Miaka stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the familiar brunette standing near Seirin's entrance. That brunette noticed her and walked to her. She stepped back, annoyed and irritated.
"What are you doing here, Kurosawa?!" she asked angrily.
"I just came here and I was greeted fiercely? How impolite can you get"
"Look, Kurosawa, I don't have time to deal with your crazy antics. If you've to say anything please state it out already"
"I came to talk about some trivial matters. Please come with me," as soon as he said that he quickly walked away. This brunette was Kurosawa Yuuji, the coach of the Boy's Basketball team back at Taiyou. Miaka and Kurosawa weren't in good terms back then. Even if they were both coordinating for both the girls and boys basketball team of Taiyou. This guy can be considered as a genius since he was able to hold a team while he was only at his first year much like Aida Riko. This guy is also the person who managed to ask Azami to participate as a substitute player.
The two sat on a lone bench in the nearby park. "Get to the point already, you're wasting my time," Miaka said, irritated by the brunette's way of shrouding her in the dark.
"I saw Miyaji again the other day... it's been two years since I had last seen her," he started, staring at the empty space blankly.
She narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about? She was a student at Taiyou, it's impossible for you to miss her out on that past two years"
He smiled at the scenery before him, "You were in the hospital last year and you were kidnapped on the other. How can you be sure that two years ago, Miyaji was still visible?"
A look of surprise marks her face. "W-What did you say?"
"Whoah, Azami-chan, are you really human?" Takao asked, looking exaggeratingly amazed.
"What's wrong of getting a 100 on a test?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I only got 75, that's not fair," he complained, "You're not even studying, because you're busy with your Manager duties"
"Hmm... I'm a natural genius, you see" I said leaning back and smirking to myself. He was about to say something but I stopped him. "I was kidding so don't say anything ridiculous..." I sighed, "Actually, I've been studying some High School material back at Mid School ever since Nii-san got in Shutoku"
"Wah? Seriously?"
"Takao! Stop chatting with Azami and get your ass back here and practice!" Nii-san shouted. "Coming!" Takao yelled back and winked at me before finally going back to the court. I smiled, Nii-san would never let anyone slack off in practice since he had worked harder to be a regular.
I stretched and walked to the bench, getting the stock of towels and bottles there to be handed out to the players.
"You got 100 in today's test, right?" Midorima asked as soon as I gave him his bottle.
"Why? Are you going to complain to me like Takao?"
"No, because it's not like you're the only one who got a 100 in the exam"
"You're just self-centered, aren't you?"
"I'm not saying anything that is unproved"
"Shin-chan's not good at being honest though," Takao butts in, immediately putting an arm around me.
"Shut up, Takao" Midorima showed irritation while looking at Takao.
"I agree, he's such a horrible hypocrite," I teased.
"Don't join in!" Midorima glared at me but I only shrugged it off and gave Takao a high five.
"What the hell, Kurosawa?!" out of frustration, Miaka pulled the brunette up by his collar. "Why're you making it hard for everybody?"
Kurosawa puts her hands away, "I'm not making it hard for anybody," he glared at her and sighed, "You can warn her or not, not like she'd believe you"
"Kuro— Hey, get back here!"
The brunette just waved at her and continued to walked away. Miaka gritted her teeth and grabbed her phone, only to froze and look blankly at it. In the end, she didn't have the strength to do it.
Kamenori High, 3:52 pm
Takeuchi, the team captain of Kamenori's basketball team bobbed his head to the other side. His placid eyes searched for the team's shooting guard. "Oi, Ren. Is Yuuji around?"
"Ah? that brat, he visited an old friend," Ren, who was the team's center replied before continuing his laps.
"Shall I call him, Take-kun?" Kazuo, the team's easy going point guard asked the captain while smiling like a dork. He even waved his phone at the Captain.
"No need," another voice said, it comes from Arashi, the team's small forward. He came in with Kurosawa.
"Sorry for being late, Captain" Kurosawa apologized politely.
Takeuchi didn't reply, instead he passed him a ball which he caught in time. "As a senior, I hate depending on a sophomore and getting used for a ploy but since you'll pay the price so be it"
Kurosawa simply nodded and dribbled the ball before silently shooting it. "Honestly, why would you go that far just because of a girl who suddenly resurfaced?" Ren asked curiously.
"Ren's right, you'll lose as in everything you know," Arashi said, "And knowing a man like you, you would never do anything this reckless. You've worked harder just so you can play with us even if you're not fit to do that"
"I'll miss you in the court, Yu-kun," Kazuo said emphatically.
The brunette simply smiled at them, "I apologize for not being clear to my intentions so far. Truth to be told, I don't want to do this and I still have second thoughts until now. But the Captain is right, I shouldn't ask for this big a favour if I won't pay for it. Besides, I'm doing this for that woman..."
"Was she that important?" Takeuchi asked, intrigued by the shooting guard's words.
"I think so..."
I stole some of Midorima's French fries while he was arguing with Takao. They've been on it for thirty minutes already.
"Hey, Shin-chan, Azami-chan stole some of your fries," Takao reported. Midorima turned to me, annoyed. "Why did you pull me out here, anyway?"
"You're slow, Shin-chan. Azami-chan's taking you into consideration"
"Really?" I asked raising an eyebrow at Takao's remark. "I took you both out because I have no one to ask not that I have ulterior motives. Besides, I want to take a break after the long manager duty today~"
Takao only shook his head and looked at me, amused. Midorima's reaction was different because he glared at me.
"Are you kidding me? You were sleeping the whole practice!"
I only smiled at him, "Oh, come on... I was doing my job properly, I woke up and handed the bottles and towels on the right time. I even asked Nii-san to give the others a super hellish training"
"You're horrible"
"Thank you," I dipped the fries on the ketchup and looked up to them. "Aren't you happy that I treated you for the second time around, Midorima?"
"I'm not because I don't need a woman to pay for my needs"
I stared at him, amused. "Oh, I see... then pay me later, how does that sound?"
"Sure"
Takao laughed, "What are you doing Midorima? Don't reject God's grace upon you!"
"You'll pay also, Takao"
"Huh? But I'm broke!"
"Look at Midorima, he was an epitome of 'gentlemanness' earlier, why don't you follow suit?"
Midorima ignored our conversation and just paid attention to what he's eating. "Hey, dude~ please pay for me, 'kay?" Takao pleaded but Midorima shrugged him off.
"Pay for it yourself"
"But I'm seriously broke,man"
"I don't care"
I shook my head and smiled, if this goes on, I'll surely be rich in no time.
"We've a practice game against Kamenori High School tomorrow," Coach Nakatani announced.
"Kamenori? I haven't heard that name before, does that school exist?" I asked while pushing the cart to the middle of the court.
"Yes it is, they made it to the Nationals last year but because they lost to Seishinkan their title was quickly snatched away," Otsubo-senpai explained.
"Why are they challenging us for a practice game then?" Nii-san asked, intrigued by the said school.
"I don't know, but we're going to take these challenge regardless of anything," Coach Nakatani said in confirmation. The team then proceeded to practice while the Coach gave me a background of the school we're competing against.
I read it from top to bottom and a particular name caught my eye. Kurosawa Yuuji? Did I hear this name before?
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this~!
Soorry for the upcoming slow updates because I really have to review for exams after this I'll surely update fast.
I hope you appreciate my efforts in this and I would really love a review so I'll push through this") Thanks a lot again
quote for the next chapter: Don't worry I'll make you remember...