Third POV
"Sorry, I know I'm not as strong as they are. I'm here for Kagami's payback," Kuroko stated to Tsugawa confidently in his own calm way.
The Seiho first year didn't know what to think for a second, but it was clear as to what the phantom's intentions were when it came to the game, so Tsugawa knew he had to fight back against it in order to secure the win.
"Oh yeah? Here for payback, huh?" The shaved head first year chuckled at Kuroko's declaration.
This would be perfect for Tsugawa. There would be no trouble in going against Kuroko, all he had to do was keep an eye on him so that the ball wouldn't be smacked out of his hands like before.
"Hey, Omuro! Would you mind if I switched up my mark?" The Seiho first year asked his upperclassman, who seemed confused by the sudden request.
"What now? Why would you?"
"Well, looks like I gotta proxy over here demanding his payment."
With that being said, the fourth quarter of the game began, the crowds cheering, and the score now 58 to 64 for Seiho. Back at Seirin's side of the court, (Y/N) and Furihata were tending to a tired and sore Koganei as the second year laid down on a mat that the (h/c) haired girl had placed down in order to make him more comfortable.
Luckily, she knew his concussion wasn't bad, so the cat faced player just needed some rest as the triple threat placed an ice pack wrapped in a towel on his forehead, and another cooled one on his chest as Furihata fanned Koganei with a folder.
Checking him over once more, (Y/N) felt satisfied with her work, nodding to herself before letting her helper know that he could fan him for another minute or two before returning to her spot next to Kagami, and snapping her attention back to the game before her.
Back on the court, it was Kuroko vs Tsugawa, the two first years keeping their eye on where the ball was. But the shaved head first year decided to share his thoughts on this new development in the game.
"I'm kinda surprised your coach decided to put you out here instead of Kagami or (Y/N). But for them to send a first year out here at all gives the impression that Seirin's upperclassmen aren't so dependable," Tsugawa told his mark.
As Kuroko looked back towards the boy, the triple threat on the bench was a little less than impressed with that statement, her eye beginning to twitch with irritation as she leaned forward with her elbow on her knees, her chin resting against her fist as she continued to listen to the Seiho first year smack talk.
"I mean, they did say they benched you three because it was their will or whatever. But now, here you are."
Staying silent for a moment, Kuroko stayed calm at the statements that the opponent before him was making, and decided to make a statement of his own.
"I'm in the game because I asked to be put in. And besides, if you've been paying attention, there's no way you'd believe that," the phantom declared.
Hearing their conversation continue, (Y/N) smiled into her palm. She had a feeling Kuroko would say something like that. Noticing her irritation from earlier, Riko decided to suggest something that might help Seirin, even though she didn't want to push it.
"You wanna be put in, (Y/N)?" The coach asked her cousin.
Shaking her head, the triple threat sat up a little straighter as she kept her (e/c) gaze on the two rival first years. Kagami, personally, thought it was a little weird that the girl didn't want to get back out and go against Tsugawa, herself after observing how irritated she had been getting throughout the game.
"Tetsu's perfect for this. Tsugawa's never seen his little disappearing act, and it only gets stronger when he's fighting for something rather than it being just a win," she began explaining.
The two miracles had the same reason when it came to winning the game against Seiho. It had been obvious since the very beginning as Kagami recalled what the two first years said before they stepped out on the court.
"We both have respect for the second years, and that right there is what makes our will to fight even stronger. Plus...Tetsu might give Tsugawa a little lesson in manners," she trailed off, blushing slightly as she thought back to the little stunt that the Seiho first year pulled during their warm-ups.
Well, she had a point with the last part. None of them could really blame her for feeling uncomfortable with Tsugawa. Plus, there was her slight oblivion when it came to romantic and flirty gestures that they had to worry about too.
But Riko couldn't help but to smile at (Y/N)'s wish to remain on the bench. The second years had really helped the triple threat the year before when everything during middle school went down, it was one of the many ways that the girl wanted to pay them back.
And Kuroko was going to make sure that would happen. As he faced Tsugawa, the phantom decided to do what he did best. With his eyes on the Seirin first year, it only took one blink from Tsugawa, and the light blue haired boy was gone.
Leaving a shook Tsugawa, Kuroko ran to an open position as Izuki passed the ball to him, the phantom miracle misdirecting it to Hyuga, who had shaken his mark as well. As questions began filling the shaved head boy's mind, the glasses wearing captain of Seirin let out a smirk as he made a layup, two more points for Seirin.
Cheers from the crowd filled the gym as Seiho was trying to reel in what had just happened. Iwamura knew the passes that Kuroko was making were something else, but the third year didn't think Seirin's receivers could make it past the defenders that easily.
The ball was now in Seiho's possession, Omuro was ready to make a pass, letting the ball go towards Kasuga. But it wasn't going to reach the playmaker as Hyuga quickly lunged forward to intercept.
"What the hell?!" Iwamura let out as he watch Hyuga dribble the ball down the court.
Quickly passing it, Kuroko misdirected the ball and passed it to Mitobe, who managed to make another successful layup as the crowd cheered at Seirin's sudden comeback with the black and red team cheering from their bench as well.
"What the..? What's going on?!" Tsugawa began panicking as he looked around while catching his breath.
There was only one explanation as to how Seirin made such a comeback against the King of the North
"If I had to guess, they know all our movements," Omuro breathed, beginning to feel uneasy as well with the sudden development.
On Seiho's bench, their coach sat there in complete shock as he continued watching the players. This had never happened before. Finally, the solution to beating the King of the North. Seirin had gotten them. For the first time in their basketball career, Seiho really felt cornered.
"Thanks to you guys, our DVD player is totally ruined," Hyuga smirked over to Iwamura.
Continuing to watch the game from above, Kasamatsu finally figured out the reason why Seirin was able to stop Seiho's insane defense with their unique training and playing techniques.
"As their name suggests, old martial art techniques are ancient. Opposed to modern sport science, their thought process works differently. Applying those specialized movements to basketball is Seiho's strength. But..."
Riko and (Y/N) had figured it out as they continued to watch on, they had figured out why having specialized movements was also a weakness. Since she had taken the DVD home to watch it a little closer, the triple threat had noticed something that switched on a trigger in her brain.
"If you watch them closely, you'll see it. When you're specialized, you have certain habits. Seiho is no exception," the (h/c) haired girl began explaining.
"For example, normally people step in the direction that they'll move in. With Seiho, they'll point their toes in the direction they're going before they even take a step," the brunette finished off.
The sole female player brought it to the attention of the second years once she had returned the DVD the next day, pointing it out one day after practice as they watched the recorded game in an empty classroom.
After that, (Y/N) knew that the second years, including Riko, had worked and studied Seiho diligently when practice was over, and that included trips to the library, to which some needed to be smacked by the coach's paper fan in order to stay awake.
Though it was harder than they expected, Seirin had finally managed to pull it off, even if the habit wasn't as obvious at first. But still, it was successful for them, nonetheless.
Running past the phantom in order to get back into play, Hyuga didn't miss the opportunity to give Kuroko a well deserved pat on the shoulder. Smiling even bigger behind her hand, a certain player couldn't be happier.
"That's my boys," (Y/N) smiled to herself.
As the fourth quarter neared its end, Seirin kept going strong against the King of the North, quickly closing the gap between the two scores. Watching closely, Kagami couldn't help but to be impressed by his upperclassmen's plays.
"So this is the old guard's will, huh?" The red head muttered to himself.
It was loud enough for the female player next to him. Taking her gaze off the game, (Y/N) watched as Kagami's jaw dropped slightly as Kuroko kept misdirecting passes that led to successful baskets. Now that she thought about it, the tiger and phantom had always been on the court at the same time during most of the games they had played this year.
"Oh yeah, you've never watched Tetsu from the bench, have you? He's pretty incredible, isn't he?" (Y/N) observed as she turned her head back to the game.
Letting out a hum to signal that he had heard her, Kagami then thought of something else. Kuroko may have been the master at misdirection, but the triple threat could perform the technique as well.
"Hey, you can do the same thing too, right? I've seen you redirect passes during games before," the red head asked his childhood friend.
"Uh-huh. I helped out with perfecting Tetsu's misdirecting, but I can't completely disappear like he can. And that's one of his greatest strengths," she explained.
With his ruby eyes widening slightly, Kagami turned back towards the court as he watched Kuroko once again as the phantom misdirected another pass. He knew it would be hard for the triple threat to disappear like the phantom did, she was way more like a light than a shadow. But the red head thought it was amazing that she too, could direct the attention of someone away in order to perform the playing technique.
"Well then, he's pretty good," the red head let out.
"What? You just now noticed that? He's always been like this," Riko smirked, somewhat teasing him for complimenting Kuroko, which hadn't ever happened before.
As Kagami let out a grunt, the rest of the first years watched as the light blue haired phantom smacked the ball to Hyuga, who faked out his mark before passing it to Tsuchida as the rebounder made a three pointer, making the score between Seirin and Seiho 70 to 69. This time for Seirin with less than thirty seconds left of the game.
But Seiho wasn't giving up just yet. As the ball became back in their possession, Iwamura decided to show his opponents what the Kings were made of. Charging towards the net, the captain of Seiho jumped up and slammed in a powerful dunk over Tsuchida and Mitobe, knocking them before back a couple of steps.
"Don't underestimate a King! You need ten more years on the court to beat us!" The third shouted.
This wasn't looking good for Seirin. With only seconds left, Seiho was doing a full court man-to-man plan of attack. And it wasn't only that either. (Y/N)'s eyes went to the size of saucers when she realized what the Kings were doing.
"Oh crap, they're trying to score again while also being on the defense," she realized.
Luckily, it was Seirin's ball, and in Izuki's possession. He wasn't going to be giving up until the very end, but it amazed him that Seiho was giving so much effort in the final few seconds. With Kasuga trying to steal the ball from the punster's grasp, Izuki kept the ball away until Mitobe gave him the opportunity to pass the third year by screening the playmaker.
"Nice, Mito!" The triple threat cheered as she stood up.
Moving quickly, Izuki passed the ball to Kuroko in order for him to misdirect it to Tsuchida, but there was someone waiting for him. Tsugawa, in a last ditch effort to try get the ball back in Seiho's possession, jumped in front of the phantom's line of vision.
Now it really wasn't looking good. But there would be nothing to worry about.
"Kuroko!" Kagami shouted as he too, stood up from his spot.
"Do it, Tetsu!" (Y/N) yelled as she cupped her hands around her mouth.
She knew what he had to do, and Kuroko knew it as well. With his one hand, the phantom missed the ball, throwing Tsugawa off, but ended up swinging his other hand, smacking it into Hyuga's awaiting grasp.
As the time was about to hit zero, it seemed like time had slowed greatly as the captain of Seirin made a three point shot. Everyone was watching the ball with such anticipation and anxiety that it felt more like minutes rather than just a few seconds. But, the ball's trajectory was right on track as it swished through the hoop with the buzzer signaling the end of the game.
The final score was 73 to 71. Seirin had defeated the King of the North.
Seirin soon erupted with cheers and smiles as they felt the satisfaction of their victory. (Y/N) couldn't contain herself much longer, and soon, along with a now well-rested Koganei, the two dashed onto the court to celebrate along with their teammates.
Finally making her way to the group of second years and the lone first year, the triple threat jumped towards Kuroko and Hyuga, swinging her arms around their shoulders as the two players stumbled trying to make sure that they didn't go tumbling to the ground.
"I'm so proud of you guys!" The (h/c) haired girl exclaimed jovially as her smile brightened by the second.
She had to try hard not to burst into happy tears. The girl knew how much this meant for the second years following their loss the year beforehand. And now that they had defeated Seiho, it made her heart swell with joy.
"Hey, don't forget that you helped us out just as much, Kiddo," Hyuga smiled as he ruffled the girl's hair.
"He's right," Izuki added as the others nodded in agreement.
"I don't care. This is your guys's win," she voiced as she wiped the corner of her eye with her finger.
Kuroko smiled at the girl as he hugged her closer. The phantom could tell how much this win not only meant their upperclassmen, but to the triple threat as well. He remembered when she had come to school the day after their loss against Seiho the year before, and she too, hadn't taken it too well.
But now, Seirin had won. They had made a comeback and had become stronger. Even if this was just the beginning, it was a win worth wild.
And the second years couldn't be happier at this as well. Their hearts swelled with joy, and they weren't lying when they told (Y/N) that she had helped just as much. Hyuga remembered her coming over to the school after their defeat last year. And her words are what got to them the most.
"I promise...that next year, I'll help you guys secure a victory against the kings of Tokyo. Seirin deserves to be a King in their own right!"
That was a promise the second years knew she was going to keep. And look where it landed them.
"No waterworks yet, Kiddo," Hyuga told her as she went over to hug Tsuchida and Mitobe before moving to Izuki and Koganei where she stayed with her arms around their shoulders before blinking a couple of times.
"I'm not. I'm not."
As the team continued their celebration, Riko's brown eyes were beginning to become glassy, Seiho was still trying to reel in that they had just lost in a game that they were sure that they had secured their victory before it had even begun.
And it was safe to say that this was affecting one person more than the others. Gritting his teeth rather hard, Tsugawa needed some answers right there and now.
"How's this possible?! I thought Seirin was a new school that just formed last year! I guarantee we practice way more than them! I don't get it! You guys didn't stand a chance last year! It makes no sense, we should be stronger than them in every way!" The frustrated first year shouted towards the victors.
Sure, he knew what the feeling of losing felt like, but Tsugawa thought that Seiho was called 'King' for a reason. There was just no way a new team like Seirin could beat them. It wasn't just that, but he wanted to show the sole female on the team just how much stronger he had gotten this past year.
"That's enough, Tsugawa," a deep voice finally told the first year as a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"But why?!" The shaved head first year snapped back at Iwamura.
The third year kept his eyes on the opposing team before him. Looks like his talk from earlier had been wrong.
"Strong or not, we lost. Today was their day, so they're the winners. That's all there is to it," the third year stated.
The one, true fact of the matter was that Seirin had become stronger than Seiho, and it definitely showed during their game today. Not just the second years, but the first years were going to become powerful as well.
Taking his hand off of his shoulder, there was still something gridding on Tsugawa's gears as he shook with frustration before glaring at his mark during the final quarter.
As Kuroko walked with (Y/N), the shaved head first year rushed up to them before they could make it too far.
"Tell me your name!"
Catching them both off guard, both Seirin first years turned to see their opponent from the previous year and this year standing before them.
"What's your name?" Tsugawa asked the light blue haired boy once again.
"It's Tetsuya Kuroko."
So that was his name. Even if they had played against each other the year before, Tsugawa hadn't noticed the phantom miracle at all. But this time, it would be a much different story.
"I'll remember. I promise, I won't forget you," the Seiho first year declared.
This was a first for Kuroko. Usually, opponents that he had faced in the past hadn't even acknowledged him like that. Most people just forgot he was there and moved on from their loss, since that was the case a hundred percent of the time back in Teiko. In a way, the phantom was grateful for Tsugawa saying that.
"Thank you," the light blue haired boy showed his gratitude.
Keeping the glare on his face, Tsugawa nodded sharply. That is, until a certain (h/c) haired girl stepped forward, a smile etched in her features. While (Y/N) had gotten upset at the rival first year for all of the smack he spoke during the game, she knew that was just how the boy was. And she wanted to make amends between the two of them. She was also hoping his mouth wouldn't get the best of him when she did this.
"You know, Tsugawa. It was a really close game. I had fun playing against you again. If you're okay with it, do you want to exchange numbers and maybe hang sometime?" (Y/N) requested from the boy while holding out her hand towards him.
Blinking a couple of times, it took Tsugawa a moment to process what the angel in front of him just asked. Could he really be hearing her right? Maybe he should pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
A couple of more seconds went by in silence between the two players. Yep, this was real alright. And Tsugawa sure wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like this. So, he took her hand and gently held it as he finally smiled back her.
"I sure would. Does that mean I can still take you out on date-OW!"
"Stop trying to flirt with her. We have to go. Sorry about him, Bashira," Iwamura apologized after he bopped the first year starter on the head.
Letting out a little giggle, the triple threat waved her hand, assuring the captain before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small slip of paper, holding it out to the Seiho players.
"Here's my number. If you guys want to get together to play ball or need any tips, just hit me up," she smiled.
Even though he had been rather serious during the entirety of the game and was still feeling the sting of their loss, Iwamura couldn't help but to smile at the girl's own. He had heard many people say it was a different experience when you meant the Triple Threat of the Generation of Miracles in person.
And the serious captain finally got to see it first hand. It was very different, and even special. She may be a beast when it came to basketball, but off the court, she was a very kind soul.
Tsugawa, even though his head was still sore from the hit he head endured from his captain, had smiled once again and was about ready to accept (Y/N)'s number. That is, until the hand of another Seiho player cut into the mix, taking it from her before the shaved head first year could get it himself.
"We'll definitely keep that in mind, Sweets. Thanks. And good game today," Kasuga smirked at the girl in flirty way, giving her a nickname in the process.
It was a safe to say that Tsugawa was far from being impressed with his upperclassman for the move that he had just pulled on his crush. And he wasn't going to be quiet about it either.
"Are you kiddin' me, Kasuga?! She was gonna give that to me!" He protested.
"Well you'll get it when I'm done putting it in my phone."
Before Tsugawa and Kasuga could proceed any further with their argument, Iwamura escorted them off to Seiho's side after bidding Kuroko and (Y/N) a thank you.
Watching the Seiho players walk towards their side of the court, the two miracles exchanged a look before smiling at each other. As they began making their way back over to their bench, the (h/c) haired girl took the time to grab Kuroko's hand before taking a couple steps in front of, happily skipping as she lightly pulled the light blue haired boy along.
That there made the phantom smile even more softly as he listened to the girl before him hum softly. It made him happy to see her like this again. It brought him back to when they had their first few wins together at Teiko, during the happy times.
Well, these were happy times too, and Kuroko was just grateful that he would be able to enjoy them with someone dear to him once again.
"73 to 71, Seirin!" The ref announced once the players had lined up at center court.
"Thank you for the good game!"
As she stood up by the bench, watching the boys bow, Riko couldn't contain her own waterworks any longer, her brown eyes becoming glassy once again.
"I love this team so much," she told herself as the tears started forming, threatening to roll down her cheeks.
The coach tried closing her eyes and put her head down to try and hide them. That is, until she heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards her, a larger hand laying on her head.
"Hey, keep it together, Coach. Now's not the time to cry. Save those tears for when we win the championship," Hyuga said to her as he kept his hand on her head for another second before taking it off.
With Riko wiping her tears, (Y/N) smiled brightly before hugging her cousin from the side, smushing their cheeks together.
"You and I can cry together when that happens," the taller girl spoke, making both her and her cousin let out a chuckle.
Finally wiping the rest of the tears with the back of her hand, Riko let out a 'yeah'. They were both right. She couldn't cry just yet. The fight was only beginning. And the next opponent had just been decided as a whistle blew from the other court.
"Looks like they're finished too," Kagami observed with his eyes on the game that had just finished as Kuroko wiped the sweat off of his face while (Y/N) stood on the other side of the red head, following his gaze.
"Yeah, you're right."
"Whew whee."
Shutoku had just finished their own game against Ginbo High, the score being 113-38. As expected of a King. Even without Midorima playing, the rest of the orange team's starting lineup was really impressive. Not only that, but they had a very smart manager as well with basketball in his blood.
As Shutoku made their way back to their bench, the miracle shooter had been a little surprised that Seirin made it to the next round of the prelims. Well, he would be playing in the next game, so as Midorima looked over to see the miracle duo along with Kagami looking back at him, the green haired boy couldn't help but to let out a ghost of a smile. He finally be able to see just how well Seirin was, and just experience her playing once again.
Making their way back to their locker room, (Y/N) had taken her long hair out of its updo to give it a little break, taking her shoes off in order to give her feet a breath of fresh air.
"Guys, put on your jackets before your bodies get cold," Riko told everyone in the room.
"And stretch," (Y/N) added on.
Now that she moved around a little bit, the tall girl felt a bit stiff, herself. Even if she hadn't played the whole game, the triple threat felt her back stiffened up quite a bit. So, she decided to do what always seemed to help.
Rolling her shoulders a couple of times, (Y/N) soon bent her upper body backwards while keeping her legs straight, feeling her back pop. Soon, she looking at the lockers, this time, through her legs.
"(Y/N)! You're gonna break your back!!" She heard Furihata screech as he paled at her unnatural movements.
Keeping her position, the (h/c) haired girl moved her head to look at all of the Seirin first years (except Kuroko) looking at her with fear that she was going to break her body if she kept that position.
"What are you talking about? This feels good," she told them before standing back up straight.
"Your body is not suppose to move like that!" Koganei added on loudly as she sat down on the floor in a perfect middle splits, leaning forward to rest her upper body on the floor.
Looking around the room, (Y/N) noticed that Koganei, Izuki, and Hyuga had turned their heads away to avert their eyes from her contortion. They knew she had been in gymnastics and dance for a long time, but they never liked seeing the girl bend her body like a pretzel. It made them queasy.
Honestly, the triple threat thought their reactions were funny. She could move in ways just like a contortionist, but it was also a great way of stretching.
"Guys, I'm fine. Trust me, I've been able to move like this since I was little. Gymnastics will do that to you. Why do you think I'm able to do splits during basketball games?" She asked before sitting back upright.
Well, now that she mentioned it, that did make sense as to how she was able to perform crazy stunts like the ones that she did.
Taking a quick look back to make sure she was back in a normal human position, the three second years felt like their need to faint was gone. Hyuga, who along with Izuki, had played the entire game, sat down on one of the benches in front of Riko in order to tend to his tired limbs.
"Oh yeah!" The (h/c) haired girl let out before standing back up.
Going over to her locker and opening the blue door, the triple threat pulled out a Tupperware container and a plastic bag, setting it on the bench towards the middle of the room.
"I brought bananas and homemade protein bars, so help yourselves," she smiled before opening her container, revealing chocolate flavored protein bars with peanut butter swirls.
As some of the boys took banana and protein bars, enjoying the healthy and tasty baking of their sole female player in bliss, Riko crouched down in front of the captain with her sleeves rolled up as she began doing her work.
"I'll come by and massage each one of you, so take your shoes off for me," the brunette announced to everyone.
"I'll help too!" (Y/N) offered with a smile as she raised her hand.
But there was no way she was going to be able to if her cousin had something to say about it.
"No, you have to watch your knee. I'll come massage it after I finish up with Hyuga," Riko told the younger girl as she dejected quickly upon hearing that.
In order to ease her slight frustration, (Y/N) sat down and grabbed one her protein bars, chomping down on it as she pouted a little while running her hand through her hair. That is, until she, along with the others heard the faint sound of snoring coming from one side of the locker room.
Looking over while chewing her bite, (Y/N) and the rest of Seirin watched as Kagami sat against one of the lockers, arms crossed and resting on the ground.
"Come on, Kagami. If you fall asleep now, your body will freeze!" Riko scolded the first year as she stood up, ready to go and wake him up herself.
"Better just let him rest," Hyuga smiled sheepishly before the coach could do anything.
"For sure, he's not usually this down after a game," Izuki added as Mitobe nodded in agreement.
"Getting four fouls will do that to ya. There's no need to worry," Koganei assured as he grabbed another banana.
Arching an eyebrow, (Y/N) really didn't think that the cat faced second year had room to talk when it came to that.
"If we're talking about fouls, yours was a little unexpected," Tsuchida commented as Koganei froze comically.
Letting out a small snicker, (Y/N) ate the last bite of her protein bar before grabbing her jacket and walking over to the resting tiger. Crouching down slowly to make sure she didn't disturb the red head, the (h/c) haired girl smiled to herself as she placed her Seirin jacket on his lap, making sure he would stay warm.
"He's been waiting for this game. I can only imagine how fired up and excited he is," she said before standing back up to leave Kagami be.
"Yeah, maybe he feels responsible in his own way. Besides, I don't think he's sleeping at all. From where I'm sitting, I'd say he's saving every last bit of energy for our next game," the glasses wearing captain added on.
That was the truth, no doubt. (Y/N) had a feeling that the starters of their team would need all of the spare energy they could get for this game. But for some reason, she had a feeling the red head might have more to do with this round of the prelims than the others. Well, that didn't mean she couldn't let her beast loose a little bit.
But the beast needed some more energy, more than what the protein bars and bananas could provide.
"Okay! I'm gonna go grab some fuel to fill up my tank. I'll be back!" The triple threat let out before making her way towards the door of the locker room rather quickly.
Because when she said 'fuel', the second years and Kuroko, especially Hyuga and Riko, knew exactly what she had meant. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, the captain of their team was able to stop her.
"Kiddo, are you getting more coffee?" The glasses wearing second year asked her in an interrogator fashion.
And judging by her freezing reaction as she stood in place before slowly turning back towards Hyuga and the others, a sus look on her face. Looks like they had hit the nail right on the head.
"(Y/N)-"
"No! Ineedmycoffee!" The tall girl spout out quickly while opening the door and taking off before Riko could finish her sentence, leaving Seirin confused as to what had just happened.
They knew (Y/N) liked her coffee, but they didn't know she'd drink it before a game. Maybe that's where she got most of her energy from. Well, they didn't know how much of coffee enthusiast the triple threat actually was.
"Well, no stopping her now. She'll be fine. The caffeine doesn't do anything to her anyway. That coffee brain," Hyuga sighed along with Riko.
"She doesn't feel the effects of caffeine?" Kawahara questioned in disbelief.
This time, it was Kuroko to answer that question. He knew the girl's love of coffee was immense, and she even snuck a few in during their Teiko games. Though some thought that it wasn't smart for her to do so in case it made her sick. Miraculously, when she said it fueled her tank, it seemed to have been the case, but it wasn't like she had gotten super hyper from it.
"Not really. She's just high strung and energetic by nature. But if she can, she'll get a drink during a game to kind of pump her up. Plus, this is her first one today as far as I know," the phantom explained.
"I'm more worried about her having to pee while she's playing," Riko finally stated.
Ah, so that was the reason. The other three awake first years sweat-dropped at the whole coffee thing. Their Seirin girl was goofy, but that was just what made her so cool to hang around.
Back to the triple threat, surprisingly, she had to walk a little far from the locker room in order to find a vending machine with her favorite beverage. Luckily, she was able to find one, and heck, it even had a variety of flavors.
"Sweet, this is the kind I like," she smiled happily as she pressed the button on the machine to dispense her drink.
Picking the can up and opening it, (Y/N) took a quick drink before sighing in bliss. That was more like it. She could feel her tank beginning to fill once again as she took another drink.
"Oh, hey there, Hachi," a voice suddenly came from behind her.
Unfortunately, since (Y/N) had been enjoying her drink so much, she didn't hear the footsteps coming towards her, so it was safe to say she was caught off guard. So much so, that the triple threat actually jumped before choking on her coffee, beginning to cough.
"AH! I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU!!" Naoki cried comically while patting his cousin's back as she continued coughing.
"It's..*cough*! *cough*! fine, Bunny," the girl finally was able to catch her breath, placing a hand on her on her chest as she took in another inhale with her coughing finally ceasing.
Looking back towards her younger cousin, (Y/N) could see the boy's eyes becoming extremely watery as comical tears formed, threatening to fall as the pink haired boy whimpered.
"Naoki! I'm fine, really!"
"O-O-Okay...."
Not willing to see her precious little bunny-like cousin in such a state, (Y/N) brought Naoki into a hug as she smiled at his cute little face. That always seemed to calm his anxiety down. As the tall girl smoothed out the boy's fluffy hair down, another few pairs of footsteps approached the two first years.
"Did you actually get what I think you just got?" The familiar voice of the triple threat's twin brother came from behind the two.
"Yes, I did, Hibiki Bashira. Don't question me," (Y/N) sassed back as the two cousins turned to see the three Kaijo players walking along with him.
"(Y/N)cchi's love of coffee still hasn't changed I see," Kise commented as he watched the girl take another sip from her can.
It was good to see her after their whole talk in the park, to see her act like her old self in front of him once again. The blonde didn't think, he feared he'd never see that again. But there she was, playfully bickering with her brother, making little faces as she took more drinks of her coffee. It made him happy.
"Hey, great game against Seiho, (Y/N)cchi. Did Tsugawa....you know...?" The blonde copycat gestured towards the girl.
And she knew exactly what he meant, nodding her head slowly.
"Mmhmm, but at least he has someone to keep him in check. Oh! Kicchi! Yuki! Have you guys met my cousin, Naoki yet?" The (h/c) haired girl asked as she wrapped an arm around the shy boy's shoulders as he tensed up.
Ah, so that's who she was hugging and being so cuddly with. Well, at least he was a relative instead just some random guy that they didn't know about. Immediately, being the responsible third year captain that he was, Kasamatsu recognized the pink haired boy standing before him.
"Aren't you Shutoku's manager?" The captain asked.
"Y-Yes, sir! M-My name is Naoki Kurosaki! It's nice to meet you," the manager greeted nervously before bowing.
Respectful first year other than (Y/N), nice. At least manners ran in her family, because Hibiki was a different story. Not only that, but Kasamatsu had read things in Basketball Monthly about a former basketball player turn intelligent manager for one of the Kings of Tokyo. Plus the fact that he had sports royalty in his bloodline.
"So you're Bunny! The twins have talked a lot about you and your brother. It's nice to finally meet you, Kurosakicchi!" Kise smiled towards the shy boy.
"-cchi?"
"He adds that to names of people he respects," the twins explained in unison.
Nervously nodding in understanding, Naoki took the opportunity to hide behind (Y/N) in order to calm his anxiety. Meanwhile, as she continued to catch up with Kasamatsu and Kise, Hibiki then formed a mischievous smirk on his face as he saw his sister holding out her can of coffee off to the side slightly.
To be honest, the youngest Bashira was feeling a little peckish, himself. In one quick movement, the (h/c) haired boy swiped the beverage from the triple threat's hand, taking a small sip of it.
Big mistake on his part.
Hibiki soon saw his sister's eyes go from being their normal bright state to that of a crazed wild animal. Welp, time to say his prayers.
"You son of a biscuit eater!!" The girl shouted before jumping on the boy's back before he could escape her wrath, causing Hibiki to stumble forward since his twin was almost the same size as he was.
As the two siblings went back forth, (Y/N) mostly winning with their little tussle and Naoki trying to calm the two down, Kasamatsu took the opportunity to observe that the sole female player seemed rather lively and full of energy for just defeating a king, even if she had just played in the first half, the Kaijo captain knew she had given a lot against her opponents. Doing two split maneuvers had to have tired her out a little bit.
Well, she was a beast in her own right.
"Hey, Kise. How do you think this game'll go? Between Seirin and Shutoku. I mean, (Y/N) was the one who taught Midorima how to make those killer shots, wasn't she?" The steely eyed boy asked the copycat next to him while crossing his arms.
Looking at his captain for a second, this was something that Kise didn't know how to answer at first. Personally, he knew this wasn't even a fraction of what the triple threat was capable of when it came to the sport. But that was if she was playing on her own.
"Honestly, I think it could go either way. You're right about (Y/N)cchi being the one to teach Midorimacchi about his shooting, but after she left, he'd practice during all of the free time that he had. It's hard to say if she'll pull anything during this game, or even how their skills compare. But there's way more to her play style than just her flexibility," Kise explained.
The copycat had only seen her use her flexibility for plays during games so far, but Shutoku would be an opponent that she and Seirin had never faced before. To say the least, it'd be a good one to watch. Just the thought of the triple threat showing more of her true power gave both Kaijo players the chills. Yet it was exhilarating all at the same time.
"You've got that right-"
"SAY UNCLE!"
"OW! ACK! UNCLE!!"
"Come on, you two!"
Hearing the twins still shouting, Kise and Kasamatsu saw that (Y/N) had Hibiki in a headlock, the boy still grasping her coffee and slapping her arm to get her the release him. Naoki was trying his very best to get in between his cousins, but it was scary for him when the female twin acted a lot like Riko. And the pink haired boy was afraid of the Seirin second year coach when she got upset.
"Hibs, just give it to her and quit messing around."
"YOU TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!" The younger twin pleaded as he reached out to his fellow teammates.
But this was all on him for even thinking of messing with his sister's sacred coffee.
Feeling the grip around his neck getting tighter, Hibiki knew he had no other choice. She'd knock him out if he kept fighting.
"Give. It," (Y/N) literally growled.
"Sis, sis, mercy, MERCY!!" The (h/c) haired boy gasped as he surrendered her beloved coffee to the hands of its rightful owner.
"Thank you, Baby Bro," she thanked the boy before returning to her normal state of happiness, drinking the rest of the beverage before smashing the can in her hand.
"You're so welcome," the younger brother pouted sarcastically as he rubbed his sore neck.
While Kasamatsu took the younger Bashira twin by the collar, Kise took the chance to go up to the (h/c) haired girl, scooping her into his arms and lifting her off of the ground a few inches. She quickly recuperated the gesture, wrapping her arms around the blonde's shoulders.
"Good luck, (Y/N)cchi," he whispered to her softly.
He was so glad to be able to do this with her once again. The boy missed her famous hugs. And it was safe to say that the triple threat felt the same way as she smiled even more.
"Thank you."
"Kise, come on," Kasamatsu called out to his underclassman.
Though he didn't want to, Kise reluctantly put (Y/N) on the ground as he gave her one last smile before heading back up towards his captain and teammate.
"Good luck, Kid. You too, Kurosaki," Kasamatsu was sure to wish the two first years before leading his two first years back to the stands.
Now that just left the two cousins alone in the hall once again. They stood in silence for a few moments, but the same thought was running through their minds. This would be the first time that they'd be going up against each other in an official match since Naoki became a manager. While Shutoku was just a threat in their own right, to have a manager like the pink haired boy, it added a whole other level to that.
Well, that's what basketball so exciting in (Y/N)'s mind.
"You ready for this, Bunny?" She asked the boy before her.
His nerves seemed to have calmed down a tish since there wasn't so many people around them anymore. But at the same time, his heart was pumping with adrenaline and excitement.
"Yes. We won't be holding back, (Y/N)," Naoki declared, using her first name instead of her nickname.
A sign that he was serious, and the girl could tell that by the determined look he was giving her as well. But that couldn't make (Y/N) happier as she turned to go back to her locker room.
"Good to know. See you on the court."
Making her way back to the locker room, the triple threat looked at the time to see that there was still a little while before Seirin needed to be out on the court to face Shutoku. So, she took the time to pull out her phone and give an old friend of hers a call.
Pressing the number she was looking for, (Y/N) held the device up to her ear, hearing it ring a couple of times before a familiar voice came across the line.
"Hey there, Hotshot," a male's voice greeted the (h/c) haired girl, causing a smile to appear on her face as she heard the nickname that he had given her back in middle school.
"Hey, Niji. Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked the former captain of Teiko's basketball team, Shuzo Nijimura.
"Nah, you're good. I'm just getting ready for school. Saw that you guys won against Seiho, nice job. How're things going?" The now third year, or senior in high school since he was in America, checked in with her.
Back in middle school, the two had grown closer as time went on, since (Y/N) had been startled by Nijimura when they had first met. But as she became more involved with the team, the two players grew close. So much so that the older members of Teiko in the former captain's class teased the boy for his softness towards the girl.
He knew about everything that had happened, but unfortunately, Nijimura had already moved to America to tend to his ill father. The black haired boy knew how much it destroyed her, so he felt that it was his duty to check in on her every so often.
And he really didn't know just how much (Y/N) appreciated it.
"It's been good. Tetsu and I are on the same team here at Seirin, met an old friend of mine from LA. Umm...I made up with Ryota and Midorima..kind of," she explained as she leaned her back against the wall, letting out a small sigh as she thought back to reuniting with her two former teammates.
On the other line in his bedroom, sitting on his bed with his arm crossed across his chest, Nijimura's eyes widened slightly as he heard the news.
"You kind of made up with Midorima?"
"Well...he's not mad. But..you know how he is."
"Fair point."
Letting out a small laugh at her former captain's comment, (Y/N) smiled softly into her phone as the older boy did the same on the other line. Nijimura really did miss her, but at the same, he knew of her oblivion towards romance. Still, the boy could dream and hope.
"Hey, I miss-"
"Shuzo! Come on, you have to get to school! Wait, are you talking to (Y/N)?! I want to say 'hi'!"
Hearing another voice come across her phone, Nijimura glared at his sister as she burst into his room. The older Nijimura sibling knew there was only really one person the her younger brother ever talked to from Japan. And the older sister absolutely adored the triple threat.
As the former captain argued with his sister, he decided to just solve the problem altogether.
"Sorry, Hotshot. Good luck against Midorima- Shiori, knock it off!"
"Hi, sweetie! Shuzo, you asshole!"
"Ugh! Bye!"
Hearing the scuffle between the two siblings, (Y/N) sweat-dropped a little before giggling as she said her goodbyes to Nijimura and his sister before hanging up. But the girl had to take a few seconds to smile at her phone for a second. She was blessed to have the people that she had in her life.
Now, hopefully she'd be able to do the same with Midorima. Because now, it was time.
After a few minutes, (Y/N) entered Seirin's locker room, announcing that she was back from her coffee run, and seeing that mostly everyone other than Kagami, who was still resting, was ready to go.
That is, until the (h/c) haired first year noticed Koganei and Kuroko waving her over to where they were. They had to let her know about the odd little incident that they had with Takao. If anyone knew about basketball players' weird tricks and techniques, it was (Y/N) Bashira.
"What's up, guys?" She asked once she saw Koganei giving her a little bit of a concerned and confused look.
"Well, you see..."
And that was when the cat faced second year whispered what had happened when he and the phantom entered the restroom. The girl was surprised to say the least.
"Takao actually noticed Tetsu walking behind him?" She repeated to make sure she didn't mishear anything that was just said to her as she slid her arm band on and pulled her hair up into its usual updo.
Getting confirmation nods from both of the boys, (Y/N) actually had to step back and think about this. There was really only one technique she could think of that could see through Kuroko's invisibility.
"If he has it, that could cause some problems. But we'll deal with that when the time comes," she assured the two boys.
If (Y/N) was confident in Seirin making it through whatever sorcery Takao had, then they didn't have anything too terrible to worry about. Right now, Seirin had to focus on just doing well to make the first point of the game.
At exactly 4:50, both teams at the exact same time began exiting their locker rooms. That is, until both (Y/N) and Kuroko stopped before leaving, looking back at the resting red head. Looking at each other, the two miracles made their way over to him as the tiger began stirring.
Opening his eyes, Kagami looked down to see the girl's uniform jacket covering his lap. Looking back up at the two miracles, the tiger stood up, giving a (Y/N) a quick smile as thanks for her jacket as he handed it to her.
"Let's go," Kagami declared to the two.
"Okay."
"Yes, sir," the sole girl replied as she and the two boys fist bumped each other, their usual routine.
The crowd and court were surprisingly quiet as both teams entered with Seiho and the three Kaijo players sitting in the stands. It was kind of tense. Though there was obvious tension between the rivals. It seemed like this was going to be one sided, but with Seirin's new starting lineup, it was hard to say what tricks they would pull.
Now it was time for some words of encouragement from their captain, Junpei Hyuga.
"*Sigh* I'm beat. I've had this melancholy feeling all day. We've got two games in a row, both against kings. And even while playing Seiho, all I could think about was playing another game after we beat them. But there's one game left. We don't have to worry about crap like reserving our energy for anything after that. And that means, we can focus on this one. So give the game everything you've got!" The captain concluded his monologue after starting out a little too laid back for a game that not a lot of people expected them to make.
"Yeah!" The Seirin team chanted along in agreement with their captain.
After their team huddles concluded, a whistle blew out as the referee announced that it was time to line up in order for the tip off. As the Seirin starters began making their way towards center court, (Y/N) noticed something a little off about the red head who was always quite vocal and loud about his desire to defeat strong opponents.
This time, Kagami was surprisingly quiet, not having said a word since they had left the locker room. And Kuroko noticed it as he stood beside the girl, watching his new light making his way to line up. Until a familiar and serious voice cut off his thoughts.
"Well, Kuroko. To be frank, I didn't think you would make it this far. But it all ends here. No matter how weak, small, or unknown any team can fight as long as they work together. That is merely an illusion. Come, allow me to show you how foolish your choice was," Midorima declared to the phantom as he pushed up his glasses.
The green haired shooter simply didn't think that Seirin had any great weapons other than (Y/N) to go up against him. And he knew she was more than capable of taking down Shutoku just on her own. But the glasses wearing boy knew for a fact that she wouldn't even consider doing that. That fact there was enough to grind his gears towards his opponents.
But the other two rival miracles didn't care about any of that.
"Nobody knows the right decisions to make in life. And just so you're aware, that is not why I made this choice," the phantom stated clearly.
"Me neither," (Y/N) spoke in a rather serious tone, looking Midorima straight in the eyes as a small smirk formed on her face.
The green haired miracle knew that competitive and serious tone in her voice. She was ready to fight. Not for her, but for her team.
"You ready to show me how much you've grown?" The triple threat challenged.
There wasn't even a second thought when it came to her question. Not one bit. Adjusting his glasses up once again, Midorima returned her confident gaze.
"Of course. Do you even have to ask?"
That's what she thought. Though she couldn't help but to still feel just a little bit of tension between the two. Well, she could only hope that maybe like with Kise, she could show Midorima the power of her and Kuroko's play style. The phantom certainly felt the same way as the players began lining up.
"Also, if I may disagree with one thing. It's that Seirin is anything but weak. We won't lose, you'll see," Kuroko made clear.
"And I'm right there with him," the triple threat agreed.
Narrowing his eyes at the light blue haired phantom, Midorima couldn't help but to look back at (Y/N). He could tell she was still a little uneasy around him, even after their talk, and the glasses wearing boy didn't want that. But, they could worry about that when this game was over.
With the two teams lined up, it was time. The ref called out the announcement between the A-Block game with Shutoku on one side and Seirin on the other, the two teams bowing as they wished each other a good game.
It was time for the Championship Game of the Inter-High Preliminaries to begin.
Still, Takao noticed something as the two teams began making their way to their positions on their respective sides of the court for the tip off.
"Wait, Kuroko and (Y/N) are the only ones you wanted to talk to? Not Kagami?" The point guard asked Midorima, catching the shooting guard off guard for a second when Takao used her first name.
He could smack him for that later.
"There's no need. I have zero reason to exchange words with someone who played such a pathetic game," the shooter stated as he looked back towards the red head, who kept his back to him.
Those words perked (Y/N)'s ears as she bit the inside of her cheek to try and not say anything. Sure, Kagami was kind of all over the place in their game against Seiho, but she wouldn't call it pathetic. Then again, she knew Midorima and how he was.
"If you have anything to say to me, you can show me on the court," the green haired shooter challenged Kagami.
At first, and unexpectedly, the usually hot-headed tiger didn't retort anything towards Midorima. It definitely caught both Kuroko and (Y/N) off guard as they looked to the two.
"Right back at 'cha," the red head finally smirked.
"You know, thinking about it just makes me pissed off at myself. And I've got tons of pent up frustration. So come on, let's do this already. I turned all that anger into fight. And I've been saving it specifically for you. But I can't hold it in any longer," Kagami declared, a powerful vibe beginning to come off of him.
Hold on, (Y/N) had felt this sort of ferocity before. And it was safe to say she didn't really like it as her eyes narrowed slightly at the tiger. Midorima just took it as his green orbs became sharper as well.
"What'd you say? Talk is cheap. Do your worst."
With no more words left to exchange between the two, it was time for this battle to begin. Both Kagami and Ootsubo got into position before jumping high for the ball that the referee had tossed. The red head with his advantage in jumping was able to win the tip off, making Seirin in possession of the ball.
Catching it quickly, the triple threat made no hesitation before passing it to Izuki. However, Shutoku was starting out strong, already beginning a man-to-man defense. While it looked there would be no opening for the punster to pass, Shutoku would be in for a little shocker.
As Kimura kept his eye on Izuki, the third year completely forgot that his was dealing with a disappearing phantom. Looking back to his mark, Kuroko had vanished and reappeared in Izuki's line of vision.
With the second year passing the ball, Kuroko misdirected it up towards the net and into Kagami's grasp. This move was familiar to many, and Kise recognized it as the same move the red head had used against him, the alleyoop.
"We got the first point! Let's go!" Furihata cheered from the bench as the tiger about slammed the ball into the basket.
But Shutoku wasn't so simple minded. As Kagami about dunked, Midorima jumped up and smacked the ball out of the red head's grasp and into Takao's hands with the point guard smirking.
"I knew you could do it, Shin-chan."
Gritting her teeth as she began running to start defending, the sole female player looked over to Shutoku's bench to see her cousin's eyes completely locked onto the game before him, writing down notes every so often. (Y/N) was sure the alleyoop would throw the opponents off, but she was treading dangerous water if she just assumed that.
'Dang it, Naoki knew we'd start out like that. Well, he's part of the Bashira family, so I shouldn't be surprised,' the triple threat thought to herself.
"How utterly disappointing. You think you can defeat us with something like that?" Midorima taunted the red head, causing him to glare back at the shooting guard.
While it didn't catch (Y/N) by surprise that Midorima could jump into order to block Kagami's shot, it did with the others. This was truly going to be an all out war.
Takao was now dribbling the ball, quickly making a pass to Kimura before Izuki could defend against him. As the third year went to make a shot, Seirin's own captain managed to tap the ball, throwing off its trajectory and causing it bounce off of the rim.
Seirin wasn't going down that easily either.
(Y/N) now had the ball, but she was soon double teamed by Ootsubo and Kimura, causing her to not be able to find an opening to pass. The battle back and forth went on until about two minutes into the game, neither side letting the other pass or make any scores.
Up in the stands, both the Seiho and Kaijo boys watched on to see which team would make the first ultimate move, to see who would change the flow of the game first.
"Once your opponent takes control of the game, it's very hard to take it back in the same quarter. It's been almost two minutes and neither team has scored a point. At this rate, whoever manages to score first will take control of the first quarter," Kasamatsu observed as he looked at the clock.
Back down on the court, Hyuga was now dribbling the ball down towards Seirin's basket, but the shot was a miss, and Ootsubo was the one to receive it.
"Run and gun!" He shouted before throwing the ball to Takao, who was already halfway down the court.
As Hyuga tried to defend the point guard, Takao made a quick move and passed the ball back to Midorima, the one person Seirin didn't want to have the ball. Because that could only mean one thing.
The green haired shooting guard was far past the free throw line, but that didn't matter all that much as he lined up his position and shot the ball with its distinctively high arch.
Kagami couldn't believe eyes. It was one thing seeing from the sideline, but out here in an actual game, it was something completely different. The tiger was shell shocked. But he wasn't going to be like that for very long.
As Midorima began walking back to defend before the ball could even enter the hoop, Kuroko ran past a stunned Kagami.
"Don't stop running," the light blue haired boy told him.
Before Kagami could even question anything, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see (Y/N) beginning to run back towards Seirin's hoop. But she had that look on her face, that confident smirk.
"Come on, Tigerhead. It's our turn."
And with that, Kagami took her word for it. He somehow knew exactly what the two miracles were planning, and began running back with the triple threat as the ball landed through the hoop, scoring the first three points to Shutoku.
With the crowd cheering, and the Seirin second years reeling the shock from what they had just seen, it seemed like Shutoku was going to be taking control of the game.
Oh, if it was only that simple.
Shutoku may have scored the first points of the game, but the Seirin trio had a plan of the their own.
Kuroko caught the ball as it bounced from Midorima's shot, and in a quick movement as the greenette looked back at his former teammate, the phantom pivoted before winding up his shot, creating a small vortex of wind around him before hurling the ball past Midorima's head at an amazing speed.
Smirking at the ball hurling right towards her, (Y/N) stood off to the side before smacking the ball in a misdirection move, causing it to go straight into Kagami's grasp as he performed a dunk to score Seirin's first points of the game.
Everyone, including Seirin sat or stood in shock as the crowd went silent, everyone's jaws agape. Riko hadn't seen this pass before, so she was caught off guard as well.
Midorima wasn't expecting this, he knew of (Y/N)'s ability to use misdirection, but at a speed like that. It only meant that she and Kuroko were going to be battling hard.
Glaring back at the phantom, the shooting guard grit his teeth as he eyes went sharp.
"Kuroko," he growled.
But this game was only starting.
"Apologies, but I can't just let you take the first quarter that easily. Or at all," the phantom stated.