There was clearly a thinly veiled antagonism in Mio’s words, even if her expression wasn’t telling enough. Minako hated this; that she had to remain polite and respectful simply because she was the new girl and Mio was older, and then there was the fact that she wanted to be a part of the team Mio led. Actually, she was beginning to rethink that decision. Looking at those girls, Minako realized she would never want to be a part of them if they were all just as fake as Mio was. She liked the activity, but it was a team activity. Would it be worth it if she couldn’t trust her future teammates not to drop her from great height the first chance they got?

She bristled as Mio dismissed her old friends so easily as if they were worth nothing, and got the urge to put her foot down then and there. She didn’t need this. She didn’t want this. And yet… her pride wanted her to prove to them—to Mio, Kunihiro, and everyone else who clearly thought she was too weak for this—that she had what it took. She would get accepted into the cheerleading team, then she would quit. That should teach Mio who was really in control.

“I’m sorry guys,” she whispered to her friends, who were all gaping in disbelief at what had just transpired. “I’ll be back later.” She quickly followed Mio toward the cheerleader table, feeling as if she was heading straight toward the lion’s den. However, now that she’d chosen to face this head on, she no longer felt unsure or intimidated. Putting on her best confident smile, she made sure to look at each and every girl in a respectful way.

“Sorry for my little first day blunder,” she said to them. “Thank you so much for the invitation to join you all, Kuroki-senpai. I’m truly honored.”

Hey, Mio wasn’t the only one who could be fake. Manipulations and façade were kind of Minako’s deal.

Kunihiro couldn't help but smile as Minako left her table and joined the cheerleaders. Her pride was good for something, he thought. He would definitely be using that to his advantage in the future.

The other upperclassmen at Kunihiro's table had known Mio for years, and they all knew about her desire for Kunihiro. As Mio sat down with a huff, the guys all snickered. The competition between Mio and Minako was already becoming evident, whether it was meant to arise or not. When it came to Kunihiro and cheerleading, everything was a competition with Mio.

Knowing that Minako could hold her own, Kunihiro turned back to his friends. "Watch it, Hiro-san, Mio's looking at little dangerous," Satoshi joked. Kunihiro rolled his eyes and changed the subject back to their new coach. Despite the attempted distraction, he couldn't stop wondering whether or not Minako would be able to put Mio in her place. To be honest, Kunihiro was rather sick of her. Sure, she was useful from time to time, but her clingy attitude and constant cattiness was rather tiring. Seeing Mio being put down a few pegs by an underclassman would be the greatest thing to happen during Kunihiro's high school years, that was certain.

He had confidence in Minako, even though he would never admit it. He couldn't help himself from tuning in to the conversation at the cheerleaders' table.

"Oh, it's no problem," Mio replied, almost a little too bluntly. The other cheerleaders welcomed Minako, which was good to hear. Not all of them were awful - only a few that followed Mio's footsteps. Nonetheless, Mio had them all on her leash, and they would do anything she told them to. Especially since cheerleading was all a few of them really had.

That's how it was at their high school. You're smart, or you're an athlete. One or the other - and it was all you had.

Break was soon over, and so Kunihiro left his friends and headed for the cafeteria exit. He passed the cheerleaders' table and glanced ever-so-briefly at Minako, nodding at her and moving on. Why did he have the constant need to look at her? The feeling she gave him, it was so foreign and...nice, that it was almost addicting.

Shaking the thoughts of the blonde goddess from his head, he continued to his conditioning class.

It was the next day, and Minako yawned without care as she walked towards school. She hadn’t really slept well last night, and when she finally did, her dreams were haunted by a certain silver-haired young man. Now the thought of spending another day where she would run into him all over the place again caused butterflies to fill her stomach, and Minako didn’t know whether she wanted this to stop or continue. On one hand, the feeling was definitely exciting, if slightly perplexing and a bit anxiety-inducing, but on the other, it was making it really hard to focus on other things. Not that she usually put much effort into classes and whatnot. But all she knew was that her days would be much more boring if it didn’t have Kunihiro in it.

Thankfully, that day passed by relatively peacefully—she didn’t seem to share any classes with him on Tuesdays. It disappointed her a little but the break allowed her to distance herself from the whole obsessive situation a bit and she could think more about the cheerleading tryout that awaited her that afternoon. She was sure that whatever challenges Mio presented to her, as long as they were humanly possible, she could tackle them easily. Minako had always been the best in her gym class and she was the star on her volleyball team. She was easily the most athletic girl her junior high ever had.

That afternoon, once school let out, she walked toward the gym where Mio said the tryouts would be held, seeing a couple of eager freshman girls like her already lining up. She doubted this would be an easy test, but she was also confident for her success. Her eyes darted around the room, half wishing to see a flash of silver. Would he be watching the tryouts? Did she want him to?

Well… of course she did. She couldn’t wait to show him just exactly what she was capable of.

The next day went by in a haze for Kunihiro. There was nothing to put a spring in his step, nothing to give him the excitement and energy he needed. He walked with a slump in his shoulders and a lazy look on his face, not bothering to joke with anyone he passed or get involved in many conversations. The only thing he truly anticipated was possibly seeing Minako, but to his dismay, she was no where to be seen. Frustrated at his ridiculous desire to see her again, Kunihiro forced himself to stop looking for her and continue through his day without a care in the world, as usual. There was always the cheerleading tryout to look forward to. The starting lineup of the football team always got to miss practice to watch the tryouts, and of course that meant the team captain got to go.

The final bell rang, and for some odd reason, Kunihiro grew rather excited. He walked with purpose, his eyes cast forward. He hoped that Minako had decided to try out and knock Mio on her ass. That would be the day.

He entered the gym and sat down in the bleachers next to the other starting linemen. The cheerleading squad were all lined up in the center of the gym, standing there all preppy-like. The multiple girls trying out (mostly freshman) were standing across from them.

It didn't take long for Kunihiro to spot the unique blonde standing there, looking confident and beautiful. His heart skipped a beat, and he found it difficult to look away. He had never seen someone with so much confidence in themselves. He hoped that her confidence would last throughout the tryout session. From past experience watching the tryouts, Kunihiro knew that Mio was not easy on newcomers. She wanted the best of the best for her squad. There was no doubt in his mind that Mio would be especially hard on Minako.

The head cheerleader clapped her hands together and smiled widely. "Alright ladies! I assume you've stretched already, so let's get started! Everyone, line up at the end of the mat. I'll be giving you orders, and you will follow, alright? Alright. Front handspring, roundoff, cartwheel, double front handspring, double tuck!"

Yeah, it was going to be a hard tryout.

OOC:

Minako was stretching her arms when her gaze finally found him. A tall figure lumbering toward the bleachers, his strange colored hair sticking out like a sore thumb. She ought to ask him sometime if that was natural or whether or not he’d dyed it to be edgy or something. Immediately, her heart started beating faster. Minako quickly averted her gaze and went back to her stretching to calm herself. She couldn’t focus on him or he would ruin everything. She couldn’t afford to have him mess up her concentration.

Mio finally decided to start then, and Minako felt herself filled with excitement. She couldn’t wait to move—to do something—and expel all this nervous energy. She lined up with the others, trying to memorize the movements and watching some of the other girls freaking out already at the list of items they were required to perform. Some of the others that were ahead of her tumbled and fell, others forgot what the next move was, and some did entirely different things than what was asked. One could do everything, but not in enough rapid succession for Mio’s liking. A few performed flawlessly.

When Minako’s turn came, she stepped forward confidently. These things were just the basics and she wasn’t intimidated at all. Light on her feet, she did the front handspring first, segueing smoothly into the roundoff, an almost happy cartwheeling, two more handsprings, and finally, the last one. The double tuck was the most challenging one so far, but Minako’s flexible body easily flipped twice in the air before she landed back on her two feet, not even the slightest bit dizzy and with a huge smile on her face.

Next?

Kunihiro watched the girls attempt to follow Mio's orders, but not many of them were very skilled. Everyone messed up in one way or another. After sitting during these ridiculous tryouts for a few years now, Kunihiro had learned the basics of different tumbling techniques. Of course, his knowledge only went so far for someone who didn't care all that much.

Minako stepped up to the mat, and Kunihiro felt his heart skip a beat. This was it, he thought. Part of him hoped she would succeed, but another part hoped she would mess up at least a bit. He leaned back, mentally scolding himself for being so torn. It was like his ego was telling him one thing, but a deep, mysterious part of him was telling him the complete opposite. Never before had he put so much thought into just one girl, and it was getting quite agitating.

To his surprise and astonishment, Minako performed the entire set flawlessly. Her body was swift and agile, transitioning between each move like it was an everyday thing. Her long, blonde locks flew behind her, giving her the extra grace and flair that labeled her as a cheerleader. It was beyond impressive.

He clapped, along with the other guys, and remained seated to watch the rest of the tryouts. Mio continued to fire ridiculous sets at the girls, and a few of them broke down in tears from the pressure. But Minako? She never gave up. Every time she stepped onto the mat, she was determined to succeed, and that she did. If she messed up, Kunihiro couldn't tell.

Soon enough, the tryout session ended and Mio smiled at the girls. A majority of them were leaning over, clutching their abdomen and breathing heavily. Mio had done what she came to do, that was for sure.

The football players headed out together, but Kunihiro lingered behind. He waited outside the gymnasium for Minako to come out, impatiently tapping his foot against the tiled floors. He was tempted to just get up and leave, but that mysterious, buried part of him was urging him to stay put and get out what he wanted to say.

Every time she nailed a set, Minako could see a vein pulsing in Mio’s forehead. The more she performed flawlessly, the more Mio’s eye twitched. She clearly did not like not having anything to yell about with her. She seemed to be taking her frustration on the other girls at least. The last one was particularly trying; Minako was certain Mio gave her more things to do than everyone else combined, and she demanded it with such rapid snap-snap-snapping that it was a wonder Minako didn’t lay exhausted on the mat once it was all over. But stamina was another thing she had in abundance, and eventually Mio had to admit defeat.

As the cheerleading captain gave them all her smile that now always made Minako shiver, she told them they would find out the results the next day and dismissed them. Minako already knew she was in—how could she not be?—but part of her couldn’t help but wonder if Mio would abuse her power to keep her out of the team. Even when the rest of the team witnessed how good she was, and even if Mio knew having Minako there would be a real asset.

As she headed toward her bag to grab a towel, a couple of the other cheerleaders actually clapped her in the back and told her she did a great job, which helped her regain her confidence. After sitting at lunch with them yesterday, she found out that they weren’t all fake like Mio after all. So maybe they wouldn’t stand for it if Mio made a decision to keep her out for no reason whatsoever.

She thanked them, then looked up at the bleachers again almost instinctively. Her heart felt cold when she noticed Kunihiro missing. When had he left? Did he stay for the whole thing or did he get bored? Was he not going to say anything at all to her today? Feeling foolish for being so disappointed, she headed out with the rest of the freshman girls. Her aches were finally catching up to her and she had a feeling tomorrow she’d be really sore. PE class and volleyball club never made her exercise this much. Trying not to limp as she made her way out the door, she was surprised when she found Kunihiro loitering right outside.

A part of her was instantly excited that he hadn’t left after all, but then she wondered whether she was even the person he was waiting for.

“Waiting for your not-girlfriend?” she asked, even as she was tempted to just walk away. But she couldn’t. She always felt drawn to him—had been since that first day, heck, since she laid eyes on him—and god knows why. She wanted desperately to know what he thought about her performance, but she wasn’t going to ask for it outright. She still had some pride.

Kunihiro jumped when Minako exited the gym. He had been staring into space, wallowing in his boredom as he waited. She stood in front of him, that teasing, adorable smile on her face. He blinked, trying to piece together what she had said.

Realizing she was referring to Mio, he chuckled. "Why do you care?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow. He left his position against the wall and began to walk beside her, trying to make it seem like it was a normal, everyday thing. He couldn't let her think he had been waiting for her.

"But hey," he said, scratching the back of his head, "you're not so bad. Where'd you learn to move like that? From what I've heard, you're a volleyball player, not a cheerleader."

“I don’t,” Minako lied smoothly as she started moving. He’d fallen into step with her as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and she told herself she wasn’t excited about the fact that he’d decided to walk with her. Not at all. It was no big deal.

Suppressing a triumphant grin as he admitted that she was good, Minako tried really hard to appear unaffected and cool. “I’ve always been the top student in my gym class. Being athletic is my thing. I also used to have to do quite a few tricky moves due to occasionally running late to school and having to hop the fence when they’ve locked it.”

Minako might never have properly trained as a cheerleader, but she knew gymnastics, and wasn’t that the same thing?

“Also, my mother once dreamed of making me a gymnast, maybe an Olympic medal winning one, and so she’d actually enrolled me in an extracurricular gymnastic training course. However, once I realized as much as I enjoyed it, being an Olympic gymnast champion isn’t really my dream, I’d quit.”

She wanted to be famous but in an entirely different way, doing an entirely different thing.

Kunzite chuckled. "Well, maybe we do have something in common," he remarked, thinking about his father and the treatment he received at home. He had refused to join the family business, and completely given up on academics. All he had was football, and if he couldn't into college with an athletic scholarship, he was done for.

"Are you sure you can handle being on the team? Mio's going to eat you alive, you know," he said, nudging her. "From what I've seen, practices are brutal, game and competition weeks are hell, and basically every moment you're around Mio is going to be miserable. She doesn't take to freshman very lightly."

Kunzite placed his arms around the back of his head, turning the corner that led to the front doors of the school. He looked down at the small blonde beside him, mentally picturing her in a cheerleading uniform. A light blush rose to his cheeks and he looked away, shoving that thought far out of his mind.

“Oh? You have parents with high expectations too?” she asked teasingly. She was actually latching onto every bit of personal information she could learn about him. She couldn’t help it; all of it was intriguing to her. Frustratingly so.

Minako listened to him talk about Mio and considered it. She knew that just brushing it off would be foolish; she had no doubt that while she might’ve gotten in the door, this would only be the beginning of her wonderful time with Mio. No doubt the girl would try to make her quit with whatever means necessary, and it would be an uphill battle. Minako expected hazing of new recruits and all sorts of pranks and things done in the name of seniority. She might be at the bottom of the pyramid for a year or be reduced to sit on the sidelines, be the water girl, and wash everyone’s uniforms. Was she prepared to do all that just to prove a point?

She didn’t know yet. There might be a breaking point. There might be a point where she figured it wasn’t worth it. But she wasn’t going to tell Kunihiro that, was she?

“You’ve underestimated me once, Kun-Kun. Are you sure you want to do it again?” she asked instead. “I know you didn’t think I could make it through the tryout, let alone actually make it into the team. Don’t even try to tell me otherwise.”

She took a gulp from her water bottle and steeled herself for all the exhausting days that would surely come. “But I’m good at it, and Mio knows it too, and if she’s the least bit smart and actually worthy of her position, she would put my talents into good use.”

Kunihiro hesitated. He hadn't really expected Minako to go deeper into the subject. He didn't like it when others tried to find out more about his home life - even Satoshi didn't know very much. He inhaled sharply.

"That's none of your business," he snapped, his eyes taking on a darker shade. His jaw was firmly set as he walked, resisting the urge to yell and get angry. Nothing bothered him more than thinking about his father.

They came to the front doors and he opened them, holding it for Minako without really thinking about it. He looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "Sorry." He didn't intentionally snap at her, it was just a sort of immediate reaction. He had made the point to all of his friends and teammates that talking to him about his home life was not in their best interest, and he had forgotten that Minako was oblivious to his sensitivity on the subject.

He cringed when she called him "Kun-Kun" again. God, how he hated that nickname. But he did sort of deserve it, after calling her "blondie" all of the time. He opened his mouth to deny her claim, but decided against it. What was the point in admitting he had believed in her skills all along, when he knew she would only use that against him?

"We'll see about that, blondie," he said, putting special emphasis on her nickname. "Mio's not the head cheerleader because she bosses people to do what she wants - she's got some serious talent. She knows what she's doing, so don't underestimate her too much. If anything, she really only has something against you because she's jealous of you. After all, you have been spending quite a bit of time around me, lately." He smirked, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye. They were outside now, and his car was at the front of the parking lot. The silver, expensive vehicle reflected the falling sun, causing Kunihiro to shield his eyes. "This is me. See you around, kiddo. Good luck with your results," he said, giving her a two-fingered salute. Turning his back and unlocking his car, he entered it and sat in the driver's seat for a moment. He imagined the triumphant look in Minako's face after she performed each set that afternoon, and he felt his heart skip a beat. The image of her walking next to him down the hall with her cheeks slightly read and a singular bead of sweat on her forehead couldn't keep the smile off of his face. With a heavy sigh, he rested his head on his steering wheel.

He really didn't want to go home.

It was a couple weeks later, and Minako had made it into the cheerleading team. Kunihiro was right about practice being hell, but she expected that much. No, what was bothering her these days wasn’t Mio’s crazy drills. It was the fact that Kunihiro had snapped at her after the tryouts. It had shocked her, and okay, hurt her too, even if he apologized right afterwards and returned to somewhat normal again. But there was clearly something there—something he didn’t want to talk about—and it made her wonder. What was it about his parents? Were they… hard on him? Or even worse than that…?

Minako’s imagination had wandered to some really unpleasant things. And she got really worried about him. He’d seemed like a tough guy to her, and he seemed really easygoing, not at all troubled, but that short moment had revealed something darker underneath. There was something going on with his family—something bad—and she couldn’t help but worry. Sure, he always seemed normal and healthy, but, what if…?

It was none of her business. He was right about that. Still, she just wished he would open up to her in time, even as she wondered if he’d ever told anyone else. Who was she to him, really? Just some freshman he liked to pick on occasionally. He wasn’t even her friend—not really, right? So she was stupid for thinking he’d ever confide in her. And yet she still felt strangely concerned for him, wanting him to choose to share that burden with her so that she might lessen it.

Minako blew a sigh as she entered the class she shared with him that day. At least the exhausting practice sessions were helping her sleep like a rock. Otherwise, she’d probably think about his problems all night. And how pathetic was that? It was probably not even anything serious.

As she sat down in her usual seat near Kunihiro, she greeted him with a simple smile and wave. It was at that moment that the speakers in the class crackled to life, and she straightened a little, wondering if the announcement was going to be anything interesting.

Kunihiro has spent the last couple weeks working extremely hard, training and lifting weights to prepare for the upcoming homecoming game. He had been monitoring his team's progress, preparing them for the fight against their rival that was just around the corner. Not only that, but he had also been monitoring the cheerleaders' progress. Or...more Minako's progress. She had been doing quite well, not letting Mio's attitude get to her and putting her best effort into the routines. He had been picturing Minako in their school's cheer uniform for quite some time now, and he rather anticipated seeing her first debut at the game.

He sat in algebra one morning, lazily twirling his pencil in his hand. Minako walked in and he looked over, trying to ignore the uncomfortable leap of his stomach when she smiled. He lifted a lazy hand, waving abruptly before letting his arm fall back to the desk. He was exhausted, to tell the truth, and the daily confrontations with his father weren't helping. Practices were getting more and more brutal with each day, and adding that in with Kunihiro's crazy emotions and thoughts regarding the blonde sitting next to him was wearing him out. But it would all be worth it when they won their homecoming game, he thought.

Before class began, the speakers in the ceiling crackled and squeaked, signaling that an announcement was going to be made. Kunihiro listened intently, knowing exactly what the announcement was going to detail.

"Good morning students and staff, this is Principal Kamekichi, coming to you with an important announcement," the deep voice of their principal drawled. "As many of you know, the homecoming game is just around the corner. We encourage you all to come out and support your Knights this Friday at six o' clock. The football and cheerleading teams have been working hard all month to ensure a great game and great time. Come watch our team triumph against the rival Youma team, and bring home the homecoming victory. Additionally, the homecoming dance will be this Saturday at seven o' clock. There will be refreshments, snacks, music, and great decorations contributed by the student council. The dance is semi-formal, and will be held in the gymnasium. And finally, nominations for Homecoming King and Queen must be submitted by this Wednesday at the end of school, and the winners will be announced at the dance. That is all, have a great day everyone."

The announcement ended, and Kunihiro leaned back as the freshmen in the class began to chat about the weekend's events. He couldn't help but smile to himself, knowing that all of these idiot kids would attend the game. They had no idea that it was expected to pour rain on them. It always rained at the homecoming game - it was inevitable. He glanced over at Minako to gauge her expression. Would she be going to the dance?

Kunzihiro's muscles tightened when he thought of another guy asking her to the dance. He would hold her close, making her laugh as they danced, and kiss her during the most romantic of songs. Just the thought caused a pang of jealousy to hit the silver-haired senior. He'd be damned if he let another guy touch her, he thought.

'Why am I getting so upset? She's not my girlfriend. She can do whatever she wanted.'

The principal started talking, and Minako rested her chin on her palms, listening attentively. Ah, the homecoming game. Of course. Mio had only drilled the fact that it was coming up into their heads about a billion times. It was as if Mio thought if they performed flawlessly, then it would mean the football team would miraculously win the match. Minako was pretty sure that wasn’t how it worked, but she had been wise enough not to say so. Maybe there was a rivalry with the other school’s cheerleader team as well and that was what had gotten Mio so worked up. She hadn’t really asked a lot of questions, not wanting to be seen as nosy or gossipy especially about their captain. But one thing was sure; Mio was a rather crazy control freak who needed everything to be absolutely perfect.

The thought of her finally performing in uniform in front of Kunihiro made her feel butterflies in her stomach, though. And then she promptly wanted to kick herself for feeling that way. She needed to stop obsessing over him. There were other guys in the school, guys who were less complicated and who would be interested in her too if given the chance. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t actually really explored the rest of the male population yet. This had never happened before. She had a boy-crazy reputation for a reason. And yet… since the start of the school year, all she’d ever thought about was Kunihiro.

The topic of the dance made her mind spin into even more of a frenzy; unbidden, the image of her in a princess-like dress and Kunihiro in a tux dancing to the soft music rudely intruded her mind, and Minako almost blushed bright red.

Keep dreaming, fool.

No doubt Kunihiro would ask Mio, or one of the other upperclassmen girls. Minako had no dream of winning Homecoming Queen—even she knew better than to try for that this early—but she wondered if anyone at all would take her to the dance. See, this was why she should’ve socialized with more boys. Back in junior high, she always had her pick among the best of the best. Everybody wanted her. Now her friends were baffled because she seemed to be pining for one guy for a length of time that had broken the record several times over.

What was so special about Kunihiro? It was a question Minako herself wanted answered.

After the announcement ended, the class became abuzz with excitement. Minako relaxed again, forcing herself to stop daydreaming. It was okay if nobody asked her this time around. It was just the stupid homecoming. It wasn’t even her homecoming, since the school was new to her, so it wasn’t even something that applied to her.

“Well,” she said when she noticed Kunihiro watching her. “I suppose you’ve already got a hot date lined up for the dance. Good luck with the match, too. All I have will be endless practice hours that must be illegal. I can’t wait for Friday to be over.”

Kunihiro was startled when Minako began to talk to him. Quickly recovering, he narrowed his eyes at her.

"And what makes you think I even want to go to the stupid dance? Everyone knows that only idiotic freshman go to the homecoming dance," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He mentally punched himself for being so rude. Why was he acting like this? Was his jealousy really getting the best of him?

What was he even jealous of, to begin with?

Did the mere thought of Minako going to homecoming with another guy strike that big of a nerve?

Shaking the thought from his head, Kunihiro forced himself to smile slightly. "And thanks, good luck with your halftime show. We'll see how well you really do in front of a huge crowd of crazy high school kids."

Class began, and he tried to pay attention. But his eyes kept wandering over to Minako, the image of her dancing with another guy burning in his mind. Unable to withstand his curiosity for another moment, he leaned over and whispered, "So, who'd you con into taking you to the dance?"

Minako felt her heart go cold when Kunihiro’s response sounded so dismissive and rude. What the hell is wrong with him? She knew for a fact not only ‘idiotic freshmen’ went to the homecoming dance because Mio had been talking about that nonstop (when she wasn’t talking about the homecoming game). Minako had known more about her dress, hairstyle, and make up than she would ever care to know.

“Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today,” she said, rolling her eyes and turning her back on him. Fine. Maybe he didn’t feel like talking today. He had some serious mood swing problems. One moment he was sweet, the next he was angry, and then he would sic his stupid friends and Mio on her, and just… Minako was getting tired of his mind games. She didn’t know what it was that he really wanted with her, but she had no interest in getting involved with a guy that kept confusing the hell out of her.

Deciding to ignore his remark about her future performance, Minako quietly seethed as class began. She became even more determined to show how flawless she could be and how he would only be able to admire her from afar because he wasn’t worth her time anymore.

Throughout class, Minako could practically feel his gaze burning her back and she wished she could climb over to his desk and hit him in the head. Seriously, what was his deal?

When he finally leaned over and whispered, she almost laughed in disbelief. “How is that your business? And just so you know, I don’t need to trick anyone into asking me to a dance. I’ll have a date by the end of the day.”

That was it. Time to unleash the true power and charm of Minako Aino. She intended to make good on her promise and stop hanging out with this crazy junior. No doubt there were more gorgeous boys in this school who would be interested in her in an honest way, not just to toy with her.

Kunihiro felt like Minako had punched him in the stomach. He deserved it, of course, but he still felt disturbed by Minako's last statement.' Throughout the rest of the period, he sat brooding with his eyes downcast. He refused to look back up at the blonde, angry at what she said and not wanting to humiliate himself even more. He didn't understand why he felt so compelled to tease her. It was like an automatic reaction.

The period ended and he stormed out of the room, heading to the cafeteria with a scowl on his face. He swore he would choke whoever took Minako to the dance.

He slowed his pace, suddenly realizing how childish he was being. Why was he acting under the impression that Minako was his, and no one else's. He didn't even like her! She was blonde and weird and stuck-up. Not only that, but she had an awful attitude and she knew how to push all of his buttons. She was rude, and annoying, and...strangely perfect.

With a groan, Kunihiro ran his hands over his face before entering the cafeteria and sitting with his team. It seemed they were in the middle of a class game of Truth or Dare. Someone dared Satoshi to try and woo a lunch lady into getting a free lunch, and everyone laughed when he received a slap on the hand by a spatula and a yell to return to his seat. Defeated and in minor pain, Satoshi sat back down among the laughing athletes.

"Alright, laugh it up," Satoshi grumbled. "Hiro-san, truth or dare?"

Everyone who knew Kunihiro knew that he never turned down a dare.

"Dare," he stated flatly. There were snickers throughout the table, but Kunihiro ignored them. The smirk on Satoshi's face made him feel slightly uneasy. What was his friend planning?

"I dare you to ask Aino-san to the dance."

Kunihiro blanched, his face paling and eyes widening. Quickly, though, he recovered, returning to his typical impassive expression. With a shrug, he stood and headed to where Minako was sitting.

In truth, he was terrified. He knew without a doubt that Minako would reject him. Why wouldn't she? He was a jerk, to her and practically everyone else. In all honestly, Kunihiro had thought about asking her to the dance, but the fear of rejection that was secretly his was always there. Taking a deep breath, he tapped Minako on the shoulder.

"Aino-san," he said, trying as hard as he could to keep his level. He could feel Mio's eyes burning into his head.

As class ended and Minako walked out, fuming, she was determined not to ever look at Kunihiro again, at least not until the end of the day. On her way to the cafeteria, Minako got jostled by someone in a rush, and she was about to glare at them into infinity when the person quickly turned around, looking guilty.

“I’m so sorry!” he said, bowing a couple times frantically. “I’m in a rush to check on something, I didn’t mean to bump into you. Are… are you okay?”

Minako stared at the boy in front of her. His hair was sticking up all over the place and he had a bit of a frazzled look. He also had one of those sweet, if somewhat dorky face, and his guilty expression was so sincerely regretful it immediately melted her anger. She shouldn’t lash out at anyone else because of Kunihiro. Nobody but him deserved it.

“It’s okay,” she said quickly. “Everything’s fine.”

But the boy just continued to stare at her. It seemed he’d finally gotten a good look at her after he dared to look up from his incessant bowing—and Minako recognized the look on his face. Mouth slightly agape. Eyes widening in wonder. Adoration shining out of every one of his pores.

Oh, yes. It was what she had dubbed the Minako Aino effect.

A smile slowly crept upon her lips. Good, so she still had it. Although this boy was a bit too dorky for her liking, that didn’t mean she should brush him off. The dorky ones were usually the sweet ones after all. And after what happened with Kunihiro, she was going to try her best not to be shallow.

“I’m Minako Aino,” she said, extending her hand toward him.

He stared at it as if he couldn’t believe she’d actually offered it.

“K… Kamekichi. Motoki Kamekichi,” he stammered, but shook her hand vigorously.

Now it was her turn to be surprised. “Kamekichi?” Minako tilted her head. “Are you by any chance related to the principal?”

“Y-yes,” he admitted, the fact somehow making him feel embarrassed. “He’s my father.” The last word was barely audible as he looked at his feet.

Minako could kind of understand what he was feeling. It must be hard to be the principal’s son. Everyone would think he got special treatment.

“Well. It’s very nice to meet you,” she said sincerely. “Could I call you Motoki-kun?”

He actually brightened. “Yes, please! I… the last name has a lot of…”

“Weight?” Minako guessed. “Yeah, I figured. You can call me Minako. I’ll see you around, okay?”

She smiled at him, and he nodded, waving excitedly as she moved away. Minako continued smiling to herself as she entered the cafeteria. Now that was a nice guy.

She sat down with the cheerleading team, bracing herself for more talk about the homecoming game and dance. All she wanted was be with her friends, but she couldn’t afford to incur Mio’s wrath when tension was already running high. She had learned to tune out their conversation at least, inserting the appropriate reactions to things according to everyone else’s to pretend as if she was listening. She was getting good at pretending to be someone else, and she kind of disliked it.

And then, suddenly, while she was munching on a sandwich, there was a tap on her shoulder.

She turned and got the surprise of her life when she saw Kunihiro there. After her little encounter with the principal’s son, she’d sort of forgotten about him. Her once brightened mood darkened again. What did he want now?

And he was actually calling her properly. She had no idea he had retained the information of her full name. This must be serious. Did someone die?

“Yes?” she answered carefully, instantly feeling the eyes of everyone at the table—and maybe everyone at the cafeteria—on her. She felt like standing on a precipice. This was a weighted moment, whatever it would turn out to be, and she would have to tailor her reaction to whatever he was about to tell her according to the expectations of everyone around them. She would have to take into account that pretty much everybody was watching and would be able to hear clearly what they were saying.

I swear to god if this is another prank, I will not hesitate to resort to violence later.

Kunihiro cleared his throat, feeling a bead of sweat appear on his forehead. Why was he so nervous? He never got nervous when talking to girls. It was second nature to him. And this was a freshman. Not intimidating in the slightest.

'Yeah right,.' Kunihiro thought.

To refrain from showing his nervousness in his expression, Kunihiro shoved his hands into his pockets. Forcing himself to look Minako in the eye, he actually smiled down at her.

"I just...want to apologize...for my behavior these past few weeks. I've been unfair to you and...um...that was wrong of me," Kunihiro said. He paused, cringing slightly when Mio spit out her soda all over the girls sitting across from her. Scratching the back of his head, he tried to think of some way to ask her to the dance, but nothing came to mind. Suddenly, without any control on his part, he blurted:

"Go to the dance with me."

His eyes widened when his words registered in his mind. Did he seriously just say that out loud?

Panic registered on his face for a split second when he recognized his mistake, his fear washing over him. "I mean - uh - it would be great if - no, wait...son of a..."

He clamped his mouth shut, inhaling sharply. "What I meant to say was...will you - please - go to the dance with me?"

The eyes of practically everyone in the room were on him, and he felt like punching everyone in the face. He could hear the snickers, the giggles, the whispers. He had never lost so much control over his outward appearance in his entire life, and it was extremely frustrating. Never had Kunihiro realized how strong his fear of rejection was until that very moment. If she rejected him, with everyone's eyes on them, he wouldn't be able to take it. There was no way. And he was sure, based on the fire he could feel being sent his way, that Mio was going to murder him.

Minako tried not to narrow her eyes at Kunihiro suspiciously, even if every part of her found him entirely suspect. He actually looked nervous, too, and when he started apologizing, she had to keep her jaw from dropping. Where was this coming from? She had the strange inkling that this was something he was pressured into. Because if it was sincere, wouldn’t he rather have this conversation in private rather than making a spectacle of it? Or was he really just that full of himself, or found everyone’s attention that important that he needed every part of his life to be some kind of soap opera to be watched?

Regardless, she couldn’t help but feel soothed by his apology. It was actually nice to hear him say that. At least he realized he’d been a jerk to her?

Mio’s reaction made her press her lips together, trying so hard not to laugh, knowing the punishment that would await her if she failed. Well, if anything, this was worth it for Mio’s face alone.

Then he blurted out the invitation. Actually, no, it sounded like a demand. Minako stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds. Was he really commanding her to go to the dance with him? Was he serious? What happened to ‘only idiotic freshmen attend the homecoming dance’?

But then he seemed to realize what he’d said, and actually stammered, which was kind of adorable and opening her eyes to a whole new side of him that she had never seen before. Apparently behind that cool, collected mask, there was an ordinary human being. Who knew?

She kind of liked it.

When he finally asked her properly, Minako risked a glance to the rest of the cafeteria—which had gone pretty silent for the most part. The immediate circle around them all had their mouths shut, waiting with bated breath for what she was about to say. Again, this was a loaded moment. And Minako… Minako’s brain was working a mile a minute considering the pros and cons.

Pro: She wanted to go to the dance with him. Even if she would not admit it out loud in a million years. Damn stupid fickle heart.
Con: He was probably just screwing with her again.
Pro: She got to piss off Mio and ‘win’ her not-boyfriend.
Con: Mio would likely kill her.

And then she also got the feeling that no matter what her answer was, she would lose. If she dared to say no, she would be embarrassing him and be known as that stuck up, ungrateful little freshman who was stupid and arrogant enough to turn down the invitation of the most eligible guy at school. She doubted Mio would see it as a favor, either. If Kunihiro had asked Minako first, there was no way Mio would want to be his second option.

And if she said yes… well, she’d still incur Mio’s wrath anyway, but maybe she’d get a serious boost in popularity. And she kind of wanted to go with him.

Minako still had no idea what was going on, but she couldn’t just not answer him. So after giving him a long pause just to torture him, she took a deep breath, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life, and said, “I… would be happy to. Thank you for the invitation.”

If she could not win either way, she might as well enjoy herself, right?

And maybe the proper expected reaction would be joyful gushing and shrieking, but there was no way she was stooping that low even if just to please the crowd.

Kunihiro refused to take his sweaty hands out of his pockets. He tried as hard as he could to identify the expressions on Minako's face, with no results. It was like they had switched roles,
almost.

And then, as he suspected, she rejected him. He felt his walls come crashing down, all of his hopes and his emotions falling into one giant heap of -

Wait.

Did she say yes?

Judging by the look on Mio's face and everyone else's in the cafeteria, she had. Aino Minako, perhaps the most beautiful girl he had ever met, didn't reject him. Kunihiro felt a wave of relief wash over him, rebuilding his confidence. He couldn't help but smile at the blonde freshman. He wasn't going to shout out loud or throw his fist in the air or anything like that - just a smile and a nod would do.

He turned and went back to his table, where the other football players were hiding their laughter. Kunihiro's smile faded, and he turned blazing eyes on Satoshi. "I hate all of you," he growled.

He smiled at her. This was so weird. Had he been possessed in the last five minutes? Because this was not the Kunihiro that she knew. Once he turned back to his own table, the spell was broken, and it seemed as if time started once more. Conversations resumed, if much more excited than before. Minako followed Kunihiro with her eyes and spied him talking to his teammates but could not figure out what they were saying. She finally had to drag her gaze away from him when she felt Mio’s icy glare stabbing every part of her.

“Well done, Minako-chan,” she said in her fake sweet voice. “It’s not every day a freshman like you gets such an honor. First the cheerleading team, now Hiro-san’s date. You’re quite the rising star, aren’t you?”

Minako stared back at Mio, knowing her words were the very opposite of a praise. “Perhaps I’m just lucky,” she said neutrally.

“But Mio-chan, I thought you were going to go with Hiro-san?” another girl on the team asked in confusion.

Minako flinched, knowing the impact of such a foolish question raised in front of everyone like this. And indeed, Mio turned her glare from Minako to the poor clueless girl, if possible kicking it up a notch from merely staring daggers to… swords.

“It was just a hypothetical statement,” she said through gritted teeth. Minako did her best to suppress her amused smile. “And we decided this morning that we’re going to try something different this year. It gets boring going with the same person every time, you know.”

Minako knew it was a blatant lie, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one who pointed it out.

“Anyway, I hope you’re prepared, Minako-chan. Hiro-san is going to expect you to look your best. He’s got a reputation to preserve, so you’d better not embarrass him.”

Minako bristled, but she realized belatedly that Mio was right. Crap. The dance was only a couple days away, and she was not prepared at all. She needed to find a dress, shoes, jewelry, figure out what to do with her hair… Mio had been spending weeks to make sure everything would be perfect (though now she was missing the most important ingredient which was her date, and Minako knew Mio would never forgive her for ruining her planned perfect night), and most of the other girls had been shopping for dresses a long time ago too.

Was there still any good ones left? There was no way she was going to show up in this dance not looking like a total knockout. It suddenly became the utmost importance that she looked not only presentable but also drop dead gorgeous.

Mio eyed her with a slow smile, seemingly noticing her panic. “Do you need help preparing for the dance, Minako-chan?” she asked sweetly.

Yeah, right. Like I would accept help from the devil.

“You’re very kind, Kuroki-sempai, but I think I have just what I need. I’ll be sure to let you know if I needed more help, though,” she said evenly.

“Yes, do that,” Mio replied before finally getting back to her lunch.

Minako didn’t think she could eat anymore, and wished only for lunch to be over soon.

When the bell finally rang again, she made her way out quicker than the others, and loitered by the class she knew Kunihiro was going to next. (No, she had not memorized his schedule or anything. That was silly.)

She needed to talk to him and figure out what was going on, because everything about this made her feel like she’d stepped onto a roller-coaster completely involuntarily.

After Kunihiro dared Satoshi to ask a lunch lady for her number, the silver-haired man ate the rest of his lunch and left the lunchroom. He was about to turn the corner to his next class when a firm grip on his arm stopped him.

Pausing, he turned around, knowing exactly who had caught him. He felt her eyes on him even before she grabbed his arm - how could he not? Even now, looking down at her, that piercing glare was burning holes in his soul. "Kuroki-san, did you need something?" he asked, not showing an emotion on his face despite the fear within him. Mio was scary when she was unhappy. She was capable of anything, if her mind was set on it.

The look on her face only grew darker, and she stomped her foot. "Kuroki-san?" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "Since when do you call me that?" Kunihiro was about to answer, when Mio put her hand up to stop him. "Whatever, I don't care right now. What the hell are you thinking?! Asking that...that...barbie to the dance! How could you do this to me? All week I thought you were going to ask me, and we were going to win the vote and go back to my place and -" she paused, thinking about what she was going to say, then shaking her head. "You're ruining the reputations we both have worked so hard to maintain. Call it off, and we'll go to the dance together, and everything will be fixed." Mio placed her hands on her hips, daring Kunihiro to challenge her.

"It was a dare, Kuro - erm, Mio-chan. I can't 'go back' on it now. You'll just have to go with Satoshi or something," Kunihiro said nonchalantly. The look on Mio's face was absolutely priceless - Kunihiro didn't know someone's facial features could twist in such a way.

He would have taken a picture if it hadn't been for the hand that had just slapped him in the face. He stumbled backwards, bringing his hand to his burning cheek. He could feel Mio's red handprint, and anger flashed through him. "What the hell was that for?!" he yelled, gaining the attention of everyone in the hallway who hadn't already been watching them. "Just because I asked Minako-chan to the dance doesn't mean you can turn into some psycho! I'm not yours, I'm not anyone's! You don't control my actions, so back off and shut up for a change!"

If Mio looked furious before, she was raging now. Her jaw was set, and her eyes were pooling with hot, angry tears. "Minako-chan, huh?" she said. Without another word, she turned and stormed down the opposite direction, shoving anyone who got in her way.

Kunihiro stood here, frozen. He hadn't even realized the pet name he had subconsciously said aloud. People's eyes were on him as he rubbed the mark on his face and continued to his class. Turning the corner, he immediately laid eyes on Minako. How could he miss her? The hallway was just visibly brighter when she was near. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, knowing Minako would probably want to talk to him. What would he do? Confess that it was just a dare and he really didn't want to go with her? But...that would be lying. He did want to go with her, to hold her close and dance with her. Just the thought of her dancing with another guy practically set him on a rampage, and now he would have her all to himself. He'd be damned if he let anyone try and take her.

Nearing the blonde cheerleader, he cursed quietly. Why was he getting so...possesive?

Minako stood up straighter when she saw Kunihiro approaching. He seemed… troubled, but again, his face was hard to read. Did he regret asking her out already? Minako steeled herself and stepped onto his path, practically blocking him from the classroom door.

“So… what happened to ‘only idiot freshmen attend the dance’?” she asked, trying not to sound accusing or suspicious. To be honest, she had no idea what was going on, but she was certain something was. He had changed his attitude for the complete opposite than merely a couple hours ago, and she was tired of the guessing game.

“And what was that stunt? Asking me in front of everyone, especially Mio? You know what that would do to me. I mean… I appreciate the invitation, and I do still want to go with you, but I need to know why.” If he was sincere about it, of course she wanted to go. It was only the thing she had dreamed about ever since she’d heard about the dance anyway. Did he have to ask her in front of everyone to put a pressure on her? To make it harder for her to reject him? To be honest, it wouldn’t have made a difference if she really didn’t want to go with him. But if that was the case, she wouldn’t appreciate him manipulating her like that.

Kunihiro was slightly surprised when Minako seemed to try and block him from entering the classroom. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight - a short little freshman thinking she can honestly block him? It was hilarious, considering he was shoving six-feet-tall men out of his way every day of his life.

He resisted the urge to cringe at Minako's question. Why did he have to run his mouth so much? Quickly, he thought of something that would set him free from his own trap. "All of the guys are going, and I'm their captain. I can't just abandon them." Kunihiro mentally slapped himself. It was a dumb excuse, but it was better than nothing.

Kunihiro felt his heart warm up when Minako confirmed that she wanted to go with him. He had been afraid she only said yes to get more popularity. That seemed to be how it was with everyone he came into contact with.

"I...um..." he paused, composing his thoughts. "The guys didn't think I had the guts to ask you to the dance, so I did it in front of them." He looked back towards the hallway he had just come from and smirked. "Don't worry about Mio. She won't be bothering you anytime soon," he said.

"Anyway, I'll pick you up at six, and we can get dinner, or whatever," he said, stepping past her. Before he went into the classroom, he paused. Looking back, he pulled his famous crooked smile and said, "Don't disappoint, Blondie."

It was the day of the game, and Minako had had about enough of Mio. Of course, she had been put at the bottom of the pyramid, and at the very center of it, too, which meant she had to provide the base for the entire structure and if it fell, it was on her. She used to be on the second level—Mio had grudgingly admitted that she was light on her feet and great with balance—but this morning, out of the blue, she switched out the formation. Of course it was because of Kunihiro. Of course it was because she was pissed at Minako. So now Minako had to support everyone and be blamed if everything fell apart.

Well, everything wasn’t going to fall apart.

Strength wasn’t her forte—speed and agility was—but thankfully these girls starved themselves so much they were all way underweight. Actually, Minako was probably the one who weighed the most in the group, mainly because she loved eating and she would never starve herself for her figure, and Mio had cited this as the reason why she’d changed the formation. “You’re too heavy to be on someone’s shoulder,” she had said snottily, with as much venom injected into the words as possible. The rest of the squad had been either looking at her with pity or laughing behind their hands.

Minako had burned with embarrassment and anger, but the thought of getting to dance with Kunihiro the next day was helping her get through it. We’ll see who will be smug then.

She probably would need to watch out for Mio at the dance, too, though, lest she tried to sabotage the dress or something. She wouldn’t want to have to go all Carrie on the entire school.

“Alright! Game is beginning soon! Everyone in position!” Mio said loudly, her voice now like a shrill siren that hurt Minako’s ears every time. Scowling, she prepared to enter the field, knowing that somehow, she would have to put a smile on her face and act like she was having the best day of her life.

WHO'S GONNA BRING THAT BLOOD AND PAIN?!

"JUUBAN KNIGHTS!"

I SAID WHO'S GONNA BRING THAT BLOOD AND PAIN?!"

"JUUBAN KNIGHTS!"

"LET'S GO BRING THAT BLOOD AND PAIN!!"

"HOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOO!!!!!!"

The Tokyo football team, in an uproar of manly shouts, burst out of the locker room behind their captain, sprinting onto the green football field. The roar of the crowd increased in volume, putting huge smiles on each player's face. Kunihiro's arms were raised, calling for more noise from the crowd. They complied to his wishes, screaming and cheering for the team that had been training hard every single day throughout the year. As his eyes scanned the crowd, he spotted Minako standing with the cheerleading squad. For a split second, he thought he was going to collapse. She was just so...stunning. The uniform hugged her figure perfectly, utilizing her curves and revealing her long, slender legs. Her blonde hair seemed to shine even brighter beneath the lights of the football field, and for a minute Kunihiro almost smiled at her. Thankfully, Satoshi clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his stupor and into reality.

The game began, and it was intense from the start. Both teams battled ferociously, each in equal skill. This was the game of the year - screw championships, this is what really mattered. At the end of the first quarter, though, Kunihiro threw the football at Satoshi, who caught it and managed to take it all the way to the endzone. The score was 7-0.

The second quarter went by in the same fashion, but one of the defensive players was slacking, and so Kunihiro was sacked and had the ball stolen. The Youma tied the score 7-7.

Halftime was quickly upon them, and there wasn't much to praise each other on back in the locker room. Their coach gave them a quick pep talk, went through some plays, and sent them back onto the field with the demand of shaping up. They were better than the Youma, now was the time to prove it.

Kunihiro walked back on the field, his head immediately snapping to the cheerleaders that were lined up in the middle of the field. He would get to see the halftime show - he would get to see Minako actually perform. Anticipating the show, he sat down with his water bottle and chugged it while waiting for the performance to begin.

Minako really didn’t get football.

Really, all those nonsense play codes with colors and numbers and whatever, people hitting each other and calling it a sport, actually calling it football when you carry the ball with your hands…

It didn’t matter to her, though, because all she was watching was, of course, Kunihiro.

And he was… well… as much as she hated to admit it, pretty spectacular. He was strong, not easily downed by the opposing players. And his throws were amazing. Watching him in his element gave Minako another new glimpse into a side of him she had not seen before. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath when he threw the ball, and only exhaled when he succeeded in scoring yet again.

For a moment it looked as if their team had this in the bag, but then the other team caught up in the second quarter and Minako could see her schoolmates starting to get agitated. They’d started booing at those who made mistakes, which really didn’t help anyone’s spirits.

Finally, the halftime arrived. Mio rounded them up quickly, looking pretty unhappy herself. “Alright, everyone! Let’s give it our best cheer! Our team needs us! Let’s bring everyone’s spirits up again! JUUBAN KNIGHTS, ALWAYS VICTORIOUS IN THEIR FIGHTS!”

She let out a loud cheer, rousing the audience, and the rest of the team somersaulted and tumbled into the field. The Juuban students had perked up again at their arrival and Minako knew all the attention was on them now. As the upbeat music began to blare, she focused only on the moves that had been drilled into her head for weeks now. By now, her body was already able to do everything without thinking, almost automatically. It was muscle memory now since Mio had made them do it a million times.

She stood at the center as they began to form the pyramid, taking a deep breath. Mio gave her a warning glare as she prepared to climb to the top. Minako centered herself, thinking of being a rock as everyone else climbed onto her. She could not screw this up. She must not screw this up.

As Mio finally took her place, completing the pyramid, Minako felt as if she was Atlas, weighed down by the entire world, but she stayed upright for the five seconds she was required to, counting down in her head all the time. Five… four… three… two… one.

The girls on the top jumped down, performing more moves, and suddenly all the weight was gone and she could breathe again. Minako gave the audience her most dazzling smile as she, too, did a series of quick flips in perfect sync with everyone else. At one point, she was thrown into the air along with three other girls, her golden hair flying behind her. Minako relished the feeling of being airborne, especially after being weighted down earlier. This was what she was meant for; flying, balancing, jumping, being quick on her feet and agile as a cat. And just like a feline, she was graceful and always landed on her feet, seemingly not bothered by gravity, flexible as if her bones were rubber.

“K-N-I-G-H-T-S! GOOOOO KNIGHTS!!” she yelled with the others as they concluded their routine, breathless but beaming with pride.

Mio might be the captain who took the spotlight at all times, but Minako definitely shone in her own way.

Kunihiro watched the performance with more interest than he had ever really bothered to put into the halftime show. His eyes were honestly on Minako the entire time, watching her smile and cheer as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She looked so happy, so upbeat, and Kunihiro couldn't help but join the audience in cheering. Some of his teammates looked at him funny, but joined him anyway. Ah, the perks of being a stud.

Finally, the moment for the pyramid came, and Kunihiro spit out his water all over the assistant coach. The short, bald man glared at Kunihiro, who was not paying attention. Why the hell was Minako on the bottom?! She was way better than every single girl on that team - she deserved to be on the top. Then it dawned on him. Of course she's on the bottom - Mio was jealous. Smirking now, Kunihiro leaned back and wiped the water that was dribbling down his chin.

Minako held out, and Kunihiro couldn't help but be proud of her. She finished the performance just as flawlessly as she did anything else. The music mixed in with her smile was enough to refill his energy and spirit. Now with a new fire, he trotted onto the field once more to start the second half.

It went rather well. Kunihiro faked a pass to start with, then gave it to one of his teammates, who took the ball almost all the way down to the end zone. He was taken down though, and so one or two more plays was needed. Eventually, the touchdown was scored, and Kunihiro was filled with even more adrenaline.

14-7.

One of their defensive players was injured by a Youma, and so the opposing team was able to get yet another score. Jaw clenched, Kunihiro went out to break the 14-14 tie in the fourth quarter.

The pressure was high - the first half of the fourth quarter went by uneventfully, with both teams battling to get the first touchdown. With four minutes left, everyone on the field was filled with anger, frustration, and adrenaline. The worst part about adrenaline on the football field was that people started to play dirty. Playing dirty was the Youma's specialty.

The ball went into Kunihiro's hands, and he instantly saw Satoshi wide open. Feeling his muscles pumping, Kunihiro ran backwards a few steps and was about to throw the ball when a helmet slammed into his ribcage, forcing him down to the ground and causing the football to fly out of his hands.

The Youma reacted quickly, scooping up the ball and taking it down to the endzone for a touchdown.

14-14.

Kunihiro couldn't breathe - the wind had been knocked out of him, and the sound of a sickening crunch was echoing through his head. He had heard it, and it hurt. He felt the pain in his ribs and coughed, which only made it worse. His teammates were crowded above him, then pushed back by a medic. Questions flew in his direction, and it took him a minute to come to reality. The field was filled with boos made by the audience for the Youma's foul play.

Kunihiro was about to tell the medic that one of his ribs was broken, but at that precise moment he saw past the man's shoulder to the cheerleaders. There she was, looking beautiful and flawless like she always did. He couldn't let her down - he couldn't let the school down. She hadn't taken the weight of the entire cheerleading team so he could give up.

"I'm good," Kunihiro said, taking the outstretched hands of his teammates and allowing them to pull him up. The medic looked at him warily, but shrugged and left the field with the coach. Kunihiro was met with multiple pats on the back, each making him cringe and smile at the same time. Taking a step forward, he inhaled sharply, trying his hardest to ignore the piercing pain in his ribs. A foul had been called on the Youma for "unsportsmanlike conduct" in the endzone. Apparently, the guy who scored the touchdown had flipped off the audience.

So the ball was theirs, with three minutes to go. The Knights decided that their priority now was to protect the quarterback - if he goes down, they all do. With almost every teammate besides Satoshi and one other guy preoccupied with protecting Kunihiro, there weren't many opportunities for throwing the ball. The Youma were now on offense.

Karma is as karma does, right?

Just as the Youma were about to throw for a touchdown, the ball was intercepted by a Knight, bringing the Juuban team back on offense. Thirty seconds left.

The same strategy was used as before, and with thirty seconds there was only enough time for one play. Kunihiro's eyes scanned the field, landing on Satoshi and seeing that there was a chance if he threw it, Satoshi could catch it and outrun his defender. But Kunihiro's throwing had been off - could he really risk it?

He felt the blood pumping in his ears, and everything slowed. He heard the cheers of the audience, the cheerleaders, saw the bright smile on Minako's face and the look of shame on his father's. In that moment, his eyes met those of the blonde freshman across the field, and he knew what he had to do.

He ran. He sprinted with all of his might, jaw clenched and arm hugging the football as tight as he could. He saw a Youma sliding to try and trip him and he leaped, painfully clearing the big dummy and continuing his sprint. Thirty yards left, twenty, fifteen. Satoshi saw what Kunihiro was doing and tried to tackle his defender, but he missed. Now it was a race between Kunihiro and a Youma. Ten yards, five -

Arms closed around his ankles, and Kunihiro was falling. He saw the endzone, it was right there. So close, but too far. In a last effort, he flailed his arm, reaching it as far as he could go.

Silence.

The buzzer went off, signalling that the game was over.

And then the whistle blew.

"TOUCHDOWN!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, screaming and shouting and laughing, rushing onto the field to congratulate the Knights on their hard-earned victory. The ball was in Kunihiro's hands as he laid on the ground, smiling at how it just barely touched the endzone.

He felt himself being lifted by Satoshi, and suddenly he was surrounded. Happiness pervaded him, excitement and spirit bringing the biggest smile to his face. But where was Minako? He looked for her face throughout the sea of people, and finally he spotted her. Shoving past everyone else, he pushed through the pain in his ribs and reached her, wrapping his arms around her and swinging her around. He couldn't help but hug her - it was thanks to her that he had done what he did.

And then he fell off of Cloud 9 and realized what he was doing. Pulling away instantly, his face turned bright red. "Uh...sorry."