"You laugh because I'm different; I laugh because you're all the same."

I'm . . . a bit different from the rest at my school. I'm considered the weird one. My nicknames are the Demented One, Odd One, Witch, Ghost, Monster, and so forth. I don't really care about what they say because it doesn't really affect me. Being an egoist is not really my thing, you see. The way I act, the things I do, what I wear, what I look like, everything . . . to me is irrelevant.

School just ended, but my classmates have yet to leave. I heard them giggle and gossip, saw them make faces that look as if they've just seen something revolting or look away, and noticed the same heavy aura every time I'm around them. I took my things, put them in my bag, and walked out, looking for a near bathroom. I just had to change out of that hideous uniform of theirs. Making my way to a park, I saw a basketball court. Deciding to shoot a few hoops before I went home, I took out the basketball from my bag.

Basketball was always my thing. I've played since before I could even remember. I used to play street ball with adults back then. I rarely do that now. It's always made me smile, taking away my boredom. Since my school doesn't have a girls' basketball team or club, I just play alone in my free time. It's not something I want to hide, so I don't care if anyone found out. All of this is thanks to my brother.

"Okay! Now, try to dunk the ball." My brother was smiling at me. He was the one who got me interested in basketball as well as the one who taught me.

"The thing is really short. When I want to dunk it, I want it to break the hoop. With that thing, I'll break the hoop before I even get to dunk it!" He laughed.

"Yu-chan, that hoop is 16 feet! You're only one-eighth of its height!

I looked at him with annoyed and uninterested eyes that sent the message: "I don't want to hear what you say. If I say I'm going to break it, I'm going to break it." I dribbled the ball as I went, and when I was on the free-shot line, I jumped. I dunked the ball and the hoop fell off of its hinges before I even got it all the through.

"That was incredible, Yu-chan! You're a genius for your age! Seeing that you're only four, your agility, speed, jumping strength, and reflexes are off the charts!" He threw his hands into the air to emphasize.

My hands were on my hips. "I told you! I needed a new place to practice! There's your evidence!" I was half pouting and half angry.

"Okay, okay. I'll take you to my school tomorrow, all right?" Smiling, my eyes lit up. As he promised, he took me to his school. "This is my little sister, Haru Yuuki." I had the gleam in my eyes.

"Haru-senpai, what is she doing here?" Now, I felt pissed.

"Play against me, idiots! That's why I'm here! I'm here to practice, and I bet I'll win. I bet in a book of my choice, deal?" I pointed a finger in their direction.

They just stared at me in disbelief. Then, they laughed so hard that some of them even fell on the floor. "Is she even serious?! What did you even teach her? She's such an egoist!"

I walked up to the one who said that and took the ball from him without him even noticing me before I took it. "You really don't want to bet on that." I spun the basketball on my finger, then changing it to the back of my hand, and finally stopping it by throwing it up lightly in the air and into the palm of my hand. "Let's play."

The ball was taken into custody by me. I dribbled it along the way reaching close to the halfway mark when one of the first years got in front of me. I made a fake, and the guy jumped. I crouched down and went around the guy. Then, I shot the ball, making a high arc with it. I walked back even before it went in, a three pointer. The guys were staring in awe. "How can a four year old do that?"

All I did was smirk when the buzzer went off for the fourth quarter. "That means I win, right? You guys lost the bet. I want you to buy me book on trigonometry, college level." The scores were 1 to 103. "Onii-chan, do you have anywhere else that is more challenging? This was more like a warm up than a game to me. Let's go." I walked to the door with my brother but turned back to say, "Don't forget my book. You'll regret it."

I still kept the book after all those years even though I finished it within an hour of getting it. The book had 918 pages, 49 chapters, and 50 assessments, tests, and exams. All these years, I look back and think, Why do I still keep the book? Was it to remind me of our match? Was it because I wanted to remember their reactions at the time? Was it because I can't forget? I have no clue. It's . . . just important to me; I can feel it.

I fixed this chapter up a bit. I have to give out my thanks to Kyeol and Shizu for helping me with the brutally honest feedback! (Laughs)^^ I kept the part where Yuuki's brother was listing her skills because I find it funny every time I read it. I mean, just imagine him throwing his hands into the air and saying that in a "television" kind of voice! It's just comical. Also, I'll keep Yuuki as a Mary Sue because that's how the story started out, and it's a pain to change it all. Plus, isn't it fun to just break down perfect characters? o-o (I'm kidding. I do this unconsciously. You'll know if you read on or if you've read my other stories.)

Until next time, my fellow readers~^^