Kuroko’s Basketball: Before Generation Miracles, I Already Crowned

When Shigure Akihito spoke, Hayama Kotarō looked visibly troubled, and the moment Shigure saw that expression, he instantly realized: Damn.

Nijimura got to him first.

But…

Shigure turned toward Nijimura Shuzo.

The look of irritation on Nijimura's face wasn't just because he didn't like the guy, it clearly had more to do with Hayama's disrespect toward Nanaki Asahi, a senior who had just, alongside Izawa Shō, willingly stepped down from the starting lineup and passed it to Shigure and Nijimura with an emotional farewell.

From Nijimura's uncharacteristic silence earlier, it was obvious, Hayama had walked straight into a hornet's nest. And once Shigure pieced together the root of Nijimura's reaction, he hesitated.

A Nijimura who doesn't vent will only boil over.

So maybe…

But before Shigure could make up his mind, Hayama cut in cheerfully, dispelling all of his hesitation in one breath.

"Huh? You're a first-year too?"

"Nice, nice!"

"You both want a piece of me?"

"Well then…"

"This won't take long anyway~"

Shigure Akihito: …

6/10 for arrogance. Perfect.

The moment Hayama said that, everyone on the court, including Coach Sanada, twitched their brows at once.

Damn…

That's bold.

One Nijimura Shuzo is bad enough.

Now Shigure's gotten interested too?

A second ago he was clearly planning to yield to Nijimura, but just hearing Hayama's tone had flipped a switch in him. That gleam in Shigure's eyes was unmistakable, this was going to be fun.

Which meant Hayama Kotarō, the first-year starter from Chōgen International, was about to face:

Shigure Akihito, the most dangerous scorer on Teikō's team,

and Nijimura Shuzo, a one-on-one specialist whose defensive presence was brutally oppressive.

Members of Teikō's first-string team who'd gone through recent one-on-one training with those two started recalling the trauma, and their scalps tingled.

Let's just hope…

That Hayama Kotarō's mental fortitude was up to the task.

On the other end of the gym, the third-years who knew the inside story had already sensed what had just happened the moment they saw Izawa, Nanaki, Shigure, and Nijimura descend from the second floor.

And then, seeing Nijimura step onto the court first,

The air changed.

"Go ahead. You first."

"Otherwise you won't get the ball again."

This was… surprising.

For someone so quiet, Nijimura was being unusually talkative today.

Hayama's lips curled up slightly, revealing tiger-like canines. With a natural love for the game and a hot-blooded temper, his personality made it nearly impossible to stay composed. He was the type who'd react to taunts in real games, often making poor decisions that frustrated his teammates.

Smack!

Nijimura casually grabbed the ball and slowly bounced it once to the floor, then tapped it with his toe, rolling it toward Hayama.

A blatantly provocative, streetball-style move.

Hayama's smile stiffened a little.

He lowered his hips.

Scooped up the ball.

Assumed a triple-threat stance, then gave two quick jab steps, clearly full of confidence in his dribbling skills.

Too confident, in fact. His follow-up bounce after the jabs was far too casual.

Nijimura's feet shifted slightly, but his center of gravity stayed perfectly locked to Hayama's axis. He didn't bite.

Boom!

A sharp thud echoed as Hayama's foot twisted sharply, he executed a simple but lightning-fast crossover, unleashing what he proudly called his "ultra-speed dribble."

"Hey~!"

"Think I'm a joke?"

"Take this!"

"Cold-face senpai from Teikō!"

Hayama stood just over 170 cm, clearly shorter than Nijimura.

But Shigure Akihito wasn't surprised. Even Kise Ryōta, who would grow to be 189 cm in high school, was only 171 cm when he entered middle school.

Height aside, Hayama's stride during dribbling was wide, and his crossover was genuinely explosive.

"Got you!"

In a flash, Hayama broke toward Nijimura's side, but Nijimura didn't chase the movement with a full-body reaction. Instead, he took a precise lateral step, pressing his shoulder tightly against Hayama's.

"Where do you think you're going?"

As he spoke, Nijimura reached out to the front of Hayama's body. The physical pressure and interference forced Hayama's once-explosive pace to grind to a halt.

Body contact.

Footwork.

Instant judgment.

This three-pronged defense formed Nijimura's impenetrable wall. While it looked effortless, it was the culmination of expert ability and sharp instincts.

Hayama's ultra-speed dribble had failed. Worse, Nijimura was glued to him like a second skin.

Stunned for a split second, Hayama quickly switched gears.

If a direct drive didn't work…

Then,

Through the legs!

Nijimura: "…"

A behind-the-back crossover, huh?

But the drop angle was too far back.

It's not an attack.

It's… a step-back?

Tsk.

On the court, Teikō's first-string watched a move they knew all too well.

Hayama attempted a step-back jumper after his crossover, but the moment they saw it, everyone frowned.

"Compared to Shigure…"

"That's slow."

Hayama pulled up into a jumper, attempting to create space.

Swish, !

The ball was airborne.

But a moment later…

"Don't make me laugh."

"You call that a step-back?"

Nijimura had baited the shot by giving Hayama just a sliver of space, then exploded forward at the perfect moment, palm fully extended.

Thwack!

In that instant, with the white jersey of Teikō billowing from his movement, Shigure Akihito swore he saw Nijimura Shuzo exude a near-tangible aura of pressure.

Smack!

The ball was sent flying and landed right at the feet of Chōgen's coach on the sidelines.

At the same time,

Nijimura's icy gaze swept toward the coach.

Clearly deliberate.

He remembered.

This was a message to the Chōgen coach who'd done nothing to rein in Hayama's arrogance, arrogance that had disrespected the third-years who'd just stepped aside.

(End of chapter)

Hey Team! 🏀

Loving Before the Generation of Miracles, I Was Already King? Take it to the next level, join my Patreon and become part of the squad!

🔥 Rookie Recruit – Read 15 chapters ahead

🔥 Starting Five – Jump 35 chapters ahead

Get early access, exclusive insights, and help me keep this basketball saga alive and thriving.

Join the team. Wear the crown. Be king before the miracles.

patreon.com/MrBehringer