In the end, the two of them simply threw the ball aside—
And started rolling around on the floor like elementary school kids.
"Enough!"
Akagi Takenori finally lost his patience and smashed each of them with a heavy fist.
THUD! THUD!
Two fresh lumps instantly formed.
Sakuragi Hanamichi clutched his head, eyes watering, and pointed at Miyagi Ryota.
"Damn it! If I wasn't afraid of hurting you, this genius would've already used his ultimate move!"
"I'm the man who teamed up with Master to defeat Sendoh from Ryonan!"
"If you've got guts, go challenge my master!"
Miyagi rubbed his head and glanced disdainfully at Makino Juro, who was sitting on the sidelines yawning.
"That dead-fish-eyed guy?"
"I admit he's good in a fight."
"But basketball?"
Spinning the ball on his fingertip, Miyagi's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Basketball isn't a sport you win with brute force."
"Looking at how lazy he is, I doubt he can even dribble."
Hearing that, Makino Juro—who had been doing shuttle runs—waved his hand casually.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right."
"I can't play."
"I'm just here to slack off."
That completely nonchalant attitude only made Miyagi more irritated.
That feeling of being looked down on—
Especially with Ayako watching nearby!
"Hey! You, dead-fish-eyes!"
Miyagi walked up and blocked Makino Juro's path.
"Since he calls you master, how about a match?"
"If I win, you stay away from Ayako!"
Makino Juro sighed. "How about I just forfeit and you buy me a cola instead?"
"You!" Miyagi choked.
How could this guy have zero competitive spirit?!
"Fine, then!"
Miyagi's eyes lit up as he pointed at Sakuragi.
"If I lose, I'll do the same as that red-haired monkey—become your disciple!"
"I'll serve you tea and water from now on, no complaints!"
Sakuragi, who had been picking his nose, froze mid-motion.
"Huh? Who wants to be fellow disciples with a shorty like you?!"
Makino Juro's ears twitched slightly.
Serve tea and run errands?
He straightened up and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Right now, he only had Sakuragi.
Useful, yes—but also a walking disaster.
And sometimes his thought process was… impossible to follow.
If he added Miyagi…
That meant one more person to run errands and buy food.
Plus, if Miyagi improved, it would increase Shohoku's chances of winning.
This deal…
Was profitable.
"Deal."
Makino Juro stood up and dusted off his pants.
"But just so we're clear—"
"I only drink cola iced."
Miyagi froze for a moment, then smiled confidently.
"Win first, then we'll talk!"
The gym fell silent.
Everyone gathered around.
On one side: the lightning-fast Miyagi Ryota, freshly returned.
On the other: the unfathomable King of Slacking, Makino Juro.
"The rules are simple."
Miyagi tossed the ball to Makino Juro.
"Five possessions. First to—"
"No need to make it that complicated."
Makino Juro caught the ball with one hand and stood beyond the three-point line.
Those dead-fish eyes suddenly deepened, as if a current flashed through them.
"One possession decides it."
"If you can even touch the ball, I lose."
Arrogant.
Utterly arrogant.
Miyagi laughed in anger, lowering his stance into defense.
"Fine. Let me see what you've got!"
Makino Juro looked at Miyagi, who was fully focused.
In his mind, a card lit up.
[Aomine Daiki · Super-Speed Dribbling]
"Here I come."
Before his words even fully landed—
BOOM!
The ball slammed against the floor.
Miyagi's vision blurred.
Makino Juro's figure… vanished?
No—
Not vanished.
Too fast!
And that dribbling rhythm—it completely defied logic!
The ball seemed glued to Makino Juro's hand, tracing a bizarre afterimage as his body swayed dramatically.
Miyagi's center of gravity was instantly shaken.
He instinctively shifted left.
But in the next instant—
Makino Juro had already appeared on his right.
"See you."
Like a gust of wind, Makino Juro blew past him.
That speed was suffocating.
Miyagi tried to turn and chase—
But his ankles felt locked in place, unable to move.
Swish!
A simple layup.
Score.
The entire sequence took less than two seconds.
Miyagi Ryota didn't even have time to turn around.
He stood frozen in his defensive stance—
Like a clown.
Silence filled the gym.
Even Rukawa Kaede's pupils shrank.
"That dribbling…"
"That formless style again…"
Makino Juro landed, picked up the ball, and walked over to the stunned Miyagi.
"Want to go again?"
"This time I'll use my left hand?"
Miyagi snapped back to reality.
He looked at Makino Juro.
The contempt and jealousy in his eyes had completely vanished.
Replaced by something else—
Fervor.
Like someone who had just glimpsed a whole new world.
That speed!
That dribbling!
Wasn't that exactly the level he had always been chasing?!
THUD!
Without hesitation—
Miyagi Ryota dropped to one knee, fists clasped.
His eyes burned with sincerity.
"MASTER!!"
"Please accept me as your disciple!"
"I want to learn that! That dribbling where you just whoosh and disappear!"
Makino Juro was startled by the sudden display.
"Hey, hey, no need to go that far—"
"NO WAY!!"
A furious shout suddenly exploded from the side.
Sakuragi charged over and shoved Miyagi aside.
"What do you think you're doing, shorty?!"
"That's my master!"
"If you want to become his disciple, get in line!"
"I'm the senior! You're number two!"
Miyagi wasn't backing down either. He jumped up and grabbed Sakuragi by the collar.
"Who are you calling number two?!"
"I'm a second-year! I'm older than you!"
"So what?! I joined first—I'm your senior!"
"Shut up! From now on, I'll handle Master's cola!"
"That's my job! You trying to steal my livelihood?!"
The two argued like fighting roosters, faces red, veins bulging.
Makino Juro stood between them, looking left, then right.
He sighed helplessly.
"So this is the cost of a buy-one-get-one deal…"
"So noisy…"
At that moment
A massive shadow loomed over the three of them.
Akagi Takenori's face, dark as the bottom of a pot, appeared above.
His fist was already raised to the highest point.
"You idiots…"
"What do you think this basketball club is?!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Three dull impacts echoed.
Peace finally returned.
Makino Juro crouched on the floor, clutching the smoking lump on his head, on the verge of tears.
"Why…"
"Why did I get hit too…"
"I was just passively accepting disciples…"
Nearby, Ayako watched the chaotic scene, laughing so hard she swayed.
"Looks like this year's Shohoku…"
"…is going to be lively."
Locker Room — After Practice
The atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
Sakuragi Hanamichi and Miyagi Ryota, who had been fighting like roosters just moments ago—
Now sat side by side.
Neither looked at the other.
But that unspoken bond of "no fight, no friendship" had quietly formed.
Makino Juro finished changing, slung his bag over his shoulder, and broke the silence.
"Hey, Miyagi."
"Since you're my disciple now…"
"You should at least get a welcome gift."