Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

Three days later.

The Round of 16 kicked off as scheduled.

Every fan today had their eyes on one key match in the afternoon:

Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Kaijō High.

After the fiery clash between Tōō and Kirisaki Daiichi, another match featuring the Generation of Miracles was set to ignite the arena.

Just thinking back to that unforgettable Tokyo regional matchup—Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Tōō Academy—was enough to stir the crowd.

Now it was Kaijō's turn.

Today, every single player on Kaijō High was in peak condition and fully focused.

Because last year, this was the round where they fell—eliminated in the Sweet 16, robbed of their shot at the national championship.

Kasamatsu Yukio, their captain, prepped the team, then did something rare:

He stepped outside by himself.

It felt like fate had brought him right back to the same crossroads.

Last year's Kaijō was stacked—widely considered the strongest Kaijō team in school history.

The lineup featured him, a second-year point guard, alongside four experienced third-year starters.

After a full year of playing together, the team chemistry had reached its peak.

They had the strength.

They had the experience.

They were ready to win it all.

And yet—

Just when they thought they were about to make history…

Kasamatsu made a crucial mistake in the final minute of their Sweet 16 game.

It was one small error—but it cost them everything.

That legendary Kaijō team, considered the best in school history, was eliminated in the Round of 16.

Kasamatsu could accept losing—but not like this.

Not when it was his fault.

He was shattered. Like something inside him had broken.

Wracked with guilt, he went to the coach and offered to quit the team.

But instead of accepting, Coach Takeuchi Genta did the opposite:

He promoted Kasamatsu to captain.

That day…

Kasamatsu Yukio truly grew up.

Still, now that he stood at the same threshold again, the anxiety returned like a wave.

His heart pounded.

His mind was in chaos.

Memories of that loss kept crashing into him, making even his body tremble.

...

"Where's Kasamatsu-senpai?" Kise glanced around the locker room and asked, a bit puzzled.

"Did he go to the bathroom?"

"No… probably just went somewhere to calm himself down."

"Huh?"

Seeing Kise confused, the team quietly told him the story of last year.

"Best to let him be for now. He needs some space."

But Kise didn't listen.

He slipped outside and found his captain in a quiet corner.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Heard something intense… thought I'd come check on you."

"So they told you, huh."

Kasamatsu didn't try to hide anything.

That moment was the worst of his career—but he could face it now.

His eyes drifted off, as if watching the past play out in front of him.

"The game was tight. We were down by one with a minute left—and we had the ball."

"One basket… even just a two-pointer, and our odds of winning would've soared."

"But I blew it."

He inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself.

"After the loss, I was terrified to play again. I went to Coach and said I wanted to quit. But he just scolded me—and made me the new captain."

Trust.

Persistence.

Responsibility.

Those were the things Coach Takeuchi had given him.

Without that faith… Kasamatsu probably would've walked away forever.

"Now, I don't care about that match anymore. I just want to use my last year in high school to win the championship."

"That's how I redeem myself."

Kise listened intently.

It was like he was meeting his captain for the first time.

In his memory, Kasamatsu had always been that loud, no-nonsense upperclassman who barked at him without mercy.

But now—

He sat beside Kasamatsu and smiled.

"I always wondered why I felt like we clicked the first time we met."

"Turns out… we're the same kind of person."

"Huh?"

The same kind? Kasamatsu didn't see it.

After all, Kise was a natural star.

A member of the Generation of Miracles.

A born athlete.

What could they possibly have in common?

"I mean… we're both people who get back up after a loss."

Kise opened up.

"The first time I got into basketball… was because of Tendou."

"I was walking past the gym and got smacked in the head by a ball he blocked."

"At first, I thought Aomine was the strong one. Tendou didn't seem all that impressive."

"But in the end, it turns out… he's the strongest one."

"He's better than me at everything. Even the things I pride myself on—my looks, my modeling career—I still can't beat him."

Kise's smile turned a little bitter.

Meeting someone like that—someone who's your teammate, your friend, but also a rival you can't ever seem to surpass—

It could be crushing.

"You know, senpai… the thing I'm best at is imitating others—and surpassing them."

"But with Tendou, no matter how many times I try… I can't."

"Even if today's the day, it still won't be easy."

Kise was a proud person.

Despite his playful, polite exterior, he carried a lot of pride.

You could see it from the moment he first appeared in the story.

When he played soccer, he never listened to the captain or the coach.

If he didn't feel like it, he'd walk away mid-practice.

Even when he first tried to recruit Kuroko to Kaijō, he looked down on everyone else.

No matter how friendly he seemed, he was proud.

And Kasamatsu knew that well.

So when Kise said he'd begged Tendou or Aomine again and again for another match…

Kasamatsu could hardly picture it.

Only now did he finally understand what Kise meant when he said:

"We're the same kind of person."

"Guess that makes us pretty brave guys, huh?"

"Exactly."

Kise's usual smile returned, and Kasamatsu's nerves finally calmed.

At that moment, the two men shared the same thought:

No matter what—

They had to win this game.

...

『That was beautiful.』

『Kise is amazing. So handsome. So pure.』

『Go Kise! Go Captain! Take down Tendou the Demon King!』

『Somehow… this got me fired up!』

『Let's be real. They couldn't even beat Seirin.』

Even the audience was moved.

Despite being called perennial losers, they never gave up.

It was the kind of emotional moment that could only come from men's basketball romance.

...

Meanwhile…

Tendou closed the virtual screen, stretched, and threw on his jacket.

He turned to the misfits of Kirisaki Daiichi and said calmly:

"Time's up. Let's go."