"Takao"

Takao made a three-point shot before turning to the person who called him. "Yo, Shin-chan! I thought you left already." Their team will be going on a training camp over the winter break and their coach decided to cut them some slack while they prepare for the impending doom. The gym is pretty much deserted as all the players have either left early or didn't practice at all.

"No. Some of our classmates asked me to explain the math problems earlier."

"Ever the popular guy, huh, Shin-chan?" Takao laughed and score another three-pointer.

"What nonsense." Midorima rolled his eyes at the smaller guy. "And Takao?"

"Yeah?"

"Your wrist. Relax it a bit more."

Takao laughed again. "Yessir!"

Takao used to somehow hate Midorima. He experienced a crushing defeat in the hands of the guy back in middle school. He was also the Point Guard then and Midorima was the Shooting Guard of Teiko. He was about to make a pass to their forward when the green-haired player stole the ball and made a shot right from where they were standing.

"A shot from our side of the court? You gotta be kiddin' me!"

"My shots never miss."

That was the first time a ball was stolen from Takao and the first time he saw the famed long-range shot of Teiko's Shooting Guard. It was crushing.

"Takao. You're making a funny face."

"Waah! Don't scare me like that, Shin-chan!"

Midorima glared at him. "I wasn't scaring you. What were you zoning out for, anyway?"

"Nothing. Let's play one-on-one, Shin-chan!"

"You should practice your three-pointers," Midorima answered, undoing the bandages on his left hand.

"I will. But let's play for a bit first." The green-haired player studied him through dark-rimmed glasses before letting out a sigh.

"Alright. First to score ten baskets wins. Then you practice your three-pointers."

He grinned. Winning against their ace isn't really impossible, after all.

Midorima observed Takao's form from the bench. His one-on-one match with their Point Guard took longer than he expected so he decided to stop practicing after thirty three-pointers. He doesn't want to put too much strain on his left hand.

He watched as Takao stepped outside the three-point line and made a shot.

Takao has improved this much, huh?

He doesn't really remember going against Takao in middle school so he can't make a comparison of how the guy was then and now. What he knows for sure though is how much their Point Guard has improved since their game against Rakuzan in the Winter Cup.

"Shin-chan!" Takao called to him. "How was that shot?"

He pushed up his glasses. "Better. Just keep your wrist relaxed like that."

"Yessir!" Takao saluted, a silly grin plastered on his face.

What a frivolous man.

"Takao, I'll be going ahead."

"Eh? Already? Let's go home together, Shin-chan!"

"I have to go somewhere. Be sure to clean up before you leave."

Takao stared at Midorima. It's rare for their ace to finish practicing earlier than him. "Is something wrong, Shin-chan?"

Midorima rolled his eyes at him and grabbed his bag from the bench. "Lock the gym."

Midorima still hasn't gotten over what their coach told him earlier. Not that he's particularly surprised about it. It was something he had known for a long time, something he actually expected, and yet, he can't help but feel a little upset.

Takao knew that there was something wrong with their ace the previous day, but since Midorima never said anything, he decided to just dismiss it. It was not until their Coach talked to him about the captainship that he understood.

"Eh, Coach? Shin-chan knew already?"

"Yes. Didn't Midorima-kun tell you?"

"No…" Then it hit him. "Coach, I have to go." He has to talk to their ace.

Although their ace would never admit it, Midorima is Takao's best friend. It sounds uncool but he's seriously willing to forego the captainship if it means Midorima wouldn't get mad at him. It's true that it's something he actually wants, but it's not something worth fighting over.

"Shin-chan!" Midorima glanced up at him from his book.

"No," the taller guy waved him off.

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"Not interested."

"Shin-chan, why didn't you tell me?"

Midorima closed his book and stared at him. "Because Coach is going to tell you, anyway."

Takao looked seriously panicked and apologetic that Midorima wondered if he said something particularly offensive.

"Are you upset about it, Shin-chan?"

"Well…" He's not exactly the kind of person who is so open about what he feels and it irks him now more than ever how Takao constantly asks about things like that.

"Well…?" Takao was looking at him with the exact expression as a sick, abandoned puppy begging to be adopted.

"A bit. Maybe."

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan."

"It's not your fault, idiot."

"I could refuse it." Midorima stared at their Point Guard.

"Takao, were you by any chance talking about the captainship?"

Takao looked up at him, obviously confused. "Eh? Uh, yeah…"

Midorima shook his head. "I was talking about Ootsubo-senpai leaving the team so early."

"Eh?"

"I thought he'd at least stay until he graduates."

"Eh?"

Midorima shot him an exasperated look. "Stop saying 'Eh?' over and over like an idiot."

Takao is officially Shutoku's team captain now, which is why he can't understand why he still has to pedal the rickshaw.

"Because you lost in janken, why else?"

"But I'm already the captain! Your captain! You should obey me!" He pedaled furiously for ten seconds then suddenly stopped. It was exhausting.

"I know, Captain. But I have three whims, you see," Midorima answered, looking smug as always.

"Ne Shin-chan… Are you really not upset about me being the Captain? I mean, I'm more or less your shadow and all…" Takao glanced at their Shooting Guard who's lazing around in the rickshaw like the Kiseki no Sedai royalty that he is.

"I'm really not interested in being the captain. And besides, to choose to be the shadow when one is talented enough to be the light, that's the captain's job. It's not something I could do or willing to do."

Takao laughed. "So you're pushing the responsibility on me? That's so like you, Shin-chan!" Midorima threw a book at him.

"I'm saying that it's something only you can do, idiot."

Takao used to somehow hate Midorima and, even now, sometimes the taller guy still gets to him. The guy has so much pride and twice as much talent to back up his arrogance that he's such a pain to deal with. But it can't be denied how much their ace has changed. That's right, our ace.

Shutoku has become a real team before they realized it.

"Here." Midorima tossed a package at him.

"What's this, Shin-chan?"

The green-haired player jumped off the rickshaw and picked up his bag. "Congratulations, Captain." So this is why he went ahead last night?

"For me?" He knows that he's grinning like an idiot but he couldn't help it.

"No. For our captain."

"That's me, Shin-chan."

"Exactly. So why are you still asking?" their ace snarled.

"Because I'm your captain. I do what I want." The taller guy rolled his eyes at him and walked ahead.

He is their ace's captain. It sounds nice to him.