The whole thing starts because Koganei tells the first years that it is Seirin basketball club's longstanding tradition to visit the local shrine and then Kiyoshi at the hospital together as a team on the second day of the New Year.
The first years are understandably sceptical.
"Seirin's only been around for two years; is that long enough for a longstanding tradition?"
"That's exactly the point!" Koganei tells Kagami's doubting face excitedly. "Since we created this club last year, anything we do this year as well becomes a tradition!"
"I don't think it is very auspicious to have visiting Kiyoshi-sempai on the second day of the New Year be a Seirin basketball club tradition," Kuroko says doubtfully.
The mood is kind of ruined after that.
But nevertheless, on the morning of the second day of New Year, all the first years are there at the shrine – clustered around Kagami and using his height and general surliness as a shield against the crowd.
Mitobe sticks around Koganei the whole time they're there, ensuring that Koganei can't buy the lucky charms for decorations again this year. But that's okay, because this year Koganei had made New Year's decorations of his own – with basketballs on them, which is a hundred times better anyway.
Everyone is clustered around Kagami this time as they weave through the crowds on their way out of the shrine. He really is very useful in this kind of situation.
The next destination is Kiyoshi's hospital room. And Koganei isn't the only one prepared this time. Riko, Hyuuga, and Izuki all hand him an assortment of books that Koganei isn't sure Kiyoshi would read, because why would Kiyoshi have any interest in 'The Building Blocks of Muscles', 'A Treatise on the Battle of Gifu Castle and Why It Matters', or 'Wordplay for Playful Occasions'? Tsuchida, on behalf of his girlfriend, has actual osechi this time – even though it's the cheap convenience store kind. Even the first years have banded together to get one of those portable basketball sets for children between the five of them. They're a lot more awkward compared to everyone else, but they're just not very used to dealing with Kiyoshi in a hospital, that's all. They just need some time. Time they'll have plenty of, because Kiyoshi's hospitalisation is going to be another long one.
Kiyoshi doesn't regret it, so Koganei doesn't either. But he makes sure to get everyone to put the decorations in places Kiyoshi will look at the most. It's the least they can do to remind Kiyoshi that it matters. He matters.