𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 [𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐲𝐚 𝐬.]

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞.

a short, chubby girl opened the door to her house, skateboard tucked safely under her arm and dirt covering her left side. she scrunched her nose to push her glasses up her nose and pulled her brother's old baseball cap off, pushing the door shut behind her.

"katsumi, is that you?" her father, miyuki toku, called from somewhere inside the house. she rapped her knuckles against the wall three times, as she normally did when entering the house. "can you come to the kitchen, please?"

she hummed, walking down the hallway to the kitchen. "katsumi, this woman is here to see you." her father gestured to the woman sitting across from him.

her eyes widened at the sight of the woman in front of her, recognizing her from when she had come a few years ago to recruit kazuya to play for seidou. what was her name again?

"hello, miyuki-san," she bowed. "a pleasure." katsumi blushed and bowed, smiling nervously up at the woman.

"katsumi, how'd you get so dirty?" her father sighed. she smiled nervously, leaning her skateboard against the table and sitting down.

'what could she possibly want with me?!' katsumi sat down on one side of the square table, takashima on her left and her father on her right the woman smiled at the girl, pushing her glasses up.

"my name is takashima rei, as you know, i'm a scout from seidou. your brother told me that i should come to check you out, that you're a demon on the field." katsumi blushed slightly.

"ah, but- she's never really played for an actual team!" her father exclaimed, staring incredulously at the woman, who ignored his minor outburst.

"kazuya tells me you have a strong arm and you're incredibly fast," the woman smirked. "he said you were great at catching the balls he could hit, as well." katsumi blushed, furiously writing in her journal. "if you'd like, i like to take you to visit the school sometime to maybe sway your decision-"

"will they even let her play?! it's a boy's team for crying out loud! she's got adhd too, that'll be a problem!"

takashima sighed, glancing over at the man. "with all due respect, sir. please refrain from interrupting me," toku froze up, not expecting such a response. "i'm here to recruit your daughter to yes, play on a boy's baseball team. i would very much appreciate if you let me do my job." she turned back to katsumi, whose mouth gaped at the woman.

she quickly scribbled something into her notebook, her father watching her with wide eyes. she slid the book across the table to takashima, who smiled.

i would like to go if you'll have me, my brother has told me great things about seidou.

takashima slid the notebook back to the girl, smirking to herself. 'she looks just like kazuya.' toku looked at his daughter's notebook, eyebrows raised. takashima nodded, standing up from the table. "i'm glad you've decided to join us, katsumi. i'll arrive at the train station to take you to seidou in three weeks." the woman smiled, writing down the details on a slip of paper and letting herself out.

that night, katsumi sat at her desk with her dinner beside her as she read her manga. she bounced her knees, playing with the corner of the page. her door opened, and she looked to her father.

"you're going then?" he looked down at her, and she nodded, turning back to her book. "why? do you think they'll treat you any better there than the kids in junior high did?" she frowned at the mention of her previous school years, not bothering to try and respond. "you won't be like kazuya." she tensed up, brown eyes raising to glare at her father.

"you're wrong." she deadpanned. "i'll be everything aniki is, and more. i'm filled with potential, so please stop ignoring it."

her father stood still, shocked that she'd spoken to him, before sighing and leaving. katsumi slammed her manga shut just as her phone lit up, a soft blue glow emitting from the device. she picked it up, smiling softly.

kaz: takashima-san just got back, you're joining then?

sumi: yes! :^)

kaz: yes!! that's my lil sis :)

sumi: your emoticon doesn't have a nose!! D^:

kaz: >:)
kaz: go to bed idiot
kaz: i expect you to be in tip top shape when you come!

katsumi smiled, putting her phone down and slipping under her covers. 'three more weeks.'

˚* ੈ✩‧₊

the next day, katsumi was sat on the steps that led down to the skating ramps, the setting sun casting an orange and pink glow on her round cheeks. "katsumi-chan!" a tall boy with silver hair, sugawara koushi, ran over to her, two others trailing behind. katsumi remained on the steps, hugging her knees to her chest as her hair danced slowly in the wind.

"hey, you alright?" a brunette boy, azumane asahi, stood a few steps down from to her, so that he was standing at equal height with the girl. he was the tallest of the trio and his long brown hair was pulled back into a bun.

"a- - a seidou represen- sentative came to my h- house.." she mumbled, keeping her eyes down. the three boys looked at each other with wide eyes.

"well, that's good, right?" koushi smiled, silver hair ruffling in the wind. katsumi shrugged.

"what? you going to miss us?" the third boy, another tall brunette, sawamura daichi, teased the girl. she nodded, looking up at them sadly. daichi's eyes widened, "ah, i'm sorry... i was just teasing..." he sat down on the step next to her. "but you know, this is a great opportunity! did they come to talk to you about baseball?" she nodded, looking back down at the cracked concrete steps in front of her.

"that's awesome, katsumi!" asahi said quietly, smiling at the girl who was two years younger than them.

"i- i guess.." she smiled weakly. "lit- little nervo- vous..." she whispered.

"well, you'll have kazuya with you, yeah?" koushi sat down on her other side, and asahi sat down in front of daichi. "besides, you're going to be great, i know it! you just have to show those seidou boys just who miyuki katsumi is!" the other boys nodded excitedly, offering warm smiles to the girl. she smiled slightly, a new aura of determination surrounding her.

"y- yeah... i'll be- be on the baseball- ball team..." she smirked, standing up. "si- si- since i'm a girl, i'll h- have to work twice as hard! and since i- i'm so small, th- three times as hard!" the three boys smiled at her, standing up.

daichi pat the girl's head softly, "you're going to do great things, katsumi."