Junior High Ends

"Looks like the finals this afternoon are against a school called Meiko!" Kise stretched lazily, clearly relaxed after an easy semifinal match earlier in the day.

"Yeah, no one else really measures up to Davis and his team" Aomine said, a trace of restlessness in his tone. After their intense game against the American team, he seemed to be craving a similar level of challenge.

"What's their deal again? Oh, the team with five decent players..." Murasakibara muttered nonchalantly, though a glimmer of interest flickered in his eyes.

"You mean the Uncrowned Kings or something?" Kise tilted his head, trying to recall.

"Yeah, that's it. They were tricky last year, but they've already graduated, right?" Murasakibara nodded.

"Well, regardless of the opponent, let's push through and secure the win" Akashi said with a composed smile, stepping into his role as captain to rally the team.

"Coach" Kuroko suddenly spoke up, walking toward Sanada.

"What is it?" Sanada turned his attention to Kuroko, curious.

"Can I start in the finals?" Kuroko asked earnestly.

"Why the sudden request, Kuroko?" Midorima asked, prompting the others to shift their focus to him as well.

"It's because your friend is on Meiko, right?" Shiro said with a knowing smile, immediately hitting the mark.

"Eh? Shiro, how did you know?" Kuroko asked, looking at him in surprise.

"I saw you together last year" Shiro replied casually before turning to the coach. "Coach, let Kuroko take my place in the starting lineup."

After a moment's thought, Sanada nodded. "Alright, that works"

Kuroko glanced at Shiro with gratitude in his eyes.

"If it's your friend, then give it your best and beat him" Shiro encouraged with a slight grin.

"Of course!" Kuroko replied firmly.

Time flew, and soon, the finals began. As the referee's whistle blew to signal the start, the players stepped onto the court.

"Kuroko! We finally meet in the finals!" exclaimed Ogiwara, his brown hair bouncing slightly as he beamed with uncontainable excitement.

"Ogiwara, let's give it our all. I won't go easy on you!" Kuroko smiled back, his tone resolute.

The warmth in his eyes quickly shifted to a piercing intensity, silently signaling to Ogiwara that this would be a fierce match.

"Absolutely!" Ogiwara replied, sensing Kuroko's determination and focusing himself fully.

The game began!

"Beep! Game over! Teiko wins 123:0 against Meiko, claiming the Nationals Championship!"

As the final whistle blew, Ogiwara stared blankly at the scoreboard, overwhelmed by a mix of exhaustion and disappointment. Reaching the finals had been a tremendous achievement, but this outcome was crushing.

"Ogiwara, are you alright?" Kuroko asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine. Congratulations, Kuroko, on becoming champions" Ogiwara said with a bittersweet smile.

Kuroko fell silent, unsure how to respond.

"You're Ogiwara, right? You played well" Shiro said as he approached. "At least you didn't give up until the very end. Middle school basketball is just the beginning — let's have a proper rematch in high school."

He then turned to Kuroko, a thoughtful expression on his face. 'I guess this is helping the original Kuroko grow'

...

As the sun set, the seven boys stood inside a dimly lit gym. Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing them in a warm, golden glow.

"From here on out, we're rivals. Let's meet again on the national stage in high school basketball!" Akashi's words carried through the room, reaching everyone's ears.

Shiro glanced at the group forming a circle and massaged his temples, thinking, So dramatic!

Kise chuckled awkwardly. "Do we really have to draw the line so quickly?"

"We're only rivals on the court. Off the court, we're still friends" Shiro interjected, swiftly addressing Kise's concern.

Murasakibara tilted his head. "So... we're just splitting up for a while?"

"Not exactly" Akashi replied with a smile. "Few schools can truly be called powerhouses, but none of us ever considered attending the same one."

Shiro added, "With our skill level, if we stayed together, no one in Japan's high school basketball scene could stop us. This time, we're fighting for ourselves. Right now, the best competition we have is each other"

Kuroko raised his hand timidly. "Um, does that mean I'll have to pick my own school too?"

"Of course. You've already decided, haven't you?" Shiro replied, pointing to a Seirin High School player's ID card that Kuroko had picked up recently.

"Yes!" Kuroko nodded. Ever since he had seen Seirin's team-oriented playstyle, he knew that's where he wanted to go.

"Then don't hold back. Let's see whose team comes out on top" Akashi said, his expression suddenly serious. As competitive as ever, he had never tasted defeat — except against Shiro and the American team.

"Sounds good" Kise said with a small grin, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'm looking forward to it"

Aomine, ever cocky, chimed in. "Now this is getting interesting. Not that any of you can beat me, of course" He paused for dramatic effect before adding, "After all, the only one who can beat me is me!"

The others groaned, rolling their eyes at his arrogance.

Midorima adjusted his glasses calmly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the group. "Then I'll simply do my best and leave the rest to fate."

Shiro chuckled, breaking the tension. "Alright then, each of us will fight our own battles. Tonight, though, I'll treat everyone to celebrate our championship victory!"

"Yay! Shiro's treating us!" Murasakibara shouted, his face lighting up with excitement. He adored Shiro's generosity, especially when it came to food.

As Murasakibara cheered, the others couldn't help but laugh. Even with high school on the horizon and the likelihood of going their separate ways, their bond remained unshakable.