Although their special practice had finished fifteen minutes ago, her palms were still bright red because of the hellish training her captain had thought of, just for her return. This morning, Ritsu had informed her coach of her recovery, not without feeling anxious as he would inevitably relay this to her captain who had longed for this day, ever since she had given her the slip concerning the mixer.
And true to her words, Hibari was not joking when she said she had prepared a very special welcome. She went through Hell. During this practice session alone she had handled the ball more often than the whole time she had been part of the volleyball club, all the while complying to her captain every whim without taking a break.
"Aaah!" Hibari exhaled as she stretched her back, walking down the street carefree. "I feel so good right now!"
Ritsu felt the opposite; she was completely spent due to Hibari continuously throwing balls all over the place for her to receive. As she had to run across the court to get them, in the end, it left her on her knees most of the time while her captain urged her to stand up and keep running.
She fell, she got up, then fell again, continuing this endless circle on and on...past practice hours, inevitably. Time had slipped by without the two girls even noticing. Meanwhile, the other members had already gone home, leaving them in their own little world, without much concern for the two of them.
"You didn't go easy on me, Hibari-senpai..."
"Guess why I am happy!" She grinned, showing all her teeth and very satisfied with her day. "But you did well, Asaka. Good job! I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"Like I have a choice. Knowing you, if I had complained, you would have asked Hoshino-senpai to join in. And well, truth to be told, I prefer to deal with you alone than having both of you on my back..." Ritsu replied in a half-hearted tone, suddenly getting tired just from imagining the situation in which she would have had to receive Hibari's random sets and Hoshino's explosive spikes alternatively. It would have been worse, a lot worse.
After she had been under Hoshino's guidance for a week, and still was during her idle hours, she was already aware to not underestimate the raven-haired girl's raw power. Truthfully, she had trouble going against her during the trial period and maybe Hibari would have been a better guide for her, as she aspired to be a setter, and not a spiker like Hoshino.
On that note, she didn't even know why the choice fell on the raven-haired girl since some of the other senior members of the team would have been more suitable to her aspiration or at least closer to her in terms of character, like the vice-captain for instance.
During the first day, when all the freshmen were to introduce themselves and define the position they aimed for, she clearly said she wished to play the setter position if she were to join the team. Even so, the coach and Hibari thought it wise to stick her with Hoshino.
Not that it actually held very much importance to her at this point, since she still managed to get into the team. So, to stop overthinking, she concluded that perhaps it was due to Hoshino's player experience, as Hibari and her were the only third-year regulars in the team, substitutes aside. So in comparison the vice-captain and the rest of the girls in their second year were probably not suited to be her mentor, in term of experience solely.
"Eeh...You do know where the danger is! I'm so proud of you." Wiping a fake tear, she laughed and nudged her shoulder. "Well, at least the coach and I saw what we needed. Your footwork and your stamina have improved quite well. Your movements are quicker and more explosive, and you keep running a bit longer than before. You make some good progress, Asaka. It's not even comparable to your first official match."
"Can we not talk about it? You literally threw me onto the court without prior notice, and on top of it, during a crucial moment...!" Ritsu retorted back, the memory still freshly engraved in her mind.
Her first official match as a spiker was during the second round of the prefectural tournament in May. Needless to say, it brought back some sort of bad memory, as she had had trouble finding her mark right in the middle of a fast-paced game. It had been a few notches higher and faster than everything she had learned and experienced so far in volleyball.
Stress certainly had played some part in that awkward debut, but surely didn't constitute the main one. In elementary school, she had already taken part in volleyball competitions. However, she had to recognize that the level was much lower compared to what she experienced during that tournament.
Evidently, she thought now, and had realized how naive she had been to think the level gap between elementary and junior high volleyball was insignificant.
Even now, she still felt pretty embarrassed about this naivety.
"What, you're not supposed to warm the bench, as far as I know." Hibari darted two fingers straight at her forehead and hit it bluntly.
Ritsu winced in pain, covering the spot with her hand. "Y-Yes, but you could have chosen a better moment to do that...I don't think that sending a freshman in critical moments was really a good call. Because of that, we only won by a hair."
"What's the big deal? We still won." Her captain brushed it off, like she was past the point of meditating about it since everything turned out well.
"That's something Hoshino-senpai would say."
"Because that's what you should remember instead of calling my judgement into question. Besides, did I ever make a wrong decision until now?"
"No. Or else the coach would have intervened." Ritsu replied instantly.
Which was somewhat surprising considering the risky situations she often put the team in, like everything she did turned into a bet for her. Ever since she joined the volleyball club, her first impression on Hibari was that of an impetuous girl, but her achievements and the decisions she made told her otherwise.
Last year, she managed to lead the Teikō volleyball team in the round of sixteen of the interschool annual competition, as a vice-captain first before being given the captaincy right before the regional championship. Her baptism of fire started with success and the rest remained as a life experience, painful and realistic of her capacity – when she had been powerless to bring her team to the top. Still, in spite of her failure, she still made it past the point that none of the previous volleyball teams at Teikō had been able to go. That thought was sufficient enough for her to shoulder the captaincy and go through with it till the end, no matter the decisions she were to make.
That was what she recalled from an old conversation with Hoshino.
"Pretty smart, aren't you?" Ritsu tittered at the remark, unable to come up with a more decent reaction. "However, in your case, it was still the best way to familiarize you with our team's style and pace."
"Yagami got to play as a starter for her first official match."
"Jealous?" Hibari queried deliberately, jerking her head to the side. A mischievous grin crept onto her lips.
"Not at all. I'm just saying that Yagami had had a better treatment than I did."
Her captain's pace slowed down a bit.
"Not even a little bit, huh?" Her pitch went lower, consideration bleeding into her statement. "You think too lightly about some aspects of sports in general, Asaka."
"What do you mean?" She asked, convinced of the contrary, as she didn't have the impression of lacking something to do sports or having a wrong view of it. True, sometimes she sounded quite naive, with the buddy-buddy image of a team pretty much accentuated by her love for volleyball and this notable interest for team play she usually displayed in games. Nevertheless, she did know what it meant to do sports: Play, be it fun or competition. She had to play. In accordance to the situation, to her teammates and whatever the outcome it turned out to be.
Hence the reason she couldn't fathom why Hibari had this strange impression of her.
The girl breathed a sigh and scratched the back of her head, thinking of an easy way to explain things to her oblivious kōhai. "To make it quick, even if you do understand and feel things very fast when explained, it doesn't mean you actually see them as they are in reality."
Ritsu casted at her a questioning look, not really understanding what she meant. Wasn't it a bit obvious to understand the gist of something without necessarily being able to visualize it concretely?
"Meaning that the most efficient and the quickest way to make you learn is to confront you with reality instead of long explanations." Hibari added, noting the fleeting perplexity across the ash-blond girl's expression. "You have a good ability to adapt, Asaka. During your very first game, even if you did mess up at the beginning, you did rather well at the end. When you followed Hoshino's pace."
It was as Hibari said. At that moment, without Hoshino on the court, she would have barely managed. Her physical aptitudes had nothing to do with those blunders made in that game, she played like she was supposed to, maybe not as perfectly and smoothly as she would have hoped for her first official game, but still.
Yet, its fast pace was a rather abrupt change in what she was generally familiar with, and consequently confused her to a certain extent. It had been a matter of mentality. Even though she was playing, she wasn't of great help in that critical moment until Hoshino set the record straight, asking whether she wanted to remain or be kicked out of the court. Her answer had been their victory, with her remaining on the court till the end by mainly coordinating her movements with Hoshino's.
"The coach and I sure made the right choice in putting you with Wakana. You both have points in common."
"Really...? I think our characters are quite different." Ritsu said sheepishly, not really agreeing with the wavy brown-haired girl's opinion. "Besides, I'm more used to a supporting than an offensive role."
"Oh, that's right. The first day, you did say you wanted to play as a setter."
"So you remember." Obviously, as the volleyball team captain, she ought to know and remember at least the motivation of new recruits.
"Of course I do. The captain title isn't for show, idiot. Ah... ! Do I even need to tell you that? It goes without saying!" She exclaimed out of the blue, getting worked up over nothing in the middle of the street. Ritsu refrained from making any comments, meekly taking her distance from her senior to avoid painful flicks on the forehead.
Then, her captain sighed. "Anyway, are you still fixed on that idea?"
"Huh?" A bit surprised by the sudden question, only that sound came from her mouth. She goggled at her, awkwardly, and forgot to give her an appropriate answer.
"Don't look at me as if I've grown a second head."
"Oh." At the remark, Ritsu looked away. "...I am. I want to play as a setter. I prefer to assist rather than going on the offense."
Hibari studied her silently. "Does that mean you don't want to broaden your skills? Because I have other plans for you."
"What other plans?"
"Some where you won't be a setter."
That honest reply made her heart drop. "But..."
"Yagami is better suited for that role than you."
Now that she spoke of Yagami, she did recall that for her trial period, Hibari herself had been the one who watched over her, not Hoshino nor another member of the team. Those appointments weren't mere coincidences, though the coach would hardly let that happen. From the start, Hibari and the coach had already taken their potential into consideration and their future role in the team. In light of their respective trial periods, Yagami would likely evolve as a setter under Hibari's wing, and her as an outside hitter under Hoshino's light.
Then, what about her own aspiration of becoming a setter? What was she lacking or maybe possessed to play as a wing spiker, and not another role? Should she comply or raise an objection?
As the questions flew around inside her head, Ritsu felt disheartened. It was true that she truly desired to play this support role, but things never turned out as convenient as people imagined them. She knew it, hence why she couldn't be and go wholeheartedly against her captain's idea. Hibari made that choice mainly for the team's sake. However, knowing a bit of her character from observation, it didn't mean she would crush her aspiration for that sake either, most certainly.
"Can I ask why?"
"To speak the truth, you have good qualities to be a setter. Among all of the freshmen, Yagami and you revealed some interesting sport sense on practice games. Above average but not very high either, well, at the moment." Hibari ignored the quizzical look of the ash-blonde who tried to squeeze the reason out of her why she was to walk on a different path then if she showed promising results. "At this stage, it's still too early to tell how exactly you both are going to progress, anyway."
"But Yagami has aptitudes that I don't have to be a setter."
"And you have ones that she doesn't have to be a wing spiker. It works that way too. Simple, huh?"
A wide grin stretched on Hibari's lips.
"You two may be lacking of but not missing something."
She didn't grasp the meaning, for her it almost rung the same.
"There are things only Yagami can currently achieve while you can't. And vice-versa. That's why, even if you both aspire to the same position, you won't necessarily accomplish it the same way. You both have your own character. Clearly definite or not, I find it rather important to establish a good balance in the team."
Hibari spun round, a soft smile on her lips.
"On that account, Asaka, I want you to be more stubborn and reckless. For the team's sake, and the type of player you aspire to be, as well."
Ritsu was speechless. It was the first time someone asked of her this sort of request. Commonly, people were supposed to do the opposite.
"...Ah? What kind of player are you trying to turn me into?"
"Simply a worthy player of the Teikō volleyball team. Stubbornness is your pride and recklessness is your determination. I want to see you stand proud and determined on court."
Pride and determination. Ritsu smiled faintly. The vision of Hibari and Hoshino's straight backs appeared in her mind without prompting. On court, those two upheld most of it as they carried nearly three years of experience of wearing the Teikō jersey on their shoulders.
In the simplest way, they were and played as members of the Teikō volleyball team. And by following the trails of those lights, the rest would likely and simply turn to be such [lights].
Just like Hibari wished for.
"You know, as you must have already noted, having Wakana watching over you wasn't just an innocent coincidence. Compared to me or another member, she is the best choice to support and make a girl like you progress."
"A girl like me?" Ritsu repeated, sensing a cutting remark aimed straight at her. "Is that some kind of reproach?"
"You heard me, and you already know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
She did. She wasn't the first to tell her. However, being reprimanded for this twice in less than two weeks had called her attention onto that matter: First by the four first-year members of the basketball club she met days ago, and now Hibari. Ever since she became a regular of the volleyball team, the boundaries of "ordinary" she tried to fall in didn't seem to be in accordance with sports.
She was an ordinary girl as she conformed herself to, yet people asked more of her as a player.
"I'm not imposing myself enough."
"You're already aware of it, huh?"
"I've been told not long ago and well, maybe they were right if you say the same."
Not only had the powerful squad pinpointed this, she also promised them to rise in order to stand on equal ground with them. The aura they gave off wasn't dull and plain like hers.
"...If you do sports, you can't stay in conformity. Because average or ordinary tends to...no, it means weak in the sports world. It's either weak or strong, there is no such gap as average for people when you play."
«You shouldn't belittle yourself.»
A curious echo reminded her of Akashi at this instant. In their conversation at the nurse office, he did say that he found her neither weak nor strong. At that time, she thought he just meant that she was just an average player and took it without much consideration, although she did remember a vague impression of being offended by his words. And the cause of such a feeling became clear when she related it to Hibari's words. If average meant weak for people, then...
Honestly, upon realizing it, a sentiment of frustration tingled in her heart and stirred something she considered as ugly in her. Never did she want to have her own efforts be denied. She was conscious that she wasn't some perfect or pitiful girl. Nonetheless, it still hurt her pride to be considered weak by her captain, when she put so much effort into making it on the volleyball team.
She wouldn't raise a finger to prove her worth to those who couldn't value her talent. She did say that to the colorful group, but when it was about proving herself to those who recognized her, she couldn't allow herself to let them down.
However, when she looked at Hibari, she didn't feel any trace of condescension, as much inwardly as outwardly. Thus far, her support always had this pleasant note of hope in it. It was because she expected something of her, not the kind that gave her pressure but one that allowed her to move forward. And curiously, she had the same feeling about Akashi. That time in the nurse office, he had meant no harm or disrespect. He was just giving her some hints of advice.
"So, you have to constantly prove yourself to others. Sport is one of the best field in which you can fully and openly express yourself. Of course, I don't want you to go berserk or anything. But what I observed from you so far is quite pleasant, much to my surprise."
"Er...Hibari-senpai, I sound kind of bad when you say that." Ritsu hesitated in making the remark. It came out so naturally that she couldn't help taking offense.
Her senior tilted her head vaguely and gave her a sidelong glance. A glint of kindness glowed in her eyes. "Since we're at it, I should probably tell you this as we'll be spending the year together, but at first, I didn't really like you."
The ash-blonde was stunned by the revelation. She was convinced of having given a good impression on the first day at the volleyball club, though asking to be liked by everyone was kind of arrogant.
"You were sort of plain, or rather your aura was quite dull, like some freshman that applies to a sports club for stupid reasons or simply for fun. And a little too calm, I must add. I don't know if it was shyness or not, given your character that must not be the case. So, truth to be told, you didn't seem to fit right in, and a cultural club would have been a better choice for you in my opinion. That's why I didn't like you at first, but recognized your talent, nonetheless."
What she said was right: There was still a difference between being liked and being recognized. By the time she got to join the team, her skills had been acknowledged while people had mixed opinions about her.
"Because there are times when you eventually proved me I was mistaken about you. It's still a rare sight to see you truly fight your way, but when you do, you really shine, Asaka. It'd be amazing to see this frequently on the team."
"The stubborn and reckless part is to..."
"Yes, to make you affirm yourself a little more and shine. The outside hitter role is perfect for that. With Hoshino, to boot, it's only a matter of time, I guess. You'll find your own place on the team that way. No, I ought to say you must find it quickly or else you won't last long. Sport only allows evolution and if you can't keep up, you're going to be left behind."
In that moment, her eyes resting on her captain, she understood most of the coach's decisions and the members' entire acceptance in Hibari's early designation as the volleyball club head last year. She used her experience to advance and transmitted it to make those around her progress. Her insight was keen enough to not repeat the same mistake and correct those to broaden her view on what she was ought to do.
And Ritsu had to admit it, she was very fortunate to cross paths with a captain like her and play together as teammates.
Such guidance didn't fall on deaf ears and she would follow that lead.
For the team Hibari envisioned. And perhaps for the one she dreamed of, as well.
"In any case, that won't do it if you fall back. You're part of the plan now, Asaka." Without ever looking away from her captain, Ritsu strangely shared Hibari's elation at such prospect as she could tell by a simple glance that the girl was smiling with her eyes.
In simple terms, she looked forward.
"I'll keep it in mind."
"Ah, you'd better prove yourself worthy of the team or I'll kick you out for real! I can tolerate mistakes, but don't forget my patience has limits too. Is that clear?" Hibari warned her in jest, giving a hard slap on Ritsu's shoulder.
The latter stumbled forward a little, and after regaining her balance, she shot a weary look at her captain who was beaming with satisfaction. "...Crystal clear."
"Then, let's win our pass to the Nationals! It's high time for the Teikō volleyball club to shine!
Ritsu gave her a quiet nod of the head while chuckling as she imagined that beautiful vision, and needless to say that hardships would arise and punctuate her path, but this was nothing that could make her waver now...
As long as she embraces the same path as the team, everything would work out.
Definitely.
After splitting from Hibari not long ago, Ritsu was walking down a quiet alley that joined up with the main street next to the train station. Her phone in her hand, the girl paid little attention to her steps, too concentrated on reading and replying to Hoshino's stupid mails regarding her hellish training, which had literally flooded her inbox while she had been in the middle of talking with Hibari.
As usual, when something piqued her interest, Hoshino couldn't stay silent about it and had to get some juicy information.
When she finished sending the message, she kept the device in her hand, waiting for an ever-quick response from the raven head. Just some small talk was actually perfect to relieve all the pressure from this long day.
Smiling all by herself, this light thought came accompanied with the sound of a ball bouncing closely off the asphalt. Ritsu craned her neck in its direction and recognized the familiar silhouette of Aomine dribbling toward the hoop.
Even at this late hour, there he was, playing alone on a street basketball court.
"You really are a basketball freak, Aomine-kun."
The boy, who was in a shooting stance, turned his head and gasped at her sight, "Asaka! Whatcha doing here?"
"I just finished practice and I was about to head home. But I saw you, and thought of talking a bit with you on my way." The navyhead half-listened to her, scratching the back of his head, seemingly bothered by something. His blue eyes roved around the court, then slowly rose to the night sky.
"Tch, it's already evening."
"You only noticed now?..." Ritsu asked, surprised.
"Ah, forgot about the time, I guess." He replied with a broad smile, shrugging off his slip of the mind. "I wanted to try out a move...Aaaah, but a day is too damn short!"
Everything seemed to point the fact that Aomine knew no time limit when it came to basketball. If no one stopped him, he could likely go on playing all night long. That was some passion, Ritsu thought. Or maybe obsessional love he had for the sport.
"And can be pretty long sometimes." She added light-heartedly. Walking up to Aomine, she spotted all of his belongings tossed near the sidelines as he surely fell for the temptation of basketball's sweet call, making him forget all about his hunger.
Next to his school bag was a paper bag from Maji Burger - full of hamburgers. Ritsu was taken aback by the sheer number, just from seeing the top she could already count four, and the inside had yet to be seen.
"Want one?" The navyhead asked her, when she suddenly stopped near his bag, staring intently at the paper bag.
"Oh." At the question, she realized how long she had been eyeing those hamburgers, asking herself about what kind of stomach he had to be able to devour all of these, and on top of it, before dinner. For her, one hamburger was sufficient. "Er, no...!"
Before she could even utter a proper answer, he grabbed one from the bag and threw it at her that she caught without thinking.
"Here! Just take it."
In her hands, she goggled at it, then directed her gaze to the tanned boy who was all smiles. Truth be told, she didn't know what to do with it, as she wasn't currently starving.
Now she became seriously convinced that she had to give off some weird, or rather pitiful, vibes to be given food from four out of five of the colorful squad.
"Soooo, since you said you've finished practice, your sprain's healed?"
Ritsu snapped out of her daze. "...Hum, finally!"
"Seems like they didn't go easy on you. You look like hell!" the boy remarked, glancing at her face in a curious manner.
To a girl, that wasn't exactly a very pleasant thing to hear.
Aomine really had a very direct approach with people, his speech had no touch of formality, and was pretty free-spoken instead. Well, he didn't look like the type to conform himself to strict social conventions like Akashi or Midorima and gave more the impression of someone going at his own pace, more or less in the same way as Murasakibara. So, it wasn't really surprising for him to address people with that much familiarity.
In all likehood, his bluntness was a charm that naturally went with a spontaneous boy like him, and it had its little effect on her. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"The captain had taken special care of my return to the club today." A tinge of embarrassment toned her voice down a bit as she told him the reason of her apparent exhausted look.
"That fury who almost tried to make us all go to a mixer?"
She just nodded her positive response, not saying anything to correct the fury part because even she wouldn't say it out loud, she felt pretty much the same as him at times when she confronted her captain.
At that piece of information, Aomine gaped, somehow a little impressed by the girl. The tiny glimpse of the Hibari that day was plenty enough for him to know that the wavy-haired brunette wasn't someone who liked to have her patience tested. He knew perfectly well that if he hadn't chased after Akashi he would have gone crazy with that fury.
"...Next time, I'll be more careful..." She had learnt her lesson this time. Never again would she get injured out of recklessness. "With two weeks away from the start of the regional championship, it wasn't really the right timing to get a sprain and take it easy while everybody else trained hard for the competition."
The regional championship just followed the prefectural games where Yagami and her had made their first steps into official competitions. Both were expected to play till the end of the Nationals in August. Their placements on the team weren't made out of plain interest, they were on the team because people deemed them worthy enough to fulfill the main goal in sport: Victory.
In spite of being freshmen and new players, they had the very same duty as any of the other more experienced members of the team, that is to say bring victory to the school, and in a larger scale the prefecture they ought to represent.
It sounded heavy put like this, but competition wouldn't exist as it did were it without this little sense of responsibility. And she had been stupid and careless enough to forget about it during her match with Akashi.
As a fellow athlete, it was no wonder he didn't let her injury worsen more than necessary and immediately tended to it right after the game; with the approaching tournament, it had been the most responsible thing to do.
He had been wiser than her on this one in all aspects. Judgement and insight, she had lacked those at that time.
"Eh, your team got past the prefectural games?"
"Not without difficulties but yes. The basketball team also managed well as I heard from Momoi-chan and Akashi-kun." She nodded and gave him a joyful smile. "If we win the regional championship, it seems like our school will be one of the Tōkyō representatives in both volleyball and basketball at the Nationals!"
"Yeah, that sounds nice!" He beamed with excitement aroused by the girl's high spirits. "I can't wait for the Nationals! It'll be a true warzone!"
A warzone, huh? The word echoed in her head and made her chuckle inwardly at the boy's vision of the greatest championship of the year. Seeing it like that, maybe he wasn't far from the truth, but she was still a little more moderated in her own view of the competition.
"You're really looking forward to it, Aomine-kun." She noted, a bit admiring of his great enthusiasm. His face was filled with a genuine happiness, played up with this air of invincibility people had when they dreamed. The sweet picture of him radiating with playful innocence melted her heart, the passion he had for the whole basketball world was so intense that she could almost felt her own love for volleyball ignited anew, as if she just started it.
At that warm feeling, her lips crooked into a brighter smile.
"You have no idea! The level's got to be high! That means facing strong opponents." Aomine shot a thrilled grin her way, imagining the challenges that awaited him. "I don't know the actual level of the Nationals, but so far, it was damn fun to play the prefectural games!"
Then, he pointed his nose upward and confronted the night sky, musing a little bit on a small thought. "Streetball and basketball have their differences in terms of style and level, but I'm not complaining. The more challenges there are, the more fun it is."
"Huh? Does that mean you have never entered a competition before?"
"Ah, yeah, I've always played street basketball since there weren't any basketball clubs near my neighbourhood." He explained. "I used to play with other kids and even grown-ups when they were at it, but most of them were amateurs, so I didn't really get a chance to play against actual basketball players. Still, streetball is fun on its own and you have more freedom."
So the atypical style she heard of from time to time certainly came from that. His style had bloomed without any strict and repetitive series of technical drills to learn the basics and he sharpened his skills with the games he had with other people. And the freedom he talked about in street basketball brought the final touch to his singular way of playing – He knew no limits in his play and moved freely.
"But by joining a club, I got to encounter a lot of strong players like Nijimura and the other seniors. Even those three weird guys, y'know. They have their basics down pat, their skills and their level are close to mine, maybe even higher. I get fired up every time we have a game! They're playing basketball not only 'cause they love it but because they're good at it."
Now she came to understand his high spirits concerning the Nationals a little more. What he found fun in basketball was the challenge it offered to him, the way his skills would cross swords with another and most likely the mutual love for the sport he could sense in the other through a game.
That was Aomine's style.
"I don't regret it one bit."
"As long as you can play basketball, is it?" She said as she recalled what he said during their first encounter.
"You got it. Just talking about it makes me wanna play! Catch!"
"Uwa!" All of sudden, he threw the ball at her. The latter reacted awkwardly as she not only let the ball almost slip from her hands, but also the hamburger he gave to her earlier. With it now between her hands, she stared at the offending object and it dawned on her what Aomine intended to make her do.
"Let's have a one-on-one!"
Just as she guessed, he challenged her for a game. "But I don't know how to play basketball."
"Everyone can dribble and shoot!" He hit the ball in her hands from beneath and caught it before his fingers nimbly began to start dribbling. In a swift motion, he darted toward the hoop and with one hand he raised the ball next to the rim and scored. As he recovered from the jump, he put his hands on his hips and grinned at her proudly. "See?"
Ritsu couldn't shake off the impression of being provoked by him, even if she doubted it was genuinely intentional. "...Are you trying to show off, Aomine-kun?"
"It's just the basics!" Aomine laughed at her perplexed face and picked up the ball. "Even you can manage it!"
"Well, even if I do, it'd be pretty boring for you to play against me. Our level difference is quite big."
"So what?"
"What 'so what'?" She asked back, wondering about what he wanted to hear next.
"Who cares about the level if you play for the fun of it?" He retorted, as if he found it plain obvious. "I…don't think you should care? I mean sure, you do sports because you're good or excel at it, but if that were the only reason that'd be too damn boring. A level is just something that traps you within a limit."
The navyhead got a point, and his statement rung similar to Hibari's. Was her view on sports that arrogant?
"Be it basketball or volleyball, it's the same for all sports, you just have to prove yourself. That's where you get the fun!"
Aomine truly shone. When she first met him, the flame in his eyes she had thought of a passing glint now burned vibrantly. It never died or flickered, it was constantly present in him. Although she knew little about him, with such a bare expression, it wasn't hard to tell and to reaffirm it once again: Aomine was totally in love with basketball.
A true basketball freak.
She couldn't shake this silly and unflattering impression of the navyhead off her mind. She meant no offense to him, or to Akashi or Midorima for viewing them as an alien and a horoscope maniac, respectively.
Nonetheless, they sure knew how to make first impressions.
"Besides, you told me you were going to show me your true self!"
The blunt way he put it made it sound like she really held some secret potential when there was none in fact, and Ritsu quietly laughed about it. An ordinary player like her still had a long way before getting praises, but the prospect wasn't bad with some support.
And she was somewhat happy to know that Aomine actually cared about the promise she made days ago with the colorful bunch, as she thought only she gave a real consideration to it.
"I did say so." She confirmed, putting the hamburger inside her school bag and left it next to Aomine's. Then she removed her white jacket and rolled up her sleeves before confronting the tanned boy who welcomed her on the court with a big smile.
Both ready, he threw the ball at her again. "Bring it on!"
And so their game began.
Kicking off with a dribble, she stood still a short while to familiarize herself with its rhythm. Despite her taking her sweet time, Aomine didn't make a move and stayed alert of any responses from her. When she deemed the moment right to face the boy head on, she ran toward him, the latter got ready to halt her but in the instant she attempted to outflank him, the ball suddenly slipped her control and bounced on the asphalt with all the awkwardness she had played with.
"Oh." was the only sound she got to emit. And to say she felt confident on this one, that was instead a big failure.
She ran after the ball while the boy remained speechless, being given instant confirmation that she really didn't know how to play basketball.
"Sorry, I'll try again."
"Don't be sorry! You just need time to get used to it."
She gave him a simple nod of the head, ready for another attempt.
She underwent the same process, like the first try, this time stressing more of her focus on the ball control. She darted in his direction, the ball still under her control. But the instant she stood next to him, Aomine stole it, taking advantage of a second of inattention, and before she could even catch on to his movements, she heard a swish and the bounces of the ball crashing onto the ground.
"Wah...!" She gasped when realizing he just scored with a shot. It was swift and clean, as expected of basketball player.
Now that she thought of it, by focusing too much on the ball, she totally forgot about her actual opponent who didn't need to be asked twice to reveal himself. He didn't spare her on this one, even if she was just a beginner. Though he didn't seem the type to really differentiate on that aspect anyway, just like he said before.
As long as there was fun, who cared about the level, huh? Then, it meant that his way of playing was practically the same with whoever he faced. Amateurs or confirmed players, he would play in all fairness, without restraining himself by a mere notion known as level.
So, in addition to ball control, she also had to give maximal attention to him in order to get a slight chance to approach the hoop. That was far more things to consider than what she learnt in PE classes when basketball was on the agenda.
Truth be told, she didn't really dislike it and it gave her a little more consideration for basketball.
"Basketball sure requires a lot of attention." Ritsu commented as she went to fetch the ball.
"Volleyball's pretty much the same, right?"
She nodded in agreement and chuckled.
"I certainly won't be a basketball player but I don't mind learning it from you. It's quite fun!"
"That's the spirit!"
The two of them resumed their game.
Like she predicted, Aomine played at his pace and as beginner, she barely stood a chance to score. After facing him countless times now, the quickness of his responses made him quite hard to get past, but slowly she gained some confidence in her play. It had yet to be on par with the level of a freshman in the basketball club, still she was proud of it. The small accomplishment of managing to control her dribble while running had increased her interest, and the fun she had by playing against him.
For the umpteenth time, she went straight at Aomine, yet she learnt enough to propose a small change of tactics. So instead of trying to outflank him directly, she briefly halted before him and passed the ball from one hand to another to break his rhythm and freeze him momentarily, which was apparently a successful attempt as she saw him cocking an eyebrow at her action.
However, she made a mistake in her attempt to get past him. A sloppy mistake, she had to say. She tried to outflank him, the ball was in her left hand, while thus far she only managed to control the dribble with her right hand.
And needless to say, Aomine took the opportunity to snatch the ball and score with ease.
"You begin to get the hang of it, Asaka!"
"I still have a long way." She said in pants.
"That's for sure." He replied instantly, leaving no room to a single doubt.
"You don't even try to lie!"
"It's the truth! You never managed to get even near the hoop anyway!"
A faint flush of embarrassment colored up her cheeks after hearing this hard fact coming from his mouth.
"...By the end of the day, I'll score at least one point!" She exclaimed in frustration.
A bit startled by the sudden shout, he gawked at her, holding the ball between his hands.
"But it's already evening."
He unconsciously added more to the awkwardness of the moment, and she felt defeated.
"W-Well, you get the main point..."
Even so fatigue could be felt in all her limbs, she still wanted to remain a fair match to Aomine who kept playing with her without a hint of boredom. Just for this, she couldn't give up.
Coming back to him, the latter simply agreed with fake disinterest and returned to his position after making a perfect shot just to provoke her.
"Good luck, then. You'll need it."
"We'll see!"
Under the evening sky, shouts and laughs from two teenagers reveling in their game echoed, completely forgetting about the late hour and the consequences of such innocence.