanamiya for a second. Do you guys know Shoichi Imayoshi?”

“...”

The teammates chatted casually as they warmed up.

Masato, meanwhile, was training as usual in an open area.

With the recovery boost from [Steel Bones], he didn’t have to worry about the next day’s game.

Masato listened to his teammates talk without paying it much mind.

If anything, it only made him look forward to the game even more.

...

Before long, however, his training was interrupted.

The door to the basketball gym swung open.

“Excuse me, is Masato training here?” a clear yet lively voice rang out.

Everyone in the gym turned to look.

For a moment, everyone froze.

The girl had flowing pink hair and lively pink eyes beneath delicately arched brows.

She radiated youthful vitality.

A delicate nose and small red lips completed a pretty, heart-shaped face that looked ready for the entertainment industry.

Her tall, slender figure was equally striking for someone her age.

She looked like the kind of girl who would stand out even among school beauties.

For a moment, everyone forgot to respond.

While everyone was still staring, the girl suddenly let out a delighted “Ah!” and ran straight toward Masato.

The gym wasn’t very big, and Masato was standing alone, so she spotted him easily.

He paused his training.

Masato looked at the girl in front of him with mild surprise.

Of course it was Satsuki Momoi.

Before Masato could say anything, Satsuki blinked up at him and spoke softly.

“Masa, it’s been a while.”

He had not expected to see Satsuki here, but the surprise was a pleasant one.

Part of it was simply seeing a familiar face again. The fact that she was so easy on the eyes did not hurt either.

The girls around him lately had all looked painfully young to his adult eyes.

Most were still clearly in the middle of growing up.

Some still had baby faces, awkward builds, or the usual teenage acne.

A few were attractive enough, but none really fit his preferences.

Satsuki, on the other hand, had developed unusually early.

Even with a notebook held against her chest, her figure was impossible to hide completely.

Masato could only think that the girl was unfairly blessed.

“It hasn’t been that long, has it? What brings you here?” Masato asked curiously.

“Not that long? It’s been more than half a semester!” Satsuki pouted.

If she hadn’t mentioned it, Masato wouldn’t have realized it.

He trained every day. He had barely paid attention to how much time had passed.

“I guess it has been a while.” Masato nodded. “You still haven’t told me why you came all the way out here.”

He really was curious. He and Satsuki had not interacted much back at Teiko.

It wasn’t until he was promoted to the first team that they started seeing each other more often.

Even when he left, all he had really done was say goodbye.

And even that had only happened because Satsuki had come to find him. Masato had not gone around saying farewell to anyone else.

From his perspective, they were hardly close.

Of course, that was just Masato’s perspective.

For Satsuki, however, the hug they had shared before parting had stirred feelings she had not understood at the time.

Only recently had she finally figured out what those feelings meant.

She had wanted to visit him for a while, but her responsibilities as Teiko’s manager had kept her busy.

Now that the Tokyo qualifiers were over and the team had fewer things demanding her attention, she had come straight to Kanagawa to see Masato.

“What’s the matter? Can’t I come see you just because I feel like it?” Satsuki playfully wrinkled her nose.

Her big eyes glinted mischievously. “Obviously, I missed you!”

After saying that, she fixed her gaze on Masato, trying to gauge his reaction.

The two locked eyes, and Masato deliberately remained silent.

It did not take long for Satsuki to crack first. “Ah, I’m kidding! I heard you’re playing Kurosawa next, so I came to give you some information on them.”

Seeing Satsuki’s shy and flustered expression, Masato wasn’t a fool.

After living two lives, Masato did not need much experience to recognize what was written all over her face.

Satsuki really was an exceptional girl, and she checked nearly every box for him.

Masato had no intention of teasing Satsuki in front of his teammates.

“Let’s get out of here. We can talk while we walk.” Masato smiled, his tone calm.

Satsuki had no objection. She had no desire to keep standing there while a gym full of strangers stared at her.

Still, she asked quietly, “Won’t this mess up your training schedule, Masa?”

If she was going to interfere with his plans, she would rather wait until he finished.

“It’s fine. You’re today’s plan.”

Satsuki’s face flushed instantly.

Masato acted as though he had said nothing unusual. He gathered his things and said goodbye to teammates who were already dying to gossip.

Satsuki followed behind him, still turning that deliberately ambiguous line over in her head.

For a moment, she really did look like a young wife following her husband.

And visually, the two of them really did make a striking pair.

After leaving the gym, everyone finally snapped out of their stunned silence.

They all started chatting excitedly.

“Holy crap, who’s that girl!”

“She’s gorgeous. I don’t think she goes here.”

“Yeah, she has to be Masato-senpai’s girlfriend. They look perfect together!”

“Exactly! That must be why Masato-kun never dates anyone here.”

“I’m so jealous. Handsome and talented. He’s basically my dream guy!”

“...”