Basketball's a huge, huge passion of mine.
I've watched Kuroko no Basuke what, seven, eight times over?
Anyway, I felt it was time to write a little OC stuff.
Not exactly OC, though. The lead in this one is female.
Enjoy!
The light glinted dully off of the sweaty leather of the ball.
She squared her shoulders.
The seconds of the clock wound down in slow motion, the decimal digit changing ever so slowly.
Two point seven. Six. Five.
It was now or never. The miracle had to happen; the alternative was too horrible to imagine.
Like a machine, her arms rose, ever so fluidly, as she elevated off the ground.
Her marker knew the shot was coming. It had to be.
Her jump reached its pinnacle.
With a silently mouthed prayer, she released.
A crushing feeling of dread accompanied the motion of the ball.
Her shot wasn't going in. She knew it.
Long Shot
By WhoIsThisDamnAuthor
"Join the basketball club here..."
Arima Suzuha's first day of college was a complete piece of crap. Not only had she forgotten what time it started, she'd missed her train. It wasn't even her fault; JR's train had simply forgotten to arrive. Their famed trains, touted to always be on time, had totally let her down. It wasn't a good thing, also, to realize that ribbons in one's hair wasn't exactly the correct attire for a supposedly mature, eighteen-year-old. She looked like a moe explosion about to happen, any lolicon-lover's paradise.
Add that to the completely retarded fuck-up with the seating arrangements in the University, she'd gotten hustled around from class to class, going up and down several flights of stairs, all in different wings of the massive campus, and getting lost. Oh, this day just could not get any worse.
So, by the time the final bell had rang, she was completely at the end of her tether, dreading the tradition that followed. Freaking club interactions... She mused to herself as she tried to avoid being seen by anyone. She wasn't going to get sucked into this shit. She knew that she would eventually end up at the basketball court some day or the other, but traversing this bustling crowd of people all treating her like some sort of deity wasn't worth the effort.
Taking a humongous detour, Suzuha had finally reached the college gates, when she heard a cry right behind her. Somehow, even the basketball club of this college was socially awkward, hanging out by themselves in the corner. Three or four people, she counted, which was a very small number, given the large droves of people the other clubs had got recruiting for them.
This college, Shirakawa-daigaku, was a middle-tier team in almost every sport they participated in, which was a testament to the number of fucks they gave about that aspect of college life in general. General extracurriculars were very much supported, such as the popular culinary club (as if that was even a real thing). What was heartening to see was the three girls campaigning for the club, while the sole male member sat behind lazily and watched the proceedings.
"Welcome." The senpai in front of her yawned. Despite all appearances, Suzuha was surprised. She knew that the team was lackluster, but a response such as this was unprecedented for any club she'd ever seen. It was like the club didn't even have a minimum membership quota to meet. The boy hadn't even glanced in her direction. What the heck is going on here?
"Just fill out this form, and you'll be a member of the club, effective immediately," one of the three said laconically. Suzuha gave the form a perfunctory look-over. It was a standard membership form, with a purple stain on a corner.
"Um, what is this?" she asked the three people in front of her.
"Oh, don't you mind that..." the second girl replied. She brown hair, and had the most outrageously bored look on her face. "It's just a juice stain."
She didn't even know how to respond to that. Nodding dumbly, she took the proffered pen and filled it out. This was so weird. She'd seen clubs try out all sorts of strategies to get new recruits, including one that gave the first years a free yearly pass to the city's amusement park if they joined. It was one reason why she stayed away from such shit in general. But this was different. No club had given so few fucks about club activities than this one.
"See you tomorrow at five..." one of them called out from behind her as she walked out.
I wonder what I'll see today...
There was a chatter in the school outdoors as club activities began in earnest. The trials for the sports teams were happening in the grounds, right next to the gym. As Suzuha passed the field on her way to the building, she saw a chubby, short kid in a fresher's uniform stepping up for a free kick. Stumbling toward the ball with the grace of a wet paper towel, he stubbed his toe into the ground without even touching the ball in front of him, and crumpled in a heap.
What are these retards thinking? she mused. Sprinting the last few yards, she skidded to a halt before the main doors. Her wrist-watch said 17:03.
It's just a couple of minutes. Who gives a damn?
Suzuha opened the door and stepped in. Closing it behind her, she took her first look at the court.
Her eyes widened. A guy, probably warming up, had just released a jumper from the three-point line.
Poetry in motion. The only words that filled her mind were those three.
As the fingers broke contact with the ball's surface, it began to rise, spinning backwards ever so subtly.
She knew that it would go in. There was no doubt about it. It rose, and kept rising. Almost reaching the ceiling of the gym, it began its descent. Gaining speed again, it went through the hoop almost vertically, without even grazing the rim.
The guy maintained his follow-through for a full two seconds, then lowered his arms, readjusting his glasses. Somehow, the entire shot, from start to end, would have looked incomplete without that last part. His fingers were at the frame of his spectacles unconsciously, exactly like the feeling the entire shooting motion gave.
Suzuha tore her gaze away from the basketball bouncing under the basket, and looked at the shooter. He seemed tall for a Japanese dude, around six feet four. Age had taken its toll on his spine though, and his slouch probably took a couple inches off his actual height. His dark green hair shone in the slanted rays of the sun, filtering in through the massive windows near the top. A very thinly trimmed French-cut beard completed his visage, along with his thin-rimmed spectacles.
Is he the coach or something? Who is this guy?
She suddenly jumped, startled by the hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw the three girls from the club recruitments, all in their gym clothes. There were another two behind them, similarly dressed. The boy was also there, skulking near the door.
"All right." her voice hadn't changed one bit since yesterday. "Time for introductions."
The six of them lined up at the baseline, and the girl motioned for her to stand in front. The green-haired bespectacled guy also walked over, but with a noticeable limp in his gait, which seemed to put him through a considerable amount of pain. They all waited in silence for a few seconds, until Suzuha realized that it was her turn to speak.
"Hello," she started, matching the girl's voice in terms of tone. "My name is Arima Suzuha. My height is 165 cm, and I weigh 55 kg. I have played at center for my middle school and high school teams. It is a pleasure to meet you all, and I look forward to playing with you."
Somehow, the reaction she got was surprising. They all seemed disinterested in everything around them. It was like her introduction did not even matter to them one bit. After the overly competitive and cutthroat atmosphere of her previous schools, it seemed like a welcome relief to be amongst so few people.
The girl suddenly frowned, as if she'd remembered something.
"Yes. Ahem. I am Matsuzaka Haruno, the captain. I'm a third year, and I play small forward." she gave her intro as if narrating a shopping list.
"My name is Shizune Yui," the next one said her name. "I am in my fourth year, and my position is center as well."
"Arai Shiki," the third girl from yesterday, the blonde, spoke up. "Second year, point guard."
Suzuha looked over to the two new faces. Their expressions were even less friendly than the previous three, bordering on open hostility.
"Minamoto Kosaki. Third year, shooting guard."
"Orikasa Fumiko. Second year, power forward."
As the boy's turn came up, he gave a derisive snort, before introducing himself.
"Kurosawa Matsuda. I am the manager, I guess..."
Finally, Suzuha turned to the last one in their little group. His presence was imposing. It seemed like there was an aura of control that emanated from his skin, permeating into everything he touched or gazed upon. Suzuha felt like a helpless bunny staring into the jaws of a tiger. Due to the massive height difference, he was able to look down at her right along his nose, his glance already measuring, judging, calculating.
"I am the coach of this team."
He paused for effect. The negative effect of this pretentious act was not lost on her, as she shot back her most intense fuck off look at him.
"My name is Midorima Shintaro."
Think I can make this work?
An all-girl team, coached by Midorima?
No harem, people. This one's all about the basketball, and a little wry humor.
Yes, the first chapter's a short one, but I had to end it here. It somehow seemed fitting.
Tell me what you guys think.
Cheers.
P.S. GSW for the win. Literally. 20-0 to begin the season is simply legendary.