Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

"Meteor Jam?"

Tendou—the habitual opportunist—had eavesdropped again.

Kagami and Alex's conversation had reminded him of that flashy, gravity-defying dunk.

"With my vision and vertical leap, it shouldn't be hard for me to pull off."

"And that other move—the Flare Shot—it's basically a high-level aerial skillset too."

No sooner thought than done.

Tendou grabbed a basketball and stepped outside the apartment.

On the open-air court, he dribbled lightly while setting his sights on the rim.

The first move he decided to test was the Flare Shot.

Alex had dubbed it a technique of "stillness."

It required incredibly refined shooting mechanics, as it involved two shot motions in mid-air.

When Tendou first saw it, he thought it had to be illegal—

Just like double-dribbling.

How could you shoot again without the first shot touching the rim?

He even went out of his way to dig into the official rulebook.

Turns out, as long as the ball passes above the rim, it counts as a rebound, and therefore, a new shot.

So yes—the Flare Shot was legal.

What made it difficult, though, was the hang time it demanded.

If a player's body returned to the ground before the ball came back down—

How could they complete the second motion?

Both the Flare Shot and the Meteor Jam were aerial combat skills.

Tendou accelerated, slashing to the free-throw line.

He rose up with the ball, mimicking the first shot—

But instead of sending the ball toward the hoop, he released it straight up.

As the ball ascended, Tendou activated his core and legs, holding himself in the air with incredible control.

He remained suspended, waiting for the ball to drop back into his shooting window—

"Swish!"

The ball went in.

First try.

Clean, precise.

But… it still felt like something was missing.

"Does Himuro Tatsuya… really have physical attributes like mine?"

When Himuro first appeared, he came with major hype.

Alongside Murasakibara, they were touted as Yōsen's Twin Stars.

But as the story progressed, he gradually faded into the background—

Even in the movie, he didn't make the starting lineup.

Why?

Because, physically, he was lacking.

A bit like Haizaki.

"I have to use everything I've got to perform this shot. What gives him the right to do it so easily?"

Tendou frowned in thought.

He repeated the move several more times but still felt… something was off.

So, he pulled out his phone and called Momoi.

The call connected quickly.

Apparently, she was still awake—her voice sounded bright and energetic.

"Hello? Little Ten? Calling me this late—what's up?"

"I need something. Where are you right now?"

"Me?"

Momoi glanced around her pink bedroom.

She flipped onto her stomach, one leg swaying lazily in the air while holding a magazine.

"I'm at home, of course."

"Alright, I'm coming over."

"Huh?! Now?"

She jolted upright in bed.

Little Ten wasn't planning to do something weird this late at night, was he?

She tiptoed to the door, cracked it open, and peeked into the living room.

Her dad was on a business trip, and her mom was watching variety shows—probably wouldn't go to bed until ten.

"It's still a bit early… How about ten o'clock?" she said bashfully, heading to the vanity to brush her hair.

What?

Tendou was confused.

I'm asking for intel—shouldn't sooner be better?

"Nah, I'm coming over right now."

A few minutes later, he arrived at Momoi's front door on his bike.

He rang the doorbell.

A moment later, the door opened, and standing there was a mature woman with the same soft pink hair as Momoi.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Tendou Kageyoshi. I'm a friend of Momoi's."

"Momoi's boyfriend?"

"…Just a friend."

"But you're a boy, and a friend. That makes you a boyfriend."

She wasn't wrong—technically.

"Mom! What are you saying?!"

Momoi rushed out in a panic, glaring at her mom with a flushed face.

"Don't listen to her, Little Ten. My mom's always like this—just being silly."

"You have no room to call anyone silly, you clueless little girl," her mom retorted, grabbing Momoi by the ear.

Momoi yelped and begged for mercy, while dragging Tendou into her room.

—

As expected, it was filled with pink plushies and cartoon figures.

Tendou wasn't surprised.

Girls loved soft, fluffy things.

Riko's room had also been crammed with weird little plush mascots.

"So, why'd you come so late?" Momoi asked.

"I want intel on Himuro Tatsuya."

He's asking me for information?

That was new.

Little Ten usually never cared about scouting reports.

"Himuro Tatsuya…" She tapped her chin, recalling her notes.

"Second-year at Yōsen. Like Kagami, he's a returnee from overseas. Currently known as one of Yōsen's Twin Stars with Murasakibara. Also seems to have a complicated relationship with Kagami."

She dug into Yōsen's scouting folder and quickly pulled out Himuro's profile.

Tendou took it and flipped through.

One thing stood out immediately—

She had highlighted a note in bold: "Indistinguishable from real."

A reference to his flawless fakes.

But surprisingly, there was no mention of the Flare Shot.

Even Momoi hadn't figured out his secret?

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Momoi smiled, swinging her legs playfully.

Tendou explained his purpose.

"I'm curious about his shooting technique."

"Oh, you mean the Flare Shot!"

"It's a super advanced move where the player takes two shots mid-air. Looks like a rule exploit, but it's not."

"Are you trying to learn it?"

"Actually, I've already got most of it down."

"Huh?!"

Momoi wanted to ask more, but just then her mom popped in with snacks.

Tendou opened his mouth to thank her—

But paused the moment he saw the dark aura surrounding the plate.

He cut one of the beautifully decorated pastries open—

Only to find black, gooey liquid oozing out.

"Thanks… but I don't eat late at night."

He politely declined.

Momoi's cooking skills? Clearly inherited.

But the most terrifying part—

Momoi popped one into her mouth and looked completely fine.

No reaction. At all.

That digestive resistance… was unreal.

No wonder her cooking had always turned out so weird.

She grew up eating this stuff and survived.

Honestly…

Props to Momoi's dad for enduring this all these years.

...

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