Monkey D. Writer: Haha~ But, you do know you can change your name, right? It's under "Account" and "Settings."
iiAnimeLover: Shweet~ I love all those anime! ^o^ Thanks for commenting again!
Spoiler: One big family
Happy readings~
The newcomer proved to be much more difficult to handle than Shirogane expected. He seemed to be everywhere on the court, scoring points and playing the core of the defense. Even Murasakibara had trouble blocking his shots and getting the rebound. Even though the Teikō first years were furiously stacking up points, Yon was slowly catching up. All thanks to some tardy player who carried the weight of his entire team.
The white-haired girl frowns pensively as the second quarter ends with Teikō ahead only by eight points. The five of them jog back to the bench, feeling their stamina steadily dropping as the game dragged on.
"Did you get his data, Satsuki-chan?" she asks, mopping her face with a towel. Tilting her head back to squirt water into her mouth, she glances at the manager out of the corner of her eye.
"Hai, thanks for stalling, Riyeko-chan." the pink-haired girl smiles appreciatively. Teikō's manager had told Shirogane to hold back in order to properly study Yon's number seventeen.
"Well? What is it? He's becoming really annoying." Aomine growls, glaring at the player. As if feeling the weight of his gaze, the newcomer turns around and stares directly back at the blue-haired player while conversing with his teammates.
"His stats are high in terms of strength and defense plays. But you can beat him easily if you start increase the pace of the game. Don't let them slow you down, his weakness is his speed. Which happens to be Riyeko-chan's strength!"
Sanada steps and offers a few words of advice before sending the team back, this time with Haizaki instead of Murasakibara.
"Heh, finally. Something to do." the arrogant second-year sneers, stretching his arms quickly before the start.
Yon begins with the ball, easily passing it to their ace, number seventeen.
"Box-and-one,!" Shirogane informs the team swiftly. They arrange themselves so that Aomine is playing one-on-one with seventeen while the other four box his teammates out. The blue-haired player slaps the ball into his possession before sprinting down the court with the other not far behind. He gracefully shoots one of his formless shots, flabbergasting Yon's ace.
"Good one, Daiki!" Shirogane shouts, nudging said person.
"Heh!" he grins, rubbing his nose with a finger proudly.
Seventeen retaliates with a flashy slam dunk, barrelling past Teikō's defenses. Haizaki scowls before snatching the ball and running full-tilt down the court and smashing ball into the net in retaliation.
"Hey! Wasn't that...?"
"Yeah, he just copied the move!"
Yon's ace frowns before jumping up to slam the ball into the basket, using his same move again. However, the ball rebounds off the backboard and into Teikō's awaiting hands. His jaw drops as she stares blankly at the basket.
"Eh?! I never miss that shot! What happened?!" he asks rhetorically, eyes wide in surprise.
"Tch. I didn't just copy your move, ya know. I stole it!" Haizaki snickers at the player's crestfallen expression. "You won't be able to dunk for the rest of the game!" he taunts. Shirogane rolls her eyes at his crude remarks. She promptly passes the ball to Midorima who shoots yet another three-pointer.
Yon passes the ball in to their ace, unsurprisingly, who goes for a lay up. Haizaki recklessly charges in and shoves the player in midair, sending him sprawling.
Tweet "Foul on white. Penalty shot." the referee signals.
"Oi! What are you doing?!" Aomine demands of his senpai.
"Tch. I don't have to explain shit to you. Stay out of my business." the ash-haired male sneers before setting up for the rebound.
"What unsightly behavior." Midorima remarks casually.
Shirogane sighs. "Haizaki. Aomine. Under the basket." They do as told without complaint.
Yon gets their free shot in, giving them another two points. Shirogane's eyebrows furrow, pale eyes flickering towards the scoreboard. 26-30
Despite their fatigue, the Teikō team pressed on. They slowly increased the rhythm of the game, ignoring their protesting bodies. However, their efforts were paying off and they could see Yon's ace tiring at a much faster rate. His plays were slowing down and his moves were becoming sloppy.
Shirogane shoots, using the fadeaway technique she had showed Aomine last week, earning them a buzzer beater.
"24-38 Teikō!"
"Thank you for the game!" the two teams bow towards each other before lining up for the handshake. The Yon players reign in their anger, miffed that they had lost to a bunch of first years, led by a girl furthermore. They grunted and stormed to their locker rooms.
"Yosh, minna! We did it!" the captain cheers. Despite exhausted from the game, she bounces enthusiastically around the court, congratulating her teammates. Haizaki mysteriously disappears before the girl could catch him.
Shirogane slams her body excitedly into Murasakibara's, causing the giant to huff from the impact. She cheers with him, the former doing much more of the cheering than the latter.
"Good play. However, there are still somethings you all could improve on. Last year, Yon competed in the eighth-finals last year, so the competition only get tougher." Sanada warns the team. "Go get changed."
The sweaty first-string players trudge into their designated rooms, groaning as they feel their muscles painfully stretch while walking. After a few minutes of idle chatter and the noise of rustling clothes, the doors to the locker room slam open. Five pairs of eyes shoot towards the entrance, wide in shock and mortification.
"Hime!?"
"What are you doing in the boy's locker room?!" Emphasis on 'boys.'
"Have you heard of privacy?!"
"Heh, nonsense! We're family!"
"What if we were naked?!"
"But you're not."
"Ne, Ri-chin is pretty brave."
"Oi! Don't go praising her!"
"Is there any decency with these people...?"
Akashi merely blinks, his arms half raised in middle of putting on his shirt. He blinks slowly, watching the girl with blank eyes as she teases Aomine who is only clad in his boxers.
"Just hurry up. I'm treating you all to ice cream after this!" Shirogane beams, rocking back and forth on her heels. Upon hearing this, Aomine and Murasakibara immediately hasten their movements.
Despite being in the same room with four half-naked boys, Shirogane felt at ease. The colorful basketball players were already growing on her and she didn't mind one bit. Although half of them wouldn't dare admit it aloud, their eccentric captain was growing on them as well.
"What flavors do you guys want?"
"Red bean."
"I'll take green tea."
"Orange for me!"
"... Shrimp flavored, Ri-chin."
"Eh? Is that even a flavor...?"
"Mhm."
"Are you sure you want to pay for all of this, Riyeko-hime?"
"Hai, hai, it's totally fine. Besides, you guys deser- Oi! Only pick one, Atsushi!"
"But, Ri-chin...!"
sigh
"I'm probably going to go broke after this, aren't I, Seijurō?"
"Most likely."
"Sanada-sensei, where is Riyeko?" Aomine asks the coach, spinning a basketball on his fingertip absentmindedly. The other turn to face him as well, all curiously awaiting an answer.
"She's attending the second-string's match. She will not be joining us in practice for today. However, I still expect the best from you all."
"Ah... of course." the tanned player scratches his head nervously as the man peers threateningly down at him through his spectacles. Without the white-haired girl's normal chipper attitude, the gym seemed much more somber than usual. The first years twitched, unused to the eerie quietness without their captain playing alongside.
Hurry and come back soon, Riyeko!
"How was the game yesterday, Ri-chin?" Murasakibara asks through a mouthful of mashed food. Shirogane smiles wearily.
"Not too bad. I only had to play in the last quarter for a bit. But I'm so tired!" As if to prove her point, the pale girl dramatically collapses on her desk. Her white curls fanned around her on the desk as her arms lay outstretched in front of her. "How was practice, Atsushi?"
The purple haired giant shudders uncharacteristically. "Without Ri-chin, Coach was super strict. We had to run a lot and I couldn't eat my snacks..." he whines. Shirogane giggles briefly.
"I'll make sure to not leave you guys alone too much, then."
Murasakibara nods approvingly, stroking the girl's white hair with child-like amusement.
"You better keep your promise, Ri-chin."
Teikō holds another tryout session for those who could be promoted or demoted amongst the strings.
Kuroko Tetsuya fails to move up.
"It appears that we are in Group 6 with Aichi and Nagano Junior High." Midorima reads aloud. He stares up at the giant bulletin board with a graph printed on it. The twenty-four teams who got into the Nationals are posted up on the paper in large font. They're split into eight groups, each with three.
"Ugh... We're going to have to play two games in one day..." Aomine yawns, arms stretching high into the air. "I'm already tired just thinkin' about it."
"I hope they'll actually be good teams here." Murasakibara munches loudly. He digs his hand into a plastic bag of snacks.
"Kon'nichiwa, sensei." Akashi bows towards the incoming coach. The other members mirror his movement.
"Kon'nichiwa, minna. Have you all changed?" Sanada questions, scanning the players.
"Ano... Where's hime?" Daiki asks, scratching his head. "We haven't seen her at all!"
The man raises a brow. "Shirogane? Ah, she won't be able to make it today. She has already informed me of so." he explains briefly.
"Eh? Not here...?" Daiki repeats in bewilderment. Their captain wouldn't miss a game, it wasn't like her. Especially one as important as the Nationals.
"She had an emergency to take care of. Do not worry about her, she wishes you all luck. Now, let's go. Don't disappoint even when your captain is not here." Sanada motions for them to follow him. The first-string and the reserve players trail after their coach. The first years are especially troubled by Shirogane's disappearance.
The buzzer goes off. Signalling the end of their second game.
"41-32! Teikō Junior High!"
"Thank you for the game!" They bow respectfully. The players clad in light blue and white drag themselves off the court amidst the crowd cheering.
Despite winning the game, they aren't as joyful as they thought they would have been. The four first years enter the locker room with solemn expressions, an eerie silence filling the room.
"It feels weird." Aomine comments out of the blue while pulling off his shorts. He has an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression across his face.
"Oh?" Akashi asks flatly, untying his shoes on a bench.
"It's coz Ri-chin isn't here..." Murasakibara whines. He rifles through his sports bag for his stash of food stored inside.
"I feel like she is going to burst in here any second now just to fool us." Midorima adds warily, eyes flickering towards the door. Their slightly mental captain had made it a tradition to barge into the boys locker rooms after every game, regardless if they were decent or not. She wasn't the type of girl to care.
"It's not the same, eh..." the blue-haired player sighs wistfully, picking at his jersey absentmindedly. He already misses the white-haired girl's bright chatter and soothing smiles.
"Let's just go." Akashi orders. He slings his bag over his shoulder before promptly exiting the locker room, letting the door bang shut behind him.
"... He feels the same as well."
"Hai."
"Ohayō, minna!" a feminine voice calls out. Five variously colored heads whip towards the voice, immediately identifying the familiar tune.
"Hime!"
The Teikō players charge towards their captain. Although some would rather die than admit it, they're all eager to greet the pale girl.
The white-haired girl smiles and waves at her teammates. Laughing brightly as Aomine tackles her into an enthusiastic hug, sweeping her off her feet.
"Daiki!" she squeals, struggling to maintain her grasp on the bag in her hands.
"We missed you!" he shouts with a wide grin breaking across his tanned face.
"Tch, speak for yourself." a green-haired boy clicks disapprovingly. He pushes up his glasses only to have two thin arms wrap around his waist, trapping his movements. Midorima stiffens at the unfamiliar warmth flooding his system.
"Ah... I missed you, too, Shintarō!" Shirogane cries into the player's stomach. Although she can't see it, the boy blushes a delicate shade of pink before coughing and pulling her off of him. Aomine chokes on his mirth.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." he mutters, gaze averted. Shirogane smiles cutely before turning to the next player.
"Seijurō! I hope they weren't too much of a pain to take care of!" she stifles a giggle.
"Hey!"
Shirogane engulfs the redhead in a hug as well. Standing on her tip toes, she is able to wrap her arms around the short boy's neck. A tiny smile betrays him as he gently pats his captain on the back.
"Glad you're back." he whispers so only she can hear. Her lips tug upwards as she squeezes him tighter.
"Ri-chin, Ri-chin! What about me? Did you bring me food?" Murasakibara yanks the white-haired girl off of Akashi, bringing her closer to him.
"Ahaha, hai, I did." She motions towards her bag. "I'll give them to you later, okay?" The giant nods his head obediently, carefully placing her back down on the ground.
"Stop making such a ruckus." a sharp voice cuts through their bubble, bringing them back to reality. "Go warm up. Shirogane, you'll be benched for the first game." Sanada shoots her a pointed look. The white-haired girl bows her head, disappointment floods her mind. Although, I can't say I didn't expect this. I'm not fit to play yet.
Per coach's request, Akashi leads the captain back to their bench and takes a seat next to her. He stares impassively as she closes her eyes with an inaudible sigh.
Now that all the excitement had died down, the redhead could see the weariness etched upon the girl's face. She had dark circles under eyes and her pale skin was even paler, if possible.
"Are you alright?" he asks bluntly, boring holes in the girl's cheek. She twitches slightly before sitting up. Her pale irises flutter open and watch her teammates warm up on the court, the nostalgic sound of basketballs hitting the ground fill her ears.
"Just a slight cold. No need to worry, Seijurō." she grins reassuringly, although this one more forced than the others.
Akashi raises a brow. Shirogane expertly ignores his dubious glance and continues to observe the others practice. The redhead doesn't believe her words at all. If it was "just a cold" as she had put it, she wouldn't have skipped out on the match yesterday. The girl he knew was stronger than that. She wouldn't have missed their game for something as trivial as that.
What are you hiding, Riyeko-hime?