Everyone, thank you for the continued support. Thank for reading my fanfic, thank you for all the follows and favorites and thank you so much for the reviews! They keep me going. I love reading your thoughts on the story, guys. Keep 'em coming. Here's the new chapter!
A few days later, the Seirin basketball team was now inside Kaijo High, walking towards the basketball gym. The grounds were much larger than Seirin and the amount of space dedicated to their sports clubs was impressive to say the least. Sakura Middle School, the place where Kirimi handed her assignments and did tests and exams was much larger than Kaijo but since Sakura High mainly focused on academics, their sports grounds definitely weren't this big.
"This place is huge," said Hyuuga, looking all around him. "You can really tell when a school is dedicated to its athletics,"
Kagami was walking as if he was a zombie. His eyes were red and he was groaning in between.
"Kagami-kun, the look in your eyes is worse than usual," remarked Kuroko.
"Shut up," said Kagami, mid groan. "I was a little too excited,"
"What are you, a kid going on a field trip?" asked Kirimi, giggling.
"What'd you say, pipsu-I mean, Kirimi?" shot Kagami. "I don't want a kid telling me not to be a kid!"
"You're the one acting like a kid, Kagami-kun," said Kirimi, still giggling.
"Why you little-"
"Hey, guys!"
They all looked around. Kise was running towards them. Kirimi stiffened. She'd wipe that model grin off his face today.
"Kise!" said Kagami.
"This place is big, so I thought I'd come get you," said Kise.
"Thanks," said Riko, bowing.
"Kise…Hey!" said Kagami, as Kise ignored him and the rest of the team and approached Kuroko. It was as if everyone else didn't even matter. He gave Kirimi, the one standing next to Kuroko, one haughty look before his eyes started sparkling as his gaze turned to Kuroko.
"Kurokocchi, ever since you turned out my invitation to join us, I've been crying into my pillow every night!" he said, tears on his face again.
Kirimi clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her eyes concentrated on a green bush on the left. How could this guy act all buddy-buddy like this? It was annoying. It was as if he didn't even care about the match.
"What's with him?" asked Hyuuga.
"Just show us the way already!" said Kagami.
Once again, he ignored the others and continued to talk to Kuroko.
"Not even a girl has turned me down before. Ah…well, maybe just one," he said, looking at Kirimi again with a small glance.
Kuroko noticed Kirimi's displeasure. He knew what Kise was doing as well. He wasn't thinking of losing at all. It was as if he'd won the match already. He didn't like Kise ignoring Kirimi and his teammates like that.
"Could you please stop being so sarcastic?" said Kuroko.
Once again, in the blink of an eye, Kise's expression changed. He had that sly look in him again.
"Well, I'm interested to know more the guy and the kid who's making Kurokocchi say those things," he said, his voice not even one percent sugary now.
He was looking at Kirimi again, his eyes still full of over-confidence.
"I'm especially curious about…Ayasaki-san, was it?" said Kise, pretending as if he'd nearly forgotten her name. "Yeah, I'm really curious about you, Ayasaki-san. Why did Kurokocchi suddenly decide to get a personal coach and why did it have to be a kid like you? I was really mad about it at first but then, I thought, Kurokocchi wouldn't choose someone who's half-hearted about basketball and the like. So, I'm really curious to see what you're going to do today,"
Kagami, Kuroko and the other members of Seirin were waiting for Kirimi's answer. She had a look of annoyance on her face towards Kise as usual, but then, after a few moments, she smirked at him.
"The feeling's mutual," she said, looking at his honey eyes. "I'm getting to see one of the Generation of Miracles play today. I'm really curious about the way you play basketball, and I can't wait to see it,"
She refused to break her gaze at him. Kise gave her a cheeky grin.
"Hmm, I see," said Kise, also not breaking his gaze. "Then I guess I'd better show you guys the way now,"
They finally stopped staring at each other.
Riko was watching closely. Now that she thought about, why had Kirimi become Kuroko's personal coach in the first place? It was obvious by now that she was a basketball enthusiast but she seemed just as interested in defeating the Generation of Miracles as Kagami was. Just what could it be that she was going on in her head when she thought of the Generation of Miracles?
"I don't care much about being called the Generation of Miracles, but I can't ignore such an obvious challenge," he said, looking at Kagami now. "I'm not mature enough to let it slide,"
This Ayasaki kid definitely wasn't mucking around. Her eyes had no fear in them when she looked at Kise. She really was determined to defeat the Generation of Miracles. And this Kagami guy was equally determined. But then Kagami guy had some talent and was part of the basketball team but this Ayasaki kid looked like some random spectator. But then, Kurokocchi would never make someone like that his personal coach. He must have his reasons. But Kise couldn't see them and frankly, he thought the girl was unwanted. He was going to teach this little girl what a real member of the Generation of Miracles was like and make her go home.
He looked back at Kirimi and Kagami.
Who was this little kid to act like she knew Kuroko so well? He was the one who respected Kuroko the most. 'Tetsuya-kun'. Kuroko had never let Kise call him by his first name at all, during his time in Teiko. Honestly speaking, Kise was jealous of Kirimi, in a way.
"Sorry, but I'm going to crush you with everything I have," he said, his eyes mainly on Kirimi.
Kirimi looked back at him with narrowed eyes.
"Bring it on," she whispered back to him, her eyes slits.
Kagami couldn't ask for anything better.
"Sounds good," he said, grinning as well.
They soon reached the gym. But there was a nasty surprise waiting for Seirin in there. Only one half of the court was actually free. The other half was full of other Kaijo's basketball members practicing and doing warm ups on the like. The Seirin team looked at this in surprise. According to Kaijo's coach, they were only going to be playing on half the court. He didn't sound very nice. Riko tried her best to be polite, but she was finding it hard. Kaijo was thinking that Seirin was a weak team.
Riko was literally fuming. There were flames all around her and there were a dozen angry veins popping here and there. The rest of the team also glared at the other coach. Even Kuroko had an angry look on his face, though it was hard to notice as usual. Kirimi was seething as well.
"They think we suck," growled Kagami, with a fierce look grin. "They're treating us like a sideshow to their practice,"
Kirimi looked at Kagami, then at Kuroko. A little further away, Kise was adjusting his uniform, getting ready. But then the coach questioned him as to why he was doing that and informed him that he wasn't playing this game. He talked about having stars from different middle schools but that Kise was on a different level. Kise looked at his team members and then back at the coach.
"Don't say that, Coach," he said with a mortified look. "Seriously, stop saying that,"
The coach ignored him.
"If I let you play, it wouldn't even be a game anymore," he said, walking away.
Kise looked at Seirin apologetically.
"Just listen to him," said Hyuga glaring at Kise.
"I haven't been this pissed in a while," said Izuki, with the same glare.
Kise came running towards them.
"I'm sorry! Seriously, I'm sorry. I'll be on the bench," said Kise. Then, he cupped his hand, whispering to them. "If you give his guys a beating, I'm sure he'll put me in,"
Kirimi looked at him with a hard face. Kise's eyes met hers.
"Besides," he said, smirking at Kirimi. "If you can't force him to put me in, you shouldn't go around saying you'll beat the Generation of Miracles, don't you think so, Ayasaki-san?"
It was Kirimi's turn to stiffen now. That sentence had been aimed at everyone in Seirin but from the way he looked at her, she could tell that it was mainly aimed at her. Hmph.
They were now being directed to the Kaijo locker room.
"It's fine," said Kuroko, glancing at Kise as he left. "Please warm up,"
Kirimi paused as she followed him.
"We don't have time to wait after all, so it's ok," said Kirimi, her eyes narrowed on Kise. "We'll show you what we can do, blond puppy,"
…
"What?" said Kise, a few moments after she'd left.
Had that girl just called him a 'blonde puppy'? He could hear his teammates laughing. He had to smirk again. 'Blond puppy', huh? Well, he'd show this Ayasaki girl just what a 'blond puppy' like him could do.
Both teams were now positioned and were ready to start the match. Riko, Kirimi, Koganei, Tsuchida and the other freshman were seated on the bench.
"Let the practice game between Seirin High and Kaijo High begin!" said the referee.
"All right, let's go!" roared Hyuuga, followed by more roars from the other members of Seirin.
The teams were now lined up and ready to start. Well, except for the fact that the referee couldn't see Kuroko. Kirimi sighed. Would she ever get used to the fact that she could see someone no one else could? The referee called out for Seirin's fifth member. Kirimi couldn't stand it anymore.
"He's right there!" she said. "He's right next to you,"
Kise, who was also on the bench, gave her a puzzled look. How had she been able to spot Kuroko so easily? Was it just a coincidence?
"I'm right here," said Kuroko, announcing his presence.
On cue, his voice was met with every member in Kaijo being scared out of their living daylights. Even the members on the other side court were staring at him. Kirimi definitely had to admire Kuroko's patience at this point. It must be horrible to hear things like that being said around him all the time. The Kaijo coach felt his expectations go even lower. This was ridiculous. After all their boasting, he had thought that they'd have some decent players.
It was almost time for the tip off. Riko was analyzing each Kaijo player's stats. She didn't like this one bit. They all looked so strong. She couldn't see everything through their clothes, but it was clear that their numbers were much higher than average. This didn't look good. Her team's physical numbers were way behind. But then, it wasn't surprising for a National Level team.
Kirimi put her hand on Riko's hand, with a reassuring smile.
"We've got Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun on our side. Plus, the other senpai are strong too," she said.
"But how far can they carry us?" whispered Riko.
Before Kirimi could answer, the game had already begun. The Kaijo center was highest and got the ball first and passed it straight to their captain, the point guard Kasamatsu Yukio. He had just started dribbling the ball but Kuroko was already on his tail. Kirimi could see it clearly. He slapped the ball away towards Seirin's side. Kasamatsu was quickly catching up to him but Kuroko swiftly passed the ball to Kagami who dunked and made a basket, shocking everyone in Kaijo.
"Yay!" said Kirimi happily, her arms up in the air.
But Kagami had done more than just dunk the ball. He had brought down the hoop with him. Kirimi sweat dropped. Just how strong was Kagami, really? The Kaijo members were talking to each other about this unexpected turn of events. Riko almost skipped her way to the Kaijo bench, but she tried to apologize without smiling in triumph. It was obvious now that they couldn't play on half the court this way. The Kaijo coach looked livid.
"Now that's what you call a beating," said Kise, laughing his head off. "I've never seen the coach like that,"
"You should tell that's what he gets for underestimating us!" said Kagami.
Kuroko on the other hand, was worried about how much a new hoop would cost. All the members of Kaijo were now standing on the landing above the court, watching the scene with unbelievable faces. The game resumed, except a small, no, there was a huge change. Kise was now on the court.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," his basketball smirk still on his face.
Kirimi grinned. Finally, it was time. She was going to see Kise Ryota play in a real match. She'd gotten a taste of his power earlier, but she wanted to see what more he could do, and, if possible, confirm a small theory that had been running around in her head for a few days now. She didn't want to say anything until she was sure.
Kirimi and Riko's thoughts were interrupted by excited squeals coming from the other side of the court. Honestly, it was a bit annoying. She wished that those girls would stay away. She saw Kise waving to them with his perfect model smile, thanking them for coming. And then the captain Kasamatsu, kicked him on his back for waving to them. Kirimi couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied.
"Do you understand what's going on, Kise?" said Kasamatsu. "Who's that number 10?"
"Number 10?" said Kise, disinterestedly. "That's Kagami,"
"I've never heard of him," replied Kasamatsu.
"Forget him! The guy who stole the ball, number 11, is my teammate from Teiko, Kurokocchi! Isn't he amazing? Right, right?" he said excitedly.
Kasamatsu punched him and lectured him about being too excited.
The game resumed. Both teams were going for it, but Kise was much faster than the others. Kasamatsu passed the ball to him, which he dunked with full force, though not as much as Kasamatsu would have liked. He kicked Kise again for not breaking the hoop like Kagami had done.
"I can't say the same for girls," said Kise as he passed Kagami. "But I've never failed to return a favor on the court,"
"Bring it on!" said Kagami, with a wide grin again.
The game resumed, with both teams going back and forth. This game had a lot of high paced play. Each team was scoring, one after the other, not breaking the balance. It was hard to believe that it had only been three minutes since the game had started. Kagami especially was quite fired up. But this seemed to only make Kise even stronger. He copied Kagami's fade away and made another shot.
Kirimi was once again going over the theory in her head, working it out. The more she watched Kise play, the more probable she believed it would be. Just as she was confirming her theory, the Riko called for a time out.
Riko looked at her team members. They all definitely looked way too tired for just playing for five minutes. On the other side, the Kaijo coach was berating his players on their lousy performance.
"This isn't easy…" said Moriyama, one of Kaijo's starters.
"Yeah, that first year duo is brutal," said Kasamatsu. He turned towards Kise. "You might be able to handle Kagami, but what's with that invisible Kuroko guy?"
Kise started yapping about his Kurokocchi again which earned him another jab in his stomach. But Kise wasn't phased out. The balance would tip sooner or later, he told the team. He looked over at the Seirin bench where Seirin was having its own discussion.
He saw the stupid grin on that Ayasaki's girl face. He chuckled. Personal coach? Yeah, right. That kid would soon learn the hard way. From what he could tell, Kuroko had only known this girl for a short while. There was only a slim chance that she knew about Kuroko's weakness, if at all.
"We have to deal with Kise-kun first," said Riko, on the other side of the court.
The other team members were talking about how they'd do it. Even Kagami hadn't been able to stop him. Kirimi felt that it was now time to state her plan. She had thought about it again and again and it seemed feasible.
"There's a way, everyone," said Kirimi.
The senpai and the freshmen looked at Kirimi. She'd been oddly quiet since Kise had started playing but they themselves had been watching the match, not speaking that much. Still, Kirimi had been too quiet.
"That Kise-kun…he was a weakness, am I right, Tetsuya-kun?" said Kirimi, looking at Kuroko.
Kuroko blinked.
"A weakness?" said Riko.
"You should've told us sooner, Kirimi-chan!" said Hyuuga.
But Kirimi shook her head.
"I'm not sure if you can really call it a weakness, to be honest. And I needed some time to work it out and confirm it," said Kirimi. "The weakness is Tetsuya-kun. He can copy movements if he 'sees' them right? But what if he can't see them? Tetsuya-kun is…"
Kirimi went on explaining her strategy to the team but after a few minutes, Kuroko spoke up.
"Um," said Kuroko, interrupting. "I'm sorry but, there's another problem,"
Kirimi blinked, looking at Kuroko. Huh? A problem? What was that? Kirimi had been watching the match and she hadn't seen any problems.
"Because of the unexpectedly high paced play, my effectiveness is already wearing off," said Kuroko.
Kuroko went on to say that his misdirection only lasted for about 40 minutes. Kirimi was too stunned to say a proper sentence. All she could come up with was an 'Ah,'. She truly felt like slapping herself. Of course it wouldn't last forever. It wasn't possible for any human being to 'disappear' from a court. Even if it was someone who you passed by every day in a crowded mall, if you started searching for them properly, then soon, one day, it wouldn't be hard to find them at all. It wasn't magic.
Kuroko was using his exceptional observation skills to do this continuously, creating the illusion he disappeared so that he could pass the ball around. Kirimi glanced at the Kaijo bench. Kise had been his team mate at Teiko. He knew this more than anyone else here right now.
Kirimi's chain of thoughts was broken when she found her shoulders being shaken by Riko.
"Why didn't you tell us something so important earlier?" she shot at Kirimi.
"Ah…I-I'm sorry…I…I didn't…know…I…" said Kirmi, her head spinning.
Kirimi tried to bring her dizzy head back to normal. Riko was certainly very strong. Riko let go of her and put Kuroko into a headlock.
"I-I'm sorry," said Kuroko, gasping. "You didn't ask. K-Kirimi-san didn't know…she's innocent,"
Riko squeezed Kuroko even harder.
"Do you say anything unless you're asked? And Kirimi-chan is your coach, of course she should know!"
Kirimi felt ashamed. Riko's words hit her like sharp arrows but it was the truth. She had been so focused on preparing a technique to defeat Kise that she had completely forgotten about asking about Kuroko's weak points and the like. It never occurred to her. She was so used to his play, she thought it would go on forever. Suddenly, Kirimi felt a shadow looming over her.
"Huh?" she whispered.
Kagami put both his hands on Kirimi's cheeks, pinching them and stretching them slightly.
"Oi, Kirimi," he said with a menacing grin, saying her name properly for the first time. "You're kidding me right? You didn't know? You didn't know, huh? HUH?"
"I-I'b…shaaawi, weari shawi! (I-I'm…sorry, really sorry!)" said Kirimi, squealing.
The whistle blew.
"Your time out is over!"
Riko barely had time to tell the team that Kise was their priority and to switch from man-to-man defense, to zone defense. She also told Kuroko to slow down his pace a bit. The match resumed. Kasamatsu soon scored a three-pointer. The other Kaijo payers and students alike were cheering Kaijo on. Kagami was marking Kise, who tried to pass to Kuroko, but just as predicted, Moriyama from Kaijo was able to get the ball. Kirimi gritted her teeth bitterly, but then…just a little bit longer, just a little more for the plan to start. The gap was getting bigger. Kagami was once again blocked by Kise as he tried to score.
"Why don't you acknowledge it already? You're years away from challenging the Generation of Miracles," said Kise.
"What'd you say?" said Kagami.
"The gap between our scores might get bigger, but it certainly won't get any smaller," continued Kise. "More than formations or strategies, basketball is about your build,"
Kirimi and Kagami looked at Kise. Build, huh? Kirimi agreed with him on that. It was certainly true that a player's build was important in basketball or any sport for that matter. But Seirin wasn't an ordinary basketball team, and neither was Kaijo. Kaijo may have Kise but Seirin had Kagami and Kuroko. And soon, Kise would get a taste of his own medicine. From what she could see, he wasn't expecting the plan at all.
"The difference between your team and ours is simply too great. You were the only one who stood a chance against us, but I see now how good you are. You have potential, but you're still far below me," said Kise, continuing.
He glanced at Kirimi on the bench. From what he had seen earlier, she had just learned the truth about Kuroko's abilities. He smirked. As predicted, she hadn't known anything about him. Just who was this Ayasaki girl thinking she could just waltz in and say that she was Kuroko's personal coach? He looked back at Kagami.
"No matter what you or that Ayasaki throw at me, with one look, I'll return it twice as good," said Kise menacingly. "You can struggle, but you'll never beat me. The real world isn't that easy, after all,"
He looked back at Kirimi with a confident smirk, looking straight into her eyes. But to his surprise, her eyes suddenly turned bright and she smiled evilly at him. A smile which seemed like she was telling him that he was going to get a beating. And if he wasn't mistaken, she had mouthed 'Don't underestimate me,' at him, with a soft but confident voice.
Kise obviously didn't believe for a second that Kirimi was worthy of being a coach for Kuroko. She wasn't very sure herself but she was going to do her best to prove that she was somewhat worthy, even if she wasn't some kind of all star. She might be younger, and she might look like a right laugh to him, but Kirimi had knowledge and wisdom far beyond her years. And she was going to use those to her advantage.
At the same moment, Kagami started laughing. It sounded like an insane laugh, lasting for a minute or so. He apologized later, saying that it was because he was happy. Kise was confused. Happy? But then Kagami went on to say how he had heard those words all the time over there, in America.
"We're just getting started," said Kagami, walking towards Kuroko. "Besides, Kirimi isn't there just for show. Thanks to her, we finally know your weakness,"
Kise blinked. He turned towards Kirimi who was looking at him with a face which had swagger in it.
She was pleased. The techniques she had stated hadn't even been put into use yet, but Kagami-kun seemed pretty confident already. So was Kuroko. They believed in her. The whole of Seirin believed in her right now. This only made her brain function even better.
"With one look? What if you don't see it?" asked Kirimi from the bench, voicing her thoughts out to the members of Seirin who were on the bench. "Against Tetsuya-kun who's invisible in the first place, it's impossible. No matter how athletic you are, you'll never achieve an invisible basketball style,"
The freshman stared at Kirimi in awe. When they had first joined the club, they had found it pretty weird and amusing to see a middle school girl in the gym, but they weren't laughing now. Riko and the other senpai were also impressed. She had been stuttering when she had first come to the club and she had just made a huge error on her part earlier but still, this kid knew her stuff, even if she made a few stupid mistakes from time to time.
Kise was staring at Kirimi with a shocked face. That time when she had actually spotted Kuroko among many others…it wasn't a coincidence after all? She now looked like a strategist ready to put her ploy into work.
"If you didn't understand Kirimi, what she means is…" said Kagami, grabbing Kuroko's head. "…This guy is your weakness!"
Riko was looking at Kirimi. She had been wondering what Kirimi had been doing, just analyzing Kuroko, Kagami and Kise all this time. But then it turned out that she had a strategy. It only concerned Kuroko and partly Kagami. When she thought about it, it could definitely work. But how had she come up with it so quickly and deduced Kise's playing style in such a short time?
The Kaijo players were looking at Kagami at Kuroko in surprise. How was Kuroko Kise's weakness? Kise was silent for a few moments, his eyes trying to figure out the situation. After a few more moments, he spoke.
"So?" said Kise, looking at Kagami. "It's true Kurokocchi's style is the only one I can't imitate. But what does that change?"
The whistle blew signaling the end of the first quarter. They had a two minute break.
It changes everything.
"We'll bring you to tears in the second quarter!" said Kagami.
Both teams were now taking a short break, and thinking of what to do next. The other members of Kaijo were cleaning the court.
One of the Kaijo players looked at the scoreboard. It was an eight point difference, huh. Kaijo's coach was even more livid than before. He was once again shouting at his players, asking them to pull themselves together.
"Tetsuya-kun, Kagami-kun, for this plan to work, your coordination is the key," said Kirimi. "Can do you it?"
"Yeah, probably," said Kagami casually.
Kirimi felt an angry vein popping in her head.
"Huh? What do you mean 'probably'? You were sounding so confident in front of Kise-kun but here you're all 'probably'?" she shot at Kagami.
"Shut up! That was…well…you know…" said Kagami, abashedly. He'd wanted to show off to Kise. In the middle of his thoughts, he felt a jab in his side.
"Ouch!" he yelled, looking at Kuroko. "You bastard, what was that for?"
Kuroko gave Kagami a slightly annoyed look.
"Kirimi-san put a lot of effort into her plan. You want to beat Kise-kun, don't you?" he asked Kagami.
Kagami gave Kuroko a jab back.
"Of course I do!" he replied.
"Well, then!" said Riko. "Take care of the counterattack!"
The second quarter began. Once again, cheers could be heard from all around the court from other Kaijo students and players. The members on the Seirin bench were also cheering their team on. Both teams scored one after the next. Soon, the ball was with Kagami. He started running towards the Kaijo hoop. Kirimi glanced at Kuroko and clutched at her skirt tightly. It would soon be time for the plan.
Kise was wondering whether it was another drive or a fade away. But it was neither. Kagami passed the ball behind him, which went to Kuroko, who was behind Kise and passed the ball to the other side, which Kagami caught and then he continued to advance and scored. Kirimi punched her first in the air in triumph. Riko and the others cheered as well.
Kise looked at them in shock. They were both coordinating with each other! It was surprising, but he wouldn't fall for it again. But when Kagami did it again, Kuroko passed the ball to Hyuuga, with Kise unable to do a thing. Hyuuga scored a three-pointer. Seirin cheered again. It was now a five point gap.
"And Kise-kun can't copy Tetsuya-kun, the linchpin of the play" thought Kirimi, gleefully.
Kise was panting in frustration. How could this be happening? He hadn't foreseen this at all. This wasn't like Kuroko all! He looked at Kuroko. Kuroko looked back at him.
"You're strong, Kise-kun. I'm powerless and Kagami-kun can't stand against you," said Kuroko. "But, when we work together, along with Kirimi-san's guidance, we have a fighting chance,"
Kise stared at him.
"You really have changed after all, Kurokocchi. We never played like this in Teiko," said Kise. "But, you still can't stop me. I will be the winner!"
Kuroko and Kagami stared back at Kise.
"It's true I can't copy your coordination, but since you'll lose your effectiveness after 40 minutes, you'll lose this game in the second half!" said Kise, grabbing the ball.
Kagami narrowed his eyes at him.
"Not so fast," he said.
Kirimi's lips broke into a determined smile. It was now time to put part two of the idea in motion. She saw Kuroko approach Kise and block him. The Kaijo players were shocked. What was this about? Other players who weren't playing this match had only just noticed Kuroko. They were wondering who he was, they were sure that he wouldn't stand a chance. That's where they were wrong though.
"I never dreamed we'd play together like this, Kurokocchi," said Kise looking at Kuroko.
"Neither did I," replied Kuroko, looking back at him.
"I don't know what that Ayasaki girl is up to, but you can't stop me, Kurokocchi!" said Kise fiercely.
Kise passed Kuroko in the blink of an eye. But this was all according to plan. The plan wasn't to stop him. The plan was to take the ball. From behind him, Kuroko pushed the ball out of Kise's hands, in the second when Kise hesitated. The ball went to Hyuuga, who scored again. Kirimi was taking advantage of Kuroko's invisibility here. As expected, Kise hadn't been able to react to it. Kirimi cheered again. The plan was working well!
But Kise was now trying to score a three pointer. But Kirimi shook her head. That wouldn't work either. Kuroko was covering below while Kagami was covering above. Kuroko was supposed to be the guy who couldn't do anything on the court, but he was the one making this happen, thanks to Kirimi. But then, something made Kirimi's plan break into little pieces.
Because he had been so close to Kise, and because he had such little presence, Kise had unknowingly given Kuroko a sharp blow on the right side of his face which made him fall on the ground. Everyone looked at the scene in shock. Kirimi could feel her right wrist twitching.
"Tetsuya-kun!" she screamed.
Before the referee blew his whistle for a time out, Kirimi had already run to Kuroko and was now sitting beside him. The other members of Seirin followed.
"Tetsuya-kun!" said Kirimi shakily. "Are you ok?"
She put her hands on the right side of his face and raised it gently. She gasped in shock and worry. The right side of his forehead was bleeding badly. Kise looked aghast. Kuroko tried to get up. Kirimi put one hand on his shoulder and one on his back to help him.
"Are you ok, Kuroko?" asked Hyuuga worried.
"I feel lightheaded," said Kuroko a bit weakly.
He was shaking slightly as well. Kirimi put her hands on his head. She felt sick in her stomach. It was a very unpleasant feeling. There was a sudden flash in her head, reminding her of the time she got injured. She quickly put that thought away.
"Get a first aid kit!" said Riko to Koganei.
"Are you ok?" asked Kagami, equally worried.
Kuroko gently took off Kirimi's hands, though he held onto them. He looked at Kagami.
"I'm fine. The game is just getting started…"
But before he could finish what he saying, Kuroko fainted. Kirimi hurriedly caught him before he fell. The churning in her stomach was only getting worse. It was like a dagger was inside Kirimi's stomach and somebody was twisting it round and round. Kise looked at Kuroko with a guilty face. He hadn't meant for this to happen at all.
He looked at Kirimi who was bending over Kuroko's resting figure worriedly. She looked so broken, so tattered. Kise felt another stab of guilt. The look on her face was sincere. She was sincerely worried about Kuroko. Kise had just thought she was some meddling kid. But she honestly did care about Kuroko. Kise felt his heart feel even guiltier when he saw what were unmistakably tears pricking Kirimi's eyes. He had been very rude to this girl, completely judging her off her appearance.
While the rest of Seirin were discussing on what to do, Kirimi was stroking Kuroko's soft light blue hair gently. Hyuuga looked at her. He put his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with a face full of sorrow.
"Don't worry, Kirimi-chan," he said confidently. "You just look after Kuroko. Your senpais will take care of the rest!"
"Hyuuga-senpai," whispered Kirimi, looking at him with tearful eyes.
Kirimi sniffed softly. She gave the best look she could to the seniors. It was up to them now. Riko looked at her. She saw Kirimi's eyes looking worriedly at Kuroko. Had she never seen him injured before? So she was a sensitive kid, huh, that Kirimi. Riko put her hand on Kirimi's hand.
"It's ok," she whispered. "Kuroko-kun's going to be alright,"
Kirimi looked at Riko gratefully. She went back to stroking Kuroko's hair. Riko watched Kirimi's expression. She looked so sweet right now, tending to Kuroko, looking like a real middle school girl. She was surrounded by a group of high school students that Riko treated her like one too.
To Kirimi, the match wasn't important right now. That time when her wrist had twitched, it had not been a coincidence. It was because Kirimi was reminded of the time she was had become injured. It had been a painful flashback. She did not want anyone to go through what she had. It was a stupid thought. Of course Kuroko was going to be alright, but Kirimi couldn't help it as she bit her lips and tears started accumulating in her eyes, making Kuroko, who was lying down in front of her, a blue blur. She tried to cry quietly. She didn't want to disturb Riko or any of the others.
Kirimi felt the tears trickling down her face now. She felt so angry at herself for two reasons. One, it was because of her plan that Kuroko was now lying down like this. She should have planned it better. She should've known that Kuroko being really close to Kise might result in an accident. The chance was slim, but it was there. She hadn't calculated things accurately. And this of course had resulted in the second reason, which was that the team was feeling pressure without Kuroko. It was indirectly her fault. She was shaking now, amidst her tears.
Then, she felt a soft, warm hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes.
Kuroko was looking up at her with a smile on his face.
"T-Tetsuya-kun?" stammered Kirimi, sniffing again, when she noticed something.
Her tears had fallen on Kuroko's face.
"I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up?" asked Kirimi, appalled.
"No you didn't, Kirimi-san, don't worry," said Kuroko, his voice feeble.
He was trying to wipe Kirimi's tears with his hands. Kirimi's eyes softened even more. She held his hand tightly.
"I'm really sorry, Tetsuya-kun," said Kirimi. "It's my fault that this happened,"
Kuroko shook his head.
"It's not your fault, Kirimi-san. If anything, I'm so proud of you," said Kuroko.
"Huh? Why?" asked Kirimi, her eyes widening.
Kuroko wiped away the last tear from Kirimi's eye.
"Isn't it obvious? It's because you're doing a wonderful job as my coach. You came up with a way to beat Kise-kun very quickly," he said.
A-Ah…
"I suppose I'm doing ok, but I still feel really guilty," said Kirimi, not looking at his eyes. "I should have come up with a better plan; I should have thought it out more carefully,"
"So?" said Kuroko. "We all make mistakes and we learn from them. You've only started being my coach very recently and yet you're already doing much better than I expected,"
"Really?" asked Kirimi with wide, hopeful eyes.
Kuroko had to smile again at her adorable childish face.
"Yes, really," he replied. "Don't worry. You're doing great,"
Kirimi felt warmth in her heart. Kuroko was being so sweet to her. She still felt guilty, but she felt better than before. In the past, whenever she had made a mistake in her studies, her parents had always put her down, making her feel like one mistake was the end of the world. Here, she had a second chance. And no one was mad at her, not even Riko. The best she could do now was support the team in the rest of the match. Kirimi smiled determinedly.
"That's the determined Kirimi-san I know," said Kuroko smiling up at her. "Are you better now?"
Kirimi nodded at him.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine now!" she said, clenching her fist and thumping it on her chest.
What an irony. Kuroko was the one who was injured yet he was comforting Kirimi. Kirimi had to sigh at herself. She had a long, long way to go. Still, she had made it this far.
There was a minute and a half left in the second quarter. The Seirin team was trying its best but their power was significantly reduced without Kuroko. Both teams were scoring, but Kaijo was still in the lead. The bench members could see this too.
"Coach, isn't there anything we can do?" asked Kawahara desperately.
"They don't have any energy left for plays after the first half's pace," said Riko, biting her lip. "If only we have Kuroko-kun…"
Kirimi felt Kuroko twitching beside her.
"Tetsuya-kun?" she asked as she watched him sit up.
"Very well," said Kuroko.
"Eh?" said Kirimi and Riko surprised.
"Wha-hey, Tetsuya-kun, what are you doing?" asked Kirimi, running up to him. "You're supposed to rest!"
Riko and the rest of the members on the bench were also staring at him.
"Good morning," said Kuroko with one eye closed. "I'll be going then,"
"Hey, wait!" said Riko, blocking his way. "What are you talking about?"
Kuroko gave her a slightly puzzled look.
"But you just told me to go," he said.
"I didn't tell you to do that, it just slipped out!"
"Then I'm going," said Kuroko bluntly.
"Tetsuya-kun!" said Kirimi, her emerald eyes looking at Kuroko, her face a mixture of confusion and worry. "Are you sure about this?"
Kuroko reached out and rubbed Kirimi's hair again, affectionately.
"If I can change anything by going out there, yes," he said, looking at her. "Besides, I made a promise with you and I also promised Kagami-kun that I would be his shadow,"
The members of Seirin looked at Riko who looked at Kirimi helplessly. Kirimi breathed in and breathed out. She was conflicted. On one hand, she didn't want to risk Kuroko getting hurt even more, that would make her feel really bad. But at the same time, she could sense the longing in his words and even though he was injured, there was fire in his eyes and that fire was now in Kirimi's eyes as well. Kirimi looked back at Riko.
"Let Tetsuya-kun play, Riko-chan," said Kirimi.
Riko's eyes widened.
"Kirimi-chan! You can't be serious!" she said.
Kirimi looked ahead at her with a serious face.
"If anything happens, I'll take responsibility for it as his coach, Riko-chan. So, please, let Tetsuya-kun play,"
Riko stared at her. Was this the same girl who had been unsure just a while ago? She looked so different now. She thought long and hard and finally sighed.
"Fine," said Riko finally. "But if I think Kuroko-kun's in trouble, I'm switching him out immediately, ok?"
"Thank you so much!" said Kirimi, bowing.
Soon, there was only a two point difference. But time was also running out. Kirimi looked at Kuroko and Kagami earnestly. And then, the magical moment happened. Hyuuga scored and both teams were even! Kirimi and Riko gave each other a hi-five.
The Kaijo regulars, the livid coach and the other spectators couldn't believe what was happening. In one corner, Kise was staring at Kirimi as she smiled and cheered for Kuroko. They were tied? There was no way. Was this little girl actually a serious threat then? Why was he realizing it only now? Despite her childish looks, despite all the things she had changed about how Kuroko played and despite how unbelievable she was, this was really happening, she actually was serious about being Kuroko's coach. He had seen her face and her reactions when Kuroko had been injured. She truly and genuinely cared about him. She had, in a way, deceived him.
He smirked, a sharp light forming in his eyes. Ayasaki Kirimi, huh. A small, average looking middle school girl…not. He had to hand it to her. She really had got him. He truly admired her efforts now. But they would still be in vain. Kaijo would win!
Kirimi felt a sudden chill. She looked at Kise. So did Kuroko and Kagami. Kasamatsu threw the ball to him which he caught in record speed. He passed Kuroko in a mere second, leaving Kuroko dumbfounded. Kuroko immediately went for the ball but Kise was suddenly wise to their ways, he shot straight through everyone and scored. Kirimi got up from her chair.
Kise had an extremely frightening look on his face right now.
"I won't lose," he said ferociously. "Not anyone, not even Kurokocchi,"
It was like it was going to be like the first half of the match all over again. Riko was shouting instructions to each player and Kirimi was cheering for everyone as well. It was once again back and forth. There was very little time left, less than thirty seconds.
"Go!" shouted Kirimi. "Go, go, Seirin! Tetsuya-kun, Kagami-kun!"
Kagami passed the ball to Kuroko, but Kise was sure this was some mistake because Kuroko couldn't shoot. He thought he was going to pass it back to Kagami. But Kuroko aimed the ball at the basket. Everyone was staring at the ball. There was less than two seconds left. Kagami and Kuroko were going for an alley-oop, but Kise was doing everything he could to make sure that didn't happen. But Kagami's jump was more powerful. Kise was slowly going back down while Kagami stayed up.
"I don't need you to return the favor!" shouted Kagami.
Kirimi gasped in awe. This…this…was this a buzzer beater? Kirimi had never thought that Kagami could do it. And Kuroko had believed in Kagami. Kagami made the last, final dunk. The referee's whistle blew.
Everyone was looking at the court with unbelievable expressions on their faces. Kise looked shocked and hurt, Kagami looked pumped, Kuroko looked a bit exhausted, Riko and the others still hadn't digested it and Kirimi…Kirimi simply stared at Kuroko and Kagami.
"All right!" yelled Kagami, punching his hands up in the air. In a minute, everyone else on the bench were running towards him. Riko gave the team a thumbs up. The players on the court returned the thumbs up. They couldn't believe that they had won. Kirimi evaded all others and ran to Kuroko. He looked at her. She gave him her best smile.
"We did it, Tetsuya-kun, we did it!" she said happily, clasping Kuroko's hands.
Kuroko was panting from exhaustion. It had been a tough game. It had been very tough. But they had done it, they had won. He looked at Kirimi and squeezed her hands in return.
"Yes, we did, Kirimi-san," said Kuroko, smiling back at her.
Kirimi gently approached Kuroko's head and touched the place where he was hurt. She still hadn't forgiven herself for this injury. Kuroko gently took her arm off again, though he held on to her hand.
"It's ok, Kirimi-san. It's ok," he reassured her.
Kirimi and Kuroko were gazing at each other in happiness.
"Oi, you two, Kuroko and Kirimi-chan, sorry to interrupt your touching moment, but we've got to round up!" he called.
"You'd think those two are dating or something!" whispered Tsuchida.
"Tsuchida!" hissed Izuki, his ears turning red. "They'll hear you!"
Kirimi and Kuroko jumped, both completely oblivious to Tsuchida's whispers.
"Waah! I'm so sorry!" said Kirimi, apologizing.
The Kaijo seniors were trying to take in the loss, but the one who was most affected by it was Kise. He watched Kirimi and Kuroko's interactions. His eyes focused on the purple haired girl. His mouth opened of its own accord.
"I…lost?" he said dazed.
He watched as other Seirin team members patted Kuroko's head and Kirimi laughing and smiling. Kise couldn't believe it. For the first time in his life, he had actually lost. Suddenly, he felt tears pricking his eyes.
"Huh? What?" he spluttered, unable to control the tears streaming down his face.
Kirimi, in the middle of her euphoria, saw something from the corner of her eye. The blond puppy, Kise Ryota was crying. But he didn't look like a puppy right now. He looked like a great big German shepherd crying over the loss of his beloved master. She could hear some Kaijo players who had been spectators commenting on Kise crying as well.
On one hand, Kirimi felt that Kise was being ridiculous, crying for something like this, when he had probably won so many other matches in his Teiko days. And yet, Kirimi couldn't help but feel that there was more to his crying than just losing this match.
Kirimi didn't understand it, but when she looked at Kise crying, she felt her heart squeeze lightly in pain. She couldn't figure out what it was, but for some reason, she wanted to talk to him. But she didn't know what she wanted to say to him. This feeling was so confusing.
Why was she here? She was here to help Kuroko realize his dream of making the Generation of Miracles come to enjoy basketball again. And yet, even after she had defeated one of them, it didn't feel right. Something was missing.
Both teams soon lined up, and Seirin were officially crowned the winners.
Soon, it was time for Seirin to head back home. Both captains, Hyuuga and Kasamatsu shook hands. Coach Takeuchi was seething as usual, while Riko was grinning like there was no tomorrow. Kirimi was just checking everything when something happened.
"Ahh!" yelped Riko.
"R-Riko-chan, what happened?" asked Kirimi, surprised.
Riko looked aghast.
"I can't find my smart phone! I must have left it back in the locker room!" she wailed.
"Ehhh?"
"Coach, are you serious?"
"This is unusual of you, Coach," said Kuroko.
"A-Ah, yeah, hehe," said Riko sheepishly. She had been so focused on smiling evilly at Kaijo's Coach that she had forgotten her smart phone.
"I'll go get it for you," volunteered Kirimi.
"Eh? Is that ok?" asked Hyuuga. "You should probably have someone else go with you, or you might get lost,"
"Don't worry, senpai," said Kirimi. "I have a good sense of direction,"
Hyuuga relented.
"Well, if you say so," he said. "Then see you in another fifteen minutes, Kirimi-chan!"
"Right, see you later!" called Kirimi as she went back inside the gym.
Kuroko stared after her.
"Huh? Speaking of which, where's Kise?" said someone after Kirimi had left.
Kuroko smiled. He felt that something good was going to happen.
Kirimi made her way back inside the complicated Kaijo gym and started retracing her steps. Her mind was still on the game and she was thinking of what a day it had been. Though there had been mishaps, and there though she had made some elementary mistakes, she really was doing her job as Kuroko's coach.
Two months ago, she would never have imagined herself in a position like this. This was a dream come true. Everything was going smoothly; everything was going the way she wanted it to. She was around basketball half of the time, she had a good friend like Kuroko and all the team members were really nice too, though Kagami could be a hot-headed idiot sometimes.
She had helped defeat Kise Ryota of the Generation of Miracles. She punched her fist in the air, but in mid-punch, Kise's crying face flashed in her head. Her eyebrows creased. She didn't feel completely happy, though she should be. They had defeated Kise, but was this really what she wanted, to crush him completely? No, Kirimi wanted him to learn the joys of playing basketball again. But had she done that by defeating him?
Kirimi had been so lost in her thoughts that she now found herself in an unfamiliar part of the gym. Kirimi cringed. Ah, so much for her good sense of direction. She did have one, but she had been so lost in her thoughts that-
-Sob-
Kirimi blinked. Huh?
-Sob, Sob-
Kirimi was now in front of the Kaijo team's locker room or at least, that was what the sign on top of the door said. She peeped inside. From what she could see, it looked like one of the Kaijo members who had been in the match was crying. Kise's crying face popped back in her head again. Before she could stop herself, she pushed open the door to the room. She found herself looking down at Kise, who looked a complete mess. He still had his uniform on, including his shoes. His shoulders were down and he was slumped against one of the lockers, tears streaming down his handsome face, his honey eyes in a blur.
"What are you doing?" asked Kirimi in shock.
Kise hiccupped and looked up.
"Huh? What are you doing here?" asked Kise groggily.
"I came here looking for…wait, never mind that! What do you think you're doing, Kise-kun? You're still in your uniform and you're drenched in sweat and tears! You've got to change into some other clothes or you'll catch a cold!" said Kirimi, forgetting her own troubled thoughts.
Kise sniffed.
"I don't care about all that. Just leave me alo…hey, what are you doing?"
Kirimi was rubbing gently at Kise's face with a ribbon that was a part of her outfit. She held his face with one hand dabbed at his face with another.
"Wha-What are you…? Stop, your ribbon will get dirty, I told you to leave me alone-" he said, ashamed that he was in such a state in front of a girl.
"Like I could do that after seeing you like this!" said Kirimi fiercely.
Kirimi continued to wipe his face. Kise looked at her. He had never cried in front of a girl before. But here he was in front of a girl in a terrible mess. He didn't want any girl to see him that way.
"Stop it, you're making me look even more pathetic than I already am," said Kise, his voice still groggy from crying.
"What you look like should be the least of your concerns right now!" retorted Kirimi.
Kise's eyes widened. He gradually stopped crying, thinking of what Kirimi had said just now. A girl who…didn't care about his looks?
Kirimi finally finished mopping up his face.
"There!" she said, satisfied. "You look much better now!"
Kise just stared at Kirimi like a goldfish.
"What?" asked Kirimi giving him a puzzled look.
Kise shook his head.
"No…it's just…well…I uh…I don't really know how to say it but, uh…thanks and uh, it's just the first time a girl said she doesn't care about my looks," said Kise, stuttering sheepishly.
Kirimi stared at him with a confused look.
"Huh?"
"Well, I'm a model so, you know, I…well…" said Kise awkwardly.
Kirimi looked at him for a few seconds and then chuckled.
"You must be much better if you've stopped crying and talking about modeling again," she said. "But seriously, who thinks about looks at a time like this?"
A lot of people, thought Kise.
"Anyway, you really should change into some warm clothes, or you really will catch a cold," said Kirimi, putting her ribbon in her pocket. "I should get going too-"
"Wait!" said Kise, grabbing her hand.
Kirimi looked back at him.
"What is it?" asked Kirimi.
Kise had so many things he wanted to ask, he didn't know where to start. What was she to Kuroko? Why was she with him? Who was she, really?
"Thanks for being so…nice," said Kise awkwardly at last.
Why was he finding it so difficult to talk to this girl? Words flowed out like water to others. But it felt like a cat had caught his tongue right now.
Kirimi's eyes widened.
"Think of it as an apology," said Kirimi after a few moments.
"An apology? An apology for what?" asked Kise, who was totally surprised by her answer.
Kirimi's eyes flitted to the ground.
"Well, when I first saw you, I honestly thought you were an annoying little blond puppy, but then I saw how you played basketball. And then I thought you were an arrogant, selfish puppy. And after that, I thought you were a cry baby puppy," said Kirimi with a straight face, totally serious, oblivious to how she was stabbing Kise's pride with every sentence.
"B-Blond puppy? That again," thought Kise.
"But," continued Kirimi, her eyes coming back to his face. "When I saw you play, I finally saw what your real skills were like, and while you're still annoying, you actually have an earnest side to you as well, especially in the last few minutes, you were amazing, you truly showed me that you really did have a personality totally opposite to what I thought. I apologize for underestimating you,"
Kise just stared at Kirimi, his face white.
"You just apologized to me while insulting me in the process!" said Kise, fake tears back again. "And you didn't mention my handsome looks at all!"
"Your looks have nothing to with anything I said," said Kirimi shortly.
Kise felt another big arrow stab him in the back. But strangely enough, he was smiling now. He had just been insulted left and right but he felt so happy. He started laughing. He hadn't laughed like this in a while. Blond puppy, cry baby puppy, arrogant puppy…how amusing! This feeling was refreshing. He felt a hundred percent better already.
"What are you laughing for?" asked Kirimi, slightly annoyed.
"No, it's just...well, I owe you an apology too, for underestimating you like that, because you know, looks can be deceiving," said Kise, smiling at Kirimi.
Kirimi's eyes widened again but then she broke into a smile as well.
"They sure can be deceiving, huh?" she said, her eyes softening. "I was deceived by you as well!"
Kise liked this girl. He'd never been insulted by a girl before and felt so good. Wait, did that make him a masochist?
Kirimi looked at him again.
"Kise-kun, I want to tell you something," she said, this time a bit serious.
"Sure, what is it, Kirimicchi?" asked Kise.
Kirimi fiddled with her skirt.
"This is long overdue, but you're probably wondering why I'm Tetsuya-kun's coach. I can't tell you everything just yet, but I, together with Tetsuya-kun have decided to teach the Generation of Miracles what is to love basketball again," said Kirimi.
Kise stared at Kirimi, his face serious now as well.
"So, I hope that this match with Tetsuya-kun get our message through," said Kirimi.
"And that is?" asked Kise.
"That winning isn't everything, that your teammates are important and that you'll re-think about the way you play basketball!"
She looked at him with earnest, hopeful eyes.
Kise found it hard to digest all this information all at once. This girl…Kirimicchi…just who was she really, and how much did she know about the Generation of Miracles that she wanted to do something so outrageous? And what was her purpose in doing this? But that was for another time. He smiled.
"I shouldn't be loving basketball right now since I just lost the practice match, but you know what, Kirimicchi? I feel great! I feel like practicing more with everyone right now, and I mean right now, since we have to get revenge and beat you guys at the Inter High," said Kise, grinning.
Kirimi felt the sense of loss in her evaporate when she saw Kise's expression. She felt extremely happy now, possibly as happy as the moment when they had won the match.
She smiled widely at Kise.
"I'm really glad to hear that," said Kirimi, smiling genuinely at him.
At that moment, the sun shined through the window and it illuminated Kirimi's face. Her green eyes shining like real emeralds, her bouncy lavender hair which looked as soft as silk and her smile which stretched a thousand miles, it was breathtaking. Kise was only now looking at Kirimi's features properly.
Then Kirimi looked at her watch.
"Ah, I'm getting late! Well, see you" said Kirimi, exiting the room.
Kise stared at the exit long after she had left. The girl…Kirimicchi…was actually pretty cute. He wasn't jealous of Kirimi having Kuroko anymore. If anything, it was the opposite. He wanted an adorable little personal coach too!
And thus ends chapter 6! Kise has found out Kirimi's worth, both in basketball as well as a person. In the next chapter, Kirimi might meet another member of the Generation of Miracles. Who will it be?
Review? :D Kuroko will pat your head if you do~