Chapter 38 Basketball 37
Kurikawa Sana accompanied Kuroko Tetsuya in practicing until nightfall.
The lights in the stadium were dim, but the girl under the lights was so dazzling.
She accompanied him, patiently receiving and passing the ball time and time again. She was obviously strong enough to compete with Qingfeng, but she still defended with all her might and focused on every attack of his, with no intention of looking down on him.
Those deep blue eyes, filled with seriousness, were like a clear lake after melting snow in winter, flowing with dazzling light.
Kuroko Tetsu couldn't take his eyes off her.
When we first practiced together in the quiet Third Gymnasium at night, her talent and optimistic fighting spirit were already dazzling.
Although she has only recently started playing basketball, her ball sense and talent have already been fully demonstrated.
At first, Kuroko Tetsuya thought that the reason his eyes followed her uncontrollably was simply because he envied her talent.
But later he found that even when he was not playing ball, he would subconsciously look for her.
Want to see her.
Whether it was her smiling at everyone in the gymnasium, her passing by in the corridor outside the classroom, or her glittering ballet on the stage of the Teiko Festival...
I want to see them all.
…
[Kuroko Tetsuya, Favorability +4. ]
Hearing the prompt sound in her mind, Kurikawa Sana's shooting posture twisted, and the orange basketball rolled to the ground and rolled to the boy's feet.
"That's all for today. Thank you, Kurikawa-san, for practicing with me." Kuroko Tetsuya leaned over to pick up the ball and said softly, "Thank you for always being with me."
Kurikawa Sana suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since Aomine stopped coming to training. The days when they used to train together in the gym at night were gone forever.
In addition, Akashi clearly said that Kuroko didn't need to practice any offensive skills other than passing, so no one would accompany Kuroko to practice. Every time she heard Akashi's words, Kurikawa Sana felt that he was pua Kuroko.
So, because she accompanied Kuroko in practice, Kuroko gained so much favorability? A feeling of recognition...
Kurikawa Sana sat down next to him and encouraged him, "Kuroko-kun, you're on the right track. You've made great progress today! Keep working hard, and you'll surely see results one day."
"Like Kurikawa-san?"
“…”
Kurikawa Sana suddenly felt a little guilty.
Her rapid progress in basketball was all due to the purchase of the god-level props possessed by O'Neal. No one knew that she had the system mall plug-in, so it could not be called her own talent at all.
Thinking of this, Kurikawa Sana couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
Wasn't it because her ball skills had suddenly improved that Qingfeng's favorability towards her had returned? She had become so strong that she could compete with him, which was why he took notice.
If she was still the same girl, Qingfeng would probably still be so cold and indifferent that she wouldn't even bother to say a word.
I understand. To round it off, Qingfeng actually likes O'Neal.
The system that heard her heartbeat: [……………]
The system couldn't help but whisper in her mind: "Basketball prowess is crucial, yes, but don't underestimate yourself. Before he turned evil, Qingfeng had an 81-point favorability rating for you, didn't he? Back then, you hadn't purchased O'Neal's possession yet; that was his personal favorability rating for you."
If someone who can defeat Qingfeng appears and he rediscovers his true self, Qingfeng's favorability towards you will recover. However, this recovery may occur when he enters high school, college, or even later - but you don't have time to wait for this opportunity. The god-level item you purchased by chance has taken effect and broken this limit. Isn't this a good thing?
Kurikawa Sana was shocked: "I'm not being too self-deprecating. System, why are you so excited all of a sudden? You said so many things in one breath."
system:【……………】
System: [I just don't want you to feel sad. I just want you to know...]
[Sana, you are good——you deserve to be liked by everyone. ]
Kurikawa Sana couldn't help but be stunned.
It's not the first time, and it's not an illusion.
The system seems to have its own will and emotions.
…
Seeing that she didn't reply for a long time, Kuroko Tetsuya said, "Did it remind you of something unpleasant? Just pretend I didn't ask. Sorry."
"No, why would I be unhappy? I was just a little distracted." Kurikawa Sana came back to her senses and waved her hands awkwardly, "Kuroko-kun, don't you think it's strange? I've only been learning basketball for less than a school year, but I've suddenly made great progress..."
"It's not surprising. Kurikawa-kun, your ball sense and talent are already very good. Akashi-kun also commented on it that way."
"Akashi-kun has ever evaluated me?" Kurikawa Sana was stunned.
"Well, Akashi-kun has come to observe our training from time to time. He said that your talent is no less than Kise-kun's, the only difference is physical fitness."
Kurikawa Sana was silent for a moment. It turned out that Akashi had actually come to watch her play and gave her such a high evaluation. At that time, she had not bought the O'Neal possession props.
In the real world, due to her poor health, she had never taken the initiative to try any competitive or competitive sports, and naturally had no idea that she had a talent for ball sports.
Every time she sat in the manager's seat and watched their games as a spectator, Kurikawa Sana felt truly envious.
I envy them for having a healthy body, being able to run freely on the court and play the basketball they love.
"Back then, Aomine-kun hadn't changed yet." Kuroko Tetsuya said calmly, "Before, Aomine-kun suddenly came to talk to me. Was it because of Kurikawa-kun?"
Kurikawa Sana nodded obediently, "How is it, did Aomine-kun resolve the misunderstanding?"
"Aomine-kun seemed very happy that day. The feeling of meeting a worthy opponent made him particularly excited. Apart from that day, I haven't seen Aomine-kun smile like that in a long time."
"But he seems to have become even stronger, entering a realm called the 'zone'. As a result, the score differences in the past few days have become even greater, and Aomine-kun has become even more difficult to approach than before."
Kurikawa Sana: "..."
So after all this trouble, Qingfeng has become even more of a middle school student!
Noticing her dejection, Kuroko Tetsuya paused and changed the subject, "By the way, Kurikawa-san, have you decided which high school you want to go to?"
"Not yet." Kurikawa Sana wiped the sweat off her forehead guiltily.
According to what the system said at the beginning, she would not stay in the basketball world for more than one school year. From the beginning to now, the time she had left here was less than a month. As for which high school to attend, she had never even thought about it.
"Hey Kuroko-kun, have you decided which high school you want to go to?"
"As for me, I want to go to Seirin High School."
"Seirin High School..." Kurikawa Sana thought for a moment, "I seem to have some impression of it. I happened to see it at the gym entrance during our game a few days ago. Was Seirin the team wearing the black, white, and red uniforms?"
Kuroko Tetsuya looked at her, as if a little surprised that she actually remembered.
"Yes, I found Captain Seirin's student ID card the other day, and when I was about to return it, I saw their match."
"Seirin's seniors, no matter how big the score gap is, they can still play basketball with a smile and never give up."
"It's not just talent, hard work and dedication that bear fruit. It was a fantastic match, and in the end, Seirin won."
"They must really like basketball."
Kuroko rarely spoke so many words in one breath. When he mentioned Seirin, the boy's blue eyes regained their luster after a long time.
“Sounds like a great school.”
"Well, I want to join Seirin and defeat Aomine-kun, Akashi-kun and the others there. Akashi-kun and the others...will probably go to different schools too."
"That's great, Kuroko-kun. I support you. They just need someone to wake them up."
Kuroko Tetsuya looked at her in surprise, "Don't you think I'm too fanciful?"
Kurikawa Sana tilted her head, looking even more confused than he was. "Fantastic? Why?"
"...Because if I face them, I might not be able to get a single point."
"But basketball is a team sport. If you go to Seirin, Kuroko-kun will meet very good teammates." Kurikawa Sana gestured vividly, "Just like in the classic hot-blooded manga, the young protagonist fights monsters and levels up on his way to becoming a god. He will definitely win."
"So Aomine-kun and the others are the villains?"
Thinking of Aomine Daiki's face that had become haggard and cold after he turned evil, Kurikawa Sana pondered: "Doesn't Aomine-kun's face and aura now look like a villain?"
Kuroko Tetsuya: “…”
After a long silence, the boy finally couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Thank you, Kurikawa-san."
Kuroko Tetsuya looked at her deeply and said softly, "Thank you for always being with me..."
"Also, always recognize me."
[Kuroko Tetsuya, Favorability +5. ]
…
*
As soon as Kurikawa Sana separated from Kuroko Tetsuya, a low-key black car rolled down its window in front of her.
When the car window opened, what came into view was the fair and handsome face of the red-haired boy and his iconic pair of heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one red.
"Sana, you shouldn't accompany Tetsuya to practice." Akashi Seijuro looked at her from the car, frowning disapprovingly. "I told you, he only needs to pass the ball. He doesn't need any offensive training. That will only reduce his function as a passing chess piece."
Kurikawa Sana: "..."
No, there are too many things to complain about, and she can hardly complain about them all.
Did Akashi see her just practicing with Kuroko? Why did he stop halfway through the drive to tell her all this, and even said Kuroko was a passing piece...
For a moment, she didn't care whether Akashi would get angry and lower his favorability, and almost blurted out: "Why should you deprive Kuroko of the possibility of progress?"
Seeing the girl's obviously angry expression, Akashi Seijuro paused, gestured to the driver in the front seat to leave first, then opened the door, got out of the car, stood in front of her, and slowly spoke.
"Sana, you know that Kuroko's amazing passing is based on visual induction. The thinner his presence, the more he can make passes that go unnoticed by his opponents. And the dribbling and shooting exercises you're practicing with him now will only make his presence on the court even stronger."
"Kuroko doesn't have any special skills other than passing. Once he loses the strength to pass, do you think he still has a place in the team?"
"If he can't even pass the ball, Kuroko will fall into true despair."
"You think you're helping him, but you're actually killing his only weapon, Sana."
Kurikawa Sana clenched her fists tightly.
Fallacy.
It may sound reasonable at first glance, but it is actually a perverse logic used to control others' minds.
Heizi is willing to pass the ball and loves to pass the ball, but that doesn't mean he should take everything for granted and deprive him of the opportunity to shoot and score.
"Akagi-kun, what exactly are your teammates to you? Just pawns?"
"Are you angry, Sana?" Akashi Seijuro observed her expression and said patiently, "If you're dissatisfied with what I just said, I can correct the wording. Teammates are part of the process leading to victory. Everything I ask is to ensure absolute victory."
"I told Zheye back then that even if the plate was broken and cracked, it didn't matter. As long as it was still usable, that was enough. He recognized the truth and tacitly agreed to my arrangement."
No, Kuroko doesn't agree with your point of view. He has been secretly preparing to go to different schools in high school to beat up all of you. Kurikawa Sana complained silently in her heart.
"Then let me ask this another way, Akashi-kun, do you think Kuroko is your friend?"
"Friends? I don't quite understand the meaning of this definition of a relationship, but if you want me to answer, then the answer is... yes."
"Since you consider Kuroko-kun your friend, why do you want to make him a tool who can only pass the ball like a machine? He wants to make a breakthrough, he wants to play happy basketball. As a friend, shouldn't you support him?"
Kurikawa Sana stared at him quietly, "Or is it that you, Akashi-kun, as Kuroko-kun's friend...are incapable of doing this?"
Akashi Seijuro was slightly stunned, but soon chuckled.
"This is really surprising, Sana, you actually used provocation on me."
"So, what's Akashi-kun's answer?"
"Okay, I accept." Akashi Seijuro took a step forward and approached her, "Sana, if you can agree to one request of mine, I will promise to help Tetsuya break through."
"What do you want?"
Akashi Seijuro's eyes were fixed on her, the girl's beautiful face was reflected in his eyes, one gold and one red, as if a superior had locked onto his prey, unable to escape.
"Come with me and go to Luoshan High School for high school."
Upon hearing this, Kurikawa Sana froze in place.
This... this question she couldn't answer at all. With less than a month left, she would be gone from this world. She couldn't promise something that she would definitely break.
Seeing that she was stunned and did not agree immediately, Akashi Seijuro raised his eyebrows without surprise.
"It seems that as Tetsuya's friend, you haven't been able to give him 100%. If that's the case, how can you ask me to act according to your ideas? Sana, this is not fair."
Kurikawa Sana: "..."
Damn it, I was really fooled by him this time. As the heir to a top tycoon, Akashi is truly a top-notch gaming expert.
Seeing the girl's expression changing from time to time and looking quite aggrieved, Akashi Seijuro couldn't help but chuckle.
It was fun to see her frustrated sometimes, but he still preferred to see her smile.
"However, even if you can't make a fair exchange, I can promise you this: as long as the team's victory is guaranteed, I will do my best to make Tetsuya feel happy during the game." Akashi Seijuro looked at her and said, "I will guide him to develop moves other than passing. Is that okay?"
...Huh?
Kurikawa Sana opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Even though she hadn't promised anything, Akashi actually took the initiative to back down... Why?
Even the arrogant ones will bow their heads first.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, there's no need for me to lie to you." Akashi Seijuro didn't miss any of her micro-expressions. "You look surprised."
"I just didn't expect that Akashi-kun would actually agree..."
"Because I have feelings for you, Sana."
“……!”
Kurikawa Sana was completely stunned.
Akashi Seijuro looked around. The roadside was ordinary and under the street lights at night, even the sky was gray and there was not a single star.
This was obviously not a suitable environment to say such crucial words, but he blurted them out, which was very unlike him.
Perhaps when she learned that Kuroko had asked her about her high school destination, she had already developed an uneasy feeling that something was out of her control.
The last time he felt this way was when his first personality "him" was unable to control the team that was becoming stronger.
He has always been very aware that he has a strong desire for control.
But that's not a bad thing.
I want to go to the same high school as her.
Want to be with her.
Want her.
…
The girl in front of him was visibly surprised at first, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Akashi Seijuro said, "Sana, what do you want to say? It's okay to just say it."
Kurikawa Sana: "No, nothing... I just suddenly remembered what you said when I first met you..."
It was obvious that the first meeting she was referring to was the meeting with his second personality, Akashi.
It was raining heavily outside the gymnasium that day, and he met her for the first time inside the gymnasium.
At that time, he looked down at her from a high position and coldly commented, "I really can't understand what the first personality 'him' likes about her."
However, as time goes by, the second personality "he" who once looked down on her would now say words that were almost like a confession, "I have a good impression of you."
Akashi Seijuro: "..."
There seemed to be some pain on the side of my face suddenly, but it must have been an illusion.
Everything changed from the day she was kidnapped.
In the dim warehouse, under the moonlight after escaping, the girl's smile is so clear.
Akashi Seijuro smiled helplessly.
He actually missed so much time in the past.
That's all.
At least every day from now on is precious, isn't it?
"I take back what I said, Sana." Akashi Seijuro's voice softened a bit, "Including the promise I made just now, it still stands."
[Akagi Seijuro, Favorability +7. ]
"Akashi-kun..."
After being surprised, Kurikawa Sana felt a little moved.
She knew very well that Akashi's second personality was tougher than anyone else, yet he was willing to give in first.
This is totally unexpected.
The system's voice rang out in my mind: [What's that saying? Love makes the proud bow their heads and makes the arrogant submit.]
Kurikawa Sana: [………]
"No, System, you're exaggerating. I can't say that Akashi loves me..."
System: [Really? Sana, you don't understand men.]
Kurikawa Sana:…………
What you said, is the system a man...
Now the system that could hear her heartbeats was silent.
Kurikawa Sana looked up at Akashi Seijuro. The red-haired boy had a handsome face under the moonlit street lights, and the smile on the corner of his mouth could even be described as gentle.
"Thank you, Akashi-kun."
But what she didn't expect was.
Just one night later, just the next day—he broke his promise.
No, perhaps it should be said that what Akashi promised from the beginning was completely different from what she understood.
In tomorrow's game, Akashi, and them.
It brought unprecedented pain to everyone except them.
…
*
After returning home, Kurikawa Sana immediately checked everyone's favorability again.
[Akagi Seijuro, Favorability: 90.]
[Murahara Atsushi, Favorability: 80.]
[Midorima Shintaro, Favorability: 85.]
[Aomine Daiki, Favorability: 83.]
【Kise Ryouta, Favorability: 90. 】
[Kuroko Tetsuya, Favorability: 91.]
Half of them have already reached a favorability level of over 90! Kurikawa Sana rolls around on the bed contentedly!
However, just when she was halfway through rolling, she suddenly discovered something and stopped abruptly -
Now at a glance, the one with the lowest value turned out to be Murasakibara Atsushi.
...But it shouldn't matter, right? This world is too difficult, I can't even hope for a perfect score.
The one whose favorability increased the fastest at first was Murasakibara. Murasakibara's favorability had reached 80 points a long time ago, so after that, she no longer deliberately tried to win him over.
Kurikawa Sana has always advocated passing the exam, and after reaching 80 points, Murasakibara's favorability has never dropped, so she doesn't care.
Now that she thought about it, it seemed like she hadn't been alone with Murasakibara for a long time.
Although Murasakibara's favorability rating hadn't dropped, it hadn't risen either. Even on the day she danced the ballet at the Teiko Festival, everyone else's favorability rating had increased to some degree, but Murasakibara was the only one whose rating remained unchanged.
...There shouldn't be any problem, maybe Murasakibara simply doesn't appreciate dancing or something like that?
After staring at the favorability data on the panel for a while, Kurikawa Sana fell asleep unknowingly.
At night, she had a very long dream.
In the dream were her parents and her brother.
Her brother held her hand tightly and ran forward with her.
However, she fell on the way and fell ill. Her brother hugged her and cried, and her parents gradually disappeared.
…
When she woke up, it was already daytime. Kurikawa Sana raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, and they were already wet.
She stood up somewhat melancholy, her chest filled with a sense of annoyance.
She couldn't even muster the energy to eat breakfast after washing up. The spacious living room seemed even more empty with only her there.
Kurikawa Sana turned on the TV, thinking that some background music would make the room feel a little warmer.
As a result, when he turned on the TV, the program playing was Midorima Shintaro's favorite "Morning Fortune Telling".
"Welcome to today's episode of 'Morning Fortune Telling'. Today is a very unlucky day for Leos. Leos, please be advised not to go out today!"
Kurikawa Sana: "..."
What a coincidence, she is a Leo.
The bright female voice on the TV program continued, "Next up is Cancer. Cancers also have bad luck today, and are prone to losing important and beloved things. If you bring your lucky charm for today, perhaps it will help alleviate the problem!"
"Cancer's lucky charm for today is the bunny pendant!"
She just happened to have a bunny pendant.
Hmm... If I remember correctly, Midorima seems to be a Cancer, and it says here that he will have bad luck today.
Midorima’s habit is to carry a Cancer lucky charm with her every day, especially when her luck is not good, the lucky charm becomes even more indispensable.
Kurikawa Sana glanced at the clock on the wall. It was seven o'clock in the morning and all the shops were closed. It would be difficult for Midorima to buy a lucky charm before the game started this morning.
Seeing her getting up to go out, the system asked: [Sana, are you going to give Midorima a lucky charm? ]
"Uh-huh."
System: [Is it my imagination? I always feel that Midorima is a little special to you. You always pay special attention to him.]
"Because Midorima was the one who helped me when I was in the most difficult time."
"When Akashi and Aomine's favorability was fluctuating, and when I had a fever and was caught in the rain, it was Midorima who took good care of me and gave me that crucial favorability boost."
Kurikawa Sana lowered her eyes. "When a large amount of favorability points were deducted, that heart-pounding feeling, the feeling of being short of oxygen and unable to breathe... I never want to experience it again."
"Besides, there's not much time left. If I don't run into them again... before heading to the next world, I want to see Midorima-kun more and talk to him more."
The system was silent for a moment, [I understand.]
I see.
In this basketball world, Midorima is like the white moonlight to her.
【If you want to go find him, go ahead, Sana. 】
…
The moment he saw Kurikawa Sana at the door of his house, Midorima Shintaro thought he was hallucinating.
Isn’t Cancer having bad luck today?
But she showed up.
In the morning sunlight, the black-haired girl's irresistible beauty shone brightly, with a dazzling smile on her face as she waved at him.
"Good morning, Midorima-kun!"
“………”
Midorima Shintaro came to her side almost quickly, and his low voice was filled with an imperceptible strange emotion, "Kurikawa, why are you here?"
"I happened to see on TV this morning that the lucky charm for Cancers is a bunny pendant, so I came to give it to you."
Kurikawa Sana smiled and extended her hand, "Last time you gave me the bear pendant, I'm going to return it to you, Midorima-kun."
Midorima Shintaro was stunned for a moment.
The girl had a sweet smile, and the pink bunny pendant hanging on her slender white fingertips was equally dazzling.
"...Is this why you came to see me so early in the morning?"
"Huh? Yeah, it's so early, the shops aren't open yet, and it's hard to buy today's lucky charm..."
The words haven't been finished yet.
The boy covered her fingers with white bandages and took the rabbit pendant from her hand.
His bony fingers gently touched and brushed across her palm, bringing a slight itch.
【Midorima Shintaro, Favorability +5. 】
Kurikawa Sana was stunned.
...Midorima's favorability is also 90!
Wow, Midorima is so nice, he is indeed the good guy who remains normal when everyone else is suffering from chuunibyou and turning evil!
"Thank you for the gift, Kurikawa. I will do my best."
…
*
On the day of the National Junior High School League finals, the gymnasium was buzzing with activity. The two schools competing in the finals were Teiko Junior High School and Meiko Junior High School. The auditorium was packed, everyone anticipating the matchup between the Teiko Junior High School basketball team, known as the "Generation of Miracles," and the rising dark horse Meiko Junior High School.
Kurikawa Sana was also full of anticipation. She saw Kuroko greet his childhood sweetheart, Ogiwara Narihiro, who seemed quite gentle and approachable. Even when he was just throwing the simplest warm-up pitches before the game, his eyes sparkled, and he exuded a sunny, hardworking aura.
Even though she was sitting in the manager's seat, she could clearly feel Ogihara-kun's unconditional and sincere love for basketball.
Kuroko also cherishes the agreement with his childhood sweetheart, and makes his debut with high morale.
However, things don't always go as planned.
Not long after the show started, an accident happened.
——While defending, the opponent failed to control the force of his elbow in time when shooting, and it hit Kuroko Tetsuya's solar plexus hard, making a loud noise!
With a "bang", the fair and thin boy fell to the ground on the court and lost consciousness immediately.
"Kuroko-kun!!" Kurikawa Sana and Momoi Satsuki were so nervous that their throats were raised, and the referee immediately stopped the game.
There was a period of chaos and disorder.
…
They sent Kuroko Tetsuya to the infirmary. Fortunately, the doctor said that he was not seriously injured and Kuroko regained consciousness briefly, but he definitely could not continue to play in this game.
When Kuroko Tetsuya regained consciousness after a brief moment of unconsciousness, he immediately insisted on playing. Akashi Seijuro asked, "Is Tetsuya's desire to play so much due to your friend, Ogiwara-kun?"
After a moment of silence, Kuroko Tetsuya agreed to Akashi's question and asked Akashi and everyone to give their all in the finals.
"No matter how big the score gap is, it doesn't matter, right?" asked Akashi Seijuro.
Kuroko Tetsuya endured the pain and said, "If it were Ogihara, he would rather have a fair and respectful match and an opponent who gave their all than show mercy."
Upon hearing this, Akashi Seijuro smiled meaningfully, said "I understand, you have a good rest", and left the infirmary.
I don’t know why, although it was a very normal conversation, Kurikawa Sana always felt uneasy listening to it, and inexplicably felt scared.
"Sana, why don't you go back first? I'll stay and look after Kuroko-kun." Momoi Satsuki glanced at the time. "The second half is about to start. It's not good for both managers to leave."
"Okay." Kurikawa Sana nodded, and finally glanced at Kuroko Tetsuya lying on the hospital bed, and her inner uneasiness grew.
On her way back to the competition venue, she met someone unexpected.
During halftime, a tall, purple-haired boy stood on the terrace outside the gymnasium. Hearing her footsteps, Murasakibara Atsushi raised his eyes lazily and looked at her. His handsome face showed no emotion.
"M-Murrasakibara-kun?"
"Lizi, now you see I can't even pronounce my name properly?"
"That's right. After all, you haven't looked at me for a long time."
The boy's lazy and calm tone contained an indescribable storm.
……!
Kurikawa Sana's body suddenly stiffened, and the uneasiness that had been lingering in her heart for a while finally had an answer.
Just like several times before when she had foreseen danger, her body reacted before her thoughts and she took a step back.
"The second half is about to begin, Murasakibara-kun, let's go back first..."
Murasakibara Atsushi took a step forward, his incredibly tall body casting a shadow in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her wrists, lifted them high and pressed them against the wall, then looked down at her.
"Want to run away again, Lizi?"
"Not this time. I've given you many chances."
Kurikawa Sana was completely confused and couldn't understand how things had suddenly turned out like this.
Her back was against the hard, cold wall, her hands were raised high and pressed above her head, and the other person's tall body was blocking her way, giving her a very oppressive feeling.
Having learned from her previous experience of having her favorability points withheld by Aomine and Akashi, and fearing that she would make mistakes if she spoke too much, she remained stiff and did not reply. Her brain was brainstorming frantically, trying to analyze the reasons for the current situation.
Murasakibara Atsushi clasped her wrists with one of his broad hands and gently touched her lips with the other. His hands were so hot that it seemed as if they could burn her in an instant.
"Do you think you can get away with not saying anything? It will only make me angrier."
The girl trembled slightly, and her rosy lips subconsciously opened in surprise, stroking his hand. Murasakibara Atsushi's narrow eyes darkened for a moment.
——What happened? Why did Murasakibara suddenly become like this?!
Kurikawa Sana really wanted to ask this question, but she didn't dare to ask, for fear that she would hear the sound of her favorability plummeting as soon as she asked.
She tried to break free from the other party's restraints. With the god-level props, she had the power to do it.
But just as she tried to pull away.
[Murasara Atsushi, Favorability -10.]
“……!!!”
here we go again.
The negative physical reaction caused by the large amount of favorability deduction was a feeling of weakness and throbbing throughout the body.
"Why are you resisting? Am I the only one you dislike so much?"
"She could have gone on a date with Huang Zai all day, risked her life to take a bullet for Chi Zai, taken the initiative to play basketball with Feng Zai, and left Green Zai's house early in the morning... Even Hei Zai, who came from behind, has surpassed her."
"But you never came to me again, not even once."
"Obviously, I... was the one who came first."
The young man bent down his tall body and put his ear close to hers. The storm brewing in his deep and hoarse voice was on the verge of erupting.
[Murasara Atsushi, Favorability -10.]
...So that's how it is.
Kurikawa Sana opened her eyes wide in surprise, unable to hide her shock.
It turned out that he knew everything.
"Why are you so surprised? Do you think I wouldn't notice this?" Murasakibara Atsushi lowered his eyes to look at her expression. "Is it just an illusion caused by my usual behavior?"
Yes, Kurikawa Sana smiled bitterly helplessly.
I almost forgot that although Murasakibara looks willful and childish, he was able to rank sixth in the whole grade, second only to Akashi Seijuro and Midorima Shintaro. How could he not have noticed it?
"You shouldn't have messed with me in the first place, Lizi."
"I told you a long time ago that there were already so many people, you couldn't add any more... but you ignored my words."
Murasakibara Atsushi rested his forehead against hers, "Still refusing to speak?"
What to say... She almost fainted.
Trying her best to suppress the discomfort that was clamoring from her body, Kurikawa Sana closed her eyes and said, "Murasara-kun, I feel so uncomfortable..."
Murasakibara Atsushi muttered in a whisper, "Are you trying to show weakness and soften my heart in this way? That's going too far... You know I'll fall for it."
…Does it really work?
Please, do anything you want, just let her get through this.
But the next second, Murasakibara Atsushi's words shattered all her fantasies.
"Isn't it because I like you that Lizi is doing this?"
"In that case, I'll just stop liking Lizi."
"If I don't like you and don't care about you anymore, I won't be annoyed... and I won't obey you."
As if by self-hypnosis, the purple-haired boy finally slowly loosened his grip on her.
[Murahara Atsushi, Favorability -40.]
!!!
Kurikawa Sana's azure pupils contracted violently, and her eyes seemed to have lost their luster. Then her whole body felt cold, and she felt numb from her fingertips to her heart.
Almost at the same time, she remembered the 30 points of favorability that Kise Ryota had gained in an instant on the Ferris wheel. This was because he had been suppressing his emotions before, and it was not until Kise figured it out and decided not to suppress it anymore that his favorability increased dramatically.
At that time, she was wondering, can favorability be controlled at will?
The answer is actually yes.
So now, Murasakibara Atsushi decided that he no longer liked her.
He took back a full 60 points of favorability.
In an instant, it was like falling from heaven to hell.
…
Kurikawa Sana didn't know how she managed to force herself back into the arena.
The pain this time was several times greater than anything I had experienced before. It was indescribable. Every cell in my body was screaming in pain, clamoring to faint immediately.
As long as you faint, the pain will go away.
After Murasakibara deducted so much favorability points, the 80% collection point she had originally achieved was also shattered.
But she did not give up and still had delusions, hoping to make a final effort.
But when she returned to the court and saw that game, Kurikawa Sana felt that everything was too ridiculous.
In the final, they were just throwing the ball around, seemingly having no intention of attacking, just simply killing time.
The score on the screen was 111:9.
The score difference was shocking, but the opponent Mingguang Middle School had not given up yet.
Kuroko Tetsuya's childhood friend, Ogiwara Shigehiro, had a forced but strong smile on his face. He was still running hard across the court, still loudly encouraging his teammates, and doing his best to organize every attack and block every point.
Looking at him like this, Kurikawa Sana understood why he was regarded as the white moonlight by Kuroko.
Who can not be moved by such a hard-working and wonderful person who never gives up in the face of adversity?
However, the starting players of Teiko, except for Midorima Shintaro, were throwing the ball around on the court as if they were playing house, with no intention of attacking or defending seriously.
It is obvious that this behavior shows no regard for the opponent at all and no respect at all.
what are they doing?
In previous games, no matter how big the score difference was, they would attack until the last moment, at least not let the opponent feel such obvious contempt and insult... Why did today's game turn out like this?
Didn't Akashi promise Kuroko that he would give it his all?
Kurikawa Sana's face turned terribly pale when she returned to the audience seats. She covered her heart tightly with her hands, thinking that pressing hard would suppress the surging pain.
The moment she returned to the arena, Akashi Seijuro cast his gaze over to her.
Seeing that the girl was in a completely different state than before she left, Akashi Seijuro's expression changed slightly. He raised his hand to signal the coach, calling the first and only timeout for Teiko since the start of the game.
He quickly ran to her side and asked, "Sanae, what's wrong with you?"
Others also gathered around.
Kurikawa Sana endured the severe pain in her body and asked, "What are you doing... Why are you throwing the ball around like this to insult your opponent?"
Seeing that this was the first question she asked, Akashi Seijuro's expression turned a little colder, his eyes flickered slightly, and he did not answer immediately.
Kise Ryouta, however, answered her question with a smile: "Well, it's nothing. We're just tired of the old scoring game, so we're trying a different way."
"...What's the game?"
"We just need to make it 111 to 11! Five ones looks fun, doesn't it? It's a bit more difficult than just a simple scoring game! The score is now 111 to 9, and we have to limit them to just two more points before the end of the game... Sigh, they're too weak. Even with all our slack, they still couldn't achieve their goal."
"If they hadn't been trying to shoot three-pointers, we wouldn't have been dangling the ball and waiting for the clock to run out! If they had just been shooting two-pointers, we would have let them go a long time ago."
Listening to Kise Ryouta's innocent yet almost cruel words in his cheerful voice, Kurikawa Sana felt a chill all over her body.
Kise had clearly promised her not long ago that he would no longer play "scoring games" to insult his opponents during the game... But it seemed that what he promised was "no longer stealing the ball from his teammates to score", but he didn't say that he wouldn't play tricks like trying to make the score 111 to 11.
I can’t imagine how desperate Heizi would be if he saw this scene with his own eyes.
Kurikawa Sana said hoarsely: "Just because it's 'fun', you can trample on your opponent like this? You clearly promised Kuroko-kun that you would give it your all..."
"Huh? Why are you asking that question again? The difference in strength between the two sides is so huge. It's a fantasy to expect both the winner and the loser to have fun in the game."
Aomine Daiki ruffled his indigo hair in frustration. "As the stronger ones, we naturally decide the rules of this game. You're our team's manager, so you should be on our side, right?"
Midorima Shintaro adjusted his glasses and said coldly, "Don't count me in. I didn't participate in your boring games."
"Sana, you're so angry now because you know your opponent in this match is a friend that Tetsuya cherishes, right?"
Akashi Seijuro finally spoke, "But have you ever considered that Tetsuya asked us to give our all against his good friend, yet he never made such a request when competing against other opponents. He was so special only when facing Meiko Junior High School. This in itself is a form of injustice and discrimination."
"If even Tetsuya himself can't be 100% fair, then whatever we do is natural."
“Only through absolute strength and victory can we escape the shadow of injustice, and only the strong have the right to speak.”
There it is again, Akashi's specious sophistry.
Akashi had clearly promised her last night...but just like Kise, this wasn't what he promised.
Akashi only promised to help Kuroko break through and teach him skills other than passing, but that did not include not insulting his childhood sweetheart on the court.
Kurikawa Sana suddenly felt sad.
This only means that they... have not changed from the beginning to the end.
Those days in the past can never be returned.
…
"Kurikawa, what's wrong with you? You look so pale." Midorima Shintaro frowned even deeper and moved closer to her.
Huang Lailiangta also said worriedly: "Are you feeling unwell? We will win this game soon. We will bring back the trophy for the second consecutive championship and congratulate Kuroko and Momo."
No, Kuroko wouldn't want such a victory.
Kurikawa Sana didn't even have the energy to refute.
Murasakibara Atsushi was the only one who didn't speak. He had just been in a stalemate with her outside. He just looked at the black-haired girl surrounded by others with an expressionless face, silent and without saying a word.
However, in a corner that she couldn't see, Murasakibara Atsushi's hands were clenched tightly into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, almost bleeding.
The timeout has passed and the whistle sounds again.
After having 60 points of favorability deducted from her, Kurikawa Sana's body was rapidly lacking oxygen, and she felt severe pain in her heart, a pain that was incomparable to any previous one.
Dizzy, cold all over, splitting headache, and unable to breathe.
He had lost the strength to even speak, and this body would collapse in the next second.
At the last moment of the game, she saw that they gave up their defensive position and allowed Kuroko's childhood friend, Ogihara Seihiro, who was wearing the No. 7 jersey, to shoot the ball.
The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
"Tsk, I've let you pass so many times, you guy, why don't you score a goal for me..." Aomine Daiki frowned and shouted at Murasakibara Atsushi under the basket: "Hey, Murasakibara!"
"I know." Murasakibara Atsushi responded lazily, stretched out his hand lightly, and personally put the opponent's ball into their basket.
This action shocked everyone present.
With a condescending attitude, he helps his opponents score as if it were mercy and charity.
"What... does this mean?" The smile on Ogiwara Narihiro's face finally disappeared, replaced by despair.
Because he saw, at the moment Murasakibara Atsushi sent the ball in, the score on the electronic screen of the scorer turned red—
111 to 11
Everything is just to achieve this.
All because they thought it would be fun.
…
Kurikawa Sana saw the figure of Kuroko Tetsuya.
The boy with sky-blue hair still had a white bandage wrapped around his head, and the expression on his face was exactly the same despair as his childhood sweetheart.
So sad.
Kurikawa Sana closed her eyes, unable to bear the piercing pain any longer.
I'm sorry, Heizi, I can't accompany him anymore.
I'm so tired that I don't want to stay in this world anymore.
So depressing and suffocating.
I don't want to be here for even a second longer.
They simply... have not changed from the beginning to the end, and there is no way to go back to the past.
I don’t want to be here anymore, even if the next round starts with a weakness debuff, I don’t want to stay here anymore.
System: [Do you want to leave now? Sana.]
[Is this possible? System…]
System: [Yes, as long as it is what you wish.]
*
[Calculating total health value, helping the host to leave this world...]
[Next world loading...]
【The host has left this world.】
…
In an instant, the feeling of suffocation and pain disappeared.
She finally felt refreshed.
The black-haired girl fell from her seat with a loud bang, like a bird with broken wings, with her head touching the ground in a fragile posture.
Before she completely closed her eyes, she saw the shocked and bewildered eyes of the teenagers and figures running towards her.
So tired.
Finally I can rest.
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