Chapter 12: Rising and Falling
As Oarai practiced and trained between its first match and its second, its opponents did so as well. The weaker opponents hoped to improve their performance, however slightly. The stronger opponents hoped to become stronger still, and perhaps even take the championship. Those who had taken the championship before redoubled their efforts to regain their titles. Oarai was no longer an unknown, and would not be underestimated this time, so its road to the championship would be more difficult than ever.
Erika surveyed the tundra battlefield as her school's first match against Waffle ended in a decisive victory. Nearly all of the enemy's tanks had been disabled, while almost none of Black Forest's had taken any significant amount of damage..
A year ago, Erika would have simply dismissed Waffle as yet another unworthy contender. She would have concluded that their being matched against Black Forest was an unlikely but plausible outcome for them, and no amount of luck would have enabled them to triumph. This belief was influenced by Erika's belief in Black Forest's superiority, as well as both schools' track records.
But now, her perspective was beginning to shift, however slightly. Black Forest had lost to an underdog, but it was clear that while Waffle had the potential to accomplish a similar feat, they stood little chance of realizing that potential as they were. They had 20 tanks and enough members to crew them all, but tended to favor head-on assaults against their enemies. Against Black Forest, they were easily defeated by their opponent's superior tanks and better-trained crews. Oarai would not have gotten far with that tactic, perhaps even losing against Anzio.
Erika briefly recalled what Satoha had said at the tankery cafe, and shook her head reflexively. It was clear that while many schools saw Black Forest's recent defeat as an opportunity to advance their own standing and reach higher, few were willing or able to make the most of that opportunity.
Erika believed that her school had every right to regain their status as champions, so long as they were able to defeat any and all challengers for the title, along with those who had taken it from them before. The task ahead of her would require no small amount of effort, but since she hoped it would be her final gift to Black Forest, she was prepared to go that far, and hoped her subordinates would do the same.
Koume and Kuroko walked home after another long practice session. In addition to being drilled in how to work as a team and stay in formation, teams were also drilled on their individual skill. Neither was a substitute for practical experience, nor did either of them necessarily prepare them for unexpected situations, but Black Forest put emphasis on training its members.
But while Black Forest had kept its standards high and its resolve to win remained the same, something had changed. Koume and Kuroko's current conversation was for the purpose of trying to determine the nature of this change and its cause. The two had risen to become co-vice captains in their final year of high school, but because they had never studied at the Nishizumi school, and were only now starting to help command the team, they felt like outsiders as far as some of the team's issues went.
"I must say, I find this odd, Koume-san," Kuroko said. "The coach is still fairly strict, but she isn't as exacting as she was after our defeat last year. She's asking as much of us as she had before, but she's not threatening anyone with expulsion from the team. I'm not sure what to make of it."
"Well, she hasn't gone soft," Koume said. "It's more that she's expecting us to persist, to endure and learn from our mistakes. That must be why she didn't eject me from the team, even when my tank falling into the river set off the chain of events that cost us the championship two years ago."
"That may be so," Kuroko said. "But as far as I know, Black Forest has never been the type to accept defeats like this, even among those who have never gone to the Nishizumi school. They're still as devoted to winning as ever, and think of it as restarting the streak."
"Perhaps, Kuroko-san," Koume said. "But I think even Commander Itsumi and Coach Kubo realize that adopting this mindset and learning from their mistakes is necessary if they hope to win at all."
"Indeed," Kuroko said. "But I think the reasons they want us to win are different than the reasons we want to win."
Koume nodded.
"Miho-san may never have believed in her family's style of tankery, but she always tried her hardest to help us win," Koume said. "I hope to do what I can as well, both as a way of atoning for my mistake two years ago, which forced Miho-san to make the decision that she did, and for its own sake."
"I know what you mean," Kuroko said. "Miho-san told me that she did not blame me for not speaking out in her defense, but that does not change my belief that I should have done so. In fulfilling my obligations to the team, I want to be of use to this team, serving well enough that I can graduate without any regrets."
Koume silently agreed. The last year of high school was often an impetus for students in clubs to be ambitious while they still could. One of Koume's former crewmates had a cousin who went to Continuance, and was fully prepared to face Black Forest the previous year, in a last attempt to dethrone the champion. In spite of losing, neither that girl nor the rest of her team had any regrets about the outcome, and were glad to have made the most of their remaining time at the school and on the team.
Koume realized that the Nishizumi school and Black Forest were less favorable toward defeat, and would not be content with merely trying hard, even if she, as someone who never studied under the Nishizumi school, did not share those values. She saw trying hard as her duty toward the team, for the sake of her friends and making up for her mistake in her first year.
"We all have our reasons to try hard, Commander," Koume thought. "Rest assured I will not go down easily against Pravda, Oarai or any of our other opponents."
In Black Forest's tankery garage, the three remaining members of Teru's crew- Oohoshi Awai, the driver; Matano Seiko, the loader; and Shibuya Takami, the radio operator; had lunch together. They had a new commander and gunner, but their relationship with them was strictly professional, unlike Awai and Takami, who had been friends for many years, and Seiko, who had more recently befriended the two, so the three girls ate together and left the other two to their own devices.
"So how are both of you feeling about this new atmosphere at Black Forest?" Takami said.
"I don't see any differences from usual," Awai said. "As always, you have to meet their standards to stay on the team. It's as simple as that, and no problem for me."
Seiko merely shrugged. She was never as confident in her own skills as Awai was, believing that she was only barely keeping up, but this was beside the point. Awai's statement of what was expected of them, while still largely true, was no longer the entire truth.
"I'm honestly no longer sure whether it's still the same team we know, Awai," Seiko said. "I had been expecting some sort of crackdown after the last defeat, so I was surprised when it never came."
"Perhaps it no longer serves the coach's purposes," Takami said. "It's generally more effective to remove a team member who is a potential liability before problems start, rather than after the games. Furthermore, since we did not lose as the result of one person or team's actions, a great many people, including otherwise promising members, might be held accountable, and it would not seem very practical to punish them all."
"You might be right, Takami," Seiko said. "I have been listening to the rumors, and people are wondering whether Black Forest has lost its touch. Others, however, aren't willing to accept that, and among many of them, the finger of blame falls on the coach. If anything, she's making one last desperate bid to get us back on top and keep her job."
A somber silence descended on the three. They were among what might be considered the enlisted women of Black Forest, and were not privy to the private discussions and inner politicking of the higher-ranked members. They could only do their best to fulfill Black Forest's high standards, knowing, not unlike what they always knew, that their efforts had ramifications for many people other than themselves.
In her apartment on the Black Forest school ship, Kubo Takako, coach of the tankery team, went about her morning routine. Her apartment was sparsely decorated, but one could see a great many personal touches- pictures of herself and her friends, posters about tankery and more- that indicated that tankery was not just a job for her, but a great personal passion.
Takako opened her closet and picked out her outfit for the day, a dark and conservative business suit. Black Forest had a strict dress code for faculty, to the point at which some believed the adults essentially wore a uniform just like the students did.
On her way in, several students called out to her to greet her in the morning, and Takako responded with a subdued hello for the sake of politeness. Takako made every effort to remain professional, and this included avoiding giving the impression that she was fraternizing with the students.
Takako unlocked and went into her office, which was filled with books, references and material she needed to do her job as coach, things that would just as likely be found in her predecessors' offices. The sole identifying trait in it was a professional office plaque with her name on it.
Of course, while Black Forest was strict with its employees, it also treated them well. The school paid generously, was considered highly prestigious in terms of academics, and those who knew what they were getting into and could meet the school's expectations were generally completely satisfied with their job, not unlike how their students were proud to be part of the school.
In some regards, while Takako had gone from a student to a teacher, her feelings about the school had not changed. She sought to do her best out of loyalty to her alma mater and her employer, which meant ensuring that Black Forest regained the championship.
Takako recognized that she shared that sentiment with the most unlikely of individuals; Akado Harue, coach of Saunders. When they met during the convention, Harue had disagreed with many of Takako's other opinions, and struck up a friendship with the like-minded Masae. Of course, one lesson Masae had learned was how much she had in common with the people she disagreed with, and how many people with similar teachings and experiences had very different personalities and worldviews.
Still, one thing was clear to her. She could no longer imagine Black Forest as the only "serious" contender in the tournament. She had to take all her school's foes seriously, even the ones Black Forest had easily defeated, if Black Forest hoped to regain its status as champion.
Chihatan's match against Viking Marine School was next. The match was relatively long, and devolved into a stalemate, but a breach in Viking Marine School's lines enabled Chihatan to regain the advantage in the last fifth of the match. Viking Marine School's position became untenable, and before long, Chihatan was able to get a disabling shot on their flag tank.
"Chihatan wins the match!" the announcer said.
After Chihatan's victory, Komaki turned to the rest of the team, a significant portion of which consisted of her distant relatives. While Komaki's extended family did not have the same expectations as the Nishizumi school, nor did it have their record of success, Komaki still felt indebted to her teammates, and so strive as hard as possible.
"Good work everyone," Komaki said. "I am quite pleased that we were able to triumph against Viking Marine School this time, given that our school has usually fared poorly against them."
The others nodded in agreement. Most schools had accepted that it was normal to regularly lose against Black Forest, but losing repeatedly against a school with a lower quality team, like Viking Marine School, could be demoralizing. For Chihatan, their victory was a significant triumph in many ways, although they realized they had many battles ahead of them.
"Yes, it was quite nice winning this round," Kariujuku Tomoe said."Unfortunately, it seems we have Black Forest next,"
"That may be so, but they are no longer an insurmountable obstacle," Komaki said. "Pravda has defeated them, and Oarai has as well, so we may yet be able to do the same. Our chances are slim, but they are not nonexistent, so we should seize this opportunity and make the most of it."
"They still seem so intimidating, though," Iwato Akise, Kasumi's younger sister, and Komaki's first cousin, said. "I've trained for years, and I still don't feel ready."
"They're only human, in the end," Takimi Haru said. "Aunt Yoshiko is friends with a fellow officer who's one of their alumni. Instructor Chouno is cheerful, personable and enjoys teaching others from all walks of life, not just the elite who meet the Nishizumi school's standards."
Komaki smiled as she remembered Ami, who had never felt intimidated around her. Regardless of whether it was in awe of her position, a desire to curry her parents' favor, or fear of what would happen if they stepped out of line, it was often difficult for Komaki to have normal interactions with others from her family. Because Kasumi was one of those who treated Komaki more like a friend than a princess, the two girls were quite close.
In spite of her position, Komaki thought of herself as, in many ways, yet another Chihatan tanker striving to play her own role well, in order to achieve the goal that the team shared. It was pleasant to be able to overcome the odds, and Komaki hoped she would do better than last time against Black Forest, in hopes of winning.
Meanwhile, in Saunders, Arata and her teammates ate with Harue at a local restaurant that, while not a fast food place, was still casual enough that it was popular among the Saunders students. The subject turned to how some of the alumni, whose first year under Harue had also been their last, were doing.
"How's Yuu been doing at her new university?" Harue said.
"Fairly well, for the most part," Kuro said. "She's doing well in her classes and in tankery, although she's had to adjust a bit to the latter. The instructor's fairly strict, more so than any of her past coaches."
"That's hardly surprising," Harue said. "I've always known that Saunders does things quite differently than many other schools, and had a conversation some time ago with some professionals who have different views. Even Masae-san, who has her own differences with the Nishizumi school, is a bit stricter than most. She once suggested that it might have been best to start off as slightly tough with you all, loosening up as I deemed it appropriate, although she conceded that I shouldn't crack down if what I'm doing is working.."
"But for the most part, you didn't do that, did you, Haru-chan?" Arata said. As she spoke, she adjusted her uniform's red necktie, a deviation from the dress code that would have gotten her sent home at other schools, but which was tolerated by Saunders' faculty and disciplinary committee.
Recognizing the qualifier and its implications, Harue nodded. For the most part, Arata and others like her addressing Harue with this degree of familiarity did not raise many eyebrows at Saunders, which had relatively relaxed standards on such matters. But Saunders was often serious, and there were times when Harue had to dress and act the part of Saunders' coach, wearing a suit rather than business casual, and referring to students by their last names and "-san," rather than their first names.
"No, I didn't," Harue said. "I may have been new, but I was essentially taking over for Tezuka-sensei, and inherited the system she had set up, as well as the precedent she had established. Masae-san, as founder of her school, understood my situation. Her daughter, Hiroe, has similar plans in mind; working with her mother's framework in a way that fits her abilities and the circumstances."
"So where does that leave Nodoka and Nishizumi-san?" Ako said. "Oarai had a tankery team in the past, but that's practically ancient history. It'd be one thing if there were people at the school who remember the team and expect it to be run that way, but there aren't any such people. Everyone was new to the team last year, and most except for Nodoka, her friends and Nishizumi-san, hadn't even done tankery at all before coming to Oarai."
"They're at the same point Saunders was a few years before I arrived there as a student," Harue said. "They're an up-and-coming team with a promising start, doing what they can to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder of sorts. The school closest to their situation is Rinkai... which happens to be our next opponent."
The table's mood turned unusually somber. They had hoped that Rinkai would prove to be unworthy of the hype, as while Bosporu was one of the weakest schools that competed in the tournament, Continuance was a decent contender. In the end, Rinkai had easily defeated both of its opponents, and if Saunders was not careful, they would be the next to fall.
"This might be difficult," Kuro said. "It's another up-and-coming team with a mixed variety of tanks and leaders who are experienced in tankery."
"But at the same time, we have a lot going for us," Shizuno said. "Not only do we have a lot of strong tanks and tankers, but we're determined to put the effort in where it counts."
Harue smiled. Saunders was no longer a newcomer to tankery, but it had yet to earn a championship. In spite of that, Shizuno was correct, and as long as she and her friends kept improving while keeping their spirit, they would likely succeed one day.
Elsewhere, back at Rinkai, Satoha and Emi returned after practice, and met with their coach, Alexandra Windheim, a woman with platinum-blonde hair and an dark business suit.
"We're coming in," Satoha and Emi said as they stepped into the office.
"Hello Satoha, Emi," Alexandra said. "Did you have a chance to look at the recording I sent you, of BC Freedom vs. Blue Division?"
"We did, Coach," Satoha said. "They're both doing better than last year, but they're not at our level yet. I can see why BC Freedom lost to Oarai in their practice match."
Alexandra nodded. While Rinkai had many strong exchange students from other countries who had tankery experience, most of the native Japanese students on the team had never done tankery before. Under the tutelage of the more experienced members, they had learned surprisingly quickly, enough to have an edge on most people with comparable levels of experience among their rivals, even if they were a far cry from many of the transfer students and their crews.
"It seems as though the tournament is largely going as I expected it would," Alexandra said. "So far, there haven't been any unexpected eliminations... save one."
"St. Gloriana?" Emi said.
"Precisely," Alexandra said. "Koala Forest isn't incompetent, per se, but I didn't expect them to be able to win."
"It's surprises like those that make the tournament fun to watch, Coach," Satoha said. "Underdog victories may be special because they're rare, but it's always fun to watch a match when you're not certain who is going to win."
"Yeah, I agree with Satoha," Emi said. "Oarai may be the school I'm most rooting for besides ours, but I'd like Miho to have to work for her victories."
Hisa and Mihoko left the stands, still processing what they had seen. Koala Forest had, through a series of carefully calculated strikes, whittled down the St. Gloriana forces while staying mobile, before finishing off the flag tank. In the end, the result had seemed inevitable, even if it was one that Hisa and Mihoko had barely considered possible at the outset.
"I can hardly believe it..." Mihoko said. "We had trained hard since last year, so we should have been able to defeat Koala Forest."
Mihoko felt responsible for the outcome to some degree. She believed that she had trained her subordinates well, and felt confident that Shoumei, her successor, was prepared for her role. Sensing Mihoko's anguish, Hisa laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I know what you mean," Hisa said. "I never had any particularly lofty expectations for Oarai last year, even considering what was at stake, but losing so quickly- last year or this year- would have been devastating."
"I'm actually not thinking about myself," Mihoko said. "There are many on the team who, having inherited the hopes of their senpais and predecessors, feel as though they have failed in their responsibilities and disappointed those who came before them."
Outside the arena, Hisa and Mihoko encountered Ikeda Kana, a close friend and former subordinate of Mihoko's from St. Gloriana. Kana had been one of Mihoko's closest friends at St. Gloriana, as well as one of her most ardent supporters for her bid for commander. She was the one Mihoko most had in mind when she spoke of the successors who struggled with their feelings of shame and inadequacy, and the most in need of Mihoko's support.
"Captain... Takei-san..." Kana said.
"Welcome back, Kana," Mihoko said. "You did what you could."
"It's been a while, Ikeda-san," Hisa said. "Like Mihoko said, it was tough, but you did your best."
Kana, tears welling up in her eyes, could only give a faint nod in acknowledgment of Hisa.
Mihoko's right eye opened in shock, and she and Hisa briefly exchanged glances.
"I can give you two a moment alone, if you'd like," Hisa said.
"Please do," Mihoko said, and Hisa silently excused herself.
Moments after Hisa left, Kana broke down and flung herself into Hisa's arms as she burst into tears.
"There, there, Kana," Mihoko said. "You did your best, so there's no reason to feel sad about your loss."
"That's not all there is to it, Captain," Kana said. "You appointed the commander because she was competent and shared your values. But now that she's failed in the first round for the first time in over a decade, will there be another commander like Ceylon...sama?"
Kana's voice quavered as she spoke the name of Mihoko's predecessor as commander of St. Gloriana. Ceylon's strictness had brought St. Gloriana to the semifinals, but her arrogance and overconfidence led her into a trap and caused their defeat. In the end, in spite of her success, morale had been low, and Ceylon, detested by the majority of the team, only retained her position as commander until she graduated because she had not broken any rules.
Mihoko, however, shook her head.
"Perhaps such a person may come in the future," Mihoko said. "Ambition and pride may blind some other girl to all else. But people and organizations can change positively, as well. Ceylon-sama came to regret what she had done, and turned over a new leaf. She's doing tankery under Atago-san's command at Romanov University, if you can believe that."
Kana chuckled. The truth was that while Hiroe was not allowed to turn Ceylon away simply because of the bad blood between them in the past, she was not obligated to offer her a spot on the team, either. As such, Hiroe gave Ceylon a spot among the benchwarmers, under the immediate supervision of a first-year who was previously the commander of Bosporu, an arrangement that Ceylon found less humiliating than most would expect. Ceylon realized she would have a long way to go before she earned the forgiveness of those she had once commanded, although Kana, for all her loyalty to Mihoko, was more open minded on that regard than Ceylon had expected.
"I can," Kana said, her eyes drying, and a smile returning to her face. "People can change, Captain, just like you did when you stepped up to take command of the team."
Mihoko smiled and nodded, more pleased by Kana being comforted than by herself being used as the example. Times were changing, and she was open to the possibility of St. Gloriana's team changing as well. But she always hoped that St. Gloriana would remain a popular and respectable team, and that its members would not only be proud to be part of it, but be happy as well.
As the Koala Forest ship left the harbor in the early evening, Touka and her crewmates prepared to celebrate their victory. St. Gloriana and Koala Forest had long had a rivalry, even if it was almost one-sided given that some St. Gloriana members looked down on Koala Forest, but said rivalry was not in play. Shoumei, emulating Mihoko's example, showed respect for her opponents, and the Koala Forest leadership was rejoicing over having defeated a strong opponent. After the match had ended, Touka had given a speech to the entire team, praising their efforts and gloating about her victory.
Once the group returned to the ship and changed back into their school uniforms- which consisted of a navy blue blazer, a plaid blue skirt, a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue necktie, Touka turned to her crew
"St Gloriana has been vanquished," Touka said, "and with this first victory, we have made a formidable showing of our strength in the tournament, proving our superiority over that school. Exemplary work, everyone."
"Not a problem," Inoue Jun, a tall girl whose appearance and mannerisms were fairly masculine, who served as Touka's loader, said.
Sawamura Tomoki, Touka's gunner, a somewhat tall and bespectacled girl with very long brown hair nodded.
"True," Tomoki said. "But it seems Koromo has walked off yet again."
Touka let off an exasperated sigh and clenched her fists as she heard that her cousin had disappeared yet again. In spite of being exuberant and hot-tempered, she was not seriously upset in this case. This was a regular occurrence with her cousin, and she was confident she could find Koromo before long.
Koromo stood out somewhat easily, being a diminutive blonde girl who would be mistaken for an elementary schooler but for the fact that her uniform had Koala Forest's crest on the breast pocket. Contrary to her appearance, Koromo was actually four days older than Touka, and detested being treated as a child. Wearing her uniform helped serve as proof of her age, but Koromo found that producing her Koala Forest student ID had a similar effect, and was not especially fond of her uniform.
The fact that Koromo stood out in such a way helped with the search, as did Koromo's tendency to often go to the same places, and not try to escape whenever Touka, her family's servants or the friends she did not yet recognize as such came to find her.
Koromo was sitting on a bench at their school ship's starboard deck, looking out at sea. This was a place Koromo often came when she was feeling troubled, and few besides Touka would suspect that Koromo would feel depressed after defeating a strong opponent without any major difficulties.
"There you are, Koromo," Touka said. "Is something on your mind?"
"St. Gloriana's performance left much to be desired," Koromo said. "They were a far cry from how they were in Mother's time. If the school has deteriorated this much, then I cannot truly say that I have reached Mother's level yet."
Touka immediately knew that her cousin's thoughts were wandering to a dark place, almost as if they were in search of her late parents. When this happened, Koromo's demeanor grew gloomy, and when she spoke, she used a more formal tone and more complex words.
Kunihiro Hajime, a petite girl with dark hair who was Touka's driver, barely understood the root of the problem, but she knew of one thing that seemed to be a good way to get Koromo's mind off of such thoughts, and one appropriate way to celebrate their victory.
"Hey Koromo, why don't we go out to the family restaurant for dinner to celebrate?" Hajime said.
"Yeah," Jun said.
Tomoki silently nodded.
"Yes!" Koromo said. "Koromo wants to go to the family restaurant!"
Jun's jaw dropped at Koromo's sudden 180 degree shift in personality, and Hajime blinked in surprise, but the more stoic Tomoki's expression remained largely unchanged. Touka, however, was fully aware of her cousin's mercurial demeanor, and how she could shift from a cheerful child to a gloomy girl who still mourned her parents almost a decade after their deaths, and back again, at a moment's notice. To her, the result was desirable for the short term, but did nothing to address the long-term problem.
Touka's thoughts returned to her present situation. While defeating St. Gloriana was quite an accomplishment, she was far from the only one to have managed it. Last year, Oarai had managed that task with fewer tanks than the allowed limit, some of which were relatively weak. And now, Touka would face Oarai in the same match in which Oarai had lost to them, but Oarai now had more tanks and crew than it did before. Touka relished the challenge, and eagerly awaited the prospect of succeeding where so many others had failed.
"Just you wait, Nishizumi Miho!" Touka thought. "You will fall against me, Ryuumonbuchi Touka, desu wa!"
Author's Notes
This chapter focuses on some of Oarai's rivals, showing how they are reacting to Black Forest's defeat and Oarai's rise as a champion. Oarai will have to deal with them or the ones who defeat them sooner or later, and in Koala Forest's case, it's "sooner."
Originally, there was going to be a series of omakes showing where those who graduated last year ended up, but I cut it, since I couldn't think of omakes for all of them, and felt it worked better to provide exposition on some of those who still had roles.
Enjoy the early update. Since I had the chapter ready, I wanted to get this last transition chapter up, and move on to the Koala Forest arc.
Character Analysis: Koume Akeboshi
Koume, the girl Miho saved from the river, is perhaps the farthest from the typical Black Forest stereotype among all those still at Black Forest. She's mild-mannered, kind, and grateful to Miho for saving her. She even thinks of herself as the one who caused Miho problems, rather than thinking of Miho as the one who caused her team's defeat.
Since no other members of her crew are seen, I inferred that she was the only one remaining at Black Forest, a guess supported by the manga. Miho says in the manga that Koume was ostracized by certain members of the crew, although I suspect that they're not representative of all of Black Forest.
So what has Koume been up to since the accident? She is still part of the team, and, in spite of her gratitude toward Miho, also feels a great deal of loyalty to the team. As such, she feels the need to atone for her mistake, and redoubles her efforts. To some degree, Kuroko also has a desire to make up for a past mistake, and a close connection with Miho, so she and Koume have become friends.
Erika, in my interpretation, has a certain amount of respect for Koume's persistence and desire to prove herself useful to her team, however much she disagrees with Koume's admiration of Miho for saving her. She thus trusts her enough to not only keep her around, but name her vice-captain, in the hopes that Koume's loyalty to her school and determination will prove useful in helping Black Forest win once again.
Character Analysis: Kuroko "Jagdpanther-chan" Morita
Not much is known about Kuroko in canon, apart from how she detests being detracked. In Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu, however, it's suggested that she's significantly more relaxed than Erika, and even calls Miho by her first name.
Miho and Kuroko knew each other in their first year at Black Forest. But while Kuroko remembers their time together fondly, it's also complicated by guilt over her not speaking out in Miho's defense during the controversy over Miho's decision (albeit not the only one; Miho's defenders were a less vocal group), and the realization that she will have to put he feelings aside and fight against Miho at her new school, for the sake of her old one.
Still, Kuroko has made a decision, much like Miho has, and has chosen to stay with Black Forest, as Koume has. It took her a great deal of determination to get a spot on Black Forest's regular team, so she will use that determination to help her school win.