What Lies Deep Within

These days after every play Shun made, he would go into introspection about the move that he made.

It was fortunate that he was currently at the summer camp because if he did that during an official game, the coach would've benched him from zoning out mid-game.

Shun was thinking about his previous play when he felt someone tap his shoulder and heard a voice.

???: "Oye."

He snapped out of his musing and turned to see the source of the voice.

Shun turned to see Leonal Claude, the Italian small forward, stanging two steps away from him.

Shun asked in confusion.

Shun: "Yes?"

Leonal stared at Shun for a moment and then spoke.

Leonal: "You are wasting your reflexes, and it is difficult for me to watch. If you want to improve, come here after the classroom session.

I won't wait for long, so come early, or I will leave."

Leonal didn't speak anymore and walked away, not giving Shun the time to ask any questions.

Shun scratched the back of his head and decided to meet Leonal in the evening.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

After the classroom session, Shun followed Leonal to the Division-One gym.

The gym was empty, but the lights were on. The players were allowed to play in there extra time, and Shun knew that many of the other players would come down here after some time and practice till dinner time.

Shun didn't do this because he had to review the practice footage, and his body couldn't handle any more practice.

So, this was Shun's first time coming to the gym in the evening.

Shun looked around and saw Leonal bringing a ball that he has picked from a basketball cage.

Shun spoke to him as Leonal walked towards him.

Shun: "So, why are we here?"

Leonal stopped in front of Shun and passed the ball to him.

Shun caught the ball and looked up at Leonal.

Shun: "Eh?"

Leonal stared at Shun and explained.

Leonal: "I will be blunt. I don't like to admit it, but your reflexes are better than mine. They are much better than mine."

Shun wasn't surprised at the sudden revelation.

He already knew that Leonal had abnormal reflexes, but he also knew that the current Leonal had the same level of reflexive ability as Shun.

Shun guessed the reason for that was because Leonal's body could respond better to the reflexes than Shun's body.

But now, with Leonal's revelation, it seems the body was just one of the reasons for it.

Leonal continued with his explanation. He bluntly spoke a statement that hit Shun in the wrong way.

Leonal: "You suck at using your reflexes. Your efficiency is utter garbage. Day after day, I watched you use your reflexes, and every time I would get frustrated seeing you use them in such a poor way."

Shun didn't like what he heard.

His God-Speed Impulse boosted reflexes were the reason he was able to play as he did, and Shun believed that he was doing an exemplary job of using his reflexes, but now listening to Leonal saying that he sucked was a hit to Shun's pride.

Shun's eyes locked on Leonal's face with a serious expression, and he said.

Shun: "Why do you say that?"

Leonal pointed at the ball in Shun's hand and said.

Leonal: "We play a few turns of one-on-one. I will reduce my speed to your level, which will level the playing ground.

Let's see how you perform in this contest."

Shun looked at the ball in his hand and then looked back at Leonal and nodded his head.

Shun: "Okay, let's do this."

-*-*-*-

Shun dribbled the ball at the key with Leonal in front of him.

Shun spent some time dribbling the ball on the spot to build some tension and restlessness.

When he thought that the wait was enough, he stepped to the right for a stiff-leg crossover.

Shun felt that the move was well executed and Leonal was going to move to the right, but as he moved back to his original position, he saw Leonal not falling for the fake, and stepping closer to him.

Shun was shocked at the sudden distance cut between them. He decided to drive past, but just as Shun moved to drive past him, Leonal speared his hands towards the ball hand.

Shun's eyes twitched as he saw the ball escape his hands.

Shun: 'Shit! Is this how everybody feels when they go against me in a one-on-one?'

It was the first time for Shun to be facing a person who had the same reflexes as him.

Shun: 'Then why is he able to react faster than me?!'

Leonal took control of the ball and shot a long-range two-pointer, which landed in the net after bouncing off the backboard.

Leonal retrieved the ball and walked to the top of the key and addressed Shun.

Leonal: "My turn."

Shun bit his lip and got into the position for defense.

Leonal looked at Shun with a disinterested expression on his face, and then suddenly moved straight towards him.

Shun was once again surprised by the sudden charge, and his body froze for a moment, but Shun wasn't going to let Leonal score so easily, and his reflexes and he got free from the freeze in a jiffy.

Leonal moved back a step after the sudden charge, and Shun followed after him to make the distance between them as short as possible.

Shun: "You are not getting away."

Leonal, while moving backward, faced himself sideways, so that the ball was away from Shun, and just for a moment the ball was out of Shun's sight, and Leonal took advantage of that moment and released the ball to the left, towards the direction his back was facing.

Shun, who was going forward, saw the ball from the corner of his eyes, but because he was moving forward, he was a step slower than Leonal to get to the ball.

Now, Leonal had space between them, and for his last move, just as Shun caught up to him, he did a sudden turnaround jump shot and once again shot with space between him and Shun.

Leonal saw the ball swirl on the rim and drop into the net, before looking at Shun.

Leonal: "So, did you spot the difference between us?"

Shun thought about the previous confrontation, but he couldn't spot what Leonal did differently to achieve the result.

He shook his head.

Leonal maintained his usual aloof expression and said.

Leonal: "I am not going to repeat, so listen carefully.

What you do is that you move before anyone else. You can react before anyone else, so you move much earlier than anyone else."

Shun interrupted and questioned.

Shun: "So, what is the harm in that?"

Leonal sighed and continued to explain.

Leonal: "The problem with that is this approach is what I consider a brute force approach. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a direct approach. There are times when you need to be direct and the fastest.

But, this is just one way to use your reflexes, but not all problems can be solved by such an approach, sometimes you have to be clever."

Shun frowned and asked.

Shun: "What do you mean by that?"

Leonal crossed his arms and said.

Leonal: "You don't need to move as fast as possible, sometimes take your time and think of a future move before going in for the ball. Your approach is to get the ball first and then think about what to do next.

If you take just enough time to think of a plan before reaching for the ball, then when you do get the ball, you can move immediately.

For offense, when you have the ball, you have to think one step forward and make the transition between moves as smooth as possible.

For people with normal reflexes, thinking forward midst of playing is tough, but for people like us, we who can react faster have more time to think and plan."

Leonal paused and brought up the previous exchange.

Leonal: "When I backed away and released the ball, I first made you move forward so that you would be a step late to chase the ball.

I planned that move when I made you freeze for a moment."

Shun's eyes widened at that revelation, but Leonal continued without stopping.

Leonal: "Next, when we both chased the ball, I reached the ball first, but you were able to arrive just a moment later, and that was because I was waiting to bait you with a turnaround jump shot.

Think one step forward, and you will be ahead of the curve of the competition."

Leonal sighed and revealed.

Leonal: "My reflexes are fast, but my body is slower than others, so I have to make use of my reflexes much more skillfully.

I can already tell that your body would up becoming faster than mine, and I thought that if you continued as it is, then it would be a long while before you discovered this way of using your reflexes."

Shun's eyes were wide open as he felt a completely new path open up to him.

Shun: "Planning ahead and smooth transitions."

Shun felt goosebumps rise on his skin as he clearly understood the implications of what could happen if he followed Leonal's advice.

He looked at the redhead and bowed deeply to show his appreciation and respect.

Shun: "Thank you for helping me; this seriously opened a new outlook for me."

Leonal nodded and then walked away after putting the ball back in the cage, but before he left, he left behind some words.

Shun followed shortly after, seriously thinking over the experience that he just had.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The next day, Shun was playing, and he decided to check something that Leonal had said to him before he left.

He looked in front of him, and there stood Leonal. Yesterday, he was able to beat Shun with ease because Shun was looking for what Leonal did differently, and his attention was divided.

Today, thought Shun was fully concentrated on him, and he was going not going to let Leonal beat him that easily.

Shun had the ball, he looked at Leonal and recalled the words that Leonal spoke just before leaving.

-*-*-*-

Leonal: "Listen to me, Kageyama Shun, breathe. Breathe, feel the air in the gym.

Feel the sweat that slides down your skin, feel the ground beneath your feet, it is always there, lifting you up, pushing you forward.

Feel the bio-electricity that runs rampant in your body. Feel its power, its speed, cruising through your nervous system.

Crackling through you. Traveling to every nerve in your body like a SHOCK.

It is not separate from you. You are a part of it, and it is a part of you.

Feel the impulse.

It's yours."

-*-*-*-

As Shun recalled those words, he felt the bio-electricity cruising in his nerves, and he felt in control.

Shun watched Leonal. He knew that he should try to follow Leonals advice, but for some reason, he felt that he should just let loose and go for his usual direct approach.

Shun: 'Let's go with something simple.'

Leonal and Shun stared at each, and then suddenly Shun moved.

He moved to the left. Leonal, who had solid reflexes of his own, moved to the left.

But, it was a fake as Shun extended his ball hand completely to the left, but then moved to the right and switched the ball to his right hand.

Leonal's eyes widened as he found himself falling to the ground, and Shun speeding past him.

He turned his head to watch Shun, and there was just one single thought in his mind.

Leonal: 'That was the fasted he reacted ever since he came to this camp.'

-*-*-*-

Shun's job wasn't finished, he dribbled towards the basket, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Ming running towards him to block his path.

Shun felt a jolt, and he immediately stopped and from mid-range got into shooting position.

Ming was surprised at the sudden stop.

Ming: "Shit, he stopped. I am not going to reach on time."

Shun, on the other hand, trained his eyes on the basket as he raised his hands to shoot.

But, then he stopped, he felt Gilbert coming from behind.

Shun: 'Pump-Fake.'

Shun brought the ball down, and Gilbert, who had jumped for a contest, flew past above him.

Gilbert: "Shit!"

Shun raised his arms and jumped for a jump shot that he felt was not going to miss.

He and everybody on the court followed the ball with their eyes. Rebounders got into position, but Shun just stood there, without a single shred of doubt that this shot could ever miss.

Shun: 'Midorima would approve.'

The ball swished into the net and Shun smiled, as he felt that a brand new path had opened for him.

Shun: "I am so glad that I came here."