Good evening. This is my first time writing a fanfiction so please, go gentle on me and comment please. The story will go back and forth in styles: the normal storytelling style and a dialogue between Konata or Kagami and Nanako in the messenger/game

PROLOGUE : The Free Ticket

The afternoon sun glistened the side of Ryou High School as sounds of adolescent youth fumbled around on the school grounds. You can hear the loud cheers as the bell rung promptly and the stampede of youth marching out of the rooms. In an neutral looking office, with gray desk and chairs, a woman with long blonde hair, turned her head to look at the clock. She sighed as she continued to write her work diligently. She pushed her hair back as it was distracting her view. It was as complicated as it is. Trying to keep the interest of high school students on world history is difficult and she knew that if she wanted to enjoy her Golden Week, she needed to finish her lecture notes in preparation for her full-on gaming sessions.

"Kuroi," exclaimed a woman from across the room. Instinctively, she responded with inquisitive vigor to the woman, "Oh, yes, Sakuraba. What is it?"

Sakuraba, this short woman who would always suck a lollipop after her class, dangling just above her lips, spoke to her colleague. "Listen, umm... Nanako... right... me and the girls are going out to get a drink and stuff... so... right... wanna tag along?"

Nanako looked at her work and smiled at Sakuraba. "It's alright. I've got work to do and besides, I just need some me time."

Sakuraba shrugged and left the office, not before giving an unapologetic goodbye to her colleague. The door behind Sakuraba closes and now, Nanako was the only person in the office. The sun that shone into the office was slowly dipping into the horizon, turning a beautiful orange glow. Nanako stood from her desk and moved to the window, watching the sun set slowly over the skyline. She rested her arms on the windowsill, peering at the sky as traffic by the side of the campus buzzed by. Her face was a face of conviction.

In her mind, she wondered why was she still single at the age of twenty-eight. Did men not find her interesting? Was she repulsive that at such an age? Still lonely for now an encompassing thirty years, she wants to find a Mr. Right. She did not really care if he did not share her hobbies. Empty. Her life was an empty vessel with no love to encompass anything.

She snapped back into reality, promising that she can do better than mope around. She went back to her desk, sat down on her chair and started writing furiously. Peering back and forth between her notepad and her reference books, the world history teacher, Nanako Kuroi is back. All she could think about is her students, her career as a teacher, her level 25 mage and most of all, the upcoming baseball match between the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Hanshin Tigers.

Half past seven was the time and she was done writing. She had checked the notes thrice, trying to not leave important notes about the formation of India and Pakistan. As much as she had trouble reading the comprehensive English texts about the fevered topic, she mustered her mental strength through the toughest hurdle of all: the English language. Content and breathing a sigh of relief, she could not help but smile. She left the notes in her drawer, next to the primary texts and grabbed her matching purple blazer and large, expensive looking purse.

"Ugh," she complained to herself. "I feel very hungry..." After all, the woman had worked from seven in the morning until near eight in the evening. Besides, not having lunch becomes secondary behavior from her single life.

"Maybe I'll treat myself to a convenience store dinner," she thought to herself as she drove.

She parked her car at the nearest convenience store, a La*sons, and she grabbed her favorite food: pork cutlet curry with a side of ginger fried rice. She decided to also get a few tins of spaghetti and a few bottles of beer to go. Happily, she hopped over to the counter and paid for her "quickie grocery".

"Ma'am, we have a special draw tonight. If you manage to scratch off the word, "STRIKE" five times, you might win a ticket to the next Chiba Lotte Marines game," said the clerk at the counter as she checked out the items.

Nanako did not believe in luck. Other than her love life as a proof to her bad luck, she remembered at one time when she could not get her car to start working during the examinations day. There were times with her online accounts gotten hacked by people, causing her to cry about the lost hours and the lost cash to "firewall" her computer. Also, in her days as a college student, her dormitory's electricity would often die and during her finals week, whilst writing a long paper, the electricity in her dormitory died and along with her work. She did not believe in good luck. Never did but today, she hoped for the best.

She bought a ticket and scratched the covered areas. The first space revealed the word, "STRIKE!". The second space said the same word. Thrice. Four times. This made Nanako nervous. She knew that a fluke was waiting to happen. That fifth column was teasing her, telling her that if she rubbed it, she would strike out. Failure was imminent she thought. STRIKE.

For a minute, the world was silent. Her mind broke into many pieces. She had won something for the first time. The words of congratulation of the smallest of prizes flew through Nanako's head. She was in bliss. Two of her favorite teams, competing in the same ground, for a chance at Japanese baseball glory. Hanshin. Chiba. Tigers. Marines. The world was coming together and her world clashed in a moment that could only be described at "Nanako-ness".

Meanwhile, the clerk, looking nervously at the spaced out Nanako Kuroi, sheepishly utter the price of her food, "That will be 1500 yen, please."

*

KONAKONA: Hey Kuroi-sensei :3

NANAKON: HEY! =D

KONAKONA: Wanna go fight some monsters at Rekabyer?

NANAKON: Can't.

KONAKONA: Awww... why not.... T__T

NANAKON: I won two tickets to Sunday's Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tiger match.

KONAKONA: Going alone?

NANAKON: Haha, very funny. I can fail you for that. .

KONAKONA: Sorry sensei =(

NANAKON: I was wondering whether your cousin Yui was free.

KONAKONA: I'll give her a call.

[3 minutes has passed]

KONAKONA: She can't, sensei. She's busy with work for the first time ever.

NANAKON: Oh.

Then, do you want to come with me?

KONAKONA: No, ma'am. I am going to go meet up with Kagami and Tsukasa at their house.

NANAKON: Oh. Okay. :)

KONAKONA: Are you sure you will be alright, Kuroi-sensei?

NANAKON: Yeah, yeah. I will be alright. Just make sure you do your homework and I'll be glad.

KONAKONA: Right (-__-)

NANAKON: I'm serious .

KONAKONA: Can we go fight at Rekabyer, please? :3

NANAKON: Sure, let's celebrate my free tickets.