Chapter 26 ~ Winter Cup
"OK guys!" Midorima Shinako shouted, raising her voice to get Shutoku's basketball players attention.
They all paused and looked at her except for Midorima Shintaro who shot another three pointer. Shinako's eye twitched and she held out her hand. Automatically, Takao handed her a basketball which she hurled towards Midorima's head.
There were soft snickers as it collided with Midorima's head.
"Shinako!" He shouted, whipping around to glare at her.
She rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Can you listen, Shintaro?" She had started to call him by his first name again because it kinda got weird calling him nii-chan in school.
"Fine. Hurry up nanodayo."
"OK. Now that Shintaro is listening... 10km running before practice. I'll explain the rest when you get back."
"Huh?!! Shina-chan!! Can't you cut it down a little?!" Takao complained, pouting and stomping his feet on the floor.
"No," she answered, finding amusement in Takao's misery. "Oh. And those who take more than an hour will have to do extra training with me."
She stifled a laugh as he was dragged away by Yuya.
After they had left the gym, she was all alone.
The coach wasn't there because he as sick so she had to take care of the team. And recently, she's been receiving a lot of hate because she's been hanging out a lot with the basketball boys.
Ashikawa Reina told her a girl from their class started a rumor. Though she didn't bother asking Ashikawa about the rumor.
She picked up the basketball and started to dribble, running towards the hoop before trying to dunk the ball in.
She shrieked as fell, landing on her right foot before she twisted it and fell to the ground with a thud. Damnit!! She thought angrily, holding her twisted foot. Nii-chan and Takao are going to kill me.
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"Tiny carrot!! What happened?" Fukui Kuroai exclaimed when she saw Shinako limping towards her.
Shinako sat on a bench, Fukui sitting beside her. "I twisted it."
"How can you be so calm!! Where the hell is carrot!!"
"They're out for a run."
"Ughhh, stupid carrot. Come, tiny carrot, I'll follow you to the infirmary."
She walked silently to the infirmary with Fukui. It wasn't very awkward with her because she's been to their house quite a few times since Shinako found out. And Fukui started calling her tiny carrot while she calls Fukui 'Fu-nee'. Shinako doesn't trust easily but Fukui is really like an older sister to her. Shinako believes that Fukui is the right one for Shintaro even though she doesn't really believe in love anymore.
"Are you planning to tell carrot?" Fukui asked, as the nurse wrapped her foot.
"No. I'll just try to act normal and hope they won't notice it. I can't afford to give Shintaro distractions," she explained, her foot feeling numb, "and besides, I need to help them train."
Fukui sighed before flicking Shinako's forehead. "Fine. I'll cover up for you. But just this once. If it's not healed by the end of Winter Cup, I'm telling carrot."
"Haiii, Fu-nee."
"AWWW! You're so cute when you call me that!!"
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It seems that Kuroko-kun won, Shinako thought to herself a small smile on her lips, I knew he would.
Midorima shot a three-pointer, pushing his glasses up with a smirk.
Well. We won too, Shinako thought, shrugging a bit.
"SHUTOKU HIGH SCHOOL ADVANCES TO THE WINTER CUP---!!!"
The winter cup... we're finally going to play against Sei-kun aren't we?
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"Shina-chan?"
"Ah, yes?"
"Why are you limping?"
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"Oh, then can you go running with us today?" Takao asked. "It's so boring without you," he said with a pout.
If she said 'no', he'll know. And if she says 'yes', it might get worse. But if she says 'no', she can't help anymore and Takao and Shintaro will get distracted from their training.
"Sure."
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"Midori-chan! Why is it so swollen?!"
"Shhhhhh!"
"Gomene. But why?"
Shinako massaged her swollen foot before sighing, "Takao made me run with them. And I couldn't say 'no'."
Ashikawa frowned at her. "Midori-san, stop being so stubborn."
"But I can't tell them!!"
"Shhh!"
Shinako grumbled, not liking being shushed. "Please Ashi-san. Only until the end of winter cup. After that I'll rest. Please. Just for winter cup. This is really important to me."
Ashikawa frowned. "I'm only doing this because you're my best friend."
Shinako hugged Ashikawa tightly, nearly suffocating the innocent girl. "Thanks, Ashi-san!"
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Shinako let out a sigh as she strolled around the park. She was still limping but not as much as before.
"Midorichin, is that you?"
Shinako stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Murasakibara Atsushi towering over her.
"Murasakibara-kun, nice to see you," she said with a smile. "How tall are you now?"
"Ah? 208cm. You've grown taller too, Midorichin."
"Really? I've only grown 5cm. Kuroko-kun is taller than me now."
"Oh. I just saw Kuroko the other day."
Her stomach rumbled and she looked up at Murasakibara. "You wanna eat?"
"Okay~"
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"Nii-chan! What's happening?" Shinako asked, plopping down beside Takao.
"Shina-chan... it just finished," Takao said with a sweatdrop.
"Huh?!"
"Where were you?" Midorima asked, crossing his arms. "You missed the whole match."
"I got lost," Shinako mumbled, ashamed.
"Shina-chan, maybe next time I'd have to follow you to the toilet," Takao said with a smirk.
"Hmm... sure," Shinako said winking at Takao and laughing at his flustered state. "I'm just kidding, Takao."
Midorima glared at the both of them. They actually had the nerve to flirt in front of him. How hilarious.
Shinako fiddled with her hair guilty. She wasn't lost at all.
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"109-71," Shinako said. "Not bad."
She looked up and her light green eyes met with a blonde haired girl's.
"Alexandra Garcia, WNBA," Shinako mumbled softly, immediately recognizing the foreigner.
"What?" Midorima asked with a frown.
"Huh, what? Oh, nothing," Shinako said.
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