After Kise shedded tears because of his first ever loss against Seirin during the practice match, he decided to take basketball a little more seriously. Kasamatsu thought it was a good thing because a loss can make a person grow up. He wanted to see how much growing up Kise will make so he decided to look ahead and wait for the results.
A week has already passed since the practice game with Seirin. They have another practice game today. Kasamatsu wondered if he will be okay because he did lose to Aozora during last year's Interhigh. He was the ace for the team last year and he failed to live up to the name. He can still remember how his seniors blamed him for the miss pass, he will never ever forget their frustrated tears and anger directed at him. He can remember how he wanted to quit basketball at the time too...
'This year will be different!' His thoughts were positive and it did not put him off in anyway. 'The wind is pleasant...' The spring wind blew nicely, giving him a nice breeze. What a nice day to walk to school in...
"Hm?"
All that was about to change because he saw something up ahead that made him frown...
"Hakanai, I know what you have been doing!" Sano was shouting at Shiki, making it clear to her that he was angry because of something she has been doing.
"Keep your voice down, Sano. That one day I choose to walk to school, I have to be greeted by you..." Shiki wanted to continue to walk but Sano grabbed her arm harshly.
"Whatever you are doing, stop it already!"
"'Stop'? Why?"
"Because-"
"You didn't stop what you did last year, why should I stop what I am doing at this very moment?"
"Shiki-"
"You call me by my name again, I will slit your throat."
"You..." Sano can feel his anger rising.
"Sano, you can never beat me fairly so you had to make sure I fall... How does it feel to know I am crawling my way back up? Isn't it sad how people are talking about the group of girls and not you? You egotistic fool..."
She managed to provoke the final string of refrain and he raised a fist at her.
'This gives me an excuse to hit him back...'
"What the hell are you doing?!" Kasamatsu jumped into the scene with a powerful jump kick.
"Eh...?" Sano had no idea what happened because he can feel his consciousness leaving him.
"Huh...?" Shiki was the most confused; where did this guy come from?
"You never ever raise a hand on a girl! It's not right!" Kasamatsu didn't think he would see something like this happening on a walk to school. He turned to Shiki, "Are you ok- You..."
"Kaijou's Captain..."
"Is this guy your boyfriend? Y-You shouldn't go out with someone like this..."
When he said that, there was a momentary moment where she looked sad.
"Huh?"
"I wish someone could have told me this last year..."
"Hey-"
"I could have handled this douchebag myself, why did you jump in?" She's not angry about him jumping in. She's confused why he jumped in...
"'Why'? Um..." Why did he jump in? He doesn't know that either. He knew it was Shiki, he knew for sure she could have dealt with the idiot on the floor. Yet, he jumped in regardless the possibilities of her beating Sano up...
"Surely you remember how I thrashed the team on that night..."
How can Kasamatsu forget? This girl also beaten him on a one on one, something a girl has never done to him...
"Are you still playing basketball?" Kasamatsu looked at her when she asked him that. He wondered why she asked him this question; was she hoping for something?
"I am."
"Huh, I guess some people's wills are hard to break..."
"You..."
"Anyway, I'm going."
"Hakanai, are you still playing basketball?"
"I am. Just not like you..."
What did she mean by that? Kasamatsu can hear the anger in her voice and also something else...
Why can I feel your anguish?
Shiki looked over her shoulder to see a sad look in Kasamatsu's eyes. She wondered why he looked at her like that...
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"Help! Somebody!" Shiki had no escape route whatsoever. She can't get out of the equipment shed no matter how many times she tried to open the door.
The light died out a long time ago and her shouts reached no one...
"Help me..." Shiki cried herself to sleep, cold and alone... "How can you do this to me...?" She trusted him. She trusted him and this was his way to pay her back...
By the time Shiki was freed by the caretaker, she had cried enough. The caretaker helped call her Dad for ehr and even gave her a nice cup of coffee. The caretaker gave her back her cell phone and told her that he had found it outside of the shed's door so he realized someone must be there.
Shiki looked at her phone to see her friends' messages. They ranged from asking her whereabouts, why she's not answering their messages, and how they lost at the preliminaries...
"No..." Shiki cried even more; she wanted to win and reach Winter Cup's victory with her friends. She wanted to win the Winter Cup just like how they won the Interhigh...
Shiki cried out in frustrations; the team has got taken down all because of a cheap and unfair trick...
Hakanai Shiki will never ever forget about what happened last year. She did some reflecting during her suspension and she concluded that she was too kind. If she hasn't been so trusting of others, the incident could have been prevented. She decided she will be cruel and take down those who wronged her in the slowest and most humiliating way as possible.
"Hakanai!"
Shiki was confronted by Sano's little twin sister, Kanon. Kanon was angry at Shiki and she had tears trailing dow her cheeks. She also has a hot-headed female friend with her.
"What?" Shiki rudely asked.
"Hakanai, how can you do such a thing to Kanon-chan? Apologize!"
"I refuse." Shiki was quick to claim it wasn't her fault at all.
"You used a picture of her and signed her up on one of those weird dating websites! She has been harrassed by other people, you know?! Emailing her and calling her!"
"So? That ain't my business. Maybe it's one of your friend's kinks?"
"Hakanai, Kanon know it's you!" Kanon shouted, "Everyone knows you're the only one holding a grudge over what happened at the Winter Cup! Kanon did her best to try and win when you didn't bother turning up-"
"'Kanon this', 'Kanon that', you don't really think you are adorable when you speak like that, do you? Grow up before you speak to me, little girl." Shiki stood up and looked at the girl with predatory eyes, "Where is your evidence, Sano?"
"I- Only you have a reason to do something like that against Kanon!"
"Evidence? Show it to me..." Shiki smirked when she saw her struggling to get words out, "Come back and amuse me when you have evidence that I am the one behind as to why you are offering to date strangers." Shiki pushed Kanon aside and walked away. Before she can walk away, Kanon's friend grabbed Shiki's shoulder, sticking up for Kanon. However, Shiki's movement was too fast and she grabbed the girl's face and slammed her to the bulletin board. "You're just an outsider... If you get involved in this, I will kill you..." Shiki let go of her and took her cell phone out.
It's time...
Shiki headed for the school gate and she saw her friends waiting for her.
In Shiki's mind, she knew going against Kaijou would mean going against the captain, Kasamatsu Yukio. She decided to ignore that fact; crushing the enemy first before the Aozora boys' team does was more important than anything else...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kasamatsu needed to have a 5 minute breather before the practice game with Aozora. Kise asked him about Aozora but Kasamatsu and the others didn't say anything much about them; everyone but Kise knew how much the other team affected Kasamatsu so they remained silent until the day Kasamatsu was ready to tell Kise the humiliating loss from last year's summer.
"It's time..." Kasamatsu decided he should head back to the gym and see if the Aozora team has arrived.
When Kasamatsu returned, he saw a team he did not expect to see at all...
"No way..." 'Is this the rumored team of girls who has been crushing boys' basketball teams one by one in Kanagawa?'
His teammates also shared the same face when they saw the girls arriving...
Wearing their white jersey and shorts, they have 'Sky' written in black and gold.
Shiki leaded the girls into the gym and she smiled at Kasamatsu with a predatory grin.
"Hakanai..." Kasamatsu doesn't know what to say; Shiki's team has been going around and delivering crushing defeat to everyone? Why would she do such a thing?
"Harumi-senpai, you're..." Kise was shocked to see Harumi here.
"Kise," Harumi greeted with a smile. Shiki was the only one who can tell the pink haired idol was faking that smile...
"Akina-chan, can I... Can I talk to you for a second?" Moriyama held Akina's hand and dragged her away from the others to talk. It seems like he doesn't know his girlfriend well enough...
"Hakanai, you're the one leading your team?" Kasamatsu asked her.
"Ah,"
"Are you having fun doing so?"
"Yes I am."
Kasamatsu decided that there's no way they can lose here; he's leading his team and there's no way he can lead them and only to lose to a girl who was keen on crushing teams one by one out of fun.
"Kasamatsu Yukio, let's have a good game." Just like a renowned captain, he displayed his good sportsmanship and held his hand out for Shiki to shake.
"I have no intentions of holding back, Kasamatsu..."
Kasamatsu made his team gather and told them of the change of plans. He does not know why the girls came in place of Aozora's boys' team but since they have arrived with the will to challenge them, there's no need to hold back.
"We are going in full strength." When Kasamatsu said that, Moriyama was shocked. "I know it seems unfair to go full strength on them but trust me on this."
Kasamatsu made it clear to leave Shiki to him; he had lost against her on a one on one and he has yet to return the favor of revenge.
"Natsuhi," Shiki walked to the tallest member of her team.
"Yes?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't get the tip-off first."
"Shiki, are you sure?"
"Yes."
"If you say so." Natsuhi got to the center of the court and she smiled a little at Kobori, "Sorry we had to see each other like this..."
"Tsuyu-san, do you enjoy playing basketball like this?" Kobori asked her, hoping she would say no.
"Honestly, I don't." Natsuhi looked at him and forced a smile, "We have to do this for Shiki's sake."
"For your Captain's sake?"
"We just have to..."
The ball was thrown up into the air and they both jumped for it. Just as Shiki expected, Kobori reached the ball first and he passed it to Kasamatsu.
"Alright! Let's start by scoring first!" Kasamatsu looked around him to see who he can pass the ball to. 'Three out of five of them doesn't have much height but I can't underestimate them!'
"Come!" Shiki challenged Kasamatsu and he in return accepted the challenge. Kasamatsu performed his drive and was about to pass her.
"Senpai!" Kise realized Harumi's slower than him so he was able to slip away from her easily to an open space for a pass.
Kasamatsu was about to pass but Shiki jabbed the ball out of Kasamatsu's hand in an instant.
'We purposely lose our marks so you had the option to pass. Once you choose to pass, I will take the ball from you!' Shiki thought.
Shiki took the ball and she easily passed Kobori despite the height difference. She bounced the ball behind her for Harumi who immediately threw it forward before Kise had the chance to mark her. Shiki scored first by throwing a three-pointer.
'Her reaction is quick!' Kasamatsu couldn't believe how precise and quick Shiki was.
Shiki looked at Kasamatsu and she smiled at him, "Come at me with all you've got, Captain."