Vicious || Aomine D.

Thirty

[ Your enemy? ]
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The game against Shutoku was in full swing. Kagami was jumping up to block Midorima's every slow shot. It was an endless battle and it quickly became clear that it would be a battle of stamina. Neither of them could keep jumping like that for the entire game. It didn't help that Takao was damn near nullifying Kuroko's talents. Riyo really couldn't predict which way the game would go in the end.

The match go even more intense when Midorima started mixing fakes with actual shots, messing up Kagami's game. The Seirin ace was forced to jump twice as much. Kiyoshi had to step in to help Kagami block Midorima. Then something happened that shocked Riyo to her core. Midorima... passed?!

Riyo gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Midorima and the rest of the Miracles were selfish players. Unbelievably talented but arrogant and selfish, not giving up the ball or the responsibility to anyone on their team.

Shutoku's game was elevated to the next level with Midorima's pass. They were actually playing as a team. It was strange but it made Riyo's heart flutter. Her old friend was finally relying on his teammates. She couldn't help but feel a little bit proud.

I guess Aomine's not the only one changing.

Kuroko was sent to the bench. His specialty couldn't be used against Takao, which made him a mostly harmless player.

"GO HYUUGA!" Riyo shouted as Seirin took off on a fast attack.

He scored. Seirin's strategy was to score more than Shutoku if they couldn't stop Midorima. Still, a score war wouldn't be easy to win. Especially against Shutoku, Riyo thought. She knew Midorima's strengths better than most. It would be a close one.

"Midorima-kun's really going for it," Riyo muttered more to herself than anyone else.

Kuroko glanced at her. "They lost against us last time. He's determined to get even."

"I know. I just... I wasn't expecting this. He passed!" she said. There was an unexpected happiness in her tone at the last part. Must've had something to do with the proud of him thing. "Have you ever seen him pass?"

Kuroko didn't reply. It was his version of a no.

"I think this is you..." Riyo said to him. "They're finally starting to play the kind of game they should've played in middle school. Your kind of basketball. I saw it in Kise-kun too. He's become better at relying on his teammates just like Midorima-kun."

Tetsuya rested his chin on his hand, his elbow propped up on his thigh. "If only they'd realized it sooner."

"I know right? Maybe they would've actually had fun on the court," Riyo said.

Since there were no real tough opponents for the Kiseki no Sedai in middle school they couldn't enjoy the thrill of having strong rivals, but they still could've enjoyed playing ball together as a team if they hadn't gotten so arrogant. Riyo got lost in her memories, remembering a time when they used to play as a team before their talents fully bloomed. Their practices and the street games they had for fun, were some of the best memories Riyo had of them.

"Do you ever miss middle school?" she asked.

"I do, but then I remember the way they became and what they did and I get angry," said Tetsuya.

Riyo winced. "Yeah. They were insufferable."

"Still, we had some good times too," he said.

Riyo nudged him with her shoulder with a wistful smile on her face. "Yeah, we did."

Their attention was drawn back onto the court as Midorima took one of his super long shots. It was amazing, even better form than Riyo's. As much as she admired it, her heart sank a little for Seirin. They were her team, she was rooting for them to win the entire thing. In order for that to happen, they needed to get through the preliminaries.