Dream Team: Kuroko No Basket LAST GAME

Part 10: His Former Light

Flashback continues...

It's been two minutes since Seirin entered their locker room and it's been two whole minutes that everyone's silent. No one was even making a single noise nor dared to talk after what Hanamori confirmed.

"What do you mean by that, Hanamori-san?"

"Aomine-kun... I don't think I can even stop him." Hanamori clenched her fists as she found herself so worthless.

"No way." Izuki heavily dropped his body on the bench. Knowing that his Eagle Eye cannot work on Touou's defense and even offense, he thought he's so worthless.

"But, I think I can stop Momoi. However..." She bit her lower lip out of her frustration. "Sorry, I really  cannot-" She's on the verge of tears when a hand rested on her head, it softly patted her.

"It's not like you to give up so easily." A course but gentle voice said making her raise her head, seeing her redheaded childhood friend. He smiled at her hoping that she'll cheer up even a little. And just like always, she managed to smile a little and contain her tears.

"Kagami-kun is right, Hanamori-san, I also think that you making Aomine come to the game means you haven't given up." Kuroko smiled as he faced their manager. "And, because of that, everyone haven't given up also." It's not Kuroko's style to relay novel long speeches, but the fact that it made the team fired up, helped Hanamori a lot.

She pulled a very deep breath to compose herself. Her team is right, it's not the time to be giving up. She's the one who commenced the beginning of the real game when she dragged Aomine in the game. Seeing her team not giving up, it made her motivated to think of other ways to stop Touou and not just that but to weaken them as well for them to win.

"Yosh!" She started making the team face her. "Oh! Riko-chan have something to give you." She said out of nowhere making the boys frown in confusion. On the corner, Riko slowly pulled a container. Hyuuga took it and when he opened they're fresh lemons soaked in honey. But, despite munching them down right off the bat disappointment enveloped their faces.

"At least slice them!" Hyuuga relayed making Riko berate back. "We're always telling you to slice them." He added remembering this as a repeated scenario during their first year.

"Well, I washed them this time around, so you can eat the skin! You can eat more with whole lemons than sliced ones, anyway!" Without listening to her, Izuki faced Mitobe hoping he can save them.

"...Mitobe, did you bring anything by chance." He looked at their silent teammate remembering that he sometimes make honey lemon slices and slowly he smiled and he took a container out of his locker making the team beam in glee.

"Mitobe, you're our savior!"

The while lemons were openly ignored as all of them wolfed down the decent lemons. To relieve herself, Riko took a whole lemon and went close to Kuroko.

"Kuroko." She handed the lemon to him. The phantom planned not to involve himself with the commotion with the snack for the day, but its hard to decline their Coach's offer knowing that she can do her killing stunts on him again and he doesn't want that.

Seeing his grim face, Hanamori took the lemon from Riko's hand and eyed it. "Well it's still a lemon, sliced or not." She smiled at Riko making the short haired coach feel so happy. It felt like she had her prince charming saving her from all the unappreciative demons.

The team immediately faced their manager as she held the while lemon and slowly she took a bite and suddenly went silent.

"Hanamori-san?" Kuroko asked for her attention worried. Everyone was hoping that she's not poisoned or something that might kill her.