Rebound (Kagakuro)

Chapter Twenty-One

Kuroko

We stood face-to-face with them.

Touou vs Seirin.

Aomine vs me.

Aomine vs Kagami.

The tension between us was heavy and I felt as if I was about to pass out. My breathing was uneven, heart pumping fast as I predicted the future. Kagami and I were strong together, but knowing Aomine, he's grown much better than any of us since the Teiko days, and that scared me a little.

Aomine flashed us a light smirk, but I knew he was back again — the same Aomine that I fell in love with during the previous years. I smiled at him, knowing it was definitely a good thing.

Kagami was excited about the game and has been talking about it ever since we've won the semi finals. But looking at him now amused me. He seemed as tensed as I was. I lightly took his hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He turned to me and grinned.

"We're winning this. Together."

I nodded my head. "Yes."

When the whistle was blown, the basketball was thrown up high and Kagami was quick to jump on his feet, rising as high as he could to receive the ball. Aomine surprisingly remained in his position, as if he knew the red-headed was going to do what he was doing. His eyes remained calm as he seriously observed Kagami's actions.

"Kagami, pass the ball!" One of our teammates shouted, but the enemy was quick on their defense. I heard Koganei senpai curse and he was starting to panic. Fortunately, Kagami was able to pass the ball to someone else that was free, and all of us headed straight towards the net with a run-and-gun style.

"Defend!" Touou's captain ordered his team and they instantly blocked our ways. But we were quicker though, and before they could blink, Kagami jumped, hovering passed a player and made a dunk. The bell dinged and the crowd went crazy.

Each of us gave my boyfriend a high-five, but it was only the beginning. Aomine still haven't made a move, and we were starting to worry. He must've had a plan in mind. Whatever it was, we had to act quickly and win.

Touou was fast on their feet as they came for the attack. The ball was received by a rather worried player. His eyes scanned his surroundings before he aimed and made a net.

"I'm sorry!" He shouted before running back to his position.

Of course, Sakurai Ryo was best known for his three-pointer shots. Even though he was clumsy and panicking most of the time, he was a very good player and he never missed a shot. I felt overwhelmed all of a sudden. Our team was strong, but Touou's was definitely much stronger.

"Focus on the game, Kuroko." Hyuga senpai patted my back, immediately bringing me back to reality. I nodded my head and disappeared to one of the enemies, but they didn't notice me, just like how I predicted.

The ball was back in Kagami's hands and he instantly ran for the net. The others followed him behind in case a rebound was needed.

Though it was different this time.

Aomine finally made a move and before Kagami could jump, he did. It confused us all, and from the look on the red-headed's face, he'd thought he could make it. Unfortunately, Aomine remained in the air, as if he was flying. Some of us started to panic, and as predicted, the dunk was a failure and the ball was back in the enemies' hands.

"We'll get it next time, Kagami-kun." I reassured him and he calmed down a little, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Is this all you've got?" Aomine's voice echoed through the court, making all of us turn to him as we watched him made a very good dunk. "Is this all you're gonna do to stop me?"

"He's pissing me off." The boy next to me growled, fist clenching in anger.

"I'll definitely win this!" The blue-haired boy shouted at us, a victorious smile plastered on his tanned face.

I smiled, feeling motivated suddenly.

"Go! Go! Go!" Our teammates on the bench cheered as they stood on their feet. Coach screamed at us to not give up, and we quickly got the ball back, attempting another run-and-gun.

"Not this time!"

Aomine managed to catch up and it was a duo fight against him and Kagami. They both moved in sync, too strong for each other. I watched in awe at the both of them, thinking about how much they were the same.

"Move!" Kagami yelled and succeeded to cut Aomine off. The latter fell on his bum and Kagami wasted no time for a dunk.

The crowd cheered and clapped like thunder. Aomine cursed but he remained calm as he ran back to his position. Our eyes met briefly, and I felt my heart race.

The bell rang and a short break was given to us. Each team returned to their respective benches. Coach didn't look well, but she was definitely happy about our improvement.

"Great job out there," She said. "But you need more energy. Touou is catching up and Aomine has a plan in mind. Make sure you don't fall for his trap easily, especially you, Kuroko."

All eyes landed on me and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Yes, coach."

"Alright," She nodded her head and continued. "Watch out for your dunks, Kagami. Trust your teammates. They're dependable."

"Yes, coach." He nodded.

When the bell rang again, indicating the break was over, we huddled and cheered for our team. Somehow I had a bad feeling. Hopefully it's nothing much. Everything must go well.

It has to.