A/N: it's has been years since I uploaded a new story, my deepest apology, been really busy coping up with work hours and other personal matter... on a lighter note... THAN YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR LOVING MY TWO PREVIOUS STORIES! I know this one is with a different genre, but I do hope this still pleases your taste, please do look forward for more work in the future... I LOVE YOU ALL 3
The Basketball Man
The sun is setting and the birds are flying home, streets are buzzing with various sceneries. Kagami Taiga was on his way home after a tight practice match with Kaijou High, walking on the side of the street as he munch on cheeseburgers one at a time, hecarries at least 20 cheeseburgers on left arm and eating with his right, he wears their Seirin varsity jacket and with a sports sling bag hanging on his right side with a basketball peeping from inside of the bag
It has been certainly a close match of 93-95 against Kaijou, with Kuroko's last minute steal from Kise and Kagami's powerful dunk, they managed to win the game.
He suddenly came to a stop as he glanced at an empty basketball court on the other side of the street.
"maybe a few hoops won't hurt"
He said to himself as he glomped on the last piece of cheeseburger on his hand,
"cooling down your body after that exhausting game is good for your health Kagami-kun"
A familiar voice spoke from nowhere.
Kagami turned around and was almost choked to see Kuroko standing beside him.
"would you please quit popping from out of nowhere!? Sooner or later you'll give me a heart attack!"
Kagami yelled as he grabbed Kuroko on his shirt, stopping himself from strangling the phantom.
"but Kagami-kun, I've been walking beside you since we got out from Kaijou"
Kuroko blurted with his expressionless face, removing Kagami's grip from his shirt.
"buuhh, it's senseless beating the crap out from you"
He let go with a sigh of defeat.
He glanced again at the empty basketball court on the other side,
"hey Kuroko, wanna shoot some hoops?"
He said as he glanced back at Kuroko with a smirk on his lips.
Kuroko grabbed the basketball from Kagami's bag and smiled at the giant
"sure, but I must warn you Kagami-kun I will not go easy on you"
The phantom blurted out with confidence, Kagami couldn't help but laugh at what Kuroko said
"haha! We'll see about that..."
They went on the other side and started shooting some hoops.
Meanwhile, just around the corner, Hanamichi Sakuragi was walking home with Haruko Akagi, they just finished from their basketball practice and was planning to practice some more lay-ups at the empty basketball court, no one really plays at that court because not many people walks around the place, not too mention it is a little secluded from the main road and most oftenly just used as shortcut, though every morning Rukawa goes there to do some warm-up shooting.
"Haruko-chan have you seen me play earlier? I improved a lot didn't I?"
Sakuragi said in blush and excitement, being the usual dope as he always is whenever he is with Haruko.
No wonder since he always had a crush with her since the first time he met her, that's the reason why he joined their school's basketball club, because Haruko is greatly attracted with basketball players, (she also happened to be in love with the ace player Rukawa Kaede, which Sakuragi sees as his greatest rival) and also to win the trust of her older brother who happens to be the basketball team's captain.
"Yes Sakuragi-kun, you were really impressive! Just a few more and you have already mastered doing the lay-up shoots, you can already go past oniichan"
She exclaimed in excite and amaze
"nyahahahahaha! But ofcourse! I am the genius basketball man!"
He laughed arrogantly, but Haruko seems too oblivious to follow his true intention and just laughed back.
"we're almost there Haruko-chan, we can practice more lay-ups at the basketball court just around the corner"
He pointed in excitement as they reached the last turn, Haruko just smiled at him.
When they reached the corner, Sakuragi was obviously surprised to see someone using the court, as he had always been sure that no one plays there, out of curiousity he walked further and peeked at the people who are playing. One tall man with a red hair and black streaks, and one short man with a pastel blue hair, both wearing a varisty jacket.
"that's the first time I've seen those uniforms, they must be from a very far place"
Haruko said as she lowered down beside Sakuragi
"you're right. And look at how awful they play! I bet I can beat them with my eyes closed! Nyahahahaha!"
Sakuragi exclaimed arrogantly as he laugh
"we can never be sure of that Sakuragi-kun, remember, never underestimate your opponents unless you've faced them once"
She lectured the red head seriously, staring at the two players on the court as if she's studying them.
"then why not check it our ourselves Haruko-chan!"
He said as he grabbed Haruko's hand and walked towards the two on the court.
"OI!"
Sakuragi yelled calling out their attention,
"wanna share some hoops with me? hehehe"
Sakuragi said without stopping as he continued walking towards them with Haruko behind him,
The tall man with red hair and weird eyebrows looked at him then looked back at his companion.
"what do you say Kuroko?"
Kagami said as he looked back at the red haired guy standing in front of him.
"I don't see why not"
Kuroko said wiping his sweat off on his chin with his shirt
"wait!"
Haruko cuts in with a worried look on her face
"don't you think it's a mismatch? I mean, there're two of you and only one of him?!"
She followed
"nyahahahaha! Do not worry Haruko-chan! I can handle this! For I am the genius basketball man!"
Sakuragi proclamied confidently with a peace sign and a monkey-ish grin on his face
"amazing Kagami-kun, there is someone more of a dope than you"
Kuroko said with the same expressionless face
"WHAT?! Why you little-?!"
Kagami tried to run and strangle Kuroko but Sakuragi immediately cuts them in, removing his gakuran coat and fixing his shirt and sleeve
"so which one of you will face this basketball prodigy? You with a bunny apple brows, or you girly kid, well it doesn't matter since I can beat you both even if you take me at the same time!"
Sakuragi arrogantly procalimed as he put himself in a readied defense position
"Sakuragi-kun please do not taunt them"
Haruko pleaded in worry
"Bunny brows?"
"girly boy?"
Both Kagami and Kuroko whisper in confusion as they stare at each other
"hey Kagami-kun, i think he is referring to you"
Kuroko pointed out as he mimic Kagami's eyebrows with his fingers.
Kagami clenched his hand into a fist and faced it in front of the phantom,
"I am restraining my all to not punch you right here right now Kuroko!"
"hey time is wasting! Or are you too afraid to be beaten by this genius?"
Sakuragi exclaimed impatiently, taunting the tiger more and more.
"punk's got atittude huh?! I'll face you then! This'll be fun!"
Kagami said as he removed his jacket and grabbed the ball from Kuroko and exchanged his jacket to him
"give me a challenge! Genius basketball man!"
Kagami started dribbling the ball and without a single minute wasted he charged in towards Sakuragi, rushing in to dunk the ball into the hoop, but amazingly the red head was quick on his feet and was able to defend his post with his wall of defense, literally!
He keeps jumping to all sides creating a huge wall in front of Kagami leaving the tiger in awe, and in a fraction of seconds he was able to steal the ball from the tiger's grasp and driblled back, now being on the offense.
"heh~ not bad kid, you're quick on your senses, let's see what else you've got!"
Kagami smirked recognizing Sakuragi's skill as he turned around to put up his defense against him.
Sakuragi still dribbling the ball on his right hand, grinned widely as if he is sure that he will win now.
"you don't know whom you messed with bunny brows!"
It was Sakuragi's turn to charge towards the hoop, but Kagami was able to follow his pace and put up a tight defense against the red head.
"stop calling me that you little prick!"
Kagami said in an annoyed tone of voice, he was about to grab the ball again from Sakuragi but he was quick enough the shift it to the other side and put up a shooting pose, but Kagami was faster and was able to jump for defense, but it seems that Sakuragi was quicker to be able to fake that form and charged straight towards the hoop and formed a lay-up shot.
"got it!"
He told himself as he was midair with the ball
"you did it Sakuragi-kun!"
Haruko cheered in excitement as the ball was nearing the hoop
"you think you can have it that easily kid?!"
Kagami screamed in anticipation as he jumped directly from Sakuragi's back slamming the ball away from the hoop and grabbing it as he falls down.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
"this can't be?! He's so fast, not to mention how high that jump was!"
Both Sakuragi and Haruko exclaimed in awe and confusion
"heh~ if you think you can beat me that easily then you still have a long way to go kid!"
Kagami said holding the ball firmly with his both hands, getting into offense again.
"damn! This is getting tiring, I had a really tough training with Gori and Ayako this afternoon and is draining what's left of my strength"
Sakuragi dismissed to himself as he stop his knees from shaking.
"you're friend will be meeting his end soon"
Kuroko spoke, now standing beside Haruko.
"what?! What does he mean? And since when did he stood beside me? I wasn't able to notice him at all!"
She said to himself and she stare at kuroko from the corner of her eyes, then looked back at Sakuragi with concern, she is, in fact aware that Sakuragi underwent gruesome training with her brother earlier and is now hanging with little ounce of energy left in his body.
Kagami was simply dribbling the ball on his right hand as he keep his offense up against Sakuragi.
"what's wrong punk? Where's your enthusiasm now? Getting hard breathing?"
Kagami taunted Sakuragi but the red head still remained silent and focused.
Kagami charged again and this time straight at Sakuragi, which obviously caught the boy by surprise and lowered his defense for a moment.
But he was then back to his senses in q matter of seconds and was able to keep up with his defense, however Kagami did not draw back and continued charging, he jumped and formed himself to dunk the ball straight forward with Sakuragi defensing his front.
"oh no you don't!"
Sakuragi screamed as he stretched his hand out to block the dunk, however it seems that he is slowly descending, or so it's he thought he was doing.
"WHAT?!"
"AMAZING! His jump just gets getting higer and higher! And he's not slowing down even one bit!"
Sakuragi already fell down on the ground, sitted and staring at the tiger who is still getting higher and higher
"THIS IS HOW BASKETBALL IS PLAYED!"
Kagami exclaimed as he reached the above of the hoop at his face leel and dunked the ball, shaking the whole ring and the ground and he fell and stood.
Sakuragi still sitted in disbelief with his mouth wide open, staring the man standing in front of him.
"wh-what are you?!"
Was all he could utter
"huh? Oh, the name's Kagami Taiga, you?"
Kagami said as he stretched his hand towards the sitting boy to help him stand
"I'm Sakuragi, Hanamichi Sakuragi"
He said as he reached the tiger's hand and stood up from where he was sitted.
"Sakuragi huh?"
Kagami said as he reached to Kuroko to get his bag and the towel inside it
"not bad Sakuragi, you have what it takes to be a great player, all you need is more practice to sharpen your skill."
He said as he wiped the sweat off of his face
"t-thanks!"
Sakuragi said, finally accepting his defeat.
"it was a nice game, Kagami-san, I hope our team can play against yours in the near future"
Haruko said as she bow her head to show her respect
"no worries, I'll be looking forward to that as well"
Kagami smiled as he bow down as well
"well then we'll be going now, thanks for the time and great game thoughit was short"
Sakuragi said picking up his things from the ground
"no sweat kid, and hey, maybe we'll meet again inside the court some other time!"
Kagami said getting his jacket from Kuroko
"yeah! THANKS!"
Both Sakuragi and Haruko waved goodbye as they walk towards the different direction.
"what was that all about Kagami-kun"
Kuroko asked staring at Kagami
"SHUT UP KUROKO!"
Kagami yelled getting really pissed with Kuroko
"you didn't answer my question Kagami-kun"
"maan! That quick game made me so hungry again! Hey let's grab some burgers!"
"you're dodging my question"
"SHUT UUUP!"