Chapter 2: Two teamed school.

"Ugh..."

Tai was hunched over at his desk, surrounded by his teammates. Each one of them wore a dark red school uniform as they stood around in the classroom waiting for the teacher to appear.

"Yo! Stop groaning!" John demanded. "Its been two days."

"But she kicked us out..." Tai replied as he raised his head. "I was seconds away from playing Akashi and she came in and kicked us out. And the worst part is...she turned me down!"

{Flashback}

"This is it." Jeremy said once more as Akashi caught the inbounds pass from Atsushi. Eyes were lowered into a serious expression. The ten of them were focused, ready to go all out against each other. They were, until...

The doors swung open once more. "Hold it!" A woman's voice rung out, echoing into the gym. Everyone froze, except for Kagami and Kuroko. Kagami began running over with a smile. "Hey! Rik-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kagami found himself crouched down to the floor with a fist driving into his skull. "Who told you to open this gym?!" Riko yelled. Now stricken with fear, everyone pointed Kuroko's way. The only problem now was, that the phantom sixth man was no where to be found.

"What!?" Kagami and the others yelled in shock as Testsu was nowhere to be seen.

"I'll get him later!" Riko assured. "Until then, everyone out!"

Jeremy and Oba sighed simultaneously as Karlan began untying his shoes. "Well Tai, I guess you'll have to wait...Tai?"

John began looking around for the now missing point guard. "Where did he..!?" Helping him out, Jeremy tapped on John's shoulder, and then pointed to where Riko was standing. Now in disbelief, John palmed his own face at what he saw. It was Tai, crowding the now aggravated Riko.

"Are you a third year!?" Tai asked enthusiastically.

"I'm graduated." Riko responded. "I coach this team."

"Wow! You're the coach of the defending champs!? And you're a girl! A cute one too! Hey how about we-"

"No" Riko quickly cut the boy off from his question, walking off as she left Tai frozen in immediate heartbreak. The miracles (except Akashi since he wasn't easily amused) then began snickering towards him, belching out in a full laugh as Tai turned to yell at them.

{End Flashback}

The others began snickering again as Tai comically sulked into his desk. "It's not that funny." He muffled into his desk.

"It's pretty funny." Karlan replied, still holding his stomach from laughing. John then sat up, folding his arms over his chest as he spoke profoundly. "Alright, now that laughing at Tai is over, we need to find more capable members, or we'll be playing the entire game every game. We can't hold up like that."

"Why not?" Tai asked, not removing his head from the desk, but raising his hand to make sure he was acknowledged.

"Do you think you can play every minute of every game? You know what, don't answer that." John replied. "I know there's not a lot of us wearing this color of school uniform, but I'm sure if we can at least find three capable members.."

"Three Huh?" Jeremy asked while rubbing his chin. He then turned to the rest of the classroom, a mixture of boys and girls who were waiting for class to officially start. Jeremy then raised his right hand. "Oi! Anyone here love playing basketball!?"

John then snapped his eyes towards Jeremy. "Hey, don't make us look desperate!"

"And good! You have to be good!" Tai yelled as well, now standing by the comically enthusiastic small forward Jeremy. A silence went across the room, until a male stood up and bowed. "Hai! I love basketball!"

The team looked over, noticing the dark skinned male, about the same as Tai's height, if not then taller. "Hey!" Tai and Jeremy exclaimed with a large smile simultaneously.

"And your name is?" Karlan asked.

"My name is Sam." He replied. "I'm a point guard."

Tai kept a smile on his face - a very transparent one. It was easily noticeable that he was now bothered by the situation. "We would find a point guard first." He said to himself. John patted Tai on the shoulder, smiling back at Sam. "Sounds good! We have tryouts in one week! Are you in?"

"Of course!" Sam replied before taking his seat once more.

"Any others? In a more needed position?" Tai asked, causing John to slap him over the head.

"All positions are welcome!" Karlan exclaimed. Just then, a tall male then stood up from the back of the class. Karlan, Tai and Jeremy then both jumped back, flailing. "A giant!" The three yelled in unison. John then turned to Karlan yelling as well. "You're just as tall!"

The male raised his hand in a shy manner, turning his eyes to the floor as he spoke. "Hai...my name is Marcus. I'm from America but I'm studying abroad."

"Hey! Like us!" Oba shouted in response.

"Hai... I always wanted to join a team, but..."

"You don't know how to play basketball." John finished the statement with his prediction.

"Right.." Marcus sighed. "How did you know?"

"It's common in tall people of your nature." John replied. "But that's okay! Before the season truly starts, we can teach you the basics. All we need really is a back up for Karlan here."

Karlan grinned, giving a smug expression from John's comment. An expression that quickly washed away as John thumped Karlan on the back of his head.

"Alright!" Tai exclaimed. "It looks like that makes seven! That's good enough right?"

John huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd be more secure with at least eight or nine. Maybe ten."

"Heavy rotation." Jeremy muttered.

Outside of the classroom, a few familiar faces were peering inside. Kagami and Kuroko were lurking, Kagami's face nearly planted against the glass window as everyone continued to talk inside.

"Man, we're sharing a school with them!?" Kagami asked the obvious question. Kuroko, milkshake in hand and straw in mouth, continued sipping until he finally released the straw. "They're school is still under construction, but they were planned to start academics this year. They'll be here for a while."

"Man.." Kagami scratched the back of his head, looking down the hallway now as he marked all the classrooms that now technically didn't belong to Seirin. He then began walking away, noticing Kuroko already taking off and heading back to his classroom. "That means we'll have to share a gym too.."

"It shouldn't be a problem. We got a boost from the alumni for winning the Winter Cup." Kuroko easily responded, causing Kagami's face to scrunch in an unwanted agreement. "Right.." Kagami's only response for the next few seconds as they made their way to their own classes. "But, those five... It's like Aomine and the others are on the same team again with such caliber."

Suddenly, Kagami felt a slap against the back of his head. Letting out a pained yelp, Kagami turned to Kuroko, grabbing his collar. "What was that for!?"

"You're giving them too much credit. Either that or you're not giving us enough. They're good, but our team is better. If not, then we will be. I have faith in Sierin."

Rubbing the back of his head, the red head sighed, averting his eyes from his point guard. "Good point... I have faith as well, don't worry."

"I know you do, Kagami."

.

.

.

He sat alone at a park, on a lone bench as an abundance of school kids walked by him. Some of them began to whisper, recognizing their classmate as they walked by. He picked up a cigar, unwrapping the lone smoke stick as he pulled a lighter from his pocket. Holding the lighter up to the cigar, he lit it, inhaling the smoke as he held the flame alit. Pulling the cigar away, he exhaled the smoke into the air, a sigh of relief coming afterwards. "I don't see the big deal here." John stated to himself as he stared off into the distance, mostly towards the basketball court in front of him. The court was filled with randoms, adults and kids alike, all playing basketball with leisure. "We flew all the way to Japan, just to play against some urban legends in a high school tournament. We'll just dominate this one like we did home. I don't know who to curse: Tai for dragging me out here, or myself for actually going."

"The latter." John turned around to see Jeremy walking up behind him, his school bag hung over his shoulder as he stared towards John. "Smoking again huh?"

John sighed, and rolled the cigar around in his hands. He elected not to amuse Jeremy with an answer yet as he continued to stare at the basketball court and those who inhabited it.

"I'm not sure if this was worth the trip either you know." Jeremy continued. "Leaving everyone back home, just to play against these guys, who aren't even on the same team."

"Yeah-"

"But!" Jeremy exclaimed, cutting John off. "We're not just basketball players here. We're in a new country. There's things to see, people to meet, and cultures to learn. So let's make the most of it right?"

John took in another puff of his cigar. He then dropped it and ashed the cigar with his foot by stepping on it. "...Not interested. I told you guys, I'll play with you all, because you're my friends, but outside the states really isn't my thing. So let's get this season over with, so we can go home next year."

With that, John began walking off, Jeremy catching up to him as he now walked beside him. To keep the mood from staying gloomy, he smiled. "I wonder how bad the team will be without us next year?"

"We are the team," John replied. "So I'm sure they'll go from first, to worst in the matter of a school year."

.

.

.

"Another milkshake?" Kagami asked Kuroko as the two began walking away from their school grounds. Kuroko didn't answer, only continued drinking from the straw of his cup. Kagami huffed, but then tilted his head back, looking to the partly cloudy sky as they walked on. "Practice starts in a week. It's going to be weird without the former third years. Hyuga, Teppei..."

Kuroko nodded. "I'm sure someone will come along to take their place. If not, then we'll make due with what we have."

Kagami turned to Kuroko with a skeptical look. "You've been really smug lately, Kuroko. What's up with you?"

Taken back by the comment, Kuroko pulled his mouth away from the straw, turning to Kagami. "Am I? My apologies."

"Hai...it's nothing." Kagami arched a brow, now lifting his head as he heard a familiar sound coming towards them. The sound of a basketball being dribbled became louder and louder as he and Kuroko, who now heard it too, stood there in the midst of the sidewalk. Finally in view, was Tai. Tai then spotted the two as well, a stale expression turning into a joyful smile as he noticed them. "Oi!" The male called out, picking up the basketball and holding it by his side as he stood across from the duo. "What's up guys? Fancy seeing you two outside of school."

"Not really." Kuroko responded. "We go to the same school building, so we're bound to run into each other, right?"

Tai laughed, not really replying as he then turned to Kagami, staring with a smile at the split brows that glared back at him.

"So, the season is less than a month away. You guys excited? I'm sure we'll get to scrimmage each other before an actual game, so that'll be fun!"

"Yeah." Kagami replied. He looked the shorter male up and down once. "We're looking forward to it. Don't estimate me from that pick up game though. Seirin is a whole different team than that game."

"Oh?" Tai's smile turned into a grin, as he began spinning the ball on his finger. "So you're telling me, that your school, is stronger than all the miracles combined?"

Kagami hesitated, realizing what he just said, and realizing that it wasn't true at all. He was standing in front of the "general" of the five who seemed to be on par with the miracles. How were they supposed to fight against them on separate teams? He scowled, still unable to answer, which caused Tai's grin to widen. "You know, we came here because we heard about you guys. Even you two, Kagami and Kuroko. We took the entire summer to train for this, but it seems we trained...a little too hard. It'll be sad to see everyone; Akashi, Aomine, Kise, all of you, get blown out one by one during the cup."

Tai's grin remained evident, until he looked beside Kagami, realizing that Kuroko was gone. His eyes widened, and he could now just barely feel the presence of the phantom sixth man behind him, reaching for the ball.

"It seems your reputation precedes you, Phantom Sixth."

At the last second, Tai switched hands, moving the ball away from Kuroko's swipe just in time. Kuroko stumbled forward from the miss, landing next to Kagami. "Awkward. You were about to prove a point by taking this from me." Tai continued his grin, and then began walking past the two, dribbling once again. "See you two tomorrow."

As he left the duo, Tai's grin slowly turned into a concerned expression. "What was that!? I heard about it, but I completely lost sight of Tetsu Kuroko just then.

That's going to be a problem..."