The Author (Kuroko no Basket)

Lovesick Fools

(A/N: Hello, readers! I'm back! I'm on summer break so I'm hoping to update more frequently, but I also have other stories that I'm writing so that will probably stop me from working on this one. I'll at least try to update The Author once a month. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy! :D)

Chapter Eight

After breakfast, training started. The players split up into their respective teams. The plan for today was that every team would be doing a different workout. After a certain amount of time, they would rotate so by the end of the day, everyone would have done everything. The teams would train then get a practice break halfway through the morning training, continue training, they'd gather together for lunch when it was time, go back to practice, get another practice break, train some more, eat dinner together, and finally continue on with their table tennis tournament.

They started with Seirin doing sprints and footwork training, Kaijo running, Shutoku doing individual court drills (like shooting), Touo doing circuits, Yosen doing partner drills (like passing and one-on-one games), and Rakuzan doing leg training. Kaijo was running on the beach, Shutoku and Yosen were doing their exercises in the gym (and yes, there was a gym in Akashi's hotel facility), and Seirin, Touo, and Rakuzan were at the outdoor basketball hoops that was a little ways farther than the gym. The whole resort was basically the perfect place for athletes to train and relax, as expected from Akashi.

Now, this could've gone smoothly, but not all things go according to plan.

The Generation of Miracles all had different things that distracted them and that eventually disturbed practice. Let's start with Seirin, shall we?

With Seirin, all of them were pretty shaken up by the incident they'd witnessed at breakfast between Midorima and Takao. Hyuuga was a little more distracted since he pretty much thought that Akashi was out to kill him after he'd accidentally walked in on him and Kuroko last night.

The two Seirin players that were majorly distracted were the light and shadow duo. Kuroko had his brain filled with Akashi, and Kagami was the same with Aomine. It didn't help that both of the distractions were nearby doing their training, which was when the duo thought they looked the coolest. The partners couldn't focus at all. Their eyes kept wandering to their respective distractions, both of them kept spacing out. Kagami wasn't paying attention, and Kuroko kept stumbling and tripping on his own feet.

Riko obviously noticed that something was wrong with them since they kept making mistakes throughout the first exercise. She checked her watch. It was almost time for their break. She blew her whistle, deciding to give them their break early.

"Okay, break! Get some water and rest up before we rotate positions with Rakuzan! You have ten minutes!" After Kuroko and Kagami grabbed their water bottles, Riko pulled them aside. "Kagami, Kuroko, I need to talk to you two for a bit."

The duo looked at each other with dreading expressions, knowing they were in trouble, but followed anyway. The other Seirin players noticed but decided it was best to stay away.

"Okay, you two. Spit it out. What's bothering you?" she said. "Both of you have been spacey since breakfast, and you've been stumbling in your footwork all of this morning." She put her hands on her hips. "Is something worrying you? Before I'm your coach, I'm your friend. You can trust me with important matters."

Both players were looking at the floor, but Kagami answered first. "I think I might be sick." He sighed. "I wanted to keep practicing so I didn't say anything."

"Bakagami!" Riko yelled. "If you're sick, say something! So what's happening to you?"

"I don't know. Heart palpitation? It only happens sometimes around certain people. Like, it's not happening now. Alex said I'd be okay," the redhead said, scratching his head.