The student was clearly surprised, his eyes wide. He seemed to want confirmation. "Wait, you know Shin?"
"...Yes, I do."
Tsuna nodded, still slightly baffled by the fact that the student had addressed Midorima with the "chan" honorific.
The student tilted his head to the side, displaying his confusion, "Did you let him know you were coming? He should've been here to pick you up, right?"
Tsuna shook his head gently and replied, "No, I didn't tell him. I wanted to surprise him."
The student, Takao, chuckled and replied, "You're quite funny. Although, I can't imagine Shin being easily surprised."
He introduced himself, saying, "By the way, I'm Kazunari Takao. What's your name?"
"I'm Tsunayoshi Kazama. Nice to meet you, Takao."
Before Takao could ask anything else, Tsuna spoke up, maintaining his friendly demeanor, and asked, "Anyway, where can I find him? Since you seem to know Shintaro, you might know where he is now."
Takao pondered momentarily, looking towards the school before nodding and turning to Tsuna.
"Okay, I was heading in that direction anyway. Follow me, and I'll take you there."
Takao walked casually into the school grounds with his hands resting behind his head.
Tsuna followed Takao, taking in the sights of the school. The campus appeared quite prestigious, judging by the impressive buildings and surroundings.
The school building had a unique Japanese architectural design, which, although not as modern as Teiko's, possessed its own grandeur.
Building a school with such intricate architecture was expensive due to the required skilled craftsmanship and high-quality materials, a testament to the institution's commitment to education and tradition.
Takao couldn't help but watch Tsuna curiously. It was unexpected to learn that someone like Midorima, known for his reserved personality, had a friend outside his Teiko teammates.
Seeing Tsuna, who emitted an imposing presence despite his casual stride, brought to Takao's mind memories of encountering individuals of great influence in Japan, akin to meeting the emperor. This made him a bit cautious around Tsuna.
Moreover, despite Tsuna's formal attire, it was evident that he was in excellent physical shape, which piqued Takao's curiosity. He couldn't resist asking, "Hey, how did you come to know Shin?"
After hearing the question, Tsuna shifted his attention from the school building to Takao, then nodded in affirmation.
"Yeah, we went to the same school..."
Takao was taken aback by this revelation and continued to inquire about Tsuna's background.
To his astonishment, he discovered that Tsuna had also been a basketball player. His eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "So, were you part of the Generation of Miracles, too?"
However, before Tsuna could respond, Takao appeared lost in thought, muttering to himself, "But I don't remember anyone like him among them..."
Tsuna gently shook his head to break Takao from his reverie. "No, I wasn't."
Takao's hands dropped in disappointment.
"Oh, that's a shame," he said, raising his hands in a regretful gesture. With this new information, Takao assumed Tsuna might have been a lesser-known player, unaware that Tsuna had returned to the US.
However, Takao's eyes suddenly lit up with mischief, and he asked with a mischievous grin, "Come on, spill the beans! Do you have any embarrassing stories about Shin?"
Tsuna chuckled and shook his head. Midorima had always been a reserved guy, even back in middle school. He hardly ever laughed, let alone did anything embarrassing. So, Tsuna had no juicy stories to share.
Takao's shoulders slumped in disappointment, but they continued their conversation, with Takao mostly asking questions and Tsuna sharing tidbits about his friendship with Midorima.
Takao pointed toward a tall, traditional building that resembled a gymnasium and said, "Look over there, that's where he should be."
They walked toward the building, and as they entered, the familiar sounds of basketball filled the air. The rhythmic bounce of the ball, the squeak of shoes on the court, and the shouts of players echoed through the gym.
On one of the courts, a player with dark green hair, neatly parted to the left and not covering his eyes, caught a pass from a teammate. He stood confidently in the center of the court, clutching the basketball.
The players on the opposing team looked frustrated as they saw the green-haired guy get the ball. They muttered in annoyance.
"Ugh, he's going to do it again..."
"How can we ever win like this?"
"He's always winning. It's so frustrating..."
Ignoring their comments, the green-haired player leaped gracefully into the air, his hand pulling back for a shot from the center of the court.
But just as the ball was about to leave his outstretched fingers, a shadow suddenly appeared before him, causing the guy to widen his eyes in surprise.
Takao was shocked, his eyes widening, as he turned to his side and realized Tsuna had disappeared.
"That son of a bitch...!" Takao exclaimed in disbelief.
The others, both the green-haired player's team and their opponents, also widened their eyes in astonishment at the sudden appearance of this figure.
But the surprise didn't last long as the ball left his hand, creating an exceptionally high arc. Everyone on the court couldn't help but be captivated by the ball's beautifully high trajectory.
BAM
However, their trance was cut short by the sharp sound of the ball hitting the basket's rim instead of making a flawless entry.
"What? Midorima missed?" exclaimed a player with slightly long, blond hair parted in the middle in disbelief.
"No, that's not right. Miyaji, Midorima never missed..." Another player, a tall and sturdy guy with thick eyebrows and dark eyes, stood upright and disagreed.
"...Captain, that's exactly why I was surprised."
Miyaji twitched his lips, feeling at a loss for words at Otsubo's response.
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Otsubo said as he glanced at Tsuna, standing before Midorima, and then walked up to them.
At the same time, Midorima gazed at the unexpected figure before him, a hint of disbelief in his expression.
Midorima understood that Tsuna wouldn't be able to block his shot completely. However, instead of outright blocking it, Tsuna skillfully grazed the ball with the tip of his middle finger, subtly altering its trajectory and causing the shot to miss its mark narrowly.
Regaining his composure, Midorima frowned slightly and addressed Tsuna, "That's quite rude of you..."
"My apologies, I thought it would be a good way to say hello..."
Tsuna simply grinned at Midorima's irritated look. He then shifted his attention to Otsubo, who was approaching with a furrowed brow. Tsuna's smile subtly transformed into a sly one.
Observing Tsuna's sly expression, Midorima adjusted his glasses and squinted. It was a familiar look to him.
"...He hasn't changed a bit, has he?"
Midorima pondered silently. He was certain Tsuna had some kind of scheme in mind.
---
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