Chapter 89: Nijimura Shūzō Steps Down

Words : 940 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

At first, Kise really looked down on Kuroko. He thought, "What's this guy doing here? In such a powerful team, how could there be such an obvious weak link?" But he quickly changed his mind. When Kuroko began subtly directing the team's offense with his misdirection, assisting their scores, and even scoring himself— Kise was amazed. "This is hands down the most incredible magic trick I've ever seen." So even though they lost the scrimmage, and even had to do cleanup duty afterward, Kise willingly followed behind Aomine and Kuroko, chirping out, "Little Aomine~" "Little Kuroko~" Yep—completely tamed. Tendou knew Kise's personality, so he wasn't surprised. Though honestly, hearing a grown man calling another guy "little something" in such a cutesy voice made his skin crawl. So when Kise shamelessly came over asking for a rematch... "Little Tendou~ One more match, pleeease—" WHAM! Tendou answered with a flying foot to Kise's face. "Just go help Aomine with cleaning duty, rookie." It was Kise's first time being called a rookie—and it hurt. Because he really couldn't beat Tendou. He'd even tried copying Tendou's "Cleave" skill—but no matter if it was dribbling or stealing, he failed miserably. Eventually, Kuroko explained—Tendou's skill set was derived from his swordsmanship. Something about... "Enchanted Guard Style"? Didn't sound basketball-related, but it weirdly fit. Cool. ... "Why are you being so cold?" For the first time, Kise was seriously hooked on a sport. He'd never encountered someone he simply couldn't beat—until now. Just recalling the epic battle between Tendou and Aomine had his blood boiling. "Don't waste your time. Unless you're willing to bet something like... washing the winner's socks for a week, Tendou won't bother playing you again." "Wait—how do you know that?" "How do I know? Just look." Aomine's face turned red. Ever since last year, he'd been the one washing Tendou's dirty socks every week. And not with a washing machine. By hand. He—who had never done laundry—was now more skilled than his own mom. At first, he'd vowed to take revenge—to win and force Tendou to wash his socks. But after losing over and over, he eventually asked if they could change the punishment. Tendou said no. Aomine had no choice but to keep fighting. And losing. Thus, a whole year passed... ... "Why are you still standing around? Hurry up and clean. I want to get back to training." Aomine planned to go home, eat, and keep practicing. Even if he still hadn't beaten Tendou, he could feel it—he was close. "Just a bit more... and I can finally surpass him." From then on, his training intensity visibly increased. And so did his results. ... "Aomine-senpai's been on fire lately!" "Yeah, I heard he dropped 40 points in one practice match, then 50 in another!" "No doubt—we're totally gonna defend our title this year!" "With Tendou-senpai and Aomine-senpai together, it's basically guaranteed." As the next National Tournament approached. Everyone in the club started buzzing about how insanely good the core players were looking. Of all of them, Aomine was the standout. Compared to last year, it was like he'd leveled up entirely. In two scrimmages, he hadn't scored less than 40 points. With Kuroko, he led the second string to blowout wins that rivaled the starters led by Tendou. ... Nijimura Shūzō noticed all of it. One day, he knocked on Coach Shirogane's office door. "Come in." "Sorry to bother you." Seeing who it was, Coach Shirogane put down his pen. "What is it, Nijimura?" "It's about something I'd like to request. For the upcoming qualifiers... I'd like Aomine to take my spot as a starter." "Hm?" Coach Shirogane raised an eyebrow. He didn't understand—Teikō's current rotation didn't need to change. "Give me a reason." Nijimura explained. "It's because of some family matters." Turns out Nijimura's family member was ill, and he needed to help take care of them. He wouldn't be able to give 100% to the Nationals—or managing the team. "Right now, Aomine's more than capable of replacing me. He might even perform better." Based on Aomine's recent performance and stats, he was more than ready to fill Nijimura's role. With Akashi now in the starting lineup too, the team already had enough playmakers. With Tendou and Akashi controlling the pace, Nijimura's utility on court was slightly reduced. In contrast, Aomine's offensive firepower could take full advantage of the position. Coach Shirogane thought for a moment... and finally nodded. Family comes first. ... The announcement was made soon after. "Huh? Captain, you're moving to the bench?" "Yeah. Coach and I talked it over. Aomine will be taking my spot." "But why? I don't mind being a sub! I like playing with Kuroko!" "Right, Kuroko?" Aomine did want to start—he didn't want to be the only one from his class stuck on the bench. But even so, he knew Nijimura was the most reliable power forward they had. "It's because of something off-court, right?" Tendou asked knowingly. Nijimura nodded. "Yeah. It's personal. I won't be able to commit fully this year. So... you guys have to carry on." Everyone could only nod in understanding. ... "Alright. Then it's settled. Everyone, get ready. Don't forget our goal this year—back-to-back championships!" "Now! Ten laps around the court as warm-up!" "Yes, sir!" The Teikō boys charged off with fire in their hearts, preparing for the tournament ahead.

Chapter 89: Nijimura Shūzō Steps Down

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