Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 42: I Can’t Wait, Genius! (Patreon)

They left the gym early enough that plenty of students were still on campus.

As they walked across campus together, the sight of a handsome boy beside a beautiful girl naturally drew plenty of attention.

Quite a few girls recognized Masato and stared in surprise.

None of them had ever seen him this close to another girl.

“Isn’t that Masato-kun?”

“Yeah, who’s that girl next to him? She’s so pretty.”

“Oh my gosh, she can’t be his girlfriend, can she?”

“Of course she is. I’ve been saying forever that Masato-senpai must already have a girlfriend. None of the girls here could get anywhere with him.”

“Nooo, I don’t want to look. Please tell me I’m imagining this!”

“Mom, I just got dumped!”

“...”

Both Masato and Satsuki noticed the stares and the bits of gossip drifting over from around them.

Satsuki felt embarrassed, but a little pleased at the same time.

She was usually bright and outgoing, yet walking beside Masato now left her unusually shy.

That was hardly unusual for a girl with a crush.

Masato was already used to being watched, and in this case he did not mind at all.

With Satsuki around, he hoped fewer people would try to hit on him in the future.

...

After leaving the school grounds, Masato stopped at the drink shop by the gate and bought two lemonades.

Satsuki seemed distracted. When he asked whether she wanted sugar, she simply said either was fine.

In that case, Masato naturally ordered hers without sugar. It was healthier.

The moment she took her first sip, however, the sourness made her entire face scrunch up.

“Ah, sour!”

Masato burst out laughing at the expression on her face.

He kept walking, and Satsuki never asked where he was taking her.

They did not have much time, so the two simply wandered around the nearby streets.

It was the first time Masato had gone out just to wander since moving to Kanagawa.

As dusk began to fall, the two took the train back to Tokyo together.

Just as they were about to part ways, Satsuki suddenly remembered there was one more thing she hadn’t done.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Masa, this is for you.” Satsuki handed him the notebook she had carried the entire afternoon.

“It has information on Kurosawa.” Satsuki’s expression turned serious. “Masa, you guys really need to watch out for their dirty tricks.”

“Don’t get hurt, no matter what.”

Masato did not really need the information, but seeing how serious she was, he had no intention of refusing it.

Turning her down after she had come all this way would have been painfully insensitive.

Masato accepted the notebook. Their fingers brushed, and Satsuki felt a quiet little thrill.

“Thanks, Little Peach.” Masato smiled. “Want me to take you home?”

“No, it’s fine, Masa. You have a game tomorrow, so go home and rest early.” Satsuki shook her head. “Good luck tomorrow!”

It was not particularly late, so after she declined, Masato did not insist.

“All right, then. Be careful on your way home.”

“Mm-hmm, bye!”

Masato waved and turned to leave.

The moment he turned away, however, Satsuki caught him by surprise and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Masato could feel Satsuki’s cheek pressed against his back.

A faint cherry-blossom scent drifted around him.

Masato was genuinely surprised. He had not expected her to do something like this.

Just as he was about to turn around, Satsuki let go and took two steps back.

“Hehe. You hugged me last time, so now we’re even.” Satsuki tugged down one eyelid and made a teasing face at him.

Before Masato could answer, her face turned bright red. She spun around and ran off before he could see just how embarrassed she was.

Masato stood there speechless for a moment before finally chuckling and shaking his head.

“I can’t believe I just got teased by that little brat.”

...

After returning home, Masato ate dinner and went to bed early.

Outside, anticipation for the match was already running high.

On one side was the newly emerged dark horse; on the other, the long-established powerhouse.

There was plenty to watch, from the star players on both sides to the simple question of which team would advance.

If Kurosawa lost this game, their streak of advancing to the nationals for several consecutive years would come to an end.

For many Kurosawa fans, this was unacceptable.

They had heard plenty about Kawari’s rise lately, but they were not going to accept it until the teams settled things on the court.

The night passed quickly.

...

The next day, Masato headed to school as usual.

When he arrived, quite a few players were already gathered at the school gate.

Not only that, but while one bus was usually enough, three were parked there today.

Turning his head, he spotted a group of cheerleaders dressed in matching uniforms.

These cheerleaders were all girls.

Kawari’s recent rise had drawn the school administration’s full attention.

The school had already put together a cheer squad.

Recruitment had gone smoothly. The girls had joined not only because of the Basketball Club’s results, but even more because of Masato himself.

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that ninety percent of them were Masato fans.

Just as Masato noticed them, the girls spotted him the moment he entered the school grounds, their eyes lighting up immediately.

This was immediately followed by a flurry of whispered chatter.

Masato treated the cheerleaders differently from the girls who usually came up to chat with him.

After all, they were there to support their own team.

Masato raised his hand and waved at the girls.

That small gesture sent them into a frenzy.

For a second, it looked as though they might charge straight at him.

That startled Masato enough to lower his hand immediately and hurry toward the bus.

He paid no attention to his teammates, who were casting envious glances his way.

He closed his eyes to rest, and before long the buses set off.

...

There was only one game on the schedule today, with no separate early or late session.

Because the matchup had attracted so much attention, the organizers had also moved it to a larger arena.

The moment the team got off the buses, the scale of the event was obvious even from outside the building.

The arena itself was larger than before.

And the crowd still waiting outside was already much larger than usual.

At a glance, there were fans who had come alone, as well as spectators with their entire families in tow.

Of course, there was no shortage of media personnel with cameras.

By now, though, the team was used to seeing cameras around.

What caught the attention of the Kawari team was the presence of quite a few people wearing other teams’ jerseys.

After a moment’s thought, they realized these were their potential opponents.

The other regions had already decided their National Tournament berths, giving those teams time to come to Kanagawa and scout the game.

The realization put an invisible pressure on Kawari’s players.

Who would have imagined that Kawari would one day be important enough for future opponents to scout in person?

The closer they got to the National Tournament, the stronger that pressure became.

But everyone also understood what that pressure meant.

Pressure could become motivation.

If they overcame it, the honor would follow naturally.

The team didn’t waste any time. After parting ways with the cheerleaders, they headed through the players-only tunnel to enter the arena.

They found their assigned locker room, changed into their uniforms, and headed onto the court to warm up.

There was still about half an hour before tip-off.

Even so, quite a few spectators had already taken their seats.

And more were pouring in rapidly.

Masami Ishihara was also in attendance today.

Lately, thanks to that article about Masato, she’d been gaining more recognition at work.

Masami was grateful for the opportunity it had given her.

And naturally, she wanted to produce more breakout articles.

To her, Masato had no shortage of material worth writing about.

...

While Kawari warmed up on the court, Kurosawa finally entered the arena as well.

True to their name, their jerseys were all black.

The entire team exuded a dark, brooding aura.

They did not start warming up immediately. Instead, several of them studied Kawari from across the court.

Makoto Hanamiya sat on the bench, his gloomy eyes fixed on Masato the whole time.

“I’ve really been looking forward to this, genius.”