Chapter 54: Meisei Middle School

Atsushi Murasakibara spoke up with praise,
“Yeah, Kuroko’s passes were really unexpected.”

Tetsuya Kuroko smiled slightly and replied,
“It’s what I should be doing.”

“Alright, alright! Let’s head back to school, pack up, and go eat a big feast!!!”
Miyamoto Tokima said with a loud laugh.

At the mention of a feast, Murasakibara’s eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded nonstop.
“Mm-hm, a big feast! I want yakiniku, Tokima!”

“Yeah, Tokima, let’s go eat yakiniku!”
Daiki Aomine said excitedly.

Miyamoto Tokima then asked the others for their opinions.
“Everyone, how does yakiniku sound?”

Seijuro Akashi replied gently,
“I have no objections.”

Shintaro Midorima pushed up his glasses and said,
“I don’t have any objections either.”

Shogo Haizaki nodded, also indicating he was fine with it.

After confirming that everyone agreed, Miyamoto Tokima turned to Shuzo Nijimura.
“Nijimura-senpai, you can’t skip today. We’ve invited you so many times already, and you never come.”

Shuzo Nijimura froze slightly, standing there with a conflicted expression.
“Tokima… I… I might not be able to make it…”

Miyamoto Tokima paused. Only then did he remember that around this time, Shuzo Nijimura’s father had fallen seriously ill. After the National Tournament, Nijimura would likely go to the United States to accompany his father for treatment.

That might also be the reason why he eventually stopped playing basketball.

Left with no choice, Miyamoto Tokima gave up on inviting him.
“Alright then, Nijimura-senpai. We’ll get together next time.”

——————

After eating with the rest of Teikō, everyone returned to their own homes.

That afternoon, the coach officially announced that Tetsuya Kuroko had joined the main roster, becoming the team’s eighth official member.

On his way home after the meal, Kuroko took out his phone and shared the good news with his childhood friend.
His friend was genuinely happy for him.

...

On the other side, Miyamoto Tokima pushed open the door to his house and saw his father sitting in the living room watching TV.

“Dad, no work today?”
Tokima asked.

His father chuckled.
“Nothing urgent. How about you—did you win the match?”

Miyamoto Tokima waved his hand dismissively.
“With my strength, you still don’t believe in me?”

“No, no. Just asking out of habit, haha.”

Miyamoto Tokima looked at his father helplessly. He knew his dad had always been like this.

“Oh right, Dad, can I ask you something?”

His father put away his smile. Usually, when Tokima asked questions seriously, it meant he had run into something difficult.
“Go ahead.”

“Dad, do we have any hospital-related assets in the United States?”

His father froze for a moment.
“Is one of your friends sick?”

Miyamoto Tokima nodded. Ever since Shuzo Nijimura declined the dinner invitation, this question had been weighing on his mind.

He understood Nijimura’s personality well. Even if his father were sent to the United States and given professional care, Nijimura would still go with him. There was no way Tokima could stop him from leaving.

After all, Japan simply didn’t have the medical technology to treat Nijimura’s father. He couldn’t possibly tell Nijimura to abandon his father and stay behind to keep playing basketball.

If he couldn’t keep Nijimura in Japan, then at the very least, he wanted Nijimura to live a better life in the United States.

Seeing his son nod, his father spoke calmly.
“Yes. I invested in several large hospitals in the United States years ago. If you need anything, just tell me.”

Miyamoto Tokima nodded with a smile.
“Thanks, Dad.”

After that, he went to take a shower.

His father watched his son’s retreating figure, a gentle light in his eyes.
“That brat…”

——————

In the days that followed, the Teikō players returned to their normal training routine. Aside from Miyamoto Tokima, everyone else diligently completed the training program assigned by Kōzō Shirogane.

Shogo Haizaki was no exception and completed the plan as well.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the National Tournament had arrived. Schools from all over the country gathered to compete for the championship trophy.

Teikō’s first match was against a relatively weak opponent, and they won decisively by over forty points, securing their first victory at the National Tournament.

The second match also went smoothly, ending in another blowout win of more than thirty points.

In the third match, Teikō faced Meisei Middle School, the school that had the notorious “bad boys” Makoto Hanamiya and Kentaro Seto.

“They really play that dirty?”
Daiki Aomine said angrily, holding the report Satsuki Momoi had prepared.

The Teikō players gathered around, their expressions growing grim as they stared at the data sheet in Aomine’s hands.

The report showed that in the two matches played against Meisei, three to four players on each opposing team had been injured and forced to leave the court. The injury numbers were terrifying.

“That’s Hanamiya’s style,”
Shuzo Nijimura said coldly, his tone filled with disgust.
“He likes winning by deliberately injuring his opponents.”

Just last year, Makoto Hanamiya had not only committed malicious fouls against Shuzo Nijimura, but had also seriously injured several Teikō players.

“What a vile personality,”
Shintaro Midorima said angrily as he pushed up his glasses.

Seijuro Akashi remained expressionless and said nothing.

Miyamoto Tokima, however, stayed calm. He had already thought of a way to deal with it.

Kōzō Shirogane walked over and spoke sternly.
“Alright, everyone. Be careful in the next match. Don’t get injured.”

“Go home and rest well. Focus completely on the next game.”

His tone was serious. He knew that if they weren’t fully focused, Meisei’s malicious fouls could easily lead to injuries.

After all, the referees weren’t particularly professional. If a foul was subtle enough, it often went completely unnoticed.

(PS: I really have to complain here—during the high school arc, Makoto Hanamiya straight-up elbowed Tetsuya Kuroko in the face, and the referees acted like they were blind and didn’t even blow the whistle.)

“Finally, it’s starting—Teikō Middle School versus Meisei Middle School. I’m already excited.”
“I’m a bit worried though. I heard Meisei plays dirty.”
“Yeah, last year Teikō had two players injured. I wonder how it’ll go this year.”
“As long as my idol doesn’t get hurt. Seriously, if Meisei plays so dirty, why don’t they just disqualify them?”
“I… I don’t know either…”