Chapter 70: Opening Ceremony
"I now declare The Nationals officially open!" announced a middle-aged man in a suit on the stage, his voice echoing through the arena. The entire venue erupted in applause and cheers.
Inside the spacious and brightly lit gymnasium, dozens of teams from all over the country were gathered. The players, dressed in their matching team uniforms, stood neatly in the center of the court, their expressions a mix of excitement and nervousness. They had been waiting for hours, all for this moment to arrive.
"Ugh, I'm so hungry. I just want to eat snacks already!" Murasakibara muttered, rubbing his grumbling stomach and slouching, his tone filled with exhaustion and impatience. Clearly, he wasn't enjoying the lengthy opening ceremony.
"The ceremony has only just ended!" Midorima reminded him sternly, turning to glare at him.
The rest of the team chuckled, well-accustomed to the constant bickering between Murasakibara and Midorima. The lighthearted banter kept the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.
Just then, a group of reporters with microphones and cameras approached. Smiling politely, one of them asked, "Excuse me, could we interview you players for a moment?"
"How's the team looking overall this year?" another reporter chimed in. "And what are your thoughts on defending your title?"
Faced with the barrage of cameras and rapid-fire questions, Kise and the others were momentarily flustered—especially Kise, who, despite his fame as a model, had never experienced such an overwhelming media presence.
"Wow, they're even interviewing us?" Kise exclaimed. Even Aomine, who rarely broke a sweat, couldn't help but feel a drop of nervous perspiration trickle down his back. Glancing over at Akashi and Shiro, he was slightly impressed. "Those two are so composed! They're giving textbook answers like they've done this a million times!"
After the ordeal, the rest of the team finally finished their shaky responses. Aomine let out a long sigh of relief, muttering, "Dealing with reporters is harder than playing a game."
"Aomine!" A shout suddenly broke through the commotion, catching Aomine's attention. He instinctively looked up and, upon seeing who it was, grinned in surprise. "Oh, it's you! Long time no see."
"How've you been?" asked the boy who approached him, smiling warmly.
"Not bad, not bad" Aomine replied with a laugh.
"Who's that?" Kuroko asked curiously, noticing Aomine talking to the boy.
Just then, Shiro appeared silently behind Kuroko, gently pulling Momoi's hand as he spoke in a low voice. "That's Inoue from Kamizaki Junior High. Like Aomine, he's a power forward. Their matchup last year was intense"
"Oh" Kuroko nodded in understanding.
"Momoi, I'm going to greet Inoue" Shiro said softly, turning to gaze at her lovingly while lightly squeezing her hand.
Blushing at the sudden display of affection, Momoi nodded shyly but bravely let go of his hand. Shiro gently patted her head, as if to reassure her, before turning and walking toward Aomine and Inoue.
"Well, well, Shiro! Long time no see!" Inoue exclaimed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he quickly composed himself and greeted Shiro politely.
After all, although Inoue had gone toe-to-toe with Aomine in their previous match, Shiro had decisively crushed Kamizaki's team with his sheer dominance, a memory still fresh in Inoue's mind.
"Long time no see, Inoue" Shiro said with a smile, extending his hand. Inoue immediately shook it firmly.
With a serious expression, Inoue then addressed both Aomine and Shiro. "This year, I'm going to win" His tone carried a clear challenge, brimming with confidence.
Hearing this, Aomine's lips curled into a grin, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He'd been feeling bored lately and was eager for a strong opponent to reignite his passion. "I'm not losing, either!" he declared boldly.
"Looking forward to seeing what you've got" Shiro added calmly.
Meanwhile, a cheerful voice called out, "Kuroko! Long time no see!" A brown-haired boy ran up and threw an arm around Kuroko's shoulders.
"Ogiwara, it's been so long!" Kuroko responded, his face lighting up as he greeted Shigehiro Ogiwara.
"It's been two years, and you've really changed!" Ogiwara said, looking Kuroko up and down with an amused smile.
"You have too, Ogiwara. Oh, by the way, there's some rice stuck on your face" Kuroko pointed out kindly, smiling.
Embarrassed, Ogiwara's face turned red as he quickly wiped his cheek, finding the grain of rice. He popped it into his mouth, trying to play it off casually before continuing their conversation.
"You're still the same as ever!" Ogiwara laughed.
Kuroko smiled faintly. "It's nice to see you again like this, even though I'm not sure what to say now."
"Yeah, haha…" Ogiwara chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.
"But honestly, I've really been looking forward to this moment" Ogiwara suddenly said seriously, his gaze steady and sincere.
Kuroko returned his determined look. "Me too. Let's both do our best!"
Ogiwara nodded firmly, the mutual promise between them resonating like an unspoken pact.
Nearby, Shiro stood quietly, observing the scene between Kuroko and Ogiwara. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the surface as he pondered. 'Shigehiro Ogiwara… could he be a key opponent next year?'
Recalling the fierce competition, Shiro's expression grew contemplative. Despite the countless strong teams, the idea of Ogiwara's school making it to the finals intrigued him. Could he be a catalyst for an unexpected turn of events? Shiro's eyes glinted with newfound interest.
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