Chapter 2: One step forward, two steps back

Present time …

Hachiman Hikigaya

"Ok, there's a park about six blocks northeast of here." Hikigaya turned around and began to exit, ignoring Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.

"Hikki, what the heck? How do you two even know each other?" Yui cried out, as Aomine effortlessly left his seat and shouldered his bag along with a basketball.

"We met at a park." Was the only answer that she and Yukino received before the door closed. Rapidly retreating footsteps that indicated they were running were heard after.

"Wanna follow them?" Yui smiled at Yukino:

"Definitely!"

5 years ago…

Hachiman Hikigaya

He rewound the tape with a sigh, observing the nuances of the play. Chris Paul manipulated the defense using his gaze to throw off their positioning.

He was studying harder than he ever did for school. Daiki's skill had exploded, seeming to get better every time they saw each other. It was only a matter of time until he surpassed him and Hikigaya didn't want to be left behind.

Satsuki didn't hang out with him much and his social life at school was basically non-existent. The semi-pro team that he trained with viewed him as a brat with skill so Aomine was the only real friend that he had. And he would be damned if he let friendship slip through his fingers due to something as simple as lack of skill.

As long as he had new things to teach and stayed a little bit ahead. Aomine would keep wanting to see him. He dropped into a set of push-ups, the fear of loneliness pushing him forward.

~/~

Current time …

Yui Yuigahama

By the time she and Yukino reached the basketball courts, the so-named Daiki and Hikigaya had already begun to draw a small crowd.

Hikigaya raced forward and stopped suddenly, body seeming to go from sprinting full tilt to being planted firmly in an instant. Daiki decelerated a little bit slower giving Hikigaya enough room to sink a mid-range jumper.

Aomine picked up the ball and the half-court game reset. He rapidly cut, but Hikigaya was just as quick and managed to stay with him, not giving him room to fire off a shot, for the second he picked it up it would be swatted.

They both knew how the other player from years of observing. Hikigaya had fast, and more importantly accurate, hands; he could constantly go for steals while rarely getting into foul trouble. Hikigaya in turn knew that if Daiki got within six feet of the hoop it was over, he would launch into the air and score through you. Besides his 'formless shot' he could also adjust the path of his arm mid-dunk allowing him to move through well-placed blocks.

Though what the blue-haired boy chose to do next caught Hikigaya by surprise; he made to step forward. Making Hikigaya move back by a step as well, before launching backward and releasing a textbook fade-away. Hikigaya tried to block, extending one arm as far as he could, his fingertips missing the ball by a few centimeters.

It flew true and fell through the hole, giving Aomine one more point and bringing the score to. 12-11 in favor of Daiki.

They had spent their formative years playing street ball and so for one v. ones it was second nature to count by ones and twos.

They were about halfway to the end of the game. In Japa, in reference to the legendary superstar Michael Jordan, many streetballers played to 23 points. This was perpetuated by Lebron James taking up the number twenty years later.

Aomine played with an array of moves that Hikigaya hadn't seen him use yet; while Hikigaya stuck to the basics. Quick movements, crossovers, and a solid jump shot.

They gradually approached 23 points fighting for any advantage. As time passed the crowd surrounding them grew three people deep on all sides.

Eventually, Aomine stared him down and calculated his next move, no mistakes could be afforded because the score was 22-20 in Hikigaya's favor. If Hikigaya got the ball he would score and that would be that, he would still be worse than him. They were playing with if you score you keep the ball system of possession. Another challenge of streetball, the idea of letting your opponent keep their dignity wasn't widely accepted.

Humiliating ankle-breakers and ribald trash talk were the norms in urban courts. Aomine passed the ball to Hikigaya who passed it back, the cue for their battle to begin. Instead of his usual move of doing a double crossover as he headed towards the paint, instead, he instantly pulled up and started to shoot.

Hikigaya realized what was happening just a millisecond too late. Eyes widening as he raced forward and jumped, his hand raised high like the most overeager student the world had ever seen. Unfortunately, he was a moment too late and the shot cleared. Hikigaya grimaced as it swished.

"Damn, you got good at shooting. What the hell happened to the kid who avoided spotting up unless he was within fifteen feet?" He teased, as he retrieved the ball and tossed it to Aomine.

"He had a decent mentor." Aomine replied, eyes dancing. Both of them had sweat dripping down their brows and staining their school clothes but also had excited smirks.

Yukino heard murmurs of 'Zone' by other players who were observing. She was too curious about the match to pursue it right now but did file it away to enquire about it later.

Aomine tried to go for a fast layup but Hikigaya was there to smack the ball away the second he released it. This time Aomine ran after the ball and brought it back. Another part of the unspoken code is if it's your fault the ball's not on the court you have to go get it; in the eyes of streetball, it was your fault for getting blocked so you should get the ball. Just like it was your fault for getting scored on.

Hikigaya darted diagonally, taking Daiki with him each step of the way. Once the taller boy was at full speed he stopped, not completely as not even he could stop after running full tilt, however, a hesitation dribble and two steps were all that it took for him to be standing still. Aomine had to take another step to slow down lest he keel over, he jumped forward when Hikigaya brought his left hand up slightly like he was going to shoot.

However, Hikigaya never let his off-hand touch the ball and instead stepped around an Aomine who was still stuck in the air and raced forward. To his credit Daiki recovered quickly sprinting after Hikigaya and gaining on him slightly, that was the advantage of not running with the ball. He was only a step behind when Hikigaya picked up the ball with both hands, took one more step, and then let the ball roll off of his finger gently and float forward.

Aomine let his pace flag, as the ball flew true and sank through the hoop. "Goddamn, haaaah, I hate it when, haaaah, you do that." He complained while gasping to a similarly panting Hikigaya.

"Do you, aaaah, mean when I, aaaaah, outsmart you?" The fish-eyed boy mocked. Walking over to his backpack, he shouldered it and picked up his friend's by the handle. "Come on, I'm thirsty, I'll buy you a drink."

Aomine who was about to argue further swallowed his threat to put his foot so far up Hikigaya's ass that he could taste the rubber and followed along silently. Hikigaya pulled his blazer over his sweaty form, beginning to feel the chill of the winter air. Aomine followed his lead, slowing down as well giving Yukinoshita and Yuigahama time to catch up to and interrogate them.

"Well Hikigaya, care to explain what that was?" Yukinoshita cocked an eyebrow.

Hikigaya laughed, behaving more carefree than either Yuigahama or Yukinoshita had ever seen before. Somehow that hurt, it hurt a lot. He reached a hand outwards and ruffled Daiki's hair, which was an odd sight as he stood a hair's breadth over 5'10" (~178 cm) and Aomine stood closer to 6'4" than he did 6'3" (~193 cm). The blue hair boy grumbled and ducked out of the way of the hand.

"What that was, was me giving Daiki a remedial lesson in basketball." Hikigaya dodged the paw that Aomine lazily swiped at him, with as much effort as Daiki put into the attack.

"Etto, Hikki that doesn't really answer the question." Yuigahama laughed nervously, toying with a strand of her peach-colored hair.

"Hikigaya, what Yuigahama is inquiring about is how you know this deplorable lech." Yukinoshita added, meeting Aomine's angry glare with a frosty indifference.

"Oi, Hikigaya, aren't you going to stand up for me or something?" He protested.

"I dunno, you are kind of a pervert." Hikigaya winced the second that he said it, already knowing what Yukinoshita's follow-up to that statement was going to be.

"Ara, Hikigaya, to so shamelessly admit that your friend is a pervert. I can see that you have no shame, then again scum like yourself needn't have any to survive." She slyly smiled, the way gamers do when they pull off a particularly complex combo on an unsuspecting opponent.

That was at least, until Aomine got in her space, his posture aggressive. "You watch your fucking mouth. Hikigaya has done more for people in a month than you probably ever have, you frosty bitch."

Her eyes thinned to slits, and she seemed to almost shake with anger. Before things could get ugly, and she could bust out some Judo on Aomine, I stepped forward and flicked them both on the forehead.

"No fighting. I'm too thirsty to deal with this right now. There's a convenience store only a block away. I marched forward, intent on distracting them. Hopefully enough to stall the verbal (and possibly physical) beatdown. I did take some comfort in the fact that despite his demeanor Aomine never had hit a girl and had always made an effort to play less rough with Momoi.

"I suppose I shall show mercy for now." Yukinoshita backed off.

Aomine didn't rise to the taunt and I gave him a nod of respect for his restraint. I beckoned him next to me. "Tell me when you picked up that fade-away."

Side by side we walked forward, smiling together.

(A/N): for the reviewer who was discussing Hikigaya's playstyle and what it was based on. I would say my main inspirations for his game are Steph Curry, Kyle Lowry, Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, and Chris Paul. While the stats he may put up are similar to Russel Westbrick, he doesn't rely so much on athleticism. He can dunk but that isn't his primary scoring method. My view of Hikigaya is a highly technical player with a very solid game because he doesn't rely on athleticism.

I also want to emphasize his basketball IQ, in many ways being injured and confined to just shooting and jogging for a year, defined his playstyle. He spent much more time studying the game and it cranked an already ridiculous level of game sense up to 11.

My take on the zone will be similar to the Psychological concept of flow. "When you face the right amount of challenge and become almost completely concentrated on the task at hand."

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