I apologize. I really do! :( Late updates are bad, I know... I know... I'm guilty. But then again 2 AP classes are no joke. I apologize thoroughly! Please leave suggests or omake ideas, there will be lots of nice omakes and omake arcs. (Also a future Autumn Omake Arc since the Fall portion was omitted in the manga).
Chapter 8 - Hazuki Is Going
"Kuroko is marking Kise!?"
"That guy marking Kise...eh who is he?" asked one of the 2nd string members of Kaijou.
"Isn't he the one with the incredible passes?"
"EH, really?!" I didn't see..."
"But wait..."
"THERE'S NO WAY HE'S A MATCH FOR HIM!"
"I never thought I would be facing you like this Kurokocchi." Kise said. "But you can't stop me!" He lunged right and blew past Kuroko.
Kagami just smirked as he ran forward to block Kise. "We're not stopping you. We're taking it!"
Kise widened his eyes when he finally realized. From the back!
Kuroko stole the ball and arced it to Kagami.
"It doesn't matter if you can copy whatever plays you see." said Kagami grinned as he dunked.
"Oh! Nice shoot!"
"Seirin is catching up again!"
"They're troublesome damn it... and the two of them working together is definitely worse." stated Kasamatsu.
With his lack of presence, if he's coming from behind, even Kise can't react! Riko fistpumped. "Great job Fujidana-san!" Riko tackled Hazuki with glee.
"Ah, just call me Hazuki, it's shorter. Don't you call my brother with his first name as well?" Which implies something, Hazuki thought, her mind drifting off course the same way her brother did sometimes.
"Yes!" Riko unintentionally grasped Hazuki into a headlock as she observed the excellent teamwork by Seirin.
"Coach, was that a yes to my name or was that―a―a...fuee-eee-eeeee-eee-eee-eee..."
"AH! SORRY HAZUKI!"
"Ah, so that was a yes..."
"Then what if I don't get through? Nobody is forcing me to." Kise jumped for a three pointer.
But the ball was smacked out of his hand. Kise widened his eyes as he saw it was Kagami.
'Damn it! That means Kurokocchi is taking care of the ground and Kagami is covering him with his height!' Kise finally realized the strength of this duo.
'And it's possible because the movement for a three pointer takes time... these guys are really troublesome!' thought Kasamatsu angrily.
"Fast break!" Kagami and Kise ran after the ball.
Close.. Hazuki thought. Isn't that―
BAM.
Kise's arm smashed into Kuroko's head.
Blank. Even the prudentite* needed a moment to realize what just happened before widening her eyes and quickly scrambling around the sports bags for a first-aid kit.
"Kuroko-kun!"
"Referee time-out!"
"Kuroko!" Kagami rushed over to see the sight of blood pouring out of the right side of his temple.
Kuroko stood up groggily.
"Are you okay Kuroko?"
"I feel lightheaded." Kuroko replied.
"Get a first-aid―" Riko stopped as soon as Hazuki wordlessly opened the kit and brought out bandages and clean pads for the blood.
Hyuga inspects the wound carefully. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine. The game is just starting..." Kuroko wavered for a second. Then tipped over onto Hazuki.
"Wha!" Hazuki barely managed to keep Kuroko from falling onto the floor by pushing his shoulders up.
"Kuroko!"
Kasamatsu fiddled with his jersey, as Kuroko was brought over to the Seirin bench,"The score will only grow in difference, now that their freshman duo is gone."
Kise looked over to Kuroko, guilt washing over his face.
Hazuki patiently wiped the blood and sweat off Kuroko's forehead. It might not be as bad as it looks. It would be ridiculous for a high schooler to get a concussion this easily. Ridiculous.
"What should we do now?"
"Kuroko-kun can't play anymore," Riko pondered out loud, but surprisingly, with not as much panic as everyone expected. "But it's not like it's over."
"Kagami you won't be on the offense anymore, since Kise will just copy you. The second years will be our offensive core. And Hazuki, you're going."
"Eh?" The Seirin team blinked in surprise.
Hazuki blinked. Then nodded slowly.
"I-is that really going to be alright?!"
"Hmn... Kagami-kun, that hurt... you didn't have to say that..."
"It's alright!" Hyuuga declared. "If Coach says that, let her play."
2 weeks ago:
"Oi, Coach. Are you serious in letting a girl play?" Hyuuga demanded.
"Well the school doesn't have a girl's basketball team."
"That's not the point! She's not bad I admit, and I know our team doesn't have much members, but this is..."
"I'm serious Hyuuga. Her declaration of war on the Crownless Generals can't be ignored. And from what she told me a few days ago... she's completely serious."
"Still..."
"I saw it."
"...What?"
"The first day of school, she asked me to gauge her skills. She doesn't possess strength or the height that a basketball player needs, regardless of whether you are female or male. But her strengths... I can see her going very far, even if she hasn't had the chance to show it."
Hyuuga still looked quite doubtful.
"Ah don't worry! We're a new school and I managed to twist the school's policy ethically enough! Using my power as vice-president was a cinch!"
"THAT'S NOT REASSURING!"
Since Coach says so, Hyuuga thought.
"But!" Kagami protested.
"I'm telling you it's alright, you fucking moron! Listen to what your senpai says from time to time or I'll kill you!"
"EHHHHHH!?"
During the confusion of the first years at their Captain's 180 degree change, Hazuki quickly slipped her shirt off. Number 14, she thought. It's twice Teppei's number.
"First years should show more respect for your seniors! Get on your knees!" he roared.
"You're showing your true colours, Captain!" Izuki deadpanned. He turned to Kagami. "Don't worry about him, he's always like that during clutch time. When he speaks mind out, he won't miss most of his shots. Leave the offense to him, and defend like your life depends on it!"
"That way, Kise-kun's offense went get stronger. And Izuki, wait a second." Riko said.
"Yes coach?"
"There's something you need to do."
Hazuki gave Kuroko one last gentle pat then headed off.
"What is making them so loud..." Kasamatsu trailed off. "EH?"
Kaijou immediately turned to Seirin as they walked onto the court. To see a certain girl clad in the uniform No. 14, adjusting on her headband.
"...A GIRL!?"
Tick marks immediately erupted on the coach's head. "Now they're really looking down on us, huh... sending their manager to play and making fun of us. HUH!?"
"She was actually serious..." Kise muttered. "But why would they send her out at a time like this?"
"Are... what.." Kasamatsu spluttered. "I can't even tell what they're trying to do?!"
"They sent out a girl," Moriyama murmured.
"I obviously know that idiot!"
"That's not what I meant."
"Hah?"
Moriyama immediately shoved aside the Kaijou players and leaped towards Hazuki.
"YOU!"
"Eh, yes?"
"HOW COULD THEY?"
"Eh?"
Moriyama immediately grasped her hands, "How could Seirin send out such a fragile princess to be torn by barbarians?"
"Eh? Sempai, that's horrible!" Kise protested.
"MORIYAMA YOU DUMBASS, GET BACK HERE!"
"What are you doing Moriyama!" Kobori shouted. "Don't make a weird situation even weirder!"
"A(s) expecte(d) of senpa(i)!" Hayakawa yelled.
"MORIYAMA!" Kasamatsu stomped on over punched him on the head.
"OUCHHH!"
"LET GO OF HER YOU IDIOT!" Kasamatsu dragged him back to the Kaijou bench.
What is going on? Seirin gawked.
"Um excuse me," The referee stammered to Seirin. "But this is..."
"Ah don't worry!" Riko grinned. "There are no violations of girls being allowed to play in our team, as we are a new school with no traditional policies. We do not have a basketball team for girls, so there's no problem."
"That's... eh..."
"If you want to look at the documents that we will submit for the actual competitions, you'll see that it's all sanctioned!"
"Er... al...alright..."
"SERIOUSLY!?" Kaijou chorused.
Coach is taking me seriously, Hazuki looked at her hands. This is the first time I'm going to play real basketball. The very first. This is the first step. We are in a pinch.
"That was pretty weird..." Koganei said to Hazuki. "Eh, are you alright!?"
So, why can't I stop smiling?
"SEIRIN'S BALL!"
Izuki began dribbling up, with Mitobe at the high post and Kagami, ready to guard. Kaijou immediately went into position, having a double team on Hyuuga.
Of course, they won't take Hazuki seriously, Riko thought. Which is why...
Izuki immediately passed to Hazuki and she bounded for the goal, taking all the players by surpise.
"We'll concentrate our attacks with Hazuki!"
"HUH!?" The 2nd string Kaijou members shouted.
"She's fast!"
"Tch!" Kasamatsu immediately sprinting after her. "So they didn't really send her up for nothing!"
Damn it, Izuki thought. I dropped my guard!
Riko glared. As expected of one of the top national ranking point guards... Kasamatsu Yukio!
"A(s) expecte(d) of Captain!" Hayakawa shouted.
"Pronounce your words properly!" Kobori yelled back.
Anyone who's dribbling the ball will be slower than anyone without it, Kasamatsu thought. I don't really want to do this but...
He's fast, Hazuki thought. But...
There are three requirements to make that move succeed. Some people call it unnecessarily flashy and hovering that close against the rules. And if done incorrectly, injuries are very likely.
But so few people know about it, and even fewer people know how to pull it off.
And if it's done correctly, it will catch the opponent off their guard. Each and every time.
"No way!" A benched member shouted. "That girl... her speed is on par with one of nation's biggest captains!?"
Her ball handling is ridiculous! Kasamatsu gritted his teeth. It's always out of my reach whenever I try to steal it!
Here it comes, Riko thought. That potential I saw the first day.
Hazuki's eyes flashed left.
Huh...?
She took a deep breath.
She leaned right, dangerously parallel. And then in a blink of an eye, she slid on the court faster than she had ever ran.
"SLIDING!?"
"WHAT!?"
"Eh...EHHH!?" Izuki gaped.
"...!" Mitobe blinked.
"Se-seriously!?" Kagami said.
"So that's why you sent... Fujidana out!?" Koganei exclaimed.
"Her unusual positioning was what really stood out when I observed her during practice and the game against you guys. I could form a hypothesis that she would use her speed to do moves like this."
"Wait... isn't that travelling!?"
"No, not if if she does it correctly. If she passes the ball or moves using sliding, it's a perfectly legal move. Unless she rolls over or gets up if she falls then it becomes illegal. Looks like we have a referee who knows the rules today... fufu."
"...Coach you're really scary."
Kaijou's Bench:
"Coach, what is that?!" A benched member asked Genta.
Genta shook his head, bemused. "Even when I was on the national team, we never met any players that unorthodox. Sliding to move... I've heard of some exhibition teams in the United States doing that... but in a real game..."
Pass the ball between the opponent's openings. In a case where the opponent is not moving, they're in the triple-threat stance. Which means hurling the ball through their legs is vital to keep it in possession!
NOW!
Hazuki twisted the ball with a flick of wrist and passed into her left hand. And then immediately she arced it backwards to Hyuuga.
So this was what Coach was talking about, Hyuuga thought as he scored a three pointer. Well... who cares...
"Take that~" Hyuuga grinned insanely.
"Well sorry," Riko grinned. "All of our players aren't good at giving up."
"An average guy when he's nice! But when he snaps, he's amazing! And scary! Hyuuga Junpei, the clutch shooter!"
"Calm and composed, never panicking! The control tower! With a weird sense of humor, Izuki Shun!"
"A nice pass," Izuki muttered. "Salon-pass! Oh no, that was a good one!"
"Our unsung hero that does his work well. But no one has ever heard his voice! Mitobe Rinnosuke!"
And of course, this unexpected standout that will fight in her own way, Riko thought with a grin.
"..." Kagami sweatdropped at the commentary. (Or it could just have been at Izuki's pun.)
Seirin's firepower did not cease, but the fact that fatigue was getting to the 2nd years wasn't changing. Only Kagami and Hazuki were still less affected by the ridiculous pace.
"I didn't think you were serious," Kise said. "I hate to do this... but I'll have to be serious now!"
"Well...I was serious from the start. Well I must admit it is kind of hard to believe..."
"END OF SECOND QUARTER!"
8 minutes into the third quarter:
Although Seirin had not completely lost yet, with Kaijou's regulars on them, it was difficult for them to close in the gap completely.
"This is seriously hard," Hyuuga muttered. "Without Kuroko here..."
"THREE MINUTES LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER!"
"If we only had Kuroko." Riko said. The 2nd years aren't used to such intense matches like this! Hazuki saved us, but even Kagami's starting to lose energy...
"Understood."
"...Eh?"
"Good morning," A certain phantom player stood up. "Well then, I'm going."
And I guess I'm leaving, Hazuki thought as she glanced at the bench.
*Prudentite isn't a real word. Prudent means you can foresee what happens or calculate future events, (not like an oracle, just good deduction). Hazuki and Kiyoshi are examples of this kind of character. They're smart (grade wise as well), and good at interpreting people, for the most part. I hope that makes sense as to why Hazuki and Kiyoshi are 'absent' minded/odd. It's just that their chain of thought is quicker than most people.
And it's also why they can see Kuroko better than most people. :)
Hope that helps! R/R please!