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When Setsuko Akashi first arrived at Teiko Middle School, she decided she would build herself a kingdom. But not just any kingdom, no; a kingdom of hand-picked minions whom with she would rule the competitive cheerleading world. She was not interested on the current members of the squad; she turned her attention to her own grade.
—
The first student of interest was Shinju Midorima, an intellectual beauty with shapely legs Setsuko deemed appropriate for both the foundation of a pyramid and the short skirts they would inevitably have to flaunt. Closer examination revealed her potential as a vice-captain, both assertive and confident but deferential to Akashi’s authority.
Or she would be.
All it took was cornering the taller, shapely girl in one of the music rooms she retreated to after class and Akashi was confident Shinju would show face at the next practice, even if she insisted that she wouldn’t.
Setsuko was right, of course, and it wasn’t long before Shinju was at her side walking from class to class with an arm full of books and trinkets she insisted were “lucky.”
—
Atsuko Murasakibara’s ponytails were atrocious, but she had redemptive qualities. Though the boys saw her height as intimidating, Setsuko saw it as just what she was going to need on her team. After all, it wasn’t just a squad, it was The Squad, and Akashi was determined to assemble her perfect team of perfect girls, anomalies and all.
“Join my squad.”
Atsuko considered it as she sucked on the chocolately end of a stick of pocky.
“Okay.”
“Shinju, teach Atsuko how to put her hair into a bun, if you would.
—
Dai Aomine was an unusual choice – Setsuko knew this much without Shinju voicing her concern, but even after she had assured her vice-captain that she was never wrong, the greenette’s fingers grip still flexed around her bookbag when the two of them approached the azure-haired tomboy.
"Join our squad, Aomine Dai.”
“Fuck no.”
A glare or two later and the new member complied, albeit with a few expletives whispered under her breath.
–
Teruko Kuroko was chosen to be one of their diminutive flyers alongside their captain. She was soft-spoken, quiet, and polite, but it was quite the hassle to track her down.
Shinju insisted that the little lady managed to somehow slip into other worlds and return just in time to scare the socks off her fellow cheerleaders, but Setsuko proclaimed her tiny presence would come in handy when it came to flinging her impossibly high in the air.
“Midorima-chan, your bow is crooked,” a soft voice alerted her, startling the girl into dropping her ceramic frog onto the mats on the gym floor which saved it from certain destruction.
“Kuroko!”
—
When the last member of their perfect little team proved to be elusive, Setsuko selected someone who would serve as a place-filler. Her name was Sho-na Haizaki, and she had quite the temper and proved to be more unlady-like than Aomine rather quickly.
No one was particularly upset when she sustained an injury that broke her leg, thus giving Akashi a palpable reason to remove her from the team.
“Man proposes, God disposes,” Shinju murmured, sliding her slipping glasses along the bridge of her nose as Sho-na was carted away by an ambulance.
—
Ryoko Kise came to the squad before the squad came to her, which Akashi had found to be quite convenient. The model-gone-cheerleader was the missing link to Akashi’s perfect ideal team, so she was quickly place on the team.
How convenient a spot had opened up just a day prior to her nosing around the gym.
Aomine declared shenanigans, and Akashi made her run a few extra laps.
—
“So I was thinking – ” Dai was interrupted by a group-wide groan, but she waited until it died down before continuing, “if we’re going to be a stereotypical cheerleading squad and rule the school, we need to elect a dumb blonde.”
All eyes turned to Kise, who was happily nibbling away on a salad without a care in the world.
“All in favor say ‘I.’” Akashi proposed the vote, and Midorima tallied it up.
It was unanimous.
Kise would have to keep her sly tendencies to a minimum and convince the student body of her vapidness.