On the Shohoku bench, Makino Juro draped a towel over his head.
Before his eyes, a pale blue interface flickered wildly.
[Shock Points deducted: 1000]
[Selected Template: Kuroko Tetsuya]
[Drawing exclusive Kuroko Tetsuya skill…]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host for obtaining skill: Reverse Misdirection]
Makino Juro's fingers tightened around the water bottle with a sharp crack, the plastic creasing under his grip.
What the hell kind of joke is this…?
His original plan had been perfect.
Draw something like Phantom Shot or a finishing skill to end the game outright.
Instead, the system handed him a self-destruct switch.
[Skill Description: When the Host's presence can no longer be erased due to excessive activity, it may be activated manually]
[Forcibly draws all enemy attention onto the Host while granting teammates the "vanishing" effect]
[Side Effect: The Host becomes the absolute focus of all attacks and stamina consumption is doubled]
"Tch."
Makino Juro flicked the towel toward Miyagi Ryota beside him.
So before, he was an assassin lurking in the shadows, striking unseen.
Now the system wanted him to strip naked, hang neon lights on himself—
and stand in the middle of the court shouting "Fire at me!"
"What's with that face?" Miyagi smirked. "You look like you swallowed a fly."
"Nothing."
Makino Juro stood up and rolled his stiff neck.
A trace of helplessness flickered through his dead-fish eyes—then twisted into something far more dangerous.
Fujima Kenji…
That guy had probably already run through a hundred ways to counter "Misdirection" in his head.
Since you want to lock onto me so badly…
Since the system is forcing me to become the spotlight…
Then I'll give you something worth watching.
Across the stands, the Ryonan bench had fallen into an unusual silence.
Uozumi Jun stood with arms crossed, like a silent iron tower.
But his gaze wasn't on the court.
It was fixed on Fujima, who was tightening his shoelaces.
"Uekusa," Uozumi suddenly said, voice heavy.
"If you were on the court right now… how long could you last against that version of Fujima?"
Uekusa Tomoyuki froze, throat bobbing.
"…Two minutes. I'd break in two minutes."
"Fujima's eyes have changed."
Coach Taoka Joichi's brows furrowed deeply.
Before, Fujima had been serious—but still composed, still restrained.
Now?
He looked like a freshly sharpened scalpel.
Cold. Precise. Emotionless.
"Makino Juro made a risky move…"
Taoka muttered.
"He gave up the flexibility of a shooting guard to challenge Fujima head-on at point guard."
"If Fujima cracks that 'vanishing' trick…"
"Shohoku's offense will collapse instantly."
Anzai-sensei… what exactly are you betting on?
"BEEEEEP!"
The sharp whistle tore through the gym.
Timeout over.
"Hanamichi! Watch your fouls!"
"Two more and you're out!"
Akagi Haruko's voice rang through the crowd.
Sakuragi Hanamichi froze mid-step, then whipped his head around.
His face instantly bloomed into a ridiculous grin.
"Haruko-san is worried about me!!"
"She cares about this genius!!"
His blood rushed straight to his head.
Just as he was about to shout back—
A hand dropped onto his red hair.
"Stop acting like you're in heat, idiot."
Makino Juro's lazy voice carried a cold edge.
"The game's starting."
"If you lose your man again, I'm docking your ramen money for the week."
Sakuragi stiffened instantly.
His excitement vanished like cold water poured over him.
"…This genius would never miss his man."
Muttering, he obediently ran toward the paint.
At center court.
Two meters apart.
Fujima Kenji stood still.
No trash talk.
No extra movement.
Just staring.
That gaze was terrifyingly focused.
Like a veteran hunter locking onto the faintest twitch of a fox's tail in the grass.
"Makino Juro."
Fujima spoke calmly.
"Your tricks… are over."
He pointed at his own eyes, then at Makino Juro.
"No matter where the ball is."
"No matter how your teammates move."
"From now on…"
"You're the only thing I see."
"As long as I lock you down… you have nowhere to hide."
Absolute confidence.
As one of Kanagawa's twin pillars—
Fujima trusted his judgment.
And his defense.
Strip away that so-called "vanishing"…
—and Makino Juro was nothing more than a slightly talented first-year.
The air grew heavy.
Even Akagi Takenori's hands were damp as he inbounded the ball.
But Makino Juro?
Not a trace of panic.
He dribbled forward at an unhurried pace.
Even had the leisure to flash Fujima a strangely bright smile.
"Is that so?"
Thump… thump… thump…
The ball echoed against the hardwood.
"You're only watching me, huh…"
"That's perfect."
Makino Juro suddenly lowered his center of gravity.
The laziness in his eyes vanished—
replaced by an overwhelming, undeniable presence.
If before he was a drifting mist...
Now—
He was a blinding searchlight in the dead of night.
Dazzling.
Unavoidable.
Impossible to ignore.
"You chose this yourself."
A dangerous smile curved his lips.
Don't regret it.
[Exclusive Skill: Reverse Misdirection]
[Activated]
Boom.
An invisible wave surged outward from Makino Juro.
In the stands, spectators who had been watching Rukawa… or Fujima…
found their gaze forcibly dragged toward him.
Fujima could hear it.
Only two things.
His own heartbeat.
And the dull, heavy rhythm of the dribble.
"Thump. Thump. Thump."
Makino Juro stood two steps beyond the three-point arc.
Relaxed. Loose. Half-awake.
But in Fujima's vision—
That figure expanded endlessly.
Fujima's pupils shrank.
The world dimmed.
Everything faded into darkness—
Except Makino Juro.
Blinding.
Overwhelming.
Impossible to ignore.
And because of that..
He completely failed to notice—
The white shadows slipping silently into the paint behind Makino Juro.
At that moment.
Hunter and prey…
Had already switched places.
END OF CHAPTER
You can access now the advanced chapters of this game!
The King Of Slacking Off - MrBehringer's Secret
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer