Your brain has been on auto-pilot ever since you left. When you got home and your mom gave you a lecture, you kept your eyes down and would only give short answers, although she never asked any questions that she actually cared to know the answer to. However, this time, she wanted you to pay attention.
"Are you even listening?!"
"Huh?" you blinked twice, taken aback, as if you just came back to reality.
"What was the last thing I said?!"
You couldn't respond. You were scared now.
"Oh that's just like you, isn't it?! You don't even care about what your own mother says! You lie and you don't listen! After all I've done for you!"
This kept going, much longer than usual. This time you had to listen to every word she said, for she'd sometimes ask you to repeat her last sentence.
"American Football, why?! That's like if a dog entered a horse beauty contest! Think (Y/n)! For once!"

She began to go deep, talking about your physical appearance and how 'fat girls can't do sports things'. You clung on to your shirt and looked down. No matter how much she does it, her words still hurt.
"Oh don't cry now." she sighed, annoyed. "It makes me look like the bad guy here. Fine, I'm a terrible mom for wanting to protect you from ridicule. There were cameras there for god sake!" she huffed. "If you're gonna cry, go to your room, I don't want to deal with this right now."
You weren't going to cry, still you took the first opportunity to leave. You closed your bedroom door behind you and quickly changed, throwing your clothes aside. Your phone fell out of your pocket and you remembered that you turned it off before the game started. You picked it up and sat on your bed. You stared at it for a long moment before turning it back on.
Three missed calls and a bunch of messages. From Mamori, Sena, Monta, Kurita, even Yukimitsu. Hiruma didn't send anything. You didn't know why but you felt a sharp pain in your chest.
Going down all the new texts you had, you went to the bottom and spotted the first texts you exchanged with someone. Your mom would always just call you and your dad would send you emails, so the first guy to ever text you was your brother. Seeing his name, your eyes grew teary, you bit your lower lip and threw your phone on your bed before going under your covers.

You breathed deeply, trying not to blink so that the tears wouldn't flow. You thought about today's game, your teammates, the people you met, everything that happened ever since you joined the Devil Bats. It was going well, you were getting better, you were finally living.
But it was over now. Your life was over.
You tried to be quiet.

"Man, this is terrible!" Monta held his head. "We're going to America any day now, yet all I can think about is the fact that (L/n) quit!"
"Me too..." Sena looked down. "It feels wrong, I don't even have an appetite anymore."
"Moh." Komusubi took his milkshake for himself after he finished his own.
"I'm alright with it."
The boys looked over to the booth next to their, where the three brothers were sitting.
"I agree, she was annoying as hell." "That trip to America will be a lot more peaceful without her." Kuroki and Togano agreed with Jumonji.
"Come on, you guys." Mamori frowned. "You must know by now that she's nothing like that."
"Well... She IS scary." Yukimitsu quietly said.
"Maybe, but she's part of the team." Sena said. "She joined to train alongside us, so... She has to go to America with us!"

"But how to we get her to come back?" Monta folded his arms. "She's the one who quit, and she's hard to convince."
There was a moment of silence. The three brothers told them good luck ironically before leaving the diner. Those who remained let out a collective sigh.
"Ah, Mamori-nee-chan. Yukimitsu-senpai" Sena looked at her. "You've known her longer than us, do you have any idea?"
"Well..." Mamori said as the two second-year students looked at each-other. "I never really talked to her before, so I wouldn't know..."
"Me neither." Yukimitsu shook his head.
"Hiruma would though, from what I understand, the two of them have been in the same class since middle-school, somehow..."
"I don't think he's up for conversation right now." Monta leaned back. "You remember after (L/n) left? He just said there was something he had to do, then he left without a word and we haven't heard from him since. I mean, weren't we supposed to leave Japan immediately?!"
"Maybe the NASA Aliens' return tickets aren't for a few days?" Mamori tilted her head. "But, it is strange that he didn't give us any time of departure or anything."

"...Oh! Kurita!"
"Huh???" everyone looked at Yukimitsu.
"He and (L/n) may not have been in the same class, but they were in the same middle school before. He might know more about her, and so he might know a way to make her reconsider!"
"Ooooh nice thinking senpai!" Monta gave him a thumbs up. "Let's go see Kuritaaaa- Hold on. Where IS Kurita?"
"School."
"School???" everyone looked at Komusubi.
"School. Clubroom."
He showed his phone. He had texted 'MASTER KURITA', asking him where he was. Kurita almost immediately responded with an answer, which was actually a whole paragraph like it was a journal entry, explaining where, how, why and with who. That last one made Mamori frown.

"Kurita, Hiruma," Sena smiled nervously. "are you guys...going somewhere?"
"On a mission." Hiruma answered without looking as he kept putting stuff in his bag (firearms, spy gadgets and other deadly things). "Impie isn't here anymore, so I'm taking Fatty with me instead."
"Hiruma said it might take all day." Kurita smiled with furrowed eyebrows. "So we really have to prepare."
"You're already moving on with your schemes?!" Mamori glared. "Hiruma, how could you be so heartless?! (Y/n) just left without an explanation!"
"The hell do you want me to do?" he raised an eyebrow. "Out of all the moves she could've pulled, she decided to quit. That tells me everything I need to know."
She clenched her fists.
"Well, we want to try and convince her to come back§" Monta said with a determined expression.
"And you guys have known her since middle school." Sena added. "Is there anything we should know about?"
"Ha! Like that's gonna change anything." Hiruma said, his back to them.

"(L/n)-chan in middle school..." Kurita's gaze wandered. "She was really different back then."
"Really?" Sena and the others leaned closer.
"Yes." he nodded, looking sad. "I didn't realize back then but... She was being bullied by a lot of syudents, and she would cry a lot because of it."
"Woah!" Monta exclaimed while Mamori covered her mouth. "That's hard to picture, looking at her now..."
"You 'realized' she was bullied?" Sena blinked twice.
"The people hurting her would always make it look like an accident." he looked down.
Sena felt a pain in his chest. He went through something similar, except his bullies were disguised as friends. He felt sad that this was the only thing he and (L/n) had in common.
"Hiruma!" Mamori looked at him. "At the time, did you know?!"
"...I did."

"But then," Kurita continued. "one day, she started to fight back, by scaring her bullies away. I remember, there was one year where we were in the same class, and the teacher asked us to introduce ourselves by saying our name, sharing something we like, a fun fact about ourselves, and what we want to do in the future. (L/n)-chan said...

'I'm (Y/n) (L/n). I like being left alone. I don't have any facts about me that are fun. And I couldn't give less of a shit about my future. All I want is for none of you fuckers to get in my way! Got that?!'

...She was hardly like the girl she was before."
"Damn." Monta sighed. "She must've had enough of all this bullying."
"...What about her mom?" Sena asked.
Hiruma froze.
"Her mom... I've never seen her until yesterday. She never showed up to any school events. Neither did her dad." Kurita thought for a moment. "Oh. This one time during P.E, a student made her trip again and again and made it look like she was falling by accident. She ended up with bruises and a bleeding nose. When the teacher asked if he should call her mom, she begged him not to and assured him she was fine."
"(L/n), begging?" Yukimitsu shifted awkwardly. "That is hard to even imagine."

Hiruma zipped up his duffle bag and put it around his shoulder.
"We're leaving." he passed by everyone.
"Ah! B-But-" Kurita tried to say something, but then Hiruma dragged him by the collar.
And together they went to the first step of their plan: the airport.
"(L/n)... When we lost against the Aliens," Sena thought out loud. "she looked terrified at the idea of explaining leaving for America to her mom."
"She's clearly terrified of her." Yukimitsu said, his eyebrows furrowed. "I know how she feels..."
"And the way her mom talked down on her," Monta shook his head with a frown. "she's not taking her seriously."

"Maybe that's why she quit. Because she was so scared of her mom finding out what she's been doing, she swept it all away."
"Maybe it was to protect us from her mom's wrath!" Monta pointed.
"It's all going back to Mrs. (L/n)..." Sena said with a more determined look. "If we convince her that football is fun and has a positive effect on people, maybe she'll let (L/n) join!"
"Good idea, Sena!" Monta nodded. "Let's go!"
"H-Hold on!" Yukimitsu raised a hand. "Mrs. (L/n) seems to be very strict, maybe we should make ourselves presentable."
"You're right, Yukimitsu." Mamori nodded. "Let's go change and meet up back here."
"Alright!!!" they all said.

You haven't left your room. It was summer vacation now and you planned on staying in. In the past, you would do that for every vacation and holidays. But now, staying in one room didn't feel right. Laid on your stomach on your bed, your eyes landed on your weighted bracelets. You sighed and turned your head away. You didn't want to risk making noises. Right now, you just wanted your mom to forget you even existed.
You heard the doorbell and your mom saying she was coming.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. (L/n)!"
You almost fell out of your bed.
'What the fuck?!'

You rushed to your door and pressed your ear on it. Meanwhile, your mom was faced with a bunch of kids dressed like C.E.O.'s.
"Do you have a minute to talk?" Mamori said with her softest tone. "May we come in?"
"We brought this for you." Yukimitsu showed her a gift basket.
'What the fuck are they doing here?!?!?!' you thought.
You wanted to get down there and get them away from your house. But you didn't want your mom to think you had anything to do with whatever stupid plan they were planning. Your mom picked up the basket and put it aside.
"Is this about American football?" she folded her arms.
"Y-Yes." Sena nodded. "We understand you just want to protect your daughter, but there's nothing to be worried about really!"
"Yeah!" Monta nodded. "It's a sport where brains are even more important than brawn! It's all about strategy!"
"A-And!" Yukimitsu said. "If our team was to win a national tournament, it would look great on her resume!"
Your mom rolled her eyes and sighed.

"When did she join your team?"
'Don't you dare answer that!'
"Um... A couple of months ago, maybe?"
You hung your head down with a sigh.
"She's been in a sports team for months?!" she held the bridge of her nose with a groan. "That is so embarrassing."
"It isn't, we swear!" Sena exclaimed. "(L/n) is a really important part of the team! That's why we want her to stay, please!"
"A part of the team? What can she even do? Be used as comparison so you guys feel better about yourselves?"
"Woah, what?!" Monta frowned. "It's not at all what she-"
"You can make excuses all you want, but I know the truth, the thing that no one here seems to want to admit. She doesn't belong anywhere near anything sports related. She's already not feminine as it is. And physically speaking, she hasn't lost any weight either."

"Th-That doesn't mean-"
"Look, I KNOW my daughter. She is not motivated by anything. Her grades are passing at best, she does the minimum amount of chores and talking to her is like talking to a wall. I gave up at some point, she's a lost cause."
The group was disturbed.
"How could you say that about her?" Mamori asked. "She's your daughter."
"Trust me, I'm reminded of that everyday." she rolled her eyes. "'Hey (L/n). My kids both had perfect scores on their tests.' 'My son won a prize for an art competition.' 'My child' this, 'my child' that. And all I can do is nod along! My eldest is a failure and my youngest is a disapointment. And now she pulls THIS move on me?!" she gestured to the group.
"...You said 'that is so embarrassing'." Monta glared. "You were talking about YOU, weren't yo-EEEEK!"
He jumped when Yukimitsu suddenly stepped on his foot.
"What the hell?!" he looked at him.
"We understand. Sorry for the inconvienience." he bowed. "We'll be leaving now. Thank you for your time."
"Right." your mom said before closing the door on them.

The group stepped away from the house and back into the street.
"Why did we just retreat?!" Monta took off his bowtie in frustration. "We just figured out the problem! Her mom is one big bully!"
"It's not that simple, Monta." Mamori said, her eyebrows furrowed.
"If we were to argue with her." Yukimitsu looked down. "Things would have just been harder for (L/n)."
There was a moment of silence.
'(L/n)...' Sena looked up at your house.
He spotted you, looking down at them from your window. Your eyes locked and you quickly closed your curtains. Sena thought back to last night, to what Kurita and Hiruma said...
"...Out of all the things she could've done, she chose to quit." he mumbled.
"Huh?" the others looked at him.
"That's hardly like the (L/n) we know." he looked at them. "She's not the kind to give up."

Hearing this reminded Monta of the monologue you gave him before he joined the club.
"You know what, you're right!" he huffed. "For all her talk of 'we don't give up here' she sure gave up real quick!"
"It's not her fault." Mamori looked back at the front door. "Having a mother like this..."
"Still... She didn't even put up a fight." Sena clenched his fists. "It's not her mom we have to convince, but her! The only problem is...how?" he looked back at your bedroom window.
"Mmh... If she wants to quit, she has to hand over a letter of resignation to Hiruma." she said.
"Will she even have the time to do that? We don't know when we're leaving Japan, and Hiruma is out on one of his missions."
"We just have to ask."
There was a moment of silence.
"You ask him." "No you ask him." "It was your idea, you do it." the boys politely argued.

"Boys..." Mamori sighed and took out her phone. "I'll do it, I'm not scared of him."
"You're braver than all of us, Mamori-chan!" Monta blushed.
She opened her flip phone and just stared at the screen for a moment.
"...He probably won't respond to a text from me. I'll ask Kurita instead, since he's with him." she said as she began to type.
The boys sighed.

"Hiruma?" Kurita asked, looking at his phone. "Mamori asks when we'll leave for America."
"Hold on a sec." he said, his back to him as he faced the receptionist.
"Here are your tickets sir." she handed him an envelope.
"Kekeke, alright!" he took it and walked away. "Unto step two now!"
"And why did you buy the exact same amount?" Kurita asked, following him. "We are far fewer than the NASA Aliens-"
"Shut your trap, Fatty. Man, Impie also asks questions, but she's not as annoying. A'ight here's your answer."

Meanwhile, in your room. When you closed your curtains, you quickly went to sit on your bed.
"What the hell were they thinking?" you whispered.
'At least now they know. Talking to her is pointless. This is pointless.'
Your phone being within reach, you grabbed it as you laid down and began watching dumb videos online. They helped pass the time, and you didn't have to think to much to enjoy them. You got a text from Hiruma and you suddenly sat up, holding your phone with both hands. You didn't realize it, but your heart was beating faster. You opened the text.
'We're leaving Japan the day after tomorrow. Make sure to hand over your resignation letter tomorrow then. And don't you dare just send it by mail!'
Your shoulders dropped. He finally texted you, and it was to tell you some administrative bullshit.
'I guess he only gives a shit if it's about one of the players...'
You pursed your lips. There was that sharp pain in your chest again.

"The day after tomorrow, he says." Mamori read Kurita's text to the others as they all walked.
"(L/n) will most likely hand over her letter tomorrow." Yukimitsu deduced. "We'll have to think of something quick."
"...I may have an idea." Sena said. "But we'll have to go to Zokugaku."
"Huh?!?!?!" the others looked at him with big eyes.

"HUH?!" Rui leaned closer to Sena, who leaned back with a yelp. "You want us to do what?!"
Mamori quickly stood in between both of them.
"(Y/n) quit the club? Good! One less asshole to deal with! Right boys?"
"Right!!!"
"Come on, please!" Monta exclaimed. "She has to come back!"
"Moh!" Komusubi nodded.
"It's because her mom is-"
"Her mom?" Rui's smile dropped. "You saying she quit because of her mom?"
"Y-Yes." he nodded, confused at this sudden change of attitude.
"What's wrong, bro?" Rui's classmates and other members of his gang asked.
"We'll do it."
"HUH?!?!?!" everyone looked at him with big eyes.

"W-Why?!"
"You dumbasses!" he looked at them. "Have you forgotten that she's Komodo Dragon's sister?! If he finds out she's depressed when he gets out of jail, he'll be pissed off!"
Suddenly, the thugs were paler. They all agreed to Sena's plan.
'Her brother must be terrifying!' the boys and Mamori thought, picturing some kind of demon.
"We'll see you tomorrow." Rui walked away, his mates following him.
'He changed his mind as soon as I mentioned her mom.' Sena thought before asking. "Why are you helping us, really?"
Rui stopped.
"...I have a debt to pay back."
"Huh? To who?"
He didn't say anything for a moment.

"...To (Y/n), obviously!" he suddenly turned around. "I gotta get back at that brat by winning the tournament and making her swallow her words! I'll show her!"
"Ah! I-I see okay!" he nodded as they all leaned back.
"Let's go now, Sena." Mamori grabbed him by the shoulders and gently pushed him away from the scene. "We have a lot to prepare for tomorrow."

In the middle of the night, on one of the top floors of a skyscraper owned by a big international company, Kurita was on the lookout while Hiruma was typing at lightspeed on his laptop which was plugged into the company's server. Kurita was shaking.
"If we're found, we're done for!" he whispered.
"I told you, the 45th floor security guy's not coming back!" Hiruma sent him a quick glance.
"How did you even make him go away?"
"I called and told him his wife got into labor early."
"How did you know his wife is pregnant?"
A little 'ding' came from his laptop, he smirked.
"Yaaaa-ha!!!" he unplugged his laptop and shut it. "A'ight! Next building!" he ran out.
"Another one?!" Kurita followed him.

After you finished your resignation letter, you went to tell your mom you'd go to school tomorrow to hand it over to Hiruma. When she heard that, she immediately said that she'd take you to school by car. You sighed through your nose. Deep down, you were kinda hoping you could get some cardio going, even if just by walking.
The idea of facing Hiruma with your mom actually made you feel a sense of dread. Fortunately, you managed to convince her to wait for you in the car, parked across the school.
"It's summer vacation, school's only open for clubs now." you said.
As you walked into school grounds, you felt conflicted. You wanted to go as slow as possible, but at the same time, you wanted to get this over quick. You didn't want to face Hiruma, but you didn't want to go back to your mom either. The idea of just jumping the fence and running away did cross your mind. But as you looked at said fence, they were too high and you would surely fall off it and die. You contemplated such an aspect before shaking your head.
You knocked on the door and waited.
"Yeah?"

You entered. There was Hiruma, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table, facing you. Without a word, you took out your letter and put it on the table. He looked at it, then back at you. You guys looked into each-other's eyes.
Technically, you could just leave now. But you waited for him to say something. Anything...
"Your reason for leaving?"
"...My mom." you said, feeling pathetic.
He blew a bubble of gum. It popped and he smirked. He took his feet off the table and took out something from his back. You flinched when he dumped a really thick file on the table. Your mom's name was written on it.
"What the fuck...?" you asked under your breath.
"I did a lil diggin'." he smirked. "Dirt on her, on her friends, on her boss, the company she works for, the companies under that company! The rabbit hole goes DEEP! Kekekekeke!" he patted the file while making a scary face. "Just one page of this baby will make your mom bend to your every will!"
You looked at him with big eyes. This must've taken A LOT of effort to make, even by Hiruma standards. Your heart made a little jump and you felt your eyes getting glassy. You rapidly blinked and sighed.

"Thank you... But I can't use this." you shook your head. "It won't change anything, not in a way that matters."
Hiruma sighed.
"I figured you'd say that." he picked up the file and set it on fire with a lighter.
"Woah! Hey wait!" you panicked. "You're not gonna use it anyway?"
"Nah." he leaned back. "Devil Bats aren't for people who quit." he looked at you with a graver expression. "So, this is it?"
You took a deep breath, a pained expression on your face. You clearly didn't want to say it.
"...Ye-"
Suddenly, a football crashed through the window and hit the table, startling both of you.

"Crap! I threw it too hard!"
"You dumb monkey!"
"Rui?" you mumbled, hearing panicked voices outside.
"Guys, get to your places, quick! Before they come out!"
"The hell is going o-" you were cut off by Hiruma loudly slamming his foot on the table.
He looked FURIOUS. He grabbed the ball, squeezing it and digging his nails in.
"Let's see who has a death wish today?" he asked, a dark energy emanating from him, and some bats as well.
You gulped, feeling bad for whoever threw that ball. Hiruma took out a bunch of guns and cocked one of them.
"Come on Impie, let's go!" he kicked the door open.
You followed, even though you really didn't have to, and he couldn't just order you around anymore since you were quitting the club. The truth was, he called for you without thinking, and you followed him without thinking.

"Oh maaan! This is bad, very VERY bad!"
"You're so right Sena. We might not get out of this one!"
You and Hiruma stood by the school's football field. Both the Devil Bats and the Chameleons were there, in full football gear. Rui laughed maniacally.
"It's over for you losers!" he said, pointing at them. "You really think you could leave Japan without me kicking your ass! More like you're running away after the ass kicking we'll give you losers!"
"Moh!" Komusubi held his chest and fell over, like he's been shot.
"Kumusubi!!!" Yukimitsu ran over to him. "Oh no, he's out of it!"
"I don't feel so good either..." Kurita spun around.
"Huh- No wait! Kurita-"
He fell on Yukimitsu, crushing him.
"What are WE doing here???" the haha brothers asked themselves.

"The score is six to twenty four!" Sena pointed at the scoreboard. "In this friendly match that the Zokugaku Chameleons just offered out of the blue!"
"And there's only a few minutes left!" Mamori pointed at the clock. "And we couldn't get a hold of Eyeshield 21!"
"Not only are they beating us in the game..." Moonta held his head. "But they're verbally roasting us! I have no comeback! Distress MAX!!!"
"You're right Monta." he nodded. "And because we have nothing to say, our morale is down!"
"This is over for us!"
Anytime anybody said one of these clearly-scripted lines, they'd glance at you. You and Hiruma looked at this school play-level scene with a frown, both of you cringing.
"Can I quit now?" you looked at him.
"Yeah, save yourself."
"NO WAIT!!!" everyone exclaimed as you walked away.

"(L/n)!" Mamori exclaimed as the others tried to come to you. "Please, you can't just quit!"
"Pretty sure what I can and can't do is not of your business!" you turned around with a glare, making them stop.
"You know..." Rui took off his helmet. "If your brother was here, he'd be disappointed."
"I don't give a shit in what that asshole has to say!"
"He's right though!" Monta frowned. "You always trash us for giving up even for a moment, and the second your mom showed up, you quit!"
"You have no clue what you're talking about! Shut your trap Monkey-boy!"
"(L/n)..." Sena clenched his fists. "You're... You're acting like..." he looked tense and pointed at you. "Y-You're acting like a bitch!"
"WOAH!!!" everyone exclaimed, even you and Hiruma were shocked.
"I understand that you have a hard time at home. But not standing up for yourself, that's not like you!"
"Moh!" Komusubi nodded.

"Why... Why do YOU care?" you asked.
"Because you're our friend!"
Your eyes widen.
"Yeah!" Monta nodded. "Whenever we're down in the dumps, you're always there to give us a good kick in the butt!"
"You may be harsh," Kurita smiled. "but you always say what we need to hear, to get us back on track!"
"Moh!"
You didn't know what to say.
"...You have a shitty parent." Jumonji said. "I get it. But that's why you have to stay." he looked you in the eyes. "To prove to them that what you're doing is worth it."
"Jumonji...?" Sena whispered.
"M-Me too!" Yukimistu nodded. "You know, I'm also hiding this from my mom. If she were to ever find out... I think she'd react in a similar way yours did. But whenever I thought about what I'd do if that ever happened, I thought of what you would do! And in none of my calculations did I ever consider the possibility of you giving up!"
You clenched your fists and looked down.

"Right!" Sena looked back at you. "(L/n), when we first met, I thought that you and I were complete opposites of each-other. But I realized something, the one thing that unites us all here... We love football, and we wanna win! If you ever feel like quitting, you just have to remember why you joined the club, and what made you stay!"
'Why I joined... It was to get stronger, to finally put effort into SOMETHING.' you thought. 'What made me stay...'
You looked at your team. All of them looked at you, waiting for a response. You opened your mouth-
"(Y/n)!!!"
You all flinched, but you didn't turn around this time.
"Uh-ho." Sena whispered when they saw your mom coming over.
He looked back at Rui and his gang, they were gone. They must've seen her coming into the school. He was actually relieved by that. If your mom had found students from Zokugaku here, she probably would've freaked out;
"Don't keep me waiting in the car like an idiot for so long! You said goodbye to these guys yet? Hurry up now!"
There was a moment of silence. Your team looked at you, worried.
"I know you heard me! Don't just stand there!"

"...I'm not leaving."
They gasped.
"Oh really now?" she frowned.
"I'm not quitting the club either."
"And why's that?"
"Because... I like American football."
"What was that? Speak up!"
"I like American football!" you turned around to face her. "It's fun! Watching my friends play and cheering them on, it's fun god dammit!"
"Friends?" she raised an eyebrow, not taking your words seriously (as she does).
"Yeah! I have friends! I finally found something I like doing! My entire life I've been miserable! And for once, I want to be better for the sake of ME and no one else's! And I've met people who like me for ME! Any normal parent would be happy for their kid! Yet all you think about if what achievement of mine you can use to brag about to those people you hate yet call friends!" you pointed at her. "You'd rather I do NOTHING with my life if it'd run the risk of tarnishing your name! Well if you're this shallow-!"
"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" she shouted, shutting you up.

Now your teammates understood where you got your vocal cords from. You stared into her eyes in defying silence. Other clubs were in the school, the baseball team stopped what they were doing to look at your guys, others in the building opened the windows to look down at the scene. While your mom took notice of all the eyes watching, your eyes didn't leave her. She sighed.
"Look at what you're making me do when you cause a scene. Raising my voice like that..."
"I'm not leaving the club."
She looked at you and frowned. This was different from all the feeble attempts to get back at her you made when you were younger. Something in your eyes was different. There was a fire that made it clear there was no stopping you. She inhaled.
"Fine." she huffed. "But if this affects your grades in any way shape or form, I'm pulling the plug on this!"
"Like you did with Goro?"
"YOU-!!!" she pursed her lips, glaring at you.
"Goro?" Sena and Monta looked at each-other.
"It's her brother's name." Hiruma said, not looking away.

"Just get back home before sunset!" your mom said.
You shifted uncomfortably. She noticed that.
"I'm not gonna beat you! What kind of monster do you think I am?!" she asked, offended. "My gosh, after everything I did for you. By the way, YOU break the news to your father and the family!" she pointed at you. "Because I'm not telling them!" she sighed and walked away. "American football. Out of every hobby in the world! Why did it have to be football?!"
She kept wailing until she was out of sight. You let out a long sigh.
"(L/n)...?" Sena asked.
"I'm just happy it's over." you said with a neutral tone. "That went better than I expected. She'll finally leave me alone now. I'm glad..." you clenched your fist. "But...god dammit." your voice quivered.
You looked back at them and their eyes widen. Your eyes were filled with tears and you couldn't stop crying.
"Aren't parents supposed to love you unconditionally?" you asked with a shaky voice. "What the fuck is up with that?! It's not fair! Shit, fuckin' hell, god dammit..." you rubbed your eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, but they kept flowing and you kept cursing.
Crying herself, Mamori rushed to hug you.
"We're glad you're staying (Y/n)." she said, caressing your hair.
"Man fuck you!" you buried your face in her shoulder.
She chuckled.

"(Y/n) staaaays!" Kurita lifted both of you off your feet into a big hug.
"Woawoawoawoah!" you panicked.
Mamori laughed. The others smiled and cheered.
"NOW we can go to America!" Sena beamed. "With the whole team!"
Kurita finally put you girls down and Mamori let go of you.
"And instead of crying," she said. "we'll laugh together, okay?"
You sniffed and smiled.
"Yeah... Yeah!" you nodded. "Those burger-eatin' bastards won't know what's coming to them! They're not fuckin' ready for us!"
"YEAH!!!" the boys raised their fists.
"Not exactly what I had in mind..." she mumbled, smiling with her eyebrows furrowed.
Hiruma smiled.

"Now!" he cocked a shotgun. "Since you're all feeling the team spirit, you're ALL repairing the window and cleaning the clubroom!" he shot at the ground near the boys.
They all yelped and ran away. You wanted to follow them but Hiruma stopped you by grabbing your shoulder.
"You stay."
"Oh. A'ight."
You turned to face him. He removed his hand and placed it on top of your head. You breath was cut short for a moment.
"Welcome back, Impie." he smiled.
You blushed and smiled.
"Did you know about this plan?" you raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect them to pull such a dumb move." he said, removing his hand form your head.
"It was really dumb yeah." you nodded.

"So." he took out your resignation letter. "You sure you wanna stay?" he asked with a smirk, slowly waving the letter like a taunt. "Once you leave with us for America, there's no going back, you'll be stuck with us!"
You smirked and snatched it from him before ripping it to pieces.
"Together, to the Christmas Bowl." you said.
His smile widen, a spark in his eyes.
"YAAAA-HAAAAA!!!" he fired his rifles in the air, and threw a grenade up which exploded into confettis. "The Devil Bats are taking over America!!!"
You couldn't help but laugh.
"Yaaaa-haa!!!" you shouted too.
"Kekekekeke!"