Kuroko POV

After that night with Momoi-san I've been working on my new technique that I've been working on with (F/n). Though she seems more stressed out than she normally gets. With exams coming up and preparing meals for us and the housework, then their basketball practice. I've tried helping her out as much as possible by keeping the place clean and keeping my grades up but she still gets stress. I wonder if Akashi's message is the cause of this and if it is, what can I do to help her with it.

I was in my room trying to get some studying done, but I began to worry for (F/n) and her health. I had to close my book and lay on the bed and look up at the ceiling. There was a knock on my door and I got up to open it to see (F/n) standing there with a worried look.

"Tetsu, can I come in?" She asked as I nodded and let her in. We took a seat on the floor and I could tell she wanted to tell me something.

"Is something wrong?" I asked hoping she'll talk about it now.

"I'm not sure anymore, the preliminary are coming up soon but that's not what I'm worried about." She said as I wasn't sure if I should say something but I let her keep talking.

"The message from Akashi keeps replaying in my head but I keep getting those memories from our last game together." She said as she hugged herself trying to keep herself together.

'So that's what been eating her away, the memories she and Akashi shared are probably keeping her from moving past trusting others.' I got up and hugged her which surprised her.

"Tetsu?"

"It's okay to rely on others, but you need to open up to others too. I know the guys will appreciate that you're trusting them with your past. I'm sure once you open the lid you sealed you'll feel a huge weight will be lifted off your shoulders." She seem hesitant but closed her eyes.

"Thanks, Tetsu," she whispered as I smile feeling a bit relieved that she can rely on me.

"We should get some sleep we have the preliminaries game tomorrow." She said as I nodded.

"I heard you'll be sitting out in this game, why is that?" I asked since I heard Hyuga senpai and the coach talk about it.

"Coach said since I'll be used as a trump card. So in case, we have our next opponent watching our game tomorrow they won't know my moves." She said as I nodded.

"Makes sense I guess," she just shrugged her shoulders and began to walk out of my room.

"Try to get some rest (F/n), even if you're not playing tomorrow you should still rest properly." She smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry Tetsu I'm almost done with the food for tomorrow and I finished the lemon soaked in honey already." She said as I sigh seeing that she was still cooking for everyone.

"Alright just don't stay up too late," I said as she nodded and went to the kitchen.

'Seriously she can be a handful sometimes, but that's part of her charm I guess.'

Kagami POV

As we waited for everyone to arrive I started spinning the ball with my left hand. After so much practice I've finally been able to use my left hand as I do with my right hand.

"Woah!"

"You're getting pretty good with your left arm," Furihata said as I kept playing with the ball.

"Yeah, it's even been easier to eat with this hand lately," I stated but they stared at me in disappointment.

"So you still can't sleep the day before a tournament, huh?" He asked as didn't know what he meant.

"You look terrifying," he said making me even more confused.

'Am I really terrifying?' I looked over to where our senpais were discussing about something but I kept an eye on where those two will pop up. Since they like to show up behind me and scare me every time they get the chance. I honestly starting to think they do it on purpose whenever they have the chance.

"We better get going! Is everyone here?" Coach asked as Hyuga senpai seem to look around.

"We're missing two, oh Kuroko and (F/n)?" He said while still looking.

"We're here!" We all jumped and turn towards Kuroko's voice.

"You're here?!" We all yelled as Kuroko and her stepped up to view.

"Yes, we've been here the whole time," she said as Kuroko let out a breath of relief.

"No, you're lying this time! You two barely made it on time running here!" They flinch as I caught them red-handed for being late.

"Silence?!" They didn't say anything as I notice that she was carrying a bag which meant she prepared lunch for the team again.

"Let's go, we haven't forgotten anything, have we?" Hyuga senpai said as (F/n) walked over to the coach and handed her a notebook.

"What are you talking about? We're on our way now to go get it!" She said as she began to walk with (F/n) beside her.

'What was in that notebook?'

Rika POV

"Geez, why do we get a lot of homework and during the exam time too," I said as felt a headache coming in.

"Well, they're trying to prepare us for the future Rika-chan," Tatsuya said as I felt tired just thinking about our future.

"Rika-chin why does (F/n)-chin hate me?" Mura-chan asked as I looked to the side.

"Well, um... I don't think she hates you more like she doesn't trust you." I said as he kept eating his snack for today. My phone received a notification from Ayame.

"Who's Ayame?" Mura-chan asked as I smiled.

"A friend from my dancing days, she coaches (F/n)-chan and Masaomi-kun for dance. She sometimes sends me messages and lets me know what's happening back at the studio." Tatsuya looked at my message and smiled.

"She seems nice to let you know that the winter cup preliminary are starting. Is she into basketball too?" Tatsuya as I close my phone.

"Not really she to focus with the dance studio and helping her brothers out. She only got into basketball probably two years ago and that's cause (F/n)-chan was still in basketball at the time." I stated as he began to read his basketball magazine for this month.

"I guess this year we're having a special bracket for the Winter Cup." He said as he read the magazine

"A special bracket?"

"What do mean by special bracket Tatsuya?" I asked seeing I'm still new to the sport.

"Well, it says here that this year's winter cup commemorates some kind of anniversary." He said while showing me the article he was reading.

"So I guess the first and second place teams on the inter-high automatically participate, right?" He nodded as we kept walking together to practice.

"There are going to be more schools participating this year. In other words, your friends Aomine-kun and Akashi-kun are in the special bracket. Kise-kun will be participating in the regular bracket along with us." He said to Mura-chan as I began to shiver remembering our game against Rakuzan.

"Hm? Anyway, Muro-chin, you seem pretty fired up." Mura-chan asked as I noticed it as well.

"Because I didn't play in the inter-high,  I'm so excited to play against Taiga and your friends, I can't help myself." He said as I began to worry but not for them but for (F/n)-chan.

"Just be careful you two when you play against the other miracles, I don't want you guys getting hurt out there," I said out loud for them to hear.

"Don't worry we'll be fine and who knows we'll probably win this time," Tatsuya said as I smile but I still have that awful feeling that something will go wrong if we're not careful.

'(F/n)-chan I hope you're alright, wherever you are.'

Riko POV

"Achoo!" I looked to where (F/n) was at seeing that she sneeze pretty loud.

"Are you alright?" Hyuga asked as she nodded.

"Yeah either allergies are acting up or someone is talking about me." She said hoping it's just that and not some cold.

"Ready, guys?" I asked since we were waiting in the locker room.

"(F/n) is going to go over what we're doing at the winter cup again. Go ahead (F/n)-chan," I said as she came up.

"As you know now there are eight other schools that will be participating in the preliminaries. Two of the eight schools will win the right to participate in the winter cup. After today's games, they'll be narrowed down to four schools and those four schools will play a league series and the top two schools will go on to the winter cup. However this time the participating teams are the eight schools from the inter-high preliminaries. In other words, they're powerful teams who had successful summers." She said as she explained everything to the guys.

"Our opponent today is the 6th place team, Josei high school! Let's win this!" I said with motivation.

"Right!"

"One more thing, (F/n)-chan won't be playing for this game and if we win the first half of the next game. She'll be our trump card for the time being. So don't go thinking I'm going to rely on her copying style, at least not today." They all nodded seeing that if her health goes down our team may go down with her.

"Listen guys there's a reward if you win today's game and that's today's lunch. So try not to lose, okay?" She said as everyone seem fired up about the food she made today.

'Well, at least she knows how to motivate them.'

Your POV

As I prepare everyone's water bottles and towels I sat beside the coach and get ready observe today's game.

"Let's go!" Hyuga senpai yelled as our lineup for today went in. This time it's Hyuga senpai, Izuki senpai, Teppei senpai, Kagami, and Tetsu. Since this is our first game in the preliminaries for the Winter cup we can't afford to lose focus. Though I'm a bit worried about how relaxed Teppei senpai is today, but I trust my team and I know that Teppei senpai won't let us down. After all, he was known as the Iron heart for the uncrowded kings.

"Let the Winter cup preliminary game between Seirin high school and Josei high school begin, bow!" The referí said as I notice one of the players on the Josei team was crying.

'What's up with that guy?' I guess I'm not the only one who notices cause the whole team seems to notice. Then yelled while pointing at the coach.

"She's not sexy at all! Give back what you stole from me!" He yelled as we all began to shake.

I looked over to the coach and the reaction she gave was something I was not expecting. She smiled sweetly and did a have movement but we all knew what she meant.

Go slaughter them.

'Dear God why did that guy have to say it out loud.' I looked back up and see him staring at me now.

"Why couldn't she be the coach she's way hotter than the plain one!" He yelled as which cause me to give Kuroko a signal sorta similar to the one coach made but he understand what I meant, and the look of the other guys they knew we won't accept failure.