Tiger's Goddess

Chapter 24 Kagami

"Seirin, time out." The ref yelled and we all went back to the bench. I wiped off some of my sweat before drinking some water as Coach told us what to do. That's when I glanced at Kuroko. I sat my hand on his head. 

"Hey, don't tell me you're going to keep letting them get you." I said. 

"Well, I suppose I don't like it." He said. 

"That's what I like to hear! Coach!" I said getting her attention. 

"Let us keep going like this, please." I said. 

"Like this? You know your misdirection won't work against Takao-Kun, right? Are you going to be okay?" 

"I'm not okay. I have a problem." Kuroko said. 

"Yeah, I see...I mean, what are you going to do?" Coach asked only for the buzzer to go off.

"Time out over."

"Take care of Takao." I said as I stood up. 

"Okay." Kuroko said and I glanced over at Shutoku. Let's go say hi. We've got a new play to give them. I thought before we went back to playing. 

Takao POV

"Hey, did you come up with a plan?" I asked Kuroko. 

"I'm still thinking." 

"You're doing what?" I asked him before I caught a ball and did a quick lay up. 

Aida POV

"A-Are the senpai's already short of breath?" 

"It's still only the first quarter." 

"It's okay. This game definitely depends on Kuroko-Kun and Kagami-Kun, who we had on reserve. However, that's not all." I said before I lifted my hand to reveal part of one of the statues I made Hyuga-Kun break for training.

"What is that?" 

"One I broke before." 

"Broke?"

"After we lost last year." I said as I thought back to last year, so I could tell the underclassmen. 

"Hey, Coach. How can I make shots even while under pressure?" Hyuga-Kun asked me. 

"Huh?"

"All our players are my age, and I'm not a very good leader. It's even more upsetting when a girl in her last year of Junior High is Captain of her Street Ball team, and lead her team to victory. I want to be able to lead everyone with my own play." Hyuga-Kun said and I put a hand to my chin as I thought about it for a couple seconds before I got it. 

"You have to get used to it. Always play under pressure, and you'll get used to it. For example, break one of your precious Sengoku warrior figures for every shot you miss during practice." I said making him react, and I heard him groaning as he contemplated it making me sweat drop as he held his head, while he was on his knees. 

"Okay, I'll do it!" He said. 

"What? Really?" I asked him and he went straight to work.

"Who cares about kings? Go die!" Hyuga-Kun said as I finished the tale. 

 "His personality kinda suffered a little, though. Hyuga-Kun will always make important shots." I said.