Ogiwara?
"Seriously? I have to do this now? I just got back from Japan. Can't we do this tomorrow?" I complained as we stood in the hot sun of our house basketball court, the outside one.
"Yes now. I need to see what I should put on your training regimen." Kaho explained loudly from the sidelines.
"I want to see why the hell Kaho said you're weak now." Kiki shouted.
"I just want to see how badly you suck now." Tetsuji shouted at me. I rolled my eyes. But that made me realize something.
"June." I said to my best friend stretching in front of me. She looked up and hummed, "Do you know where Tadashi is?"
"Oh, right, I dropped him and Max off as his shoot today. Typical for his schedule. Don't worry though, I told Max you were back and not to tell Tad. He'll be home soon." I nodded as we talked about my 5 year old brother.
Yeah, Tadashi, my five year-old brother, is a model.
"Alright then, I'm ready, let's go. Simple stuff first. Dribble left hand." I did that and she looked at me confused but then told me to switch. And, obviously, I switched to my right hand.
"What the hell is that, Tetsuya!" Kaho screamed. "It's completely off balance and has not strength behind it what so ever." I flinched as her brutal truth.
"Don't flinch. She's right." June argued and I just sighed. "Back up." She said.
"What?"
"Back up." I took a step backwards. "Further." I took a few more steps. "Further." By now I was on the three point line. June pointed to the basketball before saying, "Shoot it." I was about to ask why but she looked pissed off, so I shot.
...Miss. No surprise there.
"What the hell was that?" My entire "fan-section" yelled.
"Wow, I've never actually seen you miss that. You are not okay. Are you sick? Maybe it's the cold. Should we go to the indoor gym?" June asked.
"No, June." I shouted causing everyone, even myself, to be in shock. "It's just me. Somethings wrong, when joining middle school, I completely lost myself, my true self." I looked at my hands. They were trembling. I wanted to push my old self away because I thought that the GoM and Seirin were actually happy with this, but I was wrong. "I'm a shadow, an advanced one, but I need to join that with my true form. So please, help me." My face probably looked like I was about to cry, so I looked at me feet.
Not going to lie, I felt like it.
"Tetsuya." June said softly. I looked up and a ball was passed to me. I was confused but June got in a basketball stance. "Show me, the shadow. Become a phantom and show me what you've accomplished."
I wiped my face and nodded. I began dribbling, 'Focus Tetsuya, focus on changing your presence.' I felt it. For the first time, I felt myself changing to being unseen. It's usually just happened but now I did it myself. Of course misdirection helps with disappearing and becoming as phantom, but what people don't know is that I can actually change my presence and if I have no presence, no one can see me. I combined that with misdirection a week before leaving Japan. I knew June could see me, I was right in front of her obviously but a split second went by. I dribble at her and then, I get pass her going to the basket. I missed my lay up, sadly, but June was frozen.
June turned around slowly staring at me. "Tet-Tetsuya. Where the hell did you just go? What did you just do?"
"Woah! So cool!" Kiki yelled enthusiastically but I saw the other two, they were beyond shocked.
"I told you, a shadow is what I've become. And I don't shine anymore, so no one sees. Please, change me back, to stronger than my strongest form. Help me win against the back-stabbing traitors. I'm getting the crew back together. That was the plan from day one. But first, I need your help. Will you help me?"
I explained to June and she took it all in. June laughed, "Who would I be if I didn't? Come on, Tetsuya, I brought it out in the first place, I can bring it out again. I'll bring your zone back out, the sun you once were, will shine again."
~~
"No."
"No."
"No. No. No. No. No."
"June!" I scream after three hours of hearing the same word over and over again. "Could you say anything but 'No'?"
"No." June said with a straight face. She was serious right now. I sighed and continued doing the drill. It was tough, not going to lie, especially in my physical condition.
"June!" I heard Kaho call her. I stopped dribbling for a split second.
"Don't stop." June yelled at me and I continued but eavesdropped on their conversation. "So, you finished already?"
"Yep, Tetsuya's new work out regimen to get him back to more muscles than before. He'll be at least twice as strong and four times as fast. Although, I can't help with growth." I swear a tick mark was on my forehead.
"Kaho, I'm not short." I argued.
"You're 5'7. I may love you but you're short. I'll be taller than you in a few years." I stuck my tongue out at her and she stuck hers back out.
"Yes!" June yelled startling both me and Kaho.
"What?" We both asked at the same time. June pointed at the ball I was dribbling. I was utterly confused, Kaho was in the same boat.
"That's the first time you've communicated and not looked at the ball while continuing to dribble. Basic knowledge for basketball players but I started at the basics. Finally, we are making progress." June cheered patting herself on the back.
It was true, every time June tried to make my look up and talk to her while contouring to dribble, it either rolled away or I lost it. For the first time today, I was proud of myself in ways no one could describe. Sure, we were back at the basics like June mentioned, but I was gaining my natural basketball playing self back slowly.
"Sweet. Few more hours and you'll be dribbling everywhere not looking at the ball in your hands once." June said and I nodded dripping with sweat.
Another hour passed by and I made exceptional progress. Like June said an hour ago, I'm dribbling without looking at the ball but not at the speed I'd like or at the speed I should go, but it's something.
"Tetsu!" I hear the familiar voice that I love but that nickname is also said by another, but who cares. I smile and look over at my very handsome younger brother, Tadashi. He's running towards me in his outfit that he probably wore to the photo shoot. He didn't care that June was telling him to get off the court because we were practicing. He ran over to me and jumped into my arms.
"Hi, Tad." I said smiling a small smile. It was the first actual toothy smile I've had in the past few years. Tadashi always makes me smile.
"Are you having fun?" He asked and I nodded. "Can I play with you?" We both looked at June and she sighed.
"Fine, I guess you can have some fun and play with Tadashi."
"Yay!" Tad cheered. We then began having some fun. I was dribble around and Tad would try to get it, I didn't realize it then and there but I was getting faster, all because of Tadashi. Tadashi had a long day and was worn out after 20 minutes but while we were sitting in the concrete and rolling the ball back and forth, I asked him a question, "So where's Max? I thought he was with you?"
"Max went home to go to his grandma's house. He said she wasn't feeling well." I frowned, I loved that woman. My grandma, the one I met, passed away years ago and I've known Max for a long time, in many different ways, and when I visited her for the first time, I instantly loved Granmi. She was like the grandma I wish I had. I've never met my father's mother; although, I never want to meet her with how my father talks about her.
"How sad. I bet she'll be okay, though, she's a strong one." I was also glad Max wouldn't see me now. Max and I used to date (bisexual) but it didn't work because we felt to much like siblings. We mutually made the decision to stay friends and now we're like best friends. June is my best female friend.
"Okay, let's go. You have to wake up early everyday for the next few weeks. After all, you want this the most." June said reminding me of why we were even out here.
"That's right. Let's go, Tad. I heard Kiki is making dinner tonight." His eyes lit up and Tad cheered. We walked towards the house and once I was in my actuallly clean room, I showered, ate dinner with my family and June, dad came home and cried, then slept. Tomorrow was another day.
Another day I needed to improve.
(Back at Japan)
"Did he really leave?" Junpei asked the principal of our school. I was already informed this by Kuroko himself but thought I shouldn't tell Junpei the day that I found out.
"Man, that's crazy. I didn't think he'd leave the school and the country." He looked stressed. Our practices have been a little off for the past few days. Like we were missing something, other than Kagami. He was training with the Generation if Miracles almost every day so he was improving, fast.
But, we haven't practiced without Kuroko besides that one day he was sick, and that day was weird also. Our teamwork has been completely lopsided for the couple day's Kuroko has been gone. "Riko, did you know this?" I played dumb and shook my head.
We thanked the principal for his time and walked back towards the gym. "Riko, something has been off with us lately. And it's not because Kagami has been at the other practices with the GoM. It's something else and I can't tell what but every time I step in the gym, I feel as if Kuroko is watching me."
Anxiety.
I was not going to let anxiety punch my players in the face and tear them away from our goal. I understand Kuroko is gone, they must feel guilty for doing this, but I have no idea where he is. And I know it's mean, but he's the least of our worries. We have games coming up, and practice matches. "Junpei, I understand where you're coming from, but Kuroko is doing fine wherever he is. I know you said some mean things about him, but it's Kuroko, we'll see him eventually, even if it takes a while." I cracked a joke and the boy with glasses smiled at my stupid joke.
"Yeah, you're right. We need to focus on our game's coming up." It's like he read my mind.
"Absolutely, let's go." We opened the gym doors and by my super shed, there stood Kagami communicating with our team. "Finally, you show up to a practice." I say.
He bowed slightly. "Sorry Coach. Just been busy."
"Yeah yeah, I know. Practicing with the Miracles and stuff. Whatever, let's start warm up." I clap my hands and they all rush off to start. I just hope that they don't stay hung up about Kuroko forever. Or maybe, they will and it'll push them forward. Or not.
Kagami's POV
I decided to go to team practice today for Seirin. It feels weird when I practice with the GoM. So I thought I'd see if I felt the same as team practice today.
I enjoy playing with the amazing and different people such as the Generation themselves, but my team is my team, and I need to be there once in a while. But, for the past few days, there was something keeping me off track. Kuroko's face when he looked at me, challenged me, and left.
He left, and was coming back who knows when. I don't know why, but I have a gut feeling that I need to be even stronger than I am. I feel that I need to grow more to beat him. Even though he's weak.
All practice I focused on trying to improve my skills, trying is the key word. Half way through, the doors slammed open, "Where is he?" A male stepped in, he looked familiar. Like Kuroko knew him. Probably from someone he knew years ago.
"Shigehiro Ogiwara?" Coach said confused and he nodded.
"Where is my best friend?" He looked beyond pissed and I knew who he was talking about.
"He's not here." I've been sounding so rude the past few days. His eyes shot towards me and I remembered Kuroko said they were pals back then. "Went away from here. He's not even in Japan."
His eyes went wide and his skin when pale. He looked absolutely terrified. "K-Kuroko left the country? Which means he went home. That means he'll go back to the way he was." This Ogiwara person was freaking out right now because Kuroko left the country.
"What do you mean "back to the way he was"?" Captain asked the boy that's my age.
"Kuroko never told you?"
"Told us what?" I asked.
"How he used to play basketball?" Everyone gathered around slightly shocking Ogiwara but he continued, "Kuroko has been my friend since I can remember, but every year for school he'd go back to his home with his family, until he officially moved here in 7th grade. I still don't know the exact location but it's in America." Some of us were surprised. "When I first played against Kuroko, I was completely terrified. We were probably seven years old, and Kuroko could already play at a middle school level. Maybe even high school level. He always had this determined and scary look on his face while he played, I remember that he used to..." Ogiwara hesitated and stopped talking.
"Used to what?" Coach asked calmly trying to carefully allow Ogiwara to speak.
"Well, it's what you guys call the zone, he used to play in it every day." Not once, ever, has Kuroko gone into zone while playing, but now I find out that he used to always be in the zone? What even?
"Not possible." I mutter.
"But it's true. Kuroko was a selfish player back then. We'd join some small games with other kids and he'd never let go of the ball, but he never needed to. We'd end up wining without anyone but him touching the ball." Some of us believed it, some of us didn't. But what Ogiwara said next, I almost lost it. "Plus, Kuroko had a lot emotions than he does now. I remember seeing his smile the brightest smile in the entire world. It's was nice and peaceful."
"Seriously?" Ogiwara nodded with a smile. "Wait, so why does it matter if he goes home again?" Asked Tsuchida.
Ogiwara became serious again, "Because he'll regain his skill, his emotions, and his will to play. No one, not even the Generation of Miracles, could stop Kuroko. He'd no longer need a light, he'd be his own light with his own shadow." That kind of freaked me out the way he said it, but Kuroko...
Could he really be that strong when he goes all out?
"Who'd be on his team though? He told me he was getting a team." I announced. I don't think he actually said that but you can't play on a court by yourself.
"Meep." Ogiwara said. "That's bad, if he said he was getting 'his team', then you, me, and every basketball player is in deep shit. I met one of his friends once, he was around 6'5, still growing too, but had a vertical of 20 inches. His feet were literally 20 inches about the floor. He jumped up and could touch the top of the backboard when in the zone. The dude is probably 6'10 by now."
Not even Murasakibara could jump that high, or get that high. It was kind of amazing. I should learn from that guy, Murasakibara only talks about snacks or doesn't speak at all. I enjoy when he plays serious basketball though. "And that's only the start of it."
"Wait so if he were to be a post, who's the point guard?" I asked.
"Take a wild guess. He was here a few days ago and has no presence half the time. Kuroko is an amazing point guard and could get pass anyone he pleased, that is, until I helped him add the word teamwork into his vocabulary."