Leaving home for school was never something Cassie could get used to. She had very much enjoyed her time during the summer back in America, but now she was at her homestay in Japan yet again.
With all of her hard work, she'd be a half decent manager by the end of her studies and her parents were more than all for it. It was an easy choice sending her to her homestay in Japan thanks to the close relationship the families had. Cassie, having known the family when she first stayed with them as a young girl, was more than overjoyed when she heard she'd be doing it all over again for highschool.
The cool April air passed over her as she stepped outside to start her first day of school.
"Maybe I should have asked Kagami to go with me..." She looked back to the door knowing he was still asleep inside. "No, I'll have to find these places on my own eventually and he already showed me the way there so... so I should be fine!" Cassie pumped herself up and began to move quickly to the ground floor where she got onto the street and began her journey.
Wanting to actually make it to school, she figured leaving a few hours earlier would help in being on time. Cassie got on the nearly empty train and tried to listen for her stop. However—not knowing how to read Japanese very well—she didn't know what the station was even called. She tried her best to remember the name she had heard when Kagami showed it to her.
As the minutes passed and more people crowded onto the train, Cassie's efforts wound her up in a completely different part of the city. She got off the train knowing if she went any further, she'd be nearly leaving the country. Cassie didn't recognize the area she was in, but she decided to follow the other students she saw. While she knew this wasn't the way to her school, she hoped someone there would be nice enough to direct her.
Cassie arrived at the school and just wandered around the halls hoping to find the staff room or any teachers. The layout of the school brought her to the first floor and she wound up entering the gym. She hadn't heard anything for a bit when suddenly a ball dropped and she heard someone slamming to the ground from a dunk shot. Her eyes went to the person who had dunked, as she noticed first how tall they were. Her staring hadn't gone unnoticed. Said person hummed in her direction feeling her eyes on him, appearing to be annoyed with the look she was giving him.
"Oh? Who are you?"
Before anything could come of the glare, Cassie turned and saw someone approaching her. He was tall as well, but she didn't have time to concern about that when she remembered where she was. Her body dropped in a ninety degree bow not knowing anything else to do.
"I'm sorry... I'm looking for a teacher... or anyone who can help me." Her voice trailed as she realized the volume of her voice in the gym.
The male smiled at her. "Are you new here? I don't recognize your uniform."
"Oh, uh... I-I actually don't go here." She admitted.
"What? Where are you supposed to be then?"
"Uh, Seirin High school?"
His eyes went wide at her words. "You came all the way here?" Another one in the gym approached the pair after hearing that. "What are you, some kind of foreigner?"
She nodded. "Actually, I just moved here, I'm Cassie Ann." Cassie then looked to the first boy that had approached her and noticed a ring on a chain, her eyes went wide. "Oh, that looks just like this necklace a friend of mine has."
"This? There's only one other person who would have something like this."
"No way, are you Himuro...? -San." She tagged on the honorific.
Himuro chuckled. "No need to be so formal, but yes I am. I don't know exactly how you got here, but I'd be glad to take you back."
Someone else spoke before she could even respond.
"We're practicing right now... plus, you're just saying that 'cause she's a girl!" One in the group said.
"I'm not. She knows Tiga, so I'm sure he's worried about her." Himuro explained. "Speaking of that, has he tried to call you?"
Cassie hummed before realizing that. She went in her bag and took out her phone, she opened it and saw that it was dead. "Uh..."
Himuro gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll try and call him. Until then, you can wait on the bench."
Cassie nodded to Himuro, feeling a bit pressured to just listen to him. All eyes were on her and she didn't want to make anymore of a scene. So she quietly sat down, but as she did so, the other members on the team followed her. They wasted no time appearing in front of her.
When no one spoke, she decided to address them. "Uh... s-sorry for messing up your practice."
"Don't apologize to me, I'm not even on the team anymore. Besides, you're no inconvenience," the largest one of them said, "I'm Kenichi Okamura."
Cassie followed the lessons she learned in formalities and lowered her head to him.
"Wow, even though you're a foreigner, you know a lot." She looked at the one talking. "I'm Wei Liu."
Cassie smiled at him, but her attention was taken by another one on the team who was looking directly at her, but made no effort to approach her like the rest. When their eyes met, neither broke their gaze and it was then Cassie remembered him as the one who was dunking when she entered the gym.
"Um, if I'm stopping something, I'm okay with leaving," Cassie said, trying not to focus on him.
Okamura looked where her eyes were and saw the giant in question staring daggers in their direction.
"Hey, why are you looking at her like that?" He yelled across the gym.
Wei got Cassie's attention in the meantime. "That's Murasakibara. Just ignore him, he probably heard that you know Kagami. He still gets upset about losing to him."
Cassie hummed. "They've played against each other?"
"At a tournament once. He says he's not upset about it, but we all know he is."
Cassie smiled a bit as Wei spoke, but suddenly there was a shadow over them and Okamura's voice got louder.
Cassie looked up and saw the one named Murasakibara standing in front of her.
"You have something in your bag," he said simply.
"Huh?" Without any word, Murasakibara then reached for her bag. "Hey! That's mine!" She was able to keep it by her side before he fully grabbed it. She tried to keep it from him, but being as tall as he was, he was able to reach the distance and grabbed her bag while preventing her from interfering in an effortless swoop.
"Hey, Murasakibara!" Okamura attempted to stop him, but he was just ignored them all in favor of getting Cassie's bag.
Cassie huffed and got up pushing past everyone as Murasakibara tried to walk off. "Okay, if you relax I'll show you what's inside!"
Murasakibara seemed to calm down a bit, he turned to Cassie and handed her bag back. Cassie sighed and pulled out the only thing that made sense—freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
"I made these last night, but I don't know how you smelled them."
Murasakibara touched his stomach. "Can I have one?" As he said that, he was reaching out to grab the bag again, which he easily took.
"No, I didn't say you could." Cassie tried to get to his front, but Murasakibara kept turning to avoid her. "Stop!"
Her yells fell on deaf ears as he took both the cookies out and ate them. When he stopped turning, Cassie snatched the empty bag only to see both the cookies were gone.
"Those were good," he said.
"I can't believe you ate them." Cassie huffed. "You seriously owe me for this!"
Murasakibara didn't have much issue with that. "What do you want?"
"Just... I don't know, pay me I guess."
With a simple solution, Murasakibara went to his bag and rummaged through it. Cassie sighed and put away the empty bag.
"Sorry about him." She looked at Okamura. "He just took off. I guess he must have smelled those cookies."
"Still, he could have asked me." Cassie mumbled under her breath.
"That's how he is," Wei said.
Murasakibara returned and held out some money to her. "That enough?"
Cassie took the amount. "It doesn't matter how much it is, anything would be good."
"Then, if you have more of those cookies, do you think I could have some more?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You said you made them so doesn't that mean you have more? If you do, can I have some? I'll keep paying you."
"T-that's not the problem." She let out a breath. "I'd be glad to give you more cookies if you just asked me instead of stealing them from me."
He hummed to her. "Then... you're okay giving me some?"
Cassie sighed, but nodded. "Of course, but only if you promise not just to steal them from me again."
"I promise."
Cassie smiled at him and Himuro joined them after a bit.
"Sounds like you guys are getting along well." Cassie gave a shy smile. "But Tiga said he'd be alright with me taking you there."
Cassie seemed relieved. "Again, I'm sorry for all this."
"It's not a problem, but let's go, so you can at least get there before school's over."
"Not so fast."
Everyone stopped and looked to the door to see a woman walking over to them.
"Coach?"
She walked up to the group and looked at Cassie.
"Do you mind if I speak with you?"
Hoping to avoid any conflict, she just nodded. "Um... no of course not!"
"How would you like to become a manager for our team?" Cassie stared at the woman. "I'd compensate you for any extra money you spend to get here, but having you here is something I want."
"W-wait, coach, Cassie doesn't even go here." Himuro explained in a hurry.
"I know, Tatsuya, I said I'd pay her." Himuro let out a soft sound. "I'm asking this of you because you were able to get Murasakibara to listen to you, he doesn't do that for anyone except Tatsuya, and even then it's rare." She explained. "So, I'd like you to be here and get him to practice more."
"B-but I-"
"Please, I'll hope you'll consider it." She interrupted Cassie. "You'd only have to show up twice a week and as I said, I'll pay you for the train ride to get here."
Cassie couldn't think of much else as she spoke the offer to her.
"Besides, I'm sure Murasakibara would like that too. After all he'd have the chance to try more of your baked goods."
At that, Murasakibara said, "oh... yeah, I would." Murasakibara looked at Cassie and crouched a bit to see her better. "Since Muro-chin knows where Kagami lives, I can just ask him so I can find you again."
"W-wait a second. I didn't say I wouldn't agree! This is a lot..."
"I figured." Cassie looked back to the coach. "But I promise it'll be worth it, Cassie."
Cassie felt like she couldn't say no, and with the look Murasakibara was giving her, she figured he wasn't lying about what he said. Cassie looked to the others in the room and found herself with only one option...