Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 82: A New Semester! (Patreon)

Goodbyes always carried a touch of sadness. Fortunately, the retirement ceremony didn't last long, and everyone soon left the Basketball Club for a restaurant Masaki Nakamura had booked. It was finally time to celebrate their run to the National Tournament's Round of 16.

They might have finished in the top sixteen, but for Kawari, that was the best result in the school's history. For the players, it represented an entire season of hard work.

Over dinner, everyone ate and drank their fill, bragged about their exploits, and teased one another. There was plenty of talk about what they hoped to accomplish at the next National Tournament, too. Before long, the lively atmosphere had swept away the sadness of parting, and everyone said their goodbyes in high spirits.

...

The following days were still part of the school break. Those who wanted to train continued showing up, while Masato made no attempt to force the others. Everyone had their own priorities, and he couldn't make decisions for the entire team.

More and more, he was coming to believe that persistence was a talent in itself.

And so the break passed steadily, with training proceeding according to plan.

In the meantime, the National Tournament came to an end. Unsurprisingly, Teikō Middle School claimed yet another national championship. The result was exactly what everyone had expected.

Masato had actually taken several Kawari players to watch the final in person. The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was packed that day, but even that crowd couldn't match the turnout for Kawari's game against Teikō. Perhaps the public already knew the final wasn't going to be much of a contest.

Sure enough, the match ended 210–21.

The sheer disparity was ridiculous. The score was precisely ten to one, which made plenty of people wonder whether Teikō had deliberately arranged it that way. That might have sounded absurd to outsiders, but anyone familiar with Teikō knew they were perfectly capable of controlling the score down to that level.

The entire match had been a slaughter. If you hadn't known better, you might have thought you were watching professionals play amateurs. Then again, could even a professional team beat amateurs that badly? It was brutal.

As Masato watched, he couldn't shake the feeling that Teikō was venting its frustration on its opponent. Where that frustration had come from, he had no idea...

Whatever the reason, there was definitely something going on with that team.

...

Several months of vacation flew by before anyone seemed to notice. Today was the start of a new semester.

Masato had already readjusted to his school-day routine. He woke naturally before dawn, quickly washed up, ate breakfast, and headed out with his backpack slung over one shoulder. By the time his train reached Kanagawa, morning light had spread across the land.

There were already plenty of students outside Kawari Middle School when he arrived. Boys and girls in uniform streamed through the gates, their faces bright with youthful energy. The atmosphere hit him with an almost overwhelming sense of nostalgia. No matter how many times he experienced it, he still couldn't help feeling a little dazed.

Then he smiled.

"Pretty nice."

After that brief moment of appreciation, Masato started toward his classroom. Unfortunately, the leisurely break had made him forget one thing: just how much attention he attracted at school.

He'd barely taken a few steps onto campus when he felt eyes turning toward him. Whispers broke out all around.

"Wow, look! That's Masato Kumoi-senpai!"

"Where? Where is he?"

"Ah, he's so handsome!"

"Hands off, all of you! That's my husband!"

"..."

No single voice was particularly loud, but with so many girls talking, Masato heard every word. That all-too-familiar feeling returned, and his expression stiffened as he instinctively picked up his pace. The last thing he wanted was another hulking girl blocking his way.

Fortunately, nobody actually came over. It wasn't that they didn't want to. They simply couldn't work up the nerve.

Masato had accumulated too much prestige. To the other students, he was practically a celebrity. Besides, he was now a third-year middle school student, which made him an upperclassman. In Japan, where seniority mattered so much, that distinction carried real weight.

So Masato reached his classroom without incident. Only after sitting down did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He couldn't really be blamed for being so cautious. Those older girls had thoroughly traumatized him last semester.

...

Japanese middle school wasn't particularly demanding academically, and classes were over a little after four in the afternoon. Masato found the entire day pleasantly relaxed.

His expectations about the attention he would receive had also proved correct. Hardly anyone dared approach him. Apparently, now that the older girls from last semester had moved on to high school, Kawari had finally regained some peace.

Of course, the new crop of younger girls was only beginning to find its feet. Masato hoped they'd stay shy for a while longer and leave him alone.

Pretty girls, naturally, were a different matter.

He had no intention of lingering in the classroom. As he packed his bag and stood, the movement accidentally knocked several love letters out of his desk.

Masato didn't bother picking them up. The students assigned to clean the classroom could take care of it. And if they sneaked a peek? Well, he didn't particularly care. Let those rowdy boys see them. They might as well learn early that a girl's supposed shyness depended entirely on who she was dealing with.

With that thought, Masato walked out, leaving a roomful of envious gazes behind him.

...

As he made his way across campus, he noticed just how many unfamiliar faces there were. He was in no hurry to reach the Basketball Club, either. The younger students were still too intimidated to bother him, and most simply offered a polite greeting.

All he needed to do was nod like a proper senior. Since that was the case, he might as well take his time and enjoy the changes that came with the new semester.

On his way to the gym, Masato passed the covered walkway between the classroom building and the athletic field. Ordinarily, there was nothing unusual about the area after school. Today, though, the various school clubs had set up a long line of recruitment tables.

Students were everywhere, moving from one table to the next. Most clubs only had a few visitors at any given time. People would ask for some information, then head off to see what the other clubs were offering.

One table, however, was surrounded by a crowd.

The Basketball Club.

Masato smiled at the sight. It looked as though they'd have plenty of new recruits this year. Not that it was surprising after their impressive showing at Nationals. Kawari's Basketball Club really was on the rise.

He didn't want to interfere with his teammates' recruitment work, so he started to leave. Unfortunately, one of the players staffing the table spotted him.

The player sprang to his feet and greeted him respectfully.

"Hello, Captain!"

The commotion immediately drew the attention of the surrounding students. Masato sighed inwardly. He'd hoped to slip away unnoticed, but apparently that wasn't happening.

Still, after a whole day of dealing with his newfound status, he'd become reasonably accustomed to it. He nodded to the player and the students nearby.

"Carry on. Just make sure you report back to the team when you're finished."

"Yes, Captain!"

"..."

The reply rang out with enthusiasm, and the player's eyes shone with admiration. Most of the students applying to join the club looked much the same.

Only after Masato had walked away did they begin chattering among themselves.

"That was Masato Kumoi-senpai, right? He's so cool!"

"Yeah! Didn't you hear that senior call him 'Captain'?"

"Honestly, the only reason I want to join the Basketball Club is because of Kumoi-senpai!"

"Come on, who doesn't? Tell us something we don't know!"

"You only joined the Basketball Club because of him? I chose to come to Kawari Middle School because of him!"

"Holy shit, me too, bro!"

"That's awesome!"

"..."