Chapter 102 : Internal Conflict

"Yup, you are right, Tiger-chan! He went back to Japan a week after your departure and joined Yosen High." Alex answered Kagami's question happily before she narrowed her eyes dangerously at the red-haired boy. "And unlike you, Tiger-chan, Tatsu-chan is a good student and always keeps in touch with me!"

"Hey, I am not like that!"

"Yes, you are!"

Seeing the two native American speakers debating against each other, Riko decided to interfere before it went further.

"Okay, you two! Enough!" She glares at both Kagami and Alex, which was only replied by a sheepish gaze from the latter. "We are in the middle of a scouting session here. So, if you want to talk about anything else other than that, you can do it outside now."

Kagami just huffed in annoyance before taking his seat back, ignoring the confused stares he received from his teammates.

"Anoo… Alex-san….." Izuki raised his hand hesitantly, trying to get Alex's attention. "Is Yosen's number 12 someone special? I mean, even you and Kagami-kun know him, so he shouldn't be ordinary, right?" Several players also nod, supporting his argument.

"Oh, yes! Tatsu-chan is someone special!" The blonde woman squealed once again. "Tatsu-chan is Tiger-chan's childhood friend and the one who introduced basketball to him!"

It took a few seconds before her words sank into everyone's brain before everyone reacted collectively.

"EEEHH???!!!!"

Alex just giggled at the flabbergasted expressions on all the Seirin players.

"Wait, I thought it was you who introduced basketball to Kagami-kun?" Hyuga interjected. However, Alex shook her head, denying his statement. "Not really. Although I was his first coach, he befriended Tatsu-chan first before I met them both. Ooh! I still remember when two cute little boys approached me and asked me to train them! Oh, how I still remember them shouting at each other of their rivalry! How time flies…"

"Stop it, Alex!" Kagami spoke, a bit annoyed at how Alex is acting like a nagging mother. "And I didn't shout anything like that! It was Tatsuya!"

"Oh, Tiger-chan.. You didn't fool anyone else here….." Alex grinned smugly at the red-haired boy. "Didn't you forget how you would sulk all day whenever you lost to him? What is the score now? Tatsuya on the lead?"

"No way!" Kagami denied it strongly. "It is still tied 49 – 49 for both of us! It is still not clear who is the better player!"

"See what I mean? Even though you didn't say it, you will always treat Tatsu-chan as your rival! You are so cute, Tiger-chan!"

Furihata snorted, one word crossed his mind when he heard Alex's description. "Tsundere…" All the people who could hear his mutter chuckled as it was indeed the best way to describe Kagami's personality.

"Okay, enough everyone!" Riko interfered once again, seeing the situation is getting uncontrollable. "We are here to discuss Yosen High, not Kagami-kin's childhood! Please, focus!"

After everyone is back on their seat, Riko started the videotape once again while pointing her fingers at Tatsuya. "Well, because I haven't spoken anything about him, I will tell you his general information. His name is Tatsuya Himuro, and he is a second-year transfer student from America, just like Kagami-kun, I guess."

"So, he is our year, huh…."

"Yeah. But that is not what I want you to remember. Instead, look at his stats during this tournament. I sent it to our chat group in Line."

Several players opened their phones to see the data that Riko sent, just to be stunned at the ridiculous number.

Tatsuya Himuro (SG) : 27.6 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 1.1 TPG, 55.6 FG%, 75 3P%, 94.3 FT%

"Damn, that's an impressive number." Hyuga whistled lowly, impressed with Tatsuya's advanced stats. "He should be competed against all the top players for the scoring title, right?"

"Yeah." Riko nodded. "He is the fourth currently, only behind Aomine with 30.7 PPG, Midorima with 30.3 PPG, and Kise with 28.2 PPG. Slightly better than Kagami-kun in the fifth place who has 27.3 PPG as his stats."

"So, he is better than Kagami-kun?"

Due to the last topic of the rivalry between Kagami and Tatsuya, of course, the first thing they had in mind is to compare them both. However, apparently, it was a wrong move, as Kagami didn't like the comparison even for a bit,

"What do you say?!" He roared in the middle of the room, glaring at everyone else. "He is better than me?! Are you kidding? It was only because he was fed by his teammates pretty well that he could produce that number! If only you also did that instead of playing your stupid useless strategy, I bet I could be the number one there!"

Now, even though Kagami usually is an annoying brat, he had never lashed out his emotion like this. It seems comparing him to Tatsuya is the wrong button to push. However, that doesn't mean anyone like his attitude.

"You want to say that again, you brat?" Hyuga smiles darkly, a thick vein could be seen popping on his temple. "Is it my ears that failing me or did you really say we should feed you more ball instead of playing our… What is that you said? Stupid useless strategy? Care to explain, Brat?"

Just by now, Kagami noticed the hostility that was directed at him. He could see the senior members like Kiyoshi, Izuki, Tsuchida, and Koganei shaking their heads disapprovingly at his outburst. Hell, even Kuroko and Furihata looked in his direction with disdainful expressions, which kinda big slap for Kagami.

However, the damage has already been done, and he couldn't take back what he said before. So, in a heated moment like this, Kagami decided to pull the stupidest stunt he has ever done before; he keeps talking.

"Well, is there anything else to say? If only you all could just give me the ball, not only our win would be easier, but I would also be at the top of the scoring list. But nooo! You all wanted to do your fancy useless strategy! And see where it brought us! You even lost to Too, goddamnit! Is that enough proof that what you are doing is not good enough?"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"JUNPEI, DON'T!"

Now, Furihata knows that Kagami didn't think exactly like that. It was just because of this heated atmosphere his mouth suddenly loosened up, trying to aggravate the other players more just to prove his point. However, that doesn't mean he is not annoyed at what Kagami said earlier.

"Well, if you are stop being a brat and did what you have been told to, maybe you wouldn't get injured and be the most useless against Too among us here, Red?" He chimed in sarcastically, which only makes things worse.

"You said something, Bastard?" Kagami growled furiously, suddenly turning his attention to Furihata. He pulled Furihata's collar until their heads meet each other, daring the point guard to say anything. However, Furihata didn't back down and kept speaking, "Something wrong with your ears, Red? I said it, you are the most useless among us here when we played against Too. Even though we lost, at least we could still play until the end. What did you do during that time? Crying and cursing your injury? You said what we did is useless. Well, do you know what else is useless? You, of course."

*BRUGH!*

"FURIHATA-KUN!"

A second later, a punch from Kagami landed straight on Furihata's cheek, knocking down the point guard at least about one or two feet to the ground. However, it didn't stop just like that. Kagami jumped immediately, grabbed Furihata's collar, and tried to punch him once again.

"SAY THAT AGAIN, BASTARD! I DARE YOU!"

But of course, Furihata would react. The moment Kagami pulled his collar, he used his elbow straight to the red-haired boy's stomach, knocking him down for a second.

*Brugh!*

Now, it was Furihata who is standing tall, whipping the blood that fall from the corner of his mouth, while Kagami is still on the ground, growling in rage. It was fortunate for the red-haired boy that Furihata still remembers they both were basketball players, or his last attack would aim and injure Kagami's arm.

"Well, want me to say that again?"

"YOU!"

"KAGAMI, STOP IT!"

"FURIHATA, SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

"ANYONE, HELP!"

When things seem to get worse, "ENOUGH!" Riko suddenly screamed, stopping the fight between the two first-years. "I SAID ENOUGH! GET OUT, ALL OF YOU! AND DON'T LET THOSE TWO STUPID ROOKIES TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM!"

Immediately after that, several players who have big postures like Kiyoshi and Fukuda grabbed Kagami's body, trying to prevent the red-haired boy from raging once more time. Meanwhile, Hyuga, Izuki, and Kuroko are looking for Furihata, ready to separate him and Kagami if things get worse again.

"GET OUT, ALL OF YOU!" Riko roared furiously at Furihata and Kagami. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU BOTH IN THE NEXT TRAINING! DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU ARE CALM ENOUGH TO APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE!"

Hearing her coach's furious scream, no one dares to refute what she said. Only Hyuga is calm enough, instructing his teammates about what to do.

"Teppei, Tsuchida, Mitobe, Fukuda-kun, and Kuroko-kun, go with Kagami. Don't let him go rampage again. Izuki, Kawahara-kun, and Koga, help Furihata tend his wound. Let's end this meeting here."

Everyone nodded solemnly, not daring to make any other stupid comment. No one could believe that with only one sentence, Kagami would lash out and make things worse for everyone. Only Riko, Alex, and Hyuga remained in the room, cleaning up the mess Furihata and Kagami created.

"What a mess…." Riko let out a deep sigh as she put back the chair that was knocked down by Kagami earlier.

"We are lucky, though," Hyuga replied. "This time, it happened in the evening, when almost all the teachers and students are not here. At least, we could hide this incident so that the headmaster wouldn't get involved. That would be the worse condition."

"Thank you for your support, Junpei." Riko smiles wryly. "If only things could be as positive as you thought….."

"I am sorry, everyone.." Suddenly, Alex chimed in their conversation with her unusually small voice. "I don't think Tiger-chan would snap because of that comparison. I mean, it was he who always ask to me who was the best between him and Tatsu-chan in the past, so I have never thought he would go crazy because of that. It was my fault as an educator…."

Hyuga and Riko looked at each other for a second before Riko replied softly,

"Don't worry, Alex. It was purely Kagami-kun's fault that he couldn't control his emotion even though I have been warning him all the time, and Furihata's fault too to aggravate the situation. If not for them being our main rosters, I would not bring them for our next game…."

Hyuga frowned, not liking what Riko just said.

"So, you will leave them unpunished like that?"

Riko snorted, "Of course, not. Do you think I am that stupid?" She took one chair from the floor and sit on it. "If I am not punishing them, everyone would think either their behavior is acceptable or I favored them, which wouldn't be good for the team. But you have to admit though, that both Kagami-kun and Furihata-kun are valuable members of the team. And as for Kagami-kun's short temper problem, I think letting him play against Yosen would do us good."

"What do you mean?" Hyuga didn't really understand what Riko is thinking. However, it was Alex who answered her question,

"Aah.. I know what you mean.. Someone needs to knock down Tiger-chan's ego, and no one could do that from our team, eight? So, who is the best choice to do that other than his childhood friend and the center of the Generation of Miracles?"

"Exactly." Riko nodded before letting out a deep sigh and slumped on her chair. "I just hope this conflict wouldn't affect the other."

Thinking about that, even Hyuga feels depressed a bit, not looking forward to the training session tomorrow. Just one evening, and suddenly, the future of the Seirin basketball team went black, and no one could think of how to solve it.

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Author note:

Hey, everyone! At first, I have no plan to make this internal conflict to be part of the story. However, after watching and reading several sources about Draymond Green and Jordan Poole's clash last year, I really want to make it happen.

My justification, at least, it would be good for Kagami's character development, because his ego needed to be knocked down. If in the original series, it was done by Aomine, in this story, this fight would be the bridge for Kagami to be a better player.

So, what do you think?

If you want to support me more, you can visit my Patreon page on patreon(.)com/ZetaFaes

You can also read this fanfiction up to chapter 122 on that page. Thank you! :)

-Zeta Faes-