ROADSIDE FLOWERS ( t. kageyama )

xvii. feathers

▪♡

roadside flowers.
chapter 17: feathers
--

when the third quarter arrives, our team manages to get a one point lead on johzenji with rintaro's dunk. but it only lasts for a couple of seconds because johzenji's captain manages to shoot a three point shot.

the game is in their favor for long, but halfway through the third quarter, aichi and taiyou-senpai rack some points with their plays. rintaro manages to evade the center with the help of matsuoka-senpai who has devoted himself to defense. the johzenji center is always chasing after rintaro since he's one of our most energetic point getters.

"our basketball team's strong..." hinata says. "they all go bam then jump and fwoosh!"

i tilt my head to the side, curious at what he meant, but tobio-kun kicks hinata aside and turns to me, telling me, "don't concern yourself with this idiot, you'll grow dumb."

"as if you're any better kageyama-kun!" hinata accuses. "bakageyama!"

"hinata, you—"

i didn't bother stopping them, afraid to get caught in the crossfire.

johzenji manages a barrage of three points toward the end and the third quarter ends with only a two point difference in favor of us.

the referee blows the whistle and the fourth quarter begins. the ball is on johzenji's hand.

"teru, your face is scary..." tobio-kun's voice rouses me out of my intense gaze.

my hands instinctively move to my face, and i realize that i have been scrunching my face with pallid distaste at the johzenji center. i can't help it, he's a huge thorn on our side.

the same fiasco repeats. taiyou-senpai probably misjudged that center's capabilities, he's not just adept at defense, his offense is also monsterlike. the side of our court is filled with people donning expressions of hopelessness, despair sinking sinking slowly into the atmosphere like a poisonous cloud. the last quarter is ending in two minutes and they have an eight point lead.

"defense!" johzenji's supporters yell as the rintaro dribbles the ball for one of his dunks.

"defense!" they shout again, their voices resounding throughout the gymnasium.

"defense!" the screams leave me helpless. i want to help the team, but the only thing i can do right now is watch.

"defense!" the chorus of yells increase in volume, almost at a deafening degree. i dislike the sound, but for this time, it's something that can bring about a lot of strength in our players.

"offense..." i mumble. "offense."

i repeat the words over and over again, the volume increasing at each repetition. firmer. louder. stronger. my fingernails dig into my flesh as i hold my head up high and finally, "offense!"

my voice is loud enough to be heard.

"offense! go karasuno!" my throat hurts. it's my first time screaming at such a volume and for a second, i falter, opting to be quiet, but then i hear the people around me screaming. they're joining my cheers. even tobio-kun who is normally aloof contributes in a yell of stuttering offense!

"go karasuno!"

i see rintaro grinning, his eyes covered by the fringes of his hair as he jumps and slams the basketball into the hoop. the crowd cheers again and he looks at me with that bright smile on his face.