the manager job

So, because she's a nice girl, Satsuki Momoi decided that she'll let the things that usually bother the hell out her slide when the Generation of Miracles do it because they don't really understand how hurtful and rude it is. Plus, most of them were ridiculously oblivious regarding their actions.

But this was too much. Sure, it was a tournament and everything, and Akashi was slightly more homicidal than usual, but really, this was just too much. It was all too much.

First off, she had received her first B+ for a presentation because she made too many gestures while speaking (the stupid teacher wouldn't listen to her that taking off thirty percent for one minor fault was simply ridiculous), then she had lost her bus pass, and then she had a nasty fallout with a guy who didn't know the meaning of "no", and finally, after blatantly telling them several times, her "friends" had forgotten her birthday and left her alone to clean up the huge mess they made in the gym.

After first she thought it was just a means to keep her busy so that they could buy themselves time to set up her surprise party, or something of that nature. She was horribly wrong, and was late to the birthday dinner her girlfriends had planned for her.

One might think that she was overreacting, but really it was if Satsuki was just a tool to them, even to Aomine. Plus, this wasn't the first time they had ruined special days for her.

Not only that, but all this managing was really taking time away from time that could spent with family, friends, or ensuring she do better in school (not that her grades her poor, but she would like more time to prevent any teacher from giving her a B+).

So after cleaning up, showering, enjoying a nice dinner with friends, Satsuki decided to quit being the basketball manager to Teikou. She'd written up a letter of resignation and placed it in Akashi's shoe locker.

.:.

For some strange reason, all of the Generation of Miracles arrived at school at the same time. Yes, even Aomine was early.

"Incredible!" Kise cried. Fake tears were brimming against his eyes. "Aominecchi is actually…early! Oh my goodness, someone please take a picture! This is too much!"

"Shut up, idiot," he grumbled, kicking his shoes off and replacing them with the indoor ones. "I just didn't sleep last night."

"What happened?" Kuroko inquired, putting his outdoor shoes away.

He shrugged. "I had this feeling I was forgetting something important, but I couldn't figure out what. I stayed up all night trying to figure out what it was. I still can't."

Before Kuroko could supply a reply, Kise's loud gasp cut him off. The blond was staring at a neatly folded note marked 'For Akashi' in Akashi's shoe locker.

"Is…is that a love letter?" the blond asked in disbelief.

Akashi glared at him. "And if it is?"

Kise yelped and hid behind Midorima. He waved a white flag that came seemingly from nowhere. "N-nothing! Y-you're totally a hit with the ladies! I hear girls tell me all the time how they can get your attention!"

"Get away from me," Midorima growled, side-stepping away from the blond.

"Aka-chin, what is it?" Murasakibara asked.

Akashi unfolded it and skimmed it. His eyes, for a fraction of a second, widened. "It appears," he said after a long moment of silence, "That Momoi-san has quit."

"No way!" Kise cried.

Murasakibara looked thoughtful. "Why would Saka-chin quit?"

"Obviously she could no longer bear to be around people like you," Midorima said, pointing at Kise.

"Oh, shit, that's what I forgot!" Aomoi cried out suddenly. He ran off without another word.

"Well," Akashi said, folding the letter and putting into his breast-pocket, "It looks like we're in need of a new manager. Come, Shintaro we will be holding auditions today."

"Today?" Midorima questioned. "Without even consulting with Momoi about why she quit? Are you serious? I have class, you know."

His response was a 'Don't Question Me' glare from the redhead.

Midorima gave a weary sigh. "Fine."

.:.

"What's your name?"

"Nadeshiko Yuki," the girl supplied. "I've played basketball all my life…but…"

Akashi was staring down at her papers. She had a good record. She'd make for a good, if not better, manager than Momoi. He looked up at her. "But?"

"But…" she paused and stared off into the distance. Suddenly her eyes grew sad and sad music began playing.

"Stop that," Akashi demanded.

The girl looked confused. "Stop what?"

His eyes narrowed. The music suddenly stopped. "Nothing, continue."

Her eyes grew sad and the music began playing again. "You see, my father was in the NBA…but he got into an accident and it ruined his life. He couldn't play basketball ever again," she said. "So, he taught me everything he knew. But…I hate basketball."

"Then why are you here?" Midorima asked.

The girl's eyes grew dark. "I have my reasons."

Akashi sighed. "Next."

After the girl, several other girls with stories eerily similar to hers followed. There were also girls who had come from America had all, for some bizarre reason, played basketball but got into an life-threatening but not too life-threatening accident of some sort that didn't prevent them from playing basketball, but scared them from playing the game again.

Then there were the cross dressers. It didn't make any damn sense, but for some reason some girls assumed that they could only become manager if they dressed up as a man.

"Fangirls," one girl supplied when Midorima asked her why she was cross-dressing, "I don't want them to bother me, you know?"

"Are there no normal people at this school?! And when did we get so many Americans?!" Akashi demanded, nearly stabbing Midorima's arm with his pen. He instead ended up smashing his pen on the desk, ink splattering all over Midorima.

"Don't take it out me, then!" Midorima, groaned, wiping his glasses with his white shirt.

"That's it, Satsuki is not allowed to quit," Akashi decided. "She's coming back, whether she likes it or not.

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal, Akashi," Midorima pointed out.

He redhead looked ahead at the onslaught of American, cross-dressing, or combination of both girls awaiting to be auditioned for the position as manager.

"I don't care, Shinataro," he said, "I really don't care."

end of part I