DISCLAIMER : Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: Inoue Takehiko, the publisher, the broadcasting company of the anime and etc.
"Of course she is..." Doumoto sensei walked back to join Fukatsu watch. "Just like you, she is a #1 Point Guard after all, but mostly known as the National MVP...haha" He ended with a chuckle.
"Really?" They chorused while each one of them running back to join Fukatsu and their coach to watch, excluding Sawakita, who is presently in an inherent bad mood. Sawakita though, stood on his tracks and decided to wait for them anyway.
"Her hair looked like strands of gold... looks so coooool..." Mikio on the other hand was more fascinated by the unfamiliar sight of a light-featured person.
"For some reason it feels strange knowing gentle creatures like women play such a strenuous and masculine game like we do..." Nobe commented. The rest agreed by nodding as well.
"You guys don't know her cuz first of all, the Girls Division isn't as popular as yours and she was in America during Middle School and this year's first quarter."
"America?" Of all the words he heard, this gave Sawakita the most impact. "So that cocky bitch really is a foreigner..." He thought to himself. To think that he is about to go to America too...
"Are you sure son?" Tetsu, Sawakita's father asked with an underlying anxiety.
"Yeah... After the first time I tasted defeat, I realized to myself how it feels like to have a reason and a goal to strive harder and prove worthy of the name I established. Back then it was all for my childish enjoyment... It might have not been technically my defeat, but I carry the name of my team with me..."
"So what's your plan?..."
"America can wait..." Sawakita faced his dad with a determined glimmer in his eyes. "I will stay here until the end of the school year, and bring Sannoh back to its throne where it REALLY belongs."
"This Winter Invitationals shall be payback time..."
"Big deal..." Sawakita scoffed. "You talk like you guys can't do what she can pfft." And he eventually turned his back, proceeding to what they were supposed to do a while ago, which was to finally head back to the Inn.
"What's up with him?" Minoru asked, confused by his implicit man-period-ish reactions.
"Guy pride... Could be because the blondie was his female counterpart..." Masashi suggested, proceeding to going back to the Inn as well. "This is interesting..." He rubbed his chin in an implicit enthusiasm, contrary to his expressionless face.
"She's a Point Guard yo. Not a Forward. Doesn't fit the analogy yo." Fukatsu and the rest moved on and followed.
"It fits actually..." Doumoto sensei contradicted with a grin. "She's also a Sophomore just like Sawakita, and she is from America. The place where Sawakita aspires to gain skills from..."
"EEEHHH?!"
"EEEHHH?! Sannoh is here in Kanagawa?" Exclaimed the whole Shohoku Basketball club as they gathered around the court, discussing some matters in regards to their club and activities.
"I've heard from an acquaintance. She said she saw them by the seashore carrying out morning exercise drills." Ayako stated.
"Are you sure its the baldies she saw? It could be something else!" Hanamichi blurted out. "Theyre surely here to challenge this genius for a rematch (nods)! They're pretty quick huh, catching up here the moment I came back from the rehab... NYAHAHAHAHAHA! Good timing... yes yes... (snickers)"
"As if..." The inexpressive Rukawa from behind suspired sarcasm along with everyone's 'here we go again' eye-roll as a response to Hanamichi's unimaginable crackbrained antics.
"Got a problem, sleepyhead?!" He ran to Rukawa seizing the sleepy-eyed ace at his collar.
"You're the one having problems. Seriously in the head..."
"NANNIIIII!?"
"ENOOOOUGHHHH!" They cupped their mouths after getting them hit with a hard slap by that of Ayako's trusty giant paper fan that she keeps in god-knows-where.
"Morons..." Akagi grunted before proceeding back to the topic. "Who cares about them hanging around the town? Whatever their purpose is, it has got nothing to do about us. We should focus instead on the Winter Invitationals. We have all the Top Team's eyes on us after our victory over Sannoh. We need to prove ourselves worthy of such glory."
"Said by someone who filed for a retirement a month ago..." Mitsui reacted scornfully, smirking. "Well said..."
"Watch your mouth you~...!"
"Sannoh was actually here for a Training Camp..." Even before Akagi could counter Mitsui's sardonic affirmation, spoke Anzai-Sensei who have been sitting by the corner drinking some tea while watching his team of hot-headed bad boys' impish yet hilarious antics that he usually find amusement from.
"Apart from that were pre-arranged Practice Matches with the Top-4 Teams of the Top-4 Prefectures during the Interhigh, including the Teams that stood-out as well... and you all know what does that mean..."
"WHHHHHAAAAAATTT!" They all exclaimed in dread, knowing to themselves that just in case of a rematch, it would less likely be possible for them to defeat Sannoh once again.
"I knew it, I KNEW IT! NYAHAHAHAHA!" Hanamichi cocked his head with sheer confidence coming from his blissful ignorance of the matter. "SEEE! I TOOOLD Y~~"
"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" And once again, Ayako's almighty giant fan smacking Hanamichi on the head shutting him up. "Ayako-san, so mean..." Hanamichi whimpered.
"Did any of their seniors retire?" Kogure asked with anxiety.
"Sawakita..." Rukawa thought to himself.
"This actually has two sides of the story. The good and the bad..." Anzai-sensei continued in his usual calm and gentle manner. "Which would you like to hear first?"
"THE BAD!" Without hesitations they all responded eagerly in a loud unison.
"Alright..." Anzai-sensei paused to sip some tea. "None of them left the team. Not even Sawakita-kun."
"Holy crap..." Silence ensued, leaving them thinking back on how much of a death-match it have been a month ago. And now, a rematch, STILL with the seniors and their dreaded ace, Sawakita.
"He... didn't go to America?" Rukawa said under his breath.
"Ready to hear the good news?
They still remained quiet, still lost in their realm of thoughts, still thinking about how they fought to death against Sannoh, at the same time how Aiwa thrashed them out of the tournament.
"I'll take that as a yes." Anzai-sensei reassured. "Well, we aren't actually included to their list."
They all let out a loud 'PHEEEEWWW' as an expression of extreme relief... "Good grief!"
"Isn't that strange?" Miyagi disrupted, getting everyone's eyes on him. "We're the ones they needed to ask for a payback match on. Are they too scared to get shot down once again?"
"I don't think it's cowardice, Miyagi-kun." Anzai-sensei disagreed. "According to Taoka-Sensei of Ryonan, they recieved an invitation too, and that includes, Kainan and Shoyo as well, leaving the fourth slot vacant which was supposedly reserved for us..." He added.
"I myself wasn't properly informed about this matter however the situation seems to be more like, they're giving us time to get stronger too as well. Aiming to defeat us right in front of the whole nation during the Winter Invitationals, like how we dethroned them from their 10-year consecutive reign..."
END OF CHAPTER 2
