The Kaijou members can tell Shiki was in the Zone along with Harumi. The passes and shots were so quick that Akina, Natsuhi, and Fuyu took their time to realize the ball was even passed to them!
'They're too fast...' Akina thought to herself, 'I've never seen Shiki like this before!' She shot a three pointer into the basket from very far away, earning another three points for the team.
Whenever the other team managed to get the ball, Shiki will use that god-like speed of hers to steal it back. Everything felt like slow motion to her so she had no idea just how fast she was going to the others' eyes. If it weren't for Harumi receiving her passes most of the time, their score would not have gone up so quickly.
The quintuplets were all overwhelmed, they can no longer attack with outside shots because Shiki made it impossible for them to shoot. It was frustrating them, it aggravated them; Harumi was not the most dangerous member of Aozora, it was Shiki!
Shiki was able to dodge all of the hits with intent. Every trip of the feet, every elbow hits, and every punches thrown her way. The confident look on her face never disappeared, she was moving in a speed no one can compare with.
"Don't play like ruffians!" The coach from the other team shouted at her girls, seeing that they were trying to attack Shiki without being caught by the referee. 'Why are they not listening?! They usually quiver when I shout!?'
Shiki decided it was very annoying and she decided to punish the girls. She smirked faked a fall in front of one of the sisters.
"Foul! Aozora, free throw!" The referee shouted after a blow of the whistle.
The audience all called out to Tsuchi Academy as nothing but cheaters and hope they fail to win. Only Harumi was able to tell Shiki was faking the fall.
'It was so close! Shiki-senpai was so close to that hit just then...!' Harumi may be in the Zone but she felt Shiki's use of the Zone was above another level. In fact, Shiki has always been someone far from her. Harumi doesn't know why Shiki made her the ace of the team when Shiki herself was clearly capable of being the ace and the captain at the very same time.
"Hmm...why is everyone moving so slow?" Shiki wondered to herself as she performed a free throw.
'Shiki-senpai is still unaware!!!' Harumi screamed in her thought, finding it impossible for Shiki to be this unaware!
The female coach was biting her nails with worry, if the quintuplets displayed such behaviour, it will be obvious something was going wrong!
"I knew it..." Kumo walked over to the female caoch, "They are doping, aren't they? They have went overboard with it this time, right? In exchange for extra boost, they get aggravated easily..."
"So what? Everybody does it! You really think everyone play fairly at these sport events? Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to reach for the top!"
"Just because everyone does it like you claim, it doesn't justify your rights to do it! It means you are just as wrong as those 'everyone' you claim there is!" Kumo shouted.
"Tch! What are you going to do about it? Tell the referee?"
"No. Our captain would never allow me to do such a thing."
"Huh?"
"She will defeat your team and win with pride." Kumo said with a very confident smile, "Our girls went down the wrong road before, but they're back on the right track again!"
The game was definitely looking in favor for Aozora, the score has finally reversed!
113-110!
The Kaijou members cheered like everyone else, excited just seeing the score reverse!
"We can't lose here...!" The first sister said, her vision started to go hazy.
"We didn't come this far to come in second place!" The second sister's breathing was fast, unable to calm it down.
"Win! We have to win!"
"It's no good to lose here!"
"There is only one winner!"
The timer was ticking away, not a lot of time was left!
Akina looked away from them, not giving them any sympathetic feelings. Why can't they just enjoy the game? Then again, they were playing basketball without properly enjoying it, they were attacking other teams for the enjoyment. They nearly walked down the wrong path...
"Akina, come on!" Shiki called for her with a smile, "How long are you going to look stoic for?"
'We came this far, huh?' Akina smiled a little and she caught up with Shiki. She barely received Shiki's pass since it came at her with a very fast speed. She faked a shot and passed the ball to Natsuhi with high accuracy.
"Thanks!" Before Natsuhi can be pressured by the other team, she did a backwards pass for Fuyu, who then connected the ball to Shiki.
'Hm?' Harumi was running behind Shiki, watching her dodge the other team one by one. Was it just Harumi or was Shiki's Zone wearing off?
Maybe no one was able to tell, but Shiki's speed has been slowing down little by little. Harumi needed to make sure she was near so if her Zone ran out, she will take over.
Natsuhi and Fuyu acted as defense, for Shiki so she can perform a lay up. Akina, despite the great height difference between herself and the other team's girls, also tried to defend.
"Shiki!!!" Akina shouted for Shiki, hoping she will get the next score and deal the finishing blow.
With the speed of sound, she forced her way through a double-person defense. Shiki was enjoying herself so much that she has completely forgotten she was tired. Was she enjoying this especially because she knew it's her last game with the current team? As she made herself to the opponent's basket, she thought about how lucky she was to be able to play basketball this year.
She got to meet Fuu, the new junior...
She got to fall in love with Kasamatsu...
"Ah-?!" Shiki couldn't find the strength to lift her arm up to perform a lay up after the jump. 'I just noticed how embarrassing I am right now...and did I enter the Zone? The Zone?!"
"Here!" Harumi took the ball from her and performed the lay-up in her place. "This is the right way, Senpai! And yes, you entered the Zone, and it was freaking awesome!"
Shiki then realized something new, she will have no problem graduating and leaving the team to Harumi...
The buzzer beater sounded, with the score of 115-110, Aozora has won the Winter Cup.
Harumi supported Shiki, grinning at her with a happy smile, "Shiki-senpai, you hear that? We won!"
"Harumi."
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
"No problem!"
Shouts and cheers appeared here and there, everyone stood up from their seats to cheer for Aozora.
"Ah?!" Shiki didn't expect herself to be surrounded by the others in a huge hug. She smiled wholeheartedly when the laughter of her friends can be heard. Tears of joy started to flow, they were able to win without regrets.
"Senpai, we won! We won!" Harumi hugged Shiki tightly, laughing happily that the win was theirs to take.
"Ah! Shiki is crying." Akina pointed out, "Someone get the camera before it dries-ahh!" Akina was pulled out of the hug and into the hold of her boyfriend. "Yoshitaka?"
"Hey there, my little winner!"
It was not just Moriyama. The others from Kaijou made it to the basketball court, happy for the girls.
"Snow P(r)incess, cong(r)atu(l)ations on winning!" Hayakawa hugged Fuyu tightly, crying out of joy for her.
"Ack! I'm all sweaty and you're holding me!"
"It's okay! These a(r)e sweat of victo(r)y!"
"It's disgusting..."
"If it's f(r)om Snow P(r)incess, it's c(l)ean!"
"You're not making me feel any better!"
Kobori walked up to Natsuhi and patted her on the head, "Congrats on winning, Natsuhi-san."
"Thank you." Natsuhi politely said to him, "I can't believe we actually won..."
"Here," Kobori fetched a towel from the bench and he wiped the sweat from her face. He thought she looked very beautiful after a hard game...
"We really won...we really won..."
"Hey, why the tears?" Natsuhi laughed at his question with a sweet smile, "I have no idea. I just feel happy."
"Harumi-senpai, congratulations!" Kise didn't care about the sweat on her body, he picked her up and started to swing her round and round.
"Kya~!" Harumi didn't expect the blonde to do this at all! She laughed within the hug, not caring if she was getting dizzy.
Shiki looked at the two aces laughing it off before she turned her back to them and went to find Kasamatsu.
"There you are..."
"Congratulations on winning." Kasamatsu said with a smile, holding her hand with his own. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks."
"Those girls..." Kasamatsu looked at where the quintuplets sat.
The quintuplets were all disappointed with the results. They did not understand why they lost when they were the ones getting a physical power boost the whole time.
"Ah. They were doping. I bet they are feeling like shit..."
"It is ironic that the team who played with the best sportsmanship triumphed over the team who doped. Well, I'm sure they will sort themselves out." He looked at where he stood and he blushed slightly, "Shiki..."
"Yeah?"
Kasamatsu figured that everyone's attention were all spread out so it wouldn't be a big deal if he spoiled Shiki and allow her to have her wish: A kiss from him at the tip-off point...
That day, Aozora got the Winter Cup's trophy with pride...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many weeks has gone by, basketball was over and what's in the way now were exams before the end of the year. For the 3rd years, it was the most important time of the year because their results will determine whether or not they were accepted into the university of their choice.
"Harumi-senpai, can I come to your place tonight?" Kise was calling Harumi from his phone, practice was over and he wondered if she had time for him. He was a little upset because the senpais will graduate in a matter of months. He wouldn't be able to say it out loud but Kasamatsu was his first real friend in Kaijou, knowing he will be gone soon was a little sad. "I feel like seeing you." Kise said with a fake smile.
--I was about to ask you the same thing. I have a lot of responsibilities now since I am now the ace and captain.-- For Harumi, it was the same; Shiki and the 3rd years will graduate real soon, leaving her and Fuu behind in Aozora. She will miss being Shiki's ace...
"I see. That will be a lot of work. I am still the ace."
--Lucky you.--
"Senpai, are you okay?" At least Kise still have Hayakawa and Nakamura, Harumi will not have a senpai anymore...
--I will be if you buy me some ice cream along the way.--
"You are definitely all right." Kise laughed on the phone, finding her reaction pretty funny.
Nakamura on the other hand was messaging Fuu in the empty classroom. He was told that her back was okay now and she's ready to start jumping and bouncing again.
"That Fuu...the moment she gets better, she starts doing things that could land her in a hospital..."
"Shinya-senpai!" Fuu appeared at the door of his classroom. At first he didn't react to it because he thought he was seeing things, but he realized she's very real when his classmate greeted her with a smile. Fuu was not supposed to be here! It's still school time! What was she doing here?!
"Fuu?! Why are you-?!"
"I felt like seeing you! Plus, I have detention for not doing a homework!"
"That is no good! You need to go back to Aozora!"
"Don't wanna."
"Fuu..."
"I can't do it. The Kanji is too difficult!"
"Fine, if I teach you, will you behave?"
"And I want to go on that date already! You still owe me it!"
"I can't go on a date with you when you keep leaving your homework unfinished!"
"If you love my homework so much, why don't you take it out on a date instead?"
"You're not funny..." Nakamura sighed with a small smile, "Come on, let's do this the old fashioned way." He invited her in and pulled out the chair next to him.
"Heehee! This doesn't count as the date!"
"I know, I know. What don't you get now?"
"Everything."
"I knew it..."
Shiki just finished one of the exams along with Fuyu, Natsuhi, and Akina.
"I think I failed..." Fuyu was the type who will always get the good grades but always mumble on about how badly they did. The other three ignored her and let her mope about it since she will be cleared from it sooner or later.
"Akina, how did you think you do?" Natsuhi asked the brown haired girl.
"Meh." Akina was the type who will go and finish the exam, and then come out not giving a fuck about it.
"Usual answer, huh? I think I did pretty well." Natsuhi was the type to study well and then prepared for it with confidence. "And I guess there isn't a point to ask Shiki, is there?" She asked with a smile.
"Hm." Shiki was the type who will get the grades by studying for it at the last minute. She does better when she's under pressure. "At least we got it over and done with. What's everyone doing?"
"Yoshitaka is taking me to the new cafe." Akina answered.
"Kouji is taking me to see his parents tonight." Everyone stared at Natsuhi, wondering why she and Kobori hasn't married yet.
"Hiro is insisting he will help me study." It will definitely be the other way around; Fuyu will be the one helping him study because of their one year difference.
"What are you doing with Kasamatsu?" Akina asked Shiki, "Is he still stuttering when he's going on a date with you? Poor guy..."
"Oh, he's here now." Shiki can see Kasamatsu looking very nervous. "Well, I guess I will head off now."
"See you, captain!" The three of them said at the same time, still used to Shiki being the captain of the Aozora team.
Shiki smiled as she shook her head.
"I am not the captain anymore." In a matter of days, they will all go their separate ways. However, she was not sad about it. "Why don't we meet up for a game when we're all free? We can invite the guys if they are not busy." As long as they still love basketball, it doesn't matter if everyone will walk their own paths...
"Yeah."
"Later." Shiki left the three of them, making her way to Kasamatsu.
"I should get going too. Hiro is probably waiting for me." Fuyu said to them two, "See you later."
"Akina, which way are you going?" Natsuhi asked, "I am going that way."
"I am going this way." Akina pointed to the right, "I hope Shiki will ask us for a game real soon."
"Yeah." Natsuhi would like a game again, as a team.
With that, the 3rd year girls went their own way. With everything over, they were free to do what they want...
Kasamatsu smiled as Shiki walked closer to him.
"Let's go." Kasamatsu said to her without the need to stutter. Well this was a miracle in itself!
"What's this? Is this finally a date where you're not stuttering?"
"Shut up! I was thinking...why don't we play one-on-one at the street basketball court."
"Is that the only romantic thing you can think of?"
"EH?!" She doesn't like it?! He thought it would be a great-
Shiki made him look at her and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "I would like that. Let's go."
With basketball over, the girls busied themselves with their own Shape of Love...