Hi people, new story for you guys, hope you like it! I will explain more as the story goes along.

Auction!

When Coach Anzai entered the basketball gym that afternoon, Akagi could sense that there was something wrong. He turned his attention to his coach, who was the embodiment of Santa Clause save for the beard, and frowned slightly.

No one seemed to take his rapt attention to their coach as a sign of anything wrong, and they shouldn't. Every afternoon, Akagi Takenori would start practice by going straight to their coach and asking him what special drills they need to do that day.

This afternoon, Akagi was questioning whether he should go up and ask now.

Normally, Anzai sensei would come in to the basketball gym, all jolly and cheerful, alert of his surroundings and nodding once or twice to passing players. Today however, he kept his head slightly down, not really looking at anyone, and not acknowledging one of the sub's greetings.

Finally, curiosity and the burning need to know got him to walk up to his coach. He stopped right in front of the bench that Anzai-sensei sat on.

He bowed low. "Good afternoon, coach," he said steadily.

"Oh," said Anzai, sounding slightly surprised, that bothered Akagi even more. "Good afternoon, Akagi."

Akagi straightened, looking down at his coach, an almost indistinguishable frown in his face. "Erm, sir," he started, "Are you all right?"

Anzai looked up at him and gave him a look. Not the look, a look.

Akagi bowed low again. "I'm sorry sir," he said quickly, "I didn't mean to be intrusive –"

However, Anzai-sensei was chuckling slightly. It stopped Akagi from mumbling his explanations incoherently, and just stared at his coach.

Anzai-sensei looked up at him. "You know me very well, don't you Akagi?" he asked coyly.

Akagi focused on Anzai's shoulder. "You've coached me for three years, sir," he said, "it'll be disrespectful to say that I have not known you at all after that."

Anzai chuckled again, and nodded. "I'm perfectly all right, Akagi," he began, "although," and here his face suddenly became slightly graver and his eyes disappeared underneath the reflection of his glasses, "could you gather the entire team for me? There's something that we need to discuss."

Akagi nodded mutely. He turned his back to his coach, knowing full well that whatever they needed to discuss won't be to any of their liking at all.

After a few minutes, which included breaking up another fight between Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi, stopping Miyagi Ryota from drooling all over Ayako, and telling all the girls that showed up for practice with banners saying "Rukawa marry me" to shut up, Anzai sensei was ready to tell everyone his big news.

He didn't mince his words either.

"The school," he began, "is debating whether the basketball team should be shut down."

Silence.

Even the fan girls were silent.

Then Sakuragi Hanamichi started to laugh.

Everyone's heads turned slowly to him.

Sakuragi had always considered himself funny, and smart, and handsome, and the team number player. He was of course, wrong in all accounts. What he was the life of the game, and the team thought that it was best for them never to mention it to the redhead, in case his head got any bigger than it already is.

This is however, the worst time for anyone to laugh.

Sakuragi was still laughing, although it was clearly a fake laugh, a disbelieving laugh. No one made a move to stop him when he started to walk towards coach Anzai, his face all goofy from his laugh.

Then he started to bounce the old man's chin.

"You're kidding, right, oldster," he said, still laughing and bouncing the man's chin. "This is your weird idea of a joke right? Why would anyone want to cut off the team where the great tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi is a member?"

"Maybe they found out that you were a member and decided to punish us," mumbled Rukawa Kaede, the team's ace player, and one of the best in the Kanagawa region. Oh, and the apple of the entire female population of the school's eye.

"What did you say, baka kitsune?"

He was still bouncing the coach's chin.

"BAKA!"

With that, Akagi pounded a spectacular purple bump in Sakuragi Hanamichi's head.

Other player's reactions were a little more subtle. Ayako, the team's assistant coach had her hand over her mouth. Kogure Kiminobu's glasses were askew and his mouth was open. He seemed frozen in his spot. Mitsui Hisashi, the team's best three point scorer and second most popular boy in the team was looking down on the floor. His hands were in his hair, and he gripped it tightly. Miyagi Ryota, point guard and shortest in the team, looked directly at Coach Anzai, demanding an explanation. Rukawa Kaede was paler than usual, his eyes were wide and alert, which was clearly a great deviation from the norm. Akagi's mouth was hanging open, and he looked to be processing the information in his brain but found that it was impossible.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, the best defensive player (I think) that the team's got, had finally stopped bouncing the man's chin and plopped down in the hardwood court.

"But," stuttered Akagi, "how – when – why – I beg your pardon?"

Anzai shook his head gravely. "I know how you're feeling Akagi, I was shocked when they told me this as well," he said, "but they're thinking of really cutting off the team from the funds."

"But … why?" croaked Mitsui Hisashi. This was especially hard for him. He had only got back to the game this year, due to a past gangster life. Now that he's decided to turn a new leaf the stupid school decides to stop basketball for good?

Anzai looked at him. "The funds, Mitsui," he said, "there is not enough to go around. We're not the only club they're thinking of cutting."

"Tell me they're cutting Judo," muttered Sakuragi, smiling a little. Even Akagi managed to smile at that.

Anzai gave him a small smile. "The other clubs are not our priority, so don't bother thinking about them," he said.

"What can we do?" asked Miyagi.

"What the school needs is money right," began Ayako, "so why can't we just come up with the money ourselves?"

Anzai looked at her. "We need a lot of money, Ayako," he said.

Ayako nodded. "I know," she said, "we should be able to come up with something!"

"A car wash?" asked Saluragi, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Trust you to come up with a gay idea," muttered Rukawa.

Sakuragi rose quickly and had been pulled back by Mitsui and Miyagi before he can inflict permanent damage on Rukawa. "BAKA KITSUNE!"

Finally, when they had restrained Sakuragi, Mitsui suggested another idea. "How about a bake sale?"

"That's even gayer."

This time, Miyagi and Kogure, with the help of the rest of the team, were now trying to restrain both Sakuragi and Mitsui from killing said blue eyes fox, who was all calm and collected two feet away from the two people prepared and ready to kill him.

"Stupid Rukawa!" cried Mitsui, "at least we're thinking of something! Go use your head for once!"

"Hn."

Akagi meanwhile, turned his back to his fighting team, who from the corner of his eye finally managed to punch, strangle and throttle each other amidst a cloud of bench warmers, and turned to their coach. "Don't worry, sir," he said, "we'll think of something. We won't let the team be brought down, we swear."

Anzai nodded, and he couldn't be more prouder of his team.