READ AND REVIEW. Kuroko no Basuke is not mine.

Based on the manga.

A few facts altered.

BUT please enjoy.

The Perks of Being a Phantom Player

"Where there is much light, the shadows are deepest."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

PART I

Chapter 1

The Perks of Maya

February 25

Dear Friend,

First of all, I can't believe myself for writing a letter at this day and age.

I mean…

Seriously?! Where technology is all around the corners of the earth?

He said that it will be a great help if I write to you – so I am writing… to you. Not that I really need help. Let's be clear that I am not sick in the head or anything. I just needed someone out there who will listen (well, in this case, read) to all of my rumblings and who will understand how life is VERY unfair to me!

Because my life will probably suck from now on!

Well, honestly, I think he just made me write a letter because he doesn't want to hear me talk anymore. I talk a lot and complain a lot.

Anyway.

My name is Maya. My Dad named me from a South-East Asian country bird. Maya is otherwise known as the Black-headed Munia (Lonchura atrica pilla jagori). If you want, you can google it. The bird is REALLY plain. Uhg. I am 16 years old and the eldest in the family. I only have one sibling; a younger brother who thinks he is better than me.

My personality, physical looks and intellect are above average if I say so myself. I am neither skinny nor fat. I stand at 155 centimeters. I have a fair complexion. My hair is black, wavy and about the length of my shoulders. I have brown eyes. I like chocolates. I hate insects.

In short, I'm a normal teenager from a normal family living a normal life.

So what made my life suck, you ask?

WE ARE MOVING!

You see, Dad got the promotion he's been working on for 5 years! (Jeez, 5 years for a promotion, that sucks!) It was great news because finally we'll have more money but he said:

"We have to live in Japan though."

"We have to live in Japan." Dad repeated more slowly when none of us reacted.

Live. In. JAPAN.

He wasn't joking. I hope he was.

We have to change our home. And I mean, HOME. It isn't just a simple moving to another PLACE but it is moving to another COUNTRY! Mom was VERY concerned (understatement of the year) by this sudden development that she demanded a serious discussion. I was also worried but as children, my brother and I were only allowed to listen.

The discussion goes around with Mom saying it is "very difficult as hell to settle". Dad says "getting the job will ensure the kids future" - also known as the college fund BTW. Mom got a point with the "kids will have a difficult time adjusting with the culture and socializing with other people." Dad said "it will make the kids grow as a real person." I would like to make a point here that there are other adjectives Mom could use aside from 'difficult' but we are not allowed to enter the discussion. Dad won by saying that "sacrifices must be made in order to obtain all the good things in life." And so it was decided.

I mean, really, how can you argue with wisdom?

My brother was really excited about moving abroad and all. He practically jumped 10 meters high with joy when the matter was settled. How I wished he hit his head on the ceiling. I, on the other hand, thought they were all crazy. After the discussion, I talked to Mom like a civilized person would, taking it emotionally. It turned out to be more of a one-sided argument though.

My reasons were, but not limited to the following:

1. MY FRIENDS. I can't just leave my friends! I've spent practically my whole life with them. We are neither in the circle of the popular nor the losers so our school life is practically perfect. I refuse to leave my friends!

2. THE COMFORT ZONE. I don't like to take the risk starting out from scratch. This place is my home!

3. MY CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION. I just made this up. But considering that it took me 16 years to find a place where I belong, how many years do you think it would take me to find it again - IN JAPAN?! And honestly I'm not much of a social person so I'm telling you already that it will be hard for me.

4. I'M UNDERGOING PUBERTY. This event might cause me to thread the path of rebellion (which is pretty much normal for teenagers, actually). And I'm sure it will be ugly. So moving is a wrong decision!

5. OTHERS. Self-explanatory.

My Mom just gave me the death-glare. And that was it. I shut up. Her death-glare can literally kill!

I tried everything I could of course (I'm not a person to just give up that easily). From that argument with my mother, I resorted to the child-like tantrums until the fasting-for-justice-Mahatma Ghandi-style (which almost killed me, ugh!).

But you know parents ALWAYS win in the end. It's so unfair!

As you read this letter, we are probably on our way to Japan. I'm probably looking out the airplane's window devising some plan on how to steal a parachute and skydive just to get back to MY home. It is MY now, since OURS seems to be not appropriate anymore.

Mom, Dad and my brother - everyone is looking forward to the new life that awaits us in Japan except for me.

Love Always, Maya.

PS. I was kidding with skydiving. Just so you know, I'm afraid of heights so as you read this letter I already fainted.

March 25

Dear Friend,

It's been a month since we arrived here in Japan. And I have finally moved on (I think). I accepted the fact that we are going to live here (I have no choice, anyway). We started learning the customs- the do's and don'ts of the Japanese people.

Like for example: The Chopsticks. You treat it the same way they treat the cow in India. You treat it with respect! Holding the chopsticks is an art and it requires extensive training to perfect how to hold it.

When you visit Japan, be sure to treat the chopsticks as something sacred. Don't toy with it. My brother almost committed seppuku when he used it to pick something other than food. He is so stupid.

No, I am not joking.

The next one is: Bowing. You bow to every people you greet. It's also a sign for respect. My father is having a little dilemma here since he can't really bend his body forward or even backward. He has a serious case of arthritis. You can just hear his bones crack. Believe me, it's very funny but it hurts you at the same time.

We also started studying the language and while everyone else is getting the hang of it, I still can't get it.

My brother made me watch these Japanese Anime DVDs with English subtitles to learn the language. He said it will help me with my Japanese. It's his way of saying that I suck and he is great. I let it slide since the DVDs were really helping me a lot. I can say 'nani!?' with a really shocked face or 'baka' to my brother.

I also learned that people who watch too much anime are called otakus. They are really nerdy, geeky and kind of disgusting. There are a lot of them in Japan. And I think I just became one of them (EXCEPT the disgusting part). I cannot help but blame the culture but seriously… Japanese Animations are awesome. I can't stop watching! I play from the next series to the next. I think I am getting addicted to it. I just keep watching and can't stop! And I have a crush with Sendoh Akira – a cool and really cute character from the anime I'm currently watching called Slam Dunk! It's a sports anime focused on basketball. It is SO funny. I think you should watch it too. The reason I wrote though, isn't because of that.

It's because I am scared. I'd be getting my high school here. And I just don't know what will happen. I mean, really, I have less than a month to prepare! Could I be fluent with Japanese? Or act like Japanese?!

It's so hard!

Love Always, Maya.

PS. Sailor Uniforms are the best! They are the cutest uniform in the world. I attached a copy of Slam Dunk just in case you want to watch it.