Dear Mom and Dad,

This is Megumi. I hope you're not mad at me for going to Tokyo all by myself. When you read this letter, I probably arrived there by now. Sorry for not bringing up this matter to you personally. I just can't when you're so against me pursuing my dreams to be able to play baseball and help uncle at the same time. Please don't try to send someone to fetch me here. There's only a year and a half for me before I finish high school anyway. So once I graduated, I'll be sure to come back there in Nagoya. Also, don't worry about where I'll stay because I'll be living in the dorms.

Your loving daughter,
Megumi

P.S: I'm serious about not sending someone to fetch me here. I'll go back there in my free will, so please don't force me.

P.P.S: That would be all. I'll make sure to send you a text or call you next time. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

"That girl... What is she thinking, going to Tokyo all by herself?!" A man in his early forties clenched his fist tight, which was holding the paper containing the letter written by his runaway daughter. It was unheard of. To run away from home is absolutely unforgivable!

He has shiny, jet black hair that's parted to the left side and hazel brown eyes which seemed to be burning with anger. The man wore a suit, which made it obvious that he's an office worker. In his other hand was his suit case, containing necessary files for his job.

"Calm down, dear. Let's just wait for Megumi to contact us later. If she doesn't, then I'll be the one to contact her. I'm sure she's with her uncle by now. At least, we know that she's safe, Takehiro." A woman in her mid-thirties sighed before pursing her rosy, pink lips anxiously.

Her appearance was obviously beautiful when she was in her prime, but it didn't mean that it was any less now. Her chestnut-brown hair was tied in a neat bun. Her dark brown orbs glistened with worry in the morning sun that seeped through the windows of their home in Nagoya. Still, she tried to reassure her husband.

"I'll contact Tesshin later," Mayumi nodded at her husband who gently laid his hand on her shoulder. He was sure that his wife was bound to worry unnecessarily about their daughter who ran away from home because of a trifling reason; to play baseball.

"I'll be heading to the office now, Mayumi. Be sure to check on Megumi later, hm?" The said woman of the Fujimoto house just nodded her head. Her eyebrows were still slightly furrowed. A sign that she would not worry less for her daughter's well-being, no matter how much she was reassured by someone.

Fujimoto Megumi, a junior student – and the runaway daughter – who transferred to Seidou High School, stood in front of the gates, taking a good look of her surroundings. Some students who were entering the campus grounds were looking at her a bit incredulously as they passed by her.

The girl was quite attractive, with hazel brown eyes and chestnut colored hair that was past her shoulders and gathered in a high ponytail with her fringe parted to the left side. She was about 167cm – quite tall for a high school girl. She clearly has a slim, yet toned figure underneath her uniform. Her complexion was slightly tanned, a sign that she is an outdoors-type of person.

Checking the time on her wristwatch, her eyes immediately widened when she saw that it was nearly time for her homeroom class. She sprinted as fast as she could to her classroom, located at the second floor, after changing her shoes into indoor ones.

As soon as she stopped, Megumi wiped the sweat that was starting to form on her forehead, with the back of her hand. Knocking three times on the door, it soon slid open, revealing a woman in her mid-twenties with a kind, yet curious expression.

"Who might you be?" The woman who Megumi figured as her homeroom teacher, asked in a soft voice. Immediately, the younger girl bowed respectfully, introducing herself to the teacher.

"Fujimoto Megumi, sensei. I'm the transfer student from Nagoya."

The teacher's mouth formed an 'o' before stepping aside to let her in and called out to the class. The students looked intrigued at the introduction of a new student when the new school year had barely started yet. The boys seemed pleased while the girls acted indifferent.

"Class, we have a new student. Fujimoto-san, if you would please introduce yourself. And by the way, I'm Tsukino-sensei." The elder smiled as she stepped aside to let the younger on the middle. The said girl stepped forward, a small, amicable smile ghosting over her lips.

"I'm Fujimoto Megumi. Pleased to meet you, everyone."

Megumi bowed to the class as her eyes landed at two familiar faces. The first one was wearing glasses with brown hair and eyes directed at the window with a bored expression, not even caring if the teacher was in the front. The other one, who was sitting beside the bespectacled boy, has black hair which was styled upwards, black pupils and a lingering smirk on his lips.

"You can sit in front of Miyuki-kun," Tsukino-sensei turned her attention to the guy who was sitting in the last row beside the window. There was only silence. The older woman smiled apologetically at Megumi, who did not think much of it.

"Miyuki-kun, please raise your hand." The female teacher repeated once more when there was still no response from the male as he still seemed to be spacing out. The teacher was about to call him again when the girl who was beside her cut her off softly.

"It's okay, sensei. I know where I'll be sitting." The girl spoke, almost whispering and it was loud enough only for her teacher to hear. Tsukino-sensei nodded and gave her an apologetic smile before the younger walked off to sit on her seat.

There were only a few seats left in the room and most of them are in the back which made no sense to her, since the only empty seat left in front of another person is that – in front of the guy called Miyuki. Only an idiot won't be able to recognize the difference.

Megumi recognized Miyuki as she saw him featured one time at a popular magazine about baseball. He is popular in the baseball world, being labelled as a genius catcher and such. However, he is still on another level than Miyuki.

Gripping the strap of her bag tightly, she walked towards her seat with her back straightened. The ambiance in their classroom was relaxing, to say the least. What bothered her though, were the few envious stares that were directed at her while she headed towards her desk.

Miyuki was surprised when a girl sat on the unoccupied chair in front of him. His attention was caught by the girl. Somehow, there was a certain aura to her that he couldn't point out. He figured that it was only because she is a new student.

He didn't let his thoughts bother him any further when class finally resumed once more. This time, he decided to pay attention so as not to be attacked with a surprise again. Who knows? There might be a sudden transfer student again.

Lunch break came and Kuramochi went to Miyuki to blabber about how the transferee looked pretty yet cool, but the latter was too busy as he scanned through the score book of their latest games. He got it from Rei, who is the assistant coach of their team, yesterday after training.

The fact that he was simply ignored, irritated the said shortstop as he leaned his behind on Miyuki's desk, a slight frown on his face. Earlier, the starting catcher was spacing out when Megumi was being introduced and now, he is purposely ignoring him.

"Oi, Miyuki. Are you listening to me?" He called out louder, this time. Finally, it made the bespectacled male to look up at him, his eyes shining mischievously as always. An unnoticeable smirk lingered across his lips.

"What is it?"

Kuramochi frowned deeper as he finally gave up on catching Miyuki's attention. He didn't want to waste any more of his saliva on talking to someone who obviously had no any interest and any idea with what he was talking about.

"Never mind, you."

He sighed as he walked out of their classroom, leaving the confused starting catcher behind who just shrugged before continuing his task. Kuramochi decided to head to the cafeteria instead to buy something to eat. Associating with Miyuki when he's so disinterested with anything and everything except for baseball, makes him really hungry.

Megumi dashed off as soon as the bell sounded for lunch break. She headed to the office for the higher-ups who are in charge of the baseball team of the school. Her hands clasped behind her back as she hummed a tune while skipping slightly, happiness clear on her face. When she arrived, the girl knocked without any hesitation before opening the door and stepping inside the room.

"Ojisan?"

Megumi called out, a hint of excitement could be heard in her voice as her uncle, Kataoka Tesshin, head coach of Seidou's baseball team, could be seen standing by the window with his hands clasped together behind his back. The older man tilted his head to the side a bit to look at his niece and smiled ever so slightly at her. It had been a long time since he had last seen her. She was only nine years old at that time and she already has an interest in baseball back then.

She had contacted him immediately on March when she had decided that she'd transfer to Seidou, where he's coaching at the moment. Megumi also told him about her circumstances back home, wherein her parents are against the idea of her leaving home just to play baseball. She had also further elaborated that they wanted her to focus more on her academics instead so that she'll be able to enter university, graduate and have a stable job.

"Come in, Megumi."

Coach Kataoka motioned the younger girl to sit on an empty chair when they heard someone knock, and entered the room. It was no other than the baseball team's scout and assistant coach, Takashima Rei.

"Coach," She called out. The woman wore her usual navy blue blazer over a white blouse, along with a navy blue pencil skirt and a pair of black pumps. She pushed her glasses, so that it sat well on her nose-bridge. She took notice of the presence of another person in the room.

"Ah, Takashima-sensei, this is Fujimoto Megumi, my niece. I'm planning to assign her as the head manager of the team along with Chris." Rei's eyes widened a bit at the piece of new information before looking at the girl before her who stood up and bowed.

Now, that was really new. It was rare for the head coach to trust someone to the extent that he would assign someone as head manager along with a capable person such as Chris. However, Megumi does seem like a reliable person. Rei just hoped that she was not wrong.

"Megumi, this is Takashima Rei, the team's scout and assistant coach." The older female gave Megumi a smile and nodded approvingly as she finished looking her over. After the introductions, Coach Kataoka spoke again.

"Takashima-sensei, can you give her a copy of the scorebooks from the previous games alongside some videos." Rei pushed up her glasses, and then looked at Megumi who was still standing and now listening quietly in their conversation. The younger girl did not want to butt in for now. She may come out as either a rude or a nosy person.

"I understand Coach, but why?" The woman was curious about why the ever-so-strict coach was making her do that although she supposed there must be a reason why he would do so. There is always a reason behind what the coach was thinking anyway.

"You'll see once training starts late. Anyway, can you also arrange a room at the dorm for her too?" The bespectacled man added. The bespectacled woman tilted her head to the side, wondering what on earth is this all about.

"Will she be using a room in the players' dorm?" Rei asked and the coach just nodded in response. She was silent for a few moments before she finally excused herself. She left without any further questions and went to do what she was requested to do.

Megumi turned to her uncle with a grateful smile before speaking, "I'll be moving in the dorms once Takashima-sensei gives me the go signal, then." Coach Kataoka chuckled, his gruff voice echoing inside the office and he went to pat his niece's head gently.

"Attend the training later. Wear proper outfit. I'll hand you your baseball uniform to the managers later, just in case." The girl replied with a soft 'alright' then bade goodbye to her uncle.

Megumi definitely can't wait for the training later. She skipped her way to the classroom, making some of her schoolmates to give her odd looks. She returned just in time before the second half of the day starts. Sitting on her seat as her mind flew away, thinking of how she would be able to play baseball again and how she would be able to help her favorite uncle whom she haven't seen for quite a while.

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! TheWhimsicalNoirette is here. I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter (edited).

Please continue to stay tuned to my story and dropping a review along the way would be nice too.

Thank you very much! Also, I'll be replying to comments and personal messages, if ever.

So, just bombard me. I don't bite at all, unless you give me free food. Lol. /shot.