So many reads, you guys! I'm so happy! This is my first time writing a basketball match, so please bear with it. If you have any suggestions, comment! I always read all of the comments (even if I don't reply... eheheh...)
Spoiler: Bonding time with Shintarō!
Happy readings~
"Line up!" calls the second-string coach, acting as the referee for this game. The second-string players line up on one side with the first-string player opposite. "Let's have a fair match, okay?" He motions for the player of each team who's going to tip off. Atsushi shuffles over to stand next to the referee, casting him under his shadow.
"Wah! He's so big!"
"There's no way we'll get this!"
"Remember who you're marking!" Shirogane reminds them. "Since this is a practice match, you can choose." She flashes them a peace sign. They sort out who they're supposed to defend, shifting their positions accordingly.
The coach blows his whistle and throws the ball high into the air, using much more force than necessary to accommodate for Murasakibara's height. Unsurprisingly, the giant gets the ball and smacks it over towards Shirogane's side.
Aomine catches it and begins to dribble.
"Let's do a run and gun!" Shirogane calls, sprinting towards the basket. The rest of the team complies and quickly follows. Aomine skillfully out maneuvers two of the players before being double-teamed. He glances around notices a flash of white hair to his left and passes it to Shirogane.
The white-haired girl snatches it a second before the opposite team does. Shirogane dribbles the ball between her legs, observing the situation. She takes a step back much to her guarder's confusion and tosses the ball high into the air. A grin slowly slides onto her face as she hears the familiar swishing noise of the ball against the net.
The referee blows his whistle, signalling a basket had been made.
"W-Wah... a three-pointer..."
"It didn't even touch the rim, either."
Shirogane grins, accepting high-fives from her teammate. She catches Midorima's brief admiring gaze before he abruptly turns around.
"Nice one, hime." Aomine laughs, jogging alongside his captain as they make their way back to defend. They trade a congratulatory fist bump.
"H-Hey! Don't call me that!" she wails, hearing the second and third-string players, who are watching, whisper amongst themselves. Aomine chortles mockingly before moving into position.
"Man-to-man defense! Don't let them make a basket!" Shirogane orders, getting back into the rhythm. Akashi hovers around the opponent who's dribbling the ball, unnerving him with his blank stare.
In a panic, the boy tries to get rid of the ball by shooting a three-pointer. It bounces off the rim.
"Atsushi, Daiki, rebound!" Shirogane calls. Daiki catches the rebound and sprints towards the other basket. Grinning, he outmaneuvers the scraggly defenders with flashy, complicated moves and slams the ball into the basket.
"Sugoi! What a beast!"
"Did you see how high he jumped?! That's abnormal for a first year!"
"Nice~!" Shirogane praises, patting the blue-haired player on the shoulder. "Man-to-man, again!" I've got to steal the ball before they try another three-pointer...
Shirogane stares at the third year opponent she's guarding before slightly tilting her weight to the left. The third year spots the opening and brushes past Shirogane's right side. She smirks.
The player dribbling the ball notices his unguarded teammate and passes him a shot. Much to everyone's surprise, the ball is intersected by Shirogane.
"Eh?! Where did she come from!?" the third year Shirogane was guarding yells in shock. "I passed you back there!"
"Tch, I'm pretty speedy. Try to catch up!" she laughs before rushing down the court, dribbling the ball in her left hand. She makes it inside the three-point line, only to be double-teamed by two tall second years.
"Shintarō!" she quickly passes to the green-haired player who's standing by the three-point line. He flashes her a small smirk before readying into a shooting position. Eh?! He can shoot from there, too?
Midorima makes an elegant three-pointer.
"Another three-pointer!?"
"What's up with these first years?!"
"Ne, ne. Didn't know you had it." she remarks, pleasantly surprised.
"Hm. Cancer is ranked second today, of course I will make it in." he replies, pushing up his glasses. Shirogane sweatdrops.
The second string players make a three-pointer, making the score 8-3. Shirogane takes the ball and dribbles past the halfway line before passing it Akashi. Murasakibara screens her defender, allowing her to slip past. Akashi and Shirogane continue passing rapidly back and forth, confusing their opponent.
Akashi performs a effortless layup, earning them another two points.
"Oi!" Shirogane pants, sweat dripping down her cheek as she dribbles the ball. "Alley-oop, Atsushi!" She throws the ball vaguely towards the basket, letting Murasakibara finish the job. The giant jumps explosively into the air, knocking his two defenders to the ground before slamming the ball through the hoop. The buzzer goes off, signalling the end of the game.
"Game! 44-28, first string!" the referee announces.
"Yatta!" Shirogane cheers along with Aomine. The three silent ones remain silent. "C'mon! Be happy that we won against out senpai!" she urges. Midorima cracks a smile while Akashi nods.
"Can I eat my snacks now?" Murasakibara drones, a chocolate bar already hanging from his lip.
"Eh?! Where'd you get that?!" Shirogane flinches in surprise. The only answer she receives is the crack of the chocolate breaking into pieces as they line up for the hand shakes.
"Where's that second year?" Aomine briefly wonders. He lazily balances a spinning basketball on his finger, staring at the orange blur. Shirogane shrugs, wiping her face off with a towel.
"He should be done with his laps by now..." she muses, tossing her teammates a towel each. Aomine's smacks against the basketball, sending it flying out of balance.
"Oi!" he shouts in protest. Shirogane sticks her tongue out mischievously. He growls lowly, eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement flashing in them.
"Tch, stop acting like children." Midorima sniffs, resting the towel around his neck. He pushes up his glasses, peering at the two through his lashes.
"Ne, ne! Shintarō! You're really good at making three-pointers! You'd make a strong shooting guard." she ends thoughtfully, already dreaming up basketball fantasies.
"Man proposes, God disposes. I am a man that proposes, I always carry my lucky item of the day with me as my horoscope says. That's why my shots never miss." the green-haired player lectures.
"... Nani?" Aomine questions blankly. "I don't get it."
Midorima sighs, aggravated. "Don't bother..." he mutters.
"... Right... Anyways! Awesome play, today, minna! Even though we haven't practiced at all together, we still won! Good thing is that I got a good sense as to what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are." Shirogane smiles proudly at her team members. Four different colored pairs of eyes stare back.
"Yes, I agree. However, today we will begin with drills and working on stamina and strength. I will later come up with individual practice plans for each of you." A large hand rests on the white-haired girl's shoulder. They all adjust to look at the coach with Haizaki standing behind him covered in a light sheen of sweat. The second year scowls, scanning the court in disgust.
"Tch. Only a sixteen point difference? What child's play." he scoffs lowly. Shirogane bristles but remains quiet under Sanada's stern gaze.
"Let's go." he orders, leading the first string players back to their secluded court.
For the next two hours, Sanada pushes the six players to their physical limit. Tiring them out with drills and games. The five first years put their all into the practice, determined to improve.
"Wah! I'm so sore...!" Shirogane groans quietly, laying her head tiredly on her desk. Murasakibara sits quietly in the seat next to her, munching on snacks as usual. "It's been a while since I've exercised like that..." she glances at the purple-haired giant when he doesn't reply.
"..." Murasakibara is sleeping while eating...! Eh?!
"So what do you make us, today?" Aomine asks eagerly, dropping his bag down next to his seat. He leans forward across the cafeteria table, peering into Shirogane's bag.
Momoi smacks him on the back of his head, causing him to faceplant onto the table. "Stop being such a pig, Dai-chan! Don't expect Riyeko-chan to feed you everday!" she scolds as Aomine rubs his head while mumbling nasty words under his breath.
"Oi, stop your yappin'. I gotta eat to play basketball!" he declares. Momoi narrows her pink eyes, ready to retort.
"It's fine, Satsuki-chan. I've already planned to make them lunch everyday!" Shirogane grins, pulling out a stack of bento boxes. Midorima frowns, in the middle of taking a bite of rice from his packaged lunch. He hadn't expected for his captain to make them food again.
The green-haired boy stiffens, feeling an ominous aura behind him. Slowly pivoting in his seat, he faces the white-haired girl with an evil grin plastered across her face.
"Uh..." Midorima stutters, trying to hide his bento. Shirogane promptly reaches around him and plucks the lunch out of his hands before throwing it somewhere behind her with a loud crash followed by a string of curses. Everyone at the table sweatdrops.
"Listen up! I'll be bringing you all lunch everyday, okay? No complaints." she announces, daring anyone with her pale eyes. All of the players quickly nod their heads, not wanting to anger their captain.
"Eto... Riyeko-chan, you don't have to make anything for me. I probably won't be eating with you guys everyday, anyways." Momoi cautiously voices. Shirogane shrugs before waving the pink-haired girl off.
"Eat lots! Get ready for a killer practice, today!" she beams happily before handing out their lunches. She watches them eat intently, making sure that they finish every single grain of rice.
Murasakibara tugs on her sleeve, drawing the attention of the white-haired girl. "Ri-chin, do you have dessert again?"
Shirogane scratches her head sheepishly. "Ah... Gomen, Atsushi, I didn't make any for today..." Murasakibara blinks, unable to comprehend the horrendous situation Shirogane had placed him in.
"..." The giant's aura darkens, heavy waves of black energy radiates off him.
"Eh, eh! Gomensai! I'll make sure to bring some tomorrow!" Shirogane squeaks. She watches with wide eyes as he reaches out a large hand towards her head. His hand easily engulfs her entire face, rendering her vision black.
"Ne... should we help...?" Aomine whispers worriedly towards the redhead seated across him.
"Atsushi won't do anything to harm Riyeko-hime like that." Akashi reassures the blue-haired player dully.
To everyone's mild surprise, Murasakibara pulls the petite girl into a crushing hug. He buries his face into her white curls like a small child.
"How am I going to survive without my treats, Ri-chin?" he whines. The other three could clearly see Shirogane's bright red ears. Aomine snickers quietly at the expense of his captain.
"Indecently embracing a girl like that in public..." Midorima mutters, pushing up his glasses.
"Ne... don't you have your own snacks?" Shirogane mumbles in embarrassment, feeling her entire face heat up. Murasakibara abruptly places her back into her seat and tears open a new bag of chips as if just realizing that he indeed did have his own food.
"..." Shirogane sits stock still, confused about what had just occurred. Akashi pats her head mechanically before returning to his food.
"Please welcome your new manager, Momoi Satsuki." Sanada introduces to the basketball team. The pink-haired girl bows with a small smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you all." she states cheerfully, already acquainted everyone in front of her. Haizaki was late, again.
"Eh?! You actually got the position, Satsuki?" Aomine teases, secretly proud for his friend.
"Tch, of course I did!" she barks.
Sanada clears his throat impatiently. "You all can introduce yourselves later. I have made practice regimes for each one of you. Shirogane, on the other hand, will practice with each of you individually." Shirogane nods in confirmation. "You will each be honing your strong points and strengthening your weak points. Momoi and I will supervise all of you from time to time. That's all."
"Yosh! Let's go!" The four players split into different gyms, each handed a sheet with their specifically designed practice routine lain out.
"Oi, Shintarō!" a feminine voice stops said male in his tracks. "I'm practicing with you today." Shirogane smiles, catching up to the tale player.
"I see." he replies shortly, adjusting his glasses with one hand. In his other hand is a bunch of fake lilies. Shirogane stares at them with an odd expression. "According to Oha-Asa, lilies are my lucky item for the day." Midorima explains, reading the girl's confused expression. She nods in understanding before grabbing his arm.
"C'mon, we're going to court six!" she exclaims, pulling on him.
"If I remember correctly, you're shooting skills are pretty good."
"Mm."
"How far away from the basket can you get your ball in?"
"... The three-point line."
"Hm... How high can you throw the ball while getting it in the basket?"
"... Nani?" the boy wonders briefly about the sanity of his captain.
"Nevermind. Show me one of your three-pointers."
Midorima catches the orange ball that's thrown at him before backing up to the three-point line. He crouches down while lifting the basketball into the air with his left hand on bottom. Jumping up, he flicks his wrist, sending the ball into a beautiful, spinning arc.
Swish. Thud. The boy stares expectantly at the girl beside him.
"Eh, try it while throwing it higher." she says. "Shoot it as high as you can while still making it in." Green eyes deadpan in confusion. Nonetheless, he grabs another ball and launches it into the air with more power.
Swish. Thud. Right as Midorima turns to face Shirogane, an orange projectile flies towards his face. He manages to catch the basketball with his quick reflexes. Frowning, he opens his mouth to ask the captain what she was doing. However, the pale girl wasn't even looking at him, she was staring at the net.
"Use your legs more. Launch it higher." she commands. The boy blinks before complying. This time the ball bounces on the rim before making it into the basket.
"Put more spin with your fingers and flick your wrist faster." Somehow, she knew just what he had done wrong without even looking at him. Shirogane was still looking at the net. Midorima continues to shoot ball after ball under her guidance.
"Alright, let's take a break from shooting." Shirogane finally says. Midorima pants, resting his hands on his bent knees. Sweat glistens in the light as it slides down his temple. "Go get some water." He jogs over to the water bottle resting on the bleachers. Hearing the noise of a basketball bouncing on the ground, he turns back towards the court.
Shirogane shoots from the halfway line. Midorima's eyes widen as the ball soars high above the court, almost brushing against the ceiling before rocketing straight through the basket.
"With enough practice, you will be able to make these, too." Shirogane informs the awed player watching her from a distance. "The higher the arc, the longer it takes. With your kind of accuracy and determination, you will be able to make the ball in every time. This extra time will allow the rest of us to set up defenses beforehand." Midorima could only nod, even more shocked at the planning the girl had done prior to their practice.
"Say, Shintarō, have you ever used weights before...?"
"Have you ever thought about bandaging your fingers?" Shirogane asks out of the blue. The training session had just finished. The two of them were both out of breath and had a sheen of sweat coating their skin. They had ended the day with a one-on-one game, which Shirogane won.
"Iie." Midorima replies after brief moment of silence. "Nande?"
"With your strength in shooting, you should protect those fingers of yours. Bandaging your fingers will reduce the stress on them during the day." she recites, holding up a finger with her eyes closed.
"..."
"Here, I have some with me right now!" The short girl beckons the boy to come closer, which he reluctantly does. She grabs his left hand with both of hers. Leaning over his fingers as she spins the cloth around them, her white ringlets block his view of her work.
Midorima could feel his face warm ever so slightly, unaccustomed to having a girl so close to him.
"There! You should invest in some bandages, too, Shintarō." she briefly admires her own handiwork before turning around to place the bandages back into her bag. The green-haired boy absentmindedly flexes his fingers, still feeling the lingering warmth that Shirogane had shared with him.
"Arigato, Shirogane." he mutters.
"No problem, Shintarō!"
Midorima glances down at his left hand, finally seeing the bandages that were wrapped around his fingers.
"..." He stares intensely at the innocent cloth encircling each of his fingers. "... Why do they have prints on them?" Midorima deadpans.
Shirogane stiffens as if caught at the scene of a crime. "Ahahah... Gomen, it was the only one I had..." She laughs nervously while sweatdropping, holding up a roll of white bandages with rubber duckies adorning them. The boy in front of her sighs but doesn't take them off as she had expected him to do.
"Whatever. Let's go."
"H-Hai!"