Like the naked leads the blind
I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind
Sucker love I always find
Someone to bruise and leave behind
All alone in space and time
...
Day of a face off with Seirin finally came and Hanamiya was reluctantly putting her clothes on. For the last few days she was 'sick', too afraid to face Akashi. 'Actually, I wasn't afraid, I was just tired. JUST TIRED.'
Momoi called her few times, Aomine twice but it was no use, Hanamiya just didn't know what to do with Akashi. Genius as he was, not even he could think of something rational to do. What can you do when you're biggest enemy is also your...well, what? He yelled: nothing, he screamed, he fought...but every time Akashi as much as touched her, her heart would go into overdrive. He lied to himself that it was just because it was her mortal enemy and it was natural but even Hanamiya knew...it was just Akashi who ever made her feel like that.
Luckily, Akashi hadn't called.
Sitting in crowed bus, Makka eagerly waited for Kuroko and Momoi to join her, and time ticked slowly. Only an hour and the match will start. She wondered how will her Kirisaki Daiichi do in their match. If they win, and it's almost certain that Teiko will win, their face off will be unavoidable. 'I want it to happen, I don't want to avoid anything.'
...
"Everyone let us do this quick and effective. We shall observe for a bit and then hit with full force. Daiki, Ryota you will lead our attack. Atsushi, you can stay under the basket, don't let them score." Akashi was talking quickly, giving instructions to his team. Hanamiya was standing aside with Momoi and listening.
"Let us all cheer today for newly risen force, Seirin!" announcer yelled in microphone, making the crowd go wild. He went on blabbering various things about Seirin, until Hanamiya saw them coming out. She remembered few of them, including Kiyoshi who, on her shock, was back here...'Wasn't he...I mean...the way we injured him, he shouldn't be able to play...'
"Now, let us all welcome and cheer for our undefeated champions. School that won most championships since their founding, who had excellent players but never quite like these ones. Let us give one big hello to Teiko's Kiseki no Sedai." and the crowd went mad, no one ever had as much fangirls as Teiko's Kiseki no sedai had.
Hanamiya sat next to Momoi while boys took off their jackets and stretched. She observed Kiyoshi, who wasn't supposed to get back after what she had done to him. Thinking now, Hanamiya could only remember fragments of it, like his old self was fading day after day. She couldn't remember how exactly she looked when she was a guy. Well she could, but those little details, like her smile, smirk somehow...faded.
Warm up started and whole court was filled with basketball tapping noises. Suddenly ball rolled next to Hanamiya's feet, well next to Momoi's feet to be precise but Momoi was far to busy looking at stats to notice it.
"Sorry, it slipped." Hanamiya looked up to see face of a boy who lost it. 'Ahhh damn it, Kiyoshi...' Warm brown eyes smiled along with the face, he was all well, like no injury ever happened to him.
"Thanks." he added after frozen Hanamiya handed him the ball. "You look kinda familiar, have I seen you somewhere?" he shrugged, staring at her. Makka laughed nervously 'if Kiyoshi recognizes her, well him...there will be trouble.'
"Uhm...I can't remember, I suppose no?" she asked looking where Akashi was. He was staring at the court, deeply in thoughts.
"Ah, alright. I apologize again."
'That was close.' Hanamiya thought.
...
"Teiko has the ball and they're going for the first score of the game. It's Aomine, the ace." Commentator screamed in the microphone as the match started. Aomine, of course couldn't be stopped and Teiko was quickly in the lead.
But Kise's playing was way off, like he played in this match only because he had to, not because he enjoyed like he enjoyed every other time. Maybe it was what had happened recently, well it was definitely what had happened recently.
"Is Kise-kun alright?" Makka looked at Momoi who was following the game intently. She shook his head "He seems, depressed, dunno why." she remarked.
"Seirin has the ball, and they're going for their first offense."
Hanamiya checked his phone, soon match between Kirisaki Daiichi and their opponent will start, too. There will be less spectators than here, probably, since this is Teiko and all. Biggest starts of Japanese high school basketball.
Time was ticking slowly and it was clear that if Teiko wants to win this gloriously they need to pull something instead of just playing 'normally'. Kise missed few shots and got scolded by Midorima who was more nervous than usually because Oha-asa predicted bad day for cancers. It was like today wasn't Teiko's day. Well, it won't be like that if Akashi had anything to say about the matter. He didn't call time out, but waited patiently until the end of first quarter.
Score 28:24 for Teiko but it was slight and barely noticeable advantage.
"Ryota, exchange with Tetsuya, you're out." he simply said after the first quarter. Kise nodded, realizing he really didn't play like he usually does, sitting down next to Makka and Momoi. "It will be harder than I thought, but we'll win this according to my game plan. Atsushi, by any means stay in defense, I can solely lead game in the offense."
"Aomine, don't let Kagami Taiga defeats you." Akashi warned turning towards his ace, who, as always, slept during these breaks. Aomine would never listen, Aomine couldn't care less. There was no one who could defeat him (except himself), and Kagami Taiga wasn't an exception.
"Winning is everything." Captain recited their motto once again before the referee blew the whistle.
"What's wrong?" Momoi asked Kise who sat down with towel over his head. "Momoicchi I'm not sure, I just can't focus." he sighed frustrated. 'I can't stop thinking about Makka-chan...I hurted her, I didn't want to, but I hurted her...and the worst, I really love her still.' Kise wanted to say those words, but he knew he couldn't. Makka would hear him and Momoi would tell that to Aominecchi and Aominecchi would...Aominecchi would laugh at him, and wouldn't understand that him, Kise Ryota, who swept girls of their feet, feels honestly in love this time. The worst was that ever since that, he couldn't focus properly. This morning when he saw Makka laughing with Aominecchi he just thought, how happy they are and how she will be Aominecchi's...
"God damnit Kise, are you alright, you're hurting yourself!" Momoi yelled kneeling in front of him and slapping his arms from his head. Kise barely noticed he was pressing his face so hard, he was becoming all red. "You will break something and how will you model then?" she asked.
He looked at her, apologizing. He wasn't helpful for the team like this. "Kise-kun, please get a hold of yourself. Teiko and Akashi need you." Makka suggested but she wasn't sure was she glad that this happened or did she really feel pity for kind copycat.
"Another point for Teiko, they seem unstoppable as always." announcer yelled bringing trio's attention back to court. It was Akashi's basket, right before the end of 2nd quarter.
"41:34, Teiko still leads."
Poor Kise...*BEATS HANAMIYA AND AKASHI WITH A HAMMER*
At first I wanted Kiyoshi to recognize Hanamiya( and give him bigger role because I LOVE Kiyoshi) but I realized I'm still not ready to write an awkward situation like that one. :3
Whatyathink?
