Kazunari Takao couldn't hold it in anymore.
Makoto Hanamiya just would not stop talking.
It was not only that Hanamiya had trash-talked him into losing control. A big part of it was that Hanamiya's mouth never stopped running.
He had truly been pushed past his limit.
Someone who was usually calm was driven completely over the edge by Hanamiya's nonstop taunts.
At that moment, the referee stepped in and issued Kazunari Takao a warning.
Kazunari Takao was already heated. He was just about to snap back at the referee when
Makoto Hanamiya stopped him.
"Hey, hey, don't lose your cool. If you get ejected, your team's going to be in trouble."
"I'll make your life difficult, you—"
"Think about your Shin-chan."
"I..."
Kazunari Takao took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.
He was furious, but Hanamiya was right.
If he got ejected, Shūtoku would really be in trouble.
There would be no one left to pass to Shintaro Midorima.
He looked at Makoto Hanamiya, still annoyed.
'He's got a nasty mouth, but... he's not actually a bad guy.'
Kazunari Takao glared at him, clearly unhappy, but since Hanamiya had indeed reminded him of something, he still said:
"Thanks."
Makoto Hanamiya gave that same eerie smile again.
"Thanks for what? A father looking out for his son is only natural."
That was the last straw.
Kazunari Takao completely exploded.
"F*** you!"
As he shouted, he threw a punch.
Makoto Hanamiya dodged it, but still kicked off the ground and flew backward.
A fight broke out. That was unacceptable. The referee was right there.
The referee immediately grabbed Kazunari Takao to stop him.
Shintaro Midorima and the others rushed over as well, trying to hold him back.
Kazunari Takao had truly lost control. Even with several people restraining him, he still tried to go after Hanamiya.
Another referee rushed in, blowing the whistle repeatedly.
Kirisaki Daiichi's players also ran over.
Each of them looked fierce and intimidating.
Seeing several big guys suddenly appear in front of him, Kazunari Takao instantly calmed down.
And once he calmed down, regret flooded in.
His face filled with fear as he collapsed weakly to the ground.
"What... what have I done..."
Shintaro Midorima stood beside him and spoke.
"Takao. You were impulsive."
Kazunari Takao lifted his head abruptly, panic all over his face, his eyes slightly wet.
"Shin... Shin-chan, I... I'm sorry..."
Shintaro Midorima looked at him, his gaze turning heavy.
He knew exactly what that punch meant.
Kazunari Takao knew it too.
Ejection.
In a fight, there was no room for debate. Ejection was inevitable.
Since this was a high school league, a suspension would not happen. At most, the school might issue a warning or some form of discipline.
But Kazunari Takao was ejected.
That made things even worse for Shūtoku.
To be precise, an already difficult situation had become even more difficult.
Shintaro Midorima's best partner was gone. Getting the ball would become much harder.
Shintaro Midorima let out a faint sigh and murmured:
"So this... is fate..."
Kazunari Takao heard those words. He lowered his head, powerless, waiting for the final decision.
The entire Shūtoku team looked confused and shaken.
Finally, the referee announced the call.
Kazunari Takao was ejected. Makoto Hanamiya received a technical foul.
After all, the incident had been caused by Hanamiya's trash talk.
In the high school league, referees usually turned a blind eye to normal trash talk.
But once a fight broke out, they had to step in.
In simple terms, the referee just wanted Hanamiya to tone it down. If something like this happened again, the game would spiral out of control.
After the call, Kazunari Takao left the court as if accepting his fate, his back looking incredibly lonely.
The Shūtoku players all looked worried.
The crowd also began to murmur. No one had expected something like this.
Miyamoto Tokima, sitting on the bench, was also stunned.
He had not expected Kazunari Takao to get pushed that far.
But for him, this might actually be a good thing.
Because... Shintaro Midorima did not seem as rational anymore.
On the Shūtoku side, Shintaro Midorima watched Kazunari Takao leave the court. His fists clenched tightly, his teeth grinding.
A fire burned inside him.
This was anger.
Miyamoto Tokima looked away and sighed.
'I hope Midorima can enter the Zone because of this.'
Then he looked at the others.
"Let's continue."
He did not blame Makoto Hanamiya.
After all, Kazunari Takao was the one who lost control.
Or rather, he simply could not out-talk Hanamiya.
No one else was at fault. If anyone was to blame, it was Kazunari Takao himself.
Back on the court.
Shintaro Midorima took the free throw for the technical foul.
After that, he glared at Makoto Hanamiya, as if he wanted to tear him apart.
Makoto Hanamiya shrugged, completely unfazed, and continued provoking him.
"What's wrong? Your little partner got sent off and now you're mad?"
Shintaro Midorima's gaze sharpened. He stared at him and said slowly:
"I hope your mouth stays that tough."
Makoto Hanamiya met his gaze.
"Don't worry. Out of everything on me, my mouth is the toughest."
Shintaro Midorima said nothing more and turned away.
Since Shogo Haizaki had gained possession when Kazunari Takao threw that punch, the ball belonged to Kirisaki Daiichi.
At that moment, Shuzo Nijimura walked over and looked Makoto Hanamiya up and down, his gaze lingering somewhere lower.
Makoto Hanamiya felt uncomfortable under that stare.
"Nijimura, what are you trying to do?"
Shuzo Nijimura paused, then waved his hands quickly.
"No, no, I'm not trying anything. I'm not into guys. But... that part of you... is it really not as tough as your mouth?"
Makoto Hanamiya froze.
Then his face darkened instantly, his fists clenching tightly.
This time, the top-tier trash talker...
had been completely broken.
"Nijimura, I'll f***ing kill you!"
"You—!"
...
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