Rating: K+

Summary: Kise doesn't understand that move.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tadatoshi Fujimaki.

Hello, and happy midokiseweek! I hope we're a bunch of people to participate in this week. :3

This first drabble isn't even shippy but hopefully the next ones will be better orz

Enjoy!

Day 1: Teikou days – how do you do it?

Kise can pretty much play all the moves in basketball; he saw lots of guys playing and copying them isn't that hard—it's the same as copying any other sport. He thought it would become boring, but he still hasn't found a way to beat Aomine in a one-on-one and he still doesn't understand how Midorima can make these long arched shots. When you shoot it must be in an arc, all right; but how can he make such a long arc and always score?

"I really, really don't get it," Kise whines while he watches Midorima shoots.

He stayed with him out of curiosity, because he always sees Midorimacchi stay behind after practice was over, so Kise thinks that maybe he will be able to finally understand his teammate's move. However it has already been twenty minutes and he still doesn't have a clue.

"I mean, I can do three-points shots without any difficulty, but you make this long arc and somehow it goes straight into the basket. It doesn't even touch the rim!"

Midorima pushes his glasses up and stares at Kise, who is sitting on a bench and pouting. The shooter didn't think it was possible for a human to look like a kicked puppy, and he wonders if his teammate pulls the same face when he is denied his favorite food.

"It's because I practice every day with the same severity," he explains blandly. "One can not become good if they lack will power."

"But you practice hard every day, and you stay behind!" Kise says with disbelief. "How can you even keep up with school?"

"I told you, with will power everything is possible. Now I would like to resume my shooting."

Kise can't help but puff his cheeks like a child, although he doesn't miss any move that Midorima makes. He wants to understand, but however attentive he is, he can't reproduce the shoot. And it frustrates him.

"I've always been able to copy moves, so I really want to copy yours. It's awesome," he indicates with a small smile.

For a moment Midorima's eyebrow twitches and his shoot nearly fails.

"Then you would better practice, even if I doubt you will be able to copy me," Midorima deadpans while he successfully scores.

Kise frowns and crosses his arms over his chest.

"And why is that?"

Midorima stops in his movements, and looks straight at Kise. His eyes slightly narrow but it isn't threatening or frightening; Kise feels like he's being judged, and he doesn't like it.

"You've been playing for less than four months, and I have years of experience," Midorima asserts. "How do you expect accomplishing something that needs time and effort? From what I gathered, you are naturally gifted for sports, and you don't have to practice hard to attain a certain level."

Kise's selective memory only focuses on the last part of the sentence.

"Are you calling me pretentious?" Kise almost snorts, because it's not his fault if he's good at sports.

"Maybe not pretentious, but overconfident. You're underestimating all the work it took to achieve this level."

"I didn't know you were such a killjoy, Midorimacchi! How can you enjoy your youth if you always think like an old man?"

"That question doesn't even deserve an answer."

Kise shakes his head and gets up. He picks a ball on the floor and positions himself behind Midorima, and aims. He takes the same stance, visualises the move in his head, pushes lightly on his fingers and lets the ball go. It goes up, and up, and up, and descends after it makes a perfect arc. But the ball lands on the rim with a whack and falls on the court. Midorima is silent while Kise loudly sighs—and he's pouting again.

"See that? The form was perfect but the ball didn't go in the basket!"

Midorima turns his head and picks another ball to shoot.

"It is already a miracle that you could do this high arc," he mutters. "Practice. It's all I can say."

"Then teach me!"

Midorima wrinkles his nose and looks almost disgusted by the idea. Kise casts him a look that probably is meant to be cute—the puppy eyes. That... might work. Might.

"No," Midorima replies. "No. I can't teach basketball. And there is no point in teaching you my special move."

"Urg I'm done, you're no fun Midorimacchi! Then watch me. I'm going to copy this three-point shoot in no time and you will be so stunned that you won't beat me!"

Kise childishly sticks his tongue out and heads towards the locker rooms. Midorima is left behind with a puzzled look, but he composes himself quickly. Kise can think whatever he wants, he's just naive.

There's no way he will be able to copy him.