Chapter 12

Shutoku's Strength

As expected, Kise was quite unhappy that I joined him (sorry, that I "third-wheeled on [his] and Kasamatsu-senpai's bonding experience").

"I don't even get to play against Seirin but I still have to deal with this ugly girl?" his grumbling continued on, but I clung to my ever-thinning patience desperately. "Seriously, Kurokocchi, you're lucky that we are best friends..."

Kasamatsu, on the other hand, my dear, beloved Kasamatsu, was mostly silent, elbowing Kise when his complaints became too vulgar. Other than that, he remained quiet, sending me occasional odd looks and turning bright red upon eye contact.

After Kise finally called me "an outsider" who "didn't belong", I got fed up. "Kise, I'll seriously pay you back for the ticket. But please shut up... the game hasn't even started yet and you're already so worked up."

Kise snarled back, probably about to lash out - even though I had been really calm! And collected! I swear! - when the players walked out, Shutoku in white, Seirin in black.

We had been sitting in the stands for maybe 15 minutes during the warm-up period, before the players lined up for tip-off.

From my position in the stands, beside Kise - though I had initially been seated beside the Kaijou captain, Kasamatsu had whispered something to Kise and switched seats with the unhappy blonde - I looked over all of the players.

Otsubo Taisuke, Miyaji Kiyoshi (I was triggered by the name 'Kiyoshi' after my previous experience that very day... absolutely positively triggered, just an FYI), Kimura Shinsuke, Takao Kazunari and Midorima Shintaro.

Three third-years and two first-years. Overall, a strong lineup. From what we had seen in the scouting videos, weak in terms of teamwork - something that I was sure to be a trend in teams with members of the Generation of Miracles (internally, I snorted at that dumb nickname, but I wasn't about to piss Kise off even further and managed to control it). Their style seemed to be 'get the ball to Midorima', though their other members seemed far from incompetent.

The first quarter started with a back and forth, push and pull style play. After two minutes of dancing around one another, the game finally kicked off with a classic Seirin move - the alley oop, only to be blocked by none other than Prince Nanodayo himself, countered with a three-pointer. Kuroko replied with a dramatic spinning pass, launched to Kagami who dunked, in their typical style.

The pass, however... had been unlike anything I had ever seen before.

"What was that?!" Kise demanded, whipping around to look at me accusingly. "I didn't know Kagamicchi could catch those passes!"

"I didn't know Kuroko-kun could throw those passes." I admitted, jotting down notes. "He has never done it before."

Kasamatsu seemed impressed, leaning back into his seat as he muttered to himself. "That sort of powerful throw... It can probably be only be caught by quick, strong players."

Something seemed to click in my head. "Oh! That must be the Ignite Pass that Kuroko-kun threatened me with!"

This move was strange and unlike anything I had seen in terms of basketball, at Seirin or Inku. However, for Kuroko, the passing extraordinaire, it seemed a fitting move for his repertoire.

Kuroko could pass the ball from one side of the court to the other. And Midorima knew it.

The immediate effects on the Shutoku shooting guard were apparent. Upon getting the ball, he would hesitate a moment, checking for Kuroko's location - usually, the self-proclaimed shadow was running off towards his own net, to get ready to pass to Kagami.

Midorima was shut down just like that, or so it seemed. My eyes scanned the court. But there was no way that a simple pass could shut down Shutoku.

I texted Riko. Don't assume that Shutoku will be done with just this. Keep an eye on Kuroko-kun's mark. All he needs to do is stop Kuroko-kun and then he will free up Midorima-kun's threes.

In the back of my mind, I heard Kasamatsu explaining to Kise the logic behind Midorima's hesitation.

Takao, realizing Midorima's flaw, began to pass to the other members of the team. Just as I had suspected, Midorima's teammates were nothing to sniff at either.

However, I noticed something odd about Takao.

"Kasamatsu-san..." I turned to the Kaijo point guard, who immediately stiffened. "Don't Takao's movements seem particularly... fluid?"

Eager to avert his eyes from me, Kasamatsu turned to the game. When he spoke, he didn't sound like he was speaking to me in particular... just speaking in general. "His instincts and sense of awareness are top-level... he is very keen on his surroundings and quick at that. An impressive point guard, from the few minutes I've seen."

My phone buzzed, a response from Riko. Takao-kun is now Kuroko's mark.

I watched their next few plays in silence, ignoring the casual Kasamatsu-Kise banter beside me. Kasamatsu's words in mind, I kept an eye on Takao. Whenever the ball was not in his hands, he followed Kuroko (like a shadow!), matching him step-by-step across the court.

"Kuroko-kun isn't invisible..." I muttered, only for my thoughts to be confirmed a moment later when Kuroko's pass to Hyuga was slapped away. Just like Izuki's Eagle Eye. "Wow. Those eyes of his are seriously something. I never thought I would see another person with that amount of observational skills in my life."

"Kobayashi, explain!" Kise whined, shaking my arm. "What am I missing here?"

"It looks like Takao-kun has the same observational skills as Seirin's Izuki-san." I said, a bit peeved with his touchiness, just as Riko called a time out, with less than four minutes in the game. "And he's definitely stronger, if Riko is this desperate. I suspected this before the game began, but wow, seeing it in action is something different for sure."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" more Kise shaking.

"It means that Kuroko-kun's misdirection doesn't work on him." I tried to be patient. "Kuroko-kun is down for the count."

Kise sunk into his seat. "Seriously? Then this game is over! Kurokocchi is the best most amazing player on your team! Even though I like Kagamicchi too, no way he could take on Midorimacchi on his own!"

"Ah, Kise-san," I was literally triggered. "You underestimate the other members of the team. They may be no 'Generation of Miracles', but don't look down on them please."

I texted Riko. Pull Kuroko-kun out. We need to think of a strategy to overcome Takao-kun. In the meantime, he is not a big contributor.

Riko's reply was near-instantaneous. He insisted.

I became irate. "Aish, that dumb kid seriously won't listen!"

With Kuroko meandering about in the background, failing pass after pass, Kagami took it upon himself to do one-man alley oop, shooting and missing, only to take the rebound on his own.

Midorima snatched the ball, and under his own net, proceeded to shoot.

"Ah!" I shot up out of my seat. "I called it! I so called it! I said that Midorima-kun would be able to shoot from the full court to Kuroko-kun! I knew it! I said it first! Cite your sources!"

Kagami, however, had not been present at my educating of Kuroko, and could only watch as the ball sunk flawlessly into the hoop.

But there was something definitely interesting about that shot.

"Oh, that took a while didn't it?" I commented to Kise who gave me a weird side-eye. "His release time seriously took forever. Let's count for his next shot and compare."

The next shot was in Seirin's side of the court and was a quick release three.

"Ah, the closer he is, the quicker release time, isn't it?" I nodded to myself.

His next three was from his own side of the court, and though the difference was slight, it surely existed.

I texted Riko. For Midorima-kun's far shots, Kagami-kun will def be able to knock them down. However, for his close shots, release is quicker... don't let him get close.

"Oh shit- I mean shoot." I set aside my phone and grabbed the video camera, beginning to tape the match. "I was supposed to tape this."

"So are you just a reporter still?" Kise inquired, glancing at my setup. "Or have you been promoted to manager or something?"

I felt uneasy. A real conversation? With the awful Kise? "Uhh, I just wanted to give the coach a hand. I'm still the sports reporter, don't worry."

Kise looked on edge. "Trust me, I wasn't worried."

The first half ended with a large gap between Shutoku and Seirin.

My blonde companion looked a bit irritated. "Show some spirit, Seirin. You too, Kobayashi, isn't that your team?"

Kasamatsu beat me to the point. "They are, you idiot. Despite such a huge difference in their score, they're still hanging in there."

My heart swelled - defended by my prince, Kasamatsu! "You don't know my boys, Kise-san, but I can tell you that they haven't given up. And they won't."

My phone buzzed. A message from Kuroko. Do you have any footage of Takao-kun from the first half?

I leapt out of my seat. "Kise-san, Kasamatsu-san, save my seat! Kuroko-kun needs me!"

Meeting Kuroko outside of the same locker room plaza that I had been barred from previously, I handed him the silver camera. "I only got footage from the second quarter, but that's the important data."

He nodded, accepting it. "Thanks."

"And while I know you'll never give up, Kuroko-kun, don't let the other kiddos quit." I encouraged. "You're not very strong, but you'll have to be."

"Um... Thank you? I think?"

"I'll be watching, with Kise-san and Kasamatsu-san." I grinned. "Don't let us down!"

over two years later

a shitty SHITTY update

lol

also vote on the poll on my profile for the final pairing... i narrowed the choices a bit

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LeoInuyuka