Rika POV

I watch Kurosaki-san game while we were on the road to our practice match at Kurasuno and since it would take two hours I had some free time. The coach was sitting in the row behind the driver as I sat on the other side of her row. Everyone was either talking or either sleeping but Murosakibara was just eating his snacks he brought as Tatsuya was reading his magazine. I sigh seeing that most of our team that we brought are from the second-string group. I was here for two reasons, 1. I'm the team manager so I need to gather information on what needs to be improved, and 2. Murosakibara seems to listen to three people and I'm one of those people that he listens to.

"Rika-chin what are you watching?" I turn to see Murosakibara leaning forward to watch over my shoulder.

"Oh Mura-chan I'm watching Kurosaki-san game, turns out someone is live streaming the game." Tatsuya sat next to me to look at the game.

"That's Taiga team but what's up with the comments?" I read each comment and I felt a bit annoyed that the other team was doing to stir in is wrong but number 7 is protecting his team made me feel sorry for him. I know when someone is trying to protect people they care about, they always get hurt the most especially when they don't ask for help.

"Rika are you alright?" Tatsuya asked as I smile and nodded.

"Of course why wouldn't I be?"

"Rika-chin you look sad about something," Murosakibara said as I felt like my mask is starting to fade.

"I'm fine guys," I said as they look at each other.

"Here Rika-chin you might be hungry I can share my snacks with you," Murosakibara said as he gave me a Maiubo.

"Mura-chan," he smiles making me blush and thank him for the snack.

"Rika I know you have an older cousin but where does he go again?" Tatsuya asked as I smile.

"Kurasuno, the same school we're going to for our practice match today."

"Eh, so we might play against Rika-chin cousin?"

"Mura-chan my cousin doesn't play basketball he plays volleyball," I said as he groan.

"Rika-chan do you want to go see him while we're there?"

"I think it would be best if I don't he may look older but in truth, he's shy like me." They seem a bit suspicious but in truth that's how Asahi has always been.

'I wonder if Noya is still with him? It would be nice to visit them while I'm still here.'

Your POV

"He made it!"

"All right!"

The guys yelled in excitement as the coach sighed in relief for taking the chance of this gamble. Until now Tetsu intermediate passes have always been team plays, even if they seem like unexpected trick plays to their opponents, they're well-established attack patterns to our team. Still, that pass wasn't built into an attack pattern and even the others didn't know about that pass. In other words, Tetsu is changing the pass course on his own. Meaning that the other team won't know which way the ball will go and won't be expecting it.

'Now our come back starts now.'

Haruto POV

"How did he catch that pass?" Sakurai asked surprised about Kuroko's pass was caught by Kagami.

"He just did, when you practice with him every day you start to understand how Tetsu thinks. What you need isn't logic... it's trust." Aomine said as I smile as Momo-chan seem concerned about him.

"Of course, you would know you built trust with Kuroko and Kurosaki-chan but you easily shattered one trust. It makes me wonder, how come she still has the will to give someone a second chance?" I asked as he seem to know what I'm talking about.

"You've talked with her still?" He asked as I smile.

"Well at least I'm not running away from my mistakes," I answered as he groan.

'If he thinks I don't know wait until he meets the others he hasn't met with.'

Riko POV

'We're slowly closing the gap, but we're still not strong enough, we need one more push. Should we place her in and pull out Teppei or should we leave it be for now?' As the ball passed to Hyuga-kun he went to make the shot from the three-point line.

'Please Hyuga-kun!' As the ball hit the rim of the basket but it didn't make it.

"He missed!"

As Kiyoshi was holding back to guys and going for the rebound both numbers 5 and 7 hit Teppei making him not go for the ball.

"Is Kyoshi okay?"

"Coach if this keeps going he'll end up worse than he is," (F/n) said as she was worried as well.

'She's right, there's no other choice, if this keeps going then Teppei will get hurt and won't play basketball ever again.' I got up and made my way to inform them of a member change.

'I'm sorry Teppei but I have to do this.'

Your POV

"Seirin, time out!" The referí yells as get their drinks ready and some towels. As they rested I looked at the bruises that Kiyoshi senpai had and seem them a bit darker.

"There are a few things I want to say, but..." she started before taking a deep breath.

"First, you're at your limit, you're out, Teppei," she said as Kyoshi senpai was shocked and got up quickly.

"What? Wait a minute! Just a little more! If you take me out now-"

"No!" She cut him off before he could finish.

"If it means repeating what happen last year, I'd rather have you hate me." She said as she held in her sadness.

"Riko," he seems surprised about what she has been holding in.

"I agree too," Tetsu said as he looked at him.

"Kuroko?"

"I don't have an older brother, other than Ranmaru, but when you said you'd protect us, you seemed like one. It made me happy... I want you to keep protecting us, I don't want you to push yourself any harder in this game," Tetsu said as he seem surprised to say how happy he was to have Kiyoshi senpai around.

"I'm sick of this!" Hyuga senpai yelled as he got up and walked up to his face.

"We're telling you to leave the rest to us! So shut up and sit down! You think we'd break our promise?" Hyuga senpai said all serious and he seem to understand.

"(F/n) you're in now," the coach said as I nodded and walked up to Kiyoshi senpai.

"I won't let my teammates down," I said as he looked at everyone who smiled and nodded.

"You're right, the rest is up to you," he said to confirm he was switched out now.

"Of course, it is, moron! Stay there and wait like a good boy! We'll bring you back a ticket to the winter cup!" Hyuga senpai yelled as made our way to the court.

'This team is more than a team, it almost feels like we're one big happy family. One that I'm willing to protect with my life.'
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Hello everyone sorry for not updating as soon as I got back from my trip. To be honest I couldn't update or even edit after what happen over at my grandmother. So just so you guys know around the time I cross the border and getting my luggage checked out, one of my cousins that was staying at my grandmother home informed us that she had passed away. So when we arrive to city where they were going to pick us up they held a get together to say their final goodbyes it lasted all night and day before they would bury her where a cousin and uncle were buried. I wasn't close with her unlike everyone else but I choose that so I wouldn't have to deal with so much pain but even after that I wanted to scream and cry my heart but I refuse to do it especially infront of so many people. A few cousin that live in the states also took the first flight to say their goodbyes too and as well as the rest of the family that lived far from where she at. My mom was the most heartbroken but I've been keeping her distracted by taking her out like going to a park or even just going out to eat but she's been getting better now at least a little bit. So I thank you guys so much for your support and your kind words and jokes that some put cause they have help me out at least to have a bit more lively than I was before. I'll update as soon as I can probably after finish rearranging my room cause I'm in the middle of doing that as I'm writing this. So again thank you for everything and I'll see you in the next chapter.