MAMORITAI

iii. Ms. Ami Wakita

𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍: 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆
↻ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 three

Doing chores had become second nature to Estella, a way to keep her mind occupied and away from thoughts best left unspoken. Mina, the ever-helpful bot, floated beside her, lifting the leftover boxes that needed to be placed in Kenji and Estella's shared bedroom. "Mina, can you turn on the TV?" she called out. Instantly, the faint noise of Kenji's interview filled the room.

As the camera zoomed in, capturing Kenji's eye-catching smile directed at the audience of news reporters and cameras, Estella sighed with an amused smile. Shaking her head, she listened to Kenji's playful banters with his fans present at the conference until one reporter's question caught her attention.

"American players are very different," the man said. "How are you adjusting to the Japanese style of play?"

Estella scrunched her nose and stood up from her crouching position. "Mina, can you finish this for me, please?" she asked. Mina floated down and took the box with ease. "Of course, Ms. Stella."

Estella walked through the living room, her steps gentle as she approached the television screen. She watched intently, waiting for Kenji's reply.

"Ito-san, right?" Kenji called out with a smile. "Baseball is baseball, man."

"Typical reply, Kenji," Estella muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Kenji's voice continued to fill the room, his confidence radiating through the screen. "The Ken Sato is the same," he exclaimed, smiling broadly at the audience. "Here, the States, wherever!"

"Mr. Sato." Estella's attention was drawn to a woman standing up, her voice cutting through the crowd. Estella squinted her blue eyes and frowned as she watched the journalist click her pen.

"Why did you come back to Japan?" the woman asked, her tone straightforward and piercing.

Kenji seemed momentarily flabbergasted by the directness of the question. He leaned back in his chair, an uncomfortable look crossing his face, though he remained respectful. "I—I'm sorry. What's your name?" he asked. ❪ ngl, I could hear his voice when I wrote this. 😭 ❫

"Ami Wakita," she replied proudly, a small smile playing on her lips.

Kenji raised his hand, signaling for a pause. "Hold up. Hold up," he laughed, pointing a finger towards Ami. "You're the Tigers fan, right?" he teased, eliciting laughter from the audience around them.

Estella couldn't help but chuckle softly, shaking her head at Kenji's ability to charm his way through any situation. "The question isn't who I root for, Mr. Sato," Ami declared, standing tall with her aura screaming for determination. "The question is why, on the verge of your first championship, you chose to walk away and start over."

Estella felt a brooding sensation take hold of her mind, her grip tightening on her arm as she listened to Ami's probing approach. "Some suggest it was emotional stress, due to family—"

"This is baseball, not gossip hour!" a man in the audience cut through her speech, his voice rising above the murmurs. Shouts of agreement followed the crowd's protest bringing a slight flush of embarrassment to Ami's face.

Kenji quickly stepped in, his demeanor calm yet commanding. "Guys!" he called out, hovering his arms above the microphones and gesturing for the audience to calm down. "Play nice, okay?" he urged them, his smile returning as he turned back to Ami.