Author's note : This is my first ever Captain Tsubasa fic. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1 : First Impressions

It is her first day at school and Yui Akari is nervous because she doesn't know anyone. She transferred from Germany to Nankatsu two weeks ago after her father got a new job here. Initially she is from Nankatsu having been born and having lived here until the age of five. But the age of five is still too young for a child to remember friends and her hometown. Her neighbourhood is a quiet and peaceful one. She lives next to the Oozora family, who are friends with her family since a long time. Mr. and Mrs. Oozora are very nice they have passed by occasionally helping them with the house arrangements and other things they might need. They have a son, Tsubasa, but she hasn't met him yet. He is always by the football pitch they said, but she has had barely any time to explore the town so she hasn't come across him yet.

It is 7.30 and she is patiently waiting for Tsubasa to get out of his house. Mrs. Oozora had insisted he accompanied her to school, so this will be her first meeting with Tsubasa. He comes a few moments later. He is taller than her, jet black hair and black eyes and he has the physique of a spotsman, which she suggested that isn't that much of a surprise since he is a football player. "Good Morning, you must be Yui-chan. Nice to meet you, I'm Tsubasa." - he is quiet friendly given the fact that this is his first time seeing her. He flashes a smile and extends his hand. Yui shakes it and introduces herself even though he already knows her. On their walk to school he tells her she'll love Nankatsu, that everybody is very friendly and will welcome her with open. He offers her to join his group of friends, boys from the football team and a few girls close to them. She finds out later on that indeed what Tsubasa had said was true. Everyone was very nice and kind to her and she found his group of friends very entertaining. She can already tell that Sanae is head over heels for Tsubasa and Tsubasa himself must feel something too given his faint blush when Ishizaki teased them. Kumi, a first-year student, also has a crush on Tsubasa but not as subtle as Sanae's because she constantly completely ignores everyone else and pays attention only to Tsubasa.

Her first day wasn't bad, on the contrary it turned out better than she had thought. The following first week the girls help her around the school, giving her a tour, suggesting clubs and activities she can partake to etc. She settled on applying for the manager place in the football team since Yukari was leaving it for joining another club she was more interested in. Yui quickly got into a steady routine. She would wake up in the morning, walk to school with Tsubasa, attend training with the football team and than back home to do her homework. It was early October when it was announced the annual competition of sports between Nankatsu and Shutetsu was starting. The Nankatsu football team didn't talk about much else except of this but they were particularly interested in their upcoming football match.

"Why is there this much hype about the Shutetsu match?" - she asked Sanae one day.

"Oh you mean you don't know? Well, it is the most exciting match actually out of all the disciplines. Last year Shutetsu won but the year before that we did. In the Nationals students from our school and theirs always get picked. Haven't you heard of their goalkeeper?"

"No I haven't. Who is he?"

"Genzo Wakabayashi. He is the best of the best, a prodigy. With him on the defense and Tsubasa on the offense we always come on top of the Nationals, beating Toho. He is quiet talented and until now no one has ever scored against him outside of the penalty area. Tsubasa is always eager to face him when it comes to this school competions but they are also really good friends."

Sanae's words about Wakabayashi stayed on her mind for the rest of the day, so when she got home she opened her laptop to search about him. She read article after article talking about him, and she admitted that he seemed very intriguing.

Yui sees Genzo Wakabayashi for the first time in person half an hour before the football match. He and some other guys come forward to greet Tsubasa and the others. She is in the back with Kumi, who also isn't acquainted with them.

"I swear you Nankatsu guys get new managers every single year why do you need so many for? Well at least they are pretty, so we can have something to look at." It is another guy from Shutetsu who speaks, one who isn't part of the crew that came with Wakabayashi. He is tall and mean-looking, and Yui thinks his comment is way too rude. She feels disgusted when she sees his gaze reverted to her when he speaks out the last part of his sentence.She is about to tell him to go away but someone else beats her to it.

"Hey Takimichi, watch your mouth. You're disgracing us with your comments. Go away." It is the very one and only Genzo Wakabayashi who speaks, his green eyes seemingly to have gotten a little bit darker. His words are strong and precise, and the guy, Takimichi, doesn't have the guts to pick a fight with him so he just bows his head and leaves. "Sorry about that." Wakabayashi speaks again, his eyes for a moment looking at her and Yui finds herself unable to speak, only nods, and her cheeks are adorned by a soft pink color. She snaps out of it when her friends start walking and she quickens her pace to catch up with them. The match, like Sanae had said, was very thrilling. Everybody was playing so well that it was difficult to tell who would win. In the end the match ended in a draw, with both captains shaking hands.

Sanae called her that same night to inform her about the Regionals squad. She explained that the team that wins the Regionals is directly qualified to the Nationals. Since four years ago the Nankatsu prefecture has not selected a team from only one school to take part in the competition but instead has opted to take the best players from each school to form the team. The upcoming qualifying tests would take place in the following five days and after that, two managers will be selected for the team. Sanae was applying and also suggested Yui to apply as well.

Tsubasa, Ishizaki and a few other boys from Nankatsu made it to the final squad. From Shutetsu, Wakabayashi, Kisugi, Izake, Morisaki were chosen as well.

"Yui!" - Sanae's voice shouted. -"I have great news!"

"What is it?"

"Guess who have been chosen menagers? Us! Can you believe it?!"

"Really? That's great!" Yui was so excited that she almost made Sanae fall when she hugged her. That evening, since Sanae had been menager the previous year as well, she gave Yui a few tips and what to expect at trainings. Yui was very excited since this was her first time in such position. On the first day of training, which took place in the afternoon at 3:30, Yui wore her menager uniform which consisted of a white t-shirt and pink pants. She gathered her hair in a high ponytail since it was hot outside and took her sportsbag. She gave herself one last look on the mirror, adjusting a few straps of hair that hadn't managed to fit in her ponytail. She eyed the small lipgloss on the left side of the mirror, thinking for a moment of wearing it, unconsciously bringing the image of Genzo Wakabayashi to her mind. Ugh, what am I even thinking?

"Hey, pass the ball!"

"Ishizaki you're too slow."

"Amazing catch Wakabayashi!"

"Tsubasa shoot!"

"Nice everybody, you can take five."

Practice had already began and after a short warm-up the guys had been divided in two groups to do a match. Sanae and Yui got up to hand the water bottles to the boys.

"You give that bottle to Wakabayashi, I'll give this one to Morisaki." - Sanae whispered to her, throwing a wink after seeing her dumbfounded expression. - "Don't think I didn't catch you staring at him since the moment he stepped foot on the pitch." She didn't have time to respond to Sanae as she moved quickly away from her to give the bottle to Morisaki. Yui on the other hand handed her water bottle to Wakabayashi.

"Here."

"Thanks." - He said, smiling down at her. From this close, she could make out his features more clearly, his dark hair, captivating green eyes and handsome smile. She snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed she was staring a moment too long. How embarrassing, he caught me staring!, she thought. After practice was over, Tsubasa and her made their way home, Sanae coming with them since she was going to spend the night at her house. Hours later the two girls where in Yui's bedroom talking.

"So uhm... you don't think I'll let you get away with it without telling me do you?" Sanae asked.

"What are you talking about?" - Yui said nonchalantly, she had hoped Sane forgot about what had happened at practice.

"About your not-so-subtle admiration for Wakabayashi." Sanae responded in a sing-a-song voice.

"Well... ugh... I-i don't know I guess?"

"Come on don't be shy, I'm your friend remember? Besides I won't tell anyone." -Sanae assured her.

"I know. It's just I'm not sure I have a solid crush on him you know? I mean, I find him charming and I like him but I don't know him that well, not at all in fact. I have met him only a few times so I believe I need to know him a little bit better to tell. All I know about him is things you have told and from what I read on the Internet."

"My, my so you have read about him huh?"

"Sanae, stop teasing me!"

"Hahaha sorry! Look I get it, you only feel a slight attraction to him now. So you know what we should do? We should make a plan! To get you and him to know each other." Sanae suggested.

"How are we going to do that?"

"Leave it to me. It's gonna be difficult since Wakabayashi is a little reserved as a person but we're gonna make it work."

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Of course I do! On Saturday practice is shorter, so as to give the boys a little bit of a break. Sunday is a day off so noone will be in a rush to go home and do homework, so I'll invite everyone to my ice-cream parlor. I don't think he will reject the invitation because we have gone out a few other times with the team and everybody has showed up, I guess they consider it like a bonding time to build trust among the players. Anyway this will be your chance to talk to him!"

"So I'm guessing you will use this opportunity to spend some time with Tsubasa as well?" It was Yui's turn to tease her now.

"Well of course!"

"Hahaha! You're a genius Sanae thank you for helping me, really."