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

"The phone book is actually a pretty decent read. Mind if I borrow it for a bit...? Wait, phone book?"

Shigure Akihito couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the same scene unfold again. Reality made it even funnier. But just then, he failed to notice a boy even shorter than Akashi, with sky-blue hair, pass right in front of him.

As he turned around,

Just as he was about to make a snarky comment to Nijimura about Midorima Shintarō...

Thud~!

He bumped straight into someone.

About to apologize, he paused.

Shigure Akihito: "?"

Where did the person go?

Huh?

Then what exactly did I just crash into?

"..."

Kuroko Tetsuya?

At this moment in the timeline, the more Shigure thought about it, the more convinced he became.

He glanced around, but found no trace of the figure. Beside him, Akashi Seijūro suddenly bent down and picked up a folded letter from the ground.

Out of courtesy, he didn't open it.

"Nijimura?"

"Did you see anything?"

Nijimura Shuzo: "..."

He only barely caught a glimpse of some blue, didn't even get a look at the face.

What is going on today...

Things were starting to feel strange.

And also...

Isn't this batch of new students way too into dyeing their hair?

Suddenly, Nijimura's vision darkened as something blocked out the sun from above. A purple-haired head slowly leaned over his shoulder.

Another color!

And pretty tall...

Only slightly shorter than Kurokami now?

Maybe 190 cm?

Last year, Kurokami Shinji stood out as a first-year with that kind of height. Now another one?

And for a first-year...

This kid's built solid. Body proportions are even better than Kurokami's. A great center prospect.

Meanwhile,

Shigure Akihito was watching Atsushi Murasakibara casually munching on snacks, eyes curiously fixated on the letter Akashi held.

Seeing this, Akashi silently moved the letter behind his back.

"Can't I have a peek~?"

"So stingy~"

"Also..."

"Can you move aside?"

"I don't wanna play volleyball~"

Murasakibara's voice was lazy, soft and drawn out. Nearby, the volleyball team members were still trying to recruit him, but Nijimura gave them a cold glare.

"He's with the basketball team."

"Huh?"

"Niji..."

"That's Nijimura Shuzo!"

"Forget it, forget it..."

"He's scary. Even back when he was a first-year, I saw him roughing people up in the gym multiple times."

"I wasn't planning on joining the basketball team, but..." Murasakibara scratched his head, looking troubled as he glanced at Nijimura. "You're pretty strong~"

"Huh?"

"I remember you now~"

"Saw you guys on the basketball team poster."

He looked at Nijimura.

"Foxy eyes~"

Then at Shigure.

"Smiley face~"

Nijimura: "..."

Shigure: "..."

Shigure suddenly remembered, weren't they supposed to use last year's magazine cover to promote recruitment? But he was sure Nijimura had vetoed that idea.

"They really went through with it, huh!"

Right at that moment, Nijimura's old temper started flaring. Shigure could tell someone was about to get it, most likely the mischievous Kurokami Shinji.

The group made their way to the basketball club's recruitment booth.

On the way, Shigure spotted yet another future Miracle, Ryōta Kise, currently swarmed by a crowd of high school girls. But judging from his demeanor, he probably wasn't planning on joining any team just yet.

Maybe if he saw Teiko's basketball in action, he'd change his mind? After all, if he got mesmerized by Aomine's game, why wouldn't he be charmed by his own flashy style?

Moments later,

They arrived at the recruitment booth.

Two standees stood out like sore thumbs, causing both Shigure and Nijimura to grimace.

"What the hell is this?!"

Nijimura's aura was terrifying. The club members behind the table shot to their feet like missiles, except for Kurokami Shinji, who sluggishly rose with a pout.

"Director's orders. What's the big deal?"

"Go complain to the director if you want, Captain."

"Besides..."

"It works, doesn't it? See? Someone's already been drawn over. And it's not because of you, Nijimura..."

"It's because of you, Shigure."

Kurokami pointed into the distance, and Shigure followed his gaze, spotting a blue-haired, tan-skinned boy and a pink-haired girl from behind.

"Alright."

"Now we're all here."

After a few days of settling in, the first-year students finally began joining clubs.

That day,

Led by Nijimura Shuzo, a large group of newcomers walked toward one of Teiko's auxiliary gyms. Upon realizing it was just one of several used by the basketball team, many gasped in awe.

And then,

As the gym doors opened and a voice yelled from inside, everyone immediately shut up.

"You're a second-year and this is the best you can do?!"

"Kurokami and Fukaya already made it onto the first string!"

"Idiot!"

"What kind of pass was that just now?!"

"Your teammate cleared space for you and you couldn't even score? If this is what our second-string top scorer looks like, you can forget the first-string. Shigure's gonna dunk your head off!"

Hearing that last line, Shigure, who was standing next to Coach Ino of the second team, scratched his head awkwardly.

Dunking someone's head off...

Seriously...

A black mark on his record now.

During the winter "Ten Schools Tournament" last year, Shigure had been so fired up after helping Nobunaga Kiyota jump from B-rank to A-rank that he'd dunked a ball so hard, it slammed into the opposing defender's head and sent the poor guy to the hospital.

That moment...

Had made quite the impression.

And now, as a second-year...

People looked at him with the same fearful respect they gave Nijimura.

"All newcomers to Court 3!"

Despite the tryouts, practice for the second string continued uninterrupted. They just reserved Court 1 for the tests.

A sharp whistle blew, and the newcomers gathered.

They were met by a lean, black-suited man with glasses: Teiko's first-string coach, Naoto Sanada.

Once everyone settled in, Sanada surveyed the group.

As expected, after reclaiming the championship last year with the explosive debut of the "Twin Stars," Teiko's fame drew even more applicants this time. The group was twice the size of last year's.

Still...

Could they find another Shigure?

Sanada: "..."

Forget it...

A second Shigure might be too much to ask. Even someone half as good would be...

Tch!

Best not to compare.

Elsewhere, Shigure snuck away from second-team practice and rejoined Sanada, with Nijimura on the other side.

Sanada just gave him a look but said nothing. As vice captain, Shigure rarely performed official duties, so if he was interested now, all the better.

Plus...

His presence could boost morale here too.

Shigure glanced around the court. All the Miracles were present except Kise. Kuroko? He couldn't spot him, but according to the script, he should be there.

Sanada began the usual opening speech.

The message?

At Teiko, only victory matters!

If you're just here for fun, don't bother!

Training is hell!

Think it through before you commit!

Of course, these warnings didn't scare anyone off. Anyone applying to Teiko would've done their homework.

Seeing no one back out, Sanada explained the first, second, and third-string structure and outlined the test: no full-court tactics yet, just physical ability assessments and 1v1 skill displays.

And once again, unlucky second-stringers were drafted as opponents.

Upon hearing this, many first-years turned to look at Shigure and Nijimura with excitement.

"Beat the second team and you make first string!"

"Huh? Where'd you hear that?"

"Last year, Shigure and Captain Nijimura both shut out the second string and made first team right off the tryouts~"

"You're missing details. Beating the second team only gives you a chance. Shigure-senpai and Nijimura still had to duel, and a review board evaluated them afterward."

"Oh? Who won?"

"Shigure-senpai. Barely. 12:10."

"Only 12:10? But on the national stage, he averages over 40 points! Shouldn't he have won by more?"

"Captain Nijimura fills every stat line. Almost a triple-double average per game."

"He's a monster too, but still, when I remember Shigure-senpai going off in the finals... man, that got my blood pumping!"

"Bottom line: in all these years, only Shigure and Nijimura ever made first team straight from tryouts. And that Miracle rookie championship? Unbelievable!"

"Let's set our sights on the second team first, everyone!"

"Yeah!"

On the court,

Akashi remained calm and composed. At this point, he was still quite gentle.

Aomine brimmed with confidence, practically radiating battle lust as he stared at Shigure.

Yawning and unmotivated, Murasakibara just wanted to finish quickly, pulling out a snack stick and trying to quietly chew under Midorima's disapproving gaze.

Meanwhile, Shigure was still baffled. Where the heck was Kuroko Tetsuya?

Buried in the crowd with near-zero presence, Kuroko quietly listened to the chatter, mentally psyching himself up. A firm resolve began to show on his face.

Outside the gym,

Footsteps, dribbling, and coach shouts echoed from inside, catching the attention of passing students.

Ryōta Kise paused as he passed by, drawn by the energy.

"Seems lively in there..."

"Basketball, huh?"

"Never played it before."

He lingered for a moment, but didn't go in.

"Forget it."

"Modeling gigs keep me busy. Agency just gave me a new schedule. Probably no time for stuff like this."

"And basketball's probably no different, right? You start, get good fast, and then it just gets boring."

"If I try something, it might as well be soccer. More people, more chaos. Might be tougher."

His golden hair fluttered in the breeze as he muttered to himself, unintentionally catching the attention of nearby girls.

Inside the gym,

Tryouts were proceeding smoothly.

They began with physical tests, static and dynamic attributes. Shigure knew this part well.

Once phase one ended,

It was time for the real deal, what Shigure had been waiting for.

"The following students, proceed to your assigned courts."

With Coach Sanada's announcement, the 1v1 tests began.

And the first name called was a big one:

"Atsushi Murasakibara!"

Murasakibara paused mid-snack, crumpling the wrapper as he shuffled out with Sanada watching him expectantly.

"First up, huh..."

"What a pain"

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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