Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ 1. Chapter 1

**I know I haven't finished my other story but the plot bunny just kind of left me in the dust... So I've started this one! I don't know how long I'm going to be interested in it quite frankly. But, oh well... **

**I might make this a love story. Depends on how you all want it to be. As of right now, there is no particular love interest in my mind. **

**Happy readings~! [Please excuse my grammar errors and the format might have gotten messed up.]**

* * *

In front of a large brick building labeled _Teikō Junior High_ are multiple stands set up with clumps of people milling around. Colorful banners and the steady stream of chatter lighten the mood, making it seem almost like a festival. Upperclassmen are heard shouting and waving flyers to attract the newcomers to their clubs.

"Looking for a good book to read? The Book Club is definitely something you should check out!"

"Do you enjoy folding paper? ... Then, please join the Origami Club!"

"If you're a competitive swimmer or just like being in the water, definitely come to the Swim Club!"

"Welcoming all students!"

However, there is one unique table situated at the far end. Despite it being rather plain in appearance, an abnormal amount of people crowd in front of it.

* * *

A blue-haired, tanned boy weaves his way through the throng of moving bodies. His rather tall stature makes it easy for him to forge a path in the cramped area. His dark blue eyes scan the banners hung up over the stands, seemingly searching for a specific one.

"Hey, have you found it yet?! This place is too crowded..." a pink-haired girl sidles up next to him, pouting. She crosses her arms, making her large bust appear even bigger. The blue-haired boy merely shrugs casually.

"Not yet... Stop being so impatient, will ya?" he teases her lightly. He continues to glance the rows posters as he pushes his way forward, determined to reach his destination. The pink-haired girl merely huffs but continues to follow him. Suddenly, large light blue lettering catches his eye. He abruptly stop in his tracks and turns to face the banner.

_Teikō Basketball Team_

The girl, caught unawares, bumps into the tall boy. "Don't just stop all of the sudden like that!" she squeals, falling on her rear. Despite being rammed into, the tall boy doesn't even budge. A wide grins slowly unfurls across his tanned face.

"Found it!" he grins excitedly. He quickly grabs the girl's outstretched hand and hastily tugs her along.

"H-Hey! Slow down!" she cries, her body whipped around like a rag doll under the boy's not very gentle pull. The blue-haired boy rudely shoves his way through the impressive crowd of people in front of the table.

"Oi!"

"Watch it!"

"First years... they never know how to respect their senpai...!"

The blue-haired boy slams his hands down roughly on the table, jolting the two upperclassmen who are seated behind.

"Oi! This the basketball team, right? Lemme sign up!" he demands, not waiting for an answer.

One of the boys behind the table frowns, taken aback the blue-haired boy's impulsiveness. "Hmph. You're a first year, right? Don't get so cocky, Teikō's basketball team is no ordinary team. We're the best of the best. Even making the second-string isn't easy."

"Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up, will ya? I wanna sign up!" the tanned boy cuts in rudely, ignoring his senpai's glare.

The other upperclassman shakes his head before wordlessly handing over a clipboard with a sign-up sheet attached. The blue-haired boy beams before snatching it up. He grabs a pen lying on the table and quickly scribbles down the information required in the designated blank areas.

"Here!" he exclaims, thrusting the clipboard into the quiet upperclassman's frame.

"Hey! Treat your senpai with more respect!" the other one scowls. The pink-haired girl immediately pushes the tanned boy to the side before he can retort. The boy is sent careening into an unsuspecting group of students.

"Sorry for his rudeness!" she bows quickly. The upperclassmen catch themselves staring at her well endowed chest, accentuated by the girl's school uniform.

"A-Ah..."

"Ahem..." They avert their glances with red faces.

"Do you know if the basketball team is looking for a manager?" she questions, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Uh... You'll have to ask the captain... who isn't here today." one replies, trying not to stare.

"Oh... alright then! Arigatō!" she bows again before taking her leave and dragging the reluctant blue-haired boy away.

The two upperclassmen trade dubious glances before uncaringly tossing the sign-up sheet into the ever growing pile of paper. They don't bother giving it a second glance, quickly dismissing the brash, blue-haired first year.

* * *

At least a hundred junior high boys gather in one of Teikō's vast gymnasiums after school. The spacious room has four full sized basketball courts laid out side by side. Some of the players warm up with basketballs while others chat idly with friends.

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Apparently, Teikō got a new first-string captain!"

"... Nande?"

"That doesn't matter... But, I heard that this mysterious new person is a super famous, Japanese basketball star that has played abroad!"

"Woah...! Really?! No way!"

A nearby red-haired boy raises a thin brow in interest upon hearing these words, lazily dribbling an orange basketball. An ear-piercing blast from a whistle silences the entire gym. All heads turn to the imposing figure at the doorway.

"Kon'nichiwa!" All of the students bow in respect. The man stares impassively at the gathered players.

"Line up by grade." he orders. There's a collective sound of shuffling and murmuring as they group themselves vaguely into first-, second-, and third-years. The man walks to the center, in front of the gathered students, with three other male teachers not far behind. A hundred pair or so of curious eyes follow them as they move. "We will split you all into groups of five and then set you up in a series of quick games to fifteen points. Remember, we will be assessing your skills. Our decisions decide which string you will be divided into."

A familiar girls with pink hair bursts into the gymnasium, panting slightly from running. She recomposes herself, trying not to make a scene, and climbs into the bleachers. A stranger in a hooded sweater catches her eye as she makes her way up the rows of otherwise empty seats.

The lonely figure is clad in a rather large sweater with baggy slacks, effectively concealing their gender. The hood is pulled up, cutting Momoi's view of their face. However, she could just make out the gleam of plastic reflecting off the gymnasium light. _Why would someone wear sunglasses indoors?_

With her curiosity piqued, the pink-haired girl shuffles towards the seated stranger.

"Kon'nichiwa! Is this seat taken?" she asks cheerfully. The figure shakes a hooded head, not tearing their eyes off of the gathered boys on the gym floor. "A-Ah... Ano... I am Satsuki Momoi! I'm a first year in class 1-D!"

"Eh..." is the person's only response. A rather peeved look crosses Momoi's delicate face before quickly disappearing.

_Maybe they're just shy..._ She amends and settles in her seat before turning her focus on the basketball players.

The four adults had efficiently divide the players into teams of five, like in a normal basketball match, within their own grades. They're ushered onto different courts, playing against other teams, and sitting out every once in a while when there is no available court to play on.

Momoi scrutinizes each player carefully, only a handful of players making a lasting impression. She glances at the blue-haired player with fond eyes, noting that he is crushing his opponents with ferocious attacks. As usual. Her eyes are instead drawn to a red-haired player who's quick speed and flawless plays amaze her.

_He can't just be a junior high student..._ Momoi observes the moves he uses, quickly able to catch on and read his pattern.

"He's going to go for a layup..." she mumbles distractedly to herself. Just as predicted, the redhead dodges the other team's defenses and executes a clean layup. The ball swishes through the net before bouncing a couple times on the polished, hardwood floor.

The stranger sitting next to her tilts their head in surprise as Momoi's prediction becomes true, before scrawling something down on the clipboard in their hands. Momoi peers over inconspicuously at the piece of paper. Her widen in astonishment as basketball drills and playout sketches litter the page. Another paper has a long list of all of the players trying out with markings and side notes along the margin.

_Just who is this person...?_ Momoi narrows her eyes in suspicion. A cheer from the courts redirects her attention. The team the redhead was on had just won, no doubt thanks to the talented boy's skills.

As if feeling the weight of her stare, the red-haired boy suddenly switches his gaze to the bleachers, piercing the two bystanders with his crimson gaze. Momoi offers him a cheerful wave which he replies with a curt nod. The other person's gaze is hidden by a large pair of black sun glasses which prevents him from reading their expression.

The person slowly pulls out a cellphone from their sweater pocket and types something into it. Momoi tries to slyly catch a glimpse as to what the message could be but is severely disappointed when the person punches out the message at lightning speed. The text is sent too quickly for her to read.

The red-haired boy watches this with slight amusement when out of the corner of his eye, he spots one of the coaches pulling out his phone. The pre-teen's sharp red eyes don't miss the swift glance he sends to the seated figure after reading the message.

The teacher blows sharply into his whistle as the final game wraps up. "Alright, based off of what we have observed, we will place you into new groups." He rattles off a few names and calls them to play, repeating so until the air is once again filled with the familiar squeaking of shoes and the bouncing of basketballs.

Momoi peers at her neighbor's papers once again and is shocked to find that the newly formed groups had been formatted and circled out on the page even before they were assigned.

_Eh?! What is this?_

* * *

"We will be announcing the first, second, and third-string rankings shortly. However, we, the coaches will introduce ourselves first." one of the adults explains. All of the set-up matches had finished and the players were allowed a small break as the three adults gathered for a small discussion.

One of the teachers, an overweight and short but relatively young man steps forward. His face beads with sweat even though he had not participated in any form of exercise. He clears his throat noisily, "Ah, yes, I am Tanaka. I coach the third-string."

A second man, this one tall and visibly fit, steps forward with an amiable smile. "Nice to meet you all, I'm Kobayashi. I'm in charge of the second-string."

A stern-looking man pushes up his glasses before speaking. "I am Sanada, the first-string coach of Teikō."

Everyone focused on the fourth figure with apprehensive eyes after the other three had shared their introductions. The man had a dignified aura to him that commanded attention. He was, afterall, the one who had orchestrated all the matches. Murmurs arose as he begins to speak."I am Kōzō, the head coach." A heavy and slightly uncomfortable silence weighs in the spacious room.

"Eto... who's the captain of the first-string?" someone blurts out, unable to withstand the suspense.

"Yeah, I would like to know as well." an upperclassman adds. The first years are stunned.

"Nani? Not even the senpai know who it is...!"

"What secrecy!"

The red-haired boy slowly pieces the information he's gathered together, allowing a smirk to grace his lips. _So that's who you are..._ He stares at the hooded figure off to the side. No one else seems to have caught on as quickly or even notice their small audience as they stare expectantly at the doorway, waiting for an impressive figure to walk in and introduce himself.

"She will introduce herself shortly." Sanada replies coolly, not at all perturbed by the random question.

"..."

"HAH?!"

"'She'?!"

"Nani!?" Voices clamor from the surprised players and rise in pitch as they take in the shocking news.

"Heh... that'll be me..." the hooded figure mumbles to herself amusedly before standing up.

"E-Eh?! You?!" Momoi's jaw drops to the ground as she stares flabbergasted at the stranger who was sitting next to her the entire time. The revealed female pulls off her sunglasses and winks slyly at her loud neighbor. _How could I have not noticed?! Of course! It all makes sense now! But... she looks so young..._

Upon hearing Momoi's loud exclamation, everyone's head simultaneously turns to face the standing figure in the bleachers. Their attention drops on the figure as she ambles down the stairs and crosses the gym floor to stand next to the adults. Along the way, the hood of her sweater falls back revealing startling white, coiled hair.

"I would like to introduce our new first-string captain." Sanada continues, completely ignoring the dead silence that fills the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I got a lot of positive feedback from you all in such a short period of time! Arigatō gozaimasu~! *bows***

**Warning: I've changed some of the things in the anime's original plot line [ex. Haizaki's age and how they set up the system in Teikō], I hope you don't mind! **

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"Shirogane Riyeko. Please take care of me!" The white-haired girl bows deeply. Her eyes flutter open, startling white pupils sweep across the room to peer at every single face. Standing at merely 150 cm, she is dwarfed by the surrounding adults.

"Eh? THE Shirogane Riyeko? The one who's won many tournaments across the world?" a boy questions dubiously.

"Ne, ne! I remember now! You are the famous basketball prodigy from Japan!"

"I recall seeing her featured in Basketball Monthly!"

"Sugoi! A famous celebrity in junior high!"

More and more voices input their thoughts, adding to the ensuing chaos . Shirogane sweatdrops and waves her hands frantically in front of her.

"Ah, yes, that is all true... Ano... I didn't realize I was so popular..." She offers a hesitant smile. Everyone falls silent, momentarily stunned by her innocent behavior.

"Kawaii..." one of the upperclassmen murmurs in a daze.

"Choosing you as captain doesn't seem reasonable... Aren't you only a first year?" another comments snidely. Everyone stares at Shirogane expectantly.

"That's true, too. I am only a first year." she continues on despite the wave of gossiping whispers that follow. "But I have lots of experience that would benefit the team." Sanada nods, emphasizing her point.

"Enough questions." Kōzō cuts off a few curious students who had begun to blurt out even more inquiries. They immediately shut their mouths in fear and respect. "Sanada-san will call names."

"If I call your name, please follow me." Sanada briefly riffles through his papers before stopping on one that has a relatively short list of names.

"Haizaki Shōgo." A tall second-year with ash-colored hair emerges from the ranks, receiving congratulatories from his fellow classmates.

"Akashi Seijurō." The red-haired boy slowly stands up from amongst the group of first years and makes his way towards the front.

"Aomine Daiki." The tanned, blue-haired boy jumps up from the first years with a cheer before hurrying over to the slowly growing group of players. He flashes a thumbs up towards Momoi's direction excitedly before taking his place next to Seijurō.

"Midorima Shintarō." A green-haired boy with a plushie in hand also rises from amidst the first years and calmly picks his way through the crowd.

"Murasakibara Atsushi." An incredibly tall, purple-haired boy lumbers over from the first years with a bar of chocolate hanging from in between his lips. "That will be all." Sanada looks up impassively from his notes in conclusion.

Some of the players begin to groan and grumble as soon as they realize that they didn't make the cut. Others unabashedly voice their disapproval.

"How come there are five first years in the first-string?! Unheard of!"

"No fair...!"

"Quiet!" Kōzō thunders, his voice bouncing off of the walls of the gym. "If you have a problem, speak to me afterwards. Otherwise, we will continue with the listing."

"Mm, let's go." Sanada directs, swiftly turning on his heel and exiting the gym. Due to the fact that Teikō's basketball team was well-known for being one of the best in Japan, they had many sponsors and were therefore very well provided with equipment and such. The first-string coach pulls out a set of keys before unlocking one of the gym doors.

"This is where we will be meeting from now on. You will report here everyday after school without delay.

"In Teikō, we are expected to win. We will only accept victory. Prepare to commit yourselves to at least three hours of practice after school. If you do not have the time or will to do so, please show yourselves out now."

No one budges. Haizaki scoffs and crosses his arms. Sanada shoots him a harsh glare, as if challenging him to leave. The second year merely rolls his eyes and looks away.

"Good. The locker rooms are over there." He gestures stiffly to the two doors off to the left side of the court. "I will leave the rest to you, Shirogane." Sanada quickly exits the gym, seemingly in a hurry to get somewhere else.

"Ah... yes... Alright, let's introduce ourselves first." Shirogane clasps her hands in front of her, nodding at Haizaki to go first.

"Tch... this is fucking stupid..." he mutters lowly.

"Hurry up, senpai, it's not like you have a choice." Shirogane scowls, placing two fists on her hips. Haizaki frowns, glaring down at his captain's tiny structure. She barely reaches his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. 'm Haizaki Shōgō, class 2B..." he grunts out in annoyance. There's a pregnant pause as Shirogane unnerves him with her blank stare. She slowly lifts her arm and stabs him with two fingers. "Agh! What was that for, ya little shit?!" he demands, clutching his vulnerable sides. Aomine bites back a snicker, his eyes shining with mirth and slight respect. Despite being half his size, the girl in front of him is not afraid in ordering her senpai around.

"That was the lamest introduction ever..." she scoffs.

"Well, what do ya want me to say?!" he challenges threateningly.

"Hm... share something interesting thing about yourself." Shirogane offers vaguely, motioning with her hands.

"Ergh... Fine... I like karaage..." he trails off. His captain motions for him to continue. "And, uh, girls." Shirogane deadpans.

"Great... Your turn."

"I am Akashi Seijurō in class 1A." he presses on quickly, hoping to avoid being assaulted by his captain. "I enjoy shogi and go." The white-haired girl offers him a dazzling smile, her emotions taking a drastic turn from Haizaki.

"Murasakibara Atsushi... 1C... sweets..." the giant answers through each bite of his candy bar. The other members carefully observe their captain's reaction towards Murasakibara's obvious gluttony.

Shirogane yanks on the tall, purple-haired boy's shirt, pulling him forward so his face is level with hers. His body has to make a right angle in order to compensate for the height difference. Shirogane's eyes are covered by a dark shadow, appearing frightening despite her doll-like appearance.

"He's gonna get it..." Haizaki smirks, watching with morbid delight. Murasakibara continues chewing, oblivious to the intense atmosphere. Everyone watches with bated breath as Shirogane slowly lifts up her other arm...

... and pats him on the head.

"Don't eat too much, okay?" she smiles angelically before releasing her grasp on his shirt. The purple-haired boy slowly nods his head before straightening up.

"Wh-wha?!" Haizaki sputters. "How come you give me a fucking hard time when all you do is pat him on the head?!" Aomine coughs loudly in order to mask his not so subtle laughter, causing the second year to harshly glare at him.

"I like him. Gotta problem, senpai?" she asks, pouting childishly. Haizaki grunts and turns away sullenly.

"Next..." She motions vaguely towards the blue-haired boy next to the sweet-loving giant.

"Yo! I'm Aomine Daiki and I like basketball and magazines!" he announces quite loudly.

"Tch, what a simple-minded brat." Haizaki snidely remarks.

"Oi! What did you say?!" the first year quickly retaliates.

"... Calm down." Akashi monotones darkly. Aomine cringes at his dark aura, timidly stepping down.

"Stop bullying the poor first years, senpai." Shirogane butts in, acting as a mediator.

"As if you're one to speak, you're a first year, too." Haizaki grumbles but back down anyways.

"Right, you next."

"I am Midorima Shitarō in class 1A, too. I am a Cancer with the best luck today. I enjoy listening to Oha-Asa." the green-haired male pushes up his glasses while holding up a small plushie in his hand. Everyone sweatdrops as Shirogane cooes over the cuteness of the small bunny figurine.

"... Weird..." Aomine comments dryly before brightening up at a sudden realization. "Hey, four-eyes, how lucky am I today?"

"Please refrain from calling me such juvenile names... When were you born?" Midorima frowns slightly, already disapproving of Aomine's bright and loud personality.

"August 31st!" the blue-haired states proudly.

"... That mean's you are a Virgo, with the worst standing luck today." Midorima replies after a brief silence of thought.

"Eh?! Sōka...?" the tanned boy slumps off with heavy depression lines weighing his head down. He sullenly picks at the mushrooms growing in the dark corner.

"It is your turn, now." Akashi suddenly speaks up, nodding towards Shirogane. She blinks, pulling her sympathetic gaze away from Aomine's sulking form to face the rest of the group.

"I am Shirogane Riyeko, as you all know by now, in class 1C." she scratches the back of her head in thought, struggling to come up with interesting facts about herself. "Eto... I've been to all of the continents, except for Antarctica, and can speak two languages."

"That many places?! Sugoi!" Aomine shoots up from his crouching position and rushes over to join the rest of his teammates. "Were they for basketball tournaments? I heard you play in competitions worldwide! What's it like?" As the energetic boy fires off question after question, Shirogane's face slowly fills with a furious red bush. Noticing her discomfort, Akashi steps forward and slams a fist down on Aomine's head, effectively shutting him up.

"Itai! What was that for?!" the boy howls and clutches his head in pain.

"A-Arigatō..." Shirogane stutters, nodding appreciatively towards the redhead.

Akashi nods blankly. "It's of no issue, Shirogane-san."

"Eh! Please don't call me that, it makes me sound old..." she turns to address them all. "Since we're going to be stuck together for quite a while now, you don't need to use formalities! Most of us are in the same year, so there's no need."

"Tch, speak for yourself. I demand respect from all you first years." Haizaki sneers, looking down upon the younger members.

"Right... Ojiji..." Aomine snickers, forgetting about his wound.

"Oi! Ya little-"

Shirogane loudly claps her hands together. "Right! Now that that's over, we'll be meeting right after school tomorrow for our first practice. Dont be late... or you'll be punished." she adds darkly. A few of the members shiver.

"I'm not sure if you all know how the system works but us, regulars, will be playing in all of the tournaments representing as Teikō. Reserve players are selected from the second-string and will often practice with us. Any questions?" The four first years shake their heads while Haizaki stares uninterestedly out the window. "Alright, then, you're all dismissed!"

"Actually, Captain-" Aomine waves his hand in slight embarrassment.

"It's Riyeko." she corrects automatically.

"Eh... how about Riyeko-hime?" he offers with a chuckle. Shirogane's jaw unhinges.

"D-Don't call me that!" she splutters indignantly.

"Ne, that's what they call you, though." he states, referring to some of the articles that go so far in praising Shirogane's basketball skills that they had begun to call her "The Japanese Basketball Princess."

"Sōka?" Haizaki slithers up to them with a sly smirk, not hiding the fact that he was eavesdropping on their conversation. In fact, it seems that all of the players were listening in on their argument.

"Hime...?" Akashi mumbles. Midorima raises a brow but otherwise remains emotionless.

"Heh, what a girly title..." Haizaki sneers. "Fitting, though. It sure doesn't even look like you actually can actually play basketball." He looks her up and down, noting her small stature that couldn't be hidden by her baggy slacks and sweater.

"Urusai!" Shirogane grumbles, cheeks tinted red. "It's not like I actually wanted to be called by that name. You don't know how many times I've told people to stop saying that!"

"Sure, sure..." the second year drawls with a wicked gleam in his eye. He ambles out of the gym with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Ja ne, brats." Shirogane huffs.

"Don't worry, Ri-chin." Murasakibara reassures his distressed captain lazily. He ruffles her snow white hair with a large hand, his other one occupied by another candy bar.

"Ri-chin...?" Shirogane echoes softly. She turns back to Aomine with a shake of her head. "Anyways, what did you want to ask, Daiki?"

His tanned face dusts with pink at the casual way she uses his first name but otherwise brushes it off. "Oh, yeah. My friend, Satsuki, was thinkin' about becoming the basketball team's manager..." he trails off suggestively.

"Ne, you mean that girl by the door?" Shirogane asks, rising onto her toes in order to peer over the tall boy's shoulder.

"Nani?!" Aomine whirls around and spots his childhood friend loitering awkwardly in the entrance. "Eh, hai, that's her." He motions for her to come over.

"A-Ah, sumimasen..." the pink-haired girl bows hurriedly towards the captain, glancing at the remaining players through the corner of her eye.

The white-haired girl waves her hand. "No worries. But I'm not the one to ask, you'll have to consult the coach."

"O-Oh... Arigatō! Let's go, Dai-chan...!" she tugs the complaining blue-haired boy away by his elbow, offering Shirogane a wave over her shoulder. Shirogane returns the gesture with a smile.

"Oi, you two three should get moving two! You'll need to rest up before tomorrow's practice, it'll be brutal." she addresses the three boys behind her. They nod and file out the door with Shirogane bringing up the rear and locking the gym.

"Ja ne, minna!" she waves before turning around and heading back towards the school. They watch as her snow white curls disappear from view before going off in their separate ways.

* * *

Shirogane knocks quietly on the door to the coach's office.

"Come in." comes a voice inside. Shirogane quietly steps inside, shutting the door behind her.

"Kon'nichiwa, Sanada-sensei." She bows respectfully before moving closer to said person. The man sitting at the desk swivels around in his chair to give the petite first year his full attention.

"Ah, Shirogane. How did the first meeting go?" he questions, leaning back in his chair with his hands folded in his lap. "Smoothly, I hope."

"Hai, hai. It went perfectly fine... Ano, did Satsuki-chan talk to you about the manager position yet?"

"Momoi Satsuki? That girl? Hm, yes, she just did." Sanada hums thoughtfully. "What do you think?"

Shirogane shuffles her feet nervously. "Well, she did sit next to me during the tryouts and she has quite an interesting skill in reading and predicting moves."

"Oh?" Sanada raises a brow. "I see..."

"She also seems close to Aomine Daiki." she adds.

"Shirogane, I don't want someone on the team that will just distract others. We are the first-string representing Teikō Junior High, we are expected to, and will, win all of our games."

"Hai, sensei. However, I think Satsuki-chan has an unique skill that can't be overlooked. Perhaps she'll end up motivating the team..." Shirogane states slowly.

"... Then what do you propose?" Sanada leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk and lacing his fingers together. He rests his chin on his hands and stares straight into her eyes.

The white-haired girl suddenly grins. "What else but test her! Send her to one of our opposing schools and tell her to collect data. Then you can decide afterwards." she suggests.

"I suppose... It looks like you have it all under control, Shirogane..." he shuffles the papers on his desk for a moment before piercing the first year again with his intense gaze. "I'm expecting only the best from you."

She bows again. "Hai, sensei."

"By the way, did you mention your... condition to the other players yet?" he continues cleaning the table, packing away his items.

Shirogane frowns slightly before sighing and glancing out the window. The sun had begun to set, lighting up the sky with fiery hues of red, orange, and yellow. The school yard was deserted and there was no sound of happy chatter that was usually heard during school hours. "Iie, I hope to keep it hidden for as long as possible. I don't want them to look down on me and worry."

"Oh?" comes the only response.

"Ne... Sensei, please don't tell them yet." she pleads gently, her brows furrowing together in concentration as she faces the coach.

Sanada sighs. "It's none of my business. However, you should prepare in case if an incident does occur."

"Of course, sensei!" she bows. "Arigatō!" Shirogane waves before exiting the room with a flash of white.

"That girl..." Sanada shakes his head, letting a miniscule smile cross his lips briefly. "Something interesting is going to happen with this team..."


	3. Chapter 3

**If you find something wrong, please tell me. I love reading all your guys' comments, so type a lot~! I apologize if the characters are too OOC. **

**Happy readings~ [Lots of fluff]**

* * *

"Ohayō, Atsushi!" chirps a white-haired girl. She waves and bounces towards the purple-haired giant with a broad grin on her face.

"Eh? Ohayō, Ri-chin..." Murasakibara drawls lazily, peering down at the short girl. He lifts a gigantic hand and slides it through her pale coils, mussing up her combed hair.

"Oi, oi! Don't mess up my hair!" she pouts, flattening her hair with two hands. Murasakibara observes her with lazy eyes.

"Ne... Ri-chin is like a small doll..." he murmurs more to himself before dragging his legs off to class.

"E-Eh?! ... Atsushi! Ch-Chotto matte!" she calls, hurrying after the lumbering giant. "We're in the same class, remember?"

"Hm?" the giant raises an eyebrow as if the revelation had just occurred to him. Shirogane suddenly grins slyly.

"If you're a good boy, I have some treats for you later...!" She winks, placing a slim finger on her lips. She opens her bag slightly to show Murasakibara the shine of tinfoil, no doubt covering baked goods. His eyes widen as he reaches out a hand to grab the sweets. Shirogane quickly swipes the bag out of the giant's reach, which is quite impossible to do since the purple-haired boy's arms are freakishly long. "Hey! I'll give them to you during lunch, okay?"

Murasakibara frowns slightly before straightening up again. He produces a bag of chips seemingly out of nowhere and opens it noisily. "But, Ri-chin, I'm hungry..." he grumbles, stuffing his mouth with a hand full of chips.

Shirogane sweatdrops, deadpanning at the snacks in his hands. "How do you afford to keep up with your eating habits?" Murasakibara offers her a lazy noncommittal shrug as he continues eating.

Unbeknownst to the chatting pair, they are attracting a lot of attention as they walk down the hall. To the people around them, it's an amusing sight to see such a tall boy with the shortest girl in the grade.

* * *

"Look! It's Daiki and Satsuki-chan!" Shirogane cries, waving her arm frantically hoping to catch the attention of the two. Murasakibara sits on one of the cafeteria chairs, hand buried deep in a bag of snacks. His long leg are bent at uncomfortable angles in order to fit underneath the annoyingly low tables.

It's lunch time and Teikō's captain was hoping to get all of the basketball team members to eat together- at least, all of the first year players, she wasn't so sure that Haizaki wanted to sit with a bunch of first years.

Unfortunately for the white-haired girl, she is too short to get anyone's attention, nevertheless someone's from across the bustling cafeteria.

"Atsushi... help me!" she whines pitifully, stretching her body to the max. Suddenly, two large hands grab her around the waist, lifting her high into the air. "E-Eh?! A-Atushi... what are you doing?!" Shirogane squeaks, face flushing bright red as some of the loitering students turn to watch the commotion.

"Ri-chin asked me to help..." the giant mumbled, unfazed by her reaction. "See? Mine-chin saw you." True to his word, the blue-haired player had finally spotted the short girl and was waving back. Shirogane could see the pink-haired girl beside him shooting her a strange look.

"Murasakibara, it's not polite to lift a girl like that." a voice comes from behind the giant.

"Eh?" The giant turns his head back, peering forlornly at the green and red behind him. "Oh, Mido-chin, Aka-chin..." he greets lowly. Akashi smiles thinly while Midorima pushes up his glasses.

"You should put Riyeko-hime down." Akashi echoes with a slight teasing tone to his voice. Upon hearing this, Shirogane immediately stops fidgeting. Instead, her entire body begins to flush a scarlet red color from head to toe. Murasakibara complies and gently plops the blushing girl down on one of the chairs.

There's a brief moment of silence between the four before Shirogane cracks. "Wah! Seijurō! D-Don't call me that!" she splutters, slapping her hands to her face. She fails to cover her raging blush. Akashi cracks a smirk while Midorima sighs and takes a seat next to his captain.

"Oi, Riyeko-hime!" Aomine barrels over to the table, Momoi in tow. Shirogane stiffens in her seat. "Eh? What's wrong with ya?" The blue-haired player questions, leaning down to inspect Shirogane's red face.

Shirogane slumps forward in her seat, resting her chin on the table. She mutters darkly to herself, almost too quietly for the others to catch. "You too, Daiki...?"

"Ne, ne, are you okay?" Aomine waves a hand in front of her shadowed eyes to no avail.

"Just shut up and eat, Aomine." Midorima cuts in, placing his lucky item on the table. This time, it's a snow globe.

"You...!" Aomine takes a swipe at the green-haired player, only to be held back by Momoi. Shirogane is briefly distracted by the swirling fake snow and plastic figurines frozen inside the plastic dome.

"Calm down, Dai-chan! Sheesh!" the pink-haired girl scolds, forcing him down into a chair. "Do I always have to babysit you?!"

"Oi! Stop meddling in my business then, if you find it annoying, hag!" he shoots back. An anger vein forms on Momoi's head. The two of them start bickering loudly like siblings.

"Ri-chin, where's my reward?" Murasakibara drawls, prodding the girl with a long forefinger. Shirogane jolts up, brightening up considerably.

"Oh, that's right! I forgot! Here, Atsushi, you have to eat a balanced meal before you earn your dessert, you know!" She beams, and hands over a purple bento box to Atsushi. He, along with everyone else at the table, stares at the plastic box dwarfed in the giant's hands. On the purple container are stickers of small butterflies flitting around.

Aomine chokes. "Wahahahaha! So girly!" he howls, clutching his sides in mirth. Shirogane frowns before slamming something down in front of the blue-haired player.

"Well, here's yours!" she scowls. On the table is an innocent blue bento box, matching Murasakibara's in shape and size. Everyone peers curiously at the stickers covering the top.

"..."

"Pfft!" Momoi snickers, slapping her hands in front of her mouth. Tears gather at the corner of her eyes as she struggles to hold in her laughter. Aomine's jaw drops at the colorful mermaid stickers adorning his bento box.

"O-Oi! What's this?!" he demands, staring at the smiling stickers in disgust. "Why are there these things on here?! I should at least get something cool on mine!"

"Hmph!" Shirogane sniffs, turning her nose into the air. "That's what you get. Besides, it's the only one in its color."

Aomine slams his head onto the table. "Nande?!"

Chewing noises from Shirogane's side of the table draws their attention. Behind the small girl, a certain purple-haired boy is slowly consuming the contents in the bento box.

"Ne... how is it, Atsushi?" Shirogane asks blissfully, happy that someone was finally eating her food. The others lean forward in anticipation. Murasakibara grunts, not pausing as he continues to shovel food down his throat. The others share an uncertain glance.

"I mean... it can't be that bad if he's eating it and living..." Aomine stares distrustfully down at his opened bento. The food inside is gently steaming, still warm from when Shirogane had prepared it in the morning. He picks up a pair of chopsticks and dips it into the shogayaki before hesitantly placing it in his mouth. Chewing slowly, he gauges the taste. The other four who are not eating watch in rapt awe.

Aomine's expression morphs from concentration into one of delight as he aggressively begins to devour the food in front of him.

"Good, right?" Shirogane grins triumphantly.

"Hm? Yeah! he shouts excitedly, flashing his half-chewed food in everyone's face. Midorima flinches at the display of savagery in front of him while Momoi whacks Aomine across the head for lack of mannerism.

In a daze of happiness, Shirogane sets two more bento boxes down in front of Akashi and Midorima. Akashi's is red with stickers of fish while Midorima's is a grassy green color adorned with balloons. The green-haired boy frowns ever so slightly at his with a pensive expression on his face.

"You'll try it, won't you?" Shirogane wheedles, clasping her hands in front of her and turning on her cute, feminine charms. Midorima turns away with a slight blush splattered across his pallid cheeks.

"I already have food. It will go to waste if I don't eat it." he states logically, glancing down at his bag.

"What? Don't have the guts to try it?" Aomine taunts, still eating his bento like a starved beast. Midorima scowls and pushes up his glasses.

"Is that a challenge? Then again, coming from an uneducated caveman like you, it's nothing worth my time." he retorts cooly. Nonetheless, he opens his bento box while ignoring Aomine, who's shouting insults, and takes a small bite out of the contents. Midorima stiffens, chopsticks freezing in mid-air.

"... Is it alright, Shintarō...?" Shirogane asks, breaking the intense silence. The green-haired boy quickly recomposes himself and swallows after a moment.

"It's fine." He places another bite in his mouth, no trace of emotion across his stoic face.

"Ahahaha! He likes it! He's just too wimpy to admit it!" Aomine declares, pointing at him with his eating utensils. Rice litters his face as he grins broadly at the expressionless male in front of him.

"Urusai. Don't make up random crap like that." the green-haired boy replies without hesitation, placing another bite of rice in his mouth.

"What about you, Seijurō? Are you going to eat yours?" Shirogane questions, turning to the redhead. "Gomen, Satsuki-chan, I didn't know you were going to eat with us, otherwise I would have made you one, too." she apologizes to the pink-haired girl at the table.

"A-Ah! It's fine! I'm on a diet, anyways." Momoi giggles nervously, waving her hands in front of her.

"I bet he isn't going to eat it." Aomine rolls his eyes.

"E-Eh? Why not?" Shirogane gapes. Akashi blinks his red eyes, seemingly asking him the same question.

Aomine leans back in his seat, his stomach satisfyingly full. "Akashi is a rich kid. I bet he has world-class chefs preparing his lunch everyday." he scoffs, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand.

"S-Sōka?" the white-haired girl appears crestfallen and slowly stretches her arms out to take back the red bento box. "D-Don't worry about it, Seijurō, y-you don't have to eat it if you don't want to..."

A pale hand on hers stops hers from grabbing the plastic box. "Don't listen to everything you hear. That idiot doesn't know what he's talking about." Akashi stares emotionlessly into Shirogane's pale orbs. He gently removes the bento box from her grasp and opens it.

"Oi! Who are you calling an idiot?!" Aomine shakes a fist threateningly near Akashi's placid face.

"You, baka." the redhead calmly replies. Aomine looks slightly taken aback and falls back into his chair, not knowing how to reply. Momoi snickers and pulls out her rationed lunch.

Akashi nibbles on his bento and offers Shirogane a miniscule smile. "It's tasty. Arigatō." The others hurriedly input their thanks as well, although Murasakibara does so unwillingly, preferring to stay silent and continue eating.

"Eheheh... Anything for my teammates!" Shirogane blushes slightly and beams happily.

"Ri-chin, I finished. Do I get my treat now?" Murasakibara pulls on her sleeve like a small child.

"Ne, ne, of course!" Shirogane ducks under the table to reach for her bag again.

"You have more food?! Man, you sure know how to cook! Not that I'm complaining..." Aomine rubs his hands together in greed.

"Dai-chan, you're such a glutton!" Momoi scolds, tapping him on the head with her chopsticks.

"As if! That purple-haired giant eats more than I do!" he scowls in reply. They engage in another round of insults.

"Here!" Shirogane smiles brightly, displaying a container covered in aluminum foil. She pulls away the metallic paper, revealing rows and rows of small, chocolate cupcakes cutely decorated in icing and sprinkles.

"S-Sugoi..." Aomine breathes, eyes darting from cupcake to cupcake, unable to decide which one to eat first. Murasakibara, on the other hand, has no qualms of deciding and swipes five of them at once with one hand. "Oi! Leave some for the rest of us!" Aomine reaches in with both hands and snatches a few, shielding them with his body as he chomps down on one.

"Tch, savages." Midorima plucks one delicately from the batch and calmly eats it like a civilized person. Akashi mirrors his moves and takes one for himself.

"You can have one, too Satsuki-chan!" Shirogane offers with a kind smile. Momoi hesitates, having an internal battle with herself before finally giving in to her sweet tooth and taking one as well.

"Mm! These are delicious, Riyeko-chan!" she squeals after taking a bite.

"S-Sōka? Arigatō!" said person blushes for the hundredth time.

"You need to stop being so modest, ya know? These are great!" Aomine garbles through mashed up cupcakes. He extends a tanned hand into the container, only for it to be harshly smacked by another.

"Mine." Murasakibara monotones, pulling the container towards himself like an unsharing child with his toys.

Aomine gapes, cake falling out of his mouth. Momoi squeaks faintly in disgust. "Eh?! You've already had ten of them! Lemme have more, too!" the blue-haired boy argues indignantly.

"Iie." Murasakibara frowns, raising the container high above his head, just out of reach for Aomine. The two of them wrestle for the cupcakes, causing the others to sigh in amusement and exasperation. Shirogane smiles contentedly.

_It's like we're becoming a family..._

* * *

"Ten extra laps around the school during practice so you all don't gain weight~!"

"EH?!"

* * *

"The first-string will be playing a match with the second-string. I'll be observing your strengths and weaknesses." Sanada explains with whistle in hand. He shoots Shirogane a meaningful glance. She nods firmly in reply.

He's testing my capability in leading our team. I've got to prove myself!

Shirogane gathers the players in a circle. "Ready, guys? This will be our first game together! I'll be making adjustments along the way since I don't really know how you all play, okay? Let's do our best!"

"Hai!"

"Let's go! Atsushi, you'll take the tip off since you're so tall."

"Okay, Ri-chin."_ crunch, crunch_

"And stop eating for a moment!"

"Okay, Ri-chin."

_sigh_


	4. Chapter 4

**So many reads, you guys! I'm so happy! This is my first time writing a basketball match, so please bear with it. If you have any suggestions, comment! I always read all of the comments (even if I don't reply... eheheh...)**

**Spoiler: Bonding time with Shintarō! **

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"Line up!" calls the second-string coach, acting as the referee for this game. The second-string players line up on one side with the first-string player opposite. "Let's have a fair match, okay?" He motions for the player of each team who's going to tip off. Atsushi shuffles over to stand next to the referee, casting him under his shadow.

"Wah! He's so big!"

"There's no way we'll get this!"

"Remember who you're marking!" Shirogane reminds them. "Since this is a practice match, you can choose." She flashes them a peace sign. They sort out who they're supposed to defend, shifting their positions accordingly.

The coach blows his whistle and throws the ball high into the air, using much more force than necessary to accommodate for Murasakibara's height. Unsurprisingly, the giant gets the ball and smacks it over towards Shirogane's side.

Aomine catches it and begins to dribble.

"Let's do a run and gun!" Shirogane calls, sprinting towards the basket. The rest of the team complies and quickly follows. Aomine skillfully out maneuvers two of the players before being double-teamed. He glances around notices a flash of white hair to his left and passes it to Shirogane.

The white-haired girl snatches it a second before the opposite team does. Shirogane dribbles the ball between her legs, observing the situation. She takes a step back much to her guarder's confusion and tosses the ball high into the air. A grin slowly slides onto her face as she hears the familiar swishing noise of the ball against the net.

The referee blows his whistle, signalling a basket had been made.

"W-Wah... a three-pointer..."

"It didn't even touch the rim, either."

Shirogane grins, accepting high-fives from her teammate. She catches Midorima's brief admiring gaze before he abruptly turns around.

"Nice one, hime." Aomine laughs, jogging alongside his captain as they make their way back to defend. They trade a congratulatory fist bump.

"H-Hey! Don't call me that!" she wails, hearing the second and third-string players, who are watching, whisper amongst themselves. Aomine chortles mockingly before moving into position.

"Man-to-man defense! Don't let them make a basket!" Shirogane orders, getting back into the rhythm. Akashi hovers around the opponent who's dribbling the ball, unnerving him with his blank stare.

In a panic, the boy tries to get rid of the ball by shooting a three-pointer. It bounces off the rim.

"Atsushi, Daiki, rebound!" Shirogane calls. Daiki catches the rebound and sprints towards the other basket. Grinning, he outmaneuvers the scraggly defenders with flashy, complicated moves and slams the ball into the basket.

"Sugoi! What a beast!"

"Did you see how high he jumped?! That's abnormal for a first year!"

"Nice~!" Shirogane praises, patting the blue-haired player on the shoulder. "Man-to-man, again!" _I've got to steal the ball before they try another three-pointer..._

Shirogane stares at the third year opponent she's guarding before slightly tilting her weight to the left. The third year spots the opening and brushes past Shirogane's right side. She smirks.

The player dribbling the ball notices his unguarded teammate and passes him a shot. Much to everyone's surprise, the ball is intersected by Shirogane.

"Eh?! Where did she come from!?" the third year Shirogane was guarding yells in shock. "I passed you back there!"

"Tch, I'm pretty speedy. Try to catch up!" she laughs before rushing down the court, dribbling the ball in her left hand. She makes it inside the three-point line, only to be double-teamed by two tall second years.

"Shintarō!" she quickly passes to the green-haired player who's standing by the three-point line. He flashes her a small smirk before readying into a shooting position. _Eh?! He can shoot from there, too?_

Midorima makes an elegant three-pointer.

"Another three-pointer!?"

"What's up with these first years?!"

"Ne, ne. Didn't know you had it." she remarks, pleasantly surprised.

"Hm. Cancer is ranked second today, of course I will make it in." he replies, pushing up his glasses. Shirogane sweatdrops.

The second string players make a three-pointer, making the score 8-3. Shirogane takes the ball and dribbles past the halfway line before passing it Akashi. Murasakibara screens her defender, allowing her to slip past. Akashi and Shirogane continue passing rapidly back and forth, confusing their opponent.

Akashi performs a effortless layup, earning them another two points.

* * *

"Oi!" Shirogane pants, sweat dripping down her cheek as she dribbles the ball. "Alley-oop, Atsushi!" She throws the ball vaguely towards the basket, letting Murasakibara finish the job. The giant jumps explosively into the air, knocking his two defenders to the ground before slamming the ball through the hoop. The buzzer goes off, signalling the end of the game.

"Game! 44-28, first string!" the referee announces.

"Yatta!" Shirogane cheers along with Aomine. The three silent ones remain silent. "C'mon! Be happy that we won against out senpai!" she urges. Midorima cracks a smile while Akashi nods.

"Can I eat my snacks now?" Murasakibara drones, a chocolate bar already hanging from his lip.

"Eh?! Where'd you get that?!" Shirogane flinches in surprise. The only answer she receives is the crack of the chocolate breaking into pieces as they line up for the hand shakes.

* * *

"Where's that second year?" Aomine briefly wonders. He lazily balances a spinning basketball on his finger, staring at the orange blur. Shirogane shrugs, wiping her face off with a towel.

"He should be done with his laps by now..." she muses, tossing her teammates a towel each. Aomine's smacks against the basketball, sending it flying out of balance.

"Oi!" he shouts in protest. Shirogane sticks her tongue out mischievously. He growls lowly, eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement flashing in them.

"Tch, stop acting like children." Midorima sniffs, resting the towel around his neck. He pushes up his glasses, peering at the two through his lashes.

"Ne, ne! Shintarō! You're really good at making three-pointers! You'd make a strong shooting guard." she ends thoughtfully, already dreaming up basketball fantasies.

"Man proposes, God disposes. I am a man that proposes, I always carry my lucky item of the day with me as my horoscope says. That's why my shots never miss." the green-haired player lectures.

"... Nani?" Aomine questions blankly. "I don't get it."

Midorima sighs, aggravated. "Don't bother..." he mutters.

"... Right... Anyways! Awesome play, today, minna! Even though we haven't practiced at all together, we still won! Good thing is that I got a good sense as to what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are." Shirogane smiles proudly at her team members. Four different colored pairs of eyes stare back.

"Yes, I agree. However, today we will begin with drills and working on stamina and strength. I will later come up with individual practice plans for each of you." A large hand rests on the white-haired girl's shoulder. They all adjust to look at the coach with Haizaki standing behind him covered in a light sheen of sweat. The second year scowls, scanning the court in disgust.

"Tch. Only a sixteen point difference? What child's play." he scoffs lowly. Shirogane bristles but remains quiet under Sanada's stern gaze.

"Let's go." he orders, leading the first string players back to their secluded court.

For the next two hours, Sanada pushes the six players to their physical limit. Tiring them out with drills and games. The five first years put their all into the practice, determined to improve.

* * *

"Wah! I'm so sore...!" Shirogane groans quietly, laying her head tiredly on her desk. Murasakibara sits quietly in the seat next to her, munching on snacks as usual. "It's been a while since I've exercised like that..." she glances at the purple-haired giant when he doesn't reply.

"..." _Murasakibara is sleeping while eating...! Eh?!_

* * *

"So what do you make us, today?" Aomine asks eagerly, dropping his bag down next to his seat. He leans forward across the cafeteria table, peering into Shirogane's bag.

Momoi smacks him on the back of his head, causing him to faceplant onto the table. "Stop being such a pig, Dai-chan! Don't expect Riyeko-chan to feed you everday!" she scolds as Aomine rubs his head while mumbling nasty words under his breath.

"Oi, stop your yappin'. I gotta eat to play basketball!" he declares. Momoi narrows her pink eyes, ready to retort.

"It's fine, Satsuki-chan. I've already planned to make them lunch everyday!" Shirogane grins, pulling out a stack of bento boxes. Midorima frowns, in the middle of taking a bite of rice from his packaged lunch. He hadn't expected for his captain to make them food again.

The green-haired boy stiffens, feeling an ominous aura behind him. Slowly pivoting in his seat, he faces the white-haired girl with an evil grin plastered across her face.

"Uh..." Midorima stutters, trying to hide his bento. Shirogane promptly reaches around him and plucks the lunch out of his hands before throwing it somewhere behind her with a loud crash followed by a string of curses. Everyone at the table sweatdrops.

"Listen up! I'll be bringing you all lunch everyday, okay? No complaints." she announces, daring anyone with her pale eyes. All of the players quickly nod their heads, not wanting to anger their captain.

"Eto... Riyeko-chan, you don't have to make anything for me. I probably won't be eating with you guys everyday, anyways." Momoi cautiously voices. Shirogane shrugs before waving the pink-haired girl off.

"Eat lots! Get ready for a killer practice, today!" she beams happily before handing out their lunches. She watches them eat intently, making sure that they finish every single grain of rice.

Murasakibara tugs on her sleeve, drawing the attention of the white-haired girl. "Ri-chin, do you have dessert again?"

Shirogane scratches her head sheepishly. "Ah... Gomen, Atsushi, I didn't make any for today..." Murasakibara blinks, unable to comprehend the horrendous situation Shirogane had placed him in.

"..." The giant's aura darkens, heavy waves of black energy radiates off him.

"Eh, eh! Gomensai! I'll make sure to bring some tomorrow!" Shirogane squeaks. She watches with wide eyes as he reaches out a large hand towards her head. His hand easily engulfs her entire face, rendering her vision black.

"Ne... should we help...?" Aomine whispers worriedly towards the redhead seated across him.

"Atsushi won't do anything to harm Riyeko-hime like that." Akashi reassures the blue-haired player dully.

To everyone's mild surprise, Murasakibara pulls the petite girl into a crushing hug. He buries his face into her white curls like a small child.

"How am I going to survive without my treats, Ri-chin?" he whines. The other three could clearly see Shirogane's bright red ears. Aomine snickers quietly at the expense of his captain.

"Indecently embracing a girl like that in public..." Midorima mutters, pushing up his glasses.

"Ne... don't you have your own snacks?" Shirogane mumbles in embarrassment, feeling her entire face heat up. Murasakibara abruptly places her back into her seat and tears open a new bag of chips as if just realizing that he indeed did have his own food.

"..." Shirogane sits stock still, confused about what had just occurred. Akashi pats her head mechanically before returning to his food.

* * *

"Please welcome your new manager, Momoi Satsuki." Sanada introduces to the basketball team. The pink-haired girl bows with a small smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you all." she states cheerfully, already acquainted everyone in front of her. Haizaki was late, again.

"Eh?! You actually got the position, Satsuki?" Aomine teases, secretly proud for his friend.

"Tch, of course I did!" she barks.

Sanada clears his throat impatiently. "You all can introduce yourselves later. I have made practice regimes for each one of you. Shirogane, on the other hand, will practice with each of you individually." Shirogane nods in confirmation. "You will each be honing your strong points and strengthening your weak points. Momoi and I will supervise all of you from time to time. That's all."

"Yosh! Let's go!" The four players split into different gyms, each handed a sheet with their specifically designed practice routine lain out.

"Oi, Shintarō!" a feminine voice stops said male in his tracks. "I'm practicing with you today." Shirogane smiles, catching up to the tale player.

"I see." he replies shortly, adjusting his glasses with one hand. In his other hand is a bunch of fake lilies. Shirogane stares at them with an odd expression. "According to Oha-Asa, lilies are my lucky item for the day." Midorima explains, reading the girl's confused expression. She nods in understanding before grabbing his arm.

"C'mon, we're going to court six!" she exclaims, pulling on him.

* * *

"If I remember correctly, you're shooting skills are pretty good."

"Mm."

"How far away from the basket can you get your ball in?"

"... The three-point line."

"Hm... How high can you throw the ball while getting it in the basket?"

"... Nani?" the boy wonders briefly about the sanity of his captain.

"Nevermind. Show me one of your three-pointers."

Midorima catches the orange ball that's thrown at him before backing up to the three-point line. He crouches down while lifting the basketball into the air with his left hand on bottom. Jumping up, he flicks his wrist, sending the ball into a beautiful, spinning arc.

_Swish. Thud._ The boy stares expectantly at the girl beside him.

"Eh, try it while throwing it higher." she says. "Shoot it as high as you can while still making it in." Green eyes deadpan in confusion. Nonetheless, he grabs another ball and launches it into the air with more power.

_Swish. Thud._ Right as Midorima turns to face Shirogane, an orange projectile flies towards his face. He manages to catch the basketball with his quick reflexes. Frowning, he opens his mouth to ask the captain what she was doing. However, the pale girl wasn't even looking at him, she was staring at the net.

"Use your legs more. Launch it higher." she commands. The boy blinks before complying. This time the ball bounces on the rim before making it into the basket.

"Put more spin with your fingers and flick your wrist faster." Somehow, she knew just what he had done wrong without even looking at him. Shirogane was still looking at the net. Midorima continues to shoot ball after ball under her guidance.

"Alright, let's take a break from shooting." Shirogane finally says. Midorima pants, resting his hands on his bent knees. Sweat glistens in the light as it slides down his temple. "Go get some water." He jogs over to the water bottle resting on the bleachers. Hearing the noise of a basketball bouncing on the ground, he turns back towards the court.

Shirogane shoots from the halfway line. Midorima's eyes widen as the ball soars high above the court, almost brushing against the ceiling before rocketing straight through the basket.

"With enough practice, you will be able to make these, too." Shirogane informs the awed player watching her from a distance. "The higher the arc, the longer it takes. With your kind of accuracy and determination, you will be able to make the ball in every time. This extra time will allow the rest of us to set up defenses beforehand." Midorima could only nod, even more shocked at the planning the girl had done prior to their practice.

"Say, Shintarō, have you ever used weights before...?"

* * *

"Have you ever thought about bandaging your fingers?" Shirogane asks out of the blue. The training session had just finished. The two of them were both out of breath and had a sheen of sweat coating their skin. They had ended the day with a one-on-one game, which Shirogane won.

"Iie." Midorima replies after brief moment of silence. "Nande?"

"With your strength in shooting, you should protect those fingers of yours. Bandaging your fingers will reduce the stress on them during the day." she recites, holding up a finger with her eyes closed.

"..."

"Here, I have some with me right now!" The short girl beckons the boy to come closer, which he reluctantly does. She grabs his left hand with both of hers. Leaning over his fingers as she spins the cloth around them, her white ringlets block his view of her work.

Midorima could feel his face warm ever so slightly, unaccustomed to having a girl so close to him.

"There! You should invest in some bandages, too, Shintarō." she briefly admires her own handiwork before turning around to place the bandages back into her bag. The green-haired boy absentmindedly flexes his fingers, still feeling the lingering warmth that Shirogane had shared with him.

"Arigato, Shirogane." he mutters.

"No problem, Shintarō!"

Midorima glances down at his left hand, finally seeing the bandages that were wrapped around his fingers.

"..." He stares intensely at the innocent cloth encircling each of his fingers. "... Why do they have prints on them?" Midorima deadpans.

Shirogane stiffens as if caught at the scene of a crime. "Ahahah... Gomen, it was the only one I had..." She laughs nervously while sweatdropping, holding up a roll of white bandages with rubber duckies adorning them. The boy in front of her sighs but doesn't take them off as she had expected him to do.

"Whatever. Let's go."

"H-Hai!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the wonderful messages and the _enormous_ amount of views! (it was a lot more than I expected...)**

**Shout out to iiAnimeLover who was commented on all of my chapters~ I love you bestest! (favoritism, heh)**

**Spoiler: Shirogane is a smarty-pants**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"Atsushi!" Shirogane calls loudly, waving her arm towards the giant.

"Ri-chin. Did you bring treats today?" said person asks bluntly. The girl pouts.

"Is that the only reason why you hang around me?" she demands like a spoiled child.

"Ah, iie, iie. ... It's one of the main reasons, though." Murasakibara jokes lazily, patting her on the head.

"Wah! So mean, so mean!" Shirogane cries, headbutting the giant in the stomach lightly.

"Shirogane." a familiar monotonous voice comes from behind the pair.

"Nani? Shintarō?" she questions the boy. "Is there something I can help you with?" The green-haired boy merely stares at her, not uttering a word of explanation. The two of them are unintentionally drawn into a staring contest, the gentle breeze wafting by.

Midorima turns away first while pushing up his glasses distractedly.

_Eh...? ... Is Shintarō embarrassed?!_ Shirogane stares in disbelief at the boy's hesitant expression. He suddenly whips out something white, holding it right in front of her astonished face. The white-haired girl has to cross her eyes in order for the object to come into focus.

"Ne... bandages...?" she says slowly, her voice tinged with confusion. Too ashamed to directly ask her a favor, the green-haired boy merely thrusts his left hand in her direction, motioning for her to take the bandages.

"... Ah! I see, now! Why don't you just ask, Shintarō?" the girl beams amusedly up at the boy. He grunts before jerking his head the opposite way. Shirogane begins to wrap the bandages around each of his long fingers.

"Ne, ne, Ri-chin. What are you doing? Is Mido-chin hurt?" the purple-haired giant suddenly asks, peering curiously around her small frame. Shirogane jumps slightly, having forgotten his presence.

"Iie. They're just to support Shintarō's fingers." she explains to the child-like giant observing her work.

"Oh... Heh, Mido-chin has to ask Ri-chin to do it for him..." he chuckles to himself, amused by the idea.

"U-Urusai!" Midorima scowls, pushing up his glasses with his free hand.

"I'm done!" Shirogane quickly interjects before things could get out of hand. She hands the green-haired boy back his roll of bandages before pulling on Murasakibara's uniform.

"Arigatō." Midorima murmurs reluctantly before briskly turning away, rapidly putting a distance between him and the two.

"Don't tease Shintarō too much, Atsushi." Shirogane gently reprimands the giant as they walk down the halls of Teikō.

"Okay, Ri-chin." he replies like a scolded child.

* * *

"Seijurō, I'll be joining you for today!" Shirogane informs the emotionless redhead. He nods wordlessly, patiently waiting for the shorter girl catch up. Akashi heads off to his designated court, only for a tug on his shirt to stop him in mid step.

"Ano... I actually have something else set up for you today instead." the white-haired girl informs him quietly. Akashi blinks, allowing him to be led to another court.

"Why are we practicing here, Riyeko-hime?" he asks blankly, staring at the entrance of the gym where the second string players were currently playing in.

"Ne, ne! Don't call me that, Seijurō!" she pouts, crossing her arms. "We're going to be practicing with the second-string today. From watching you play, I can tell you're a well rounded player. The only thing I think you need is experience playing with others. I want to test your adaptability in different circumstances." Akashi nods, understanding her reason in dragging him all the way here.

"Kon'nichiwa, Kobayashi-sensei." Shirogane bows with Akashi by her side. The gym falls silent as all the players are drawn towards the two first years standing by the door.

"Ah, kon'nichiwa, Shirogane." the man replies with an easy smile. "What do you need?"

"I hope you don't mind us borrowing some of your players." she words her statement carefully so the coach has no other option but to agree.

"I see. That's fine. You can use court four." he gestures to the empty court at the far end. "Borrow whomever you want." He adds kindly. Shirogane smiles thankfully before dragging Akashi farther into the spacious gym. She quickly glances around the players who are watching the two with curious eyes.

"Seijurō, how proficient is your ability to spot characteristics in a player just by looking at them?" she muses thoughtfully.

"... I haven't given it much thought." he replies.

"Let me show you. See him?" she doesn't bother to lower her voice, allowing the person under scrutiny hear her words. "He's very tall, even for a player. His legs? See how finely muscled they are? He must work on them a lot; and by the look of his calves, he's probably a specialist in jumping. The way his shoulder are angled? It's to make swift attacks, that way he is able to have good agility despite his height. Taking in account of all of those things, he's probably an offense player who makes most of his points by dunking. I'd say... power forward." She points each part, explaining carefully so Akashi could follow.

The boy gapes, unable to comprehend what he is hearing. _That girl... How... How did she know?!_ The players around him whisper amongst each other in awe and discomfort.

"See that guy with the blue shorts? Look at his arms. Shooting guard."

Everyone in the room stares in astonishment as the short first year points out various players and accurately lists their position with just one glance.

"Using your eyes to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent is just as important as any other technique in basketball. It's a useful skill to have as a player, and more importantly, as a captain."

Akashi glances at Shirogane out of the corner of his eyes. _What does she mean by that?_ "Hai." he murmurs. "I will keep that in mind."

"Yosh! Who's captain of the second-string?" she asks no one in particular.

"That's me. Satō Ibuki, third year." a tall male with cropped brown hair steps forward with his hand slightly raised.

Shirogane nods in acknowledgement. "Please pick four people for you team, senpai." The third year quickly selects four other players, most likely whom he thought were the strongest. "Now, I will pick your team, Seijurō. I want... you... and you..." The short girl strides up and down the rows of players, her gait confident even though she was easily the shortest, weakest-looking person in the room.

Akashi raises a brow at the teammates she's chosen for him. To him, the all appeared to be average players, as if she had purposefully chosen the weakest players for him to work with. Was she setting him up for failure?

Clasping her hands together, she faces the recruits. "Right, this is Akashi Seijurō. For this game, he will be your captain. You will listen to him as if he were your real captain, hai?" They all nod dutifully, intimidated by this twig of a human. She ushers the ten of them to their designated court, setting them up for the tip off.

"Even though you don't know anyone here and how they play. I want to see you adapt, don't be afraid to order your senpai around, okay? Let's see if you can win!" She tosses the ball high into the air, starting the game.

Twenty minutes in and Akashi's team is losing miserably to Satō's. The redhead frowns at the score, wondering where he went wrong. He had been shooting the most points for his team and yet they were still twelve points behind.

"Let's take a break!" Shirogane calls as Satō's teammate makes another shot, the ball sliding smoothly through the net. She beckons Akashi to join her at the bleachers where she sat, observing the whole game.

"Not bad, considering you've probably never met these people before. But you're thinking too much about yourself. You have a team, use your team members to your advantage!" she advises as Akashi drinks from his water bottle. He wipes away the sweat dripping down his neck.

"Riyeko-hime, did you purposefully pick these players so I would be at a disadvantage?" Akashi asks bluntly.

"Eh, so you finally realised? Yep!" she grins unashamedly. The nickname he used went by unnoticed. "I wanted to see your skills in a disadvantaged situation. I know you have the capability, but you probably just don't know it. You play shogi, right?" He nods. "Think of it the court like a shogi board and the players like your pieces. You have to play strategically to win games, it's not all about brute force."

"Hm..." he hums thoughtfully. He had never thought of it like that.

"You take a break and watch me play, okay?" she smiles and pulls on his arm, forcing him to sit in her previous seat. Shirogane skips enthusiastically onto the court, calling all of the players back. The other boys, who had resumed their practicing, turned with new interest to watch the game. They all wanted to see the legendary first-string captain in action.

They started the game where they had left off before the break with Shirogane receiving the ball first. Akashi watches as she skillfully directs the players around the court, adjusting her tactics when necessary and setting up elaborate traps for the opposing team to fall into. In just under ten minutes, Satō's team was beginning to look frustrated.

"Wah... do you see the score?"

"It's tied! Sugoi!"

"This first year... No wonder she's captain...!"

Even Akashi was impressed and it was quite difficult to impress the stoic red-haired male. On the court, she was simply god-like and dominated the game, even a blind man could see her talent in the sport. Despite having major setbacks earlier, she managed to rally the four randomly picked players into a decent team and pulled ahead. Akashi observed carefully as Shirogane passes the ball and sets up plays for her teammates to score even though she could have easily made it herself.

"Get the jist?" she grins, panting slightly and wiping perspiration from her forehead. Her white bangs stuck to the side of her face like glue. "Let's see what you've got!" Akashi nods and offers his captain a small smile before jogging back on court. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the opposing team breathing a sigh of relief once they realized that the tiny, pale terror was not coming back to play. The redhead's pale lips tighten as he determinedly sets his focus on proving himself.

Shirogane slowly eases into her stiff seat, a slow smile worming its way into her face. _I knew he would catch on, although I am pretty surprised at the speed of his progress. This bunch is going to be something special, I can feel it!_

* * *

"Congrats! Pulling off a win against your senpai at the last moment, I was at the edge of my seat the whole time!" Shirogane babbles as the two first years amble back to the locker room.

Akashi abruptly halts in his tracks, almost causing the girl to smack straight into him.

"Eh? Seijurō?" she asks, tilting her head to one side. The red-haired boy suddenly bows towards her, bending his body almost at a ninety degree angle.

"Arigatō gozaimasu." he states humbly before straightening up.

"Ne, ne! No need to be so formal! We're a team, remember? We should always support one another, like family!" the white-haired girl beams, waving off his awkward formalities.

"... Family?" Akashi repeats to himself aloud. A warm, foreign feeling wells up inside of him as he glances at the pale girl beside him. _It feels nice..._

"Hai, hai! Let's take care of each other, okay, Seijurō?" Shirogane loops her arm around his, unafraid of standing close to the intimidating first year. She offers him a warm smile before gently tugging on him to move faster.

"Hai, Riyeko-hime."

"Eh?! I told you to stop calling me that!"

* * *

"I see you've set your sights on the next vice-captain, already." Sanada comments. He, Shirogane, and Momoi are sitting together in the coach's office, discussing the team's practice regime.

"Ah... was I really that obvious?" the white-haired girl scratches her head sheepishly. She smiles guiltily. Momoi glances at the two of them in interest, she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Not too much. I just noticed because I know your habits. You tested him on the second string players, didn't you?" Sanada raises a brow knowingly.

"Ahahaha... Sanada-sensei, you really know my tactics well...! I set him up to see how he would react." The pink-haired girl awkwardly sits to one side, excluded from the conversation they were having.

"So how was he? Good enough?"

"He exceeded my expectations. My guess was right about him, he is definitely leader material. I think he will make a good substitute for me when the time comes." the girl nods firmly.

The man sighs and leans back in his seat. "I will trust you on this one, Shirogane." She beams happily in return, pleased with the outcome.

"Ano, excuse me for interrupting, but who are you talking about? And why do you need a substitute?" Momoi interjects hesitantly, directing her last question towards Shirogane. The two of them look startled as they stare at Momoi, as if just realizing that she was there the whole time.

"Gomen, Satsuki-chan. I want to nominate Seijurō as vice-captain. However, I don't want to announce it just yet. I'll first work with the others before making my decision." Sanada nods in approval. Momoi frowns at the unanswered second question, but decides against repeating. She noticed the tense atmosphere that had developed over it.

"Keep up the good work, both of you. You're dismissed." The two girls bow before leaving the room.

"Ne, well... See you tomorrow, Satsuki-chan!" the shorter of the two waves before they split. Momoi waves in response, watching as her bouncing white curls grow farther and farther away.

* * *

"Ri-chin, how do you do this problem?" Murasakibara pokes his seat mate with a long finger. His other hand is occupied with yet another bag of snacks.

"Eh? Oh, you just divide by 'x' on both sides and then distribute." the pale girl leans over in her seat, peering down at the giant's messy handwriting.

"Ne... it seems so much easier when you teach it, Ri-chin." the purple-haired boy complains, scribbling down his answer. Shirogane blushes at the comment.

"Ah, ah. I'm no good at teaching maths, trust me." she blushes modestly, waving of his compliment with a flick of her wrist.

"Ri-chin, who are you going to practice with today?" Murasakibara questions, munching on a bag of chips.

"Hm... I don't know, yet... I haven't decided." she amends after much thought.

"Ne, ne, how about Ri-chin plays with me today? It's really boring playing alone." he suggests, tugging on one of her curls. He watches with childish amusement as her hair bounces back into place. Finding it interesting, he does so again and again, chuckling to himself.

"Okay, Atsushi. But that means you're actually going to have to play hard." she warns him, not bothered by his antics. _It actually feels quite soothing._

"Hai, Ri-chin."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, minna! I was looking around and I noticed a lot of authors reply to their comments on their chapter... I think shall start doing that from now on! So, comment, comment, comment! **

**iiAnimeLover:** _Thanks for all your support! I love reading your comments! (I kind of condensed everything together since you comment so much- which I appreciate!)_

**LadyDream3512: **_Thank you! Please keep reading and commenting!_

**Kintoki Kin:** _I'll keep that in mind if I do, although it might be hard... heh... *sweatdrop*_**_  
_**

**Guest 1: **_Thanks for your comment! (I dunno what else to say...)_

**Andrea Carvajal:**_Thanks for the support! _

**Caigdimo: **_Kuroko might appear earlier than you think... *wink wink*__  
_

**Monkey D. Writer: **_Isn't he just?! *fangirl fantasies* I'll also add in here how much I adore your pen name, very original~ And who doesn't love One Piece?_

**a fan: **_Oh, you are too kind~! Thank you! *fans self while blushing* _

**Guest 2:** _He is in the original plot line, but for story purposes, I kind of kicked him out... Sorry if you were disappointed! _

**Onto the story! **

**Spoiler: dat special someone is here!**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"Eh... Atsushi... How tall are you?" Shirogane asks, dribbling a ball lazily and occasionally passing it between her two hands.

"181 centimeters, I think." he replies. For once, both of his hands are empty. Shirogane had made sure of that.

"Wah... Sugoi... So tall... Have you ever seriously played defense before? I know you can dunk and you have a lot of power, but how well can you rebound?"

"Eh, not really. It's not as fun." he reasons childishly.

Shirogane sighs. "Well, let's make it fun, okay? Every time you get a rebound or block a shot, I'll give you a snack." Upon hearing these words, Murasakibara's eyes light up.

"Okay, Ri-chin." he smiles gleefully at the prospect of earning free food.

"Ready? Let's play!" she backs up the halfway line, still dribbling the ball. Murasakibara adopts a defensive stance and crouches in front of her, determined not to let her make a shot.

As soon as he blinks, the white-haired girl disappears from in front of him. "Heh?" The sound of the ball swishing through the net draws his attention.

"Ah, too slow, Atsushi! You've got to be faster than that!" she grins teasingly, picking up the ball again. She had just performed a layup, slipping past Murasakibara's defenses easily.

"No fair, Ri-chin! I didn't know you were that fast...!" he whines pitifully, upset by his loss.

"C'mon, this'll help you train to get faster, see? Your stance is nice, but raise your arms higher and stand on the balls of your feet. That way, you'll be ready for anything your opponent does." He nods like an obedient child and adjusts his position.

This time, Shirogane adopts some fancy movements with her feet, smoothly dribbling the ball in complicated patterns around her legs. Murasakibara's attention is drawn to her movements rather than the ball, allowing her to zip past once again.

"Keep your eyes on the ball. Concentrate!"

They start at the halfway line once again. Shirogane does the same dribbling pattern once again, breaking past his defenses quickly. Just as she is about to perform another layup, a large shadow suddenly looms in front of her. Murasakibara easily swipes the ball out of her hands, using his enormous height to his advantage. The ball bounces a couple times behind her before rolling to a stop at the wall.

_Where did he come from?! That was amazingly fast...!_

Shirogane shakes herself out of her stupor. "Sugoi, Atsushi! That was amazing! I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Arigatō, Ri-chin." the giant smiles lazily, petting her on the head.

"Well, now I owe him sweets..." she sighs to herself as she retrieves the ball. "Let's do it again, Atsushi. This time I won't go so easy on you!" She dribbles the ball once again as the purple-haired boy places himself between her and the net.

Shirogane fakes a left before cutting sharply to the right. However, Murasakibara's long arms get in her way, causing her to scrap her original plan. This time, she takes a step back away from her goal. The boy in front of her falters slightly in confusion. She crouches down, raising her arms above her head before letting the ball fly into the air.

The ball soars across the court and into the basket without interference. Shirogane smiles to herself, hearing the familiar swooshing noise the ball makes.

"Expect your opponent to do anything in a match, never be taken by surprise. It's always better to overestimate your opponent than to underestimate them." she lectures, content upon seeing the boy's shocked expression. "Ready? Once again!"

* * *

After hours of hard work, the two of the lay sprawled, panting and sweating on the gym floor. Shirogane's head rests lightly on Murasakibara's stomach as they both regain their breath.

"That was a good practice. Looks like I owe you five bags of snack, eh, Atsushi?" the petite girl gasps

"Mhm." the boy grunts, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "Don't forget to buy them, Ri-chin." Shirogane rolls her eyes good naturedly before rolling her stomach and poking the giant's chest. "Let's get going, it's getting late."

* * *

"Here you go! Five bags, just like I said." Shirogane beams proudly at her accomplishment. She drops a plastic grocery bag down on the purple-haired boy's desk.

"Eh?" the lazy giant drawls, peering into the bag. Without hesitation, he tears one of the packages open and begins to eat from it despite that fact he had just eating breakfast twenty minutes ago. "Arigatō, Ri-chin."

"Nonsense." she waves him off. "I promised, didn't I? Besides, you earned it." Murasakibara chews contentedly, the snacks put him in a good mood that lasted the entire day.

* * *

"Ne! Chotto matte, Daiki!"

The blue-haired boy turns and impatiently waves for Shirogane to catch up. "Jeez, you're so slow, hime." He grins jokingly, ruffling the shorter girl's hair.

"Oi! Don't call me that!" she sulks, rearranging her hair with her hands. "It's just because my legs are shorter than yours! You're just too fast." she reasons. Aomine shrugs his shoulder nonchalantly.

"What are you going to teach me today, hime? Are you going to show me a super awesome, killer shot?" he asks eagerly. Shirogane sweatdrops at his enthusiasm.

"... Killer shot? Where do you get these ideas, baka?" she stares at him.

"I read in a magazine that you're super good at shooting! Is it true ya made over eighty points in one game?" he asks.

"Ah, um... Hai...?" her answer comes out more as a question rather than a statement.

"Teach me how to do that!" he demands, shaking the poor girl by the arm.

"Oi, oi, calm down." she places a hand on her forehand as she stumbles around, having trouble regaining her balance. _Since when were there two Daikis?_ "Let's see what you've got first. Then, if you're good enough, I'll teach you something cool."

"Sweet!" he pumps his fist into the air. "Can't wait!"

* * *

"Hm... hm... Not bad, not bad!" Shirogane muses aloud with a basketball spinning on her fingertip. Aomine stands before her, hunched over from exhaustion. "Although, you're lacking stamina."

"Oi! Ya just made me run fifty laps around the school and then made me run through drills without a break! Of course I'm tired!" the blue-haired boy complains loudly.

"Ah, no matter. You're just a first year after all." she continues as if Aomine hadn't spoken at all.

"Hey! You're one, too, ya know!" he retorts angrily. Shirogane lets out a peal of soft laughter.

"Alright, go get a drink. We'll start again after you're done." Aomine groans before dragging himself off the court. He watches his captain lazily dribble the ball around imaginary opponents before performing a perfect layup. Basic moves.

"Daiki, let's play a quick game to ten points. That way I can see your offensive and defensive abilities."

Aomine starts with the ball and charges immediately for the basket. Shirogane easily reads his reckless charge and swiftly steals the ball out of his hands. She dribbles back the other way towards Aomine's basket. Stopping, she shoots from inside the box, only for it to be blocked by the blue-haired player. Aomine snatches the ball and quickly dunks it into basket, using his height to prevent Shirogane from blocking.

"Ne, Daiki, where'd you learn to play basketball?" she asks, watching the ball roll away.

"Eh, no one really. I usually play street basketball." he admits, scratching his cheek. His other hand resting on his waist.

"So you learned from just watching? Pretty impressive... But that explains why you have no set pattern to your play."

"Nani?"

"I mean, it's pretty hard to predict what you're going to do next. And you're style is very flexible, too. When you learn from a coach, there are basic positions that everyone learns, they're the foundations of becoming a basketball player. You, on the other hand, have not learned the basic at all. You've pretty much skipped over it."

"Uh... Okay, hime... Whatever you say..." Clueless.

"... Let's do a visual demonstration... Shoot from inside the box, no dunking." she instructs. Aomine does so. "Now watch me." The boy watches as she sets up for a shot before making it in. "Do you see the difference? You've got no stance at all."

"Uhhuh... Is that... bad?" he winces.

"Iie, on the contrary, I think that's quite good! That way you're opponent will never be able to predict your movements."

"Oh... Alright!" the blue-haired boy grins, perking up immediately.

"Let's finish our game."

Shirogane dribbles the ball in and swiftly fakes Aomine to the left. She brushes past him with incredible speed and stops under the basket.

"Oi, you did that last time!" Aomine starts, appearing in front of the short girl. To his surprise, she jumps backwards and away from the basket before shooting. His eyes widen as the ball passes easily over his outstretched hand and into the basket.

"Heh, not quite." the white-haired girl grins, rubbing her nose.

"Sugoi...! How'd you do that?!" Aomine demands. "You jumped backwards! How'd you get the ball to get in?! That shouldn't be possible!" Shirogane watches impassively as the hyperactive boy tries to copy her movements and attempts a shot like hers. His ball completely misses, going over the backboard. At the same time, Aomine loses his balance while trying to lean backwards and falls to the ground on his back.

"Ne, ne. It takes months of practice in order to make a shot like that." she informs him. His expression drops in disappointment as he accepts Shirogane's outstretched hand. "However, you might be a different case. Let's keep playing, okay? Maybe you'll get it along the way." Aomine brightens as he jogs back onto the court. The two resume their game with Shirogane making three more baskets the same way.

The game ends with Shirogane taking the win.

"Nice game, Daiki. It was a close one!" she grins, patting the boy on the back.

"It was 10-6! That's hardly close at all!" he complains. "Especially that cool backwards shot you did. I don't know how to block that at all!"

"Fadeaway."

"Eh?"

"It's called a fadeaway. It's quite hard to master, but once you get the hang of it, it's practically impossible to defend against." she explains. "You have to have good accuracy, strength, flexibility, and balance."

"Sōka..."

"On the bright side, you have three of those qualities thanks to your formless style of basketball."

"Really?! Awesome!"

"Hai! Starting from now on, you will be attempting the splits!"

"HAH?! NANI?!"

* * *

"Ne, Ri-chin, aren't you helping Zaki-chin today?" Murasakibara questions, his mouth full of food as usual.

"Hm, that's right. That is, if he actually shows up for practice...!" she frowns.

"Tch, good luck with that." Aomine snorts, rubbing her hair assuringly.

"Yes, the rest of us wish you luck, Riyeko-hime." Akashi states formally.

Shirogane sweatdrops. "Why are you guys acting like I'm about to be killed?!" she wails.

"Tch." Midorima pushes up his glasses. "According to your horoscope, you have the best luck."

"Really? Hm..." The five first years make their way to the gymnasium like a school of fish.

* * *

"He's not here!" Shirogane exclaims disbelievingly, an anger vein making its appearance on her forehead.

"Wow, Oha-Asa is actually right!" Aomine states admiringly.

"Of course it is." Midorima holds up a small cardboard box in his bandaged hand. "Cancer's lucky item is a box of matches, I should have good luck today."

"..." Sanda frowns, aggravated by the second year's lazy behavior.

Shirogane sighs. "I'll go look for him, coach. If I don't find him, I'll just watch the second and third string. They're practicing together today, right?" He nods.

* * *

"Ah... Gomen, but I think he went home early today. Haizaki said something about being sick." a second year basketball player informs her.

Shirogane grits her teeth, livid. "He knew we had practice together, today! I'll bet he isn't even sick..." The older male slowly back away from the livid girl, avoiding the dark aura coming off her in thick waves.

She sighs, keeping her temper in check. "Arigatō, senpai." She mumbles, turning away deep in thought.

"N-No problem..."

"Oh? Here again, Shirogane?" a deep voice resonated from behind her.

"Ne, Kobayashi-sensei. It looks like I'll be watching the practice today." she states wearily.

"That's fine. Maybe you'll spot future potential, eh?" he chuckles good-naturedly.

"Hm, maybe." she hums, a smile slowly forming on her lips. Basketball was always an emotion reliever for Shirogane, even if she was just on the sideline watching.

She seats herself on the one of the benches, the one with the best view of all the courts. The petite girl was small enough to cross her legs over one another on the bench. As she relaxed, she couldn't help but overhear the conversations that were echoing across the gym.

"Isn't that the first-string captain?"

"Ah! It is! Why do you think she's over here?"

"I dunno. Maybe taking a break or something... I can't believe a first year girl is better than us."

"Tch, I know right? I don't get it."

"Oh, maybe she's looking for new players!"

"Don't be absurd, no one in their right mind would quit being a first-string player. There's no extra space at all."

"Think she's helping decide the reserve players?"

"Probably... I mean they choose them out of us second-string players in case if someone doesn't show for a game."

"I really hope I can get into the reserve team since getting into first-string is out of the question now..."

Shirogane yawns, blearily rubbing her eyes. Her skin tingles at the curious stares of the players on the court. The third-string players had just arrived and were warming up along with the others. The pale girl dozes off as the two coaches organize the players accordingly.

A loud piercing whistle jolts the girl out of her slumber. _Eh? Starting finally?_

Shirogane watches the players critically, hoping to learn something new from her senpai. Considering over half of the students in the gym were older than her. Suddenly, a pair of pale blue eyes catch her attention. They're staring straight at her, without so much of a blink. The white-haired girl stares back for a few moments, noting the boy's small stature not unsimilar to hers.

Quickly, she scans his body physique through half-lidded eyes. _He must be from the third-string, doesn't seem to favor any position either. Probably just a rookie_. Her white irises slowly glide to the next player, placing the strange boy in the back of her mind.

"Anyone catch your attention?" Kobayashi suddenly materializes behind the short girl.

"Not really..." Shirogane doesn't bother to turn and face the coach, eyes still scanning the crowd of players. "No one's caught my eye... yet." She adds hastily.

"Hm, that's too bad."

"Have you chosen the reserves yet, Kobayashi-sensei?" she asks. "Our first came is coming up pretty soon."

"Not yet, all in good time. We'll be testing some chosen players in our first game as well. Then we'll decide." he explains.

"Oh, I see."

"Perhaps you want to join our practice session, today?" he offers with a sly smile. "Maybe you'll encourage our players to practice harder..." Shirogane shoots him a delighted yet mischievous grin.

"Sounds... fun..."


	7. Chapter 7

**iiAnimeLover:** _Dang, you're like a mind reader or something...! Or I'm just that predictable... *cough...* What other anime do you like? _

**LadyDream3512: **_Haha! Thanks for commenting, better late than never~! I will be adding more to Shirogane's past, there's a reason why she's keeping it secret. *winks* All in good time!_

**a fan: **_Arigatō! Just gotta wait and uh... read!_

**Monkey D. Writer: **_Heh... I wouldn't mind two Daikis... I think your name is epic! I wish I thought of something like that... T~T_

**Hello~ So many reads and comments! This chapter is a bit longer, so enjoy it!**

**Spoiler: blue man action!**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

The tall man straightens himself before blowing sharply on his whistle, gaining the attention of the entire gym. Silence falls upon on the players.

"Today, we'll be doing something different. The first-string captain will be joining you all today in practice."

"Kon'nichiwa..." all of the players mumble, bowing towards the white-haired girl. Shirogane flushes slightly, unused to the formalities.

"Water break." Kobayashi announces, much to the player's relief. He pats the pale girl firmly on the shoulder before walking away to meet up with the third-string coach. Even if people weren't glancing at her before, they all were now. Shirogane concentrates on remaining composed as she goes through her warm up stretches quickly. Not wanting to appear intimidated or scared, she kept a neutral expression on the entire time.

"The one minute break is over! Next, we're doing the three-man weave!" one of the coach's voice echoes slightly in the large room.

"Yes, sir!"

Smiling, Shirogane bounces up to a familiar face, excited at the prospect of being able to pick up a ball. "Oi, you don't mind me joining you, do you?" she asks the pale blue-haired boy that was staring at her earlier. He blinks, looking slightly taken aback.

"Ah... Watashi?" he asks quietly, pointing to himself. Shirogane nods, ball under her arm.

"Well?" she asks. Already, she could hear the flying gossip behind her.

"Eh? What's she doing with him?"

"Has he been here this whole time?!"

"Hai." the boy nods with a slight smile. No one had ever noticed him before until now. And to top it off, it was the first-string captain who did. He had heard many things about the vertically challenged girl, most of them praising, a few negative ones out of spite and jealousy. But, he couldn't help but ponder curiously as to why she would choose someone like him out of everyone.

"Let's go!" she beams, gesturing the quiet boy to follow her. With Shirogane's fame amongst the basketball players, they had no trouble finding three other players to join them in their drill.

"Can I join, Shirogane-chan?" one asks shyly.

"Gomen, we already have five people." she offers him a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his nervousness.

"Eh? I only see four!" he notes, peering over the short girl.

"I'm with them, too." the pale blue-haired boy speaks up, seemingly appearing out of the thin air.

"Wah!" the boy scrambles back in shock. "When did you get here?!"

"I've been here this whole time, senpai." the emotionless boy responds evenly.

Shirogane sweatdrops. _He must have a really low presence for people to not notice him._

"C'mon, let's start." she urges, dribbling the orange sphere swiftly between her legs to get use to the feeling of using a basketball again. "Do you know how to set up a three-man weave?"

* * *

After half an hour of performing the same drill over and over again, all of the players were sweating and panting out of breath. A few of the more fit ones had less perspiration coating their skin and their breaths came out more evenly. One of those was Shirogane.

The pale blue-haired boy, however, was completely opposite. He was kneeling in the corner of the gym, with his hand clasped over his mouth. His small frame shakes as he gags uncontrollably.

"Hey don't puke in here... um... you!" one of the players calls out, not familiar with the first year's name.

"Daijōbu?" the white-haired girl asks gently, leaning over the hunched over boy. She pats him on the back. "Go to the bathroom and take a break, ne?" she suggests kindly. The boy nods weakly and stumbles out of the gym and towards the nearest bathroom. He mentally berates himself for appearing so weak in front of the first-string captain. She was hardly sweating herself and appeared to be in a much better condition than the poor boy despite her smaller body size.

He frowns at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, steeling his resolve to practice even harder to prove himself.

* * *

"Alright, minna! Get pumped! We're having a practice match with Yon Junior High today!" Shirogane beams. She receives very little positive feedback from her teammates. Only Aomine bothers to reply with a cheer. Haizaki scoffs rudely and rolls his eyes. Akashi gives her a small, terse smile while Midorima simply adjusts his glasses.

"Is there going to be snacks, Ri-chin?" Murasakibara questions, shoving his face with sweets. Shirogane deflates at the lack of enthusiasm her team has.

"Iie, Atsushi..." she mumbles dejectedly.

"Tch, like you even need more!" Haizaki snorts, watching the giant first year inhale his food with a disgusted expression. Murasakibara shrugs off the comment and continues eating.

"Even though today is only a practice match, I expect a win. Victory is everything." Sanada interjects. Momoi stands next to him with a clipboard in her hands.

"Ah, we should get moving if we want to catch the bus in time..." the pink-haired girl suggests, glancing at her watch.

"Yosh! Let's move!"

"..."

* * *

The six of them walk past Teikō's facilities, enjoying the clean, crisp air. All of them actually looked like a team for once, bearing their school colors proudly on their newly acquired outside wear. The first-string players subconsciously group together near the front, leaving the second-string reserve players straggling behind. Despite their radically different characteristics, they felt much more at ease with each other than with the other players.

Shirogane frowns to herself, or more precisely, at the sleeve of her Teikō jacket. It goes way past her hand and flops limply as she walks. Even her slacks are too big, forcing her to roll them up a couple times so they wouldn't fall off her hips as she moves.

"Something wrong, Riyeko-hime?" Akashi asks blandly. This draws the attention of the other members as well as they direct their gaze towards their captain.

She flaps her arms, showing the others the excess cloth that trailed after her arms. "They're too big..." she pouts. "And they're the smallest size in store, too..." she trails off helplessly.

"... Pwahahaha!" Haizaki doesn't bother to smother his mocking laugh as he guffaws at the shorter girl's misfortune. "Pfft! You look like a fucking toddler in that!"

"Wah, urusai!" she puffs up her red cheeks in retaliation, unintentionally proving his point.

"Don't worry. Your jersey fit at least, right?" Akashi reasons levelly, gazing down at his captain. She begrudgingly sighs in consent as Murasakibara musses up her hair fondly.

"Hai, hai..."

"Ah, Riyeko-chan, I think you look kawaii!" Momoi grins, offering the white-haired girl an encouraging thumbs up. "Right, Dai-chan?" She purposefully nudges Aomine in the side.

"What do ya want now, ya crazy woman?!" the blue-haired player scowls, rubbing his throbbing side, eliciting a giggle from Shirogane.

"You should support your teammates! Especially your captain!" the busty girl continues on with her spiel, enticing another shouting match between the two.

Midorima sigh softly in aggravation, already developing a headache. He rubs his temple with his nonbandaged fingers, his other other hand awkwardly clasping a tube of lipstick.

"Alright, calm down." Shirogane chuckles, placing herself between the two bickering childhood friends. The green-haired player mentally thanks his captain, finally finding peace.

"So, hime, how good is this school?" Aomine swiftly changes the topic. He drapes an arm around the girl.

"Ne! Stop calling me that!" she frowns, her brows furrowing.

"You're going to grow wrinkly if ya keep your expression like that, ya know. A total turn off." Haizaki snickers. She jabs him quickly in the side, grinning triumphantly when the second year hunches over in pain. "Oi!"

"You should ask Satsuki-chan. She scouted for us." Shirogane shrugs, tilting her chin towards the pink-haired girl.

"I hope they at least pose some sort of challenge..." Midorima frowns. Momoi sweatdrops uncomfortably.

"They're not... too bad..." she hesitantly supplies the team. _They're going to be pretty disappointed..._ "On a side note... why are you carrying woman's make up with you, Midorin?" She stares at the lip rouge in the shooter's hand.

The green-haired male clears his throat. "I-" Before he could finish, a large shadow loomed over him.

"He secretly likes to wear it, Momo-chin." the giant behind them informs the manager lazily.

"Nani?! Wh-!" Midorima is cut off again as Momoi interjects this time.

"Ne, ne, Mukkun! Don't call me Momo-chin! It's not very feminine." the pink-haired girl pouts. The two of them engage in an argument over her nickname, completely ignoring the annoyed green-haired boy.

Midorima purposefully coughs loudly, halting their playful banter. "For your information, it's my lucky item. If I want to make my shots in this match, I have to carry with around with me all day." he explains tersely, a small anger vein pulsing at his temple.

"Ah, it's not nice to lie, Mido-chin." the giant drawls, evoking laughter from the Aomine.

"You...!"

"Everyone calm down." a dark presence immediately shuts them up. They all turn to see Akashi with a frown crossing his face. The four of them shudder while Shirogane and Haizaki smirk at their expense.

None of them noticed, however, the unwanted attention they were attracting. They're loud voices cancelled out the awed whispers coming from inside the gym where the third-string players were playing. The double doors to the gymnasium were wide open to let the cooling breeze in, it also involuntarily let the team's chatter in as well. All of the boys inside the gym were staring wide eyed at the procession of first-string players.

Even a pair of familiar light blue ones.

* * *

"I have a super important announcement to make!" Shirogane calls out to the players. The four first years and the reserves that would now join the regulars in games and practices dutifully made a circle around their captain. Haizaki was late, per usual.

"Eh? What is it now, hime?" Aomine drawls, basketball under his arm.

"Sanada-sensei and I have made a decision as to naming the vice-captain." she takes a deep breath as everyone leans forward in anticipation. "Akashi Seijurō will be your new vice-captain!"

Aomine's jaw drops. "Woah! Nice one, Akashi!"

"Hardly surprising..." Midorima says, unwrapping his bandages.

"Arigatō, Riyeko-hime." Akashi states formally, bowing his head in gratitude. His captain laughs and places a gentle hand on his lowered head.

"Make sure to take care of the team when I'm not around, okay?"

"Hai." The redhead couldn't help but reminisce back to his first one-on-one lesson with Shirogane. _Maybe this is what she was preparing me for... But... I feel like there's still something else..._

* * *

"What the...? First years?!"

"What is Teikō thinking? They must be throwing in the match already...!"

"Lucky for us, haha! This'll be an easy win!"

The players from Yon Junior High didn't bother to lower their voices as they casually insult the Teikō players. Shirogane frowns and throws out an arm in front of Aomine. The easily angered blue-haired player was about to attack the disrespectful players, but his captain's pale arm stopped him in his tracks.

"Eh? But, hime! They're dissing us right in our faces! We can't just do nothing!" he exclaims.

"I know... I can hear. However, if you pick a fight with them right now, we'll be automatically disqualified." she pats him reassuringly on his bicep, calming him down with her words.

"What happened to respecting your opponents?" Midorima mumbles to himself, his eye twitching ever so slightly. Even the usually emotionless redhead looked a bit peeved.

"Oi, listen up!" the voice of their captain causes their heads to turn simultaneously in her direction. "If you want revenge, bring your anger on the court, okay? Let's show them what we've got! Victory is everything!" The Teikō players all cheer collectively, their spirits igniting. "Go get changed!"

The boys file into the locker room, chatting casually amongst themselves. Shirogane drags Momoi into the girl's locker room with her, feeling lonely being the only female on the team. Gradually, the Teikō members wander out onto the court and loiter off to the side, impatient for the match to begin.

"Alright, the starting members for the first quarter will be Shirogane, Aomine, Midorima, Akashi, and Murasakibara." Sanada commands. Haizaki spits scornfully, a scowl plastered on his face. "Haizaki, you will only be allowed to play in the second half due to your constant absence during practice."

"Atsushi, you take the tip off, okay?" Shirogane instructs, patting the tall player on his stomach due to his height. The five players stand in front of their opponents from Yon.

The tallest member on their team scoffs, glaring down at the white-haired girl. "What's this? Shouldn't you be at home playing with your dolls, little girl?" he taunts jeeringly. Shirogane merely stares blankly back at him with her large, pale eyes.

"Is this some sort of joke?" another players grunts, scratching his arm as he scrutinizes the Teikō team. "Or are you all giving up already? Where's your pride as an upperclassman?" He directs his last barb at the seated second and third years off to the side.

"You'll change your attitude once we start beating you." Shirogane replies easily, unperturbed by the nasty remarks. The opposing team laughs obnoxiously as if the white-haired girl had told the funniest joke in history.

"Let's see you try, pipsqueak!"

Shirogane grabs Aomine's clenched hand, shaking her head slightly as if to warn him not to make a stupid move. He breathes in sharply through clenched teeth, trying to push down his anger. He forces himself to bow politely to the opposing team.

"Let's have a fair match." The referee signals for the two teams to send a player forward for the tip off. The tallest player from Yon steps forward arrogantly, meeting Murasakibara in the center.

"Oh? You must be the captain. Too bad we'll be wiping the floor with your pathetic excuse for a team." he sneers. The purple-haired boy glances uninterestedly at his opponent.

"Eh? I'm not the captain, Ri-chin is..." he lazily points to the white-haired girl who was currently occupied with setting up their formation.

"Akashi, you'll mark number eleven... Midorima..."

"Hah?! You're making fun of us aren't you?! A fucking girl leading your team?" the Yon captain snorts. "Tch, pathetic. It'll be an easy victory for us, then." The giant first year doesn't react, although an almost invisible flicker of annoyance flashes through his eyes as the player in front of him insults his captain.

"Ready?" The referee blows on his whistle before tossing the ball high into the air. The Yon player's eyes widen in shock as his Teikō opponent easily swipes the ball out of the air before he doesn.

"N-Nani?!"

The ball is passed straight towards Shirogane who catches it firmly with a grin. She dribbles the ball by her knees as player number seventeen marks her with his arms outstretched. Much to the confusion of her defender, she shoots him a triumphant smirk.

"Don't blink..." she warns cheekily. He blinks anyways. In that split second time frame, the white-haired girl disappears from view.

"Hah? Where'd she go?" he grunts in disbelief. He whips around to find his intended mark weaving around the defenders before elegantly tipping the ball into the net. The crowd is stunned into silence before loud cheers erupt from Teikō's reserve members.

"I... I didn't even see her move!"

"So fast...! Maybe we underestimated them..."

"Nah, I bet it was just a fluke. They won't get it in next time!"

The students from Yon shout encouragement to their team members, bolstering their spirits despite the quick basket Teikō had scored.

"C'mon! Are you all sleeping on the court or somethin'?! Move, move, move!" Yon's captain roars. His teammates scramble for the ball and pass it in from under the net.

"Watch who you're marking!" Shirogane calls as the opposing team advances towards them. "Don't let them shoot!"

Number twenty-eight, who had the ball in his possession, stops at the three-point line and raises his arms to shoot, hoping to get a one point lead. Thanks to Shirogane's intense training, Murasakibara easily steals the ball and dribbles it down the court. He barges past the defenses and slams the ball into the basket, rattling the backboard.

"Wah... did you see that?!"

"Are you sure these are just first years?"

"Impressive...!"

Shirogane grins proudly, slapping Murasakibara a high five as they jog back to defend. "Heh, working hard on defending, I see." The giant smiles lazily down at the short girl.

"Ne, ne, you owe me snacks now." he reminds her, ruffling her white locks.

She sweatdrops, already regretting the deal she had struck up with the ravenous purple-haired player. "Hai..." she sighs, shaking her head in mild amusement.

This time, the white-haired girl intercepts one of their passes and takes off with the ball. She manages to get inside of the box but is double teamed by two scarily tall third years. Frowning, she passes it off to Midorima who's standing in the sidelines. He jumps up, aiming for a three-pointer. The ball soars high into the air, creating suspense for participants.

"Atsushi! Stay for the rebound. Everyone else, move back!" Shirogane orders, jogging back to their side. She and Midorima hustle back without so much of a backwards glance. Hearing the familiar sound of the ball swishing through the net, the girl smirks.

"So high!"

"... impossible to block...!"

"What's up with these first years?!"

She tilts her head towards her green-haired teammate. "Nice shot, Shintarō. Although... it could be higher..."

"Hn." he pushes up his glasses with the barest of smiles playing on his lips.

Yon scores a two-pointer and Shirogane passes the ball to Akashi with a nod. She flashes her pointer finger so all of her teammates could see. As if on cue, they all dash for the basket, alarming the opposing team. Using their hesitation to their advantage, Teikō scores another two points with Akashi shooting it in.

* * *

The referee blows his whistle, motioning for the players on the court to get off. The first quarter just ended with Teikō up by thirteen points. Shirogane snatches up her water bottle, thirstily downing the contents before plopping down on the bench. Aomine joins her with his legs sprawled in front of him.

Suddenly, the doors slam to the gym slam open and a muscular guy shuffles in with a sheepish expression. He ambles over to join Yon's team, discussing something with the coach.

"Ne, who's he, Satsuki-chan?" Shirogane asks, eyes narrowing on the mystery guy's large frame. Even though it was hard to see from a distance but he looked like a well-rounded player.

"Eh? I don't know... I've never seen him before!" she flips rapidly through her stack of papers, hoping to find some information about the newcomer.

"He just transferred a few days ago." one of the reserve player speaks up. Everyone shoots him a confused look.

"How do you know?" Aomine asks.

"Ah... I can read lips."

"..."

"... Well that explains why Momoi has no data on him..." Midorima concludes.

"He can't be too bad, right? I mean the rest of the team is pretty lame, so he can't be that much better!" Aomine reasons. Shirogane pulls on his cheeks, stretching them to the max. "Oi! Oi! Itai!" The senpai watching all wince in imaginary pain.

"Don't underestimate the enemy! If he got in this fast, that must mean he's got something special..." the white-haired girl explains logically. "Why else would they let him be a regular in such a short time?" She lets go of his cheeks with a thoughtful expression on her face. The tanned player gently massages his cheeks, trying to put some feeling back into his numb face.

"Riyeko-hime is right. We should all be on our guards." Akashi sums up, staring directly at each of the players. His blank stare sends shivers down his teammates' spines. Except for Shirogane who was still staring off into space with her eyes glazed over in concentration.

"Hime?" one of the reserve players repeats dubiously.

This snaps Shirogane back into reality. "Hah?! Don't call me that! ... Oh, it was you, senpai." She blinks rapidly at the cowering player, towering over his sitting form, momentarily thrilled at the feeling of being tall for once. "Ah... Ah... Gomensai, I thought you were someone else..."

The blue-haired player beside her bursts out into laughter at the second year's frightened expression. Shirogane feels her lips twitch, threatening to succumb to a smile as she sighs and shakes her head.

"C'mon, let's go. Time's up." she orders, ushering the players back onto the court. "Ne, Atsushi, mark the new guy." She switches the giant's and Midorima's mark quickly, cautiously assessing the newcomer.

"It's just as you said, Riyeko-hime." Akashi murmurs from behind the short girl. She nods, a feeling of dread pool in her stomach. "He appears to be more talented than his teammates."

"Atsushi will take care of him." she replies confidently.


	8. Chapter 8

**Monkey D. Writer:** _Haha~ But, you do know you can change your name, right? It's under "Account" and "Settings.__"_

**iiAnimeLover: **_S__hweet~ I love all those anime! ^o^ Thanks for commenting again!_

**Spoiler: One big family**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

The newcomer proved to be much more difficult to handle than Shirogane expected. He seemed to be everywhere on the court, scoring points and playing the core of the defense. Even Murasakibara had trouble blocking his shots and getting the rebound. Even though the Teikō first years were furiously stacking up points, Yon was slowly catching up. All thanks to some tardy player who carried the weight of his entire team.

The white-haired girl frowns pensively as the second quarter ends with Teikō ahead only by eight points. The five of them jog back to the bench, feeling their stamina steadily dropping as the game dragged on.

"Did you get his data, Satsuki-chan?" she asks, mopping her face with a towel. Tilting her head back to squirt water into her mouth, she glances at the manager out of the corner of her eye.

"Hai, thanks for stalling, Riyeko-chan." the pink-haired girl smiles appreciatively. Teikō's manager had told Shirogane to hold back in order to properly study Yon's number seventeen.

"Well? What is it? He's becoming really annoying." Aomine growls, glaring at the player. As if feeling the weight of his gaze, the newcomer turns around and stares directly back at the blue-haired player while conversing with his teammates.

"His stats are high in terms of strength and defense plays. But you can beat him easily if you start increase the pace of the game. Don't let them slow you down, his weakness is his speed. Which happens to be Riyeko-chan's strength!"

Sanada steps and offers a few words of advice before sending the team back, this time with Haizaki instead of Murasakibara.

"Heh, finally. Something to do." the arrogant second-year sneers, stretching his arms quickly before the start.

Yon begins with the ball, easily passing it to their ace, number seventeen.

"Box-and-one,!" Shirogane informs the team swiftly. They arrange themselves so that Aomine is playing one-on-one with seventeen while the other four box his teammates out. The blue-haired player slaps the ball into his possession before sprinting down the court with the other not far behind. He gracefully shoots one of his formless shots, flabbergasting Yon's ace.

"Good one, Daiki!" Shirogane shouts, nudging said person.

"Heh!" he grins, rubbing his nose with a finger proudly.

Seventeen retaliates with a flashy slam dunk, barrelling past Teikō's defenses. Haizaki scowls before snatching the ball and running full-tilt down the court and smashing ball into the net in retaliation.

"Hey! Wasn't that...?"

"Yeah, he just copied the move!"

Yon's ace frowns before jumping up to slam the ball into the basket, using his same move again. However, the ball rebounds off the backboard and into Teikō's awaiting hands. His jaw drops as she stares blankly at the basket.

"Eh?! I never miss that shot! What happened?!" he asks rhetorically, eyes wide in surprise.

"Tch. I didn't just copy your move, ya know. I stole it!" Haizaki snickers at the player's crestfallen expression. "You won't be able to dunk for the rest of the game!" he taunts. Shirogane rolls her eyes at his crude remarks. She promptly passes the ball to Midorima who shoots yet another three-pointer.

Yon passes the ball in to their ace, unsurprisingly, who goes for a lay up. Haizaki recklessly charges in and shoves the player in midair, sending him sprawling.

_Tweet_ "Foul on white. Penalty shot." the referee signals.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" Aomine demands of his senpai.

"Tch. I don't have to explain shit to you. Stay out of my business." the ash-haired male sneers before setting up for the rebound.

"What unsightly behavior." Midorima remarks casually.

Shirogane sighs. "Haizaki. Aomine. Under the basket." They do as told without complaint.

Yon gets their free shot in, giving them another two points. Shirogane's eyebrows furrow, pale eyes flickering towards the scoreboard. _26-30_

* * *

Despite their fatigue, the Teikō team pressed on. They slowly increased the rhythm of the game, ignoring their protesting bodies. However, their efforts were paying off and they could see Yon's ace tiring at a much faster rate. His plays were slowing down and his moves were becoming sloppy.

Shirogane shoots, using the fadeaway technique she had showed Aomine last week, earning them a buzzer beater.

"24-38 Teikō!"

"Thank you for the game!" the two teams bow towards each other before lining up for the handshake. The Yon players reign in their anger, miffed that they had lost to a bunch of first years, led by a girl furthermore. They grunted and stormed to their locker rooms.

"Yosh, minna! We did it!" the captain cheers. Despite exhausted from the game, she bounces enthusiastically around the court, congratulating her teammates. Haizaki mysteriously disappears before the girl could catch him.

Shirogane slams her body excitedly into Murasakibara's, causing the giant to huff from the impact. She cheers with him, the former doing much more of the cheering than the latter.

"Good play. However, there are still somethings you all could improve on. Last year, Yon competed in the eighth-finals last year, so the competition only get tougher." Sanada warns the team. "Go get changed."

The sweaty first-string players trudge into their designated rooms, groaning as they feel their muscles painfully stretch while walking. After a few minutes of idle chatter and the noise of rustling clothes, the doors to the locker room slam open. Five pairs of eyes shoot towards the entrance, wide in shock and mortification.

"Hime!?"

"What are you doing in the boy's locker room?!" Emphasis on 'boys.'

"Have you heard of privacy?!"

"Heh, nonsense! We're family!"

"What if we were naked?!"

"But you're not."

"Ne, Ri-chin is pretty brave."

"Oi! Don't go praising her!"

"Is there any decency with these people...?"

Akashi merely blinks, his arms half raised in middle of putting on his shirt. He blinks slowly, watching the girl with blank eyes as she teases Aomine who is only clad in his boxers.

"Just hurry up. I'm treating you all to ice cream after this!" Shirogane beams, rocking back and forth on her heels. Upon hearing this, Aomine and Murasakibara immediately hasten their movements.

Despite being in the same room with four half-naked boys, Shirogane felt at ease. The colorful basketball players were already growing on her and she didn't mind one bit. Although half of them wouldn't dare admit it aloud, their eccentric captain was growing on them as well.

* * *

"What flavors do you guys want?"

"Red bean."

"I'll take green tea."

"Orange for me!"

"... Shrimp flavored, Ri-chin."

"Eh? Is that even a flavor...?"

"Mhm."

"Are you sure you want to pay for all of this, Riyeko-hime?"

"Hai, hai, it's totally fine. Besides, you guys deser- Oi! Only pick one, Atsushi!"

"But, Ri-chin...!"

_sigh_

"I'm probably going to go broke after this, aren't I, Seijurō?"

"Most likely."

* * *

"Sanada-sensei, where is Riyeko?" Aomine asks the coach, spinning a basketball on his fingertip absentmindedly. The other turn to face him as well, all curiously awaiting an answer.

"She's attending the second-string's match. She will not be joining us in practice for today. However, I still expect the best from you all."

"Ah... of course." the tanned player scratches his head nervously as the man peers threateningly down at him through his spectacles. Without the white-haired girl's normal chipper attitude, the gym seemed much more somber than usual. The first years twitched, unused to the eerie quietness without their captain playing alongside.

_Hurry and come back soon, Riyeko!_

* * *

"How was the game yesterday, Ri-chin?" Murasakibara asks through a mouthful of mashed food. Shirogane smiles wearily.

"Not too bad. I only had to play in the last quarter for a bit. But I'm so tired!" As if to prove her point, the pale girl dramatically collapses on her desk. Her white curls fanned around her on the desk as her arms lay outstretched in front of her. "How was practice, Atsushi?"

The purple haired giant shudders uncharacteristically. "Without Ri-chin, Coach was super strict. We had to run a lot and I couldn't eat my snacks..." he whines. Shirogane giggles briefly.

"I'll make sure to not leave you guys alone too much, then."

Murasakibara nods approvingly, stroking the girl's white hair with child-like amusement.

"You better keep your promise, Ri-chin."

* * *

Teikō holds another tryout session for those who could be promoted or demoted amongst the strings.

Kuroko Tetsuya fails to move up.

* * *

"It appears that we are in Group 6 with Aichi and Nagano Junior High." Midorima reads aloud. He stares up at the giant bulletin board with a graph printed on it. The twenty-four teams who got into the Nationals are posted up on the paper in large font. They're split into eight groups, each with three.

"Ugh... We're going to have to play two games in one day..." Aomine yawns, arms stretching high into the air. "I'm already tired just thinkin' about it."

"I hope they'll actually be good teams here." Murasakibara munches loudly. He digs his hand into a plastic bag of snacks.

"Kon'nichiwa, sensei." Akashi bows towards the incoming coach. The other members mirror his movement.

"Kon'nichiwa, minna. Have you all changed?" Sanada questions, scanning the players.

"Ano... Where's hime?" Daiki asks, scratching his head. "We haven't seen her at all!"

The man raises a brow. "Shirogane? Ah, she won't be able to make it today. She has already informed me of so." he explains briefly.

"Eh? Not here...?" Daiki repeats in bewilderment. Their captain wouldn't miss a game, it wasn't like her. Especially one as important as the Nationals.

"She had an emergency to take care of. Do not worry about her, she wishes you all luck. Now, let's go. Don't disappoint even when your captain is not here." Sanada motions for them to follow him. The first-string and the reserve players trail after their coach. The first years are especially troubled by Shirogane's disappearance.

* * *

The buzzer goes off. Signalling the end of their second game.

"41-32! Teikō Junior High!"

"Thank you for the game!" They bow respectfully. The players clad in light blue and white drag themselves off the court amidst the crowd cheering.

Despite winning the game, they aren't as joyful as they thought they would have been. The four first years enter the locker room with solemn expressions, an eerie silence filling the room.

"It feels weird." Aomine comments out of the blue while pulling off his shorts. He has an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression across his face.

"Oh?" Akashi asks flatly, untying his shoes on a bench.

"It's coz Ri-chin isn't here..." Murasakibara whines. He rifles through his sports bag for his stash of food stored inside.

"I feel like she is going to burst in here any second now just to fool us." Midorima adds warily, eyes flickering towards the door. Their slightly mental captain had made it a tradition to barge into the boys locker rooms after every game, regardless if they were decent or not. She wasn't the type of girl to care.

"It's not the same, eh..." the blue-haired player sighs wistfully, picking at his jersey absentmindedly. He already misses the white-haired girl's bright chatter and soothing smiles.

"Let's just go." Akashi orders. He slings his bag over his shoulder before promptly exiting the locker room, letting the door bang shut behind him.

"... He feels the same as well."

"Hai."

* * *

"Ohayō, minna!" a feminine voice calls out. Five variously colored heads whip towards the voice, immediately identifying the familiar tune.

"Hime!"

The Teikō players charge towards their captain. Although some would rather die than admit it, they're all eager to greet the pale girl.

The white-haired girl smiles and waves at her teammates. Laughing brightly as Aomine tackles her into an enthusiastic hug, sweeping her off her feet.

"Daiki!" she squeals, struggling to maintain her grasp on the bag in her hands.

"We missed you!" he shouts with a wide grin breaking across his tanned face.

"Tch, speak for yourself." a green-haired boy clicks disapprovingly. He pushes up his glasses only to have two thin arms wrap around his waist, trapping his movements. Midorima stiffens at the unfamiliar warmth flooding his system.

"Ah... I missed you, too, Shintarō!" Shirogane cries into the player's stomach. Although she can't see it, the boy blushes a delicate shade of pink before coughing and pulling her off of him. Aomine chokes on his mirth.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he mutters, gaze averted. Shirogane smiles cutely before turning to the next player.

"Seijurō! I hope they weren't too much of a pain to take care of!" she stifles a giggle.

"Hey!"

Shirogane engulfs the redhead in a hug as well. Standing on her tip toes, she is able to wrap her arms around the short boy's neck. A tiny smile betrays him as he gently pats his captain on the back.

"Glad you're back." he whispers so only she can hear. Her lips tug upwards as she squeezes him tighter.

"Ri-chin, Ri-chin! What about me? Did you bring me food?" Murasakibara yanks the white-haired girl off of Akashi, bringing her closer to him.

"Ahaha, hai, I did." She motions towards her bag. "I'll give them to you later, okay?" The giant nods his head obediently, carefully placing her back down on the ground.

"Stop making such a ruckus." a sharp voice cuts through their bubble, bringing them back to reality. "Go warm up. Shirogane, you'll be benched for the first game." Sanada shoots her a pointed look. The white-haired girl bows her head, disappointment floods her mind. _Although, I can't say I didn't expect this. I'm not fit to play yet._

Per coach's request, Akashi leads the captain back to their bench and takes a seat next to her. He stares impassively as she closes her eyes with an inaudible sigh.

Now that all the excitement had died down, the redhead could see the weariness etched upon the girl's face. She had dark circles under eyes and her pale skin was even paler, if possible.

"Are you alright?" he asks bluntly, boring holes in the girl's cheek. She twitches slightly before sitting up. Her pale irises flutter open and watch her teammates warm up on the court, the nostalgic sound of basketballs hitting the ground fill her ears.

"Just a slight cold. No need to worry, Seijurō." she grins reassuringly, although this one more forced than the others.

Akashi raises a brow. Shirogane expertly ignores his dubious glance and continues to observe the others practice. The redhead doesn't believe her words at all. If it was "just a cold" as she had put it, she wouldn't have skipped out on the match yesterday. The girl he knew was stronger than that. She wouldn't have missed their game for something as trivial as that.

_What are you hiding, Riyeko-hime?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! Sorry about the late update, but things are going to be slower from here on now. I don't know if I'll be able to upload once a day anymore. Gomensai! *bows***

**iiAnimeLover: **_Yush! ... I have no idea how to reply to your comments... *sweatdrops* Thanks for your support, though~!_

**Generation of Writers:** _Very true, haha~ Shweet! Do you change it that often?! Wah...!_

**Spoiler: duo blue hair action**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"I've been thinking, Seijurō... about change..." Shirogane murmurs airily to the redhead.

"Change?" he questions lightly. He smiles cordially towards a few passing girls, causing them to giggle and blush darkly. The white-haired girl pays no attention.

"Hai... Even though we easily made it past the preliminaries, things are slowing down. Our current strategy is too straightforward. The other teams are catching on too quickly to our plays."

"I have thought about that as well." Akashi voices. "What do you think we should do, Riyeko-hime?"

"I think we should look for a sixth member." she states bluntly, glancing up at the red-haired boy beside her. His crimson eyes widen slightly in surprise as he returns her gaze.

"Another player?" he echoes slowly, processing the information in his head.

"Someone who can conveniently change the flow of the game whenever we want. I wish for that kind of player!"

Akashi watches as her otherworldly white orbs light up in excitement. He ponders the prospect of adding another member to the team. It is a pretty solid idea. Even he had begun feel the stagnant plays during the tournament. the redhead makes a mental note to inform the other players to watch out for potential talent.

_If it's what hime wants, we have no other obligation but to obey._

* * *

"Have you seen Daiki around lately?" Shirogane asks Midorima. The green-haired boy shakes his head before making in another three-pointer. The ball soars high, almost touching the ceiling before aiming straight into the basket. "Eleven seconds. Not bad." She glances at the stopwatch. "Put more underspin on the ball. It'll float more and increase the ball's time in the air."

"You should ask Akashi or Momoi, they're usually the ones babysitting the airhead." he replies, bouncing another basketball before crouching down in a shooting position.

"After practice, let's go look for him." she says. "I'll get the others, too." Midorima frowns but complies to his captain's wishes.

* * *

"Knowing him, he's probably in one of the more secluded courts." Akashi hypothesizes. Shirogane had managed to gather Akashi, Midorima, and Murasakibara to come with her on an expedition to find the MIA blue-haired player. They stop to listen to the faint noise of squeaking basketball shoes and a familiar voice. Rounding a corner, they find the door to one of the single gyms open with light spilling into the hallway.

"He's probably practicing by himself. Let's go." Midorima turns away, his expression uninterested now that they had found where the blue-haired player had disappeared off to. Shirogane tugs on his jacket sleeve.

"Matte... I hear another voice." she whispers, straining her ears.

"Shall we check?" Akashi suggests.

"Daiki!" Shirogane waves while peeking into the gym, drawing the attention of the tanned male and his companion. "There you are. I was wondering where you've been." Shirogane steps into the bright light with the three boys mimicking her movements behind her.

"Ah... the other gyms have too many people." Aomine explains, gesturing with his hands.

"Well, I don't mind but-" her eyes flicker to the other person in the room. "Eh? You again?" She identifies the pale blue-haired boy from the third-string. According to the other coaches, he had almost no potential in basketball and was one of the weakest players on the team. Shirogane eyes him with interest.

"Nani? You know him, hime?" Aomine asks, resting a hand on his waist. "We've been practicing together lately."

"I've never seen him before." Midorima comments, adjusting his glasses. Akashi hums in agreement, staring intently at the silent boy. _Why is Daiki practicing with him?_

"It's because he's not in the first-string... So, how do you know him, hime?" Aomine repeats his question directly towards the white-haired girl.

"I've seen play before." she shrugs offhandedly. However, the gleam in her eye tells a different story. _He just could be the one...!_

"Huh, I see..." Murasakibara speaks up for the first time, pocky sticking out of his mouth. "Hey, let's go already, Ri-chin." he grumbles, munching on the chocolate covered stick.

"Chotto matte... I'm a bit curious..." Shirogane's lips tilt upwards slightly as she observes the boy in question.

Midorima shoots his captain an incredulous glance. _What are you saying, Shirogane? I highly doubt he's a good player if he's still in third-string._

"He could be the one I'm looking for...!" she blurts out gleefully. The others blink slowly. Akashi had informed them of their captain's plans but were doubtful that a player of this boy's caliber would benefit them at all. "It may be possible that he has some secret talent entirely different from ours."

The pale blue-haired boy's eyes widen upon hearing these words. _Am I finally being noticed?_

"Seijurō, I want you to discuss things with him. Consider this as training..." Her voice is heavy with implications. The vice-captain nods, understanding the hidden message and steps towards the silent boy. "The rest of us will leave you two alone." She glances pointedly at Aomine who opens his mouth to protest. He immediately snaps his jaw shut and shuffles out of the gym obediently with the others, leaving Akashi to deal with the newbie.

"Ne, ne, Daiki. What's his name?" Shirogane asks, hooking her left arm with his right one. She hooks her other arm with a reluctant Midorima who looks away at the contact. The purple-haired giant trails behind them, still eating his pocky sticks.

"Hah?! You've met him before but never asked for his name?" the blue-haired player asks incredulously. Midorima resists the urge to facepalm at his captain's absentmindedness. Even though the girl was intensely focused on court, it could be said the exact opposite when off.

"Iie! That's why I'm asking you." she replies straightforwardly with a cheeky wink.

"His name is Kuroko Tetsuya. He's a first year like us." Aomine explains, adjusting the shoulder strap to his bag.

"Sōka? Strange how I have never seen him before." Midorima frowns thoughtfully. Murasakibara nods.

"Well, he does have almost no presence..." the blue-haired boy muses.

"So how did you meet him, Daiki?" Shirogane questions innocently, turning her large white pupils towards him. He freezes, thinking back to the moment where he thought Kuroko was a ghost haunting the gym. He had been scared out of his wits, not that the others needed to now.

"Uh... I just bumped into him... when he was... uh... practicing by himself..." Aomine stutters, half lying.

"Oh..." Shirogane nods understandingly while Midorima shoots him a deadpan look at his obviously terrible lying skills.

_Obvious to most people, that is._ The green-haired player glances at his naive captain with mild exasperation. _How could such a terrifying player be so innocent?_

* * *

Akashi strides out of the gym and into the darkening landscape. Waiting on either side of the door are Shirogane and Midorima with two entirely different expressions. Shirogane can barely conceal her excitement while Midorima has a disgruntled frown on his lips.

"Wah, Seijurō, did you get him to agree?" the girl chirps, clinging to his arm. Her dark pupils are dilated- eating up almost all of the whiteness in her irises- as they stare up into his emotionless red orbs, flickering with a hint of triumph.

"Please don't pretend like you don't know, Riyeko-hime." he replies smoothly, tugging on a strand of white hair that had fallen onto his shoulder. Shirogane pouts cutely with a hint of mischievousness.

"Ne, you spoil all the fun, Seijurō."

Midorima's frown becomes more pronounced at her childish banter. She was acting as if this decision wouldn't impact them at all. As if, if she does screw this up, their spots in the team won't be in jeopardy. He lets out a low hiss of air.

"I can't really say I'm pleased with your doings. But I'll leave it to you two." The green-haired player shakes his head before pushing himself off the school wall. The trio being to walk off campus together with Shirogane situated in between the two taller males. "Shirogane, do you really think he will change?"

Said person shrugs without a care. "Heh, who knows?"

Akashi glances over Shirogane's head and at the tall shooter. "On a side note, I do think he will work better without too much distraction. You'd have the courtesy not to mention this conversation anymore."

Midorima shivers, a tingling feeling shooting down his spine. A cold sweat forms on his brow. The vice-captain frightened him sometimes. He intimidated everyone on the team. Except for one.

"Eh, Seijurō, do you think we'll get him in before Nationals is over? After all, I want this thread to form as soon as possible." the white-haired girl hums, swinging her arms freely. Her hands brush both of her teammates' as they swing back forth like a pendulum. Akashi makes an unintelligible sound, his answer neither positive nor negative.

"It all depends on his drive."

* * *

"Aomine still meets up with Kuroko-kun on a nightly basis."

"Sōka?"

"Should we intervene?"

"... Iie. Perhaps Daiki will give him the drive to develop."

"It's already been a months, now. Nationals is over."

sigh "A disappointment, really. Oh well, he'll come soon enough. For now, we do nothing."

"Hai, Riyeko-hime."

* * *

The first-string and the reserve players were just beginning their warm ups.

"Look, hime! I can do the splits now!" Aomine calls boastfully from the other side of the gym. He was doing a side split with his hands resting in front of him. Suddenly, a dark shadow falls on his stretched form. The blue-haired player slowly looks up. "Eh? Wha- ITAI!"

Murasakibara crunches methodically on his chips as he sits heavily on Aomine's back. The tanned player struggles to hold up the giant's weight, his legs burning as they feel the stress of the added weight.

"Good job, Atsushi! Helping your friend stretch is a good thing!" Shirogane flashes the lazy member a thumbs up, totally ignoring the struggling blue-haired boy underneath him.

"Oi! Get... him off!" Aomine howls, finally shoving the purple-haired boy off of him. He groans as he shakily raises to his feet. He teeters a bit, almost toppling back down, wailing.

Midorima bites back a scoff.

However, Murasakibara is still on the ground from when Aomine threw him off. The giant is strangely on his hands and knees, staring at something on the ground.

"Are you alright, Daiki? Atsushi?" Seijuro asks dully with a basketball in his hands. Shirogane ambles over as well to see what the commotion is about.

"Ri-chin... my chips..." Atsushi whimpers. His chips are scattered along the wooden gym floor, half of them crushed due to the impact. He grabs the short girl into a comforting hug, tears streaming comically down his face. The others could vaguely hear his mumbling as he rocks the white-haired girl back and forth. "Starve... snacks... die..."

A pale arms pokes out from Murasakibara's muscular arms and pat this side of his face soothingly. "Oi, Atsushi. I'll buy you some more later, okay? Just go eat your other snacks or something."

The purple-haired giant nods dutifully and releases the girl before pulling out another bag from nowhere. The squeaky sound of plastic being torn open echoes quietly across the court. The reserve players stare perplexed at the sight.

Shirogane shakes her head with a sigh, white coils bouncing around. She turns to the others with her hands at her hips. "The rest of you, get back to practice!" They scurry to comply their captain's demand.

One of the upperclassmen runs over to retrieve a stray ball, only to collide head on with someone at the entrance. He rubs his head tenderly, wincing in pain. _Did I just run into the door?_

"Sumimasen, senpai." a hollow voice speaks up. The upperclassman glances up before identifying a pale blue-haired boy.

"Uwah! Wh-Who?!" he shouts in alarm before scrambling backwards. _Did I run into him?! I didn't even notice him there!_ Another upperclassman enters the scene.

"We have a visitor." he announces. Everyone's head immediately snaps towards the voice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, guys, sorry for the delay. Hopefully, I can continue this story but my interest in it has been kind of diminishing... Sorry to you all who have been waiting for a new chapter for so long. I made this one longer than usual~ **

**xXChikiXx****: **_Yep~! Kuroko-kun is finally ready to make his debut! Hint, hint. Thanks for commenting on all of my chapters!_

**Monkey D. Writer:** _I know, personally, Daiki-kun is my bias, so I dunno what I would do if he died. *tears* I haven't seen/read Hetalia... But I've heard lots about it, should I read/watch it?_

**Guest-chan:** _You're wish is my command! Here's a new chapter, just for you, my lovely reader! _

**Mimi:** _I apologize for the delay. Experiencing one of the worst writer's block in the history of writer's blocks... It's terrible...  
_

**i love athrun: **_And... updated! Hope you like it! Btw, who's 'athrun'?__  
_

**Starbright's path:** _Haha, I'm glad you're excited! I am, too! It's just your luck coz this chapter is all about Kuroko-kun!_

**XYZ27: **_Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!_

**Shinome Akira:** _Coming right up!_

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"... Kon'nichiwa, Kuroko-kun." Akashi smiles faintly.

"Ne! You made me wait, Kuroko!" Shirogane bounces up next to Akashi, grinning widely at the quiet boy. "Three months is too long!" she whines, holding up three fingers.

"Did you find the answer?" Akashi asks quietly.

"Hai." Kuroko nods.

"Well what are you waiting for?" the white-haired girl beckons the boy to enter.

"Ano... I have a request, please. If possible, is it alright not to show it before there is a match?" he asks politely. Shirogane peers at him closely. Akashi shoots her a slightly worried glance, hoping she wouldn't scare the boy off for demanding a request from her. He opens his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by his captain.

"Okay, I'll listen to you request." she answers with an angelic smile. There's a collective sigh of relief from the courts. A small anger vein throbs on Shirogane's neck as her smile becomes visibly strained.

"Are you sure you don't want to see it now, Riyeko-hime?" Akashi inquires after Kuroko leaves, concerned.

"He did make you wait for quite a long time, which is very rude." Midorima adds, walking up to the pair. Shirogane assures them with a satisfied nod.

"I'll be expecting something exceptional from him, then." she concludes.

"It'll be pretty pathetic if it isn't." Murasakibara comments lazily.

"Hey! Believe in Tetsu. He's been working hard to make it!" Aomine protests, defending his friend.

"See? Then there's no worry at all!" Shirogane reasons before bending down to pick up a ball. "Now, let's get back to practice."

* * *

"Hey, isn't the first-strong coach?"

"Yeah, and the captain and vice-captain are here, too."

"What are they doing here...?"

"Today is the combination training day for the second- and third-string players." Kobayashi explains to the gathered player. "This test will be a game between the two strings, five versus five. Show us what you can do."

"First, win. Also, the coach and captain will assess your playing. These are the passing conditions." the third-string coach, Tanaka, adds. "This is the last chance for everyone."

"Good luck."

The designated players shuffle onto the court, ready to start the game. Shirogane drags Akashi to one of the benches offering them a full view of the players.

"Are you excited, Seijurō? Kuroko is finally going to show us what he's been working on these past few months!" the white-haired girl bounces enthusiastically in her seat, clapping her hands together lightly. A few of the watching upperclassmen blush at the innocent sight.

"Very." he replies emotionlessly, contradicting his words. Shirogane pays no mind and continues to beam gleefully.

"Let's start the match between the second- and third-strings!" Kobayashi throws the ball high into the air for the tip off, igniting the match.

Not even ten seconds into the game, a basket is made by the third-string players.

"He made it!"

"What the hell just happened?!"

"The pass suddenly curved!"

"No... someone changed it course with a tap. Eh... that guy with no presence."

The gym clamors with confusion and shock. No one had ever expected this from the lowest string members.

Akashi shifts his gaze downwards, feeling pressure on his left hand. He notes Shirogane's fingers around his, clenching tightly. Her face is filled with excitement, eyes bright with adrenaline.

"Heh! Looks like we're in for a shocker, eh?" She turns to face the redhead, a smile threatening to engulf her entire face. "Kuroko just disappears out of sight. Good use of his low presence, indeed." Akashi nods, red eyes blank.

The game continues with the third-stringers evenly matched, something that has never happened before.

"Misdirection." Akashi abruptly realizes, voicing his thought aloud. Shirogane giggles with a bob of her head, causing her white curls to bounce. "It's a technique that people use when performing magic tricks to manipulate the audience's gaze." Words spill out of his mouth one after another during the redhead's epiphanic moment.

Kobayashi and Tanaka listen in astonishment at the first-years intelligence. Shirogane merely hums in agreement, a proud grin plastered on her face.

"Did you know he would turn out like this?" Kobayashi questions mildly, arms crossed.

"Not exactly. He went in the direction we predicted... but this misdirection thing is new." the captain answers for the both of them with a nonchalant shrug. "In fact... he went beyond my expectations..."

She smirks.

The game ends, 31-25. In favor of the third-string.

* * *

"So? How did he do, hime? Huh? Did he impress ya?" Aomine demands, impatiently bouncing a basketball. He's desperately curious if Kuroko had made the first-string or not, internally cheering for his friend.

"Calm down. Having a new player is nothing to get this overworked about." Midorima says, harshly bursting Aomine's bubble.

"Oi! Tetsu's my friend! Of course it's important!" the blue-haired player argues with a scowl.

"Ne, ne. Calm down. We'll just see when Satsuki-chan gets back." Shirogane smirks.

"Hah?"

* * *

"Excuse me! Is Kuroko-kun in here?" a pink-haired girl bursts into the third-string gym. Her rose colored irises search the gym for this mysterious new player.

"Eto... That's me." the light blue-haired player steps forward with a hand raised.

"EH?! Ah... Wait, what?!" the manager quickly recomposes herself. "You'll be joining the first-string as of today." _Riyeko-chan didn't make a mistake, did she?! This guy seriously has no presence!_ "I'll guide you to the gymnasium."

"Hai.

* * *

"Excuse me, I brought Kuroko Tetsuya." Momoi announces, pushing open the door. All of the players inside stop to stare curiously at the new player.

"Hey, you finally made it, Tetsu!" Aomine shouts gleefully from the bench.

"I was waiting for you, Tetsuya!" Shirogane waves, perching precariously on Murasakibara's shoulders.

"... Tetsuya...?" the pale, blue-haired player mumbles quietly to himself as Momoi leads him over to the team.

"Eh, she calls us first years by our first names. You'll get used to it." Aomine grins broadly, playfully smacking his friend on the shoulder. The shorter boy lurches forward to face the other members.

Kuroko gulps at the intense atmosphere, widening his pale blue eyes.

"Huh? He actually came?" Murasakibara asks bluntly with a deadpan look, raising his captain off of his shoulders and onto the bench beside him.

Midorima frowns at the newcomer. _He apparently passed the special test and was approved by the coach, but I still can't believe it..._

A loud voice cuts through the stifling tension. "Yo!" Haizaki appears at the entrance, slipping off his outdoor shoes.

"You're late again, Haizaki..." the white-haired girl frowns, hands on her tiny waist. Standing on the bench, she's face to face with the second-year.

"Hai, hai, I'll be more prompt next time." he replies dismissively. Shirogane shakes her head, not believing a single word. _He always says that..._

Haizaki bumps into Kuroko as he walk past, apologizing out of reflex. He suddenly jerks to a stop. "What the- Who the fuck are you?!" he demands, finally noticing the first year's presence.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, I joined the first-string today. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kuroko greets blankly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Haizaki scowls. _A kid like you?!_

His captain sighs with a shake of her head. "If you had showed up to practice more, you would've known."

"Oi you-"

"Alright, we're starting practice. After stretches, we'll go into footwork." Shirogane swiftly cuts her senpai off in mid sentence, turning to the others. They grumble under their breath but reluctantly obey.

"Hai, hime..."

"Hime...?" Kuroko echoes, lining up with the others on one side of the court. A third year trades glances with him.

"Oh, right. You sure don't know a lot about the way things are around here. Most of us call the captain "hime" because she's known as the Princess of Basketball. She doesn't really like it, but it's funnier that way." he chuckles lightly. Kuroko nods numbly, not really getting it.

"Start!" the white-haired girl blows sharply on the whistle.

* * *

"Oi! Pick up your feet!"

"Five minute break is up! Get back to position!"

"Shoot from there, don't just pass!"

"Man, hime sure is working us hard, today."

"Hah... It's probably coz of that newbie. He's got to learn how tough it is."

"Right."

"Aomine-kun... are the first-string practices always this hard?" Kuroko pants heavily, his hands on his knees. Sweat coats his entire body, drenching his clothes immediately.

"Eh, they are?" Aomine glances over his shoulder at the shorter boy's exhausted form. "Well, I guess... There's a lot on the menu, and because there aren't as many players, so rotations are fast as well..."

"It's much harder than the third-str-" he cuts himself off by gagging. The pale boy doubles over on the gymnasium floor, heaving.

"Woah, Tetsu! Don't throw up!" Aomine spazzes. "Hey, Satsuki! Bring a bucket and a towel!"

"... Eh? AH!"

* * *

"Yosh! We'll end here for today! Good work!" Shirogane cheers, wiping the sweat off her face with the back of her hand.

"Sweet." Aomine swivels around to face his friend. "Hey, Tetsu! You're staying behind to practice today, too, right?"

"Gomen, I think I'll go home for today." Kuroko whispers hoarsely, face paler than usually. He pushes down the bile that rises in his throat.

"Ah, got it, right..." the tanned player replies hesitantly, noting the other boy's condition.

"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Momoi asks, passing by Aomine. She's carrying a bundle of used towels in her arms, ready to dispose of them.

"He'll be fine, he'll get used to it pretty soon." he replies with a sweatdrop, dribbling a ball lazily.

* * *

"Iie... He's no good." Murasakibara drawls, reaching in his locker to grab a packaged goodie. "Even though it was his first day, he was still pathetic. I kept thinking about crushing him."

"Heh, me, too. Watching him pisses me off." Haizaki agrees, pulling off his shirt.

"I wasn't really talking to Zaki-chin, you know." the purple-haired boy comments around a bar sticking out of his mouth.

"Hah?! You picking a fight, shithead?!"

"Stop it." Midorima scowls at the ruckus they're making. He tightens the tie on his uniform, adjusting it a bit. "Although, I can't help agree when it comes to Kuroko. Is he really going to be alright, Akashi?" He glances at the red head.

"Of course he will!" Shirogane butts in, poking her head out from behind a row of lockers. The boys freeze, some half dressed.

"Augh! When did you get here?!" Haizaki shouts, hurriedly tugging on his slacks to preserve his dignity.

The captain shrugs breezily before replying to Midorima's question. "I thought it might turn out like this... We'll just have to work him hard! Other than that, he'll just have to prove himself in real matches." She steps out from behind the wall of metal, tapping her chin with a finger.

"... Real matches? Are you actually letting him play?" the shooting guard asks, slightly miffed.

"Nani? You haven't told them yet, Seijurō?"

The vice-captain shakes his head apologetically. She waves him off lightly.

"This time of year, our district always has the top ten schools compete in a tournament together. It's an informal competition, but the games get more heated than a normal practice match." the white-haired girl explains matter-of-factly.

"I already know that... It's next week, isn't it?" Midorima questions.

"Hai... But Teikō has a tradition. We place limiters on ourselves to make the competition more exciting. The coach has decided that it's going to be you four and Haizaki, the newer members. And since Kuroko just arrived, he's going to play as the sixth man."

"I see..." Midorima grunts, pushing up his glasses.

"However, if we can't use him, he'll be demoted immediately."

The other members shiver at the implications.

* * *

"Wah..."

"... here they come..."

"... the strongest team..."

"... Teikō Junior High...!"

"Did someone get in contact with Haizaki yet?" Shirogane growls, leading the train of players.

"Not yet, hime..." a second-year replies before retreating back to the end of the line with the other reserve players.

"That guy..." she trails off darkly.

"There are some teams here we haven't played against yet, but they don't look very strong." Murasakibara notes, chomping noisily on a chip.

"Stop eating snacks, Murasakibara." Midorima grits his teeth.

"Still, don't let your guard down. We'll be playing without Riyeko-hime." Akashi warns.

"But you know... it doesn't look like there should be any problems even if it's just us playing!" Aomine adds. "So, don't be so tense, Tetsu!" His azure eyes flicker over to Kuroko's stiff gait.

"... Eh? Did you say something just now, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko asks, his mind wandering elsewhere.

"Like I said, relax... Get a hold of yourself! Didn't you pass the test even though you only had one shot?!"

"You could say I mentally prepared myself back then."

"The third-string had matches with other schools as well, but all I ever did was cheer on the sidelines. And now, I'm suddenly in a uniform and on the bench." _pause_ "You know... this is the first time in my life I've been in a m-match."

"Don't stutter. Matte... Seriously?!"

"Just don't drag us down..." Murasakibara joins the conversation.

"... Really." Midorima sighs.

Akashi's phone goes off, vibrating in his bag. He takes it out and peers at the lighted screen. "It's Haizaki."

"Hah?! Let me see that!" Shirogane snatches Akashi's phone from his hands and answers the call. "Oi! Where are you?!"

"'Sup. Gomen. I caught a cold..." a lazy voice drawls from the other end. She can faintly hear the noise of guns shooting and raucous music in the background. Her eye twitches slightly.

"Nani?! A cold?!"

"Seriously, I've got a fever over thirty-nine degrees... and a cough, too." He proceeds to lamely hack up a lung into the phone. Shirogane snaps the cell phone shut, ending the call abruptly. The others watch their captain nervously, noting the dark aura floating around her.

"He slept in and is faking sickness. Punish him later and don't hesitate in being hard on him."

"I understand." Akashi nods. The tension cools.

* * *

"Haizaki is absent. Therefore, we will have to change the starting members." Sanada says, towering over the seated players. He beings to read from a clipboard. "The starting members will be: Akashi, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara, and in place of Haizaki, Kuroko. That's all."

Kuroko stiffens, glued to his seat in shock as the others get to their feet.

"Get out there!" Shirogane grins, gently pushing him forward. His legs automatically begin to move on their own while his mind is still blank.

"Teikō's match is starting. Their opponent, Nambara, hasn't been able to take the Championships these past few years, but they're a strong school that always ranks high in the preliminaries."

"Hey... is it just me or does Teikō only have four starting members on the line?"

"Chotto matte... There's one more person... The hell?! He's go no presence!"

"Eh...? Wah! That guy?! A starting member!?"

"Let's have a good match!" They bow.

Aomine glances at Kuroko, who's shaking uncontrollably. _Tetsu, relax... It's no good! He's shaking like a newborn lamb or something!_

Shirogane facepalms. N_ewbies... They're always something..._ She peeks at Sanada's face through her fingers, noting his unimpressed expression. _C'mon, Kuroko! Get your act together... or else you'll be demoted!_

The referee throws up the ball with Murasakibara taking the tip off easily.

"It's begun! Teikō starts with the ball!"

Akashi grasps the ball and begins to dribble it with the grace of a well-seasoned player. "Calm down, Kuroko-kun. Start of slow at first."

The strange sound of a body hitting the ground interrupts the redhead. Akashi turns to check up on Kuroko, only to find him sprawled on the ground, face down. Everyone on the court sweatdrops, even the opposing team.

"Gomensai, I tripped." He slowly picks himself up off the ground. "I'm alright." As if to contradict his words, blood begins to drip from his nose.

"No... You're really not!"

"Eh... Ah."

"Referee, stop!"

"I can't believe him! Rather than dragging us down, I feel like he's dragged my pants right off." Murasakibara growls, an anger vein pulsing on the back of his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Midorima mutters.

"He was subbed out in a second..." Aomine trails off with a dumbfounded expression. "How do you do that?!"

"Well... this is kind of unexpected..." Akashi admits.

Sanada sighs in disappointment. "We've got no choice. I'm counting on you, Shirogane."

"Hai." The white-haired girl tugs off her outer jacket, revealing a Teikō jersey with the number four on it.

"Teikō member substitution." the referee announces.

"Sugoi... It's her... Teikō's captain, Shirogane Riyeko!"

"Hah? What's so good about a girl?"

"Baka! Don't you know? People say she's the strongest power forward player in Junior High right now!"

"Sōka?!"

"She's world famous!"

"Ne, ne, minna. I thought I wouldn't have to play today... Oh well, let's win." She bumps fists with Aomine before setting up.

Akashi throws the ball in, passing it to Shirogane. She easily cuts through the other team's defenses, showing off some flashy moves to confuse her marker before quickly tipping the ball in.

"So fast! Defense could barely move!"

"Have you forgotten the restriction?! You can't play all out, today!" Sanada scolds as she jogs past. The white-haired girl smiles guiltily before saluting the coach.

"Eheheh... Whoops!" she giggles. Akashi shoots her an amused smirk.

* * *

"Has your nosebleed stopped?" Sanada asks, turning to the light blue-haired player seated beside him.

"Hai."

Sanada motions towards the referee who pauses the game. "Teikō member substitution."

Shirogane skips off the court, brushing past Kuroko on the way. "Good luck, Tetsuya! Don't let me down, okay?" The boy can only nod numbly, too nervous to reply to her cryptic message.

Kuroko proceeds to pass the ball out of bounds instead of to Murasakibara, costing Teikō the ball.

"Hey, you... What was that? Are you messing around?" the purple-haired giant grips Kuroko's head with a large hand.

"I'm not messing around." he replies unflinchingly.

"I'll crush you."

"Please don't crush me."

"Stop it, Murasakibara." Midorima orders. Aomine shoots the invisible player a worried look. _Pull it together, Tetsu!_

"Calm down and observe your surroundings." Akashi advises Kuroko solemnly. _It'll be bad if things keep going on like this._


	11. Chapter 11

**Another chapter! **

**i love athrun: **_Arigatō! Oh, I see. Is it a good anime? I've never seen it.__  
_

**imafangirlforever: **_Yosh! __Thank you so much! You're too kind, honestly. And, hopefully, I'll be able to finish this story._

**Monkey D. Writer: **_Haha! I think that's one of the funniest comments I've read so far! I was originally going to make this a DaikixOC story, but now, I'm not so sure; there's too many guys in this anime (ahem, not that I'm complaining or anything...) I think I'll have to add Hetalia to my never ending list of anime then... __  
_

**Happy readings~**

* * *

The referee ends the game with a blast of his whistle. Score: 81-50, Teikō. The players leave the court to eat lunch outside. The regular members sit together in the shade of a leafy tree.

"Eh? Where's mine?" Aomine questions as Shirogane dishes out her usual bento boxes. Even Kuroko has one of his own- light blue with unicorns prancing across.

"Ah, Satsuki-chan told me to give this to you!" the captain beams, handing the tanned player a pink bento box. "She told me she made it herself. How nice of her!"

Upon hearing these words, Aomine stiffens. His expression comically drops. _What is she thinking?! Satsuki can't cook for her life!_

"Shirogane... " Sanada beckons her over. Shirogane places her things next to Midorima before running after the coach.

"Enjoy your lunches, minna!" she waves to the members before disappearing from sight. Aomine groans.

He cautiously pops open the bento, revealing an unidentifiable glob of blackened mush inside. The stench is repulsive, causing Aomine to jerk away in disgust.

"Mine-chin, what's that?" Murasakibara asks through a mouthful of food.

Aomine facepalms, heavy depression waves weighing his head down. "My bento... made by Satsuki..." he moans in despair.

"Huh, that's cool." the purple-haired boy replies, stabbing his tempura with his chopsticks in an unsightly manner.

"You want it?" the blue-haired player offers hopefully.

"It's gross, so no thanks."

"I'm going to head over to the convenience store." Aomine announces after dumping his lunch in the nearest trash can.

"Don't take too long." Midorima remarks, eating from the bento Shirogane made for him. The food inside is aesthetically pleasing with a delicious smell mouth watering from it. The tanned boy eyes it longingly before continuing.

"Cheer up, Tetsu. There's still one more match!" he ruffles the smaller boy's hair affectionately. "You can show them next time."

"Aomine-kun... You're right... I'll do my best."

Aomine heads towards the convenience store, stomach protesting with hunger. Rounding the corner, he spots a familiar white-haired captain discussing something with the coach. _Eh? What're they talking about?_ He creeps closer, straining to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"There won't be another chance. I saw all I needed to see in the last match. As I thought, he's no good. Demote him immediately." Sanada instructs, his expression hard.

"Nani...?" Aomine's eyes widen. "Oi... Chotto matte!" He springs forward, interrupting their conversation. "We've got the afternoon match left! One more match... Could you observe him for just one more match?!"

"Daiki...?" Shirogane gasps at his sudden appearance.

* * *

"Huh?" Murasakibara notices something lying on the ground. He picks it up with a brow raised. "Isn't this Mine-chin's wallet?"

"What'd he even go to do anyway?" Midorima deadpans.

"Eto... Shall I bring it to him?" Kuroko stands up.

"Hm? Okay, I'll leave it to you." the giant lazily tosses Kuroko the wallet.

"Ah...!" Kuroko fumbles with it a bit before finally catching it. "Please don't throw it at me suddenly."

"Eh? But isn't it your fault for being so slow?"

Kuroko traces Aomine's steps and arrives at an unexpected scene.

"Iie. There's no value in observing him any longer. I'm demoting him." Sanada affirms. Kuroko's heart stops, his breath catches in his throat.

"But that's-!" Aomine protests. Neither of them notice the pale blue-haired boy's presence.

"This conversation is over. Be sure to rest yourself properly for the second match." The coach turns to leave.

"Coach! Then... do the same to me! If it doesn't work out in the next match either, let me be demoted, too! So. please try using him a second time!" the tanned player shouts.

"Daiki..." Shirogane strides towards Aomine. Her sympathetic expression immediately changes. "Are you stupid? How does that even work?!" She pulls on his cheeks harshly, stretching out his face. "It doesn't benefit the team if you leave, too. If you want to strike a bargain, you should threaten to leave instead."

"Itai!"

"... Do you have any reason for this confidence in him?" Sanada asks, back still faced towards the two.

"Not really..." he admits.

"Eh?" Shirogane sweatdrops.

"However, there will be a day when that guy will come and save us. I don't really know why, but that's the feeling I have!"

"... Fine. I'll at least take another look at him in the afternoon. However, I'll be holding you to your promise. If he should fail, I'll have you demoted with him." Sanada warns before leaving. Shirogane follows closely behind, staring at the coach's back. She sighs. _And then you'll promote him right back. You can't afford to lose a player like Daiki. Can you, Sanada-sensei? Not with my condition getting worse..._

"Ah, crap, it's already this late?" He glances up at the clock mounted on the building. "If I don't hurry, I'll be out of time to eat!" Aomine reaches a hand into his pocket, only to find it empty, devoid of any money. "Huh?! My wallet is gone! Shit... Did I drop it? Or did I leave it behind?" He begins to panic.

"Here."

"Whoa! Thanks for bringing it ov- Wah! Tetsu?! You scared me!"

"..."

"Tetsu?"

"... Aomine-kun. Why did you have to say something like that?"

"...! You overheard?" He averts his gaze in slight embarrassment. "Well, it just isn't fair, ya know? If a guy like Tetsu can't seize his chance, then no one should. I'm sure opportunities present themselves to everyone- hardworking guys, guys who don't do anything at all, and whatever. But, in the end, I think the ones who should be able to seize those opportunities are the hardworking guys."

"Even so, I can't let Aomine-kun be demoted, too."

"What're you saying? All ya gotta do is prove yourself in the next match, right? It's really simple! Ya still got a chance! You have the strength to grasp it, you can do it!" He holds out a fist with a reassuring smile.

Kuroko swallows back the overwhelming emotions and holds out his fist to bump with Aomine's. "Hai!"

* * *

"Huh? Come to think of it, where's hime gone?" Aomine inquires. The second match is just about to begin and all of the Teiko regulars are on the bench preparing.

"Oh, she should be back soon." a second year says.

"Eh?"

"Hey! I've brought him!" Shirogane shuffles over to her teammates. A third year trailing behind her drags something heavy along. The tall boy holds the thing up, presenting it to the others. "Go on, say hello!"

"Yo..." Haizaki greets weakly.

"Haiza- What happened to you face?!"

The second year's face is bruised and scratched almost beyond recognition. His eyes are swollen and his lip is cut. A constant stream of blood trickles from his nose. Everyone turns to look at the burly third year supporting him.

"Wasn't me! It was all hime's doing. You should've seen it! It was scary!" the tall boy blubbers, wide eyed.

"Someone from the second string found him playing at a game center. It was close by so I went out to meet him. He looked perfectly healthy so I brought him back!" The girl smiles angelically, threading an arm through Haizaki's as if they are the best of friends.

Everyone shudders. _But he looks like he's on the verge of death now..._

"Ah... I brought his uniform."

"Arigato, senpai. Go get him dressed."

"Hai." _shuffle, shuffle_

"The starting members will be: Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara, Haizaki, and Aomine. Get out there!" He turns to address the light blue-haired first year. "And Kuroko... I'll have you play in the second half, understood?"

"Hai." Kuroko adopts a look of pure determination.

The five players jog onto the court and start their game with Haranishi. Their play is slow and weary, missing shots when they could've easily gotten them in.

"In the end, it comes down to stamina. Now that it's the second match, their play is deteriorating." Shirogane sighs. "But what's wrong with Haizaki? He's sluggish even though it's his first match."

"Eh... Isn't that because hime punished him?"

"..."

The first half ends with Teikō two points behind Haranishi. The five of them slump off the courts, sweating profusely. Their muscles scream in protest and they fight to move their legs and arms properly.

"Hey, minna, step it up! If we lose, you know the consequences, ne?" the captain warns. The players shiver in fear.

"In the second half, Kuroko will take Haizaki's place. Apart from that, I don't have any other special instructions. I'll leave it to your discretion." Sanada amends.

"I'm glad you're ready to go, Kuroko-kun. But you'll fail if you do the same thing as you did in the first match..." Akashi's voice fades away as he and Kuroko move onto the court. Shirogane grins satisfactorily, leaning back on the bench with her arms crossed over her chest.

"He's coming along nicely, isn't he?" she remarks.

Sanada shoots her a sidelong glance. "Akashi? Hm... I guess."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he's ready when it's time."

After Kuroko is subbed in, the game immediately picks up. Teikō immediately begins to make baskets, stocking up points much more easily. With this new addition, Teikō wraps up the game nicely with another win.

The other teams can only wonder about the phantom sixth player and his awesome power.

* * *

"The captain is kind of late today, isn't she?" one of the reserve players observes. He casually passes the ball to his friend who half-heartedly dunks it in.

"Mm... Wonder why?"

Just as these words leave his mouth, the door slams open with a cheery white-haired girl skipping in. Her lips stretch into a broad grin, eyes forming crescents.

"Good news!" she beams, waving her arms crazily over her head. "It looks like you've made it, Tetsuya! Congratulations!"

"Eh? Me...?" Kuroko echoes, pointing to himself tentatively as if there was another Tetsuya in the room.

"Nice!" Aomine laughs raucously, slapping his friend harshly on the back. The shorter boy tips forward under the force, catching himself with a stumble.

"Welcome to the team." Akashi smiles pleasantly. Kuroko nods his head, still unable to wrap his head around the fact that he had made it into the first-string.

"I knew you could do it, Testuya!" Shirogane grabs the pale boy's hands and spins him in a circle.

"Uh... hime..." Aomine holds out a hand worriedly. Kuroko's eyes had begun to swirl from the rapid pace they were spinning in. Shirogane releases his hands, letting the poor boy crash into Aomine.

"But... why?" Kuroko manages to get out once regaining his balance. "I played terribly in the first quarter."

"You were able to show your skills later, and as a result, even the coach had nothing to say!" the captain explains, clasping her hands together. "Except, you won't be a regular just yet. You'll probably spend most of your time on the bench. But you're making progress, which is great!"

He blinks, still not able to comprehend the situation. It was all too good to be true. _I was pretty sure I had screwed the whole thing up... right? _

"Hn, what a surprise." Midorima mutters, staring intensely at the new player. Murasakibara remains impassive, consuming his never ending supply of snacks.

"Look at the time! We have to start practice!" Shirogane gasps, glancing at the clock hanging on the lefthand wall. "We're going to work on the three-man weave, today!"

The players group into teams of three, the first years migrating towards one another. Kuroko is thrown back into the familiarity of the technique, recalling the time when he had first met the captain.

"Oi, Tetsuya! You'll be with Shintarō and Atsushi for now." the white-haired girl instructs briskly. The other two boys are less than pleased at the arrangement. Midorima adjusts his glasses with a frown, but nonetheless followers his captain's orders.

Akashi and Shirogane stand side by side, watching Kuroko's progress with an extra attentive eye. Kuroko goes for a layup, one of the most basic skills in basketball, and misses it. The orange orb bounces off the rim and out of bounds.

"Just because you made it in doesn't mean it's alright to play poorly." Akashi deadpans. Midorima and Murasakibara sweatdrop with similar dumbfounded expressions.

The purple-haired giant grips the smallest boy of the three tightly with one hand. An anger vein makes its appearance. "Kuro-chin, are you taking this seriously?" he demands lowly, increasing his pressure on the boy's head.

"That hurts."

"We can't finish practicing the three-man weave because of you...!" Midorima accuses with a flash of irritation in his green eyes. The other players make snide comments as well, grumbling about the newcomer.

"Despite what people say, he's starting to be able to keep up with practices." Shirogane notes.

"Hai... Although, he still just barely makes the bare minimum." Akashi replies critically.

* * *

"The school year is almost over." Midorima comments, admiring the blossoming sakura trees that line the schoolyard.

"I know, time sure does fly by quickly!" Shirogane sighs nostalgically. "I hope next year won't be too different."

"Oh?" Akashi hums.

"This year was pretty fun, wasn't it? It wasn't too busy either. Maybe things will continue smoothly in the future."

"We can only leave it up to fate to decide."

"..."

_deadpan _"Really, Shintarō?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Aaaaaand here's another one for you all~**

**imafangirlforever: **_*evil grin* Good... Good... Mwahahaha~ I don't know, we'll see lol no spoilers, but this chapter kind of reveals it... I was reading other KnB fan fictions and most of them seem to have a sick OC... ;-; There goes my unique spiel on the anime/manga... *sigh* Oh, well. Do you really? I'm glad~ and a bit guilty, I tend to favor him... Eheheh... _

**invisible-gurl: **_Yes, yes, yes! I can't wait to write it either, it's going to be interesting for sure~_

**BlazeMary:**_ Arigatō! _

**Monkey D. Writer:** _I know! I think I shed a few tears during those chapters/episodes... He is, though... *discreetly wipes up drool* Have you seen Aomine cosplayers? There are some that are damn fine, if I must say so lol Well, that's good, I like reverse harems, too~ Really? I do my fan fictions based off the manga coz reading is faster than watching for me. And I've been procrastinating like a boss on my summer homework, so meh... teehee_

**Spoiler: mushy, gushy scene up ahead!**

**Happy readings~**

* * *

"Ohyaō, minna! I missed you all so much!" Shirogane squeals loudly, waving at the first... no, second year players.

"Riyeko-hime, you just saw us the day before yesterday on the courts." Kuroko points out. Under the insistence of his captain, the pale boy had gotten used to calling the girl by her first name. However, much to the Shirogane's disappointment, he, like the others, had also gained the habit of tacking "-hime" at the end.

"Ahaha, unnecessary details...!" she waves it off with a laugh. "Can you believe it?! We're in our second year of junior high already!"

"How are you so cheery on the first day of school?" Aomine yawns, stretching while doing so. He blinks blearily, struggling to keep his eyes open. Momoi had woken him up at an ungodly hour, proclaiming something about making this a better year. _Damn her..._

"How are you not?" the white-haired girl counters, crossing her arms. "Are you all ready for the try outs?"

"How can we not be? After all those times you dragged us out to play basketball..." Midorima scowls. Just before school ended, the six of them had traded phone numbers to keep in contact during the break, something Midorima instantly regretted doing so. Their captain constantly nagged them to play street ball to keep in shape for the season, seeing as they would all return to the team.

"Ne, ne! I have something to show to you guys!" she searches through her bag before producing a wad of paper. Smoothing it out with her hands, Shirogane sums up the article she had cut out of the newspaper. "After last year's championships at Nationals, _Basketball Monthly_ has given us a title, if you can believe it."

"Eh? What is it Ri-chin?" Murasakibara thrusts his head forward, trying to read the small print from over the girl's shoulder. "The Generation of Miracles?"

"Sōka?" Aomine asks with a raised brow. "That's awesome! We sound so badass!"

"I think it sounds lame." Midorima cuts in sharply. "What a frivolous title."

"Ne, it says that Teikō has acquired a group of five basketball geniuses with Shirogane Riyeko, the Basketball Princess, as captain. And-" the giant narrates. Shirogane quickly crumples up the paper and thrusts it into her bag with a bright red face.

"Y-You weren't supposed to read that part..." she mumbles, ducking her head.

Aomine chuckles. "You're still off about that? Everyone calls you hime, ya think you would be immune to it by now."

"That was all because of you!" she wails pitifully, punching the tanned boy in the arm. Aomine continues to laugh, undeterred by the girl's weak retaliation. Shirogane suddenly freezes, a sudden revelation occurring in her mind. "Then, I hope you don't mind your new nickname... Ahomine!"

"HAH!? What did you call me?!"

"Ahomine!"

"Gah! ... Hime!"

The others snicker at his new nickname, finding it ironically fitting with the boy's personality. It was simply brilliant.

"Let's get to class, the bell is about to ring." Akashi instructs flatly, breaking up their mini reunion. They split off in search of their classrooms after trading a few farewells.

"Heh, I'm in your class this year, Shintarō!" the white-haired girl giggles, bouncing beside the green-haired boy.

"Joy."

"Ne! So cold! What a tsundere...!"

"... Urusai."

* * *

"Have you noticed the attention we've been getting all day?" Shirogane mumbles uneasily. She gracefully slips into the seat next to the green-haired shooting guard and places her bag underneath her chair.

"Hai, it is a bit strange." he replies, peering at the other students through his frames. On his desk lies a hammer, no doubt his lucky item of the day. Shirogane is surprised that the teachers even let him bring one into school but decides not to comment on it.

"What do you suppose we did that would attract so much attention?" she whispers. Midorima shrugs noncommittally. The girl pouts at his indescript answer.

The two basketball players had to suffer through the stares and gossip that flew around them the entire morning. Even outside of the classroom, it didn't stop. The pair of them walking down to the cafeteria drew unnecessary attention. Eyes followed their every move as if they were famous celebrities visiting.

"Is it just me or are we super popular?" Aomine wonders, dropping his bag down onto the cafeteria table without a care. "I mean, people've been staring at me the whole damn day."

"That's what I said!" Shirogane exclaims, repeatedly poking her classmate in the arm. Midorima frowns and brushes off the offending appendage.

"It is quite unusual." Akashi notes blandly.

"Maybe they saw the article we were mentioned in." Kuroko suggests, popping out of nowhere to join in.

Aomine flinches. "Gah! When did you get here?!" The shorter boy wordlessly stares at him with emotionless pale blue eyes.

Shirogane nods. "Tetsuya's right. It'll probably die down soon enough anyways. It's probably just be a brief obsession."

The Generation of Miracles, however, did not know how wrong they were.

* * *

_Swish. Thud._

"Nice one!"

"Five minute break! Hydrate yourselves!" Shirogane scrubs her face and neck with a towel before tossing it onto the bench. She guzzles the water thirstily from her water bottle. Looking around the court, she notices an abnormal amount of visitors watching their practice.

"Eh? When did all these people get here, hime?" Aomine blurts, staring at their audience with wide eyes.

"Strange..." Midorima comments, pushing up his glasses as he, too, peers at their fans.

"Weird how we haven't noticed them before, huh? I mean, they aren't the quietest bunch..." she trails off. It was true, the student who gathered to watch the first-string and reserve players practice conversed with each other rather loudly, filling up the gymnasium with a pandemonium of voices.

Aomine winces. "The coach sure doesn't look too happy about that." The trio swivel their heads, only to find Sanada scowling darkly at their unwanted audience.

"Momoi." he calls.

"Hai!" the pink-haired girl steps forward.

"Please show the students out, they're distracting our players from practice." he commands. Momoi nods compliantly, disappearing out of the double doors. The other members watch with amusement as their manager ushers, with much difficulty, all of the attendees out of the gym.

A sort of eerie silence fills in its place.

"Well, that fixed it for now." Shirogane sighs.

"Hn."

"Aw, c'mon! I actually liked the attention!" Aomine complains, throwing up his hands. "At least we're getting some sort of recognition."

"Mm." the captain hums in agreement.

* * *

"Ne, where's Ri-chin?" Murosakibara questions the others while sitting on the bench in the boy's locker room.

"I dunno." Aomine shrugs his shoulders before pulling on a t-shirt. "Strange, though. She's been missing more practices lately." The red-haired vice-captain frowns to himself thoughtfully while bending over to lace his shoes.

The players slowly drift out of the changing room and onto the court. Sanada beckons them over.

"We'll be scrimmaging for today." he explains tightly. The players notice his strained expression, more stern than usual.

"Is something the matter, Sanada-sensei?" Midorima asks, pulling at his bandaged fingers. The man scans the confused faces before him before sighing.

"So you don't know..." he mutters, more to himself than the others.

"Huh? Don't know what?" Aomine repeats with his eyebrows raised.

"Nothing. You'll find out soon enough." he waves them off.

"Does it have to do with Riyeko-hime?" Akashi inputs bluntly.

Sanada frowns with a slightly startled expression, confirming Akashi's thoughts. He combs a weary hand through his hair before looking away. "Don't worry about it for now. Just focus on practicing." The players reluctantly scatter to their respective spots.

"Do you know something, Akashi?" Midorima whispers discreetly, jogging next to the redhead.

"Hm... I have a suspicion, but I haven't confirmed it yet." the vice-captain replies vaguely. Midorima frowns and pushes up his glasses before letting the topic drop.

* * *

"You're going to have to tell them, you know."

"... I know. Just... not now."

_sigh_

* * *

Shirogane doesn't show up for the next three days. The other first year regulars worry constantly for their captain, missing her bubble presence in school and on the courts. Even Sanada seemed more tense than usual.

"Kuso! I forgot a lunch!" Aomine swears under his breath while taking an empty seat at their usual table. "Ah... I'm so used to hime bringing us lunch that I forgot today..." He groans theatrically and slumps back in his chair.

"Why don't you go buy one?" a calm voice speaks up from his left. Aomine peers over before jolting straight up, almost falling out of his seat.

"Tetsu! ... When did you get here?!" the tanned player demands, heart racing from the surprise.

"I've been sitting at this table before you have." Kuroko replies monotonously. Aomine blinks at him a few times, unable to comprehend the newest player.

"Ne, I hope Ri-chin comes back soon..." a deep voice enters their conversation. Murasakibara pulls out another candy bar from nowhere and tears it open. "She always brings me good snacks..."

Midorima sighs and pushes up his glasses. His bandaged fingers come into view. The green-haired players frowns and picks at the loosely ravelled strips of cloth. They were messily wrapped around each of his fingers and had begun to fall apart despite it only being the afternoon. Without Shirogane, no one could bandage his hand appropriately. He drops his hand into his lap and turns away.

"I've just realized how attached you all are to Riyeko-hime." Kuroko notes. The others face him with a wide range of emotions splattered across their expressions. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's just something I've noticed."

"Well, yeah. I mean, hime is so awesome!" Aomine grins. "Oh, that's right... you've never seen her play all out in a game. You'll understand when you see it, you'll probably get attached like we are!"

"It's not only that..." Akashi says, abruptly standing up with an empty bento box in hand. He turns to swiftly exit the cafeteria with his unfinished message lingering behind him. The others follow him with inquisitive eyes.

_She's also our princess._

* * *

"Kuroko Tetsuya. Starting from the next match, you will formally be a regular. Your uniform number will be fifteen." Sanada announces one afternoon. He glances up from the clipboard to peer at the shocked blue-haired player through rimmed glasses. "I'm looking forward to your plays as the sixth man. Afterwards, tell Momoi your uniform size."

There's a brief silence. The other players stare at the pale boy with mixed expressions. Kuroko is stunned silent, eyes wide with disbelief.

"You did it, Tetsu!" Aomine shouts cheerfully for his friend. He slings a tanned arm over the smaller boy's shoulder and ruffles his hair with a wide grin.

"..."

"... Huh? Aren't you happy?" the tanned boy pokes Kuroko's cheek with a finger.

"No, I am happy, but... to be honest, it doesn't feel real..." the pale boy breathes.

"It's not a borrowed uniform this time; you're a real, official regular." Akashi smiles faintly. "Congratulations."

"Well, I guess it's okay..." Murasakibara mumbles, glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah. Good for you." Midorima adds blandly.

"Well aren't you all cheerful today." a gently teasing voice comes from behind the gathered players.

"Eh?" They pivot around simultaneously, coming face to face with a familiar figure in the doorway.

"Hime!" a collective call rises up from the boys. The atmosphere in the gym lightens considerably now that she is here.

Akashi frowns. "Riyeko-hime... why are you in a wheel chair?"

The others stop and take a second look, finally noticing the contraption supporting the white-haired girl.

"... Nani?"

"Wh-What happened?"

"Daijōbu, hime?"

Shirogane smiles angelically. "Don't worry about me. It was only a small accident." The others shoot her dubious looks. "On the other hand, good job, Tetsuya! Welcome to the team, officially!"

"Ah... arigatō, Riyeko-hime." Kuroko feels the tension leave his muscles as he returns her smile with smaller one.

"I'm glad you finally made it, too you long enough, eh?" the white-haired girl teases good-naturedly. While she and Kuroko share a blissful bonding moment, the other players can't help but feel concerned for their captain.

"Riyeko-hime. Stop with the act, why are you on a wheel chair?" Akashi cut in the moment rather harshly, glaring daggers at the revolting metallic contraption confining their princess.

"Ne, it isn't as bad as it looks, minna, honestly!" she nods reassuringly. With practiced ease, she pushes the wheels forward with her delicate hands. It seemed that she had done this before. And it did not sit well with the others.

"... It's ugly." Murasakibara announces quite randomly.

"Eh?" Shirogane looks startled.

"Ri-chin doesn't look cute anymore." the giant utters bluntly with a frown.

Midorima coughs, noticing Shirogane's hurt expression. "What he means is that your wheelchair is rather unflattering." he elaborates clearly, pushing up his glasses. He enunciates 'wheelchair' with a tone of distaste.

"Ano, the doctor says I'm going to have to be in it for a while so..." she trails off, not knowing what to say.

Aomine suddens brightens with an idea. "Chotto matte... You don't need the wheelchair at all!"

"... Nani?" Shirogane tilts her head in bewilderment. She couldn't follow the tanned player's train of thought and judging by the other's expressions, neither could they.

"Baka, of course she needs it. Otherwise, she won't get better." Midorima frowns.

"Iie, iie. That's not what I meant..." Aomine scratches the back of his head, trying to find a way to explain further without confusing the others. Not that they weren't confused already. "What I mean is that hime won't need to use the wheelchair anymore because... because we'll carry her!" He grins proudly at himself.

His proposition his met with a silence. Shirogane could practically see the ellipses hanging over everyone's head.

"That's actually not a bad idea..." Akashi states slowly as if he can't believe he's agreeing with an idea Aomine came up with.

"This way, hime won't need her wheelchair and we can help her whenever she needs it." Aomine encourages.

Midorima closes his eyes in thought before sighing. "I suppose it isn't a half-bad idea." Murasakibara just nods agreeingly, as long as the wheelchair was gone, he didn't care what he had to do. Kuroko doesn't say a word but smiles in confirmation.

"Riyeko-hime?" Akashi asks softly.

Shirogane stares at the five males standing before her with wide eyes. She fidgets in her seat, slightly uncomfortable. "Ah, well... I don't want to be trouble and carrying me everywhere will probably be a pain so I don't thi-"

"Don't worry about it!" Aomine laughs loudly. "You can't be that heavy."

"Besides, the rest of us have agreed." Akashi's lips pull up slightly. "It will be hard to change our minds now."

Midorima snorts quietly but doesn't object while Murasakibara pulls on one of her pale coils.

Shirogane bites her lip, weighing her choices before letting out a sigh. "Alright. I'll agree to it. But don't complain to me after a few days or anything!" she warns the others with a cute pout.

Aomine immediately jumps forwards and squats down to her level with his back towards the front of the wheelchair. "C'mon then!" Shirogane lets out a giggle before snaking her arms around the tanned player's neck and letting him hoist her legs up and around his waist. He stands up with a grunt and takes a few steps experimentally.

"Wah, hime, you're so small and light, it feels like I'm not carrying anything!" he says with a snicker. Shirogane scowls and smacks the top of his head with a fist.

"Hey!"

"Itai!"

The others watch with amusement at the two. "Aomine-kun, I think this is the first smart idea I've ever heard from you." Kuroko speaks up. Said player freezes in mid banter with his captain and slowly turns to face the smaller boy.

"What did you say...?" Aomine growls and chases Kuroko around the courts with Shirogane squealing on his back. The navy-haired player hardly seems weighed down by the girl, easily keeping up with the paler boy.

"Ahomine-chin." Murasakibara mutters, stressing 'aho' as he watches them with Midorima and Akashi.

Midorima shakes his head but can't help completely conceal the small small on his lips. Akashi doesn't bother to hide his as he watches the white-haired girl with fond eyes. Everything was suddenly brighter with Shirogane around.

They simply cannot deny it, she makes them all happy.


End file.

Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ, Friendship, Humor