Second Generation ➳ KNB

01 |:| Second-Year Manager

Kuroko was running laps with the Seirin team under the heat in mid May. He wasn't the most fit, but he stayed determined as he wanted to defeat the Generation of Miracles with his version basketball. With his new light, Kagami, he believes he stands a chance to take them on.

This strong desire started after junior high, when the Miracles lost their passion in basketball, playing only for their lust for victory. He never aligned with their mindset, and he will get his point across once he wins his matches against them.

He remembered when life was simple; when the group of friends played as a team and respected their opponents without needing to humiliate them in court.

Akashi, Aomine, Kise, Midorima and Murasakibara were still his friends, and rivals. He couldn't forget about Momoi Satsuki and. . . . the second year manager at that time.

She seemed polite and generally friendly when talking to the miracles. Also with her being an underclassmen, she respected them at default. Regardless of her interactions, she was very distant. She was hard to talk to since she was cynical and rude for the most part. Plus she didn't seem to enjoy talking about herself.

There was too much that they didn't know about her, they could barely figure out her personality. She was just so plain that she seemed irrelevant. She didn't lack presence, but she really didn't stand out because she didn't have any outstanding talents.

Her physical abilities were the worst; out of breath after running, or even walking, 15 meters. Her analytical skills weren't up to standards since she doesn't know a lot about sports and athletes.

Nevertheless, Kuroko found out her true ability before graduating Junior High, and it was.....weirdly creepy. It made him feel uncomfortable, and he's sure that it'll make anyone feel that way.

Sometimes, he wonders what she's up to nowadays. She's Teiko's head manager this year since Momoi graduated. He still considers her as a friend, but he'd often worry about what her next move would be.

Just like Momoi, Kuroko knew that she agreed with his intentions. She was also affected by the Miracles' sudden bloom of talents. He often wonders what sort of action she'll take.

She couldn't play basketball --she'd probably get a stroke-- so he wouldn't know how she'd consult the miracles.

No one has contacted her ever since. Mainly because she owns an oldschool and nearly broken Nokia that has the worst connection ever, so texts and calls rarely get through.

Kuroko stopped running when his team ran back to the gym. He collapsed onto the floor, but he seemed satisfied with that day's training. He felt himself improving in his strength.

His gaze focused on the gym ceiling as he tried to catch his breath after running. He kept having flashbacks of his junior high to keep him motivated, but he feels an ominous way whenever he remembers his second-year manager.

Usually, any memory that included her always led to 'that day' when he last saw her. She said something odd and unexplainable to him. It made him feel uncertain of his feelings; was he scared for her, or of her?

Sighing, he sat up and wiped off his sweat with a towel.

Each of the miracles transferred to different schools in hopes to battle each other to see who was the strongest out of them all, but something was rather different about them ever since graduation.

Akashi Seijuro, the ex-captain of Teiko's basketball team, had been practicing extra hard lately, probably out of fear.

He wasn't going to underestimate the future as he felt that something unexpected is coming his way.

His grudge and fury has also been swallowing his mind, affecting his behavior and intensifying his playing style. He wanted--no, he's going to make sure that he doesn't any feel fear or inferiority; not anymore.

The miracles are all carrying a peculiar grudge that had been haunting them since graduation. They are often used to solving their problems with a game of basketball. It's a coping mechanism that allows them to fight with their passion; however they're unable to do that, that's not the type of 'enemy' they're dealing with.

It was their pathetically basic second manager, Rindou Kaeri.

****

"It's so humid. . . ." A rhetorical complaint came out of the girl's mouth as her bright orange eyes pierced through the shade of the gym as the players trained outside. Her seniors have finally left, leaving her the responsibility to babysit the rest of the team.

She watched the current first-string jog in the fields. They weren't as strong as the Miracles, but she wanted to still contribute to helping them grow.

After seeing the acts of the overpowered Miracles, she grew slightly fond of developing and unexperienced teams, putting all their effort for their school. Rindou was a bit disappointed that the current first-string members had little faith in themselves; thinking that they will never do as well as the first-strings from the year prior.

Last year, Teiko was so strong that they were were sponsored to enroll in a high school tournament. Akashi declined it for prideful reasons, but the offer was still up. It doesn't seem like that could happen again until the next decade.

She opened her black notebook and started writing down the players' process after their training. She looked up at the team again and noticed an unfamiliar boy within the group.

With an indifferent expression, she flipped through her notes to the page about the boy.

"Mizuhara Tooru, small forward, and he seems like a spunky child" She recited lazily as her eyes trailed to the bottom of the page. She slightly tensed up when she found out that Tooru was only a first year in junior high who also made it to the first-string; which as a rare sight.

Flipping through more pages, she stumbled upon old notes from the previous year. Being quite friendly with the Miracles, they wrote a bunch of little comments all over the first few pages. Most of them were from Momoi, explaining basketball rules or reminding her to eat healthy and exercise (which remains ignored).

Aomine thought that it'd be the funniest thing ever to draw dicks all over some of the pages, but Kuroko teared them down which left some rigged excess paper between sheets.

Remembering those memories felt nostalgic for a while, until she started remembering the events that happened on a certain day that left a bitter aftertaste to it.

She didn't want to hate them; in fact, she was just disappointed and annoyed that things ended up so negatively.

She thought that the times they spent together had become a waste since their relationship had changed for the worse. It surely left a mark, and she managed to manipulate her brain into thinking indifferently about it.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long to do so.