The Generation of Miracles and the Kuroko-Kagami duo all stopped practicing.
They were waiting for Aida Kagetora's decision.
Kagetora didn't waste words. "Do we even need to discuss this? Of course!"
He wasn't about to pass up this world-class monster.
If anything, Yuuto was the source of his confidence for the revenge match in a week.
Hearing this, everyone reacted differently.
Aomine snorted. "We could take down those Jabberwock punks without him. But fine—this way I can settle our score too."
"Little Yuuto, huh? That takes me back." Kise's face was full of anticipation. Yuuto was his current goal to chase.
"Seems even more troublesome now. I really don't want to play with that guy." Murasakibara didn't like hot-blooded types.
And Yuuto?
He was worse than hot-blooded—he was obsessive. Even without having been teammates, Murasakibara had felt Yuuto's intensity through their two matchups.
Jordan was the god of basketball—that wouldn't change. But the pressure of partnering with someone like that was enormous.
In Murasakibara's mind, Yuuto was another version of Jordan.
High standards for himself, high standards for his teammates.
"But his addition will undoubtedly increase our chances of winning." Midorima spoke with his usual precision.
No doubt about it.
Yuuto, who had surpassed the Generation of Miracles, would dramatically boost this team's—well, they didn't have a name yet—strength.
"Teaming up with Yuuto? I never imagined it. I'm looking forward to it." Akashi was genuinely excited.
He was probably the person most eager to play alongside Yuuto.
"This means..."
"The Generation of Miracles and the Lions of Okukozome—all assembled!"
Hyūga and the others were fired up.
This lineup was enough to make any basketball fan go crazy.
It truly was a dream team.
Wasn't this basically last year's Winter Cup All-Star team?
...
Meanwhile, in Indianapolis.
Yuuto and his roommate Walker had just left a movie theater.
Yuuto had been here long enough to adapt to the local customs. He'd spent Christmas at Walker's house—including eating turkey.
Honestly? It was terrible.
He'd discovered he still preferred Asia. His main entertainment now was just rewatching classic films at the theater.
2010 and the next few years were a golden age for blockbusters.
"Seriously, Yu, we should be at a club getting drinks, not two dudes watching Predators together."
"We're not old enough to drink legally."
"Who cares? They only care if you have money. And we just made three grand."
After Covanord's Cinderella run to the state championship and Nike High School Nationals this year, the basketball team members had each received a cut.
$1,000 for the state championship, $1,500 for the national title.
At current exchange rates, the two tournaments had netted Yuuto about 17,500 yuan.
It wasn't much—the school took the lion's share—but it was enough for a high schooler like Yuuto or Walker to have a good time.
"Alcohol numbs your nerves and causes permanent damage. It makes your brain and body sluggish."
"Kobe and them do it too, and they party way harder than us. But guess what? He's still one of the best players in the league."
Walker tried to persuade him.
"We won the championship. We should celebrate properly!"
"We already celebrated."
"The burgers Luke bought us? Give me a break! We brought in $300,000 for the school and they only gave us $2,500. I'm starting to hate this place. No wonder Kyrie and guys like him skip the hometown teams for powerhouse programs in college."
"Irving going to Duke wasn't about money—at least, not yet."
Right after his final high school season ended, Kyrie Irving had announced he was taking his talents to Coach K's Duke University.
As the last stop before the NBA Draft, Duke was one of the best springboards.
"What about you? I saw in the news that UCLA's coach reached out to you."
The Bruins—that was UCLA's basketball team.
A traditional college powerhouse, UCLA had won 11 national championships.
As a final stage before the NBA, UCLA was every bit as good as Duke—maybe better.
At Duke, Coach K's presence could overshadow his players' spotlight.
"I—"
"Don't just stand there, don't be crying, don't let your legs get weak, I'm tired of you not understanding the gap between us—"
Yuuto was about to answer when his ringtone cut in.
Walker immediately complained, "You really need to change that damn ringtone. Put on some real rap!"
"Whose?"
"Shaq's..."
Idiot!
Yuuto rolled his eyes and hit answer. He already knew who was calling.
He'd seen this number multiple times in simulations.
"Hello, this is Yuuto."
"Yuuto, this is Aida Kagetora."
Kagetora's voice came through quickly.
He briefly explained the situation.
Basically: Help!
"In one week, we have an important game here. We need your strength."
Yuuto played dumb.
"Who?"
"Jabberwock. You must have heard of them over there in America."
"Nash?"
"That's him. Do you have time? I'll arrange everything—tickets, expenses, all of it."
"No problem. I don't have any games right now anyway."
Yuuto agreed without hesitation.
Whether he went back or not didn't really matter at this point—even beating Nash wouldn't bring him significantly more attention.
He was only a junior. Two more years until college.
And yet?
He'd already caught the attention of powerhouses like UCLA.
Yuuto was confident this was just the beginning. More schools would come calling.
This trip back was more about seeing Sora and Momoi, and experiencing what it was like to team up with the Generation of Miracles.
"Whose call was that?" Walker couldn't understand Japanese and was completely lost.
"From Japan. They want me to go back and help them with a game."
"Go back to Japan for a game? Come on, Yu, don't be so cruel. You'll give them nightmares."
Yuuto was strong, sure—he'd even taken Walker's starting spot.
But so what?
There was only one Yu. A state champion and Nike High School National champion going back to play in Japan? Wasn't that just bullying?
"The opponent is Jabberwock—that street ball club."
"Nash's street ball team?"
"Yeah." Yuuto nodded, then asked, "Want to come along? We just earned $2,500."
Go to Japan?
Walker perked up. He'd watched plenty of Japanese content online, but he'd never actually experienced it.
He had to try it—see if the girls really sounded that amazing!
...
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