Newest project! This is a Big Windup! fanfiction from me! I just love how this anime/manga not only shows good skills in baseball, but also how close the members of the teammates are. This story will feature one of my OCs and her family are probably OCs as well. This series needs some love so cheers guys!

Disclaimer: I do no own Big Windup!

"Nee, Chiyo-chan…"

"W-What?"

"You've been staring at them since forever."

"Ah! I'm sorry…"

"*giggle* Really, why don't you go in and volunteer? The coach seems to be pretty nice."

"N-No, there's too many people right now! I-I'll wait until the practice's over! Yeah, I'll just watch a little more!"

"If you say so then." I smiled silently as Chiyo return to watch the baseball members whilst clutching to the fence. She's been looking forward to this since school started, so I should at least show my support.

"Nishiura High School baseball team…huh?"

Recovery Chapter 1, A Change of Mind

"If you never change your mind, why have one?"
- Edward De Bono

About 2 hours before

"You wanted to become the manager of the baseball team?" I ask her again to justify.

"Y-Yeah." Chiyo-chan stuttered as she replied, probably because my voice seems too loud.

"Are you sure? There are other clubs you know. And I don't think this school has a baseball team either." I try to persuade her, while looking around the school entry for signs of the baseball team.

"Ah! I think I saw them heading to the field already! Let's go there now!" Chiyo-chan suddenly got excited as she grabbed my hand, and dash through the crowd.

"W-Wait, Chiyo-chan! Slow down!"

My name is Asami Satsuki, age 15, born May 27th. The one pulling me right now is Shino'oka Chiyo, my best friend. We're both freshmen at Nishiura High School here in Saitama Prefecture. The reason for Chiyo-chan enthusiasm here is because she heard the news that Nishiura is starting its first hardball team, and really wanted to become manager. It's not that I think it's a bad idea but…nevermind. I don't want to discourage Chiyo-chan at any point right now.

"We're here!" she exclaim. We finally arrived at the large, grassy and empty baseball field?

"But there's no one here…" I thought a loud while looking at the field, until we heard footsteps from behind us.

"They're here! Er, let's go over there!" Chiyo pushed me to the other side of the field in panic.

"But, weren't you going to volunteer anyway?" I question her as she pushed me.

"Not now! I'm too nervous!" she reply, a bit flustered. When I saw her face I giggled, and she tried to stop me, but it only made me giggle even more.

"Okay, okay. Let's just watch them for now, okay?" I'm a bit curious myself…

"Okay! Oh look! Here they come!" she pointed out to the group coming in to the field. 9 guys, which I quickly recognized all as freshmen, a male teacher, which I knew was Shiga-sensei from the faculty and a curvaceous woman, which I assumed is the coach? Oh, and she had a dog too, how cute!

"There aren't too many members though…" I thought a loud again, it's a bad habit of mine. The woman looked as if she's seen something interesting and goes over to the other side of the field. A few seconds later she came back dragging a timid looking boy. Poor guy…

But we've been standing here and watch for quite some time…Well, Chiyo-chan is at least, and she's completely in awe.

"Nee, Chiyo-chan…"

"W-What?"

"You've been staring at them since forever."

"Ah! I'm sorry…"

"*giggle* Really, why don't you go in and volunteer? The coach seems to be pretty nice."

"N-No, there's too many people right now! I-I'll wait until the practice's over! Yeah, I'll just watch a little more!"

"If you say so then."

I took the liberty to familiarize myself with the faces. Since Chiyo-chan is going to be manager, I think I'll be seeing them much more often. Then I heard one boy calling himself "Tajima" and mentioning his previous positions. Tajima? It couldn't be "that" Tajima Yuuichiro from the Arakawa Sea Breams right? I cocked an eyebrow. Maybe I'm hearing wrong…

Suddenly the coach, who I finally confirm was the woman looks a bit panicky. It was probably got to do with something with what the guy in the blue beanie said, since she's directing her panic look to him. I can faintly hear what he said, something about the coach being a woman and all. While he's talking, the coach took a bat and a ball and started dribbling the ball up and down, and she does it continuously without the ball falling.

W-What an amazing control! I was too dumbfounded to say anything. I've never seen anyone who manages to do that practice perfectly. And Chiyo-chan's agreed with me on this one, she was stunned in awe! Finally she hit the ball a bit higher and bats.

"Catcher! Here it comes!" she yells out. When the timings right, she hit the ball perpendicularly. It keeps going higher and higher and higher.

So high! I found myself amazed a second time. The ball finally falls right into the catcher's mitt.

"Anyone for fresh juice?" the coach asks a loud. Juice? What's that to do with baseball? The coach took a couple of fresh oranges from a gunny. Wait, I thought she said juice…

The coach took a deep breath…and squeezes the oranges bare-handedly with all her might?! It scared the heck out of the members! It scared me too! The juice from the oranges was place to a bowl, then she transfer it to a plastic glass. With a smiling face, she offered the freshly squeezed oranges to beanie boy, who actually drinks it.

"The baseball coach in this school is…"

"Scary…" I heard Chiyo-chan continuing my sentence. I think nearly all the blood in our brains may have been drained.

"Nee Chiyo-chan…are you sure you want to manage this club…?

"L-Let's just watch a little more, okay?"

"O-Okay…"

"Ahaha…" Chiyo-chan laughs nervously, until she sees something odd on the field. "Is that boy over there crying?"

"Eh?" Surely when I glance over back to the field, that guy whom the coach drags in forcefully was crying. It turns the members into confusion. Ugh, it's too far away I can't hear what they're saying.

"I wonder what's going on…" Chiyo-chan wonders to herself.

"I think that's the biggest drama I've seen this far…" I sweat dropped. I mean, why couldn't it be? First, a person was dragged in to join in, then an appearance of a famous player, some bickering, display of skills, orange squashing and finally someone cried. But I feel kinda bad. Even from here, the poor guy looks devastated, as he starts crouching on the ground like that.

"I'm kinda bored already…" I moan. "Aren't they going to start playing or at least finish off the introduction?"

"Look! He's going to pitch!" Chiyo-chan pointed out again.

"Which guy?"

"Umm, the one that just cried…"

She's right, the timid-looking guy went over the mound nervously. The other guy, the catcher goes over to his position and prepared to catch. The pitcher throws once. And just when he thought it was over, the catcher return the ball again. He then throws again, and again, and again. It seemed like an ordinary catch but…

"Something seems odd with the throw…"

"Huh? You said something Satsuki-chan?"

"O-Oh nothing! It's just silly me thinking a loud again! Ahahaha…" I nervously assured her. Chiyo-chan blinks a few times at me then goes back to watching the team. That was too close…

"HEEEY! Grandpaaa!" I heard someone yelling out of the blue. A boy had apparently climbed the fence and calls out his grandparent. It's that Tajima guy, and I can see an old man waving back to him as well. Ah, how nice to have your family nearby…

"Ah! They're finally going to play!" Chiyo-chan exclaim. "Waa, it looks exciting doesn't it?"

"Uh, uhm." I nod. "But from the looks of it, I don't think it's a full game. They only have the infielders in…"

"Satsuki-chan can tell the position from here?"

"Eh? Doesn't it look obvious?"

"If only I can look a bit closer…" Chiyo-chan regrets to herself.

"Then just go in and volunteer already!"

"They're starting!"

Well I guess there's no choice…I'll just watch with her.

"It's a three-at-a-bat game! Play!" I heard the umpire declared. A three-at-a-bat, a simple baseball game with simple rules. Basically the batter loses when he gets 3 strikes, that's it. The pitcher prepares himself, while the catcher gives out the signals. Too bad I can't really see since his hands are blocked while he was squatting, but his arms are twitching a little and I was proved right when he return to his catching position. The pitcher throws, but the timing wasn't right for the batter. One strike.

"What was that?! You're not seeing that ball!"

"You're swinging way too low!" I hear the members yelling out in disappointment.

"I thought so, something's odd with that pitch…"

"Satsuki-chan?"

Oh shoot, not again. "Oh, I'm fine I'm fine! Just ignore me whenever I say something okay?"

"Um, okay?"

I reaaally have to fix that habit…Oh, they're starting again.

The pitcher throws again, this time it was hit. But the ball hits a grounder and so the batter got easily stopped. The ball was probably thrown lower on purpose, since the catcher knew that the batter would hit at the same place as before. Since it's low, there's no chance of the ball going out to the outer field so it would bounce to the ground instead. Interesting…

"I guess that makes one out…"

The ball returned to the pitcher again and the waited for the catcher to finish giving him the signs. For a second I saw the pitcher becomes anxious but he took another moment to calm himself. Then, he pitches. But the pitch…!

"Right in the middle?" Letting the pitcher to throw a ball at a vulnerable spot where a batter might hit it, is the catcher crazy? Scared to see the outcome, I immediately shut my eyes knowing that the ball will get hit.

"Strike!"

Strike…? What I heard says otherwise, and when I see it, the ball has definitely been caught by the catcher, instead of flying away for a home run. "But how is that possible?"

"Satsuki-chan, you're getting a little worked up." Chiyo-chan says to me.

"Am I? Erm…summer's heat?" I try to think of an excuse, sadly that's the best one I can come up with. It's not completely wrong though, good thing Chiyo-chan bought it. Okay, moving on with that game.

The batter seems more determined this time. Again, the pitcher throws the ball. But the batter didn't budge from his position, maybe he fidgets just a little. The ball got caught a bit higher, outside of the strike zone.

"Ball!" the umpire declares, figures. But there are still 2 strikes though. He's going to be fine if he only gets another strike. But if he gets an out, it's over. Back to the game, this time the pitch was thrown in the middle again and got hit. It wasn't a solid hit though, and the ball got easily caught. A pitch that prevents the batter from hitting the ball completely: a shootball.

"It's two outs…" I sigh lightly, since the outcome of this game is pretty much set already. I turn around and leans against the fence, Chiyo-chan got a little confused seeing my action.

"Aren't you going to watch anymore, Satsuki-chan?"

"I can see the results already." I tell her simply. I must say that I'm impressed with the performance, so I won't feel any regrets not seeing the rest of the game. "That pitcher is good, I can see this team has potential."

Just when I finished talking with Chiyo-chan, I hear a definite conclusion of the game, just like I had expect it.

"Strike!"

It's getting pretty late, and the sun has started to set. The baseball members just left a second ago, and only Shiga-sensei and the coach are left in the field. Of course, me and Chiyo-chan are still here.

"Okay Chiyo-chan, do your best." Since the game is over, Chiyo-chan has no other choice but to face the music and volunteer like she promised. She's still a little nervous though.

"W-Would you accompany me to the coach?" she pleas timidly. I guess you can't just brush of anxiety just like that.

"Okay, I'll walk with you." I give in. We enter the field together as Chiyo-chan goes over to the coach, walking slightly ahead of me. I look around from inside of the field. It's been a long time since I stepped a foot into a baseball field, it feels nostalgic.

"Um, excuse me!" Chiyo-can called the coach and Shiga-sensei, gaining their attention. "I-I would like to become the manager of this club!" the two instructor didn't react for a moment, so there's a bit of awkward silence before Chiyo-chan breaks the ice and bows politely. "P-Please take care of me!"

There goes another silence, then, the coach's eyes starting beaming.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" she quickly takes Chiyo-chan's hands, which only makes her flusters. My friend's reactions are so cute sometimes. "I know we are a new club and the boys might be a little hard to handle but please take care of us!"

"Yes! Thank you for the chance!" Chiyo-chan's eyes were filled with joy, she got accepted into the club! She then quickly looks at my direction and skips towards me.

"Satsuki-chan! I got accepted!"

"Congratulations, Chiyo-chan! I'm so happy for you!"

"How about you?" the coach's voice calls out, and the one she calls out was me. I point at mysef=lf to justify and she nods. "Would you like to join the baseball team too?"

"That's right! Would you, Satsuki-chan?" Chiyo-chan realizes the possibility of the two of us managing the baseball team together. "You're familiar with all the positions, you're observant with the pitches earlier, you even know the outcome of the game!"

Oh no, I don't like where this is going… Each time Chiyo-chan gives out the facts, I can see the coach's eyes gleamed more in curiosity. "Weren't you a manager of the baseball team back in your old too?"

No! Not that fact! I palmed face myself mentally. That one really kicks the gear, the coach is reaaally curious this time.

"Really? Which middle-school did you went to?"

"It was Yoshio Private Academy." Shiga-sensei answers. He just had to add the pressure huh?

"Isn't that one in Tokyo? I heard their baseball team is also pretty solid." The coach comments of my old school, which I don't want to remember in any sort of conversation especially ones like this.

"Then you must be Asami Satsuki, right? The daughter of the president of Asami Memorial Hospital!" the coach confirms my identity. "I overheard about your transfer from the faculty members, even though I'm not one of the teachers here. That's why we have Shiga-sensei as our supervisor."

"So that's why…"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing! Don't mind me!"

"Well, what about it?" the coach offers me the role of co-managers with Chiyo-chan, who looks at me expectantly. Seriously, do I want to go back to baseball again? I've been doing a good job at avoiding it all this time, why now of all times? I can't tell Chiyo-chan about what happened back in middle-school, but I have no desire to be a manager…

"I-I don't think it's a good idea…" I try to reject the offer nicely. "I didn't really enjoy my time back in middle-school anyway. Besides, Chiyo-chan here will be a great manager. I don't think she'll need my help at all."

"Satsuki-chan…"

"Do you dislike baseball?" the coach asks out of the blue.

"No! I have nothing against the sport! It's just…" I pause right there before things gets too personal. It's not something I like to talk about with people. It'll only cause them trouble. The coach only stares in consideration, before she finally talks again.

"I don't know what kind of experience you had in middle-school…" she says straightforwardly. "But what I do know, is that we have a very young, yet very determined baseball team. If you had been watching, they have great potentials."

"I do." I say to her simply.

"And because of that, we need the support of others. To get better, to improve ourselves to face the challenges that we'll likely to have as a new baseball team. People will definitely look down on us, but those boys would show them otherwise." She then shows this huge, proud grin on her face. "Our target is Koshien! We're going straight to the top!"

"Koshien?" I ask in disbelief. To be a finalist in Koshien for most school is already hard but to win Koshien itself? They set a target way to high! But when I look at these people, how confident they are, there's this little voice in my head saying "they might be able to…" it melts my heart a little bit, and I smile at that thought.

"If you don't want to be manager…" Shiga-sensei suddenly says. "Then how about using your expertise in health as a medic?"

"Medic?" I ask him. Is there even such a role in a sports club?

"Baseball is a high-risk sport, these boys can easily get hurt at times. We'll need someone who can perform first-aid, deal with sports injuries. You are familiar with athletes' injuries right?"

"I know a little about them, but not too much since it rarely happens anyway."

"It'll be a great help for Shino'oka too since manager duties covers more than just the members. And also you don't have to come to practice all the times. Are you up for it?"

"It'll be great for the two of us to be in the same club, Satsuki-chan!" Chiyo-chan encourages me to accept it. I see the coach and Shiga-sensei are looking at me expectantly. It's the same thing again, just because I'm the daughter of a doctor and had a knowledge of one, the can use it for their benefits. But, their words seem more sincere, more trustworthy. Is it alright to go back to baseball and trust these kinds of people again? Should I even keep questioning myself? If you never change your mind, why have one?

"…Okay"

That's all for chapter 1! It's a bit short so tell me what you think first! More on Satsuki...

Profile

Name: Asami Satsuki (麻美 幸希) Asami: Morning beauty, Satsuki: Happiness, rare/hope

Age: 15 years old

Class: Year 1 Class 7

Position: Medic

Date of Birth: May 27th

Zodiac: Gemini

Blood Type: O

Height: 165 cm

Weight: 52 kg

Appearance: Long, layered black hair with bangs, Chestnut-brown eyes, Pale complexion. Lean build

Character: a bit indifferent only to people she just knew, has a tomboy streak, diligent when it comes to responsibilities, doesn't like it when people talks about her personal matters, very observant of everything, has a temper but knows how to control it

Hobbies: reading, training, hanging out with Shino'oka Chiyo, playing with her younger brother

Flaws: can't cook (she can only cuts the ingredients), tends to speak out her mind without realizing it

That much about Satsuki, you can find out more about her personality as you read the fict. As for pairings...I was thinking either Hanai-kun or Mizutani-kun. Any suggestions? Be sure to write it in REVIEWS so I can hear out your opinions. Fleeting Memories will be updated soon so stay tuned!