Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 79: Wait, You're Actually Drooling! (Patreon)

Three days had passed since Masato's encounter with Kazuo Fujita. He had gradually resumed training, and he'd drawn up individual training plans for his teammates, who were all taking their workouts seriously.

Even so, his thoughts kept returning to that conversation with Fujita. It wasn't the generous recruitment offer that had caught his attention, but the possibility of going to America. Those words had stirred an ambition he'd kept buried for years.

As a basketball player, in both his previous life and this one, Masato had always aimed for the very pinnacle of the sport. Only now, however, had he begun seriously considering what that would mean for his future. He'd told Fujita it was still too early to worry about high school, but he knew the decision would come sooner than he liked.

More schools would undoubtedly approach him. He hadn't thought about setting conditions before, but now there was one thing he knew he'd want from any prospective school: a concrete plan to help him make his way overseas.

Masato shook his head. That was still a little way off. Better to focus on what was right in front of him.

He picked up his bag, ready to head to the Basketball Club for another day of training, when his phone rang.

Masato frowned. Another nuisance call?

But when he checked the screen, he was surprised to find his older cousin's name.

"Hey, Reiko. What's up?"

A warm, refined voice came through the phone, carrying a faint note of complaint.

"Can't I call you unless something's wrong? It's been ages, and you haven't even thought to get in touch with your big cousin..."

Masato clicked his tongue. She had a point. The last time they'd seen each other was when he transferred schools, several months ago.

"..."

Despite how long they'd been out of touch, the call lasted barely a minute. Reiko had mainly wanted to know whether he was home, and once he'd confirmed that he was, she announced she'd be coming over shortly.

Masato shook his head with a helpless smile. Her timing was almost too perfect. Another minute, and he would already have been on his way to the gym.

But he didn't consider her visit an inconvenience. He cared about his cousin.

After all, recovering the memories of his previous life hadn't meant taking over someone else's body. He was still the same person who had grown up here. When his parents died in an accident, before those memories awakened, Reiko had looked after him in all sorts of ways. Without her help, that period of his life would have been far more difficult.

He hadn't forgotten any of it.

Smiling to himself, Masato set his bag down again and started tidying up the house.

...

Meanwhile, at a bubble tea shop in Tokyo, Reiko put down her phone and smiled at the woman sitting beside her.

"Come on, Masami. I'm going to introduce you to a handsome guy before we get started on today's plans!"

Masami Ishihara was curious, but she kept her expression composed and merely nodded. She'd known Reiko for years, and she knew her friend had a younger cousin. Reiko had told her so many times how handsome he was that she was finally interested in seeing him for herself.

"Sure."

Her lukewarm response didn't fool Reiko. She knew her best friend's reserved exterior hid a rather flirtatious side, though she decided not to tease her about it just yet.

"Oh, that reminds me! My cousin's actually connected to your line of work."

Masami blinked.

"He's apparently really good at basketball. You know sports aren't my thing, but I thought you might be interested."

Masami smiled and nodded without taking it seriously. She dealt with remarkable players every day. Why would an ordinary school basketball player interest her?

Still, the mention of basketball brought Masato Kumoi's face to mind once again.

Reiko noticed her friend's lack of enthusiasm. Remembering her cousin's good looks, she grew even more eager to see what would happen.

"Alright, let's get going!"

...

The drive didn't take long. Reiko talked almost nonstop along the way, and nearly every subject somehow led back to her cousin. By the time they arrived, Masami was more curious than ever. Reiko wasn't the type to boast for no reason.

Just before they went upstairs, Reiko turned to her with a mischievous grin.

"Just try not to drool when you see him!"

"..."

Masami rolled her eyes. Wasn't that a little much? This time, though, she didn't bother arguing. Reiko had already knocked on the apartment door.

Standing a step behind her, Masami suddenly felt nervous for no reason she could explain. It was ridiculous. What did she have to be nervous about?

Then the door opened.

The moment she saw the boy standing there, her composure deserted her. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and her breathing quickened, making her chest rise and fall visibly.

It was him.

The boy whose face had been occupying her thoughts every single day lately was standing right in front of her.

For a moment, everything felt unreal. She tried to pull herself together, but her mind simply wouldn't cooperate.

Reiko had already stepped inside when she noticed that her friend hadn't followed. She turned around and saw Masami standing there in a daze, a tiny, glistening trickle at the corner of her open mouth.

Reiko stared.

She'd expected her hopelessly lovestruck friend to react to a handsome boy, but nothing could have prepared her for this. Just how long had she been holding herself back?

Reiko waved a hand in front of Masami's vacant eyes.

"Wait, seriously? I was only joking about you drooling. You're actually doing it!"

Her voice finally snapped Masami out of her trance. She swatted Reiko's hand away, ready to protest, but then she noticed Masato looking at her too.

Her face turned scarlet.

"I am not! Stop making things up, Reiko!" she whispered, lowering her head.

Perhaps it was because she wasn't dressed for work today, but the brisk, confident reporter Masato might have recognized was nowhere to be seen. Masami struggled to hide her embarrassment, stole another glance at him, and turned back to Reiko.

"You never told me your cousin was Masato!"

Reiko blinked, thoroughly confused. Her eyes darted between her friend and her cousin.

"Hang on. You two know each other?"

Masato was just as bewildered. The woman beside Reiko certainly looked familiar. Wasn't she the reporter who'd interviewed him before? Masami Ishihara, if he remembered correctly?

It wasn't surprising that he'd needed a moment to recognize her. He remembered a sophisticated, mature-looking woman in a business suit. Today, though, she was wearing a full Lolita outfit. Without the constraints of her usual work clothes, the impressive curves of her chest seemed even more pronounced.

One thought immediately came to mind.

What a contrast.

Still, Masato had seen enough in his life not to let his surprise show.

"Small world, huh? Don't just stand in the doorway. Come on in!"

"..."