KNB: I'm Actually Not the Boss?!

The Day Before Kaijo vs. Yosen

"What's up, Akachin? Why'd you call me out this late?"

On a quiet street, a tall figure stood casually by the roadside, stuffing snacks into his mouth while chewing loudly. It was none other than Murasakibara.

Standing opposite him was, of course, Akashi.

"Atsushi, don't play in tomorrow's game."

Akashi's voice was devoid of emotion, his face completely blank.

Murasakibara paused mid-chew, confused.

"Huh? Why? It's an important game. If I skip it, coach's totally gonna yell at me."

He sounded genuinely troubled.

Akashi lifted his gaze, staring him directly in the eyes, voice still as cold as ever.

"That's not like you. Since when do you care about what the coach thinks?"

Scratching his head, Murasakibara grumbled,

"That lady's super annoying. If I don't show up, she'll nag me nonstop."

"Besides... I really hate losing. So, why don't you want me to play, Akachin?"

"Because you'll lose, Murasakibara. Kise beat Aomine — no, Kaijo beat Aomine. You have no chance of winning."

Murasakibara didn't even flinch at the shift in Akashi's wording. He just opened another bag of snacks and started munching.

…

"Well, if Akachin says we're gonna lose, then there's no doubt we're losing. What's the point of playing a game you know you're gonna lose anyway?"

This was the exact line Murasakibara used when informing Yosen's coach, Araki, that he wouldn't be participating.

And calling it "asking for leave" would be generous. It was more like dropping the news on her head.

"That giant idiot... How does he say this nonsense with such a straight face? That moron!!"

Araki, completely losing it, grabbed the practice katana she always carried and started hacking away at the bench like it was Murasakibara himself. The poor Yosen substitutes huddled together, shaking like leaves, praying that the bench was the only thing getting chopped.

"Damn it! No matter how many times I think about it, it still pisses me off!"

Gritting her teeth, she glared at the court, where the game was already underway, growing more irritated by the second.

"We better win. I'm gonna shove this victory right in Murasakibara's face... and then slice that idiot's stupid face up! Who does he think he is? We don't need him!"

Somehow, the players on the court felt a chill run down their spines.

"Why does it suddenly feel like... if we lose this game, we lose our lives too...?"

Meanwhile, Kota blinked.

"Huh? Why do Yosen's players suddenly look way more motivated...?"

"Well... whatever. No Murasakibara means less headache for me. No need to think too hard. Let's just crush them."

With that, Kota shifted gears and started playing seriously. To be fair, Yosen's overall strength wasn't bad. Even without Murasakibara, their triple towers in the paint locked down almost all of Kaijo's inside offense. If Murasakibara had been here, Yosen's paint defense would've been a complete no-fly zone—any drive near the basket would've been instantly shut down.

Unfortunately for Yosen, Kaijo wasn't a team that relied heavily on the paint. With Kise and Kota's versatile offensive styles, plus Kasamatsu's deadly threes and Kobori's dunks, Kaijo was a true all-around team. Their offense could adapt to any opponent.

Once Kota started directing his teammates into a three-point focused offense, their previously clogged attack flowed like water. The threes were falling like crazy, and within five minutes, they pulled ahead by double digits.

15–4, Kaijo leads.

Araki immediately called a timeout, panicking.

"The first quarter isn't even over and we're already getting cooked? We're a powerhouse, damn it! If I don't fix this, where do I put my face?!"

"Man... with Murasakibara not here, today's game feels way too easy"

Kise said with a grin, taking a water bottle from a teammate. He wasn't too hung up on proving himself through one-on-ones anymore. As long as Kaijo won, that was enough.

Kota didn't reply. He casually glanced over at Yosen's bench, where Araki was furiously scribbling on the tactics board while yelling at her players—probably trying to figure out how to stop Kaijo's three-point barrage.

Kota shook his head.

"Even if they figure it out eventually, it won't matter. If it's not the three-pointers, we'll just switch to the horns offense. Plus, without Murasakibara, Yosen's offense is visibly crippled. Himuro alone isn't enough to break through Kaijo's defense. The game's as good as done."

At that moment, Takeuchi, who had been practically invisible since the Interhigh started — thanks to his players being too competent — awkwardly shuffled over, coughed, and spoke up.

"Alright, everyone... from here on, ease up a little. Play it safe. Don't get hurt."

The players exchanged glances. Kasamatsu raised a hand.

"Uh, Coach... what exactly do you mean?"

Takeuchi rubbed his hands nervously, looking weirdly fidgety.

"I mean... we've all worked hard to get here, right? No need to go all out and kill each other on the court. Leave a little room... you know, so we can still meet with... people... later."

More confused looks. This time, Kise asked,

"Coach... when you say 'we've worked hard,' do you mean us, or Yosen...?"

Kota, narrowing his eyes, glanced at Takeuchi's outfit.

"Speaking of which... Coach, you dressed up pretty sharp today, huh? Clean-shaven... Is that hair gel? Trying to impress someone?"

His eyes darted toward Yosen's bench—specifically, at Araki.

"If I remember correctly... Didn't Takeuchi try to ask her out once... and get his face rearranged for it...?"

As soon as Kota brought it up, the entire team exploded.

"Ohhhhhh!"

"Wait... Coach, do you... like the other coach?!"

"Dude... she is kinda hot, though."

"Ohhh, now it all makes sense! You're trying to make a good impression, huh?"

"Hehehehe~"

Listening to his players gossip, Takeuchi's face turned completely red. He clenched his fists and yelled,

"I TOLD YOU GUYS TO TAKE IT EASY! GOT IT?!"

With Murasakibara out, winning was basically guaranteed anyway. Otherwise, not even Takeuchi's crush would make him mess around with a game like this.

Seeing their coach actually get mad, the players quickly straightened up and nodded.

...Unfortunately, Takeuchi had yelled way too loud.

Loud enough that Araki heard it.

She stomped over, katana in hand, looking like she was ready to commit several crimes.

"TAKEUCHI!! Did you just tell your players to go easy on us?! Are you even human?! Are you even a coach?! Do you think I'm a joke?!"

That barrage of accusations left Takeuchi completely speechless. Waving his hands frantically, he stammered,

"N-No, no, Masako! I just meant... y'know... not to get injured... because the finals are..."

"Bro..."

Kota facepalmed from the bench.

"What kind of low EQ answer is that? You're usually not this dumb. Love really does make people stupid, huh...?"

Sure enough, Araki exploded.

"Oh, so you're saying you've already booked your spot in the finals, huh?!! Fine!! Listen up, Takeuchi! If I see your players slacking off for even a second, I'm chopping you into sushi after the game!!"

Takeuchi quickly covered his mouth and nodded like crazy. Yeah, he realized he'd messed up... but spilled water doesn't go back in the cup.

Watching her storm off, Takeuchi wanted nothing more than to slap himself. Glaring at his still-snickering players, he shouted,

"I SWEAR, IF ANY OF YOU HOLD BACK, YOU'RE RUNNING FIFTY LAPS WHEN WE GET BACK!!"