Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Buzzing with Excitement
The following day, the gymnasium buzzed with anticipation as a wave of spectators poured in to witness the quarter-final match of the Winter Cup.
Excitement permeated the air, with everyone eagerly looking forward to the game unfolding before them.
"Whoa! Kise is playing today!"
"Oh? Kaijo High? I'm sure they will win!"
The chatter of teenage girls echoed through the gymnasium, their voices carrying the fervent cheers for Kaijo High.
Kise was a well-known model. And he had garnered significant fame among young ladies in Japan, automatically propelling his team, Kaijo High, into the limelight.
"Huh? These fangirls are quite optimistic; Fukuda Sogo is no easy opponent..."
"Agree, they even won against Yosen High!"
As expected, Fukuda Sogo, dubbed the dark horse in the Interhigh, had garnered a following after their triumphant journey through the tournament, ultimately securing the title of King of Kings.
The team's formidable reputation had earned them a dedicated fan base who exuded confidence in their abilities, especially with a captain who had defeated the Ace and the Center of the Generation of Miracles to emerge victorious.
They were confident that Fukuda Sogo would emerge victorious once again in the Winter Cup!
"...Nobody's talking about our game, huh?"
Kogane sighed, his steps accompanying those of his Seirin teammates as they made their way to the designated changing room.
"It's not like we're famous or anything..." Kiyoshi chimed in with a wry smile.
As soon as Kiyoshi's words settled, a burst of exclamations followed them through the crowd of people.
"Whoa! It's Seirin!"
"Seirin? The one with the Iron Heart?"
"Oh, right, that's the Iron Heart!"
The crowd's attention shifted to Seirin, fingers pointing at them, and particularly at Kiyoshi, a part of the Uncrowned Kings, making their way through the sea of spectators.
The murmurings caught Kiyoshi's attention, and a strange sense of satisfaction flickered across his face. He couldn't resist muttering with a silly smile on his face, "Hehe, we're not famous, I am...."
Hyuga stood nearby, his mouth twitching in speechless disbelief as he struggled to contain the urge to smack Kiyoshi on the head.
He shook his head, glancing around and noticing that most people were focusing on the game between Kaijo High and Fukuda Sogo. "Besides, I can understand their excitement for the game between these two. After all, this is another big match..."
"You're right. I wonder if Kise will be able to win against Fukuda Sogo's captain..." Izuki mused, putting his hand on his chin in a thoughtful manner.
The group continued discussing the upcoming game between Kaijo High and Fukuda Sogo, their voices weaving through the air.
"..."
Meanwhile, Kuroko remained in silence, lost in his own contemplation about the same question.
As much as he had yearned to defeat Aomine back then, Kuroko couldn't fathom Aomine losing to anyone. Yet, it happened.
Kuroko's gaze wandered to Kagami, who noticed the scrutiny. Kagami tilted his head in confusion and asked, "What's up?"
However, Kuroko remained silent, lost in thought. Despite his inability to envision Aomine losing, it had occurred—not only to Tsuna but also to Kagami.
The same uncertainty loomed over Tsuna. Kuroko couldn't fathom Tsuna losing to anyone, especially after witnessing Tsuna's dominating performance against Murasakibara in the last game.
Kuroko couldn't help but ponder, "The only person that could render Murasakibara's defense useless besides Kazama was Akashi..."
But what if Kise managed to secure a victory this time?
Sighing, Kuroko decided to refrain from delving too deeply into matters beyond his comprehension. Witnessing Kuroko's sigh, Kagami became even more perplexed about Kuroko's peculiar behavior as he scratched his head.
"Then, let's ask Kuroko. He knows them both better..." Koganei suggested, breaking the momentary silence.
Kuroko was pulled back to reality and turned towards Koganei with a confused expression, awaiting the inquiry that was about to come his way.
Koganei flashed a cheeky smile at Kuroko and asked, "Kuroko, who do you think will win between them?"
All attention instantly shifted towards Kuroko as they continued walking. Kuroko, taken aback, hesitated before responding, "...Honestly, I don't know."
The collective sighs and shrugged shoulders from the group reflected their disappointment.
Hyuga sighed and remarked, "Even Kuroko couldn't provide a definitive answer, huh? That's unfortunate..."
Despite the team's excitement and spirited discussions about the potential victor between Kise and Tsuna, they found themselves unable to reach a consensus.
"However..." Seeing this, Kuroko shook his head and muttered, "I can't imagine Kazama losing to anyone..."
Kuroko had always considered Tsuna and Akashi as extraordinary individuals, defying common sense. The thought of such formidable opponents made him unconsciously clench his fist tightly.
Though he acknowledged their prowess, a part of him still yearned to prevail against them.
"...What?"
The collective steps of everyone came to an abrupt stop as they sharply turned toward Kuroko, who had just uttered those words.
Kagami, in particular, seemed to anticipate such a response as Tsuna's commanding presence flashed in his mind. The memory of Tsuna dominating the matches, even against someone of Murasakibara's caliber, was still vivid.
As much as Kagami respected Kise and wished for his victory to settle matters between Kaijo and Seirin, he found himself in the same shoes as Kuroko.
The idea of such a formidable individual losing was inconceivable!
*CLAP!
As they were about to delve further into the discussion, a sharp clap echoed in the air, pulling them back to reality.
All eyes turned towards Aida, who had just clapped her hands loudly.
Seeing that she had captured everyone's attention, Aida sighed before speaking, "It's useless to discuss matters beyond our control. Our third-round match is the earliest today. Let's redirect our focus and delve into our strategy..."
Hearing this, a collective sense of awkwardness washed over the group, evident in their sheepish head-scratching.
"Well, I can't deny that these discussions are undeniably exciting, with two formidable players about to face each other..." Aida continued.
She smiled, gesturing toward their changing room behind her, and added, "But we must secure a victory in our match before indulging in such conversations. Let's go in; I'll brief you on what to expect today..."
Aida led the way into the changing room, and one by one, the group followed, the scolding having the magical effect of shifting their focus back to the impending game.
As the Seirin team entered the changing room, a determined smile appeared on their faces.
The prevailing thought among them was simple:
Whichever team wins this match will just be another opponent Seirin has to beat eventually. So, there's no point in speculating on who will come out on top.
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