It took guts for a first-year to walk in the second-year hallways. Shoji had more than enough guts and his accompanying glare kept the upperclassmen at bay.

He walked alongside Mirae, a hideous scowl etched onto his face. His eyes darted from the right to the left causing the onlookers to cower into their lockers. His presence was tremendous.

He glanced down at his manager who had her head in her binder. She was muttering under her breath, something about Tanaka's sodium intake. He could now understand why so many of the boys were trying to get her attention.

His cheeks began to heat up and he looked up.

They stopped in front of her locker where she finally shut the binder and exchanged it for her class notes.

"What are you doing?" she frowned, glancing at Shoji. He was glaring at the boys standing across from them, his shoulders hunched as though preparing to lunge. The boys scurried into the classroom. "You didn't need to walk me to class, you know. What if you're late?"

"I'm not," he grunted. Shoji held his arms out to carry her books.

"Why are you walking me to class?"

"Benjiro."

"What?"

"Benjiro is stalking you. I have to hit him."

"No!" Mirae yelped. She closed her locker and pointed a finger at him. "If I find out that you got in a fight, I'll... I'll...I'll give you the silent treatment."

Shoji frowned. "What if I don't get caught?"

"There is no loophole. If I find out you got in a fight or you hit another student, I will be very upset. Yes, Benjiro is creeping me out but its nothing serious."

"Fine. But I'm walking you to class from now on."

She nodded and led the way to Emiko's locker. It was more of the same with Shoji glaring at everyone and Mirae sheepishly apologizing. Takita, 'Tome, and Yachi were crowded around Emiko at her locker.

"Finally," she groaned, "you two took forever."

"We were just talking about the Moonlight Fair that's opening tonight." Yachi held out a poster. "We should all go!"

"What about practice?"

Yachi pulled out her phone and showed Mirae a text message. "Takeda Sensei said practice is cancelled for tonight because some of the club members have extra lessons."

"It's Kageyama, Hinata, Noya, and Tanaka."

Yachi frowned. "We don't know that for sure."

"It's them," Emiko confirmed. "Who else would be dumb enough to fail the review quizzes so early in the semester?"

Takita stifled a laugh. "Aren't you in class 1?"

"Yes, because I chose it." Emiko grinned and slapped 'Tome's back. "Minimum effort for the same diploma. We work smart, not hard, right little guy?"

"Um, Miss Manager, I'm in class 4."

Mirae glanced up from the poster. "We can take the bus there. How about we meet up at the station at 5pm?"

"Sounds good."

"I'll be there."

"Okay."

"I'll walk you home first."

"Shoji you are not walking me home."

So, the three managers and the three first years met up with Tadashi and took the bus after school that day. It was a half hours ride to the fair and the girls had everyone huddled at the back as they peered at Emiko's iPad screen.

"They have a food eating contest?!" Emiko screeched. "That's it. We're participating. Mirae I hope you brought an appetite because we are winning that black card."

"I don't want to eat deep fried food that's been cooked with flies and bugs." She frowned. "No, we're going to the fair so we have to go on the rides."

Yachi pointed to the map. "I would love to visit the petting zoo."

"I want to go on the rides!"

"Me too!"

"But the food!"

"Games!"

"Should we go with a buddy system?" Tadashi asked. "That way everyone can do what they want."

Emiko and Mirae shared a look. "We'll take the children. You and Yachi go together."

"Yeah, the food stands are right next to the rides and games anyway. The petting zoo is on the other side of the festival."

"Think of this as your first date!"

Tadashi looked away. Yachi's face paled.

Emiko grinned mischievously. She had seen the secretive looks he sent her throughout practice and the way her eyes shined each time he laughed. Both complained about having too much homework to have any free time. This was their chance to finally have a date.

They entered the fairgrounds and showed their passes at the gate. Agreeing to meet up at the ticket stand in two hours, they separated.

"Where to first?" Emiko asked, already eyeing the Curly Fries food stand. Before she could take another step, Mirae grabbed her arm and pointed to a monster in front of them.

"We're going on that."

The wait for the Drop Tower wasn't too long. As they reached the front of the line before the gates, they heard deafening shrieks from above.

"You think anyone's fallen out of that?" Shoji asked.

Yaotome gripped Emiko's arm and stuttered, "Definitely."

Takita and Mirae shared a look and both grinned. "Cool."

The gate opened and the group of riders stumbled out, their faces white. The five of them ran in and took their seat. They clicked on their belts and waited for the ride to start.

"I won't hold your hand," Shoji stuttered, gripping the handlebars as the person came to double check their belts.

"I don't need you to hold my hand," Mirae stuttered back. She kicked her feet to get Emiko's attention. "If I break your eardrums because of my screaming, I'm sorry."

"Oh hell no."

They began to elevate. The machine whirred and creaked and the ride flew them high one steady pace at a time. As they reached the top, the ride paused, and they looked down.

"I regret this," Yaotome whimpered.

Takita winced as the people on the fair grounds became smaller and smaller. "Me too."

"Let me off of this thing!" Emiko shrieked.

They felt their hearts drop before the ride plummeted them downward. Shoji gripped Mirae's hand and they screamed.

"Now that you have successfully decreased my lifespan by thirty years," Emiko threw her hands in the air, "we feast! You losers better be ready to eat everything that's placed down in front of you."

Mirae winced, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Too bad, that drop tower wasn't a good idea either, we still did it."

"I don't want to eat a lot." 'Tome complained.

"That's fine, I'll eat what you don't finish."

"Right, so I'll take Shoji and Yaotome to get something smaller to eat from that food stand over there. You and Takita can sign up for the contest then meet back with us." Mirae grabbed the first years and walked away.

"Those losers," she turned to Takita, "Why are you the only cool one?"

He shrugged his shoulders and began to follow the short girl through the crowd, careful as to not lose her. Then Emiko stopped.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here, Takita. A couple of Seijoh pretty boys."

Kunimi and Kindaichi turned around.

"Here on a date?" Kunimi smirked.

Emiko narrowed her eyes. "Are you?"

"Hi Emiko," Kindaichi greeted. "And you were on Karasunos roster when we played a practice game."

"I'm Takita."

"What are you two doing here?" Emiko asked.

"We're here with the team. They decided to check out the rides though. What are you two doing here?"

"We're on a mission," Emiko declared. "Takita and I are going to win the eating contest and get that black card. Free food from a dozen restaurants for an entire year."

"No, you're not."

Emiko frowned.

"Because Kindaichi and I are going to win."

"We are?"

"Yep. That card is ours."

"That's not fair!" Emiko stomped her foot. "We were here first, and you probably didn't even know about the contest."

"Doesn't matter."

"Wait, I didn't agree to this."

"No one cares, Kindaichi."

"Too bad," Takita smirked. He walked past the Seijoh boys towards the stand and signed his name on the sheet. "If that's your mentality, then you've already lost."

Emiko jumped up and ran after him. "That was so cool!"

"You sure you don't want some Miss. Manager Mirae?"

"It's good."

Mirae cringed at the sight of deep-fried pastries and potatoes cooked in different ways. "Maybe later, if I feel hungry."

Emiko dropped in the chair around the bench and snorted. "Who the hell eats when they're hungry?"

"What does that mean?"

She leaned over her and grabbed a handful of fries, her eyes widened when a string of cheese followed. "People eat when they're bored, when they're watching a movie, when they're with their friends. When was the last time someone actually ate when they were hungry?"

"That's a rhetorical question, isn't it?"

Shoji looked at Takita. "What took you guys so long anyway?"

"Oh, we snuck into a bouncy castle to build an appetite."

As Emiko narrated the confrontation between them and Kunimi and Kindaichi, a phone on the table began to ring.

Mirae looked down and frowned. She declined the call.

"Hey, I do the same thing!"

Her frown deepend. "You decline your mother's call?"

"Whoa... Goody two shoes Mirae declining her mother's call?" Emiko turned to the first years. "You boys should go over there. Mirae and I are about to bond."

Takita frowned at his empty bowl and leaned over to snag the burger off Yaotome's plate. "No," he said as he took a bite, "I also have issues with my mom, I want to hear this."

Shoji stared at him in disgust but nodded his head.

"My mom's nice to me, but I can leave if that makes you guys happy."

Emiko stared fondly and patted his back. "'Tome, my little guy, you can stay!" she then turned and stared expectantly at Mirae.

"There's not much to say. It's just- we're not on speaking terms."

"Given my circumstances, I wouldn't mind not talking to my mom too."

"I wish my parents would stop talking to each other. Wait no, I wish they would stop yelling at each other."

Emiko burped. "Yeah, life has been pretty good ever since I moved in with my Uncle Keishin."

"Can I move in with you and Coach?"

"Sure, you can stay in the extra bedroom. My Grand-mama still hopes he'll get married but that's not happening anytime soon."

Yaotome suddenly gasped and pulled on Shoji's arm. He pointed behind the girls and whispered something that made Shoji furrow his brows and scowl.

He had finally put a face to the name.

"Mirae! Fancy seeing you here!" Benjiro approached the table. He glanced over when Shoji stood up, knocking the chair behind. "Are you here with your little brother?"

Before Mirae had a chance to say anything, Shoji puffed his chest and stepped up. "What's it to you?"

"I'm just curious."

"Curious people die."

"Um," Mirae stuttered, "I think the saying is curiosity killed the cat."

"Why the cat?" Emiko frowned. "Don't kill the cat, kill Benjiro."

"You're going to take five steps back, turn around, and keep walking until you come to the edge of a cliff. Then you're going to jump."

Takita snorted and Emiko applauded dramatically.

"He's over-protective," Benjiro murmured.

"Start walking or I'm going to start swinging."

Takita glanced up lazily. Yaotome narrowed his eyes. A few seconds of silence passed before he muttered a goodbye and retreated into the crowd.

Mirae glanced at the three of them and sighed. "Who put you up to this?"

"Doesn't matter," Emiko abruptly stood up, "the contest is about to start!"

They dodged the groups and food stands as they ran towards the tent. Other contestants had already taken their seats and were tying bibs around their necks. Mirae, Yaotome, and Shoji wished them luck but chose to stand farther away.

People were going to get sick and neither one wanted to witness it.

Emiko and Takita found their opponents sitting at the end of the table. They sat down across from them, knowing smirks on their faces.

"Kunimi," Kindaichi stuttered as he leaned to whisper, "this isn't a good idea."

The amount of food laid out on the table was disgusting. Kindaichi swore he saw something moving between the fried noodles. He glanced up in front of him where Emiko and Takita were arguing over what they wanted to eat first.

"We have to forfeit."

"What?" Kunimi frowned.

"We have to forfeit."

"Why?"

"Coach gave us one rule; don't eat food from the fair stands. And here we are sitting with trays of- whatever this is- and we're expected to eat all of it."

"All of it and more," Emiko licked her lips.

"There's a black card on the table. But if you forfeit, we won't hold it against you." Takita and Emiko high fived.

"No, we are staying in."

"I think I'm going to be sick Kunimi."

"You can be sick later. Right now, we have a bet."

"Why do you have to challenge her? You know she's a monster and she won't stop unless she gets what she wants!"

Emiko smirked.

The alarm rang signalling the start of the contest. All the contestants grabbed their utensils and began to dig into the food. Kindaichi made a face as he poked around his plate. He managed to eat a few bites before pushing his plate away, feeling guilty for going behind their coach's back.

Kunimi shot him a glare and continued eating.

Many people had dropped out after Kindaichi. The food was either too spicy, too salty, a weird texture, or not cooked enough.

Finally, there were three people left. Kunimi made a face as he tried to swallow another bite but it seemed to be climbing up his throat. He dropped his fork.

The alarm was heard again, and it signalled the end of the contest.

Takita leaned back and burped loudly. Emiko dropped her face on the table. Someone came and held their hands in the air, cheering.

Tadashi and Yachi walked back towards the ticket stand, hand in hand. When they saw their friends sitting on the pavement, they blushed and unclasped their hands.

"Yo!" Emiko waved. Her eyes widened when she felt the food creeping its way back up her throat.

"Don't talk Miss. Manager Emiko! You'll get sick."

Mirae frowned and stepped away, pulling Shoji with her. She turned to Tadashi and Yachi.

"I hope you two had a nice time. What'd you end up doing?"

They glanced at each other, gentle smiles painting its way onto their faces.

"I think we can keep the events of today just between the two of us."

"I think so too."

Emiko scrambled to her feet. "They had a moment- Blegh..."

|Note|

Don't ask us what Yachi and Tadashi did... we don't even know. They're so secretive :P

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter with the first years!

|End Note|