Let’s Form a Team! Part 1

Days passed and Hideki was just chilling in his school life. 

If you'll ask if he is still playing basketball, he only plays after school with some College students that are playing in the basketball court near their house, just a few minutes walk from there. Of course, he dominated the games to the point where the guys wanted him on their teams every pickup games. 

And another story is that those who didn't play would wage a bet on how many points Hideki would score, without Hideki himself knowing. If he knew, he'd just laugh it off and just play it off and hope the right guy wins.

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On a lunch break, 2 next weeks after the club recruitment phase, Hideki, Megumi and Riko were in their classroom just doing what they want to do. Hideki was just reading a basketball monthly published magazine and saw all kinds of articles, from international stars in the NBA down to the Middle School teams, specifically Teiko. Megumi was writing an article for the Sports Admirers Club and Riko was just playing a game on her console.

Speaking of basketball, Hideki remembered Riko's another childhood friend who played in Middle School, Junpei Hyuga, so he asked her "So Riko." Riko didn't look at Hideki and asked "Yeah Hideki?" 

Hideki then asked his question, "So didn't you said a friend of yours is also here at Seirin? The guy who was always at Kagetora-ojisan's gym every time? I didn't see him after 2 or 3 weeks here at school" Riko paused her game and looked at Hideki and said "Well yeah, Junpei's here but I don't think you'll recognize him." 

Hideki squinted his eyes and asked Riko "So did he get a new makeover? Like 'New School, New Me'?" Riko giggled and said "Yeah, you got that right, not sure about the 'New me' shtick" Hideki laughed and said "It's fine, we're High School now, everybody's entitled to any form of change" Hideki then asked after a small pause "So what's his new look look like?"

After another small pause, they saw a bleached-hair glasses guy that's grumpily walking across his classroom, as if walking away from a debt collector. After a good 10 seconds, they saw a taller guy with a big body frame following him with a black haired guy next to him. 

Hideki recognized the tall guy as Kiyoshi Teppei, he was shocked to see him here in Seirin, an Uncrowned King like him here at a relatively new and unknown school (in relation to basketball), he'd like to ask him, but it seems that Kiyoshi's walk chasing the blonde guy. So Hideki thought to himself in a joke "Maybe he wants to emulate his style or something?"

After the three guys passed Hideki's classroom, Riko then turned her head to Hideki and said, that gaijin or delinquent wannabe or something was Hyuga by the way. 

Hideki blinked his eyes thrice and mouthed 'Really?' Riko just slow nodded before going back to her game console. Hideki slowly shook his head and said, "Man, if he wanted to be a gaijin, he should've asked Seirin's new premier gaijin." He said this while having his hand on his chest as if proclaiming it.

After that interesting lunch break nothing noteworthy happened after a day or two.

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On another lunch break, days after seeing Hyuga's new look, Hideki ate his packed lunch and said afterwards, "Aight, let me take out this trash" holding up his finished packed lunch and juice carton and left the room after throwing the trash to take a piss.

As he got back to the classroom, he saw a leaving Teppei Kiyoshi, and so he asked Riko "So Riko, what did Teppei told ya?" 

Riko told Hideki, "Well it was like this"

Flashback to the earlier conversation with Kiyoshi.

Megumi was entering the classroom when she saw a familiar face in Middle School, ex-Seiho player and it's Ace, Teppei Kiyoshi, and she saw that Teppei was looking at the classroom so she asked him "Hi Kiyoshi-san, are you looking for someone?" Kiyoshi looked at her and said "Oh hi, I'm looking for Aida Riko, is this her classroom?" 

Megumi was anlyzing him for a second before saying "Yes, this is her classroom, wait a second let me call her." Kiyoshi thanked her and said "Thanks, please tell her it's from the basketball team." Megumi blinked thrice and said, "Oh, okay? Sure." 

Megumi entered the classroom and said "Riko-chan, you have a guest, they said they're from the basketball team."

Riko sighed and said, "Haa~ Of all things why's it the sport I dislike the most?"

So she looked at her 'guests' and told before they began to talk, "Hell no!"

Some of the guests already looked defeated as Riko's a tough nut to crack. But Kiyoshi was not moved in the slightest, showcasing his moniker "Iron Heart' out of the court. 

Kiyoshi didn't give up and still asked her to join, even after hearing her initial response. 

So Riko said "Hey, did you hear me earlier, I said I don'tike basketball" 

So in response Kiyoshi said "But it's not like you hate it right?" Megumi butted in and said "Well, hate is a strong word, but I think she dislikes it the most." Kiyoshi and Riko both said "Yeah what she said" Then Riko added, "But it's still a NO for me."

Riko then explained "Well, to be exact, I don't like the current generation of basketball, especially the Middle School's overall atmosphere, which is dominated by Teikou Middle School alone." Riko cupped her chin and added "Well mind you, Hanabira came close but the record books still say they're second and that second was just crushing defeats one after another for three years"

"So my gripe is that after seeing Hanabira and the others, everybody around them, for some reason…" Riko looked at the door seeing if Hideki was around, he was not and she said her next line "They had given up on winning." Riko sighed and said "That's the part I really hate."

Megumi heard this and just looked at the floor. Riko looked at Megumi and said "Well sorry about the frank comment Megumi" Megumi smiled and just replied "Well, it's fine Riko-chan I'm not mad at that" 

Riko told Kiyoshi and the others, "I got called by numerous sports clubs, but I declined all of their offers." Riko lifted her finger and said "I don't plan on accepting unless they aim for the top." 

After she said that Kiyoshi told Riko "Thank you Aida-san" Then he looked at Megumi and said, "Uhm I think I remember you? Were you the manager for Hanabira?" Megumi nodded and said "Yes I was" Kiyoshi then said "That's great!" He bowed and said "Please join the basketball club" 

Megumi giggled and said "Thank you for the offer, when the club's up just tell me, I'll look if I can help" Kiyoshi shook her hand and said "Thank you very much!" Kiyoshi then stood and said "I won't take too much of your time" he then looked at the others and said "Let's go and see if there are others who'll join" They then left the classroom.

End of Flashback

Hideki was shocked, but he grinned and said "Hmm, things got interesting"