Chapter 34 - Tokiwadai vs. Teiko, Part 2 (1/2)
In Middle school, each team was allowed five timeouts; three, full one-minute timeouts, and two, thirty-second timeouts.
Teiko decided to use one of their shorter timeouts. The coach asked Kuroko about the problem.
Shirogane (Coach): ”Kuroko-kun, what happened out there?”
Kuroko recalled what happened before his pass was intercepted.
Kuroko: ”Kageyama-kun switched his mark to me, I thought that he was doing, so because he wanted to be free for defensive support to other players.
And then, he said, that it was not personal. After that, the pass was stolen.”
All the team members pondered over what Kuroko told them. The coach looked at the time and concluded the discussion.
Shirogane: ”Kuroko-kun will stay on the court till the end of this quarter if Kageyama Shun can stop Kuroko-kun, then we would have to pull him out after the quarter ends.”
Kuroko didn't feel happy about being stopped, but he decided to try harder to see if anything worked.
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Shun returned to the court, found Kuroko, and went to guard him.
Shun didn't start any conversation, he didn't think that Kuroko would like to talk to him right now, and he wasn't going to start a conversation that might come off as goading.
Shun looked at Kuroko to find that he was staring at him intently.
Kuroko: ”How were you able to stop me?”
Shun sighed and told his answer to Kuroko,
Shun: ”I am sorry, Kuroko-kun, but I can't tell you that. I will be honest with you. I only have a single way to find and stop you.
If I tell you how I found you, then my team wouldn't be able to stop you.”
The match continued, Akashi, who had the ball looked at the options he had.
Akashi: 'I want to confirm if Kageyama Shun can actually stop Kuroko-Kun's passes.'
He made eye contact with Kuroko, and Kuroko got away from Shun.
Kuroko made eye contact with Aomine. Aomine got ready for the pass, but the moment the ball left Kuroko's palm it was caught by Shun.
Shun threw the ball straight to Ishida. Ishida attempted a three-pointer and missed the hoop, but Otsubo caught it and tried to lay it in but was denied by Murasakibara.
The ball was chased by Midorima and Mibuchi. Mibuchi got to the ball first and passed it to Aone.
Aone made his way to the hoop and scored with an overhead layup.
The first quarter ended with the score 21-19, with Teiko leading.
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In the stands, Shun's parents were sitting watching the game with Satsuki and Aomine's mothers.
Aomine and Satsuki were childhood friends, and their families were close, so they came today to support him.
Mrs. Momoi (Hana): ”Both teams seem to be equally matched.”
Shun's Mother (Yuki): ”My Shun told me that many of the players in the Teiko's team are first-years, including Aomine-kun.”
Both the ladies looked at Aomine's mother. Unlike Aomine, she looked smart, calm, and m.a.t.u.r.e. She was an office lady (OL) who worked at a bank, both mother and son couldn't be more apart.
Aomine's mother sighed and yet smiled faintly.
Aomine's Mother: ”That child has been playing basketball since he was a child, he spent so much time outside in the sun that his skin color changed permanently, and he would drag Satsuki-chan out with him every day. He buys so many basketball shoes that we had to buy him a new closet just for his shoes.”
Shun's mother realized that her Shun was also like that,
Shun's Mother (Yuki): ”Shun also started to play basketball when he was four. I and my husband both work, so we left him to a daycare center that taught basketball. He would play there every day, and when we picked him up, all he would talk about his day playing basketball.”
Aomine's Mother: ”We both also work, but because Hana offered to take care of him, we didn't have to enroll him into a daycare service.”
Mrs. Momoi (Hana): ”Daiki-chan was so cute when he was small, and Satsuki was the same age, so it was not a problem.”
While the mothers talked, Shun's father silently recorded his son on his camera.
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(At Tokiwadai's bench)
Shun faced his team and said,
Shun: ”Teiko will pull Kuroko out of the game, now that they know that he won't work against our team. I don't know if they will put Haizaki in from the second quarter, but I am sure that they will come aggressively than they did in the first quarter.”
Coach: ”Alright, don't be defensive. If they come aggressively, you guys will turn this game into a score out.”
Tokiwadai had been a team, that had excelled in scoring in this year nationals, they had won every match with a thirty point lead, so they had no problem turning the game into a score out.
Even Shun knew as much as he liked to play support, he couldn't play it against Teiko. Tokiwadai needed Shun's offensive capabilities against Teiko.
Coach: ”Aone switch up your offense, Mibuchi make sure to remain open, Ishida I want you to be ready for the offense even after you pass the ball, Otsubo you need to be the teams rock on both sides of the court, and Shun, call out for more passes. That's it, and I want you guys leading at the end of this quarter.”
(At Teiko's bench)
Shirogane (Coach): ”Nijimura-kun, you will be going back in, Kuroko-kun you are out. We still don't know how Kageyama Shun can see Kuroko-kun.”
Shirogane turned towards Haizaki and said.
Shirogane (Coach): ”Haizaki-kun, you will be entering the game in the third quarter, so be prepared.”
He then looked at everybody and said,
Shirogane (Coach): ”I want all you to be more aggressive, be faster on the uptake, keep the ball moving. Akashi-kun, make sure to set the plays accordingly. That will be all.”
Team: ”Yes, Coach!”
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Both teams returned to the court for the second quarter.