The sun beat down hard over Seirin's outdoor pool, turning the water into sheets of glittering blue. Steam rose from the surface, mingling with the sound of sneakers squeaking on wet tiles and Riko's relentless whistle.
"Faster!" she yelled, hands on hips. "You call that resistance training? You should be fighting for your lives out there!"
"Fighting?" Kagami barked between strokes. "Feels like drowning!"
Beside him, Kuroko glided lazily, almost invisible in the ripples. "Coach," he murmured, "Kagami-kun's drowning isn't resistance. It's poor technique."
Kagami splashed water at him. "You little–!"
"Language!" Riko snapped, smacking him on the head with her clipboard.
The rest of the team howled with laughter until someone pointed toward the gate. "Uh, Coach… there's a girl outside!"
Riko blinked. "What?"
Sure enough, through the fence came a flash of pink hair and a cheery voice: "Hellooo~! It's so hot today, isn't it?"
A few of the guys immediately forgot how to swim. "That voice—" "Wait, who's that?" "She's… pretty."
Then the gate opened, and Satsuki Momoi stepped in, waving like she owned the place. The summer light caught her figure perfectly; even Riko blinked once in mild envy.
"Momoi!?" Kuroko said flatly, blinking water out of his eyes.
Momoi beamed. "Tetsu-kun~! Long time no see!"
"Tetsu-kun!?" The whole team echoed.
Kagami turned, eyes bulging. "Wait, you know her!?"
"She's… an old acquaintance," Kuroko said with his usual deadpan calm.
Momoi clasped her hands dramatically. "Old acquaintance? Don't lie, Tetsu-kun! I'm your girlfriend!"
"EHHHHHH!?" The entire Seirin lineup exploded. Even Riko's clipboard slipped from her hand.
Kagami's jaw dropped. "You!? You have a girlfriend!?"
Kuroko tilted his head. "No. She's mistaken."
Momoi stomped her foot, cheeks puffed. "I am not mistaken! We were always together at Teikō!"
Kuroko blinked. "So were a lot of people. We had a big team."
The Seirin boys collectively short-circuited. Hyuuga leaned toward Izuki. "Is this real life? How did the guy who's half-transparent pull someone like that?"
Izuki sighed. "True love sees through visibility issues."
"Shut up," Hyuuga groaned.
Momoi ignored them, crossing her arms and pouting at Kuroko. "Hmph. You've changed, Tetsu-kun. You didn't used to be so cold."
Before Kuroko could reply, a dry voice came from the gate: "Momoi. You're causing another scene."
Everyone turned.
There stood Midorima Shintarō, in casual clothes and that unmistakable air of precise irritation. He adjusted his glasses, scanning the pool, the chaos, and finally… Seirin.
"Midorima!" Kagami shouted, splashing toward the edge. "You here for a swim too, big guy?"
Midorima gave him the kind of look one reserved for mosquitoes. "Hardly. I came to retrieve Momoi before she infects someone with her dramatics."
"Rude!" Momoi huffed.
Kagami smirked, stepping out of the pool and grabbing a towel. "So, what, you come all the way here just to complain? Or are you still salty about that loss?"
Midorima's hand paused mid-adjustment of his glasses. His expression didn't change, but something flickered behind his eyes.
"That victory," he said slowly, "was a fluke."
Kagami's smile turned sharp. "A fluke, huh? You sure you believe that?"
"I do," Midorima said crisply. "Luck favors fools sometimes. But it never lasts."
"Say that again?" Kagami took a step forward, muscles tightening, water dripping off his shoulders.
Midorima turned his gaze away entirely. "Don't waste my time. You're not the one I came to see."
Kagami froze. "What did you just – hey! I'm talking to you!"
But Midorima had already walked past him, eyes locked on Momoi, who had folded her arms in curiosity.
He spoke in a quieter tone. "Momoi. You remember what Nijimura-senpai told us. About that American team."
Her eyes widened. "The one that destroyed his squad overseas?"
He nodded once. "Yes. I didn't believe him back then. I thought it was an exaggeration. Until now."
Kuroko, towel draped around his neck, tilted his head slightly. "Until now?"
Midorima exhaled through his nose, lenses flashing. "We played them. A week ago."
Riko, who had just stopped the guys from eavesdropping, frowned. "Who did?"
"Shutoku," Midorima said evenly.
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "So you're out here losing to Americans now too?"
Midorima ignored him. "We lost. Badly."
"How badly?" Riko pressed, clipboard ready but hand trembling.
Midorima's reply was flat, surgical. "One hundred and two to sixty-two."
The sound of cicadas filled the stunned silence that followed.
Momoi blinked twice. "That's – forty points?"
"Congratulations, you can count numbers," Midorima said. "They didn't just beat us. They dismantled us."
Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who were they?"
"The Onitsuka Athletic High," Midorima said. "A new school from Okinawa." His voice darkened. "Half their roster is foreign, and all of them… unnatural."
Kagami frowned, crossing his arms. "Never heard of 'em."
Midorima turned his gaze on him, quiet and sharp. "Pray it stays that way."
Riko's expression hardened. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Nijimura was right." Midorima's voice dropped, almost a whisper. "The team that scored two hundred points on him wasn't a bad joke. They exist. And they're here in Japan."
Every Seirin player froze.
Kuroko finally spoke, tone steady but cold. "You've seen them?"
Midorima nodded. "Survived them."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small flash drive, its metal casing glinting in the light.
"I have the footage."
Momoi gasped. Riko's eyes widened. Kagami's towel fell from his hand.
Even Kuroko blinked once – the closest he came to shock.
Midorima looked at them all in turn. "See for yourselves. What real monsters look like."