Hey readers this chapter is gonna be like a prologue (so it's short), and it's set in their second year in Teiko.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything 'cept for my characters and the plot - applies for all chapters
CHAPTER ONE
"First String members please gather 'round!" Immediately everyone in the First String Boys' Basketball Club clustered around the coach and a girl they all vaguely remembered from yesterday's tryouts. He smiled at the new girl. "Please introduce yourself."
She had icy blue eyes, and black hair that floated down to her waist. "Hi everyone. I'm Tajima Kiku, your new member and coach."
The guys muttered amongst themselves, but Kiku caught onto every word.
"No way, a new coach? And a girl too."
"But isn't she only a second year?"
"Yeah, she's a transfer student from Australia. She's in my class."
"Wait, Kiku? I swear I've heard of it somewhere..."
"Tajima?" A red-haired guy stepped out. "You were on Basketball Monthly last year."
"Oh I remember now..." The bluenette exclaimed. "Tajima Kiku, the all-rounder Prodigy Girl. She plays lots of different sports and excels in every single one of them, but her basketball skills are outstanding." He turned to her, eyes gleaming excitedly. "That's you?!"
She nodded, a tiny smile on her face. "That's me. But before you ask more questions, please introduce yourselves. I don't want to go around calling people 'Hey, you.'"
"I am the captain, Akashi Seijuro."
"Aomine Daiki."
"I'm Kise Ryota!"
"Murasakibara Atsushi."
"Haizaki Shogo."
"Momoi Satsuki, and I'm the manager!"
"Midorima Shintaro."
The one at the end of the line - the guy with the pale blue hair - didn't speak. "What about you?" Kiku asked.
"Oh, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." He seemed slightly surprised for some reason, but he did have a very low presence, she noted.
She looked around at all of them, absorbing and analysing their physical abilities. They were all above the standard basketball player, but that was to be expected of Teiko. Except for Kuroko, who had weak physical abilities but he could probably put that and his low presence to good use. Kiku smiled at the coach.
"Well, I'll leave them to you, Kiku-san. Please take good care of them." Then turning to the guys, "I'll still be around to help with things and for matches if Kiku-san ever plays."
The newly formed basketball club nodded and he left.
"So," The raven-haired girl smiled rather menacingly. "let's get started."
Not long after the new member of the club came, Haizaki left. No one except for Kiku and Akashi knew the real reason. Kise just happily took his place.
Practice was hard work (and Kiku was a demon), but thanks to her help the regulars in the team improved their natural skills and developed special moves that only they can do.
Midorima can shoot in balls from the middle of the court (with the ball travelling in a high arc).
No one can match Aomine in speed, agility, and formless shots.
Kise can copy any move from anyone except the people on his team.
Murasakibara's blocks can make the tallest people intimidated.
Akashi... Well he was creepy as always and his Emperor Eye is impossible to beat.
Even Kuroko has a new style - being 'invisible' and passing the ball around unexpectedly.
Kiku had also taught Momoi skills in analysing, so that she could contribute to the club too.
Teiko's basketball had become undefeatable; people called them the Generation of Miracles. But she also knew that they were coming apart. Nothing mattered to them anymore except for victory. They didn't work together anymore. And Kiku hated that. Though they all respect her, since she is the only one they can't beat, they sometimes didn't listen. Only Kuroko stayed the same.
A Year Later - At the End of Their Second Year
"Hello?" The GoM stopped and looked at Kiku, who was on her phone. They had all become quite close this past year, and even though most of them were changing and starting to fall apart, she was the one who held them together.
"Yes, this is Kiku. Who- ... oh okay... What?!" Her worried voice caught their attention and they all stopped what they were doing and came over. "I-is she alright?... Oh... But I told her...Yes, I know... I'll call Ichirou and we'll be there as soon as possible. Thank you."
"Kiku-cchi, who was that?" Most of it had been in English, so they didn't really know what it was about, but she sounded really anxious, so they knew something was wrong.
"I-I have to make a call to my brother." All of the GoM knew they had a brother two years older who goes to school in a different region. "Ichirou? This is about mum...Her doctor just called...Yeah, bad news...She has lung cancer, and-" Her voice broke. "Probably only a few months left...Buy the tickets back...Yes, day after tomorrow will be good...Okay, thanks. Bye."
This time was in Japanese. "K-Kiku?" Aomine said cautiously.
"Your mum has lung cancer?" Even Midorima was worried, even though everyone knew he and Kiku didn't get along very well.
"Yeah, sorry guys, you'll be on your own next year... I'll try to be back in high school." She didn't look fazed, but they all knew she was just putting on a show.
"Don't worry, I'm as good a leader as you." Akashi smirked.
Kiku chuckled, even though she was trembling inside. "No way."
"Bye." She waved to the guys in the basketball club. "I have a few more requests to make. One, go to different schools in high school. Two, well..." She thought for a few seconds. "Stay together."
Then she got into the car, and speeded away. The GoM watched as it turned and disappeared from view.
"Well, Kiku-san was a nice coach for us." Kuroko deadpanned.
"Wah, I'll miss Kiku-cchi!"
"Capricorn and Cancer aren't compatible, but I guess in basketball we work okay."
"She gave me snacks all the time."
"The only ones who can beat me is her... And probably Akashi..."
"Well, let's go, everyone." Akashi left without making a comment. He was still thinking about her phone call. If what she said was correct, her mum only had a few months left. And he had learnt that her dad left them for another woman when she was just 5.
Midorima joined him and both of them started walking back, with Kise behind them screaming, "Midorima-cchi, Akashi-cchi, wait for meeeeeee!"
Slowly, the Generation of Miracles fell apart, without Kiku holding them together. They didn't care about basketball or teamwork anymore, and all that mattered was victory. They all thought that they can be the best without anyone else's help. Aomine didn't even bother to practice these days, since, according to him, "The only one who can beat me is me."
In high school, they all went to different schools, as promised.
Kise went to the powerhouse Kaijo High in Tokyo.
Midorima decided to go to one of the Kings, Shutoko High, also in Tokyo.
Murasakibara went to Yosen High in Akita.
Aomine and Momoi went to Touou Academy.
Akashi got into the elite Rakuzan High in Kyoto.
And Kuroko decided to go to the very normal Seirin High School.
They didn't know when Kiku would come back, or which school she would go to. Some of them (*cough* Midorima) didn't even care anymore. They didn't know that, while they've been changing, she has changed too, but for a completely different reason.