Chapter 8:Satsuki Momoi

After the game, Kise Ryōta's usual cheerfulness was nowhere to be found.

He couldn't count how many times he had been beaten on the court today.

He was full of confidence. Who would have thought that an unknown player would be so strong and actually defeat him?

Kise looked at the score on the big screen, feeling utterly dismayed.

It had been a while since the final whistle blew, but he still couldn't adjust to the reality.

Kise murmured quietly, "Is this what losing feels like?"

"I actually lost..."

Kise raised his hands, staring at them with empty eyes, as if this defeat had happened through his own hands.

After an uncertain amount of time, he suddenly heard his teammates calling him.

"Senior, we should bow to both sides."

"Ah? Oh, I see."

Awoken by his teammates, Kise knew he couldn't remain negative.

After all, he was one of Teikō's star players. Even if he felt reluctant, he had to maintain composure for the sake of their reputation.

They couldn't let outsiders see such a negative side, as it would affect the reputation of their 'Miracle Generation' and Teikō Junior High.

The players from both schools stood in two rows facing each other and bowed.

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As Aizen was about to follow his teammates to the rest area, he suddenly heard a voice behind him: "I will win the next game."

Aizen turned around and saw that the speaker was Kise.

Kise's expression was stern, his eyes serious, and he radiated determination.

This attitude made Aizen want to laugh.

Thinking of Kise's confidence when he first came on the court, his silence in the middle, and now his serious challenge, Aizen found it amusing.

Maybe Kise experienced a severe internal struggle after the game.

Before coming to Teikō, Aizen would never have thought he would see so many sides of Kise in such a short time.

Seeing Kise like this, Aizen couldn't help but tease him: "Next time? Don't worry, you'll lose again next time."

"Oh... but not necessarily. Next time, you might have someone to cling to."

Kise wanted to refute Aizen but thought carefully.

It was indeed true; the lineup of the opposing team was incomparable to Teikō's.

And Kise wanted to defeat Aizen fairly. If the rest of the team were included, he was confident he would win, but in such a game, Kise wouldn't feel like he truly defeated Aizen.

Aizen did not know what Kise was thinking. If he had, he might have sneered.

This was just his way of teasing Kise. The lineup of the opposing team was fair and square.

There was no such thing as clinging to someone or not. It simply wasn't his fault if his team configuration wasn't as good.

Aizen said, "Okay, the next time we meet is the national competition."

"Besides, even if you have a full lineup, I may not lose."

With that, Aizen turned and walked towards the rest area without paying further attention to Kise.

After watching Aizen walk away, Kise took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and left.

He realized that he really didn't get along with this player. Aizen could always unsettle him with just a few words.

...

When Satsuki Momoi rushed to the stadium, the game had just ended.

She looked at the score display and smiled confidently.

"They won? I'm a bit late."

She felt the ending was as she expected. As an intelligence-gathering expert, she had already predicted the outcome of the game before it started.

Jianguang Middle School was just an ordinary school, not very strong.

Not to mention they had Kise. It was impossible to lose.

Moreover, she didn't think Kise would play. Momoi's predictions were based on the assumption that Kise wouldn't participate.

"It's just that the score is a little different from what I thought. Are the second-team players not feeling well?"

98:80, an 18-point difference, seemed insignificant to Momoi.

But it made sense. Without a variable like Aizen, Jianguang Middle School would definitely have been crushed.

Even if the score difference had been several tens of points, it wouldn't have been surprising.

As Satsuki was about to find Kise, a group of students who had just finished watching the game walked past her.

After she vaguely heard their discussion, her expression became strange.

"I didn't hear that wrong!"

Satsuki Momoi was a bit incredulous and quickened her pace towards the team.

"How could we lose? There must be a mistake."

...

At this time, Kise was sitting in the locker room. He was the only one there.

A towel covered his head, his entire body shrouded in gloom.

"Bang bang!" There was a knock on the door!

"Come in."

The door was pushed open by Momoi, who saw Kise covered with a towel, exuding a somber aura.

Satsuki was finally sure in her heart that they had lost!

Otherwise, Kise wouldn't be like this. She had never seen him so dejected.

This attitude shouldn't appear on the players of the "Miracle Generation."

She became more curious and couldn't help asking: "Is the opponent strong?"

After hearing Satsuki's voice, Kise removed the towel and greeted her.

"Yes, very strong!"

"This is the first time I've experienced losing a game."

Satsuki frowned: "According to the information, the opponent shouldn't have very strong players."

"No, the opponent is very strong."

"To be precise, there is one very strong player on the opposing team, but the rest are just okay."

Hearing Kise say this, Satsuki realized her information was incomplete.

However, that shouldn't have led to their loss. Kise could have called for help.

"Didn't you call Akashi and the others in the end?"

"Uh... no... no."

Looking at Kise's hesitant expression, Satsuki understood that these geniuses were more arrogant than each other. They would never call for help when facing a strong opponent because it would be too humiliating.

"Hey, you should think about how to deal with Akashi." Satsuki sighed, her voice somewhat helpless.

Kise had calmed down now, and when he heard Satsuki mention Akashi, he realized the seriousness of the situation.

Thinking of Akashi's morbid obsession with victory, Kise felt a bit scared.

"What should I do, Satsuki? You must help me."

Kise looked at her pleadingly, but Satsuki could do nothing about it. "Well, I can only wish you good luck, and take care of yourself."

After saying that, Satsuki shook her head and turned away, leaving Kise's pleading eyes behind.

Suddenly, she turned around and asked, "By the way, what's the name of that player?"

"His name is Aizen, wearing the No. 3 jersey."

"Aizen... I haven't heard that name before."

Satsuki whispered to herself.

She was going to meet Aizen, who should still be at Teikō.