54Amaya Aoi- Chapter 3
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A/N: Hey, minna~! I hope you like the third chapter! This is dedicated to LaughingAngelsGibberish, who inspired me to write (even though there was only one review…)
I wonder why no one told me that the "—"s weren't working. How in the world did you guys tell I was going to another part of the story? T_T I'm sorry!
Ikemen-kun means cool-looking and popular guy, but it can be used as sarcasm.
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Disclaimers: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any other manga/anime no matter how much I wish I could.
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Warnings shall not be repeated. If you want them, go to the first chapter.
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-Before practice in the changing rooms-
Hyuuga-senpai noticed a sports magazine on the bench and proceeded to tell everyone else so as well. "Hm…? This… this issue, wasn't it at the time Kuroko was at Teikou?"
"Ooh… it's featuring articles about each of the players of the 'generation of miracles'."
"Kuroko… didn't get in the article, huh? Even though you were the sixth player… didn't someone come to get some data?"
Tetsu-kun finally noticed. "Ah… someone came but forgot about us…"
They suddenly all had tears falling down their eyes in waterfalls.
Hyuuga-senpai was the first to notice. "Wait… you said 'we'?"
I grinned. Finally, someone notices! "Hai, Aoi played in that match as well!"
"Eh…?"
"Ah… but Aoi only played for half the match… since they didn't really need my help."
"But… how can they forget you as well if you played half the match?"
"? The same way they forgot Tetsu-kun."
All of the basketball players in the room sweat dropped.
Tetsu-kun continued speaking. "On top of that, someone like me is completely different from these six people. Aoi-kun can choose if he wants to be seen or not… and when he does choose to be seen, he really does attract attention."
I sighed. It was true in a way… when I was small, I never really noticed, but everyone always paid attention to me and I was given the best. I never thought much of it and thought of it as normal, but all the other kids would always bully me and one day they told me 'it's because you always get all the attention'.
After that, I developed the skill to shy away from attention by diverting their attention to other things. When that happened, I still didn't have any friends, since they all didn't see me anymore, and if I came out of attention again, they would hate me even more.
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I heard the familiar sounds of fangirls squealing over a boy from outside the window. Ah… seems like Kise-kun was here already.
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I practiced, while my mind was dwelling on other thoughts, absently. I wonder when he's going to show up.
I snapped out of my deep thinking just in time to see Kagami-kun spin around and dunk the ball into the basket in a matter of 6 seconds. Oh? Not bad… that's about 47% of my power…
It was somewhat unsurprising that everyone around broke out into cheers. "Wooh! Nice shot!"
I cheered along with everyone else. It was great since he had already improved that much. Before, it was a mere 40%.
"Incredible! He turned back even though he was going at full speed? You wouldn't think that shot was cut by a human!"
"Do you think we could beat the 'generation of miracles' with that?"
"It's possible…! Don't you think it's more than likely? That kind of move isn't something anyone can do. Maybe he's surpassed them already?"
Tetsu-kun was not as happy as they were, instead opting to say the truth. Well, at least it was better than letting him inflate his ego, only to have it deflated in a moment later.
"…With your current level, you can't hold a candle to any of them. That was what I said, but…"
Ara? He still has about 3-4 more % to go, but… if he improves in the match due to his willpower, then…
My thoughts were interrupted by the frantic calls of my teammates. "Huh? Where is Kuroko and Amaya? We told them we were meeting here, too…"
"Geez, they can be really troublesome sometimes."
"KUROKO! AMAYA! Come out~!"
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Flashback
"A practice match against Kaijou high…?"
"Yup! They won't be bad as an opponent! We'll be using all the freshmen too!"
"Rather than not bad, it's more like they'll be way too much…"
"Are they that strong?"
"They're a powerful class of national class, taking part in the inter-high tournament every year."
"EEH?"
End of flashback.
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"More importantly, coach, were you serious about what you said when you came back last time?"
Kagami-kun looked surprised. "What?"
"Ah, Kagami, you didn't hear?"
The coach replied with confidence. "Of course! This year, Kaijou is one of the schools that have a player from the 'generation of miracles', Kise Ryouta."
Kagami-kun's face darkened as he smirked. Well, this was good too. Looks like he's getting fired up.
Hyuuga-senpai broke my concentration. "On top of that, isn't he the rumored model?" He pulled out the most recent magazine that came out from somewhere in his bag.
I blinked a couple of times, surprised. "Ara? Even high schoolers have heard of it too? Aoi thought only the middle schoolers knew since it was where we got picked up."
Everyone turned to look at me, surprised. "Huh? You said 'we'? Don't tell me…"
I smiled. "Flip the page."
With trembling hands, Hyuuga-senpai moved to flip the page, before Kagami-kun got irritated at the lack of action and flipped it for him.
Their shock and surprise was amusing. They compared the picture to the current me. In the picture, I was advertising their clothes and I like I was out in the rain. I was pulling strands of my wet hair and the shirt was totally unbuttoned, showing off the sexy-not-so-obvious-but-super-hot six packs.
I was currently smiling at them, a slight blush on my cheeks.
Their eyes were darting to and fro the picture and the current me. One of the freshmen wailed. "Good looks and plays basketball well! Isn't that harsh?"
"That's it, huh… you can't help but envy him…"
"That's unfair!"
The coach sighed. "Idiots…"
Suddenly, everyone noticed Kise-kun sitting at the back of the gym, signing autographs. Thank god they can't see me, or else I would be the one sitting there.
"That guy…! Kise Ryouta!"
Tetsu-kun greeted him. "…It has been awhile."
Kise-kun held out a marker in his hand and looked embarrassed. "I'm seriously sorry… err… do you mind waiting a few minutes?"
Kagami-kun suddenly had this really insane looking grin on his face.
"Wha…? Why are you here?"
"Well, when I heard the next opponent was Seirin, I remembered that it was the school Kurokocchi and Amayacchi joined. So I came to say hi… since we were the ones getting along best in middle school, right?" he said, directing the question to the two of us.
Tetsu-kun replied with a straight face. "Not particularly."
"Uwah! So mean!"
"Hoi… Kise-kun~ Aoi spent the most time with you, right?"
Kise-kun smiled. "Right, right! We spent the most time together." Both of us had our hands placed against each other.
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"You've only been playing for two years?"
Kise-kun looked flustered. "No, well… this article is exaggerating, really… I'm glad I was called one of the 'generation of miracles', but in other words, that just means I was the weakest of the bunch… that's why Kurokocchi and I were picked on often right?"
"I wasn't particularly picked on. Would you please stop making things up?"
"What? I was the only one? Amayacchi didn't get picked on since…"
I interrupted him. "Eh? You were picked on?"
"Yeah! They were so mean…!"
A basketball suddenly flew at Kise-kun, who stopped it in time, though it 'hurt' him. It was thrown by Kagami-kun… he probably got tired of waiting.
"Sorry to mess up your reunion after a long time, but you didn't come all the way here just for a greeting, right? How about being my opponent for a bit, Ikemen-kun?"
"Eeh… but even if you suddenly say that so suddenly… ah, you, just before…" Kise-kun looked away, thinking for awhile.
Kise-kun loosened his tie. "Alright, let's do this. As thanks for showing me something good."
Eh? He was there even when Kagami-kun made that move? I thought he only came in after that…
"…This might be bad."
"Eh?"
Kagami-kun and Kise-kun engaged in a one-on-one, before Kise-kun used Kagami-kun's move before, spinning behind the opponent and dunking the ball.
I explained for them. "When Kise-kun sees a play, he can make it his own in an instant."
"What…?"
"You can't call it an imitation. It means exactly that when it sounds like. He 'makes it his own'."
Kagami-kun got mad and reached for the ball and touched it just before Kise-kun dunked it into the basket. He landed onto the floor and looked up at Kise-kun with disbelief on his face.
"This is… the generation of miracles… Kuroko, Amaya, isn't your friend way too incredible?"
"…I don't know this person."
"Huh?"
"Honestly, I was thinking naively earlier as well. But… even though I haven't met him in just a few months, he…"
I whistled, showing my approval. "Nice, Kise-kun! You've improved by 5% since the last time I've seen you! You're up to 55% already…"
Well, seems like it's time to step up on my training already… they might even catch up to me soon…
"Hmm… but well, you know… letting that occasion go… I can't go back after just a greeting after all. Please give me Amayacchi and Kurokocchi. Come to our school. Let's play basketball together again."
"WHAT?"
"I'm serious! I respect you a lot, Amayacchi, Kurokocchi! You're wasting your talent in this place! So? How about it?"
"I am honored that you think about me that way… I have to humbly refuse that proposal," said Tetsu-kun, bowing formally.
I chuckled. He was so funny sometimes.
"Doesn't that sound weird, in that context?" said Kise-kun, tears falling down his cheeks anime style. "On top of that, it's not like you! Wasn't winning everything for you? Why didn't you go to a stronger school?"
I smiled. "Tetsu-kun changed his thinking from that time. Plus, he's made a promise to Aoi and Kagami-kun… a promise to defeat the 'generation of miracles' and to help me…"
"…It's not like you after all. Saying those kind of jokes…" he said, looking at Tetsu-kun directly.
Kagami-kun started laughing. "Damn… what the hell? Don't go stealing my lines, Amaya."
Tetsu-kun remained expressionless. "The fact that I am not good with jokes has not changed. I am serious."
I smirked at him. "If they can't beat you… I can always cut in…"