"...I can't explain it, but it sent shivers down my spine."
Kotaro couldn't help but shiver, overwhelmed by the ominous aura radiating from Tsuna. It was an unsettling presence that he had never experienced before.
He admitted to himself that he was intimidated by Tsuna, someone he had known only briefly. Mibuchi and Nebuya shared a similar sentiment, their expressions growing serious as they watched the court.
Mibuchi couldn't help but notice a resemblance between Tsuna and Akashi. The aura Tsuna exuded was eerily similar to what they had felt from their captain.
Glancing at Tsuna's figure on the court, Mibuchi thought to himself, "...But why do I feel that his presence is a lot heavier?"
In the heat of the game, Aomine was momentarily stunned by Tsuna's icy retort, but it only fueled his determination. He grinned defiantly, "Just getting started, Tsuna."
The game pressed on, and Aomine maintained possession of the ball. With a deep breath, he launched the ball towards the basket, but Tsuna was lightning-fast, extending his hand to deflect Aomine's shot.
Aomine sensed this and smirked, quickly withdrawing his hand and clutching the ball once more. He made a decisive move to the left, targeting Tsuna's momentarily weakened side.
With a sly chuckle, Aomine advanced. But to his surprise, his eyes widened as he realized the ball had slipped from his hand, and Tsuna was already on the move, snatching it away.
Aomine reacted quickly, chasing after Tsuna as he surged forward, slipping past Too's defense.
Aware that Aomine was in hot pursuit, Tsuna decided to go for a dunk. Just as he leaped toward the hoop, a looming presence appeared to his left – Aomine had swiftly moved to block his dunk.
Tsuna's nimble move took Aomine by surprise. In mid-air, he smoothly adjusted his shot. Instead of heading straight for the hoop, he shifted sideways, leaving Aomine slightly stunned. Aomine's eyes widened as he realized the cleverness of Tsuna's maneuver.
Regrettably for Aomine, he was too late to react. His body collided with Tsuna, who managed to release the ball just before the referee blew the whistle for a foul by Aomine. This granted Tsuna a free throw.
Imayoshi's expression turned intense, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
He knew that such plays were expected when the Generation of Miracles was on the court, just as they had witnessed in their previous game against Kaijo.
However, the spectacle against Fukuda Sogo was on another level, leaving him to think, "...Just what is it with these monsters?"
Wakamatsu watched in disbelief as he witnessed Tsuna orchestrating a turnaround even with Aomine putting in such a serious effort.
Haizaki, however, couldn't deny the glaring gap in skill when facing Fukuda Sogo. He felt a sense of admiration mixed with frustration and found himself in a situation similar to Ogiwara, motivating him to push his limits in training.
The game pressed on, and Tsuna confidently scored the free throw, keeping Fukuda Sogo in the lead. Aomine struggled to find his usual scoring groove.
Aomine, who had been wrestling with his inner thoughts, finally felt a sense of elation that had eluded him for a long while. A triumphant smirk played on his lips as he stuck to Tsuna like a shadow, thinking, "This is the feeling..."
"Tsuna, you're the best!"
Aomine exclaimed, and Tsuna responded with a disapproving click of his tongue.
Then, out of the blue, Tsuna launched an unexpected long-range shot that caught Aomine off guard, making it impossible for him to react in time.
Without even glancing at the ball he released, Tsuna kept a stern gaze fixed on Aomine.
"Losing focus in the middle of a game..." he remarked coldly.
With a swift pivot of his body, Tsuna continued, "Don't hand me an easy win, Daiki. You're letting me down."
Aomine's eyes widened at Tsuna's words.
The ball soared smoothly and gracefully through the net, leaving everyone in Too stunned. They wondered, "Did he just sink three shots like that?"
"And did he really need to do that fancy spin before the ball went in? Is he trying to be Midorima?" Wakamatsu couldn't help but think to himself.
The referee's whistle signaled the end of the second quarter. Too Academy stared at the scoreboard, frustration etched on their faces, as they saw the score: 56 - 34.
Both teams headed back to their respective changing rooms. Aomine's mind was in turmoil, haunted by Tsuna's words. "...Did he say I'm disappointing?"
Aomine had buried this emotion deep in his memories, dating back to his middle school days. For so long, he had been the one to express his frustration, constantly lamenting that he couldn't find the thrill he sought, but today, the tables had turned.
A laugh escaped his lips, echoing in the locker room.
"...Aomine! Hey!"
Wakamatsu was shaking Aomine, bringing him back to reality.
The next half was about to begin, and everyone suddenly noticed that Aomine appeared to be in a trance, laughing to himself.
While the team was deep in discussion about their strategy against Fukuda Sogo, Aomine appeared completely lost, prompting Wakamatsu to engage and shake Aomine to get his attention.
Aomine looked around in confusion as if snapping out of a daze, noticing the irritated glares aimed at him.
"...Huh? What?"
Imayoshi shook his head, reminding him, "It's time for the next half. We need to get back on the court now..."
"Don't tell me you didn't even listen to our discussion, you knucklehead!" Wakamatsu muttered, his frustration evident.
Aomine, suddenly aware of his inattentiveness, scratched his head in an awkward manner, saying, "Ah, my bad..."
The room fell into an unusual silence, shocked by Aomine's rare apology.
Momoi couldn't help but gasp, her hand over her mouth. She was suddenly reminded of the Aomine from their Teiko days. Tsuna's words about knocking sense into Aomine resonated in her mind, bringing tears to her eyes.
Imayoshi, on the other hand, was perplexed. Aomine seemed like a new person. He pondered, "...Just what in the world? Perhaps this could work in our favor?"
Returning to the court, both teams were ready to resume. The referee's whistle pierced the air, marking the continuation of the game.
Aomine returned to the game with renewed focus.
Yet, Tsuna's relentless pressure weighed on him, and Fukuda Sogo managed to keep the lead. As Tsuna skillfully negated each of Aomine's moves, the passing of time felt stretched out, seconds elongating into eternities.
As Tsuna nullified each of his moves, time seemed to stretch out, each second elongating into an eternity. Aomine, in the midst of this disheartening symphony of thwarted actions, experienced a sensation akin to drowning.
Aomine felt himself descending into the depths, and an unusual contentment washed over him. It was as though he relished the descent, each step pulling him further from the surface. He journeyed ever deeper, with an almost childlike enthusiasm in his strides.
Finally, he reached an enormous, looming door that dwarfed him, an awe-inspiring presence that seemed to beckon him inward.
"This is the moment. After all that waiting. Finally..."
Aomine mumbled with a smile as he placed his hand on the doorknob. His muscles tensed as he pushed the door open with determination.
---
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