"Wow! This match is really tense! I actually can't figure out a winner between the two teams!"
"I know what you mean. They're definitely evenly matched. I wonder how the game will go..."
As the crowd talked and gradually grew in size, the warmips after about a minute, began to conclude as the two captains of the team met at half court.
The captains shook hands as Nijimura stared at the shorter white haired boy in shock, who simply looked at the taller boy with a polite smile.
"Hikigaya Ryouta, a pleasure to meet the best power forward in the middle school basketball scene. Though I'm sure that title will sooner or later be taken from you." Hikigaya introduced himself to his fellow captain.
Instead of being offended by the comment, Nijimura simply laughed. "Yeah, I agree. The little momsters in both mine and your teams are no jokes. I don't think I'll be able to keep up." The boy said in response.
"Please do not sell yourself short Nijimura-san. We all have a long way to go and I'm sure those forwards in your team have a lot you could teach them." The white haired prodigy said seriously.
"I appreciate that."
As the two captains spoke with each other, the other players also got together and mingled with each other.
Aomine, who saw Momoharu and Isame, waved at the two. Momoharu smiled and walked over while his friends followed along, wanting to meet the other prodigies they were often compared to.
"Haru, who do you think is going to score more today?" Aomine asked his friend with a smile as Momoharu smirked at his friend.
"I think it's quite obvious." The blond stated while placing himself on a pedestal as Isame just looked at the blond haired boy with a deadpan expression.
Suddenly, the giant yawned as he stretched. "Pipe down Haru-tan. We all know Chi-tan's going to score the most out of our team probably with his insane shooting." Masahiko said with a yawn as Momoharu gritted his teeth.
"Oi! Stop giving out information about our teammates! These are our rivals we're talking to! Baka!" Momoharu exclaimed.
"I believe that Hikigaya-kun will be the most impactful on the floor however. His insticts as a point guard are unmatched in the basketball scene." Watanabe stated as everyone just noticed he was there also.
"Where did he come from!?" Aomine exclaimed.
"Not you too Ikari." Momoharu whined. "Enough of this. We'll be talking much after the game. For now, I suggest we go back to our half before Hikigaya calls us himself." Mibuchi asserted himself as the vice captain
As he said this, the players made their way to the middle of the floor where they bowed in front of each other as the formal greeting and got in position for the jump ball.
Both towering behemoths stood against one another in the middle of the floor. No words were exchanged as they understood that all the talking would take place on the court.
The referee stood in between the two with the basketball in hand, ready to toss it up for the jump ball.
"Are both players ready?" The ref asked as both centers gave a brief nod.
Hearing this, the referee got ready, before tossing the ball up high into the air, leaving it up for grabs as both giants launched themselves upwards, propelling themselves towards the ball.
For a while, it looked as if they were evenly matched, until Masahiko used his superior length to seamlessly swat the ball to his captain.
The white haired boy, aleeady ready to receive the ball, caught it with ease and bounced it on the floor, the sound reverberating around the stadium as cheers suddenly took its place.
After witnessing this, the rest of Meikō's team got into their preferred positions. Mibuchi was on the outside ready to receive a pass for a catch and shoot opportunity.
Both Ogiwara and Momoharu were inside the arc and just outside the paint, both ready to receive the ball and penetrate inside for a easy finish at the rim.
Masahiko was directly under the basket ready to perform his usual powerful dunk and earn the team two points.
Hikigaya, as the team's point guard, was able to see all of this and more. While all of his teammates were in their preferred positions, so were the opponents, guarding each of his teammates and giving him no space to make a pass.
They must not know why he was the best playmaker in middle school.
He'd show them.
As the point guard leisurely dribbled the ball past half court, he surveyed his options before Akashi quickly approached, wanting to tightly mark the prodigy before he could make a play.
"What will you do in this situation, Hikigaya-kun?" While it may have sounded like a taunt, the conglomerate heir meant nothing behind the question.
"You must not know of my reputation. Allow me to demonstrate why I am the best point guard on the court." Hikigaya replied as he suddenly amped his speed up tenfold, catching Akashi off guard and leaving the maroon haired boy scrambling.
Nijimura, seeing this, swiftly approached, intending to catch the boy off guard with his agility. "Don't leave your man unguarded." Warned Hikigaya politely as, with finesse, he bounced the ball through the black haired boy's legs, sending it straight into the waiting hands of Ogiwara.
As the brown haired small forward caught the ball, a certain teal haired boy in the stands payed attention.
"Nice pass! Hikigaya-kun!" Exclaimed Ogiwara happily as he slithered through Teikō's defense with fancy dribble moves and his raw speed. As he approached the basket, he leaped up high into the air, intending to slam it down over the behemoth known as Murasakibara.
"You clearly don't know what happens if you try that..." The purple haired boy, who appeared to be uninterested, spoke up as he leaped up, determined to block this dunk akin to how he has done so many times before.
"You jump higher than I thought." Ogiwara stated offhandedly as he looked at his friend also jumping high into the air.
"But I'm not alone!" He exclaimed as he appeared to be shooting a floater as he released the ball high into the air and over the tips of Murasakibara's fingers. "Hah?"
Suddenly, a large hand caught the ball with ease as he slammed the ball down into the basket unmercifully as everyone heard the cracks the rim made. "It sucks that I can't use all my power usually. Hikki-tan tells me to hold back often. But against you. I feel if I don't give my all, then I'll surely lose. Which is such a drag. But, if it means I'll win, I guess I'll go all out." The giant drawled out as the basket came tumbling down.
"Masahiko-kun!" Ogiwara exclaimed.
"This is such a drag." The giant said.
"Technical foul! Green!" The referee's whistle was heard as it abru stopped the conversation between Ogiwara and Masahiko.
"Well done you overgrown donkey!" Momoharu commented as Isame looked on bored. "This is what I get for trying huh?" The giant replied with a faraway look, it was as if he wasn't even interested in the match?
"The least you could do is look remorseful! Now we've got to wait years until they fix this!" Momoharu exclaimed while pointing at his close friend.
With his remark, he was met with silence...
"Huh? Did you say something?" The giant drawled out as he turned his attention to his friend, no hint of remorse on his face, the same bored expression was plastered across the boy's face, as always.
"Isame...." The blond spat out the name as if it was poison, attempting to calm himself down before he launched himself at the boy.
The rest of the players watched the one sided argument between the two continue as the officials got to work in setting up a new basket...
–––
TBC
