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Midorima Shinobu had always been described as weird. To many people she was just a little too something. She was too prim, too proper and just too odd to properly fit in with others her own age.
The real problem was that Shinobu hadn’t been taught to relate well to those of her own age group. She had grown up holding full, intelligent conversations with her father who had never attempted to tell her that she should be doing something else.
Her mother on the other hand had tried frequently to make her something or someone she just wasn’t. Her mother wanted her to wear frilly dresses with her hair up in painful styles. Whereas her father had been more than happy for his eldest daughter to wear sweatpants and follow him around at the hospital, asking a million and one questions.
It was easy to see why Shinobu treasured her father just that little bit more (okay, a lot more) than she did her mother.
Her mother was not happy or even content with the child she had. But to Midorima Jin, she was perfect just the way she was.
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When Shinobu entered Teikou Middle School, she had been alone.
She’d grown up with her only friend being her beloved father and she’d loved it. But entering Teikou had only showed her that she wasn’t going to be readily accepted.
That was until Shinobu met her. Kuroko Tetsumi.
The tiny, teal haired girl was like a ghost. She moved with silent and graceful movements. And she was utterly adorable in Shinobu's eyes, especially when she frequently began wearing her shoulder length hair in a high ponytail positioned to the right of the back of her head.
But the best thing about meeting Tetsumi had been that she had seen all of Shinobu's quirks and odd personality traits; then simply accepted her. It was unlike anything Shinobu had ever experienced before.
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Shinobu had never expected to have a friend, let alone 5 of them!
Tetsumi had managed to convince Shinobu to join the basketball club with her. Shinobu’s easy endurance and skill had landed her in 1st string with Tetsumi being left in 3rd.
Shinobu had not been very happy about being pulled from her only friend but Tetsumi had merely told her to get to know the other 1st stringers as she worked to join them. And Shinobu had been unable to deny her petite friend anything.
So, she had actively tried to befriend them.
It had not worked very well. But one of their senpai, Nijimura Shuuzo, the captain of the team had seen what she was trying to do and helped her along. He had readily begun tentative conversations with her and once the other 1st stringers had seen this, they’d been a lot more open to her.
But by far the easiest friendships to make had been with the only 3 other girls in the basketball club.
The first had been a petite girl with long, crimson hair in a high ponytail with matching ruby eyes. This was Akashi Seika, the heiress to the Akashi corporation. She was strict and incredibly sophisticated but she was also very caring.
The next was Murasakibara Atsumi. She easily towered above everyone else, even Coach Sanada. She had shaggy amethyst hair with matching eyes. The most interesting thing about Atsumi was that she snacked, constantly. But overall, she was a good friend to have.
And finally was Aomine Daya. She had deeply tanned skin, uncommon for most of the Japanese population, as well as navy blue hair which was cut close to her head in a pixie cut. Along with her came Momoi Satsuki who Shinobu wasn’t too fond of. She appeared quite shallow despite her amazing data collection skills.
Shinobu was glad to have new friends but she still wished that Tetsumi was at her side.
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It only took a year and half after Nijimura-senpai left for everything to fall apart.
Tetsumi had joined the 1st string thanks to Aomine seeing her skill and speaking to Akashi who had agreed and given her an idea on how to excel.
Misdirection.
Shinobu was impressed with her friend for managing to develop a brand-new basketball style which utilised her low presence.
But everything had come falling around their ears. Aomine began to skip practice and had even abandoned Tetsumi as she believed that Tetsumi was no longer useful to her! Shinobu had never wanted to hurt someone more!
Atsumi became disillusioned with basketball. The game that had been what linked her with her childhood friend, Akashi Seika, had become what separated them. And in the process of this, Seika had developed DID. This had been apparent when she turned around with a single gold eye and announced that they had swapped places.
Everything was ruined.
And no one seemed to care!
The events that had transpired had clearly affected Tetsumi most as all of them had been her only friends at Teikou.
They had been joined by Kise Ryouka, a model with amazing copy abilities who had quickly followed Aomine down her dark path.
But then they had done something that Shinobu could not forgive them for. They had played Tetsumi’s only childhood friend, a boy by the name of Ogiwara Shigehiro and they had broken him. Taken away his connection to Tetsumi due to a childish jealousy.
They had taken away Tetsumi’s love of basketball.
Shinobu didn’t know what to do anymore.
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Otsubo could admit to not expecting much from Midorima Shinobu, if not partially since she had seemed uncaring as her teammates decimated their opponents.
Otsubo could also admit that he had not expected it to take so little time for his view of her to be changed.
It was common knowledge that Takao had gone against the Kiseki no Sedai in middle school and had his love of basketball stolen from him. It was also common knowledge that those monstrous girls just didn’t care that they’d destroyed people. Which was exactly why Shinobu had surprised so many when she had entered the gym and apologised to Takao.
While the fool had been floundering, Shinobu had explained what had gone on. How she’d been alone until a tiny, tealnette had taken the step forward and befriended the outcast greenette. She had reignited Shinobu’s love for the sport that her father had taught to her.
Shinobu had also explained how Teikou had destroyed her friends and she had gone along with it because she feared being alone again.
She admitted to standing aside as Seika crumbled under so many expectations. As Atsumi had given up as she believed it wasn’t worth it if they weren’t smiling. As Daya abandoned their petite friend in arrogance and how even Ryouka had given in.
Shinobu apologised for standing aside as well as for humiliating him. She had been teased by Daya before the match and had taken the frustration out on them.
...
It wasn’t too surprising that Takao had forgiven her. It was easy to see that he was smitten.
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Otsubo had been happy that Shinobu once again had Tetsumi at her side.
He was also amazed by the tiny girl.
She was silent like a ghost. She moved gracefully and though she lacked in the basics of basketball, what she could do was phenomenal.
He was most amazed at how far she went for her friends. How she had taken the responsibility to return her previous teammates love of basketball to them.
They had not suffered defeat. So, she would show them.
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Midorima Jin had been concerned when his beloved Obu-chan came to him in tears. Her friends had changed and everything was crumbling around her.
But he was amazed when she told him what Tetsumi had in mind. Could it really be that simple?
He hadn’t thought so.
That was, of course, until he was told by his beloved little girl that Tetsumi and Seirin had gone toe to toe with Ryouka – and won! And best of all was that Tetsumi was right, Ryouka had returned to her old ways. Although now she was chasing after Kasamatsu who was hard pressed to get away.
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The next to fall was Daya.
Jin personally thought that she was the core of the problem. It was her arrogance after all that had started everything.
But she fell too but not before she almost ruined Tetsumi’s new found happiness by driving a wedge between she and Kagami.
Thankfully, that was quickly sorted by Kiyoshi.
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Next was Atsumi.
Jin truthfully didn’t think she needed much of a push due to her friendship with Himuro Tatsuya.
But towards the end of the game, Atsumi had done the one thing that not even Seika could have predicted – she entered the Zone.
All because of Himuro Tatsuya.
But even with the advantage, Atsumi had still lost against Tetsumi and Seirin.
She still refused to admit she loved basketball or Himuro- honestly, they said his daughter was a Tsundere, they clearly had yet to meet Atsumi.
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Then came Seika.
Jin knew that this would be hard for Tetsumi. Even though Shinobu was her best friend, Seika had been something just that little more important.
Seika was her cousin, who was honestly more like her sister.
When Seika changed and ruined Ogiwara, Jin knew that it would be hard for Tetsumi to forgive her. Seika had known from the very start how much Ogiwara meant to her cousin and yet it didn’t stop her at all.
But even Seika fell to Tetsumi, who had managed to install teamwork so thoroughly into Seirin that they had awakened a team Zone – the True Zone.
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With each of the Kiseki no Sedai falling to Tetsumi, it didn’t surprise Otsubo that they naturally gravitated to her.
Each of them seemed to orbit the tiny tealnette which Shinobu had been miffed at until they seemed to catch on and apologised to Tetsumi.
.......
(It was accepted but she seemed to have fun making them do things for her. Like making Daya carry her on her shoulders.)