The next day, Momoharu is seen walking the streets talking. To the onlookers who hadn't payed much attention, it would seem as if the blond boy was talking to himself.
However.
Next to him was an orange haired boy who was significantly shorter than the blond.
"So Ikari, do you think you're ready to show your improvement to Hikigaya?" Momoharu asked the smaller boy.
"Hmm, not yet. While I have mastered the fundamentals, he did say something about using my lack of presence in a game.
But how do I do that?
I know what I excel in, and that is playmaking. But...How do I implement my lack of presence into my basketball." Ikari spoke as he thought about the answer to his dilemma.
"Maybe you can be like a magic passer,"
As Momoharu said this, Ikari looked at the taller boy with a confused expression.
"Please explain." He said with confused yet intrigued eyes.
"Well, maybe you can do like curving passes."
Again, Ikari looked confused.
"Y'know like
Swooosh!
SWOOOOOSHHH!"
"Okay, that's enough."
Ikari said blankly as he thought about Momoharu's statement.
"Though it has given me an idea," Ikari stated as he thought about his ability.
"Maybe I can include my misdirection into my basketball through playmaking. Like redirecting passes. My lack of presence means I am basically invisible, and on the court, this will be unstoppable, unless there's someone like me," Ikari stated with a smile.
Momoharu, hearing this, let a smile grace his features.
"That will make us stronger than anyone! We'll for sure win everything when you get put onto the first string!" The blond exclaimed with a smile.
"You'd better not get nervous when we finally play together, Ika!" Momoharu steeled his resolve by extending his fist for a fist bump, a regular gesture to the smaller boy who he had taken a liking to immediately after seeing that he practiced late also.
"Of coure not Momoharu-kun."
"So, what position will you play?" Momoharu asked.
"I've always played shooting guard," hearing this, an anvil drop could be heard as Momoharu looked at his friend with a deadpan expression on his features.
"You played shooting guard when you couldn't even shoot." The boy asked with sweat forming on his head.
"Hai. I played shooting guard before middle school. However now. I am position less. I can play anywhere, however I can best play at the small forward spot.
So if I get promoted up to the first string, I'd be Ogiwara-kun's sub. Maybe even the top sixth man." Ikari stated with a small smile.
"Well, I believe that you will get promoted up to the first string. It's just a matter of when." Momoharu stated with a smirk as Ikari smiled softly, thinking about playing with the five prodigies in the first string.
"I'll be off now." Ikari stated.
"Where are you going?" Momoharu asked.
"I'm going library, I want to study on my ability and how I can include it into my basketball game." Ikari said as Momoharu smiled before nodding.
"Alright. See you tomorrow, Ika." He said with a hand on the boy's head, softly ruffling his orange hair as the two parted ways.
Ikari, as he had stated, headed straight for the library, where after half an hour, he had found nothing.
Crestfallen, the boy sat on the bench with a defeated expression on his face.
"I can't find any books on my ability." The boy softly spoke before he noticed something in the one bookshelf which he seemingly had forgotten about.
An old brown book with the title, 'The Art Of Misdirection'
From what Ikari could tell, it was clearly instructions on 'magic' tricks. The word being put in apostophe's as it was clear that it wasn't really magic, but rather the trick of the mind.
"This is what I need. Misdirection. A magic trick it says. But I believe I can use my lack of presence to imitate this 'magic' trick. No, imitate is not the right word.
Remix it into the world of basketball.
With my misdirection, no-one will ever see me on the court."
The thoughts spoken out loud by Ikari was evident of his excitement as he quickly checked with the librarian and took the book home, ready to start leaning from it.
———
TBC
