Seirin girl's academy was absolutely booming. blossom trees were blooming as beautifully as ever surrounding various booths that were set up along the path that led from the main gates to the school building.
Many different student, armed with a large stack of flyers and plenty of determination, gathered on the path itself, hoping to catch their juniors as they innocently walk by.
"Rugby! Anyone interested in rugby?"
"Have you ever played Chess? We got a Chess club right here!"
"Join the Swim Team! It feels great!"
"For bookworms and book addicts, join the Book Club!"
In the center of the commotion stood three girls, all handing out the same flyers.
"Basketball Club! Join the Basketball Club!" A girl with medium brunet hair said handing out fliers to anyone who passed, grin plastered on her face. "How'd you like to join the Basketball Club?" he said nicely wearing a stupid smile on his face.
"Koganei, you can't actually be serious" Anothing girl, with long pink hair and pink eyes questioned, with a frown.
"Then how am I supposed to say it, Momoi?" The girl known as Koganei pouted.
The pink-haired girl faced her completely smirking. "Attention all girls of Seirin we would appreciate it if you would, consider joining the Basketball Club! The Basketball Club needs some serious help!"
"Momoi that's not very funny."
Momi just smiled and resumed giving out fliers. Koganei just sighed at the younger girl, just as a student seemed to catch her attention and she quickly put up a smile and approached the student "Hey, do you have a minute?"
Meanwhile Tetsumi Kuroko, one of the newest freshmen, was silently reading a book as she passed through the crowd with ease, bending down slightly to avoid different signage. No one even seemed to notice the smaller blunette, even as she passed by right in front of them.
"Ah!" A girl with thick glasses turned towards the teal haired girl's direction. "You are a reader, aren't you? How about the book club?"
She took a flyer from her stack, handing it to a brown-haired girl behind her.
"Uh, well…" the girl mummbled trying to explain, backing away from the glasses wearing girl. "This is actually a manga..."
"Manga's are proper books, as well! Surely you read novels too, right?"
Unnoticed by the rest of the crowd, the girl continued walking, eyes fixated on her book. She walked past the billboard that showed the location of the booths for the various clubs, when something caught her attention. Specifically, one particular club had caught her attention.
~.~
"A few more people would be nice" Riko Aida grumbled as she fixed the empty fill-out forms on the table, her best friend, Ren Hyuuga, sat next to her, head resting lazily upon her hand.
"Calm down Riko, you're acting like a Drama queen."
Riko gave a quick glare to her friend, softly slapping her in the shoulder. "But if we don't get at least eight players, we won't qualify as an actual team!"
Ren just sighed at her best friend's impatience "Riko we literally just got started, calm down for a second alright?"
Riko pouted as she glared at the taller girl. "Yeah I know, but I thought we'd have more than five people sign up."
The bifocal girl just shrugged, her shoulders rolling her eyes. "Relax alright, it'll be fine."
Riko opened her mouth once more to speak when two shadows loomed over both girl's heads. Lifting their eyes, the sight of two girl's were visualized.
The first was a blond, with her long blond hair let loose. She was dressed rather fashionably, wearing a pair of form fitting black jeans with a longsleeved white button up, and a dark blue vest tied around her waist, a pair of matching dark blue heels adoring her feet.
The second was black haired girl, with a small beauty mark beneath her right eye. She was wearing a white, V-neck covered by a thin black jacket and tight black jeans that flared out slightly at the bottom. A small silver ring on a chain dangled around her neck.
"Is this the Basketball Club?" The blond asked, hands behind her back, smile reaching her golden eyes.
"What?"
"Is this the Basketball Club?" She repeated.
"O-oh Yeah!" Riko snapping from her daze, "Come! Sit!"
Both girls did as they were told.
"What are your names?"
The blond smiled again, showing off her pearly white teeth. "I'm Ryoka Kise!"
"I'm Tatsuko Himuro." said the other girl, her voice soft as velvet when it left her lips.
Riko smiled as she gave both the students a form taking the cups of water from Ren's fingers, before placing it down in front of the two other girls.
Filling out the forms, only took a couple seconds before being handed back to Riko, who gave them yet another smile "Practice will start tomorrow right after school." Ren informed the two younger girls who both nodded, and stood before walking away.
...
Seirin Girl's Basketball team:
Name: Ryoka Kise
Year: Freshman
Homeroom: Mrs. Iruka
Age: 16
Years prior, where and when: Razuberī no hana basketball team, playing two years.
...
Seirin Girl's Basketball team:
Name: Tatsuko Himuro
Year: Freshman
Homeroom: Mrs. Iruka
Age: 17
Years prior, where and when: Little river basketball team, America, playing ten years.
…
Picking up one of the forms, Ren gave it a small look over. "Tatsuko Himuro huh? looks like she went to school in America. Must have learned from the source."
Riko nodded, placing her hand on her chin looking at the other form. "Ryoka Kise.. is it me or does that name sound familiar to you?
Ren shook her shoulders.
"Either way, I'm sure they'll be extraordinary."
"Yo," Koganei's voice suddenly piped in, startling the two other girls, Momoi and Ayame behind her. Everyone looked at her as she raised another club-form request "You forgot this one"
"Oh, sorry!" Riko took the sheet of paper from Koganei. "Let's see… Tetsumi Kuroko" she blinked in confusion "I was here the whole time" But I don't remember seeing her at all."
...
Seirin Basketball club:
Name: Tetsumi Kuroko
Year: Freshman
Homeroom: Mrs. Iruka
Age: 16
Years prior, where and when: Meiko middle school, playing seven years.
...
A large, no huge, smile broke out on Riko's face, as she pumped her fist into the air. "Alright! We've got eight people now, which means we now qualify as a official high school team!"
~.~
The Basketball Club members, both new and old stood inside the rather large, and rather new Gymnasium of Seirin, dressed in P.E attire.
Koga grinned as she eagerly looked at the first-years. "Okay, looks like all the new members are here!"
Riko gave a quick smile to the other girl's shoulder before going to stand in front of the new players. "Hello everyone, My name is Riko Aida and I'm the Seirin girl's Basketball Club's Coach," She then pointed to the pink haired girl. "And this is Satsuki Momoi, The manager it's nice to meet you all."
Everyone stayed quiet.
"Wait? You mean it's not her?!" A brown haired girl asked, pointing towards the older woman standing a few meters behind Riko.
Looking back Riko gave a small giggle."Oh no, that's our Club Adviser and medical practitioner, during official games, Areith "
Areith raised beautifully manicured hand in acknowledgement.
Riko giggled once more, flipping her hair behind her shoulder, before turning her attention back to the new players."Good, now that you're acquainted with Areith, I would appreciate it if you would all remove your shirts and stand in a line."
~.~
It took a while, but eventually, all the girls managed to line back up,and stand straight, in nothing but their bras.
Riko walked down the row, hands behind her back, examining them closely, as she possibly could.
She stopped in front of one of them "You, your ability to move instantaneously is a bit weak" she said "I bet, you do 50 side jumps in 20 seconds, am I right? You'll need to do better for the Basketball Club."
"O-okay."
"You, you're too stiff. Do some stretches after you take a bath"
"You, should strengthen up a bit."
Riko continued to give advices for every member she will notice that has something not right going on with.
"S-She's right? How did she know?"
"What's happening?!"
"How'd she know that just from looking at us?"
"It's because her dad's a sports trainer," Ren explained eyes glancing back to the younger girls, watching Riko do her work with a small smile. "Collecting data and creating a training regimen. It's a skill she picked up from observing bodies and data everyday at his workplace. When she looks at your body, she sees all your physical abilities in numbers. I wouldn't expect any less from a Coach."
"Ummm?" Riko said raising her clipboard."Has anyone seen Kuroko? Is Tetsumi Kuroko here?"
Everyone looked around, all looking for the missing girl.
Riko scratched her head. "Alright then, looks like she's not here. It's okay! Let's get practice started!"
"Um excuse me." a girl with short, spiky teal blue-hair suddenly appeared in front of her "I'm Tetsumi Kuroko."
Riko was left gaping as she looked towards Tetsumi.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Everyone was surprised by Riko's sudden outburst and even more surprised to see Tetsumi just casually standing there, like nothing was wrong.
"How long have you been there?!" Ren questioned, running to her best friend's aid.
Tetsumi looked at her, still just as casually. "I've been here the whole time"
Riko was still shocked and frozen in her placed "She was right in front of me and I didn't notice?—Wait, did she say she was Tetsumi? Ehh?! She's practically invisible!"
Riko who had finally recovered gave a breath, and looked at Tetsumi, then back to the other girls, before finally settling back on Tetsumi. "Then, take off your shirt"
Kuroko blinked "Oh, okay…"s he said pulling off her tank-top.
Riko could only stare at Tetsumi before her eyes widen slowly and let out a silent gasp...
~.~
"Tetsumi Kuroko..." Riko thought on her bus ride home, loud music erupting from her brightly colored orange and pink headphones.
"What the hell is she…. Her body stats are way too low. Her numbers are below average, very low! On top of that, she's already almost at her limit" her eyes squinted. "...Who on earth is she?..."
~.~