On the piste, two agile figures darted back and forth, heroic and sharp in every movement.
Haizaki Shogo stood beneath the platform with his hands behind his back, watching the entwined duelists, admiration shining in his eyes.
By the time fencing practice ended, it was already past nine. After seeing the two beauties off in a car, Haizaki boarded the train home alone.
Outside the train, neon lights flickered, and the city at night looked dazzling and dreamlike.
In an atmosphere like this, the mind wandered easily. Scenes from memory flashed by one after another, and sometimes Haizaki Shogo truly couldn't tell which were real and which were only memories.
When he reached home, the enthusiastic greeting of the little dog pulled him out of that hazy state.
After showering, Haizaki ate a late-night snack amid his mother's nagging.
Between basketball training and fencing practice, his stamina had been completely squeezed dry. The moment he lay on the bed, he fell asleep without realizing it.
Days passed in this kind of busyness, and in the blink of an eye, several weeks went by.
On a Friday night, Haizaki Shogo received a call from Satsuki Momoi. What she said made him pause for a moment.
"Hello, this is Haizaki Shogo."
"Shogo-kun, it's Satsuki."
"Oh, Satsuki-chan, long time no see. How's the new school?"
"It's good. Shogo-kun, Seirin High—where Tetsu-kun is—and Kaijo High—where Kise Ryouta is—are having a practice match tomorrow. Are you and Shimizu-chan coming to watch?"
Hearing this, Haizaki froze for a full five seconds. So the story had already begun quietly, unfolding without him noticing.
"Kuroko versus Ryouta, huh? It's this Saturday?"
"Yes."
"Tomorrow… alright. I'll bring Shimizu-chan to find you and Aomine. We'll go together."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Haizaki called Shimizu Rena's house, set the time with her, then took his dog to the park for a walk.
Early the next morning, Haizaki got up and quickly washed up.
Standing before the mirror, he changed into a black short suit and a white shirt. Under his mother's surprised gaze, he walked out of the villa.
He stopped by a convenience store and bought some snacks—those were for Shimizu-chan and Satsuki. As for himself and Aomine, one basketball was enough.
Kanagawa, long-distance subway station. Two men and two women stepped off the train.
At the front was a girl with long rose-red hair, the tips lightly permed but mostly straight. A pink jacket paired with a black pleated skirt made her look elegant yet lively—Shimizu Rena.
Walking behind her was Haizaki Shogo in his small suit.
Behind him came Satsuki Momoi, wearing a green hoodie with a white shirt and black pleated skirt. Her pink hair was tied into a single ponytail, giving Haizaki quite the feast for the eyes.
Last, of course, was Aomine Daiki. Rarely dressed like this, he wore a camo hooded vest that looked casual and handsome. With his slightly dark skin and overflowing masculinity, his presence was exaggeratedly strong, making it impossible for people nearby to ignore him.
The four had agreed on the time and taken the same long-distance train, their destination being Kaijo High in Kanagawa.
"So… does anyone know how to get to Kaijo High?"
Haizaki asked the question everyone had overlooked. Beside him, Aomine Daiki spread his hands—don't ask me.
Haizaki turned to Shimizu Rena, but she could only give a helpless look.
Oh no… are the four of us about to start a 'lost-in-Kanagawa day tour'?
Luckily, Satsuki Momoi saw their awkward faces and smiled.
"Don't worry, Midorima already sent me the location!"
"Shintaro's here too?" Aomine said. "Let's go check it out."
As he spoke, he took the lead out of the station.
Following the pin, the four soon spotted Midorima Shintaro at Kaijo High's front gate.
Midorima was holding a green frog charm in his right hand. Aomine, Momoi, and Haizaki all looked completely unsurprised.
Only Shimizu Rena beside Haizaki frowned slightly, then chose to stay silent.
Haizaki noticed her small reaction, curled his lips, and said nothing—he'd explain it to her later.
"Long time no see, Shintaro."
"Long time no see, Shogo."
They greeted each other. In the past, their relationship had been decent. Though Midorima disliked some of Haizaki's behavior, they had still been teammates once.
"Long time no see, Midori!"
"Long time no see, Satsuki—and Aomine."
"Let's go in. It should be starting soon."
Aomine had already heard the whistle clearing the court and knew the match was about to begin.
Midorima glanced once at Shimizu Rena beside Haizaki but said nothing, preparing to go inside.
Noticing the look, Haizaki immediately introduced her.
"This is Shimizu Rena, our basketball club's manager."
Midorima nodded politely. Without further words, the five walked into the gym, found seats, and prepared to watch the game.
At this moment, there were no outsiders on the court—only Seirin and Kaijo players repeating their warm-ups.
Haizaki took out the snacks, pulled out three drinks, and handed the food to the two girls.
Aomine and Midorima accepted the drinks Haizaki passed over and opened them.
For a split second, both of them froze, then pretended nothing happened and took big gulps.
How long has it been since days like this happened?
The same thought rose in both their hearts, yet neither said it aloud.
Haizaki didn't care about that and instead spoke to Shimizu Rena.
"Here—remember the 'easter egg' I left you in the last match? It's about to be revealed."
"Easter egg?"
"Yeah. The easter egg is Kuroko. Last game, Shimizu-chan didn't get to see how amazing Tetsuya really is."
Before Shimizu could reply, Satsuki Momoi leaned in with interest.
"I'm really looking forward to it, Shogo-kun. I'm looking forward to every one of you from the Generation of Miracles."
"Heh. You won't be disappointed."
"I think so too."
"Of course."
"Shimizu-chan, Tetsu-kun is really amazing."
Strangely enough, after Haizaki answered Shimizu's anticipation, Midorima, Aomine, and Momoi all gave the same affirmation.
Maybe that was the tacit understanding of the Generation of Miracles… or perhaps their pride.
Haizaki thought quietly to himself.
But for me… wasn't leaving that era also a kind of loss?
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