Trapped in the sunset

"あれ~Why didn't you see the little manager today? Sister Lingyang, do you know anything?"

Hayama Kotaro hung on the back of Mibuki Reo during the break, and his piercing eyes scanned the empty indoor basketball court boredly - the school chose to rent near the hotel for them.

Shizuo Lingyang pushed his teammate's heavy arm off his shoulder, and while unscrewing the cap of the water bottle, he said to him: "If you really want to know, just ask Xiaozheng, I don't know anything. "

Nearby, Nagatoshi Nebutani opened one of the countless steak bentos he bought at a convenience store, took a deep breath, and announced loudly, "I'm going!"

As soon as his words fell, Kotaro Hayama's feet gave way and he almost fell down—"Hey! Yongji, you just had breakfast! Also, you bought the whole steak lunch box in the convenience store, right?! ——Don’t eat in such a hurry! What about practicing later?!”

——Well, Kotaro, Nagaichi who is eating can't hear you.

Reo Misaki kindly patted the hard-hit teammate on the shoulder: "As a teammate for so many years, you should have gotten used to it by now, Kotaro." After saying that, she turned her head and sat on the lounge chair wiping almost no sweat The captain of the first grade said: "By the way, Xiao Zheng, what is Xiaoyang doing today?"

Akashi put down the towel, then picked up the mineral water: "Wei Young said she would come over at noon."

——This is not the answer at all!What he wants to know is why the little manager is doing now, not when will she come over? ! !

Hayama Kotaro, who pricked up his ears and waited for the answer, cried out depressedly from the bottom of his heart.

He angrily turned to Dai Qianxun who had been doing her own thing silently from the beginning, hoping to get some comfort from him—"Qianxun, what do you think?"

"Huh?" The only third-year student who was suddenly called looked up, thought for a long time, and then responded with an irrelevant sentence—"The snacks brought by the Haiyin Temple junior sister are all delicious."

——What's the answer? !Even more outrageous than Akashi, isn't it? ! !

Kotaro Hayama pounded the ground in grief and indignation, once again in despair at his alien-like teammates.

Akashi maintained the attitude of a bystander from the beginning to the end and indulged them to make trouble.As long as they can make sure to complete the training menu for that day, he won't stop them from making trouble the rest of the time.This is the privilege that Akashi Seijuro gives to his subordinates, and it is also the indulgence he bestows on those he trusts.

Yes.Akashi Seijuro believed in this team, whether it was the three members of "Uncrowned Generals" or the Dai Chihiro whom he discovered, who seemed to be able to replace Kuroko Tetsuya.

"seemingly".

Kuroko Tetsuya's talent cannot be learned by just anyone.While Dai Chihiro bears an uncanny resemblance to the former Fantasy Sixth Man of the Age of Wonders—especially the expressionless face—the two are ultimately different.What Heizi Zhe also has is a zero sense of existence that no one can imitate and has been born with.This point, even Dai Qianxun, who is superior to Zheye, doesn't have it.

In order to be more advanced, Zhe must also surpass himself.

In the final analysis, facing his former teammates, he is still. . .It cannot be ignored.

They are companions who have trained together for three years, created a generation called a "miracle" by the world, and laughed and cried together. . .Anyone between them thinks so.

The emotions cultivated in three years are not so easy to cut off.

. . .

Wei Young saluted lightly to the man in front of him - "You have really helped me a lot, I have been disturbing you here for the past few days. Thank you."

The man scratched his graying hair in embarrassment, waved his hands and said: "No, no! I just lent you the piano in the store as a decoration, and you don't have to care about it. Besides, that piano can It’s great to be played again.”

Wei Young lowered her head and smiled.

The man across from her was the owner of a music store nearby—she had discovered it on the way here by car.Since she made up her mind to give it a go yesterday, after greeting Akashi-kun early this morning, she took a car to this small shop with warm furnishings alone to see if she could borrow their piano to practice in these two weeks.

Unlike ordinary musical instrument stores, this store only sells sheet music and records.The boss himself doesn't know how to play any musical instruments, and the grand piano in the corner was left in his shop after his friend passed away.

Wei Young looked up at the wall clock, counted the time, and then looked at the lunch box in her hand—"Then, I'll take my leave now."

She walked out of the door amid the boss's kind farewell, tightened the scarf around her neck on the less-crowded street, and walked towards the basketball stadium 10 minutes away from here—if it was a super trail.

Tetsu also called her this morning.

Recalling the conversation just now, Wei Young raised the corners of her lips helplessly.

Tetsuya decided to ask Aomine Dahui to teach him how to shoot.

——"Zhe Ye, don't forget that I am Luoshan's manager."

Wei Young couldn't help but say this after he finished speaking.They are people who stand on different battlefields!Is it really okay for him to say his plan so unscrupulously?

——"It doesn't matter if it's you."

Zhe also didn't mind the answer at all and passed into her ears without a single pause.She was a little speechless, a little moved, and even more moved.It felt real to be believed in that way. . .not bad.

——"Tetsuya, it must be fine."

Before finally hanging up the phone, Wei Young added this softly.

It is an encouragement and an affirmation for him.

Standing in front of the basketball court, Wei Young raised her head and silently lamented the generosity of their school once again.

She quietly pushed open the door, poked her head in, and her silver-gray eyes had a panoramic view of everything in the hall——

Except for Akashi, Hayama Kotaro, Minozaki Reo, Nebutani Nagakichi, and Dai Chihiro are on the court, attacking and defending each other two-on-two.Akashi, Jin and Chi kept their eyes on the four players on the court, and scribbled on the notebook in their hands from time to time.

The serious atmosphere continued until Reo Mizuki made a hollow three-pointer and stopped.Hayama Kotaro cheered loudly and left the stage, and lay on the ground without a picture on the sidelines.Mizuki Reo, who was following him, kicked him—"Kotaro, get up."

Nebu Gu Yongkichi rubbed his hungry stomach, opened his bag and wailed—"Ah!! Are you done eating your bento?!"

Dai Qianxun silently walked to her sports bag and took out a water bottle to quench her thirst.

Only then did Wei Young raise her hand and knock on the door, then raised the paper bag in her hand under the gaze of the five people - "Well, I brought some snacks."

——"Little manager, you are such an angel!!"

——"Saved! I'm starving to death!!"

Two exaggerated cheers came from Hayama Kotaro and "Big Stomach King Yongkichi".

Shizuo Lingyang shook her head: "It's really hard for you to prepare food for these guys who don't know what to do, Xiaoyang."

Running in front of Wei Young in three steps at a time, Kotaro Hayama stared at the paper bag in her hand with shining eyes, and asked impatiently like a child: "What, what is it? It smells so good!"

Wei Young handed the bag over: "It's a salty cake. This morning, I asked Coach Platinum to use some connections to borrow the hotel's kitchen."

Akashi came to her side, reached out and hung a lock of her hair that was hanging around her face behind her ears: "Have you finished all the things that should be done?" He asked.

Wei Young nodded slightly: "The owner of that store is very kind, and he agreed to my request right away. How about you, Akashi-kun? Is the practice going well?"

"Of course." She was not surprised when she received Akashi's decisive answer.Akashi glanced at the few people who were scrambling for food, and announced decisively—"After you finish eating, we'll go have lunch."

"Xiao Zheng, are you treating me?"

Shizuo Lingyang asked with a smile like a joke.

Akashi glanced at him with a blank expression on his face: "Is the dream talking enough?"

"Well~ Xiaozheng, you are too rigid. You can't do this, eh? Xiaoyang."

Wei Young blinked, unable to respond to the sudden question.she should. . .Say something?

"Standard or something, no...is it that serious?" Wei Young said uncertainly.

. . .

The long-lost western food.

With a knife in her right hand and a fork in her left, Wei Young is slowly cutting the lamb chops on the plate.

While eating, she listened attentively to the conversations of the teenagers around her, and remained silent throughout.Wei Young likes the current atmosphere very much—this kind of atmosphere, even if she doesn't say anything, she won't feel left out.In many cases, she prefers to listen to other people's chats than to speak.

— interesting, isn't it?

She looked at the red-haired boy who was eating quietly like her, and held the corners of her mouth warmly.

She has never had many friends, but she will cherish the few she has.

She thought, she must thank Akashi.

She knows that she is not a person who will take the initiative to make friends; there are many people who will make her take the first step, and Akashi Seijuro is one of them.From knowing him to now, she has never regretted her decision.His sternness in training, his sense of responsibility for the task, and everything about him reveal the majesty of the king while not forgetting to take care of the people and affairs around him.

Akashi is not someone who would stop for others.But he will not be stingy with his help as he keeps moving forward.

——Even if the people he helps are beneficial to his own victory.

"Age of Miracles" was discovered by him.It has to be said that Akashi contributed to their achievements today.People who would nagging about the diet and living habits of everyone in the era of miracles did exist.

Such a person accepted her, brought her who knew nothing into his circle, and allowed her to participate in his life. . .When she made up her mind to leave the United States, she never thought that she could live such a fulfilling and happy life here.

"Hey, Akashi-kun—"

What she said was just a small whisper.She was so small that even she had the illusion of "an auditory hallucination".But the boy heard it.

Akashi raised his eyes and looked at the girl next to him who had been wearing a gentle smile from the beginning.

——This is someone he has accepted and trusted.

Seeing the boy's calm but not indifferent eyes staring at her quietly, Wei Young was not in a hurry to answer.

The second hand slid across the clock face little by little, with the noise of seniors who were older than them in the background, and the crisp sound of knives and forks hitting the bowls and plates. . .

"It's so nice to meet you."

. . .

Many years later, on a certain Valentine's Day, Wei Young lay peacefully on the shoulder of the man beside her, with a happy and contented smile on her lips.

With suffocating tenderness and doting in the eyes of the man she was leaning against, he lowered his head and lightly rested on the top of his wife's head, and said the only love words that day in a low voice——

—— "Meeting you is my happiness, Wei Young."

☆, transition

The author has something to say: here is one thing that I must seriously confess to you: starting from this chapter, I will depart from the original work.Although I really want to finish writing the Winter Cup patiently, I really can't.I don't know much about basketball, and the manga isn't over yet, so in order to keep writing, I had to do that. . . "Wronged"

So, this chapter will start in the third semester, which is mid-January.

This chapter is relatively short, it is a new beginning~