Gate?

After practice, Shinoda arrived at home with a smile on his face. "I'm home!" And as usual, someone bubbly and happy came running to greet him. "Brother!!! You're back!" The sibling acted like they hadn't seen each other for a long time. But for Sayako, it was long enough.

"I missed you so much! Did anything interesting happened today?" Sayako's eyes were sparkling as she followed Shinoda into his room. Their sibling relationship was as close as it can be, and Shinoda didn't mind that his sister was clingy. "Well, it was just a few drills and all. I tried to practice another basketball move, but I still couldn't get the hang of it."

Sayako was swinging her legs as she sat on her brother's bed. "I'm sure you can figure it out or something. I know you can! I believe in you bro!" Shinoda smiled at his sister's encouragement. "Thanks, sis. Tomorrow, I'll actually try to practice the move again."

Shinoda could feel his heart melt as he saw his sister tilting her head to the side cutely. "Isn't tomorrow a weekend? Aren't you gonna spend it with me?" She pouted, wanting to convince her brother to stay. The older brother shook his head as he smiled, "I'm sorry, Sayako… I'll promise I'll make it up to you. Okay?"

The sister was about to complain more when Shinoda felt his phone vibrating from his pocket. Taking it out, he received a text message from Akashi.

Meet me at the basketball court outside the school. 9:00 am

Seijuro Akashi

Closing the message, Shinoda went to where his sister was sitting. A large hand suddenly patted Sayako's head gently, ruffling her soft hair. This action made the young girl blush as she continued to pout. "As long as you promise, brother. I'll remember those words." Shinoda nodded his head and was about to speak when the siblings heard their mom's voice calling for them from downstairs.

"Looks like dinner is ready. Let's go." Sayako cheerfully took her brother's hand and led him down the stairs to their dining table. After eating a scrumptious dinner, his sister began to plead that she would like to sleep with Shinoda again.

"Aw, please! Brother is barely home. I really miss spending time with him." Their mom turned to Shinoda, it was his decision to make. The blond shrugged with an exasperated smile for his sister. No matter how strong or willful she is, Shinoda will always continue to love her. "Good night, bro."

Shinoda saw Sayako's eyelids were drooping more and more, making him chuckle softly. "Good night, Sayako." That night, Shinoda felt like he was in a dream, but in a way, he was not. There was a court, a basketball, a buzzer.

*

When Shinoda woke up, he had already forgotten about the dream. The blond had left his house a few minutes from 9. Giving him ample time not to be late when he would arrive at the place where Akashi had texted him.

Arriving at the destination, he saw that Akashi was already inside the caged basketball court along with a teen who had light blue hair. Isn't that the guy who played poorly during the practice game yesterday? Shinoda thought as he approached them.

"Akashi!" Shinoda called. The two teens turned and saw Shinoda. "You're here," Akashi calmly smiled. Turning towards the teen beside him, Akashi introduced the two to each other. "Shinoda, this is Tetsuya Kuroko, a third-string player from our club. He is Shinoda Hyokishi, from the first strings."

Kuroko gave a polite bow. "Nice to meet you." Shinoda returned the greeting. The redhead went straight to the point. "I called you here so that you can practice that new move of yours. It would be beneficial for us if you can get that move of yours working."

A smile appeared on the blond's face. "Thanks. What about you two?" Akashi gestured to Kuroko. "I'll be giving this guy here tips about his basketball play." Shinoda glanced at Kuroko, it seems like Akashi is interested in him. They had decided to divide and share the court. Akashi and Kuroko will utilize one side, while Shinoda will use the other.

As Shinoda was busy preparing himself for his move, Akashi immediately went to train Kuroko after a few stretch up and light exercises. The smaller teen was obviously very keen to train. And that made Akashi more willing to help him train.

"You have very low presence, not only outside but inside the court as well." Kuroko remained silent as he listened. "Although some may think that it is a bad thing… Any disadvantage can be turned into an advantage if used properly. And today, we're doing exactly that. Your lack of presence can be an asset instead of a liability."

Kuroko nodded his head eagerly as he keenly listened to Akashi. The redhead passed him the ball, "Go ahead and play. If you think about it, imagine how the opponents would feel when the ball they had in their hands suddenly disappeared. Because of you." This shocked the blue-haired teen as he obediently took the ball in his hands.

Taking a deep breath, Kuroko began to dribble the ball, driving it from one side to another. He began to focus on his speed as his lack of presence was already natural to him. A smirk appeared on Akashi's face as he watched Kuroko improving. Soon, the small teen almost appeared invisible in the redhead's eyes. Not only because of his speed, but because of his unique ability.

Kuroko continued to play while Akashi coached him. In the end, the light blue-haired teen was utterly shocked. He had never thought that this weak presence of his could be used for a game in basketball. As he kept thinking of this, Kuroko felt a pat on his shoulder. "Basketball isn't necessarily a game where individuals play for themselves." Akashi reminded.

"If basketball was about winning all alone, then there was no need to make a team. Your skill can support the team, scoring points and winning games." Kuroko's eyes were wide and glossing as he heard Akashi's words. Nodding his head, the two began to train with Akashi guiding Kuroko and giving him tips.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, Shinoda was busy with his training. He was still mentally preparing himself on how he would tackle full concentration breathing.

While taking in deep breaths, Shinoda was flexing every muscle in his body, trying to get a grasp and feel of them. Soon, he felt every red blood cell in his body surging forward, providing more energy and oxygen to his muscles. His body temperature was increasing and he knew that if he would open his eyes, his veins would be bulging.

But before he could activate it, as soon as he opened his eyes, the thin thread of concentration that he had disappeared. "Damn it!" He was annoyed and disappointed with himself, but no matter what, "Again." He would strive to master it.

Once more, Shinoda stood still while holding the yellow ball between his hands. He could feel a slight electric current ruining through his veins. Then suddenly, Shinoda was brought to a strange place. "Where am I?"

His surroundings were dark and he was all alone and was standing in front of a large structure that was blocking his way. It had intricate designs that Shinoda had never seen before. "W-What is this?" He couldn't hold in the amazement as his eyes kept staring at the large gate.