So here is one quick update but I have to disappoint you, because from now on I won't be updating this quickly – I have 4 upcoming test in two weeks time and for each one I need to study a textbook that is at least 400 pages, so I will try to update once a week but I might not be able to… regretfully after those two weeks I still might not be able to update very often too because through the whole June I have final university exams for the year and then it's hell too, so until the end of June the chapters would be coming either once a week or even less and even if they would be coming once a week they would probably be shorter than the once I have been publishing this far.
I hope you enjoy this chapter and until next time. Review if you feel like it, it's always nice to read reviews and they make me want to write more of this story…
Chapter 8 – Winning or losing…
"So they are benching him..." Imayoshi said as he made his way on the court.
"It was probably pure luck that he was able to stop Aomine and his misdirection won't work very much now that Aomine was able to stop him, so he would have been just a hindrance." Wakamatsu stated right after Imayoshi.
'I never doubted his abilities, nor did I doubt just how amazing he is but I am more than well aware the he shouldn't come out in this match… We're saved countless times already by that small back. I have no doubt that if it comes to it he will same us in this game but that would put us in a tight spot with the next matches. Going on a game without a trump card with all of our moves down on the board against Japan's strongest teams isn't a win we would get easily. Beating Aomine doesn't matter anymore. This time I will save him." Were the thought Kagami was filled of as he stepped on the court and soon the match began again.
'Taiga-kun really is amazing… to think that he is more than handling himself against Aomine. I'm glad I stopped one of Aomine's formless shots, because it had started to look like Taiga believed that those shots were impossible to counter but it seems like after witnessing one of them being stopped that presumption was destroyed. Go and shine, Taiga – show Aomine how wrong he was when we stated that your light was too dim.' Kuroko thought as he watched the match until the quarter ended and smiled as he looked at Kagami's back.
Then he made his way out wanting to clear his head a bit but he was soon followed by Kagami who threw his jacked over his head and murmured "You'll get cold, idiot."
"Kagami-kun" Kuroko said as he turned toward Taiga.
"If you don't come back soon the second half will start." Kagami stated as he looked at Kuroko a bit worriedly.
"Sorry. I'll be there soon." Tetsuya apologized as he put his jacked on and smiled slightly at Kagami.
"Hey, what were you just thinking? It doesn't look like you need cheering up, but you didn't come up here just for some air." Kagami asked as he shortened the gap between them with a couple of steps.
"I wasn't thinking about anything complicated. I was thinking that I wanted to win this game. I have my promise to Momoi-san, I also want to continue to play this game with everyone, but also the truth is, I just want to see it again. Aomine-kun always played with a smile. He truly loved basketball. I don't intent to reject who he is now and condescend to him… Nor I want you to think I have feeling for him. I just… I just want to see Aomine-kun play with a smile again. If we win this game, maybe…" Kuroko said as he turned around.
"Who knows? People aren't that simple. I don't know if winning will change who he is. But losing definitely won't change anything. The only thing we can do is play as we can to win." Kagami said and Kuroko turned and smiled at him. Taiga ruffled his hair a bit and smiled then left him for a bit more time there.
When the third quarter started Kuroko made it on the court and that surprised a lot of people.
"Should he be playing? I was impressed he stopped one of Aomine's shots but Aomine stopped all his tries before that…just what more can he do?" Wakamatsu growled out as he noticed Kuroko.
Soon the match started and in seconds Aomine was about to make another 2 points but he bumped into Kuroko on his way for the hoop.
"If you can predict my movement, isn't the opposite true as well? I thought I showed that much before I was benched. We both spent that time together. We get along when it comes to basketball, Aomine-kun." Kuroko stated as he moved to his knees.
"You've done it now, Tetsu." Aomine said as he smirked at him.
Kagami went to Kuroko's side and expanded his hand to help him get up. "Sorry. Thanks. You saved me again." Kagami said.
"You're welcome." Kuroko said as he smiled and took Kagami's helping hand and got up.
As he got up he saw how Kagami was looking at Aomine and he tightened his hold on his hand, making him look at him, to which Kagami shook his head and smiled then let go.
'So captain can catch his Ignite pass, huh? They indeed have spent some good time training while I was gone!' Kagami thought as Hyuuga made another three points, sharing the surprise of his opponents.
Just as Seirin was starting to take control of the game Imayoshi marked Kuroko.
'I didn't plan for my misdirection to run down this soon but I guess we would make up something in the end. Damn, I did give Momoi credits but I didn't think she would come up with the perfect idea and person to shut me down like this… I can take him by surprise and bypass him if I use my speed and agility but I've already shown more than enough in this match… I can't let anymore… Let's be friends, my ass. Somehow he pisses me off! Damn, it's sooner than I thought but I guess it's time to run out of my misdirection fully… I just hope that they overflow wouldn't run my stamina dry too soon…Well let's surprise the hell out of everyone.' Kuroko thought as he looked at the ground and hidden behind his bangs he smiled. 'I might not show any more from my original style but I am still going to rise trouble for you, Touou, you counted Seirin for beaten way too soon.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. If anything you did quite well. You made it to the Winter Cup with a team of only first- and second-years. Things would have gone better if you'd had another year to prepare. Try again next year" Imayoshi said while smirking.
"We don't plan on waiting that long. We are going to go for it next year too! But this year isn't over yet, either. We will win now!" Kuroko stated loudly and moved his look from the ground to his mark, looking more serious than ever and so did each member of Seirin.
"Your misdirection trump card has run out of steam, too. Spirit alone won't change anything." Imayoshi stated with the smirk still on his face.
"That's not quite right. It didn't run out. We made it run out." Izuki stated with a smile.
"What?" Imayoshi asked with surprise clear on his face and then his eyes widen as Izuki pulled a Vanishing drive on him. "He disappeared! What?!" He exclaimed as he turned around and saw Izuki throw the ball in the ring.
"What just happened?" Wakamatsu exclaimed as he too, as many others in the gym, looked wide eyed.
"He didn't disappear, he erased him. It's a technique that can only be used when Kuroko-kun's misdirection runs out. Kuroko-kun's true form and final trump card of the misdirection style… Misdirection Overflow!" Riko stated as she smirked while looking at the game.
Point after point, Seirin started to shorten the gap in the score.
Flashback (in the locker room)
"You want to start in the third quarter? It will be tough playing without you, but will your misdirection last until the end of the game?" Hyuuga asked as he looked questionably at Kuroko, who shook his head.
"No, it won't." He declared and got a couple of 'what's from his teammates.
"What are you going to do after that?" Koganei asked as he looked at Kuroko.
"At this rate, isn't until the end of the third quarter the best we can hope for?" Tsuchida asked beside Koganei.
"I told you that I will run the misdirection style's course and this is the best way and time for my misdirection to run out. It will be easier for me to focus their gaze on me. We can use that to prevent them from looking away from me. It'll be as though a tenth player suddenly appeared on a nine-player court. Immediately afterwards will be easier to misdirect their gaze to myself. The team should match their plays to that." Kuroko said and everyone looked at him surprised.
End of Flashback
"Even if all that was true… it's still better than losing here. But counting the future down this soon… there is going to be some time before Seirin faces Touou again and until than we might have something even better to win against Touou with." Kuroko stated shutting everyone's complains off and making many look at him with surprise.
That quarter ended with Imayoshi's buzzer beater and that was surprising but it definitely didn't change Seirin's determination to win the game.
Sitting on the bench was more than obvious that overflow was slowly eating all of Kuroko's stamina and they all knew that it wouldn't be affective till the end of the game. They hadn't planned to use it until the beginning of the fourth quarter but Imayoshi marking Kuroko had forced them to do it sooner and using it for the time he had had was already starting to tire Kuroko mentally and physically.
"Would it be better if I started to use more force with my legs?"' Kiyoshi asked as he looked at the ground and everyone looked at him surprised.
"You're thinking too hard, idiot. That's not a good habit. You'd have more faith in us. This team is strong. You made this team!" Hyuuga stated and Kiyoshi looked wide eyed at everyone while they smiled at him.
"Okat… these are the last ten minutes. Let's win." Hyuuga said loudly and a loudly-er "Yeah" was the answer from everyone.
From the very first seconds of the game Hyuuga made a three pointer, showing that Seirin was far from giving up.
But Aomine had gotten more serious and in no time he made a shot quickly taking the lost points back. But that wasn't going to crush Seirin's spirit it was only going to make them more serious to shorten the gap in the points.
'Damn it… They really aren't letting us shorten the gap under ten points. To do it we have to shut Aomine down. This would work only once and it's going to make overflow die even faster but even if it is just once… we have to stop Aomine!' Kuroko thought and then went to Kagami and Kiyoshi, asking them to help him stop at least one of Aomine's shots.
The plan was good and worked but it indeed tired Kuroko even more. He knew it wouldn't work a second time but it felt good to be able to stop Touou's ace.
"I can't stop you, but Seirin will not lose!" Kuroko stated as he looked at Aomine, who smirked and replied.
"You've really done it now, Tetsu."
After shutting Aomine down, even if it was just one shot, Seirin shortened the gap to 6 points and then used zone press in try to do their best to stop Touou from making the gap bigger again and then they even made the gap shorten to 3 points but apparently facing such circumstances did something amazing to Aomine and he entered the zone.
'Shit this is bad… I don't almost any stamina left, so I can't do anything to help Taiga and he is indeed entering the zone!' Kuroko thought as he watched Aomine smirk while Hyuuga was making his three free shots.
"Thanks, Tetsu." Aomine said and Kuroko flinched.
Then Hyuuga's three shots ended and Kagami made his way to Kuroko's side, after seeing that he had frozen in one place and looking paler than ever.
"What is it?" He asked as he looked worriedly at Kuroko, who shook his head.
"This is bad… Aomine just entered the zone…" Kuroko whispered as he looked wide eyed and worriedly at Kagami, whose eyes widen too and cursed quietly.
"I will think of something." Taiga said and then he turned to go to Aomine's side, hoping to stop him but he didn't expect to be bypassed before he could even realize Aomine had moved at all.
Everyone's eyes had widen like a dinner plates and no one could believe what they were seeing.
Just as Seirin was shortening the gap… Aomine, having entered the zone, started to widen it again.
"Sempai, I need a favor." Kagami asked right after the time out started.
"Huh?" Hyuuga asked looking back at Kagami.
"Let me go one-on-one with Aomine."
"One-on-one? Three of you couldn't stop that monster. Do you have some kind of plan? Isn't it better for Kuroko to help you even if it means showing a bit more of his original style?" Koganei asked but Kuroko shook his head.
"Overflow took almost all of my stamina… As it is now I can't go on against Aomine, who is in the zone… if anything I will be only be on Kagami's way." Kuroko said as he looked at the ground.
"I don't have a plan but I will do it. I don't have the intentions of beating the Generations of Miracles alone now. If it would help the team win, I'd happily be benched. But I have to face him alone." Kagami said and that made Kuroko remember some of Aomine's words.
"Fine. You've two minutes. You're the ace. Do what you want." Hyuuga said as he put his hand on Taiga's shoulder.
"Captain…" Kagami said surprised.
"In the meantime we will go at them with everything we have. It's all on you, Kagami." Hyuuga said and then all entered the court with a new found determination, surprising everyone as they let Kagami handle Aomine all on his own.
'So overflow no longer works, huh?' Kuroko thought as Imayoshi stopped Izuki and send the ball away. 'This is the worst time for the ball to go out!' he thought and then run and threw himself so he could stop the ball from going out, throwing it at the hoop and Kiyoshi jumped to dunk it in.
"I can't let you pull away now. An ace carrying his teammates' wishes cannot lose. I believe in Kagami-kun." Tetsuya said as he got up and looked at Aomine.
'He will probably enter it too in the end… these circumstances are almost the same that drove me in the zone back then…' Kuroko thought and indeed Kagami soon entered the zone, stopping Aomine from making one more shot and surprising everyone once again.
"I take back what I aid, Kagami. You're the best." Aomine said as he looked at Taiga with so much excitement and a wide smirk on his face.
'To think that those two would be this amazing... No one of us can even try to make a point on our own.' Hyuuga thought as he looked the two aces play one-on-one.
The surprising conclusion was when Kagami was able to pass Aomine and shoot the ball in the ring, making the first couple of points for a minute.
It was true that Kagami was somewhat better than Aomine at this time and stopped him once from shooting at the ring while yelling "I will win!", but Daiki wasn't an amazing player for nothing and ended up shooting from a point anyone would think impossible for and ended up making 2 points in the last seconds but Seirin wasn't going to give up at the very last.
It was bad that Hyuuga couldn't make the three points and overflow was completely over but thanks to Kagami, passing the ball when Aomine stopped his dunk and with that finally archiving what he had tried to learn all summer, and Kiyoshi, who shot the ball at the ring while making Wakamatsu foul him and getting one free throw.
"Alright!" Seirin's players yelled as Kagami helped Kiyoshi to get up on his feets.
"Not bad." Aomine said as he smirked and yet slightly glared at Kagami.
"If we force an overflow then it would be our demise. We won't make the free throw. Then we'll steal the ball and score. It's the only way to win. We've given everything we have and are at our limit, but they've stamina and bench players to spare. Our loss is certain in an overtime game. However, with Kiyoshi shooting, Kagami and I will be rebounding. Naturally, I'll go for the ball with everything I have. But if anyone had a chance it's you, Kagami. Let's go. This is our last play. A battle for rebound!" Hyuuga stated and then everyone moved to their supposed places.
Kiyoshi indeed made the shot, so it would hit the ring and while Kagami too as planned got the ball but Aomine knocked it away from his hands just before he could dunk it. What no one expected was that Kuroko would calculate that and would get to the ball before anyone else would and punch it back at Kagami yelling loudly "There is only one person I believe will make the final shot! Kagami-kun!"
"Go, Kagami!" Every member of Seirin shouted right before he shoved the ball in the ring, successfully winning the game in Seirin's favor. Everyone inside the gym were looking wide eyed at this surprising ending of the game.
Every member of Seirin was either jumping, hugging and yelling loudly in happiness.
"I… lost? I see… I lost. I…" Aomine whispered as he looked astound.
"Line up." He referee said.
Kuroko staggered and Hyuuga worriedly called his name only to see Kagami catch him before he could fall.
"Are you okay?" Kagami asked worriedly as he moved Kuroko's hand behind his head and his own hand around Tetsuya's waist.
"Sheesh. You can barely with support. No one could tell who won now. But maybe that was for the best. The reason I lost was that difference." Aomine said as he looked at them but then he looked at the ground.
"Why are you acting like it's all over? Things are just getting started. Let's play again. I'll take you on." Kagami stated as he looked at Aomine a but tiredly, whose eyes widen but then he smiled.
"Shut up, idiot."
"Aomine-kun." Tetsuya said as he somewhat regained consciousness.
"You win, Tetsu." Daiki whispered as he looked at the ground.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" Kuroko asked and then expanded his hand in a fist "You still haven't my fist bump." He said and Aomine's eyes widen for a bit then he stepped back and forth.
"Who cares about that?" Daiki exclaimed.
"No. Try putting yourself in the shoes of the ignored." Tetsuya stated.
"Fine. This is the last time, though. Next time, I'll win." Aomine declared as he bumped their fist but Kuroko smirked.
"We would see about that…" He said with amused voice and Kagami smiled beside him.
"Seirin Hugh wins with a score of 101 to 100! Bow!" The referee stated as they lined up and after bowing everyone started to make their way out of the building.
Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it… Review if you have time to spare.
Damn, writing it first on a notebook (because I have to watch the anime or the manga while I write) and then typing it takes a long time…
Anyway I will try to update soon but I am not making any promises for when that would be…
So I will give you a tip – there is going to be a bit trouble in paradise and the next chapter probably won't contain any Yosen vs Seirin ….
See ya