Aya Kurusu

Aya Kurusu is a side character in Mai Ball. She is an attacking midfielder who plays for Seirin High School FC. Aya is Seirin's team captain and key player, often being the main instigator of their attacks. Whenever her teammates lose their cool, they can always rely on Aya to have a calm read on the situation and give orders to regain the team's shape and composure.

Appearance
Aya has very long black hair, in which she wears a thin blue headband. She has blue eyes.

Chronology
Main Article: Kijikita vs. Seirin

Kijikita have a fantastic start to their game against Seirin, swiftly going 5-0 up, however Aya never loses faith and believes that her team will be able to come back. After Reika Hakurai goes off injured, her belief almost comes true, as Seirin score four unanswered goals. Aya scores three of these goals herself. Her last goal coming so late in the game allows Seirin to besiege the Kijikita goal. She later has a shot from the edge of the box saved by Rinka Aomi at the expense of a corner. From this set-piece, Aya manages to connect with a header, however Rinka and Kiiro Inukai manage to make goal-line blocks to ensure that Kijikita progress. Exhausted by her efforts and overwhelmed with disappointment, Aya cannot help but immediately burst into tears. Despite her emotions, however, she still manages to wish Kijikita luck in the next round.

Aya is later shown in the crowd as Kijikita take on Kijinan in the final. With Kijikita quickly falling 3-0 down to Kijinan, Aya praises Kunimitsu Hasuga's coaching in the lead-up to half-time, as his shouting of instructions and defensive tactic change stops any further goals being conceded. “Shuna...next time, I'll beat you. Just wait.” When Kijikita equalise late on, goalkeeper Riria Konbaru is given a new shirt and pushed into the attack. Aya is overjoyed with this, as she had never expected to see her play outfield again. During the one-year timeskip in the final chapter, while it is Kijikita and Kijinan who once again progress to the final, it is revealed that Aya captained Seirin once more that season, going up against Franklin and Dute Serbanov along the way.