The next day…

"Gomen, Yanagi-senpai. I just remembered that I had something to attend to. I'll make it up today." Yukina smiled sheepishly as she walked onto the courts.

"Very well. Today is just warming up, because tomorrow we'll have another selection for two reserves

players. Have you prepared a training menu?"

"Uhh... Everyone should just run 15 laps, then 25 push-ups, then 10 runs around an obstacle course I'll prepare." She checked a scrap of paper, and said, "Yup, that's it."

"If that's what you want… Okay, everybody, let's start. 15 laps!" Renji said, then put his PDA into his duffel bag and started running. Niou Masaharu, Kuwahara Jackal, Sanada Genichirou., and Yagyuu Hiroshi started running as well.

On their 6th lap, Marui Bunta and Kirihara Akaya ran onto the court. Both were out of breath and carrying pink slips of paper. "Sorry, fukubuchou. We were in detention." Akaya explained.

"Why were you in detention, Akaya, Bunta?" Jackal asked.

"I was eating in class, and, as for Aka-chan, I think he'd better do the explaining by himself." Marui said.

"uhh… the sensei wanted to talk to me because I didn't do what he said." Akaya said, looking very, very interested in his shoelaces.

Yukina cocked her head and looked at him quizzically. "and what, may I ask, was that?"

"To go to the principal's office because I hit him." The Rikkai regulars snickered; it was not often that they saw their devil looking so meek and abashed.

Yukina's brows drew together, her eyes flashed dangerously, and her hand swung up in the air. "You baka! You're not supposed to hit your superiors!" her aqua fan crashed on Akaya's head, and he winced.

"G-g-gomen, Yukina-kun." He managed to stutter out, looking unusually terrified. Niou was already taking photographs for posterity.

"say gomen to your sensei, not to me! 30 laps, now!"

the rikkai regulars, even Sanada-fukubuchou, collapsed into barely-restrained laughter as Akaya took off at top speed toward the track. Niou and Marui were rolling on the floor, Jackal was chortling, Yagyuu was chuckling, Yanagi was giggling to himself as he jotted it all down on his PDA, and Sanada was snorting.

Yukina raised an eyebrow at their antics, and they all stopped laughing, but then she cracked a smile, and said, "Yeah, I guess it was pretty funny how scared his face was." And they all collapsed in hysterics again.