Chapter 3 "Welcome to the Team Seirin"

"You're still following me, huh?" Taiga said while he was continue walking.

"I said it before. We have the same way for our school." blue haired boy replied.

"There is lots of ways to Seirin. Just- use another."

"This is the shortest way from my house."

Taiga just shook his head in the meaning 'I won't deal with you anymore. Do whatever you want.'

ㅡㅇㅡ

After his classes, Taiga headed to gym for his practice. On the way he thought he heard a noise and looked behind as he was walking. No one was there.

"Did you hear that voice too?"

Taiga jumped and shout;

"JESUS!" with the unexpected voice came from next to him. When he turned his head, he saw blue haired boy.

"Don't do that! Are you a ghost or something?!"

"It's 'Phantom' actually.." smaller boy muttered.

Some bushes moved right behind them and they both looked at the same way.

"Do you have a twin?" asked Taiga just in case.

"No." Tetsuya Kuroko rolled his eyes.

Taiga raised his eyebrows at that move of his. He thought that the blue haired boy looked like human for a sec. He generally was thinking that Tetsuya Kuroko was a robot or at least a cyborg.

"Although I have an older brother." he added.

The bush moved again before Taiga could reply him. Then inside from it, a puppy came out. Tetsuya and the puppy stared at each other and blinked at the same time. Taiga couldn't believe the similarity between them. They had the exact same blue eyes.

Blue eyed puppy had black and white fur. It suddenly jumped on Kuroko and the boy coughed it perfectly. Tetsuya raised the puppy then said;

"It's a boy." plainly.

"You looked THERE?!"

"Yes. So I can name him correctly."

"You're adopting it?"

"He doesn't have a collar. So, yes." Kuroko replied.

After a brief thought;

"Name him Tetsuya 2." Kagami suggested.

"Why?"

"Cause he looks like you."

Tetsuya and the dog looked at each other and turned to Taiga at the same time.

"I can't see the similarity." Kuroko stated. Taiga looked at him blankly.

"Whatever. Just get him away from me."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't like dogs."

"Do you afraid of dogs?"

"No! I just don't like them." he gave a skeptical look to the puppy. The puppy blinked and looked at him innocently. Kuroko was holding him under his armpits. Blue haired boy held the puppy higher until he was in front of the giant red haired teen.

"But look at how cute he is."

Taiga took a step back and shouted;

"No! Get that away!"

Taiga ran and Tetsuya chased him with Tetsuya 2 in his arms until they reached the gym. Taiga was panting heavily when he got inside of the gym. His teammates looked at him a little surprised.

"What the hell happened to you?" Junpei, the captain, asked.

"I- the- the - it's- fucking Tetsuya- Kuroko." he answered between his breaths.

"Did he chased you..?" asked Shun, confused. Taiga only could nod.

"Okay, that's a little weird." Shinji said while Rinnosuke was nodding.

"Actually, I was just trying teach him not to get scared of my dog."

Everyone on the gym, including Taiga, screamed when they saw Kuroko suddenly.

"HOW- how did you do that?" Teppei asked.

"I thought I ditched you!" Kagami said.

"I knew you'd come here. So I came before you did." Kuroko replied.

"You came here before me?"

"How did you do that?!" Teppei asked again.

"Yes. I waited for you couple of minutes."

"Oh."

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" Teppei finally yelled. Tetsuya Kuroko turned to him calmly.

"Do what?"

All of the team members looked at him blankly.

"He is a real phantom." Shinji said with a half-scared cat-like face of his.

Tetsuya looked all of them then turned Taiga and held Tetsuya 2 in front of his face and said;

"Just pet him once."

Taiga automatically took a step backwards but then saw blue haired brat's pleading eyes and sighed at defeat. Without closing the gap between him and the dog, he reached for its head slowly and touched lightly. Tetsuya 2 raised his head and licked Taiga's finger with his tiny tongue. Taiga took off his hand quickly as screaming;

"He tried to eat my hand!"

"He liked you." Tetsuya smiled. Taiga stopped screaming and watched him as Tetsuya 2 licked Tetsuya Kuroko's cheek. Taiga suddenly turned his back at them;

"I better go find Riko." he said.

"I'm already here." Riko replied, next to him.

"Are you a phantom too?!"

Riko hit his head hardly then answered;

"You are just stupid enough not to look down for people who are shorter than you!"

Everyone nodded in agreement as they said;

"Giant freak."

"Idiot."

"Monster."

"Muscle brain."

"Anyways!" shouted Riko and silenced her team then continued;

"Why were you going to find me?"

"Uh.. The truth is, I was the one who wanted to talk to you, Riko Aida."

"Tetsuya Kuroko.." she murmured, hypnotized, then continued louder;

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Thank you. You too."

"So, what was the subject you wanted to talk about?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask if you have a place for another player."

Riko looked at him expressionlessly then screamed and hugged the blue haired boy who wasn't hugging her back, and shouted;

"We have a Miracle player too! Wohoo! YES!" and started singing randomly as the Seirin players stared at her in disbelief. But suddenly Riko shut up and let go of Tetsuya;

"Wait. You don't know our team, our players, their abilities and all. Why do you want to join our team?"

"The truth is, I wasn't just watching your practice-" Tetsuya began but Shinji cut-in;

"-You were watching Taiga." and Rinnosuke elbowed him to silence him. Tetsuya continued without giving the cat-like boy a reply.

"I was trying to understand your game style, your weaknesses and your abilities by coming here everyday before I make my decision. And in the end, I think I understood."

"Really?" asked Junpei skeptically.

Tetsuya turned to him.

"Junpei Hyuga. Captain of the Seirin High School Basketball Team. Highly successful in Run and Gun playing style. Best shooter in the team and has highly accurate rate in 3 pointers. Weakness: Short-temper but most successful when he is trapped.

Shun Izuki. As known as the Eagle because of his special mental skill called 'Eagle Eyes' which helps him visualize the court from any point and can see almost every player on the field.

Teppei Kiyoshi. One of the Uncrowned Kings. His nickname 'Iron Heart' comes from his strong defense and rebounds. Hardly demolishable.

Rinnosuke Mitobe. Center player. Calmest player on the team. Strong defense player.

Shinji Kaganei. Can shoot from any point on the court but has 50-50 accuracy rate.

Satoshi Tsuchida. All-around player but better at rebounds.

Koki Furibata. Point Guard.

Taiga Kagami." he said and Taiga and Tetsuya started each other for a while then blue haired boy continued;

"Naturally gifted ace player of the Seirin Team. All-around player. His special ability is jumping great heights and his physical strength. Weakness: Also, short-temper plus impatience. Has a potential for becoming like a Miracle player. That's why, I'm choosing you as my new 'Light'."

"As your what?" Taiga asked as everyone was looking at Tetsuya Kuroko with pure shock.

"I need a 'Light' to be a 'Shadow'."

"Tetsuya Kuroko was the Phantom passer of the Teiko's Generation of Miracles. He is practically invisible in the games because of his special ability of perfect misdirection such as the 'Vanishing Drive '. BUT to use his skills, he needs another teammate to distract the opponents." explained Riko.

"That is true. I call my partner my 'Light' and with that I become the 'Shadow'."

"But your previous.. uh, 'Light' was Daiki Aomine, right?" the girl asked him.

"Yes."

After his answer, everyone paused for a moment with anxiety.

"Isn't he.. the best shooter in our age? Or.. well, probably the best in Japan..?" Shun Izuki asked, confused, then continued with the same confusion;

"How can Kagami fill his position as the 'Light'?"

Riko nodded slowly, thoughtfully.

"I will be weaker than when I was with Aomine for sure." Tetsuya stated honestly and turned to face Taiga.

"I'm a supporting actor, a shadow. But a shadow will become darker if the light is stronger and it will make the white of the light stand out. As the shadow of the main actor, I will make you, the light, number 1 in Japan."

"Pfft! Yeah, right." Kagami laughed. Others had serious faces.

"Taiga,.. I think he is serious." Junpei said. Taiga's grin faded. Could he be serious?

"Uuh.." was all Kagami managed to say.

"Then Welcome to the Team Seirin!" Riko announced and everyone cheered.

After that, they went back to the practice. It was unbelievable how Taiga and Tetsuya fitted each other perfectly. But it was...

"Ouch!"

... sad that no one except Taiga could catch Tetsuya's passes.

"Sorry." the blue haired boy, now the team's passer, said, deadpan.

Although he had a fragile outlook and a very small built for a basketball player, his passes were unbelievably strong.

"Go easy on them a little, will you? We are not the Generation of Miracles." Riko requested, a bit upset.

"How can YOU catch the passes?!" Junpei yelled at Taiga.

"Don't think I'm enjoying it." he answered with tears waiting for fall down from his eyes.

The captain looked at his ace's inflamed hand and felt sincerely sorry for him. Riko had the same expression with Junpei before she said;

"Okay, Seirin. That's all for today. Go and change your sweaty shirts cause if anyone of you gets sick, I'll kill him."

While everyone was rushing towards changing rooms, Riko sighed;

"That's gonna be difficult."

To Be Continued~