General Disclaimer: I do not own Diamond no Ace. I only own the OC.
Purple Sky.
"Murasaki Sora?" She repeated as she read the inconclusive profile over and over.
"Rei-chan, what do you think? Is he worth scouting even if he is supposedly a softball player initially?" asked Miyuki gleefully.
She hummed checking the name online. Pictures of an eleven year old rising star appeared in a baseball school uniform. "He is probably part of the Murasaki clan. Murasaki Taro-kun was scouted last year by the professional league, and, as for Murasaki Daichi-kun, his first year in university was quite eventful. Maybe he is another prodigy, Murasaki Sora-kun."
"However, there is no trace of a 'Murasaki Sora' anywhere. The last event recorded under this name was an incident in the Kurosawa Junior High, but there aren't much details about it." Chris pointed out.
"Therefore, he is an urban legend? Interesting, a person who disappear without a trace under the radar." She replaced her glasses interested by this mystery that fell in her hands.
"I brought it up, because there are rumors about him circulating lately. He supposedly reappeared as a batting coach around town. The rumor goes on as far as he might be attending Seidou," Miyuki recollected.
"If what you are saying is true," Takashima said holding her chin and thinking. "It means that talent is roaming in our school. We would have someone who could replace our injured player and joined the team before the most crucial matches."
"So, Rei-chan, what do you say?" Miyuki asked.
"Do not put all your energy into that matter, but we should investigate on those leads. I am curious about this Murasaki Sora," she mused.
Fresh Spring.
"Ouji-sama," exclaimed the girls as the person appeared at the front gate of the school, while the regular crew would contradict with "Hime-sama" in a jokingly way. There was no doubt about it, the androgyny behind Arata Haru made everyone confused from head to toes. Peak-a-boo fringe, long loose ponytail, female top uniform, male bottom uniform, flat chest, feminine face, manly manners, higher voice...there was a fall back every time one would take a step closer to find out the truth. This truth was tightly kept by the teachers, the principal and Haru, who took a wild fun with it. They had to add the fact that Haru was also never in seen physical education, but was around during sporting events. And there was the fact that Haru never had been seen going to the bathroom.
"Yah, Haru-chan, when are you going to act like yourself?" asked Ryo Katsu, a close friend.
Haru replied with a shrug as he walked towards the school's entrance. They were joined by another close friend, Hideyoshi Ayano.
"Haru-tan, Katsu-kun!" she yelled, before bouncing on them both.
"Aya-chan, if you continue like that...you'll definitely be hated by the Katsu Club," Haru joked, flicking Ayano's forehead.
"Talk about yourself, ouji-sama," grimaced Katsu.
"Jealous?" Haru smirked.
"What?" Katsu's mouth dropped.
The trio of second years ended up laughing on their way to the lockers. The had always been there for Haru in the good and rougher times. There was never enough to repay for everything they had done. It was already mid-May and thing were rolling smoothly for them. The main topic of conversation was clearly the baseball club as the first string rooster had yet to be completed. All that Seidou would talk about was baseball. All that Seidou would focused about was baseball. It actually annoyed the young student for personal reasons.
"Say, Katsu-kun, you don't regret it?" asked Haru out of the blue.
The other turned his attention towards the enigmatic student waiting for the rest.
"You haven't signed up for baseball since our first year. Isn't it your calling?" Haru added.
"I'm not cut for this level, besides I am happier in a swimming pool," Katsu beamed.
"What about you, Haru-tan?" asked Ayano, curious.
Haru answered with silence and a dark expression. They knew what it meant, and did not have to continue the conversation on that end. Suddenly, they heard a ruckus in the always. It was just the 3rd years, who had appeared down the hallway. All their fans started to cheer. It could make anyone grow a little jealous for not being great baseball players.
Winter Endurance.
"Oh, welcome back Shi-yuu!" greeted an old caretaker at the door of the apartment floor of the humble arcade and sports center they had.
Fuyu Shinobu, commonly known by the regular commuters and the caretakers as "Shi-yuu", was a good kid who had been around since her toddler days and ended up living officially during junior high. It was there that Shi-yuu learned how to handle a bat for the first time, there that she hit her first 130km/h ball, there that she would concentrate on honing her various skills even if she would never played professionally in the rest of her life. She was not totally bitter by the system, but things did happen that she could not simply forget. Her last baseball game was back in primary when it was not that bad to have girls on the team.
"Shi-yuu, some people would like to have some guidance on their batting down in our 'batting lanes'." Her other caretaker told her as he went downstairs to supervise.
"What about supper? Who's cooking down there in the snack shack?" she inquired.
"Don't worry about it," the old woman told her.
Her caretakers took her in when she ran away from home. Shinobu could not take it anymore. After a series of negotiations, her parents agreed to let her stay there. It was not like they really cared. The process took several days during the her first summer of junior high. At the game center, she would help out on the baseball lanes, which were only for hitting balls via a pitching matching, or she would take over the kitchen and cook (such as, the Yuu bowl, which was a layer of iceberg lettuce or raw cabbage, covered with various vegetable toppings of the customer's choice, covered with cut chicken breast, cut beef or shrimps, covered at choice with tempura, topped with one or two sunny sided-up eggs, and finished with garlic or kewpie sauce plus a bonus bbq sauce. It was strangely addictive, and became a traditional meal aside from the house's ramen and iced treats).
Before heading to the field, she changed into a simple vintage sleeve-chopped T-shirt, a put-backward baseball cap, and gray baggy pants. She did not care much for her look which ended up giving her this messy androgynous style. Most questioned her gender, and she would always leave it to their imagination. She was used to be addressed as a girl or a guy after one year in high school.
"Who needs some helping out?" Shinobu asked as she arrived with her bat resting on her shoulder.
New faces caught her attention, and she went to them. For some reasons, they seemed familiar, but she simply forgot from where.
"Sawamura-kun is a bunting genius, but he doesn't do anything else right," explained shyly a frail pink-haired.
She tilted her head wondering if she was going to manage him. Usually it would take a few hits before the student would level up and reach up slowly to the master; however, obnoxiously, it was not Sawamura's case. After thirty minutes, all he could do was butting 150km/h balls and hit normally 25km/h balls. She went on mental breakdown, because she had never fell on specimens like him before. Even the pink-haired, Kominato, excelled at the house's challenges -series of test for prizes- and hit a ball at 157km/h. However, even in the midst of depression, she did not give up.
"Sawamura-kun, drop by here everyday you can. I'll make a batter out of you, just watch me," she exclaimed as she looked at the time. "It's getting late, you should go home."
The two kids bowed to her and thanked her for a time.
When she crashed on her bed, there was a thought that pestered her.
"Sawamura...Kominato...those names are familiar..."
It was the very next day that it became all clear to her, when she accidentally fell on the two in school. Her eyes almost fell from their sockets.
"OH! SHI-" she clasped her hands on Sawamura's mouth, before dragging both first years on the roof. Thankfully there was no one.
"Amazing, you are a senpai!" Sawamura seemed ecstatic about the revelation.
"I didn't suspect it either, Shi/" Kominato stopped himself for some reason. It seemed tha he understood the situation quickly compared to the dumb one by his side.
Sighing vehemently, this person took deep breaths to calm down. "You two know too much." Her words confused them, but it did not matter. She extended her hands towards each of them. "My name is Arata Haru, second year at Seidou, nice to meet you."
"But, senpai, at the game shop/" She cut Sawamura short.
"Are we there?" She glared. "You say a word, I will bludgeon you."
That scared both first years who instantly agreed.
"What about coming around every day?" Sawamura asked.
The challenge. Now everything was clear to her. Where she remember the names? From that first years versus third years game. Kominato was the prodigy pinch hitter. Sawamura was the dumb overly optimistic weird southpaw. Both were second string members who were cut to be first strings with a bit more training.
Kabuki.
"So, Arata-senpai, why aren't you in the baseball club?" asked Sawamura.
She realized that instant that she had been mistaken for a guy again. It did not matter, she was used to it. It was not like she ever told anyone anywhere what she really was. Girl or guy. Like a kabuki actor who could play both genders effortlessly, she naturally had this gift. Misleading everyone was fun after all, and her names had always been unisex since birth.
Murasaki Sora.
Arata Haru.
Fuyu Shinobu.
There were just a mask that reflected one persona of hers. The answer to his question was simple. She could simply have answered "because I am a girl, and girls don't play baseball" but she did not. She could beat guys that game any time. She was capable. 'The Murasaki Panic' was the prime example, which led to the first role change.
Tsubaki Yuuki.
Just like a kabuki actor. A person with many masks. But now her game was starting crumble as two people had scratched the surface uncovered the relation between two roles.
As for her answer, she said "I'm just not that into it."
Just like in kabuki where a girl could not perform on stage, a girl could not play in baseball in high school. It hurt.
A/N: Hi, Emachiin here. First things first. I made sure I was not copying anyone's fanfiction on . I did not read outside fanfictions of Diamond no Ace, so I do not know if out there there is a fanfiction about a Crona-like character (except, unlike in Soul Eater, I really could not write a story without revealing the real gender of my character). This story will contain a bit of angst, but nothing too severe for the soul (I do not intend to use self-harm for example). I have other fanfictions in-progress, so I cannot promise daily updates. I just really love this anime and manga, and while I am waiting for new episodes and new chapters, I want to pour my feels somewhere.
A bit more information about Sora that will not spoil the story for you. She is the youngest child of a baseball-driven family who happens to be a girl. Her gender is a very crucial factor in this story and the dynamics with many people. Very young, she created a bodily persona, which is to always be androgynous. This characteristic will become dominant during her last year of junior high.
I sort of was influenced by the old theater movements around the world, because for a very long time women were never allowed to be on stage. It change in the western sphere, but in the eastern sphere it persists in some movements such as kabuki.
Last thing, I did not choose a romantic pairing yet. It is not important at all this early in the story anyway, since no one but Katsu and Ayano knows about it. Those secondary OCs are her close friends she grew up with. Ryo Katsu is a swimmer in the Seidou High team (but Seidou only cares about baseball, so it does not really matter). Ayano is rising young teen model, who wishes their "manager".
That is pretty much it!
Review, follow, favorite if you like the story (I just sounded like a YouTuber right there, I'm sorry).