Chapter 61: He Shut Everyone Out

Flashback inserted. This was a memory that even Tendou himself didn't possess. Last time, the audience saw Tendou's background story from two years ago. But this time, they were brought back a full seven years—to when he was six years old. "Tendou Kageyoshi, age six." "Just like basketball, kendo wasn't the first sport he ever played." "The first sport Tendou Kageyoshi ever encountered in life was soccer." "It happened during his very first PE class in elementary school, when the teacher organized some activities and he was introduced to sports for the first time." "At first, he loved soccer, especially dribbling. The feeling of becoming one with the ball was so addictive, he couldn't stop." "At the time, Tendou thought that soccer was the most fun thing in the world." The narration paused. In the scene, six-year-old Tendou blasted the ball into the goal with a powerful kick and yelled out, "Checkmate!" But the other kids playing with him looked uninterested. "This is boring..." "Let's go home and play video games." "Yeah, yeah. We can't beat Tendou anyway." Narration resumed. "In the face of his overwhelming natural talent, all the other kids dimmed into insignificance. They were both stunned and afraid of his absurd skill." "Gradually, Tendou Kageyoshi realized that not a single friend would even talk to him. Everyone avoided him, unable to handle how dazzling his talent was." The shot zoomed out: little Tendou stood alone in the center of the field, the other kids walking further and further away. "Confused, the teacher approached him, hoping he could try harder to blend in with the team." "Tendou Kageyoshi's answer at the time was: 'I'm just following the voice in my head when I play. Every time I step onto the field, there's a voice that tells me what to do. Don't you hear it, Sensei?'" "The teacher fell silent. But from that silence, Tendou already had his answer." "From that day on, he realized something—only he was special. None of the others, not even the teachers, could see the monster inside his mind." "And so, Tendou Kageyoshi stopped worrying about why the others didn't want to play with him. He knew those ordinary kids would never reach his level." "He chose to shut everyone out. If he couldn't get along with ordinary people, then dealing with them was just a waste of his time..." Flashback ended. The screen returned to the current match. But by then, the audience had already been left speechless by that background story. Last time he was sword-sainting at eleven—this time, he was steamrolling soccer at six. And the part that really hit the viewers' funny bone... 『He shut everyone out?』 『Damn, of course it's Tendou again!』 『You're not the ones refusing to play with me. I refuse to play with you scrubs!』 『Unbelievable! First it was kendo, now he's a soccer god too? The man's built different.』 『Tiny Tendou is adorable!』 『Adorable?! This is the same six-year-old who already looked down on everyone like they were trash!』 『Why is it that when other characters go through this, it's sad... but when it's Tendou, it just hits different?』 『Feel bad for the kids who had to breathe the same air as him. This setting is insane!』 Fans were going wild in the comments. Though the flashback only lasted about three minutes, it left a huge impression. In the end, the consensus was clear: If it's inhuman, Tendou has already done it! He was slaying swordmasters at eleven. Now, he was benching entire soccer programs at six. The guy was basically born with an "Athlete's Divine Physique." And on top of all that, viewers made another realization: This episode's title, "Monster," wasn't referring to Seihō or Tsugawa Tomoki—it was about Tendou, the king of flex. 'I just wanna know what other absurd stuff he did in his childhood!' Reading that comment, Nightmare burst out laughing like a pig. But when he calmed down, he finally understood something. "At this point, I'm almost certain this anime isn't your standard 'Sports Dream' shounen." "Even though Kuroko is clearly listed as the main character, the way the story is developing, this is more of an ensemble cast. The real protagonists are Kuroko, Tendou, and the rest of the prodigies." "And the 'monster' isn't some supernatural power—it actually can be explained." "If I had to define it, I'd say it's the embodiment of Tendou's basketball IQ." "You remember what young Tendou said in the flashback? Every time he stepped on the field, a voice in his head would tell him what to do." "That voice doesn't appear in daily life—only in games. It's like his brain is so developed that he can read the whole field in real time and make perfect decisions." 'So... it's not a superpower?' Viewers continued to debate. Nightmare shook his head. "Definitely not. The 'monster' is just a visual metaphor for his insane basketball IQ. The studio's just using a flashy method to help us grasp how ridiculous his brain is." "It's the same thing you see in real life with a handful of NBA players. Lakers legend Magic Johnson was one of the greatest passers ever, famous for pulling off absolutely insane assists." Magic's era was a bit too early for many to have seen him play live—this was pre-NBA boom in China. But in today's age, fans had more access. All you had to do was open a highlight reel, and you could see how mind-blowing his passes really were. And no—don't get it twisted. Just because today's players can replicate it doesn't mean it's common. Because most of what they're doing is just copying Magic. No-Look Pass—one of his signatures. Magic may not have invented the technique, but he definitely perfected it. And Magic Johnson... is widely recognized as having the highest basketball IQ in NBA history. --- Vote with some power stones in this story. By using them on this book, you guarantee bonus chapters weekly.