-Tokyo, Japan-

-March 13, 2013, 1245h local-

"Shibuya-san! Mooo! Why aren't you talking to me?" Momoi exclaimed.

The pair have been walking for the past ten minutes and with no conversation happening. For an extrovert like Momoi, there's no worse social situation to be in, and it didn't take her long to break the silence.

Kenshi just stared at Momoi with a blank look before scratching his cheek with a meek face.

"Uhmm... Yeah." was Kenshi's stupid reply.

Momoi's posture drooped. It looks like her self appointed impromptu information gathering mission would be more challenging than she thought. To be fair, her usual form of information gathering is more focused on statistical data gathering and prediction, not dissimilar to Sabermetrics used in Baseball.

"I can't believe you're quieter than Tetsu-kun." Momoi commented.

"Kuroko-san seems like a great, so I'll take that as a compliment." Kenshi replied with a nod.

Momoi puffed her cheeks when she didn't get the reaction she wanted. She really doesn't want to think about it but talking to Kenshi is like talking to a brick wall. This is a foreign feeling for her since her outgoing personality tends to make people talk to her.

Seeing that she wouldn't get anything more with the rate she's going, Momoi decided to do something drastic. She pulled Kenshi to the side and used her puppy dog eyes to full effect.

"Shibuya-san?" Momoi called out while pouting her lips a little bit, maximizing her cuteness.

Kenshi stared at Momoi closely and approached her slowly until their faces are only a few inches away from each other. He started examining every inch of her face.

Momoi's face started heating up. Contrary to whatever rumor her schoolmates tried to spread, she's not in a relationship with any of the members of the Generation of Miracles. Sure, all of them are objectively attractive, but there was never a romantic angle to it. The best way she could describe her relationship with the other members of the team is a sibling relationship. She would even go as far as saying that they are overprotective brothers that scare away any prospective boyfriends. So, it's more than fair to say that this is another novel experience for her. However, that feeling of experiencing something new would crash and burn not a moment later.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom or something?" Kenshi asked, completely serious. Barely a second after he finished his statement, he felt something striking his abdomen. He dropped to his knees and folded like a faulty lawn chair. He looked up to an enraged Momoi. "Why?"

"If you can't figure it out then it's no point in telling you..." Momoi replied with an icy glare. She crouched down and pulled Kenshi by his elbow. "Due to your apparent lack of common sense, you're going to pay for lunch, and you're going to answer my questions." She added before looping her arms around his arm and started walking.

"Jeez. I would have answered even without getting violent, you know..." Kenshi answered while still rubbing his stomach. That seemed to be the right reply since Momoi's mood made a full 180. "Besides, I want to know some stuff about my new school."

"Ok. Let me start with a simple one, from where in the states did you transfer from?"

"Los Angeles, California... My turn, does Teiko have a gaming or robotics club?"

"We have both of those clubs though the gaming club has a wide variety of activities. From computer gaming to board games to arcade games. They're a pretty mishmash group, from what I heard..." Momoi answered before looking at Kenshi with a questioning look. "Why did you ask? Aren't you going to join the basketball club?"

"And risk the chance of joining the 'Generation of Miracles'..." Kenshi said the last part with a sneer surprising Momoi. "No way. I'm good at playing in the park from time to time."

"Why? You are an outstanding basketball player. It would be a waste if you didn't join the basketball team and cultivate your talent."

"Let's place a pin on that for a moment. We're here, and I'm hungry..." Kenshi replied with a smile. He opened the door for the fast-food restaurant and let Momoi in first. The pair approached the automated ordering machine. "What do you want, Satsuki-san?"

Although Momoi would want to continue with their previous conversation, but nobody would say no to a free meal.

"A cheeseburger, large fries, regular diet coke..." Momoi answered without any embarrassment. "And an Oreo Mcflurry."

Kenshi looked at Momoi weirdly before releasing a sigh. He can't believe that he has been roped in to treat someone he barely knows, but he's already in too deep.

Momoi's eyes went wide when she saw what Kenshin ordered. Besides from what she asked for, Kenshi ordered three Big Macs, one family-sized fries, and a large coke.

"Can you finish all of that?" Momoi asked incredulously.

"Yeah. It should be enough since I still have the rice balls from the convenience store..." Kenshi answered before paying for the orders. "You can look for a table. I'll wait for the food..." Momoi nodded before skipping to the 2nd floor. "She's too energetic." He said to himself while watching her skip away.

Momoi just reached the second floor when she heard two voices calling her name.

""Sacchan!""

Momoi turned towards the voice and saw her girl friends, Miki Arai and Atsuko Kikuchi.

"Micchan! Acchan!" Momoi exclaimed while running towards her friends.

Miki and Atsuko stood up from their table and met Momoi halfway for a three-way hug. The commotion had garnered some attention from the other customers, but the group just ignored it. After a minute of hugging, Miki and Atsuko pulled Momoi to their table.

"I never expected to see you here, Sacchan." Miki said.

"Yeah, I thought you hate fast food?" Atsuko added.

"It's a long story, but a friend decided to treat me." Momoi answered while purposely being vague.

The duo would have probed more if they didn't notice an attractive tall, grey-haired guy carrying a food tray standing in front of their table.

"Uhhh... I'll set up on the table over there. Should I leave your food here?" Kenshi awkwardly asks. He really sucks at meeting new people.

The duo mechanically turned their head towards Momoi before their expressions suddenly brightened.

"Is he your boyfriend?""Who is he?""'Where did you meet him?"" Why did you keep him a secret from us, Sacchan?" The duo asked in rapid succession, overwhelming both Momoi and Kenshi.

"I'll just sit over there..." Kenshi told Momoi while pacing her order in front of her. "Nice meeting you." He added before slowly walking away without turning around.

However, Kenshi's effort to avoid social interactions was once again stopped by Momoi.

"Don't worry about it. There's a vacant seat beside me..." Momoi replied. She saw that Kenshi would say no to the offer, so she gently tugged on his arm. "Come on. They might become your classmate too."

Kenshi shrugged and placed the food tray in front of the empty chair. Miki and Atsuko's eyes widened when they saw the amount of food he ordered. He dropped his bag under the table and sat down beside Momoi, in front of Miki.

"To answer your questions. He's not my boyfriend. His name is Shibuya Kenshi. I met him just this morning since he's with Ki-chan, so I didn't keep him a secret." Momoi answered her friends' questions before nudging Kenshi.

"I'm Shibuya Kenshi. You can call me Ken or Kenshi. A transfer student to Teiko Middle School the coming school year. Please take care of me." Kenshi introduced himself while bowing a little.

"Oooh. A transfer student. How did you meet Ki-chan?" Atsuko asked, genuinely curious.

Kenshi opened up one of his burgers and took one bite before answering.

"Can't find a basketball court. Saw Kise-kun reading a sport's magazine, so I asked him. One thing led to another them I was playing with Kuroko-kun and Aomine-kun..." Kenshi answered. "Oh, and Satsuki-san was with them. Now, she's either pumping me for information or convincing me to change the Basketball club. Maybe both." He added before eating again.

Kenshi's statement surprised Momoi since she taught she was subtle about it.

"Eh, why is that Sacchan? Is he any good?" Miki asked.

"Yeah..." Momoi replied after she composed herself. "He's at least as good as Ki-chan..." She continued. "That's why I don't understand why he doesn't want to join the team."

Kenshi ignored the conversation in front of him and kept on eating his meal, but he could feel their stares burrowing onto him, urging him to answer. So he put down his burger and released a sigh.

"Assuming that every member of the team is at least on the same level as both Aomine-kun and Kise-kun, from what I can saw in the two short games earlier, they are talented ballers. One in a million young talent..." Kenshi said before taking a sip of his coke. "However, they're not good players."

"Wait. I'm confused. Isn't that the same thing?" Momoi asked.

"Not necessarily. You may be great at putting the ball in the basket, but it doesn't mean you're a great player. Just look at Jimmer Fredette..." Kenshi answered. "You can also flip the narrative around. You can be a shitty baller but a great player, just like Dennis Rodman..." He added. "Of course, I can be wrong since I only saw three members played and only for a short time. How many are in the 'Generation of Miracles' anyway?"

"Six."

"Can you give me a summary of their skills, or would that be too much?"

"It's no problem. You'll be able to see their games with a quick youtube search..." Momoi replied. "There are six members in the team, and the starting five are perfectly suited for their roles. Let's start with the guys you already know..." Kenshi looks to be only half-listening to Momoi's explanation since he's eating, but he's actually making a detailed mental record. "Ki-chan is the small forward. Aside from Kuroko, he's the least skilled member, but don't let that fool you. He can copy any moves he only saw once. That's why he jumped from sport to sport."

"He's also the most popular guy in the school. He also sidelines as a model." Atsuko supplemented.

"You know what..." Miki interjected while staring at Kenshi intently. "We can make you more popular than him with a little makeover and playing with the mysterious transfer student angle."

"Please don't. I just want a quiet school life..." Kenshi countered after he swallowed. "Please continue, Satsuki-san."

"Dai-chan is the power forward. Highly athletic and unorthodox player. He mainly uses streetball moves. He's also my childhood friend. So I can confidently say that contrary to his gangster looks, Dai-chan is a good guy..." Momoi explained, but it looks like Kenshi ignored the last part. "Tetsu-kun is a passing specialist with no other relevant skills. However, his ability to disappear and wreak havoc with the opposing team while bolstering his team. Though, I didn't see you having trouble with Tetsu-kun's invisibility."

"What can I say? I'm an observant guy." Kenshi said with a shrug.

"Mu-kun..."" What's his full name?""Sorry. It's Murasakibara Atsushi. He's our center. He's strong and fast. Faster than what a 6'3" person should be. Mu-kun is a traditional center with an overwhelming defense. Then there's Midorima Shintaro or Midorin..." Momoi took a sip of her diet coke before continuing. "He's a three and D shooting guard. He's the second tallest member of the team, and it helps with his top-notch defense. But what makes him really special is that he never misses a three-point shot."

"Never?" Kenshi asked incredulously.

"Nope. He never missed a three-point shot in the past two years."

"Wow. He's a scary guy..." Kenshi commented. "How about the last guy?"

"The point guard and captain of the Teiko Basketball Club, Seijuro Akashi. Akashi-kun..." Kenshj noticed the lack of Momoi's usual flare when talking about Akashi. "He's a prototypical point guard with a high basketball IQ. He's the one that discovered Tetsu-kun's ability. He can somehow ankle break his guard on will."

Kenshi absorbed information and created a temporary representation of the unknown Teiko players. Even if he's more likely not to join the basketball club anymore, he still wants to play against them.

"Maybe five players and two months of practice could do it." Kenshi absent-mindedly mused to himself.

"Shibuya-kun. What are you talking about?" Momoi can't help but ask.

"Oh. It's how many members from the second string I would need to bring down the GoM..." Kenshi said a bold claim, surprising everyone on the table. "Anyway, thank you for the info. I need to buy some groceries. Sorry if I can't walk you back..." He stood up from his seat and faced Atsuko and Miki before doing a small bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Kenshi picked up his bag and walked home. He decided to reconsider his plan to play again. He wants to look into the 'Generation of Miracles' before the school year starts.

Momoi had no other recourse but stared at Kenshi as he was walking away with an annoyed look. It feels like she has just been duped since she has just been pumped for information instead of the other way around.

"What's the problem, Sacchan?" Miki asked when she saw her annoyed expression.

"It's nothing, Mi-chan. I just didn't notice that he finished his meal. I didn't have the chance to know what school he was in back in the states." Momoi answered with a downcast expression.

"Don't worry about it, Sacchan. We can still see him when school starts." Atsuko replied.

"Yeah, but I want to know how good he is before club recruitment day..." Momoi said. "Nothing we could do about it now..." She added. "I still need to go back to the court. Want to come with me?"

"Of couse. Ryouma-kun is there!"