The rest of the hellish winter camp passed rather quickly. After their last exercise on their last day when coach Kataoka finally declared the end of winter camp, Sora and Sawamura pumped both of their fists high into the air and broke out in a triumphant roar of survival.
"Freedom!"
"We are alive!"
All their other teammates were sitting or lying on the floor, almost unable to move their bodies any further and the third years as well as the managers were distributing water bottles, amino acids and energy bars. Kataoka, Takashima, Oota and Ochiai were standing nearby and watched their baseball team with a mixture of pride and pity.
However, to everybody's great amazement, two of them were not only able to still stand and yell their lungs out, no, they even started to dance. And on top of it all, even the girl managers joined after someone had turned on the background music on a smartphone. It was a song of a new and very popular top idol girl group and Sora, Sawamura and the four mangers were performing their dance choreography in perfect sync with each other. With bright grins plastered on their faces the two dorks were looking like they were having the fun of their lives after they had endured hellish torture. They honestly had the nerve to do a jig in front of the whole suffering team.
"Victory dance!" Sora cheered completely out of breath, causing her dance partners to start laughing.
Meanwhile the first-string members seemed to be utterly flabbergasted at the sight of the dancing group. Many of the boys just stared at them with their mouths wide agape and didn't even realize what was going on. The third years blinked a little confused and exchanged glances with each other, but since Fujiwara was also within the choreography, they just shrugged it off and Takigawa had a little smile on his lips watching his former protégé. Sawamura really hadn't changed much after his master's retirement. Takashima just sighed and once again fixed her glasses as always.
"Bundles of restless energy", the female scout of Seidou grumbled under her breath before turning her attention to the blue haired girl. "Aoki-kun, when you're finished with your little performance, you can make your announcement to the team now, if you want"
The young girl stopped in her movements and beamed at the brunette woman. She threw the head coach a questioning glance and also Kataoka gave her a nod of approval. Winter camp was officially over, so it was finally time. Her dance partners finished their choreo as well and turned the music off, while Sawamura eyed Sora curiously. Even the always energetic southpaw pitcher didn't know what his blue haired friend had planned this time. Sora clapped her hands together with excitement and cleared her throat.
"Alright, everybody! If I may have a moment of your attention, please", she chirped and her exhausted teammates looked up to her from their places on the ground. "First of all, thank you very much for your hard work, you have all done an amazing job giving your best and pushing through winter camp the last days! So, as the latest teammate who has arrived last at Seidou, I have a little reward for you. As you all know, my family runs a sports and wellness center we have been building up and establishing here in Tokyo for quite a while now and my parents have given the permission for me to invite my team over to spend the last day before you all go back home for new year in our private little oasis. So, please go have a quick shower and pack your towels, swimming trunks and everything else you might need and gather in front of the main entrance. Departure will be in an hour. Let's have a nice last day of this year as a team, you guys! This will be our Seidou new year's ceremony, although a little early"
A short moment of stunned silence occurred. Nobody dared to talk or to ask a question. The boys just gaped speechlessly with wide, incredulous eyes. Until the coach's patience came to an end.
"What are you waiting for? Didn't you hear our pitcher? To the showers and pack your stuff! Anyone who isn't at the bus in an hour will be left behind!" Kataoka barked.
His stern order finally managed to trigger the team's euphoria. The Seidou boys jumped to their feet and cheered loudly, totally ecstatic about the fact that they would be able to do wellness right after their hell camp had ended just some seconds ago. Paradise after the brutal hell was exactly what everyone honestly needed right now. They had been looking forward to new year and their few days of home vacation anyway, but Sora's little reward was just the cherry on top. Nobody would've expected this, but the surprise only made it even better.
Before her teammates rushed to the showers, they were grouping around their blue head to give their thanks and appreciation. The boys patted her shoulders and her back and some also ruffled her hair. It was a huge, loud, shouting and laughing mess, but Sora enjoyed it genuinely to see her team members so cheerful and grinning from ear to ear.
"Nice one, Sora!" Sawamura was the last one to approach her after all the others had already dashed to the bathroom.
"I'm glad you seem to like the idea. I wasn't so sure if boys would want to do a wellness day"
The brunette grinned and nodded when suddenly Takashima appeared by their side.
"Sawamura-kun, you better go have a shower as well, I will take care of Aoki-san this time"
"Eh?"
The young girl blinked confused.
"I will let you use my private shower in the other building. It is connected to my office directly. This will be faster for now, we can't afford to be late or to draw any unnecessary attention"
"I see. Thank you very much Takashima-sensei!"
"Roger, Ma'am", Sawamura saluted. "See ya later, Sora"
And off he was, leaving only a cloud of dust behind. The blue haired girl giggled and shook her head while following her teacher to her shower room.
"Please make sure our third years and managers also come along. Ah, and of course your fellow staff members as well. You're all invited to come over with us", Sora said before entering the private bathroom with her sports bag over her shoulder, containing her change of clothes and some other stuff.
"I understand. Thank you, Aoki-san. I appreciate your surprise for the team. I will be sure also to thank your parents and your brother properly later on. And I will be giving them a report on how you're doing in our care since you have entered Seidou"
With a slightly hinted bow, the brunette woman turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Sora alone to have her shower.
It didn't even take a whole hour for the baseball team to assemble in front of the main gate of Seidou High School. They were all way too eager to get going, despite their aching bodies and sore muscles. Or maybe just because of them.
Since the wellness center of Sora's family was also located in Tokyo, the bus drive didn't take too long. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was lighthearted and full of anticipation. Sora was sitting in the very back of the bus, surrounded by Miyuki, Kuramochi, Sawamura and the younger Kominato brother. Their friends were questioning the young girl and the brunette pitcher how and when they would've had the time to practice the dance choreo with their managers since it had been training camp all along, causing them both to start laughing about their curiosity.
Only a short while later, the bus stopped in front of the wellness center. Sora was the first one to enter through the big main entrance with the Seidou staff following closely behind her and then the whole bunch of her lively teammates.
"I'm home!" the blue haired girl shouted, spreading her arms and grinning widely.
"Peanut!" they heard someone yell back and in the next moment, Sora was attacked and lifted up from the floor by her older brother who hugged her tightly and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Missed ya! Welcome back!"
"Ugh, Ten-nii! Put me down!" she complained meekly, but hugged her brother back nonetheless. "I missed you too, but please behave yourself in front of my coach..."
"Whoa, he really calls him peanut", Isashiki remarked, earning a chuckle from Takigawa.
"Did you think it was a lie?"
"Nah, not a lie, but... ya know..."
The former center fielder gestured towards the scene of the two Aokis interacting with each other and let out a partly amused, partly surprised laugh.
"Hmm, so this is the big brother", the older Kominato hummed with his characteristic smirk in his face, followed by Miyauchi's audible exhaling through his nose.
"Eijun!" Ten cheered after he put his younger sister back down.
"Aniki!" Sawamura greeted back and they high-fived.
"Yay!"
"Welcome to our home, bud", the older Aoki added sheepishly.
"Ossu!"
"And I'm finally able to meet the whole gang! A great pleasure meeting ya, I'm Aoki Ten, Sora's older brother", he continued his greeting turning to the rest of the Seidou team. "Make yourselves at home and in case you'll need anything, don't hesitate to ask me or our parents. And thank you very much for takin' care of my lil' peanut. I know he can be a handful sometimes"
"That coming from you of all people is rich, Ten-nii..." Sora deadpanned dryly and everybody could see Ten sweat dropping at the younger Aoki's flat tone of voice.
"Well, well, aren't my boys causing a ruckus again in the middle of the foyer..." a new and soft female voice interrupted the baseball team's laughter. "I'm very sorry, coach. Please forgive my energetic sons for their rudeness, they don't mean to cause trouble"
A small, but beautiful woman with sky blue, shoulder-length curls and gentle eyes in the same color behind a set of glasses appeared and bowed deeply in front of the staff members of the Seidou team.
"Mom!" Sora beamed.
"Welcome home, Sora"
Her mother stroked her head lovingly and gave her a friendly smile. The young girl nodded slightly.
"I'm back"
"Go and greet your father, will you. He's in his practice"
"Sure", Sora agreed happily and began making her way through the big entrance hall to a door in the back.
"Ten, be a Darling and take the youngsters with you. I will be taking care of the rest here"
"Alrighty"
The dark haired boy clapped his hands to gain the team's attention and waved at the students.
"Everybody who is a baseball team member, please follow me, everybody who is a baseball staff member, please be so kind and follow my mother", he ordered and started walking at the same time, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the students would be hot on his heels. "I'll be giving you a short tour and show you around"
So, while Ten was leading the group of baseball players and managers and their mother was taking care of coach Kataoka and his staff members, Sora was visiting her father to greet him properly. She hadn't seen him in a while now after all and she was looking forward to spending new year with her family. She talked with him for a short moment, until a cheeky sparkle lit up her father's dark green eyes.
"You know, Sora. We have some very good news for you", the sports medic announced with pride filling his voice. "Your mother and I have found a sponsor for our center already"
"Eh?! No way! Who is it? Who?"
The young girl jumped with pure joy.
"Tell me. Tell me!"
Her father laughed amused, ruffling his daughter's wig with one of his big and warm hands.
"Actually we wanted to wait until new year to tell you, so don't tell your mother that I already revealed our little secret. Let's talk about it when we have a little more time during your homestay. For now just enjoy the rest of the day with your teammates"
"Naw... No fair, dad!" Sora pouted, but got shooed out of her father's practice anyway.
Back in the entrance hall, the blue haired girl spotted her mother already standing behind the front desk again.
"Hey mom, where are the coach and the others?"
"Mh? Oh, the men are taking their time in the sauna and Takashima-san wanted to get her nails done in our beauty area. She seems to be a nice teacher"
"Oh yeah, she is", Sora affirmed, but her conversation with her mother got interrupted when Ten came back from his tour in his waiter uniform.
"Yo, peanut. The new uniforms have arrived already. Knowing you, you wanna try it on too, right? Come help at the pool bar for a bit? We could need a hand"
Sora's cerulean eyes began sparkling as she eyed her brother up and down. The new uniforms were pretty nice and she definitely wanted to try the female version!
"Oh, Ten", their mother scolded. "Sora's not here to work today. Let her spend her time with her teammates. Besides, she shouldn't walk around as a girl in front of them, so if you really want to try one of the uniforms, take a male version"
"It's okay mom. I wanted to do that today anyway, it's a strategy", the young girl reassured her worried mother. "I'll tell them about my cosplay thing and show them the female waitress uniform. Then I'm gonna tell them that I also worked in a butler and maid café, so if one of them should ever catch me dressed as a girl somewhere, they're gonna think it's normal for me to cosplay as a girl, rather than thinking I'm an actual girl and figuring out my secret"
"Heh, so it's a precaution in case someone recognizes you. Smooth, peanut. You've always been such a smart one", Ten praised in awe.
"My, my, I didn't know my own daughter was so deceptive", their mother sighed, not sounding very convinced.
"C'mon, mom... It's not like she could go and swim with her team anyway, right? She'd have to show way too much for that to work out. And it'll be also quite suspicious if she sits at the pool with full clothing. Having her play the lil' cosplaying waitress might actually be for the best", the older Aoki tried to explain patiently with Sora nodding along.
"Exactly", she confirmed. "Knowing them they would either pester me to no ends as to why I don't want to get into the pool with them or they'd just mercilessly throw me in. Even Eijun isn't able to prevent everything if the team gangs up on me"
"Ah, right. I forgot you can't wear a swimsuit in front of them", the blue haired woman admitted. "It's such a shame. I'd rather have you to have some fun with them, Sora. It's your last day of the year with your friends after all"
Sora smiled affectionately at her gentle mother. Always so worried about her children, typical for her.
"No worries, mom. With Seidou it's gonna be fun anyway. And don't forget that Eijun and Ten-nii are also there"
"Goddamn right"
"Language, young man! You're working right now", their mother reminded her older son and Ten put a hand over his mouth. "Very well then, go and have a good time together. But if you're working for the pool bar, take it seriously, Sora. We have a reputation to protect"
"Yes, Ma'am", both siblings responded unisono before Ten took Sora's hand to escort her to the locker rooms.
"Take your time changing, I'm gonna go take their orders and watch out no one drowns or somethin'"
"Thanks, Ten-nii. Love ya"
"Love ya more"
The dark haired boy turned around and basically skipped back to his current working area with a bright grin in his face. Whenever Sora told him that she loved him, his heart felt all bubbly and warm.
Meanwhile the blue haired girl locked herself up in one of the changing rooms and was all giddy with excitement over the new waiter and waitress uniforms. She got out of her boy's attire and also took off the wig and the bandages, as well as the minimizer bra. She exhaled in relief. As much as she was already used to this, it still was kinda uncomfy.
Sora slipped into new white girl's underwear and quickly put on her working clothes consisting of a tight, black mini skirt reaching up to the middle of her thighs, a white, long sleeved blouse which she stuffed into her skirt to hug her curves in a more flattering way and a black, sleeveless vest with golden buttons, stopping right beneath her chest.
The blue haired girl rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, fixing them there with a small white button and left some of the upper buttons of her blouse open to create a beautiful V-neck cleavage with the support of the buttoned black vest that seemed to push everything up a bit more. Additionally, she put on white stockings with flouncy hemlines and black, comfortable pumps with low heels. She exchanged her boyish silver studs with small golden creole earrings and last but not least she styled her long, sky blue hair into two high pigtails with white ribbons and some shorter strands were framing her beautiful face. Perfect!
Satisfied with herself, the young girl left the locker rooms, striding down the hallway with her head held high in confidence and pride.
The pool bar and the actual swimming area with a large pool basin and a heated whirlpool were separated from each other by some stairs leading up to the wooden counter. Ten was already standing there, preparing colorful drinks in plastic cups since glass wasn't allowed near the pools. The rest of the Seidou team was enjoying themselves playing around in the water, relaxing on some loungers or sitting in the whirlpool, although the female managers were missing. The collective shouting and bickering could be heard throughout the whole area very typically.
"Where did you lose our ladies?" Sora asked her brother, joining him behind the counter to help him with the bunch of drink and snack orders.
"The beauty area, where else?!"
Ten chuckled and threw his sister in the new waitress uniform a skeptical glance.
"Are you sure you wanna go down there dressed like that? I could go alone, that wouldn't be a problem"
"Ten-nii, not that topic again! I'm a cosplayer, I've worn worse costumes exposing much more skin than this. 'Sides, all our waiters and waitresses wear that. You wear the male version yourself for cryin' out loud!"
"Our employees are adults, peanut and we're not attending one of your anime or cosplay events. Plus, there's a bunch of baseball idiots in swimming trunks in that pool and I don't have a rifle with me..."
Yeah, thank goodness...
"They think I'm a guy..."
"Up until now"
"I'm actually doing this to keep up my acting, did you listen to me earlier?! If anything, they're gonna be confused or weirded out by my current appearance"
Her dark haired older brother only gave her a flat look and Sora facepalmed in annoyance. Yup, Ten and Eijun definitely had some major similarities!
"Gimme the tray!" the young girl ordered in a stern voice and her brother complied with an offended huff. "I'll be back for the rest in a few. You. Stay. Here!"
With that said, Sora took her teammate's orders and descended the stairs to the pool area as gracefully as possible while carrying drinks on a tray. Some of the boys who noticed the movement from the corners of their eyes, looked up to her curiously and it was really funny how different the reactions were turning out.
The younger Kominato and Kanemaru along with Toujou all blushed heavily and Kanemaru's jaw dropped slightly while they were sitting on the edge of the pool basin, dangling their legs in the cool water.
"What a beauty!" he mumbled incredulously, while his best friend seemed at least to have some doubt.
"B-But guys... Isn't that...?"
However due to his stammering and some brain cells short-circuiting Toujou never came to finish his sentence that would've expressed his suspicions.
Among the first years Furuya as always was the indifferent one, relaxing on a lounger who only watched the blue haired girl coming down the stairs, wondering why she seemed kinda familiar, but rather being interested in receiving his drink.
Kawakami, Shirasu, Watanabe, Maezono and Ono who had been concentrating on their competition with a beachball, standing in only knee-deep water interrupted their sporting activity when they recognized the young girl in her waitress uniform. While Watanabe and Shirasu, the more composed and observant ones of the team only furrowed their brows and exchanged glances with each other and Ono also being rather rational wondered with a slight flush on his cheeks if the cute girl could be another Aoki relative which would've made sense since the wellness center was indeed a family business, Maezono and Kawakami nearly suffered from a heart attack. Both of them gaped speechlessly as if they had seen a girl for their very first time in their lives.
Meanwhile, the third year senpais were grouped together on some chairs and loungers, going through some documents for their college enrollment, playing with their smartphones and Isashiki being completely engrossed in one of his favorite shoujo manga. Their attention shifted to Sora when they heard a collective murmur going through the rest of their teammates. The faces of Isashiki, Tanba, Masuko and Sakai immediately went all red at which the older Kominato brother raised his eyebrows knowingly. Yuuki exchanged a glance with a calmly smiling Takigawa and Miyauchi crossed his arms over his chest and only let out his typical grunt.
"That Sora bastard!" Isashiki cursed loudly. "Why didn't he tell us that he has such a cute sister?!"
"Yeah, that's kinda unfair! He's our kouhai after all. No secrets!" also Sakai complained and Tanba and Masuko only nodded their heads in agreement at that.
"Heh... You guys seriously don't realize it, huh?!" Kominato mocked sarcastically.
"So, this is cosplay, I see. He's pretty good at it", the former captain remarked, shocking his fellow almost-graduates.
Takigawa hummed thoughtfully.
"I guess we should at least praise him. Showing it to us at his first chance probably means that he takes a lot of pride in it and I heard no one from our team has visited the café he's working in just yet. Seems like he really wanted us to see and to understand what he's doing and also his love and passion for it"
"That's true", Yuuki affirmed with a curt nod, ignoring his flabbergasted friends.
"Wait a second..." Masuko held up one hand and tried to follow the previous conversation.
"So, basically you want to tell us that this isn't Sora's sister, but..." Tanba started, but didn't finish his sentence because just the thought was so ridiculous.
"Sora himself, of course", Kominato deadpanned. "In his beloved cosplay he told us about"
"Wha-?! You gotta be kidding me, Ryou-san!" Isashiki blurted out, receiving a chop on his head from the pink haired male beside him.
"You're too loud!"
"At least I can understand now why he's so skinny. If he bulked up, he couldn't play female roles anymore", Miyauchi commented with total conviction, making Sakai facepalm and the others laugh.
"I don't think that that's the point..."
They continued their little discussion while watching the blue head distributing some drinks, going back up the stairs to refill her tray with new orders and continuing her round.
Sora had almost provided all the first and second years with snacks and drinks, snickering about their weird reactions when she noticed that the only ones left not having recognized her appearance yet were actually her three closest friends. As always, they were bickering and fighting with each other and Kuramochi somehow tried to drown Sawamura in the pool, holding him under water while Miyuki as their dutiful captain made no attempts to save the brown haired pitcher and instead just kept laughing. Watching them from a distance, the blue haired girl sighed and shook her head with one hand on her hips. Boys...!
When Sawamura finally wiggled his way out of the shortstop's murderous chokehold and gasped for air, his gentle hazel eyes locked with Sora's. A wide grin appeared on his face and he raised one of his arms up into the air to wave enthusiastically.
"Hey, Sora!" he shouted over the whole area. "You're late, ya know!"
Beside him Miyuki and Kuramochi also looked up and wanted to tease the blue head for taking too long in the locker rooms, but froze upon seeing her attire. Additionally, they weren't the only ones who couldn't believe their ears and eyes anymore. Most of the other Seidou team members had heard Sawamura's scream, but weren't able to connect the beautiful waitress to the name of their relief pitcher. Except for the third years, Shirasu and Watanabe and maybe Ono who came to realize that it wasn't an Aoki relative, but Aoki Sora in person. Also Toujou's suspicions got confirmed, but the poor guy wasn't really able to grasp that.
"...EEEHHH...???!!!" the boys finally let out their confusion making Sora laugh out loud.
"Sawamura, did you just say Sora?!" Miyuki questioned only to get reassured once again.
The brunette genius catcher had trouble to keep his outer smartass attitude and basically just avoided looking at the young girl in the sexy uniform by talking to his battery partner. Still, he sounded like something was wrong with Sawamura's head and just wasn't able to conceal that, much to his own irritation.
"No way in the ever-loving hell!" Kuramochi exploded, his head fiery red, but his innocent roommate only tilted his head in his all too well-known confusion.
"Yeah, so...?"
Captain and vice-captain stalled, minds blank and with flat expressions on their faces. This was so Sawamura-like that it was almost scary, but what else would they've expected? It was literally their own fault for asking...
"Late, huh? For what?" Sora finally responded to the southpaw's greeting. "Your drinks or seeing you get drowned by Mochi? C'mon, guys. Get out, I've got your orders ready"
She had come closer to the pool now and spoke softly to her friends with her normal female voice. And for the better or the worse, Sawamura of all people was the only one acting normally for once in his lifetime, to everybody's astonishment. As he climbed out of the basin and took the tray from Sora to carry it for her, Miyuki and Kuramochi were still dumbfounded and unable to move.
"So, why are you in cosplay, Sora?" the brunette pitcher asked, gulping down his drink in one go.
"Cos-..." Kuramochi started.
"...-play?!" Miyuki finished and they both shared a glance until it suddenly dawned on them.
"Because I'm absolutely and undeniably fucking gorgeous, duh!" Sora replied grinning smugly and placing her hands on her hips in pride.
"And I wanted everybody to see it. That's the essence of a cosplayer after all"
"Oh, I see", Sawamura gave back as if he had actually learned something important.
Okay, it really was Sora...
Now even the catcher and the shortstop were sure of it. Not that this meant that they were very pleased with this new situation though. They both had enough trouble with teenage hormone confusion whenever they got too close to the blue head. Adding a sexy female version of their teammate to the repertoire was not really a big help there.
"Holy fucking shit..." Kuramochi cursed under his breath and Miyuki did his best not to agree with him openly, showing his vice-captain his wry smirk.
"Having trouble with something, Kuramochi?"
"Oh, shut up!"
"Well, our Sora never ceases to surprise us. Or so it seems..."
"Hallelujah, amen"
"Kaz, Mochi, you wanna soak in there or what? Get your drinks, will ya"
The young girl waved her hands impatiently and gestured for her friends to come over. After hearing their nicknames from female-version-Sora, both boys looked like they were about to combust spontaneously, but they complied and got their drinks only to have something else in their hands they could stare at instead of their blue haired teammate.
"Sora, I want a cool uniform, too!" Sawamura demanded. "I've seen Aniki wear one, so you also have 'em for boys. Wanna take pictures for Tomo-chan together! I bet she'd be interested in that stuff, right?"
Kuramochi and Miyuki stared at the young southpaw. Well, they probably shouldn't have wondered about Sawamura's behavior anymore, but his adaptability to different situations sure had increased tremendously since Sora had transferred.
"Oh, great idea, Eijun!" Sora beamed happily, causing her two fellow second years to pointedly avoid looking at her again. "Let me just bring our senpais their orders first. Ask Ten-nii to give you a uniform and go change, I'll be right back. And bring your phone"
"Woohoo, nice!"
With growing distress, the young captain and the shortstop both watched as Sawamura took off to the pool bar and Sora got another round of drinks ready, she carried over to the third years who began complimenting her for her cosplay. They even told her they would be coming over to the cosplay café where she was working in future to get some studying done there. Apparently Isashiki had been thrown out of the library because he had been too loud once already, much to everybody's humiliation and his obvious interest in reading manga was also a good reason to drop by. Takigawa was interested in the new chocolate parfait Sora mentioned to him and Yuuki the ever so brotherly and supporting former captain just wanted to make Sora feel proud. She even started posing in front of them, much to the older Kominato's amusement and Isashiki's and Tanba's embarrassment.
After Sawamura was back in a male waiter uniform, the same as Ten's, Sora and the brown haired pitcher actually started making photos and selfies and also included the older Aoki in the pictures at some point. Very surprisingly, Furuya of all people volunteered for the group to take some of the pictures for them with Sawamura's phone, so that they could have some nice group shots and they were very eager in having fun while doing so.
This whole thing kinda escalated quickly in Ten taking pictures with his own phone of the whole baseball team, including Sora and Eijun while they were still fooling around with each other and also the other team members seemed to relax again after the surprise the blue haired girl had caused. Some of them even went to get a professional massage or wanted to check out the sauna or a steam bath. Others were just taking it easy in the whirlpool or sleeping on the loungers. Everybody was honestly very pleased and grateful for Sora's invitation.
Ten and Sawamura shared their pictures with Sora and they sent some of them to the young girl's manager to show off the waiter and waitress uniforms to her. Maybe Tomo-chan would actually like them and consider adding something similar to her repertoire.
The still slightly flustered younger Kominato brother and Furuya peeked over Sora's and Sawamura's shoulders to have a look on their team shots. Some of the guys swimming, some sitting and chatting in groups, some making peace signs into the camera while sitting in the whirlpool and Kawakami and Shirasu with a beachball, trying to hold it up into the air and to continue their relay of tossing it to each other as long as possible.
Meanwhile Miyuki and Kuramochi had settled down on some chairs nearby with some light snacks and two new drinks. The shortstop seemed to be in deep concentration, staring at the blue head as if she could vanish at any moment and the brunette catcher cocked an eyebrow at his friend and classmate.
"There's no way in hell they're fake!" the green haired grumbled out while still staring intently at Sora and Miyuki followed his gaze only to splutter with laughter and hold his stomach when he realized what Kuramochi was actually referring to.
Just then the young shortstop realized that he had unintentionally spoken out aloud what he had been thinking and instantly regretted it with his captain present, being a laughing mess right beside him.
"I had no idea you'd be analyzing this matter that seriously, Kuramochi", the captain wheezed, gesturing towards Sora's décolleté with great amusement.
"Shut up, Miyuki!"
And again, the green head's face was tinted deep red. He'd surely get high blood pressure if this was going on. Luckily for Kuramochi he'd be returning home for new year as well.
Altogether the baseball team's last day of the year ended equally Seidou-typical as any other day within the school's compounds would have as well, much to Sora's relief and everybody's joy. The blue haired girl's idea to invite her team to her family's business had been a great success.
Nevertheless, it was still kind of sad to say her goodbyes to them when the time finally had come that the guys would be departing to their respective homes. She sure would miss the lively and energetic bunch, but this time she could be sure to be reunited with them again.
________________________________________________________________________________
A/N:
So, you guys... I wanna be honest with you here...
It's much later than I thought, luckily, but we have reached my limit of pre-written chapters now.
This is my last chapter that I already had in stock, so I will have to write new ones first to be able to keep posting.
Well, actually the last one was already and I've been working on this one every now and then to get it finished...
AND it's my last semester and I have to write my bachelor thesis and organize a whole lot of stuff. (Wish me luck... ugh!)
I'm very sorry to tell you this, but unfortunately updates will not be regularly anymore (as you may have noticed already lol) and I'm also afraid that the waiting times between the chapters are going to be much longer from now on.
Still, I want to thank all the readers and the supporters of this fanfic!
Thank you very, very much for reading, for favorites, for following and just for being there, I really do appreciate it! You are all awesome!
I don't plan on giving up on this fic or any other fic I'm writing, so I hope you will be patient and bear with me until the end.
I wish you all the best for now and please look forward to my next chapters :D
Lots of love!
Jacky