Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 49: Adapt to Everything, Control Everything! (Patreon)

Masato's sudden rise had begun with his first game for Teiko.

That was when people first noticed the prodigy who had managed to stand out even among the Generation of Miracles.

A few even began calling him another “Miracle” from Teiko.

But that opinion remained in the minority.

Masato had only recently appeared on the scene, while the real Generation of Miracles had already established an overwhelming reputation.

Plenty of people scoffed at the comparison.

Still, one thing was undeniable.

Masato had entered the public eye.

After that game, quite a few reporters decided to keep watching him.

Then he disappeared from Teiko's later games.

Just as people began wondering what had happened, news came out of Kanagawa that Masato had posted a monstrous quintuple-double.

That single performance forced everyone to pay attention again.

Only then did people learn that Masato had already left Teiko.

Afterward, he led Kawari on a true dark-horse run.

Almost every time the team played, another wave of ridiculous statistics and praise followed.

As the qualifiers continued, Masato's name became known throughout the junior high basketball world.

Plenty of reporters had been hoping for an exclusive interview with him for a long time.

They simply had never gotten the opportunity.

Today's session was not exclusive, but that did nothing to reduce their excitement.

Unlike the Generation of Miracles, who had already dealt with the media many times, Masato remained relatively mysterious.

This would be his first real appearance in front of the press.

...

The moment Masato entered the interview room, the reporters greeted him with cheers.

Part of it was professional.

Every reporter wanted to build a good relationship with an athlete worth covering.

But after watching the entire game, they also genuinely believed Masato deserved the reaction.

Masato smiled, nodded, and waved.

Then he strode to the interview table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“Thanks, everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

He picked up the microphone casually.

With one hand, Masato swept back the hair still damp and sticky from the champagne.

Somehow, it stayed in place.

That left his sharp but refined features completely exposed.

Combined with the confidence of someone who had just won a major game, he looked especially striking.

Several reporters immediately lit up.

They had been in this industry long enough to recognize a perfect attention magnet when they saw one.

“Not at all!”

“Congratulations on leading Kawari to the Nationals, Masato-kun!”

“How does it feel to qualify?”

“...”

Congratulations and questions came from every direction at once.

The room immediately became chaotic.

Masato smiled and pressed both hands downward, signaling for everyone to settle down.

The voices gradually faded.

Only then did he raise the microphone again.

“One at a time. Otherwise this is going to get messy.”

“I'll call on people myself. There are way too many of you for everyone to talk at once.”

Masato spread his hands with an easy smile.

There was not a trace of nervousness in him.

His composure felt far beyond what anyone expected from a boy his age.

That surprised quite a few reporters.

Some had originally planned to throw sharper questions at him.

But after seeing how naturally Masato took control of the room, several quietly reconsidered.

Masato scanned the reporters and suddenly recognized a familiar face.

Wasn't that the reporter who had stopped him before?

Masami Ishihara.

She was dressed in professional attire and carried the polished air of a mature working woman.

Her expression, however, completely ruined that image.

She was staring at Masato with obvious anticipation.

The contrast was almost funny.

“You can go first.”

Masato pointed toward her from across the room.

Masami immediately brightened and clenched one fist in excitement.

Under the envious looks of the reporters around her, she stood.

“Masato-kun, first of all, congratulations on the win. You also put up another unbelievable 40+20+20 triple-double today!”

“Thanks. Business as usual.”

The room reacted immediately.

If almost anyone else had said that, they would have sounded unbearably arrogant.

Coming from Masato, though, it really did feel close to business as usual.

Masami paused for a moment before continuing.

“Now that Kawari has qualified for the Nationals, have you thought about what kind of result you want?”

“As well as possible.” Masato laughed and shook his head. “Who doesn't want to win the championship?”

Several veteran reporters could already tell Masami was inexperienced.

That question had not produced much.

Her next one, however, immediately caught everyone's attention.

“Is there any opponent you personally want to face the most?”

Masato thought about it briefly.

“Teiko, I guess. They're strong.”

The reporters' eyes lit up.

That was enough.

Even if they got nothing else worth using today, that single answer had already made the interview worthwhile.

They were already thinking about how to build a story around it.

Masami smiled and asked another question.

“Masato-kun, what do you think is the most important quality for a player?”

She had always found Masato mysterious.

His sudden rise, along with the aura that made him feel different from the people around him, made him unusually compelling.

This question was meant to reveal something about Masato himself.

Masato's expression became slightly thoughtful.

“For me? Adaptation.”

Then he added casually,

“Adapt to everything. Control everything.”

It was a simple answer.

For some reason, however, everyone in the room felt there was something deeper behind it.

Especially the words “control everything.”

Looking at Masato sitting calmly at the center of the interview room, completely in command of the situation, the phrase almost seemed perfect.

Masami thought about the fact that Masato still did not have a true nickname.

People kept calling him “Another Miracle,” but the label had never felt quite right.

Now, an idea suddenly came to her.

...

The interview continued.

Masato called on several other reporters in turn.

The questions covered everything imaginable.

Some were bizarre.

A few even tried to pry into his private life.

Masato could only shake his head internally.

When the questions became too ridiculous, he simply chose whether he felt like answering.

A little over ten minutes later, the interview ended.

Masato waved to the room.

“See you at the Nationals!”

He put down the microphone and walked out the same way he had entered, leaving the reporters staring after him.

There were still countless things they wanted to ask.

But there was nothing they could do.

Masato was clearly not the kind of athlete they could keep in place just by piling on more questions.

At the same time, the reporters finally felt they had gotten their first real glimpse of him.

That ability to control the entire atmosphere around him was exactly the same as what he showed on the court.

...

When Masato returned to the locker room, everyone immediately crowded him with questions.

None of his teammates had ever experienced a real media session before.

Coach Nakamura, on the other hand, looked deeply satisfied.

There was a trace of wonder in the way he watched Masato.

He had been worried, so he had gone over to observe the interview himself.

What he saw had amazed him from beginning to end.

A room full of veteran reporters who had spent years dealing with every kind of person had somehow followed Masato's lead like obedient students.

Ever since meeting Masato, Masaki Nakamura had become completely convinced of one thing.

True monsters really did exist in this world.

After marveling at him for a while, Coach Nakamura moved on to organizing the team's celebration.

This time, the school had given them enough funding to go all out.

They could eat as much as they wanted and have as much fun as they wanted.

Barbecue, arranged.

Bathhouse, arranged.

Board games, arranged.

Girls, arran...

No.

That one could not be arranged.

...

The entire team threw themselves into the celebration.

Even by the time everyone finally split up, the excitement of qualifying for the Nationals still had not faded.

Masato did not get home until well after midnight.

And yet he was not sleepy in the slightest.

There was only one reason.

“System. Start the draw!”