Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Chapter V

Staring at the poster, Sakura waits for the 'smile! You're on a candid camera' moment, but since it doesn't come, she turns to Kazuha for answers. However, the younger girl refuses to meet her questioning gaze, finding the floor beneath their feet more fascinating as her face adapts the color of a ripe tomato.

"I-I was... I—ugh," Kazuha stammers, closes her eyes for a moment longer than a blink and takes a deep breath. "I'm your fan," she says, looking at Sakura unflinchingly despite all the nervous blushing.

Sakura blinks - once, twice - and when she doesn't say anything, Kazuha continues, "I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier."

Wait... a fan? My fan? Is this why she...? Oh... Ooooh...

"But I swear I'm not some kind of stalker—"

Whatever else Kazuha wants to add is cut off by Sakura's laughter. It spills from her lips unbidden, in short gasps of disbelief that grow in their intensity, soon changing into a full on belly laughter complete with tears in her eyes.

And Kazuha starts to laugh as well, unsure and awkward and maybe even a little bit scared, like not having any idea what's so funny but goes along with it anyway, afraid of what will happen if she won't.

Their combined laughter soon attracts Yunjin and Chaewon.

"What are you laughing about?" The blonde looks between them, amused.

Still shaking with laughter, Sakura goes up to her, grabs her arm and points her finger at the poster, then at herself, then at Kazuha and back at the poster.

"Oh, hey! That's you!"

Sakura nods to Yunjin's enthusiastic reaction.

"And this belongs to Zuha?"

Another nod.

"Oi! You've been Kkura's fan this whole time and you haven't told us?" Yunjin chides Kazuha, slapping her on the arm playfully but with enough force behind it to cause the younger girl to stumble a little.

Rubbing her abused arm, Kazuha turns quiet again, but her nervous gaze and the way she bows her head sheepishly provide enough of an explanation.

This is so fucking ridiculous, Sakura scoffs internally, leaning into Yunjin's side as her laughter subsides and she regains some semblance of sanity.

"Wait a minute," Chaewon chimes in, stepping forward. "Is this why you joined our team? Because you are Sakura's fan?" She points an accusing finger at Kazuha.

The younger girl sighs, shoulders slumping as she gazes up at the ceiling as if pleading for some divine intervention to save her.

"I'm sorry for lying. I didn't want you to think I'm weird," she says, voice cracking at the end as tears begin to pool in her eyes.

"And how did that work out for you, hm?" Chaewon intones sarcastically, glancing at the poster then back at Kazuha.

Observing the scene with an impassive gaze, Sakura clings to Yunjin like she's her anchor in this sea of madness that surrounds her. All the revelations concerning Kazuha's past and present, and how they all for some fucking reason center around her, have mentally exhausted Sakura. She has enough of all the boxes, medals, photos, stories, balls, posters and whatnot. In short, she has enough of Nakamura Kazuha.

"Whatever. I don't care." She waves her hand to signal the end of this conversation.

"Zuha, where did you get that poster?" Yunjin asks out of nowhere, earning herself a flick on the ear from Sakura. "Ouch! What? You must admit you look good on it."

Sakura rolls her eyes but then takes another look at the poster.

The photo must have been taken during the U-20 World Cup, because she wears on it the blue jersey of Japan's national team. It shows her mid-run with the ball, her focused eyes staring ahead, most likely looking for an opportunity to pass or shoot. Her hair was shorter back then and she played with a headband like Chaewon does nowadays, which makes her wonder whether that's the reason why the photo appeals to Yunjin so much.

She has no idea during which match it was taken, but it doesn't really matter. All it reminds her of is that she has to get back into that blue jersey with the number nine on its back as soon as possible.

Ironically, the one who may want to claim that same number for herself stands beside the poster, eyes cast down in guilt, looking like a kicked puppy.

Although she tries not to, Sakura starts to feel bad for the girl. But also, she has no idea what to tell her. Contrary to Kazuha's worries, she doesn't suspect her of being a stalker, but she does find it a little bit odd that she chose to play for their team because of her. Though on a second thought, Sakura plays for F.C. Tokyo because of her idol as well. So she guesses that what really surprises her is the idea that now, she has become that kind of idol to someone else, and frankly, it scares her. She knows what happened to her idol, saw it first hand and wouldn't want to repeat that.

"I'm tired," she finally breaks the silence because everyone else seems to wait for her to speak and give her opinion about the poster, like they're at a gallery and she's some kind of art critic. "I'm going back to my room."

She gives Yunjin a pat on her shoulder and smiles at Chaewon weakly.

"See you tomorrow at practice," she tells them and leaves to her room, grateful that no one wants to stop her.