The sun in Okinawa always seemed to wake before everyone else. It poured through the classroom windows in soft golden bands, turning dust into glitter and casting sleepy halos over the desks.
Minami Momotarō leaned across hers, curls bouncing as she whispered, "Takamine-san's going viral again."
Aisha Carter looked up from her notes, lips curving in amusement. "I'm not even surprised. That girl's got a PR team living in her closet."
They were a study in contrast – the kind that made classmates call them The Odd Pair.
Minami was the embodiment of everything cute: delicate, peach-haired, her face heart-shaped and animated, with eyes that sparkled whenever she smiled. She always seemed to exist in pastel colors – radiant, girlish, and endlessly expressive.
Aisha, on the other hand, carried a different kind of presence. The daughter of a Black American field doctor and a Japanese mother, she had inherited both her parents' best traits – a deep, natural beauty that didn't need makeup or filters. Tall and poised, she had the kind of athletic grace that made every movement look deliberate. Her long legs, narrow waist, and softly curved silhouette gave her the quiet confidence of someone who already looked like a grown woman, even in a school uniform.
Where Minami was cute, Aisha was striking – radiant in a way that made people turn twice without knowing why.
"Maybe she practices that laugh in the mirror too," Minami added, still scrolling through her phone.
Aisha chuckled. "You've been watching too many dramas again."
"Drama is life!" Minami said proudly. Then, lowering her voice, "Anyway, after class I'm going to the basketball club again. You should come."
Aisha blinked. "Again? You went yesterday?"
Minami nodded vigorously, curls bouncing. "Yesterday was chaos! They were only taking boys! The coach was huge – so tall and so scary – and he only spoke English! I thought I was going to cry, but he was actually really nice. He said, 'Managers tomorrow.' So today, I'm applying!"
Aisha smiled. "You survived the stampede, huh? Brave woman."
Minami puffed her cheeks. "Hey, it was terrifying! But it's exciting too! You should come. They're all foreigners – Americans, Europeans, really tall! Like walking trees!"
"Walking trees?" Aisha laughed. "You sound like you're describing an invasion."
Minami grinned. "An invasion of handsome giants! Think about it – tall, athletic, mysterious boys from abroad? My heart can't take it!"
Aisha rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "You make it sound like a dating show, not a sports club."
"Well," Minami said, leaning closer with a conspiratorial whisper, "a girl's got to be open to opportunity."
"Uh-huh," Aisha said dryly, tapping her pen against her notebook. "I don't know, Minami. I've never been into basketball."
Minami gasped. "But your dad's American! Isn't basketball like, your national religion?"
Aisha laughed. "My dad's a doctor, not Michael Jordan."
Minami pouted dramatically, then brightened again. "Then at least come to watch! You might change your mind."
Aisha looked out the window. Palm trees swayed lazily under the bright Okinawan sky. She'd been here for a year now – long enough to fit in, but not long enough to stop feeling like a transplant. Life here was peaceful, predictable. Maybe too much so.
"Come on," Minami said softly. "You've been bored lately too, right?"
Aisha hesitated. "Maybe…"
Her thoughts drifted – not to herself, but to her twin brother, Adrian.
They'd grown up moving between bases and countries, never staying long enough to call anywhere home. Adrian was her mirror in so many ways – the same skin tone, same sharp eyes – but their energy couldn't have been more different. Where she was calm and careful, he was always in motion.
Back in the States, he'd been a rising star in football. At Allen High, one of the top schools in the Texas 6A division, he'd played wide receiver – fast, tall, fearless. The crowds under Friday night lights used to chant his name.
Until one game changed everything.
A teammate went down – folded like a wallet under a bad tackle. The sound of it haunted him. Then, not long after, Adrian broke his own finger in practice. It healed fine, but his fire didn't.
By the next season, he'd quit.
Since then, he'd grown quieter. Still friendly, still smiling – but only out of habit. He hadn't found anything to replace what football gave him.
Aisha thought about that silence, about how empty he looked some days when he thought she wasn't watching.
"Maybe," she said finally, "I'll go with you."
Minami gasped. "Really? You'll apply too?"
"Maybe not for me," Aisha said, smiling faintly. "For my brother. He's athletic. He just… needs something again."
Minami clasped her hands like she'd just heard the plot twist of her favorite show. "Sugoi! A twin brother! Half-American, tall, handsome – this is fate!"
"Please don't start matchmaking him with Takamine-san," Aisha groaned.
Minami only laughed, eyes sparkling. "Too late! My imagination already did it!"
The bell rang, echoing through the halls. Students started packing up.
Minami hopped to her feet. "Alright! After lunch, we go! Managers today, no rejection this time!"
Aisha slung her bag over her shoulder and smiled. "Let's just hope your English doesn't kill another coach."
Minami grinned, unbothered. "My English is very good now!"
Aisha laughed. "Yeah-yeah, whatever."
~~~~~
In the afternoon, the sound of chatter spilled through the hallways long before Aisha and Minami even reached the gym.
"Why are there so many people?" Aisha murmured, clutching her bag as they turned the corner.
Minami gasped. "Sugoi… it's like a concert!"
The gym doors were open, and a wave of noise rushed out – laughter, camera shutters, and high-pitched "Kyaaaaaa!"s echoing off the walls. Aisha winced. "That's an actual sound people make, huh?" The crowd wasn't just big – it was packed. Rows of girls pressed against the railing, phones out, recording every second. A few even had handmade signs.
Aisha blinked. "Are they… cheering?"
"They must really like basketball," Minami said innocently.
"Yeah," Aisha muttered, "that's definitely what this is."
They squeezed inside, standing on their toes to see what all the noise was about – and then froze.
On the court, under the harsh white lights, seven giants were moving like a living highlight reel. The boys were scrimmaging in full intensity, dunking, crossing over, spinning, laughing. Sweat flew, sneakers screeched, and every play ended with the sound of the crowd losing its mind.
And then it got worse.
Tyrone, already glistening with sweat, suddenly tugged off his shirt and tossed it to the bench. The gym erupted.
"KYAAAAAAA!!!"
"HE'S SO BIG!"
"IS HE AMERICAN? HE'S HUGE!"
"LOOK AT HIS ARMS!"
"HE'S LIKE A STATUE!"
Minami's eyes sparkled. "Sugoi…"
Ector looked at him like he'd just lost his mind. "Bro, what the hell are you doing?"
Jesus, spinning the ball beside them, grinned. "Relax, hermano. It's for the ladies."
Tyrone blinked, looking confused. "What ladies?" He wiped his forehead with the shirt. "Man, it's hot."
"HOT?!" Ector snapped. "That's your excuse?"
"Yeah," Tyrone said seriously. "Too much humidity."
Another wave of screaming followed.
Ector groaned. "You're killing me, man."
Meanwhile, the other players had clearly caught on. Grigori, like a taller version of Ivan Drago, was executing picture-perfect dunks that shook the rim, his muscles tensing under his sleeveless top. Half the crowd was shouting his name.
"Who is that blonde one?!"
"He looks like Thor!"
"He is like a prince!"
On the opposite end, Jesus went for flair. With his tanned skin, small puffy moustache, and confident grin, he looked like he'd just walked out of a cologne commercial.
"Look, look!" one girl squealed. "He looks like Antonio Banderas!"
"KYAAAA!!" another added, clutching her friend's arm.
Aisha could only stare, caught somewhere between disbelief and secondhand embarrassment. "Is this… a basketball club or a photoshoot?"
Minami was already clapping along. "Go-go foreigner boys! So cool!"
Aisha sighed. "You're supposed to be the manager, not the fan club president."
"Multitasking!" Minami replied proudly.
Aisha stood there, completely frozen. "This is… insane."
Minami was clapping like a cheerleader. "It's so romantic!"
"Romantic?" Aisha repeated. "It's a gym, not a host club."
But then, to her disbelief, even Arisa Takamine was there – immaculate uniform, perfect hair, her trademark "fu–fu–fu" confidence… gone. She was gripping the railing like everyone else, cheeks flushed, whispering to her friends in a voice that was way too high-pitched for her usual ojou persona.
"Kyaaa… the muscles! Look at them!"
Minami gasped. "Even Takamine-san's fallen!"
Aisha just blinked. "I think we've entered another dimension."
On the court, Tyrone threw down another dunk – a windmill this time. Ector facepalmed so hard it echoed.
Marcus stood on the sideline, clipboard in hand, blowing his whistle like a man fighting a hurricane. No one paid him the slightest attention.
Aisha hesitated, then started pushing through the crowd.
"Where are you going?" Minami called.
"To talk to someone who might still be sane," Aisha said.
She made her way down the steps until she reached the edge of the court. Marcus noticed her and turned, blinking in surprise.
"Uh – you here to join the mob or the club?" he asked dryly.
"The club," Aisha said quickly, holding out her papers. "For the manager position. And also…" she paused, "I wanted to ask about my brother."
Marcus raised a brow. "Your brother?"
"Yes. He's a student here too. He used to play football back in Texas – at Allen High. Wide receiver."
Marcus froze. "Allen High?" His eyes widened. "That's Division 6A! You're telling me your brother played there?"
Aisha nodded, surprised by his reaction. "Yeah. He quit after an injury, but he's been… restless. He needs something to do."
Marcus's entire demeanor changed. He straightened, the fatigue gone. "How tall is he?"
"Six-six," Aisha said, thinking. "I don't know the exact weight, but he's muscular. Built like…" she turned and pointed toward the court, where Tyrone was now flexing abs after a dunk, "…that one."
Marcus followed her gaze. His grin spread wide. "Built like him, huh?"
"Pretty much," she said with a small shrug.
Marcus laughed. "Alright, I'm listening." He reached for a form and scribbled something. "Tell your brother he's invited. We need athletes – and if he's got football discipline, he'll fit right in."
Then he handed her the form. "You're joining as manager, right?"
Aisha smiled faintly. "Yeah. Guess I am."
"Good," Marcus said. "We'll be waiting for the Carters." He smirked. "Sounds like the gym's about to get a lot more interesting."
Behind them, another thunderous "KYAAAAA!" filled the air as Tyrone and Jesus high-fived mid-play.
Aisha sighed, shaking her head. "Interesting is one word for it."
Minami popped up beside her, eyes sparkling. "Best. Club. Ever."
And somewhere above them, even Arisa Takamine's voice joined the chaos.
"KYAAAAA!!! TALL BOYS!!!"
Marcus dropped his clipboard again. "I give up."