"Oh, your workplace is hectic today! All this turmoil isn't going to help you concentrate. Eh, just what you needed..."

"Your number one goal is to reinstate an emotional equilibrium. Don't let feelings overwhelm you..."

"Dreams can become your shelter when reality represents a threat or a weight that you find too heavy to carry. Escapism is your remedy..."

"Escapism, huh? Isn't that kinda farfetched..."

"Sh. They're about say the lucky item."

"Today's Lucky Item is a porcelain elephant. If it's trunk is facing up, you're guaranteed double the happiness!"

"Porcelain elephant? Where on earth do you find that?!"

"I have one. No worries."

"Of course you do..." replies Takao, sighing. He looks over his shoulder at the guy he is transporting in a cart. A desolate person known as Midorima. The green-eyed one looks over his own shoulder at the driver.

"Pay attention to the road!"

"Alright, alright! Geez..." responds Hawk Eye, facing the uphill battle courageously. "Hold on!" Midorima grabs his transitter radio with one hand, and holds onto the side of the cart with another. "Heading... to your place... is... tough! I hope you know!" says Takao, peddling with all his might.

"It would be easier if you didn't speak."

"Yeah... then I'll... shut up," says Takao, rubbing sweat off of his forehead. While all this is taking place, the radio announcer is heard mumbling horoscopes in the background.

"And that concludes your Health, Wellness, and Career Updates, but stick around! Your Love Forecast is next on..."

Click! Midorima turns the radio's knob to "off," places it on the floor, and rests his head on his arms, for Takao has just reached the top of the hill. Takao breathes in and out, gasping on the exhale. He stops peddling in order to catch his breath completely.

"Hey, keep going," retorts Midorima, closing his eyes.

"A-And where exactly do you have to be?!" exclaims Takao, looking over his shoulder. "Practice isn't for two hours!"

"I haven't retrieved my lucky item. The success of today depends upon it."

"Oh, geesh..." says Takao, rubbing his forehead again. He eyes the sky from underneath his sweaty fingers, smiling. "Say, Ace... how about we get an ice cold..."

Pa-chink! Takao scowls. An all too familiar sound indicates that Midorima has already supplied himself with a drink, specifically oshiruko. He sighs.

"Alright. Peddle to the meddle..." replies Takao, forceful, but unwillingly starting up the bike again. "(I think you should at LEAST acknowledge my needs for once)..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing... (he can read my mind?!)."

Midorima opens his eyes and takes a sip of his canned red bean soup. He sighs upon gulping a mouthful of it instantaneously.

"(Emotional equilibrium, huh? I must remain focused. The workplace being hectic? Seems rational. But, dreams... escapism...)" Midorima looks up at the sky. "(How do I acquire it?)"

"O-Oh, no!" Takao is in tears. "Caught in traffic a-GAIN!" He collapses onto the handlebars.

"Such a child..." Midorima leaps over the side of the cart onto the sidewalk, smoothly. He looks at Takao. "My house is only a block away. Meet me at the front when you are done."

"(If I can get out of here by then, geez...)"

The place the cart resides is on the curb of the street, in front of a small and pink terraced coffee shop, located on the corner. Midorima turns right of the shop and walks straight down the sidewalk, passing a cement porch nessolled within two cement walls leading up to an apartment. Within this apartment contains you, perhaps as you always are, forging your way out of boredom with the same pioneer spirit as your ancestors, just not as tactical... or driven...

"Huh..." You look up at the ceiling from your royal couchdom, one leg over the other as the television blinks in the background. "Nothing to do, nothing to do, nothing to DO..." You close your eyes, letting out another sigh. "This April has been a drag. Just one lame thing after another... isn't there anything to do around here?!"

Bzzt, bzzt! Your phone vibrates in your pocket. You immediately check it to see the latest text from your best friend in America.

"How's life treatin ya?" it reads. "Having fun in Japan? " You sigh again, scratching your forehead.

"Oh, it's just GREAT. You should come visit me sometime! ^_^"

"Haha, RIGHT..." she responds doubtfully. "So, ya meet any hot guys over there?" You pause and think for a moment, tapping your cheek while looking up. You smirk and respond,

"No, not yet."

"REALLY?! Come on, they're everywhere!"

"That's what you THINK until you get here, I mean, they're great but, that's not my priority..."

"Oh, PRIORITY, huh..."

"Yep."

"*sigh* Oh, well. Let me know if it becomes more than that, 'kay?"

"Will do..."

"Anyway, have you read your horoscope today?"

"I don't make it a commitment, why?" you respond, rolling your eyes.

"Well, _(s) are in luck today! Love is in the air for you, guaranteed!"

"Haha... anything else you want to tell me before I return to my busy life?"

"As a matter of fact, yes! Our best guy friend called wanting to know if you're available in a couple weeks. You'll be back by then, won't you?"

You scowl, grasping your shorts tightly with your fingertips.

"I wasn't planning on returning home anytime soon."

"Oh, you say that, but you don't mean it. You never do. You'll be back to this town in no time."

"Yeah, whatever you say..." you reply, trying to convince yourself it is not true.

"Well, I gotta go. My bf's calling me. Bye! "

"Bye " You put your phone back into your pocket and look up again. "Oh, what am I gonna do? I've got a job that doesn't pay much, and an apartment as part of the study abroad program. Thank God I can speak Japanese fluently or this would be an issue...y, um hm... maybe I should get some fresh air to make up for all this nonsense... I just got here and haven't really been doing much, so..." You leap off the couch and head for the door, bringing only your cell phone you as you leave...

Meanwhile, Midorima has just retrieved his lucky item and is heading for the cart. Without heeding him, you walk down the porch steps, shielding your eyes from the sun. Immediately, you exclaim, "Ah, what a lovely day!" nearly tripping over Midorima's leg as he walks right past the porch. "OU! S-Sorry, um..." Midorima stops and glances at you from the corner of his eye, scowling. He grasps the porcelain elephant with both hands, perhaps because you nearly caused him to drop it onto the cement. For this reason, he should be mad. "Um..."

"Tch." He faces the cart and completely ignoring you, leaves. You peek around the cement wall, watching him as he leaves.

"Can't even be nice..." You put your hand into your hoodie pocket and pull out some yen. You love it when change appears randomly, so, time to spend it down the street at the coffee shop. You follow the tall green-haired guy in the direction of the shop and, ignoring him completely, enter the coffee shop.

The cart makes a light thud as Midorima enters it. Takao looks at him.

"So, do you have your item?"

"Yeah. A woman nearly ran me over as I was coming back though. Oh, whatever. It's not a bother to me. Are the predictions for tomorrow in?"

"No, not yet."

"Were you even listening to the radio, Takao?"

"No, but... um... well, you know these things. (they're practically the same everyday, anyway...)"

"Huh... well, move along then."

"I will. Just as soon as these cars pass." Midorima closes his eyes.

Ca-Ching! The door to the coffee shop is opened. Several people walk out of it.

"Today's Cancer Love Report! Love is your escape! Find the one who is right for you (if you haven't already), and make that person yours! Without love, your fate will be of great losses!"

Midorima opens his eyes and picks up his radio. He places its speakers to his ear.

"(It's off!)" He looks over at the coffee shop. You have just exited it, holding a cup in your hand. You look up for the slightest second as Takao pushes the cart away. The last glimpse Midorima sees of you is the wind blowing your hair and shorts gently. Some leaves are carried past your face, landing further down the street...