บท 82: Chapter 82: Greeting an old friend
"The pressure was intense!" Izuki exclaimed.
Aomine had completely shifted the momentum in Too's favor during the second quarter.
As the clock wound down, Kise realized that he couldn't truly compete with Aomine when he held such deep admiration for his skills, especially after Aomine broke through their defense again and racked up more points.
"...Then, I just need to stop admiring him," Kise mumbled his expression and focus altering as he made up his mind.
After the first half, both teams made their way back to their changing rooms. Kuroko appeared deep in thought and exchanged a few words before leaving his seat. Tsuna sensed that Kuroko might want to talk to Kise.
As the break ended, the crowd's buzzing sounds filled the arena once more. Both teams took to the court, ready to continue the intense match.
The third quarter commenced with Sakurai, Too's shooting guard, possessing the ball. Moriyama and Kasamatsu put on the pressure, with Kasamatsu making a skillful steal and passing the ball to Kise.
Imayoshi tried to stop Kise in his tracks.
But something peculiar happened; Kise appeared to be in a trance, murmuring something under his breath. He then pulled off a move that stunned everyone in the audience.
Kise flawlessly executed a crossover move that mirrored Aomine's style, forcing Imayoshi to foul him in an attempt to stop his advance.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Kise pulled off that stunning crossover move.
It was a moment that had everyone on their feet. Haizaki, on the other hand, couldn't believe his eyes; he stood up from his seat, his disbelief plain to see.
Tsuna calmly watched Haizaki's reaction, curious about how he would respond. But to his surprise, Haizaki abruptly left his seat, choosing not to watch the game further. Tsuna couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.
"It seems it wasn't the right moment," Tsuna mumbled, refocusing his attention on the intense game on the court.
Kise kept up his dribble, smoothly sidestepping Wakamatsu's defense, and then performed a stunning formless shot. It drew yet another foul, this time from Wakamatsu. Kise confidently sank both of the free throws.
Aomine observed everything in silence.
The Kaijo team's spirit was soaring, and the crowd was electrified by Kise's impressive imitation of Aomine's moves. Kaijo was making a strong comeback, slowly narrowing the score gap.
The excited crowd roared, celebrating Kaijo's retaliation. The atmosphere was electric as they cheered for the thrilling turnaround.
Yet Aomine was not about to be outshone.
He took possession of the ball and countered with his version of the formless shot, effortlessly sinking the basket.
"..."
A hush fell over the crowd as they marveled at the sudden and skillful move.
Every single member of Kaijo stared at Aomine in utter disbelief. It was as if Aomine was sending a clear message never to underestimate his prowess.
"That was a shot?"
"Unbelievable, no way!"
"Whoa!"
The crowd burst into euphoric cheers, reveling in the incredible display of skill. It felt like Kaijo was making a comeback, igniting a newfound sense of hope among the spectators.
But Aomine wasn't one to back down easily. The atmosphere crackled with tension as everyone awaited the next thrilling move in this intense match.
Kise reacted the same way as his teammate. He looked at Aomine, who turned to him.
"I don't have all day. Can't wait for you to get it together," Aomine said with a chilly tone as he returned to his spot on the court.
Kise fell into silence, watching Aomine's retreating figure.
Before he could react, a sudden smack on the back of his head made him flinch. He turned to Kasamatsu, irritated as he demanded, "What's that for!?"
"You're overthinking, you blockhead."
Kasamatsu sternly said and pointed to the whole team. "You really think we're that weak? Just do your part!"
Kise's teammates smiled supportively, encouraging him to believe in their combined strength.
Kise's heart swirled with complex emotions. His chest felt heavy, and he pondered if this was akin to what Kuroko often experienced.
"This is a weird sensation," Kise whispered to himself as the game raged on. Receiving the ball again, he flashed a small smile and continued, "But I don't hate this feeling..."
Observing Kise's smile, Kuroko somehow grasped the depth of his feelings and smiled along.
In a pivotal moment, Kise's determination crystallized.
With unwavering focus, Kise faced off against Aomine once more.
Aomine seemed to realize that Kise's gaze was different this time. But he just scoffed as he didn't think there would be any changes.
However...
Kise executed a flawless drive, seamlessly integrating his own style with Aomine's moves.
This made him lose his focus as he watched it in disbelief. Because of this, Aomine fouled him in his attempt on trying to stop Kise.
But Kise, with incredible finesse, tossed the ball behind his back and made the shot.
"...That was Aomine's move!" Imayoshi widened his eyes in disbelief.
Imayoshi clenched his teeth when he realized Aomine had acquired his fourth foul. One more and Aomine would be disqualified. This meant trouble for Aomine and Too Academy as a whole.
Aomine exchanged incredulous glances with Kise. However, Kise's expression held a hint of condescension as he gazed upon Aomine.
A prick to Aomine's pride.
Kise proceeded to make both free throws with precision.
With the ball in Imayoshi's hands, he attempted to set Aomine up for a play. But Aomine's focus seemed to waver, leading to an uncharacteristic fumble and enabling Kise to snatch the ball away.
Sakurai made an attempt to step in, but he found himself trailing in Kise's wake, closely shadowing Aomine's speed.
As Kise executed these moves, Aomine's demeanor turned icy.
He scoffed, "Hah, daring to look at me like that..."
Aomine rapidly shifted to intercept Kise. With Kise targeting a dunk, Aomine expertly swatted the ball away with a lightning-fast reflex.
Aomine seemed to apply no restraint to his block, sending the ball hurtling into the stands. Coincidentally, it sailed toward Tsuna, who smoothly caught it.
"Oh, you're here. Tsuna, they told us to come down and get ready..."
Suddenly, a voice resonated through the audience, breaking the tension.
Kagami's ears perked up, recognizing the familiar voice, and he couldn't believe his eyes as he turned his head. His mouth hung open in disbelief as he looked at the figure who had just spoken.
The figure spotted Kagami in the crowd and waved friendly, saying, "Oh, Taiga, you're here too?"
Kagami, still in a state of shock, stood there speechless and unable to respond.
Tsuna motioned for his team to head out while he strolled to the court's edge, a basketball balanced on his head.
He called back to the figure, "Hold on a sec, Alex. I've got an old friend to say hi to..."
The figure, now recognized as Alexandra, looked at him puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?"
But Tsuna remained silent. With a graceful movement, he sent the basketball hurtling through the air. The ball cut through space with a swift whoosh, powered by Tsuna's incredible strength.
Aomine instinctively turned his gaze towards the stands, feeling an unexpected shift in the atmosphere. He locked eyes with an incoming basketball, hurtling straight toward him.
Caught off guard, Aomine attempted to catch the ball, but it slipped through his fingers and tumbled across the court.
"Hey! That was pretty dangerous—"
He began to scold the unidentified person who had thrown the ball, but his words got lodged in his throat as he witnessed a familiar figure he hadn't seen in several years.
Seeing Aomine's shocked gaze, Tsuna just smirked in return.
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