Chapter 63: Has This Guy Always Been This Bold?
The sound of a body hitting the floor rang out.
As Seijuro Akashi went down, he instinctively stretched out his left hand to brace himself. The impact sent a jolt straight through it, violently injuring his left wrist.
“Ugh…”
Akashi let out a muffled groan, his face twisting in pain as his right hand clutched his left wrist tightly.
Miyamoto Tokima’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected Makoto Hanamiya to pull off something so blatantly meant to injure someone.
“Beep!!!”
Referee Yamada saw it clearly and immediately blew the whistle, calling a technical foul on Makoto Hanamiya.
Hanamiya merely shrugged, taking the technical foul without a care. He turned and walked back toward his own half, not showing even the slightest hint of guilt toward Seijuro Akashi, who was still collapsed on the floor.
Miyamoto Tokima and the others rushed over at once.
“Akashi, how are you?!” Daiki Aomine asked anxiously.
Kōzō Shirogane also hurried onto the court to check Akashi’s condition.
Satsuki Momoi ran off to call the medical staff.
Akashi held onto his left wrist. The pain was intense, and he could barely put any strength into it.
Watching this, Miyamoto Tokima felt increasingly irritated. Even though he had a buff, it only applied to him.
There was nothing he could do about it. Some referees were simply too unreliable. Even after pulling strings, their attention was still almost entirely fixed on him.
That meant his teammates were inevitably being overlooked. He had assumed Hanamiya and the others would keep their fouls subtle.
All he needed to do was warn Akashi and the others to be careful of small tricks, leaving the rest to himself. He never imagined Hanamiya would resort to such an obvious and vicious move.
Miyamoto Tokima clenched his fists tightly.
‘Makoto Hanamiya…!’
Miyamoto Tokima stepped up to take the technical free throw. The ball dropped cleanly through the net.
The score became 44–29. Teikō Middle School led by fifteen points going into halftime.
...
Halftime.
Inside Teikō Middle School’s locker room—
Bang!!!
“That damn bastard!!!”
Daiki Aomine kicked a bench away, venting his fury.
The rest of the Teikō players were no different, each one simmering like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
The situation was grim. Shintaro Midorima had been injured during warm-ups and sent to the infirmary. Now Seijuro Akashi, after that fall, had also been taken in for treatment.
Two teammates injured by malicious fouls—everyone at Teikō was suppressing a burning rage.
Shuzo Nijimura clenched his fists, his expression dark.
Atsushi Murasakibara didn’t even touch his food, quietly conserving his energy instead.
The locker room door opened as Kōzō Shirogane and Satsuki Momoi walked in.
Aomine rushed forward immediately.
“Coach, how’s Akashi?”
Everyone looked toward Shirogane, waiting for his answer.
Shirogane let out a sigh before speaking.
“Akashi has a sprained left wrist. He won’t be able to play for the rest of this game.”
Aomine spun around in rage and kicked the bench again.
“Damn bastard!”
Nijimura smacked Aomine on the head.
“Tch—That hurts!”
Aomine grabbed his head and yelped.
“Don’t let your anger mess up your judgment,” Nijimura said sternly.
Satsuki Momoi walked over and sat beside Miyamoto Tokima, worry written all over her face.
“Tokima…”
Tokima slowly turned his head and gently patted her hair, speaking softly.
“Don’t worry, Satsuki. Akashi and Midorima will be fine.”
Momoi shook her head, her concern deepening.
“I’m worried about them, but I’m even more worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Miyamoto Tokima froze for a moment.
‘So she’s worried about me…’
He looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a buff. They won’t be able to hurt me.”
Momoi nodded, though the worry on her face didn’t fade.
“Then please be careful.”
Tokima nodded.
“I will.”
Shirogane stepped forward and began arranging the lineup for the second half.
“Second half: Tokima will handle the ball. Nijimura moves to center. Kuroko, get ready to connect the offense.”
Tetsuya Kuroko nodded.
“Understood, Coach.”
Nijimura tried to lighten the mood with a laugh.
“Haha, didn’t think I’d be playing center again.”
——————
Halftime ended, and the third quarter began.
Teikō Middle School ball.
Miyamoto Tokima caught the inbound and dribbled across half court.
Facing Makoto Hanamiya, Tokima leaned forward slightly, pushed off with his left foot, and burst past him on the right.
In an instant, he blew by Hanamiya’s defense.
As Meisei’s power forward rushed over to help, Tokima secured the ball with both hands and used his momentum to crash straight into him.
The Meisei power forward couldn’t react in time and was sent flying backward.
After knocking him away, Tokima calmly laid the ball into the basket.
Thud!
The Meisei power forward slammed into the floor. At the same time, the whistle rang out.
“Beep! Meisei number 23, blocking foul!”
Okuyama Shuzan blew his whistle.
Clutching his chest, the Meisei power forward shouted angrily,
“Are you blind?!”
The moment those words left his mouth, Hanamiya’s expression changed drastically.
‘You idiot!’
Hanamiya knew it was over. After saying that, there was no way he’d be allowed to stay in the game.
The referee wouldn’t let it slide—another technical was guaranteed. Combined with his previous one, that made two technical fouls.
Ejection.
Just as Hanamiya expected, Okuyama Shuzan blew his whistle again, calling a technical foul.
Two technical fouls—automatic ejection.
The Meisei power forward was sent off.
Unwilling to accept it, he jumped to his feet and charged straight at Okuyama Shuzan, raising his fist and swinging.
Okuyama Shuzan froze in shock. He never imagined someone would dare attack a referee on the court.
He was knocked to the ground by the sudden punch.
Seeing this, Yamada rushed in immediately to restrain the Meisei power forward.
The crowd was stunned. It was the first time many of them had ever seen a referee attacked during a game.
The court descended into chaos.
Arena security rushed in and forcibly separated Yamada and the Meisei player.
Hanamiya watched the scene with a grim expression, cursing the Meisei power forward repeatedly in his mind.
Miyamoto Tokima stood off to the side, his expression strange.
‘Is this guy always this bold…? He really went straight for the ref?’
Author's Note
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