By the afternoon, Midorima Shintaro, Kagami Taiga, and Takao Kazunari were utterly exhausted, after all, they had literally crawled back earlier as punishment. Each of them retreated to their rooms to rest.
Meanwhile, Haizaki Shogo teamed up with Shimizu Rena, facing off against Aomine Daiki and Satsuki Momoi on the beach. They were playing beach volleyball, mixed doubles. Haizaki and Aomine handled defense, while Momoi and Rena took charge of offense. The four of them laughed and competed freely, the rhythm of the game blending with the sound of waves.
Unbeknownst to them, a faint, almost invisible figure had already arrived nearby, quietly watching the match. The sun dipped lower. Golden light spilled across the horizon, painting the world in a dreamy glow as the sea reflected the last embers of daylight.
When the game finally ended, the four noticed the silent spectator. It was Kuroko Tetsuya.
"Kuroko, where are the others?" Momoi asked.
"That, they're already preparing the BBQ. I came to call you," Kuroko replied calmly. "But you all looked like you were having fun, so I didn't want to interrupt."
Aomine suddenly grinned. "Hey, Tetsu, how was it riding back earlier?"
"Riding?" Kuroko paused for a moment, then understood instantly what Aomine meant. "I only did that to train Kagami-kun. It wasn't 'riding,' Aomine-kun."
"Heh, Kagami's not here, just tell me, what did it feel like?" Aomine hooked an arm around Kuroko's neck, curiosity written all over his face.
Haizaki just shook his head. This guy really has some weird interests. He gestured for the girls, and the group made their way back to the guesthouse, where the others were waiting.
Soon, all eight gathered around a grill. Soda bottles clinked. Meat sizzled. Laughter echoed. For nearly three hours, they indulged in a feast that belonged only to youth.
After everyone was stuffed, "I heard there's an outdoor court in the center of the island," Kuroko said. "Let's go play basketball." The suggestion was instantly approved.
Under the dim glow of streetlights, they arrived at the island's open-air court. Few people were around, most tourists were by the sea. One half-court was occupied, but the other was empty. Naturally, they took it.
"Perfect," Haizaki grinned. "Six of us, let's go 3-on-3."
"Good idea!"
"Just what I was thinking!"
Energy surged through everyone the moment basketball was mentioned.
"How do we split teams?"
"Rena and Momoi will referee. The rest of us, palms or backs." Simple. Fair.
They formed a circle. Hands shot out. And just like that, the teams were decided.
Haizaki blinked. Is this fate? Or just ridiculous luck?
Palm side: Aomine, Kagami, Kuroko. Back side: Haizaki, Midorima, Takao.
Haizaki's lips curled into a grin. Now this is interesting. "Yo, Takao," Haizaki smirked. "Keeping an eye on Kuroko shouldn't be hard for you, right?"
"Leave it to me!" Takao replied, eyes gleaming. "For some reason, my blood's already boiling!" He turned to Midorima. "What about you, Shin-chan?"
"Worry about yourself." After a pause, Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Aomine, can you handle him?" he asked Haizaki. "I'll focus on offense."
"No problem."
Their ball. Takao inbounded. The ball flew to Midorima, who immediately faced Kagami. For the first time, Midorima was confronting Kagami directly, and there was a hint of anticipation in his eyes. A fast learner, but still inexperienced.
A feint. Kagami shifted. Too late. SWISH! A perfect three-pointer. Clean. Precise. Effortless. For Midorima, this was routine.
Kagami's eyes burned. So this is his pressure. He attacked, tried to break through Midorima's defense, failed. He passed back. Kuroko stepped in, and instead of catching, SMACK! He redirected the ball mid-air toward the rim. A shadow soared. BOOM!! Aomine slammed it in. Tie game.
From the sidelines, Momoi shouted, "Tie score! Go, Aomine!"
Haizaki clicked his tongue slightly. It wasn't that he hadn't reacted, he'd just been a fraction too slow. Aomine and Kuroko, their rhythm is insane. No words. No signals. Just instinct. That kind of synchronization eliminated hesitation, made every play fluid, unstoppable.
Next possession. Takao noticed Kagami tightening his defense on Midorima, forcing a pass. So he sent the ball to Haizaki. Haizaki dribbled casually, left, right, then, without warning, he tossed the ball toward the rim. A figure rose. BOOM!! A violent dunk.
Everyone froze. Kuroko. Aomine. Momoi. All staring. At Midorima. That dunk, was that really him? The same Midorima who once stubbornly relied only on long-range shots back in Teiko?
Kagami's eyes widened in shock. The speed. The jump. That wasn't normal.
Even Takao was stunned. He glanced between Haizaki and Midorima. So this is their level of trust? A hint of frustration flickered, then quickly turned into determination. I need to get stronger, or I'll just slow them down.
Under the island's night sky, the game intensified. Passion burned. Rivalry clashed. And somewhere in the rhythm of this casual 3-on-3, something deeper was quietly taking shape.
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