LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 61: Thief
"So, what exactly happen?" Murasakibara asked with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, that's what it was! Shiro actually won a prize!" Kise finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly replied.
At that moment, Momoi, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly became animated. She tightly clung to Shiro's arm, swaying playfully as she cooed, "Shiro, Shiro, could you give it to me? I'll treasure it forever, I promise~!"
But Aomine interrupted her without hesitation, bluntly stating, "Idiot, what's the point of winning a prize if you don't claim it?" It was clear he had no understanding of Momoi's desire to collect such things.
Momoi, however, couldn't care less about his opinion. She immediately retorted, "Aomine, just shut up already!" Then she turned back to Shiro, continuing to pout and act cute.
Seeing Momoi's endearing antics, Shiro couldn't help but smile affectionately. He gently patted her head and handed over the winning ice pop stick. Overjoyed, Momoi threw her arms around Shiro's neck, clinging to him like a koala, causing his heart to race.
Kise, watching the playful scene, placed a hand on his forehead and let out a long sigh.
Suddenly, a blinding light swept across them. A speeding motorcycle raced toward the group, and the helmeted rider shouted, "Move out of the way!" Instinctively, Kuroko and the others stepped aside.
Momoi, however, froze in place, unaware of the danger. Shiro's expression shifted instantly, and he quickly pulled her into his arms. The motorcycle sped past, narrowly missing where Momoi had stood.
"That was close" Shiro exhaled deeply, while Momoi, clearly shaken, clung tightly to him without moving.
"It's a thief! Someone help me!" A middle-aged woman knelt on the sidewalk behind them, waving her arms and calling for assistance.
Kise reacted immediately, dropping his bag and sprinting toward the direction the motorcycle had gone. Not wanting to be outdone, Aomine did the same, bolting after him. The two of them shot forward like arrows, chasing the thief at full speed.
Shiro, meanwhile, gently patted Momoi's back, speaking to her in a soothing tone, "Momoi, are you okay?"
"I'm... I'm fine" she replied, her voice still trembling. However, her gaze softened upon looking at Shiro.
"Are you stupid? There's no way they'll catch up to a motorcycle" Midorima said arrogantly, adjusting his glasses. He then snatched the box of corn snacks from Murasakibara, adopting a shooting stance.
"Wait..." Murasakibara protested, clearly distressed since the snacks were his beloved treats.
But Midorima gave him no chance to object. With a smooth motion, he launched the box into the air. The box soared gracefully in a perfect arc.
"Stop!" Kise yelled mid-run, momentarily distracted by the object flying through the air.
The thief also seemed to notice something, glancing upward just in time to see the box hit him squarely on the helmet. The impact caused him to lose control and crash to the ground.
Even as the thief stumbled to his feet, unwilling to give up, Kise accelerated. Yet, before he could reach him, a gust of wind signaled Aomine overtaking him. Aomine quickly blocked the thief's escape route.
"Hey, enough's enough" Aomine said coldly, his tall frame looming intimidatingly over the thief.
Panicked, the thief tried to turn and flee, but an out-of-breath Kise caught up, gasping, "You're... not getting away..."
The thief, unwilling to surrender, threw a punch at Kise. Before it could connect, however, Murasakibara appeared like a wall in front of him. The thief crashed into Murasakibara, who didn't budge an inch, while the thief fell to the ground, dazed.
"My corn snacks!" Murasakibara growled, his towering figure exuding a menacing aura. The sky seemed to darken around him as he glared at the thief with murderous intent. Terrified, the thief scrambled backward, stammering incoherently.
...
"You actually caught the thief? That was incredible! You guys are amazing!" Momoi chirped, clinging to Shiro's arm, her face glowing with happiness and admiration.
"Yes, this was only possible thanks to everyone's teamwork and coordination" Kuroko said calmly, his expression as composed as ever.
Hearing this, Kise rolled his eyes and glanced at Kuroko with mild disdain, thinking, Yeah, like you did so much.
Still, Kise could only grumble internally, as he felt his own contributions had been rather lackluster this time. Letting out a resigned sigh, he muttered, "Honestly, I didn't really do much either..."
Suddenly, he turned to Murasakibara, asking, "Wait, don't tell me you're a regular player too?"
Murasakibara nodded lazily, rubbing his prominent nose. His half-closed eyes, drowsy as ever, even accompanied a big yawn. "You guessed it" he replied indifferently.
Kise's eyes widened in realization, laughing awkwardly. "Haha, must've been your intimidating vibe that gave it away!"
"Everyone here is a starter" Aomine chimed in with a smirk.
"Even Shiro?" Kise muttered in disbelief, now looking at everyone with a newfound respect.
"To be precise" Midorima added, "Shiro is our team's ace"
"Even stronger than Aomine?" Kise asked, his competitive spirit igniting as he took another curious glance at Shiro, who was laughing and chatting with Momoi.
Though reluctant, Aomine shrugged and admitted, "I don't like to admit it, but yeah... for now, Shiro's a bit better than me."
"And even Kuroko's a starter?!" Kise exclaimed, finally noticing Kuroko's faint presence in the background.
"Yes" Kuroko replied matter-of-factly, his tone flat.
Kise froze, his jaw dropping as his mind reeled. "This... this is impossible..." he muttered, overwhelmed by disbelief.