That Manager - Kuroko no Basuke (Book 3)

第72Q

While tying his shoelace, Yasu went through the theory behind Reo's Heaven, Earth and Void shots with Hyuga, confirming both their guesses, and they were able to come up with a final deduction. "I think that's about it." she said.

With a tug on his shoelace, he said, "Yeah. Thanks, Yasu." The said girl smiled at him, followed by a nod.

Just then, his teammates walked towards them when the third quarter ended. "Hyuga, you're coming in?" asked Izuki.

"Yeah." he replied before standing up. "I'm fully aware of the risks. Even so, I will beat Mibuchi this time!"

"Sorry, Hyuga." said Koganei dejectedly. "I didn't have it in me."

"What are you saying?" asked the said boy. "It's thanks to you, Yasu was able to figure out the entire thing and I'm able to fight." He held out his fist to him, causing Koganei to look up, and said, "I'll make him suffer plenty for you too."

Looking at his fist with a smile, Koganei bumped his against Hyuga's. "Yeah, I'm trusting you to." he said. "Please do, Hyuga." When they extracted their hands, Mitobe placed a towel over Koganei's head and looked away while reassuringly patted his shoulder. Koganei knew what he meant and shed tears of frustration, wiping them away with his arm before trying to hold in his sobs.

Hyuga stood at the side of the court with Riko behind him. "Coach, I have one favour to ask." he said. Once he got her attention, he turned around to reveal his nervous self as he raised a trembling hand. "Got something for these jitters in my hand?"

"Wait, didn't you nail that call-out just now?" she asked with surprise.

"This is something different!" he corrected in a loud whisper as he tried to calm himself down. "I got four fouls! The pressure on me is something else!"

Riko let out a mushroom sigh. "Jeez, really." she muttered. "Turn around!"

"S-Sure!" Once Hyuga had his back facing her, she raised her hand up high and slapped his back as hard as she could, causing him to wince in pain. "That hurt!"

"The break is over." announced the timekeeper.

"Alright!" said Hyuga before walking towards the court. "Let's go!"

While the others went to join him, Kiyoshi, who was still on the bench, gripped his knee before walking towards his teammates. But Yasu noticed this and called, "Tep-nii?"

The said boy turned to look at her with a smile, trying to hide his pain from her and everyone else. "What's wrong, Ya-chan?" he asked.

She looked at him for a few second before shaking her head, smiling at him as well, though hers was fake. "It's nothing." she said. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Ya-chan." he said.

"Kiyoshi." called Hyuga.

"Yeah." responded the said boy before joining him and the others as they were huddling in a circle.

Yasu's gaze was fixated on Kiyoshi, and a frown flickered across her face. "I'm worried about him, Riko-senpai." she said to the coach, who was standing next to her while watching the boys.

"I know, Yasu-chan." she said. "Me, too. But let's just hope he's okay." Yasu nodded to respond to her sentence.

"We'll make sure we win!" said Hyuga. "Seirin, fight!"

"Yeah!" shouted the rest before the five regulars went back to the court at the same time as Rakuzan.

"Fourth quarter at last." said Kasamatsu. "This will decide the winner of the Winter Cup."