The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem. - Chapter 19: A Kansai Man Plays Basketball.

A Kansai Man Plays Basketball.

The day of the ball game tournament had arrived. Drawing from my experience back in America, I decided to join the basketball team. Today’s event was a festival just for the guys—apparently, the girls only got to cheer from the sidelines. Kind of a weird setup, but I guess they get their turn to shine at the upcoming cultural festival.

Still, maybe because this world is an eroge world, almost every girl is ridiculously cute. Naturally, the guys get fired up from all the cheering. Men really are simple creatures. I’m no exception. But, well… this is an eroge world, so maybe it’s best not to compare it too much with my past life.

Anyway, I stepped onto the court. Man, it’s been forever—like ten-plus years. Probably the same for the “real” Tennouji, too. Let’s see if I can actually make use of his cheat-tier specs.

“Alright! With Tennouji here, we’re unstoppable! We’re counting on you, man!”

“Leave the defense to me—bari-bari-bariii!”

“That’s the sound of Velcro, dude! Stop that!”

On one side, we’ve got Tenma Kentarou—a 195 cm monster power forward talented enough to be selected for the All-Japan team. With his height, speed, and power, he’s become the ace of Sumizome Academy in no time. Handsome, kind, and dating a girl who could easily rival Natsume-san in looks.

Then there’s Momodani Shouma, the 190 cm captain and point guard, also an All-Japan select. He acts laid-back, but when it comes to basketball, he’s the real deal—one of the most talked-about players nationwide.

And then there’s our NetHaza protagonist, Imamiya Toshiya. His position? Small forward, apparently. He’s 170 cm tall, though… Is that really okay?

As for me, I’m the shooting guard. The team’s main scorer. Yeah, no pressure there. Both Tenma and Momodani seem to have pretty high expectations, so I can’t let them down. Imamiya, on the other hand… seems to have some kind of grudge against me. But for today, I hope he can at least play nice.

“Daiki-kuuuun!! Do your best out theeeere!!!”

That energetic voice came from Natsume-san in the audience, waving both hands high. She’s seriously hyped up—calling my name and everything. When did she start using my first name instead of ‘Tennouji-kun’? Getting that kind of attention in front of a big crowd is super embarrassing…

“Haha! That’s the cheer of a goddess of victory! There’s a rumor that whoever Natsume cheers for always wins!”

“…Seriously?”

“Alright, game’s starting! Tennouji, basketball club members can’t do the jump ball, so it’s on you!”

“Got it, leave it to me.”

Our opponents were Class D, with only one basketball club member. This first match should be ours!

The ball soared into the air, and using my height advantage, I snagged it and passed it cleanly to Tsumura, who was completely unmarked. He panicked a bit as the ball flew his way.

“Tsumura! Over here!”

He obediently passed it back, and there I was—wide open. By the time their defenders realized it, it was too late. I cut through straight to the basket and scored an easy layup. Nothing fancy, just solid. Nice and clean.

As the ball swished through the hoop, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Nice one! Go, Daiki♡!”

Natsume-san, please stop! I’m happy, but that’s so embarrassing!

“Everyone, do your best—!”

Yes, exactly! Be like Akitani-san and cheer normally! Fuyuki-san, meanwhile, was just watching me quietly. I gave a small fist pump toward both of them. Natsume squealed in excitement, while Fuyuki nervously adjusted her glasses. What was she doing?

“Akitani’s cheering us on too! Let’s gooo!!”

“Bro… it’s been, like, three minutes…”

“Relax, Tennouji. Kentarou’s just getting started!”

These basketball club guys sure are a lively bunch… but it’s fun.

With Tenma, Momodani, and me scoring in quick succession, we overwhelmed our opponents. The two of them really are like a dream combo—you can’t stop them once they get going. And with me as the unexpected dark horse, our offense was unstoppable. My game wasn’t just about power—I had speed, too.

“Pardon me now—”

In a flash, I stole the ball and sprinted toward the basket. Momodani nailed a perfect three-pointer right after.

“ORAAAA!!”

Fueled by the roaring crowd, Tenma slammed down a monstrous dunk that completely broke the other team’s spirit.

“Kyaaah!! Tenma-kuuun!! You’re so cool!!”

“Momodani-senpai, amazing!!”

The cheers were deafening, crossing all grade levels.

“Daiki-kuuun, that was incredible!!”

And me? Well, Natsume kept shouting my name every time I scored. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but still—so embarrassing. Akitani cheered for everyone, and when our class scored, even Fuyuki did a small, shy fist pump. Honestly, adorable.

Our first match ended in a landslide victory. The tournament’s round-robin style meant we’d face all five second-year classes. Winning four should be enough for the championship, but Class A—with most of the basketball club members—was going to be tough. Probably our main rival. But I’m not worried.

As for Imamiya… weirdly, every time he got the ball, he’d pass it to me. At first, I couldn’t figure out why, but then it hit me. He was either waiting for me to make a mistake—or wanted to pin any screw-ups on me.

He probably didn’t like that Natsume was cheering for me. Not that I asked for it. Still, her support really fired me up. If he wants that kind of cheer, he should try playing better himself.

“Tennouji-kun! You can do it!”

“Ah—me too! I’m cheering too! Go fight win!”

Even the other girls in class started cheering for me. Natsume, you really don’t have to compete with them, you know…

Thanks to Tenma and Momodani, more spectators from other events started flocking to our court. Every time we scored, the crowd roared like we were at a prefectural tournament.

“This is crazy! It’s like watching a real championship game!”

“Kentarou, hit another dunk!”

“You got it! Toss me the ball!”

Next up was Class E—poor guys didn’t have a single basketball player. But still, no mercy. A lion hunts the rabbit with full strength.

“ORA! No holding back! Full-power dunk incoming!!”

“Whoa, he actually did it! Brutal!”

“You’re the one who told me to!!”

“Tenma’s insane…”

“Even Tennouji too! Damn it!”

Well, I did say no mercy, so it’s only fair. I sank a clean three-pointer in return. Then Tenma grumbled, “Man, Tennouji’s savage,” only for Momodani to shoot back, “Better than you,” making Tenma throw his hands up like a comedian, yelling, “Daaamn it!!”

We won again—easily. Still undefeated. The final match in the afternoon would be against Class A, who were also unbeaten and packed with basketball club members.

Normally, students from the basketball club shouldn’t be competing in their own sport for this event… but hey, no use complaining now. Having Tenma and the others on my team is a blessing anyway.

Alright then—our goddess of victory is watching. Time to win this thing. Losing isn’t even an option.

“Tennouji, your face looks scary, man.”

“Whoa, that smile’s terrifying.”

C’mon, I just got fired up and now you’re killing the mood…