Chapter 9: Shogo Haizaki

“Captain, the coach doesn’t seem that bad,”
Daiki Aomine said with a hint of relief.

Shuzo Nijimura’s expression immediately turned strange. He warned him as he spoke,

“Don’t ever be fooled by appearances!”

There was a trace of panic in his tone, as if he had just recalled something unpleasant.

Miyamoto Tokima knew exactly what he meant—Kōzō Shirogane’s devilish training regimen.

Kōzō Shirogane’s philosophy was simple: if you’re not dead, keep training.

And he truly put that belief into practice. Just today, he had trained Daiki Aomine and the others until they felt worse than death.

Miyamoto Tokima had originally planned to slack off, but the moment he met Kōzō Shirogane’s stern gaze, he knew that if he dared to take it easy today, he might not even be on the roster tomorrow. So he trained seriously with the team for the entire day.

The training itself wasn’t difficult for him, but when Kōzō Shirogane saw how easily Miyamoto Tokima was handling it, he immediately increased the intensity, making Tokima experience a very “loving” dose of extra training.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

The members of the Generation of Miracles were sprawled across the floor, breathing heavily.

“Coach… Coach Shirogane is really this ruthless?”
Daiki Aomine asked between gasps.

Shuzo Nijimura braced his hands on his knees and replied with difficulty,

“Yeah. He’s always been like this.”

Miyamoto Tokima remained on his feet, slowly pacing back and forth, doing his best to steady his breathing.

“Miyamoto Tokima.”

Kōzō Shirogane walked up to him and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

“I’ve found your substitute. The two of you should get to know each other.”

As he spoke, he pulled a white-haired boy forward.

“Introduce yourself.”

“Tch, what a hassle. I’m Shogo Haizaki.”

Shogo Haizaki spoke indifferently, his eyes constantly sizing up Miyamoto Tokima.

So this is the kid who took my starting spot?

“Coach, I don’t accept this.”

He turned directly to Kōzō Shirogane and said it outright.

“Oh?”
Kōzō Shirogane raised an eyebrow, clearly interested.
“And why not?”

“I don’t think he can beat me,”
Shogo Haizaki said with clear disdain.

In his eyes, Miyamoto Tokima was nothing more than a small forward who could pass the ball—someone completely unqualified to have him as a substitute.

“Oh? So you think you’re stronger than me?”

Miyamoto Tokima narrowed his eyes, staring at Shogo Haizaki with a blank expression.

His attempt to slack off today had failed, and he had just been put through hell by Kōzō Shirogane. He was already in a bad mood, and now Shogo Haizaki was provoking him.

Even the most patient person has limits—Miyamoto Tokima was no exception.

He might be laid-back and fond of slacking off, but that didn’t mean just anyone could challenge him.

“Of course I’m stronger than you,”
Shogo Haizaki said darkly.
“And not just a little—by several times over.”

Miyamoto Tokima couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

“Then let’s go one-on-one,” he said calmly.
“Five points. Consecutive possessions.”

Shogo Haizaki didn’t agree immediately. He raised his own condition.

“Alternate possessions.”

“Lacking confidence?”
Miyamoto Tokima provoked him deliberately.

“Tch. Fine. Consecutive it is.”

…He fell for it that easily?

Even Miyamoto Tokima hadn’t expected it to work so smoothly. His casual provocation had sent Shogo Haizaki straight into the trap.

His goal was to make Shogo Haizaki agree to consecutive possessions.

Only then could he properly “train” him and let him feel a bit of Tokima’s so-called affection.

“Miyamoto, are you really okay right now?”
Daiki Aomine asked worriedly.

Miyamoto Tokima had just finished intense training, and his stamina clearly wasn’t at its best. On top of that, he was about to face a one-on-one against someone who looked dangerous.

How could anyone not worry?

“It’s fine,”
Miyamoto Tokima said with a smile.
“He can’t beat me.”

Kōzō Shirogane watched the scene with great interest. He was clearly looking forward to their duel.

He cleared out half the court for the one-on-one.

“You serve,”
Miyamoto Tokima said casually as he tossed the ball to Shogo Haizaki.
“Otherwise, you won’t even get a chance.”

Shogo Haizaki glared at him furiously.

I’ll make you regret looking down on me!

This was the first time anyone had ever treated him with such contempt.

“You’d better be ready to die,”
Shogo Haizaki shot back.

“I’ll be waiting,”
Miyamoto Tokima replied calmly.

The match officially began, with Shogo Haizaki holding the ball.

The moment play started, Miyamoto Tokima pressed in close.

Let me see your weak hand.

Miyamoto Tokima planted his left foot on the three-point line, positioning himself just outside Shogo Haizaki’s knee. He completely sealed off Haizaki’s right-side driving lane, leaving only a wide-open path on the left.

A simple weak-side defense.

Yet in the eyes of others, it looked completely different.

To Shogo Haizaki, it was as if steel plates had risen beneath Miyamoto Tokima’s feet. They shot up instantly, forming an iron wall that completely blocked the right side, leaving only the left open.

His pupils shrank as he stared at Miyamoto Tokima, his expression turning ugly.

What kind of ability is this?!
The right side is completely sealed!

The spectators around the court burst into chatter.

“Hey, did you see that?! Miyamoto’s defense—what was that iron wall?!”
Daiki Aomine shouted in shock.

His defense is this strong?
I want another one-on-one with him even more now!!

On the court, Shogo Haizaki’s thoughts raced.

How do I get past him?
The right side is forbidden—only the left!

He suddenly charged hard to the left, trying to break through Miyamoto Tokima’s defense.

Miyamoto Tokima saw him coming straight at his right hand. He reached out casually—

—and stole the ball cleanly.

“What?!”

In Shogo Haizaki’s eyes, he had just broken through on the left when a massive hand appeared out of nowhere and ripped the ball away.

Seeing the ball now in Miyamoto Tokima’s hands, Shogo Haizaki’s expression darkened. He braced himself, determined to defend properly and at least stop this possession.

He could tell now—Miyamoto Tokima wasn’t just someone who could pass.

He carefully watched Tokima’s movements, hoping to regain some dignity through defense.

“Nice steal! That’s Miyamoto for you—took it in one move!”
Daiki Aomine shouted excitedly.

It felt as if he himself were the one playing on the court.

Watching from the sidelines, Kōzō Shirogane nodded in approval.

Miyamoto Tokima was a rare talent. If properly cultivated, his future achievements would be unimaginable.

All Shirogane could do was ensure Tokima received the right guidance during his growth.

As word spread that a one-on-one was happening—and that it involved Miyamoto Tokima, a core First Team player—more and more people in the gym gathered around to watch the duel between Miyamoto Tokima and Shogo Haizaki.

“Miyamoto’s still insanely strong—he stole the ball from that white-haired guy instantly.”

“Yeah, that steel-like wall alone is terrifying to watch.”

“Wait—did Miyamoto Tokima lose the ball?”

“No, he didn’t lose it—he gave it back to the white-haired guy!”

It turned out that after gaining possession, Miyamoto Tokima hadn’t attacked at all. Instead, he calmly handed the ball back to Shogo Haizaki.

That single action didn’t just confuse the spectators—it left Daiki Aomine and the others completely stunned as well.