Timeskip ~
ERI'S P.O.V
I won't tell you in full details on what happened during the Winter Cup tournament preliminary . Since the Rakuzan high won the championship of interhigh , they were now advanced at the Winter Cup : 1st round . ( a/n : I'm not really sure about this thing because when I searched about the Winter Cup tournament , Rakuzan wasn't mentioned during the preliminaries that's why I assumed that this thing happened . If I'm wrong ... well please forgive me )
This is it , the most awaited game . Looks like all the member of the " Generation of Miracles " made it here . It wasn't that suprising , though . All of the members of Generation of Miracles were strong though I haven't seen them play except their captain . I'm sure they're as strong as the rumors say .
We were at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium , as we walk in the hallway all of the eyes were on us , gossiping about this so-called the strongest team . And I was wondering , why I'm with then , to begin with ? I'm pretty sure that I'm not their manager or something . I'm just simply an errand girl so why I'm here ? I was suppose to cheer them from above the court while this redhead , mismatched eyed guy insisted me to tag along and I don't have any slightest clue what his reasons are .
" Takasugi ", manager Higuchi suddenly called out my name . As of now we were lining up in the enormous court to wait for the opening ceremony " Do you know where Akashi went ? Coach was looking for him ".
" Eh ? ... I saw him went out in this gymnasuim earlier ", I answered .
" Great , then go and get him back here ".
Before I could give him my complaints he was already gone out of my sight ' Seriously , what is the captain thinking ? And why do I need to find him ? I'm not his maid or something ".
~ sigh
Fine whatever ! I should go look for him maybe it might help me kill some time .
I already went outside the gymnasium , a few metres away , I saw a light blue , purple , dark blue , green , blond and red hair . Could it be ... those are the " Generation of Miracles " ? Then why are they gathering ? Is this some sort of a reunion ?
I hide behind the wall so that they will not saw me . But what an intense aura they have . I think they were having a conversation but I don't know what they were talking about . I barely heard their conversation from here . I'm not eavesdropping or something , I'm just curious why they are gathering at a time like this ? A day where they have an important game .
I saw Akashi walk down the stairs and I didn't know what happened next 'coz from the place where I hide , I hardly saw what's happening over there .
After a couple of minutes , Akashi went upstairs .
" And why are you hiding behind that wall , Eri ? I hope you're not eavesdropping at us ", he asked , gazing hardly at me .
After he said those words , I finally reveal myself to them while my arms were crossed over my chest " Stupid ! ", I retorted , my eyes were closed this time " As if I do such a - ", and when I feel like opening my eyes I was cutted off on my own sentence , when I see the guy infront of me " Eh ?! What happened in your ... hair ? ".
I was dumbfounded on what I saw . My mouth were slightly open and I can't manage to talk , something was wrong with my throat .
" Oh ! If it is Takasugicchi ! ", Kise blurted out . I can't even reacted on what Kise called me .
" Kise-kun , you know Takasugi-san ? ", Kuroko asked .
" So you also know her ! What a coincidence ! ".
" So you've also met her by coincidence ", the green haired guy Midorima Shintarou stated while adjusting his glasses .
" Eh ?! Midorimacchi too ?! ".
" So Akachin has his own babysitter too ", this time it was the purple haired guy who made a comment .
" Why did you cut ... your bangs ? ".
He didn't even answer my question instead he anwered me with question " Why are you here ? ".
" The coach was looking for you . You should go back inside as soon as possible ", I replied plainly .
" I see ", then with that he turned his back to me and proceeded away .
Before I could leave this area , I inclined my head to the rest of the member of the ' Generation of Miracles ' , a sign of respect " Ah Kise-kun ", I gaze him in the corner of my eye" Drop the " cchi " okay ? ", I said in happy-go-lucky tone but with a hint of irritation as I departed away .
" What took you so long , Eri ? ", Tomo asked as soon as I arrived at our meeting place inside the so that we can watch the game together .
" Ah my bad ", I quickly apologize while taking the vacant seat she saved for me " A lot of things happen ".
" Hmmm ... Is that so ? By the way , the game is about to start ", she completely dismissed our current topic " I guess its Seirin vs Touou ".
" So the two member of " Generation of Miracles " are about to clash once again ".
She gaze at me playfully " heh ... I didn't know that - ", I immediately cutted her off because I know what she was going to say .
" What ? Do you have any problem with that ? ", I said in a deep tone of voice .
" Uh ... no ", she jerked her head towards the court " I heard that Seirin was completely crushed during the interhigh , when they fought Touou Gakuen ".
My eyes were fixated at her , giving her a full attention " Then this is their time to get revenge ".
She nodded with a smile etched on her face " I wonder who will win this time ".
" A ~ re ? ".
" What's wrong , Tomo ? ", I asked .
" Is that ... Akashi - san ? But what happen on his hair . Since when did he change his hairsytle ".
' No , that's not it . He cutted it out of a whim ', I thought
I looked down where she was looking at and caught a redhead man who was on the court , leaning against the wall while his arms were crossed . His face was expressionless as ever . Is he looking forward to the game ? Or was he gathering some information towards his former teammates ?
" Hey Eri ", Tomo called me once again .
I change my attention to her so that I could hear what she was trying to say . Eversince the Touou Academy revealed themselves in the court , the crowd go wild , it seems that they are looking forward to this game .
" How many points will they score today ?! ".
" The rising tyrant , Touou Academy ! ".
" And prodigal scorer of the generation of miracles , Aomine Daiki ". And so on . Those are the comments I've heard in the crowd .
Well , who on earth doesn't want to look forward today's match ? It's Seirin vs. Tuouo . Everyone wants to see the Generation of Miracles play and guess what they've got under their sleeves . Of course they're also looking forward to the rest of the member on each teams .
She smiled and giggled " nothing " .
I gazed back at her , completely clueless on what on earth she was talking about .
" The game is about to start . Its tip off ", she said , her attention was now on the court .
While watching an intense game , my focus was on the ball . The ball was on Seirin's possesion when the ball got slipped in Seirin no. 5's hands and it was now in Touou's possesion as they scored the first basket . The next thing happened was the ball disappeared in a few seconds and appeared into Seirin's member . This scene was made me stood up .
" No way ! ".
" Oi ! Could you please sit down . You're not the only one whose watching the game , you know ", the random guy said from the back . I quickly apologize and take back my seat .
" What kind of pass was that ? ", Tomo commented " Ne Eri , did you see that ".
I nodded though my focus was still on the court . Whose technique was that ?
After an hour or so the game ended and Seirin wins . I never thought that Seirin could win against Touou I mean Aomine Daiki was like a monster . But it seems that Aomine found a player that could match his skills . He is also an amazing person it was also from their opponent earlier , it was Kagami Taiga . I could barely breathe during the one-on-one match between the aces of each team . Each of them entered the zone , after all .
In zone only a chosen player could enter at it , a player with an exceptional ability . I also heard that when you enter zone it will maximize your power and no one could stop you anymore .
His abilities could match against the member of the Generation of Miracles . I heard that they beat Kaijo during their pratice game . Maybe they are the one that could beat the Rakuzan . Its not that I hate my own team , I just want to make them realize that it is good to have a team who support each other , to make them encourage when they feel down just like Seirin .
Most of the member of Rakuzan basketball club were full of themselves to the point that they could abandon their teammate if one of them could make a mistake during the game , that's what I think . All they think is victory especially their team captain , Akashi .
I admit that they were good . I witnessed it during the training camp . I have no rights to lecture them because they are not the team I was expecting to . I'm just their mere errand girl who simply support them behind their back .
" Now that my job is done . Let's go home ", I stated as soon as I got the copy of recorded game between the game of Seirin and Touou .
" Eri , I was wondering ", Tomo began , we were actually walking at the hallway of the gym to depart away .
I focused my eyes on her .
" Why they were giving you such a heavy task ? ".
" Hm ? What do you mean ? ", I asked back .
" You're look more like a manager than a supporter . You notice it , didn't you ? ".
I chuckled " That's also what I think ".
As the day pass by , it seems that Seirin was making a progress . They always win in their matches . In 2nd round they win against Yosen , also a team with a member of Generation of Miracles , position : center , Murasakibara Atsushi . He has long arms that can easily block or rebound the ball though he doesn't have a passion for basketball . He still doing his duty as the ace of Yosen .
I never thought that Kuroko-kun can shoot . As far as I know , he is terrible at shooting . So how does he learn how to shoot within a few days or so . He can also use his misdirection in his shoot . But thats not the case , the Yosen can able to stop his incredible shooting especially the another ace , Himuro Tatsuya , he is the one who figured out the trick of Kuroko's shooting .
And now for the semi-finals , Rakuzan vs Shuutoku . Another game between two different team with a member of Generation of Miracles . Rakuzan was against the Veteran King and they were against the former member of Generation of Miracles , shooting guard namely Midorima Shintarou .
This is the first time that I will saw both strong facing each other . As I observe the game there's no doubt that every member of Generation of Miracles were monsters . I can't believe that Midorima can shoot from the center line . They could even stop Akashi's so called Emperor eye but it only lasted within a minute . Akashi broke through Midorima and Takao's combo and defeated them . No one could stop his monstrous ability . Shuutoku was totally defeated by the Rakuzan , who never defeated once .
In Kaijo vs Seirin game , Seirin won which scores to 80 - 81 .
And now for the finals , the most awaited game . Rakuzan vs. Seirin . I help everyone preparing their sports drink in a tumbler and towels . Afterwards , I went to the crowd where my friend Tomo is waiting . I wasn't allowed to go in the court . Only the manager , coach and some subtitute players are allowed inside .
The game starts and Seirin got the first basket . With Seirin's ace strength , he already made an unbelievable shot . He made a jump at the free throw line and dunked the ball with all of his strenght , no average people could've done that thing . Maybe he was in the zone already .
But Rakuzan didn't loose their composture . They scored back even if the other team scored twice in a row . The first quarter ended and both teams were tied .
Rakuzan turned over the table when the second quarter started and now they were leading the score , widening the gap .
In the 3rd quarter of the game when the team made a lot of mistakes . Akashi was on the opponent's hoop , not even budging . I forgave him that time that Akashi did something rude at Mayuzumi , making him a pawn in the game is out of the question just because Mayuzumi made a lot mistake ? I understand that but he should at least understand his teammate .
All of Akashi's teammate were on the other side of the court , fighting with all they've got . And then the ball was on Kagami's possesion , attempting to shoot . When his distance with Akashi was so close and even tried to dunk , Akashi raised his hand and swifly stole the ball without moving a muscle . This cause Kagami to fell on the court .
Rakuzan's captain take the opportunity and dash to the other side . Impossible how could he even do that ? He passed through all of his opponent and did it on his own . He even made a fake , pretending that he is going to shoot but when Seirin's #11 and # 7 blocked him , he crossed-over and made a lay- up shot .
I can't believe it . Does Akashi entered in the zone just now ?
And the crowd go wild .
" Tomo ", I called her as she shifted her gaze to me " I'll just go to the restroom ".
She nodded " Make sure you will come back . Don't ditch me okay ? ".
I replied her a quick nod .
I fasten my walk so that I could make into the court before a little break ended .
This is bad . I can't take it anymore . If I did it , a lot of people will probably hate me . It might also the readers . I don't have the rights to lecture him but ... what he was doing right now infuriates me . I know that I could attract a lot of attention if I do what I was planning to . If that happens I will silently accept the consequences for doing this .
I reached the entrance in the court and I saw the Rakuzan .
I inhaled loudly " AKASHIIII ! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING !? ".
Now all the eyes were on me even the other team who were taking their break are looking at me . In short I caught everyone's attention . I don't really care about my situation right now all of my eyes are fixated at those mismatched eyes . I dashed at him and grabbed his collar . Their manager tried to stop me but I ignored him " HOW COULD YOU ?! HOW COULD YOU ABANDON YOUR OWN TEAMMATE ?! YOU'RE THEIR CAPTAIN RIGHT ? EVEN IF THEY MADE A MISTAKE YOU SHOULD AT LEAST FORGIVE THEM ONCE . AND YOU EVEN USE MAYUZUMI ?! IS THAT WHAT A TEAM CAPTAIN DO ?! ".
" T- Takasugi would you please calm down ? We're fine as we are and besides Sei-chan is right . All of us disappointed him that's why we deserve it ", Mibuchi explained " So you should not stick your nose into someone else . It's not your business ".
" WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ?! MIBUCHI-SAN ", I asked him back . Why he is fine the way Akashi treat them now .
" We get warned by Akashi a few days ago before the game . We're not actually expecting this but ", Hayama stated but in the middle of his sentence , he paused , his hand was gripping the bottle tightly . He might be frustrated right now " What's done is done . We have nothing to do right now but to accept the reality ", he gazed me in the corner of his eye " Now go back to your seat , you're causing too much attention ".
I was shocked by these two . Mayuzumi and Nebuya remained silence and it seems that they're fine with it .
He glared at me as if I was a pest . He place his hand on my wrist , currently grabbing his wet collar because of a lot of sweats he made during the game , voilently taking it off but his hand remained on my wrist " You heard them , right ? Everyone were not strong enough to stop the other team . If this continues we were losing our sight of victory ... and that's what I plan to from the start . After what have they done I have no longer expectations at them . In fact I could play by myself . Victory is absolute . And no one could stop me ".
" You're the worst . Always seeking victory and yet you didn't even understand your teammates feelings . What you were doing makes me want to hate you even more . And you call yourself a captain ? Don't make me laugh , Akashi Seijuurou ", this time I face the other team on the other side of the court " SEIRIN YOU SHOULD WIN NO MATTER WHAT ! PLEASE BEAT AKASHI ! ", I could heard their gasped and murmurs along the crowd .
THIRD PERSON'S P.O.V
From the place here where the Touou Academy seated all of them reacted what the dark haired woman did .
" Woah ! What is woman thinking ? ", the bespectacled guy from Touou asked .
" That woman ", Aomine mumbled but Momoi heard her .
" Do you know her ? Aomine - kun ".
" Sort of . I only met her during the opening ceremony when Akashi summoned us . I think she is part of Akashi's team ", the dark blue haired guy explained .
" I never saw someone who tell to the other team to win the game instead of his own team . That's quite a girl ", Imayoshi commented with a smirk on his face .
" I'm sorry but maybe there's a reason behind it ", Sakurai stated .
" hmmm ... ", Imayoshi just said " but why are you apologizing , anyway ? ".
From the Seirin's bench , they all witnessed what is happening to the other side of the court . And a certain someone notices the girl on rampage .
" Takasugi - san ? ", Kuroko said .
From her attention on the other side of the court it was immediately shifted to the guy who said a name " hm ? You know her Kuroko - kun ? ", the brown haired manager asked . She looked like concern about it .
He nodded " She is an aquatance of mine . I bought her product a few months ago . A sweet product , in fact . Most of them Kagami ate it ".
" Oh ... that graham ball . Wait ! That's not the case here ", Kagami reacted .
" Anyway , I never expected that she saying that on us , who is not actually belong to our team ", Hyuuga interrupted . Changing the conversation .
" uh . Even if she say that it is given . We will definitely win ".
ERI'S P.O.V
Of course they will naturally get suprise because I'm part of the team who is asking the opponent to beat my team no matter what . This could be shocking .
" Oi ... whose side are you ? ", Hayama asked also shocked on what I did .
Unexpectedly , someone made me caught my attention and stopped making me attract a lot of attention " WHAT ARE YOU DOING ?! TAKASUGI ERI ! ", a familiar voice said . That voice that I known for a month , it belongs to my one and only friend Tomo .
She marched herself to reach me . As soon as she reach where I was , she took my wrist " Will you stop this already ?! Are not ashame of yourself ? You're causing a lot of attention . You should not do this in a crowd especially when they were in the important match ", she ranted at me on and on and I silently look at her .
She immediately inclined her head and apologize to the people especially the team .
I tcched before turning my back on the court , completely getting out of it .
When I'm tired of walking , I didn't even know that Tomo followed me . A hand hit my face , making me shock .
" WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING ? ERI . SEIRIN MUST WIN NO MATTER WHAT ? PLEASE BEAT AKASHI ? YOU'RE EVEN WORST THAN AKASHI ", her eyes are swelling due to frustration . Tomo is one of Rakuzan's fans and supporters and I couldn't blame her for getting mad at me " HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT IN OUR TEAM ?! AND YOU'RE EVEN PART OF THE CLUB . IS THAT YOUR PLAN FROM THE START ? YOU JOIN THE CLUB TO GET INFORMATION AND THEN PLANNING TO DEFEAT THE RAKUZAN ".
" huh ?! What are you saying ? That's not my intention from the start . I - ", i was cutted off .
" THAT'S ENOUGH . YOU'VE DISAPPOINTED ME . YOU BETRAYED THEM . NOW THAT YOU SHOW ME YOUR TRUE COLOR OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER . DON'T YOU DARE TO TALK TO ME EVER AGAIN ! ", with that she dashed , not even hearing my explanation .
Well , I said to myself earlier that I will silently accept the possible consequences . And now it is already happening . Seriously , this is way too fast . Now no one has left on me . My only friend hate me now . And I should prepare myself when the class started . Probably I made a lot of enemy . Maybe I'll just go back to where was I before .
After this scene , I didn't go back to the gym and instead I went home . After a few days , I learned that Rakuzan was defeated and Seirin took the championship .