Chapter 104: Murasakibara Joins In

"What did you just say?!" Haizaki was furious. He grabbed Akashi by the collar, and the new sneakers he'd been hiding behind him fell to the ground with a thud. Neither of them looked away. They stared each other down, neither willing to back off. "Say that again if you've got the guts!" "Leave the basketball club. That's my advice to you." Akashi repeated himself. His tone was firm—quiet, but resolute. "You, more than anyone, should know that Tendou was right." "Kise surpassing you is only a matter of time. When that day comes, you'll leave this club in shame. So I suggest you make the first move and walk away with at least some dignity." One after another—always the same! Haizaki clenched his fists, itching to punch this smug rich kid in the face. But in the end, he didn't do it. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the basketball club had already written him off. He'd noticed. Everyone's eyes when they looked at him—they were different. None of them had ever really accepted him. Except for the previous coach and the last two captains. Even though Tendou had just beaten him senseless, Haizaki didn't actually hate him that much. Tendou's gaze wasn't the same as the others'. There was no contempt in it, no superiority. More than anything, it felt like an adult looking at kids. And adults don't get into petty squabbles with kids. At least Tendou didn't. Haizaki kinda respected that. Made him want to stay a little longer—maybe. But today, Akashi laid it all out, and he could no longer pretend. He had to admit it: he was the most unwelcome member of the club. No one had ever seen him as a true teammate. Even with a new captain, nothing had changed. ... Tendou, of course, was back home "watching anime." ... Scene change. Haizaki stood in front of a furnace. He didn't hesitate—he threw his brand new sneakers into the flames. What was the point in keeping them? He wasn't gonna need them anymore. "Akashi, huh..." FanGeGe watched with a conflicted heart. Even the chat was divided. Some supported Akashi's decision. Others thought Haizaki deserved a second chance. 『I think Akashi wasn't wrong. He's just trying to protect the team in his own way.』 『Yeah, maybe a bit extreme, but sometimes a clean cut is best.』 Clearly, FanGeGe was on Team Akashi. No matter Haizaki's inner struggles or flaws—stealing Kise's "girlfriend" crossed the line. Even if it wasn't really his girlfriend, Haizaki went after her on purpose. That alone made him unworthy of sympathy. 『Agreed. Haizaki's not a real teammate. It's better this way.』 『Still, he was starting to change. Why not give him a chance? Even Sakuragi started out as a delinquent.』 『Are you seriously comparing him to Sakuragi? That guy might've been a punk, but he never bullied people—never stole anyone's girl!』 『Sakuragi didn't steal anyone's girlfriend. He confessed and got rejected like 50 times!』 『Now I've got Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai playing in my head, dammit.』 『Same! Don't start singing it!』 The topic quickly derailed—as usual. Netizens truly had a talent for making their own fun. FanGeGe laughed as he watched them. Honestly, he was impressed by the production team. This arc had been full of explosions—emotionally and literally—and had fans both furious and hooked. His stream had once again surged past 100,000 viewers. Even he had the urge to keep bingeing episodes nonstop. The show's buzz was off the charts. ... Back to the KNB world. The next day. At basketball practice, Coach Fujimura made an announcement: "Haizaki has withdrawn from the club." He didn't explain why—he didn't even know. All he could do was attribute it to Haizaki's own choices. Midorima and the others speculated. "Maybe that day... after Tendou humiliated him, he just didn't have the face to stick around." ... Meanwhile, Akashi remained silent. He didn't speak up—this was simply the action he had taken to protect the team. But as if fate was conspiring against him— During the day's scrimmage, Murasakibara threw a tantrum. "You should've passed that ball back to me." Akashi was already in a sour mood. Ever since the Haizaki incident, he'd been on edge, doubting himself. He didn't even know anymore if what he did was right. He told himself it was for the team's good—but was it? He hadn't slept well all night. And now, in the match, Murasakibara ignored the play. Instead of passing it back like he was supposed to, he bulldozed his way through the defense using a move straight out of Aomine's playbook. "So what? We still scored, didn't we?" Murasakibara said lazily. To be honest, he had plenty of things he'd rather be doing. Chilling at home with the AC. Eating snacks. Playing games. Literally anything other than practicing. After all— "Why pass it back to you, Aka-chin? You're just gonna pass it to someone else anyway." "Passing's just a means to score, right? I can score without giving the ball back to you." "What did you just say?" Akashi's brow furrowed. The others tried to get Murasakibara to drop it. Because from the very start of today's scrimmage—it was obvious. Something had changed. Just like with Aomine and Tendou—Murasakibara had undergone a serious power boost. He was like Shaq in his prime, wrecking people in the paint. 『Oh no. Not Murasakibara too!』 『Please stop! He's even more childish than Aomine. This won't end well!』 『I thought this episode was gonna be Akashi's arc. Guess not.』 『Or maybe... it's gonna be both of them?!』 FanGeGe shivered as he read the comments. This had Akashi Episode written all over it—especially after the Haizaki situation. And now? Tension with Murasakibara. "You know, Aka-chin, I only listened to you before 'cause I thought you were stronger than me." "But now, I'm not so sure. I don't think I'm weaker than Tendou or Aomine anymore." "So what you're saying... is that you think you're stronger than everyone else now?" Akashi clenched his fists and stepped forward. "Is that what you mean, Atsushi?"