Inter High Preliminaries Epilogue

Since Hideki was the first one to go out, in the changing rooms he saw three familiar faces outside. His mom, Momoi Satsuki and Kuroko Tetsuya, with a small passbook like thing in hand with his school's logo. 

Satsuki saw him and she pointed at Kuroko who showed Hyuga's wallet with his School ID at it's front. Hideki just said "Oh, thanks I guess Tetsu."

Momoi got near him and kissed his cheek and asked "So what happened? I thought you're still in the game?" Hideki smiled and just said "Well not anymore." Momoi squinted her eyes and asked, "Bench mob subbing in?" Hideki chuckled and said "Yes, but for a different reason" He kind of knew that Momoi and Kuroko watched the game and since they're already here, he knew that they knew the game's over even if Makoto got in.

Now Momoi was kind of suspicious with Hideki so she asked him "What happened?" Hideki vaguely answered "Me and Teppei were out of the game because of that piece of shit. He did it again." Hideki again gripped his fist and Momoi suddenly hugged him empathically, knowing that he had history with Makoto Hanamiya, particularly his teammates and Makoto Hanamiya.

Hideki softened his hand and just said "He just capitalized on Teppei's nagging left knee, but I think…" Momoi looked at him and he continued to say "If I didn't miss that mid-range jumper, there wouldn't have been a battle for the rebound, or commanded him as captain to sit out after getting that wide lead." Hideki turned his head down and said "Man, I feel utter shit for a captain. And they call me the King of Kings and the King's shield if I can't protect my constituent. What kind of a King am I."

Hideki was really bitter about that scene and he wanted fresh air so he asked Momoi, "You doing something after?" Momoi knew that Hideki wanted to get his mind out of it even for a while, so she said "We still have a meeting at school after our last match, so we have to get back after the game" Hideki sighed but Momoi said "But if you want you can walk us to school, I think you need a breather Hidekin"

Hideki looked at Kuroko, specifically Hyuga's wallet, so he said "But what about…" his mom Kanai cut him off and said, "Don't worry Hideki, I'll give it to Hyuga afterwards, and meet them at the cafe after they rested. Don't worry I'll also tell you where Teppei is confined." Hideki smiled and thanked his mom, and he said "Let me change, then I'll walk you, I'd guess your captain would be mad if you're not there anytime soon." Momoi giggled and nodded at him to change his clothes.

---

After a quick 2 minutes, Hideki's sporting his school jacket and told his mom he's leaving, he heard the celebration on the court and he smiled but then remembered what happen, so Momoi told him "Let's go Hidekin?"

Hideki looked at her smiling and smiled back and said "Sure"

Outside the arena, Kuroko asked "So Hideki-senpai, what exactly happened?"

Hideki told him with controlled anger about what happened, from the pass to the mid-range pullup to the rebound battle downlow and the player's mistimed rebound and subsequent injury to Teppei. All this moment, he didn't mention Makoto's name it's as if it's filled with poison and his mouth would contact some weird sickness.

Kuroko now was angry but also controlled it and said "That's not how you play basketball. He just deliberately wanted to make you suffer, and he succeeded Hideki-senpai. No offense to you." Hideki sighed and said "Well what happened, happened. I knew Benjie alerted the team that I may not control my anger and it happened. And even if I turned back the time, I would do it 99 out of a hundred times, the only one scenario it won't happen is if Hyuga was on time to stop me."

Well to feel good he just said while chuckling "At least I got two punches in under a second." Momoi was kind of angry at Hideki guilt tripping himself and said "Mou, stop that Hidekin." Hideki raised his hands and said "Don't worry I'm stopping. But as a last comment to Tetsu's comment earlier, it really isn't the way basketball should be played, and I 100% agree." 

Kuroko smiled at that and said "I wished that happened at Teiko as well, but alas." Hideki looked at him and asked to nobody, "So it got worse huh?" Momoi now also got sad, sighed and said "Hah, Yes. I wished it was like the old times." Hideki put his shoulders around Momoi and said "Well, that's part of growth, but that's bound to happen when generational talent converged in one place."

Hideki said "It's going to be a my turn, your turn scenario with Akashi basically giving the ball to a player at half court." Both Momoi and Kuroko winced at that and Hideki saw it. It really is true, with what's happening to Teiko right now, all talents blooming, no more competition, so Akashi set up a competition internally. Hideki knew this as Tetsuya and Satsuki told him.

While the air is somber Hideki pulled them up and said "But that's enough sentimentality and let's enjoy life, I know this is a sad moment, but let's rise up from here." 

Hideki decided to break the ice and asked them, "So what are your guys plan for next year? By the way I'm not forcing you to go to Seirin if you don't want to."

Kuroko was looking at the ground and said "Well, I'm still undecided." Momoi shared the same answer and said "Yes, same here actually, I kind of wanted to go with you at Seirin or wherever Kuroko would go, but sometimes I don't know what Dai-chan might do so I have to be sure what he's doing." Hideki sidehugged her and said "It's totally fine, from what I knew with Aomine, he's up to no good. At least he's got a babysitter." Momoi and Hideki laughed while Kuroko smiled at that.

A few moments, they're at the front gate of Teiko so Hideki told them, "Guess I'll drop you off here." Momoi and Kuroko nodded and Hideki said "I'll see you when I see you. Thank you very much for the company, I really needed that." Momoi hugged her and said "Thank you for accompanying us Hidekin." 

A moment later they heard a short cough and saw Akashi was there and said "Fancy seeing you here Takeuchi Hideki, thank you for accompanying my manager and member, you didn't have to do that really." Hideki looked with Akashi with a neutral face as not to offend him in any way (as it is dumb to do so) and said "Of course, I'll accompany my girlfriend Akashi-san."

Hideki looked at both Kuroko and Momoi and said "See you later, you can't be late to your meeting." All three middle-schoolers nodded to Hideki and saw Hideki off before going inside.

---

After 15 minutes of walking, Hideki was outside the cafe where the team was there, but solemn, they ate silently, as if wanting to go the hospital first instead of eating, but Kanai forced (and commanded) them to eat first, even Riko was not able to dissuade her as she told Riko before "Riko-chan, you guys need to eat first, after that match I know your bodies expended lots of energy!"

Hideki got inside sat in the middle of Riko and his mom so he asked his mom "Where's Teppei at?" Kanai told him the hospital and said "Actually Hyuga-kun has something to say Hideki." 

Hyuga was in front of him and said, "Well captain we've got a problem."

Hideki raised his right eyebrow while scooping his food and eating it, and motioned him to continue.

Hyuga raised a paper and read it.

"Due to your behaviour earlier in the court, we have decided to suspend you for three games. Even if you are angry at a foul we now deem as Flagrant 1, Your actions were deemed too much, or exaggerated. So with a heavy heart we have to come up to this decision.

The Inter High Basketball Council."

Hideki still had his neutral face and said "Well, shit just got real."

A little later Kanai got a call from the hospital which said that Kiyoshi's in a room now, so after the team quickly gobbled down their meals, they quickly got up and quickly got to the hospital.

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At the hospital, the nurse told the team "Please don't be rowdy or noisy, there are other patients resting, please understand." Hideki bowed and said "We won't raise a fuss, miss nurse, don't worry we understand."

At the room, Teppei saw the team coming in, he quickly wore his smile and asked "Hey everyone!, How was the match!" Koga quickly said ludly "We won dude!" Benjie then said "held them after you got out!"

Teppei then said "Wow, you guys did it! With that…" He was quickly intercepted by Izuki who asked "What about your injury?"

Teppei had a serious face as he said, "Uhm sorry, you see" then he lifted up his face with a smile and said "The doctors said, it's just a simple sprain." Koga then said loudly "What the heck man! You scared us! I mean we're in the hospital so it had to be worse than that."

Teppei said, "Well they said, I'll be back at the Final League games. Sorry to make you worried."

After that they had a small talk before Hideki told them "Okay guys I guess we overstayed our welcome here, I think the doctor told Teppei to rest, due to playing a grueling game earlier." Everybody got out even Riko, the ones who remained was Hideki and Teppei, Hideki was silent as he told Hideki, "Man, don't lie to me Teppei, it's the same injury as Benjie."

Hyuga entered and passed a drink to Hyuga and said "Yeah, don't lie to us. There's no way you'd throw a match just for a simple sprain." Hideki added, "I mean grandpa knows you're more durable than that, and can still be effective even with a sprained foot." Hyuga side-eyed Teppei and asied "Are you planning to hide it from your captain and vice-captain?" 

This was the first time Hyuga used his authority as vice-captain, so it told many words when he did that, so Teppei told them "Well I was already feeling it from the start of the preliminaries. My knees were nagging from that point on."

At this time they did not notice Riko was at the door hearing the full conversation from that point onwards. 

Teppei continued "The doctors said, even with operation plus rehabilitation, I would heal after graduating High School, like Benjie was three years ago. I guess it really is the same injury. Another option was just rehabiliation, but it would take one year."

Medicine and sports science evolved from three years ago and it was just not Benjie who had this case, so doctors discovered they can delay the inevitable with rehab but not fixing it would just damage a player's body further.

Teppei then said "But." Then he looked out the window and said "I wanted to play all three years with you guys. Even if I undergo rehabilitation, the damage would still pile up and the best I can play for is just one more year, before undergoing the inevitable surgery."

So the last year they will play together is just one year, it was left unsaid, but implied.

Hyuga stood up from the chair and said, "Let's become it next year. No.1 in Japan." Hideki looked at Hyuga and Teppei said "But wait what about the rooftop pledge?" Hyuga sat at Teppei's bed and said "Well yeah I've kept thinking about it and at that time you never said, that we'll be the no. 1 in Japan."

"The reason you felt guilty about Riko's words was that you were still traumatized from your defeat from the hands of the Generation of Miracles." Hyuga looked at Teppei and said "The one who can't believe in becoming no.1 was you."

Hyuga continued his monologue, "If you can only play for one year, then that can't be helped. The one who plays the most matches is the team that survives and wins at the end and become the no.1. If you can't believe in becoming no.1 in Japan then that leaves me with no choice, me and Hideki will hold on to it. So com back quickly, you dumbass."

Hideki felt that this was becoming more cheesy so he stood up to leave the room and Teppei said with teary eyes, "Yeah you're right, sorry, please wait for a bit. I'll be back"

---

As Hideki walked out of the room he saw Riko beside the door with tears in her eyes and said "Oh shit, you heard it?" Riko was sobbing silently and nodded. So Hideki hugged her.