I do not own Haikyuu! nor its characters, only Takeshima Kana.
Introduction: Ever Since Junior High
Being short was nothing new to Takeshima Kana. She stood at a proud 154 centimeters, making her the shortest third-year in her entire junior high school. Her long blonde hair and big blue eyes only added to her childlike appearance; even her cheerful personality and energetic attitude on the pitch made her seem as much as three years younger. But despite the constant teasing and bullying she experienced for being so short, not even 154 centimeters could come between her and her passion for soccer.
"Go, Takeshima-san!"
"Score, Take-chan!"
"Beat their ass, Kana!"
It was the junior national championships against the incredibly strong Chidoriyama Junior High, and Takeshima Kana's hands fell to her knees as her team trotted back to the other end of the field. It was currently 1-2 with Chidoriyama recently gaining an advantage after the most recent goal. Navy blue and white uniforms quickly set up for the next kick off, and a small flash of long blonde hair dashed into the dense Chidoriyama defense.
"Here, Suki-chan!" Kana yelled from the other side of the field. "Takeshima-san!" the other girl screamed before her foot collided with the ball, sending it accurately across the field right into Kana's waiting foot. Big, blue eyes flashed to the defenders in front of her, desperately searching for a break in the defenders' formation.
If there one thing that Takeshima Kana was known for, it was her incredible speed and powerful strikes that almost always sent the ball wheeling into the back of the net. In her last year as a junior high student, Kana was a favorite to receive the award for Forward of the Year within the entire Miyagi Prefecture. She was the absolute example of the girl every other girl in junior high wanted to be— she was an athletic all-star with her amazing talent in soccer and was currently in a relationship with Aoba Josai High's newest volleyball standout.
Girls would kill to be Takeshima Kana.
That was, until the 66th minute of the game changed her entire life.
Takeshima Kana alone was putting undeniable pressure on Chidoriyama's superior defense with her precise ball control. She weaved in and out of the defense, megged all defenders who challenged her until she had a clear view of the goal and its keeper. This was it— Kana would score here and reclaim her school's advantage by moving the score to a level playing field again.
She tapped the ball slightly to the left, eyeing the top right corner that the keeper had irresponsibly left open. With one more step, she planted her right foot next to the ball and her left flew behind her body in anticipation of the situation it would create.
This was it.
Suddenly, Kana felt her right leg collapse from underneath her and she was unable to redirect her momentum. Her left foot connected with the ball in its lowest point, sending the ball flying clear over top of the net. She felt the cleats of another girl grind into the back of her knee, tearing apart her skin from the other side of the knee-high socks she wore. Kana collapsed on top of the defender who had slide tackled her and covered her face in an attempt to muffle her screams. The other girl yelled for her teammates to clear the ball, but the referee had watched the entire thing unfold and Kana's screams led him to blow his whistle.
Navy and white uniforms crowded around Kana and the other girls, and the other team eventually surrounded the scene. Kana twisted her body to see the metal teeth of the other girl's cleats embedded deep within the skin of her leg and muffled another cry when the girl tore them out. Her white sock was stained red and she recalled no feeling within the injured area.
"Call an ambulance!" the captain called out to the coaching staff. The managers frantically took out their cell phones, but the head coach was already by Kana's side when the other girl involved began to walk away unharmed.
"It doesn't look good," the coach remarked, pressing Kana to stay on her stomach against the turf. He ran his fingers to pull down the sock, making Kana wither in pain. His fingers passed across a strange object that seemed to emerge from inside the wound and as he inspected the injury further, he flinched away from the injured player in realization.
"It's her ACL," he told the nearby captain, who wore a disbelieving expression on her face, "it's torn completely."
The introduction is very short, I admit (sorry) but I promise that every other chapter will be longer!
I didn't want to give away too many details about little Takeshima-chan yet (; as always, enjoy & review ! ~Alixa