NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

As time passed, everyone snapped back to reality and returned to their intense yet orderly training session.

Kise couldn't help but marvel at the scene in front of him: Murasakibara effortlessly blocking shots with his towering presence, Midorima sinking perfect shots with ease, and Aomine weaving through defenders like they didn't exist.

"Wow, they're amazing" Kise thought to himself, admiration clear in his eyes. "The first string is truly exceptional. But that's what makes joining them so meaningful" The players of the first string, each displaying extraordinary skills, left a deep impression on him during the session.

However, Kise's gaze soon shifted to Kuroko's training. With curiosity written all over his face, he stared intently, as though trying to uncover the secret behind Kuroko's spot on the elite team.

Minute by minute, time slipped by. The more Kise watched, the more bewildered he became. What unfolded before him was unbelievable: Kuroko missed layup after layup, the ball always falling short of the hoop. His dribbling was equally disappointing—he lost control of the ball frequently or had it stolen with ease. As for shooting, the clang of missed attempts echoed repeatedly, a testament to his struggles.

Kise had always been confident in his own basketball skills, considering himself a talented player. Yet, as he observed Kuroko's dismal performance, he couldn't suppress a mix of disdain and confusion. "With skills like that, he's supposed to be leading me?"

By the end of the training session, Kise still hadn't seen anything remarkable about Kuroko. If anything, his athleticism was average at best, and his basic skills were abysmal. Kise simply couldn't wrap his head around how someone like Kuroko managed to secure a place on the first string.

"This is like night and day!" Kise thought, frustration brewing as he stared at Kuroko.

"Hey, Kise" A voice snapped Kise out of his thoughts.

He looked left, then right, but didn't see anyone.

"Over here" Kuroko's soft voice came from behind him, making him jump.

"Whoa!" Kise spun around, startled. "Would you stop doing that? Just talk to me like a normal person!"

Expressionless, Kuroko replied, "I am talking normally"

"No, you're not!"

Ignoring Kise's protests, Kuroko continued, "Forget that. Please help the first-years clean up. The mops are in the storage room" With that, he turned and walked away.

"Is this what they mean by trainer duties?" Kise muttered as he watched Kuroko's retreating figure. Sighing, he decided to get on with the task.

As the sky darkened, Kise packed up and headed for the school gates, ready to leave.

"Yo, Kise!" A voice called out, and Kise looked up to see several first string players — Murasakibara and Kuroko —standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kise asked, confused as he scanned the group.

"It's your big day, joining the first string!" Aomine said with a grin, rubbing his hands together. "We thought we'd throw you a little celebration"

Before Kise could react, Aomine slung an arm around his shoulders like they were old pals, flashing a broad smile.

"Let's go, everyone!" Aomine yelled enthusiastically, raising his hand in the air.

The others, slightly twitching at Aomine's over-the-top excitement, half-heartedly echoed, "Yeah"

Kise, now caught up in their energy, felt a wave of gratitude. "You guys are really... Wait, what is this?"

Soon, the group was standing outside a convenience store. Kise's brow furrowed as he stared at the scene: everyone enjoying ice cream bars. A vein seemed to pop on his forehead as he shouted, "Why?! Why is the celebration happening at a convenience store?"

"And why am I the one paying for everything?!" he added, waving his receipt angrily.

"It's a celebration, isn't it?" Aomine answered nonchalantly, clearly unfazed.

Murasakibara, lazily licking his ice cream, nodded in agreement, while Kuroko followed suit with a quiet nod of his own.

"A celebration shouldn't be at a convenience store!" Kise yelled, his frustration growing. "And what's with making me pay for all the ice cream?!"

"What's wrong with it? You're a model, you can afford it" Aomine replied with a teasing smile.

"And boxed popsicles are more economical" Murasakibara added, entirely focused on his snack.

"And why are there so many people here?!" Kise pointed at Midorima, Shiro, and Momoi, who had somehow joined the group.

"I was already at the convenience store when Kuroko invited me" Midorima explained matter-of-factly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"And those two?" Kise gestured at Shiro and Momoi.

"Celebrations are more fun with more people" Kuroko said simply, continuing to eat his ice cream.

"Other than eating, there's not much else to do" Midorima added.

Shiro and Momoi, holding hands, smiled at Kise without saying a word, leisurely enjoying their ice cream bars.

"And who even are you?" Kise turned to Shiro and Momoi. "I know Momoi, but who are you two?"

"I'm Shintaro Midorima" Midorima replied, pointing his ice cream at Kise. "You should at least recognize the other regular players."

"Hi, I'm Kawakami Shiro" Shiro said with a polite nod before resuming his ice cream.

Before Kise could respond, Murasakibara walked back into the store, ignoring the conversation entirely.

"Nice to meet you, I guess" Kise muttered.

"Anyway, ask your trainer about everyone" Aomine said, turning to Kuroko, who had just finished his ice cream.

"Hey, I won!" Shiro suddenly exclaimed, holding up his ice cream stick.

The group crowded around to see, with Aomine grabbing Shiro's hand to inspect it under the store's light. "Seriously? That's awesome!"

Kise bent down to look, astonished. "I've never seen anyone win from a box set before! This is crazy!"

For a moment, Kise felt a strange excitement bubble up inside him. Then he straightened up, confused. "Wait, why am I getting so worked up over this?"

"What's going on?" Murasakibara asked as he returned, arms full of corn snacks.

"Oh, Shiro just—wait a minute. How much are you planning to eat?!" Kise asked, staring at the pile of snacks in Murasakibara's hands.

"A lot" Murasakibara said simply, gazing at the corn snacks with a look of pure affection, as though they were his greatest love.