Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or anything associated with it.

Author's Note: This is the longest chapter yet, but it covers a very important event, so I'm sure you can all understand why, haha. You're in for the first club competition! I just wanted to note that for the cooking competition, I went off of recipes using the actual Tale of Two Towns recipe list, so if you're like wow that was simplified, that's because it was in the game hahaha. Thank you for reading and reviewing, it's awesome. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy the chapter!

"How was the thing yesterday?" Ash asked before school, sitting on the steps beside her. His arm was behind her, resting on the stone step to her left, and in his right hand was a bottle of milk she knew his mother forced him to take every morning.

Lillian looked away, shrugging. "We got some good information about Bluebell. An interview with Principal Rutger, who was pretty upset…I think I understand a little more about why he keeps the rivalry going with the school."

"Oh yeah?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"I think he wants someone to try to bridge the gap between the rivalries, like Konohana and Bluebell the towns never could. I think he wants to really see the classes come together and realize that unity is better. I don't think he only has enough money to send one class. I think he's trying to propose an obstacle like his towns had – the tunnel between them, the desire to stand on their own two feet to support only their town. But…I don't know how to stop it. The rival clubs hate each other. Georgia would hate me if I told her this."

Ash smiled, tilting his head to the side. "School is just starting. We'll work on it together, alright? If you think this is the case, then I'll keep it in mind."

"You'd really be willing to work with Dirk?" she asked, smiling back at him.

"If it's what you want," he admitted, ruffling her hair as usual when he rose to his feet. "Come on, I'll walk you to homeroom."

Lillian took the hand he held out, laughing when he yanked her over-dramatically to her feet. He squeezed her hand for a moment as he smiled at her and then let it go, leading her back into the school. Her smile fell as she tacked on in her head, Would you really, Ash?

"You've seemed distracted all day," Cam noted when third block rolled around. "Did something happen yesterday?"

Lillian shook her head, but he just laughed. "Am I obvious?" she mumbled.

"I just think you're not trying as hard to cover it up with me as you would with Ash," he shrugged. "What's the matter?"

"I guess I'm just confused about what's going on," Lillian murmured, resting her head on her palm. Dirk had pulled away from her several moments later, refusing to look her in the eye as he offered her a hand to get up. She had tried to ask what was going through his head, but he had asked if they could focus on the project for the time being, and hadn't spoken much at all after that. Obviously Hiro and the Oracle knew something had happened, but even Lillian couldn't tell them what it was. What am I supposed to say? She wondered. He actually apologized and then acted as though nothing had happened?

Cam mimicked her position with a gentle smile, sketching flowers across his notepad without even looking at them. "Does it have to do with Dirk?"

Lillian smiled, unsurprised by his perceptiveness. "Mhm. He's been acting strange recently-"

"I know a bit about that. Ash told me," he interrupted, his knowledge also not coming as a surprise. "What did he do yesterday?"

Lillian hesitated, wondering if this information would be passed onto Ash as well. She settled with, "The same. Saying one thing and then saying the opposite a moment later and leaving me wondering what he wants me to do. But it doesn't matter." Another thought had risen to her mind that pushed this out as she focused on Cam's drawing. She was still curious about Reina, though it seemed that situation had passed. To ask about her, she needed to ask something else. "I had a question for you that I forgot about until now."

Cam clearly thought she was trying to change the topic, but humored her. "What is it?"

"When you and Laney found that photograph in Ash's locker…what were you doing at Ash's locker? I'm trying to figure out as much as possible about this as I can…or it'll bother me."

She had obviously chosen the appropriate words, for Cam didn't doubt her. She knew that she came across as constantly curious to her friends, who were forced to answer frequent, random questions. Posing this as another curiosity was her best chance at getting it answered properly. Cam hesitated, peering at his drawing, and then answered, "He asked me to fetch something for him at the end of lunch, since he needed it for the club block but wanted to hurry over and help Georgia, or else she tries to set everything up by herself. My fifth block is close to his locker, so right before I headed in Laney and I went to get his notebook, and the picture was right inside. I asked her to check it out with you since I had to go give Ash his notebook as soon as club officers were allowed to leave."

Lillian silently ran over this in her head, struggling to find something in it that seemed strange. All in all, however, it came off as merely a coincidence. The photograph was in the locker, and Cam just happened to get to Ash's locker first. "I see," she murmured, tapping her fingers absentmindedly across the desk's surface. I need to talk to Hiro, she decided. I can try and see if, now that some time has passed, he'd be more willing to explain things to me. The brunette had to admit that it was in this situation that her intense curiosity came full swing – she was doing her best not to be angry with Reina, but felt like she needed to know why she had done that. It involves my friends, she told herself. I need to know.

"Did you find something out about it?" Cam asked, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Nope!" Lillian answered cheerfully, shaking her head. "But I'm going to do my best."

It didn't take long after lunch started for Lillian and her friends to see that Georgia was not in the best mood. She was glaring down at her notebook today, rapidly winding and unwinding her hair around her finger. It was Laney who ventured to ask, "Is everything alright?"

"No!" Georgia snapped instantly. "I had to work with that idiot Kana yesterday and he…ugh, I don't even want to talk about it. He was acting ridiculous. He got himself detention just so he could…ugh, forget it."

The question Lillian prepared to pose was silent as Ash clapped his hand over her mouth, gesturing for her to follow him as he rose from his seat and headed towards the hall. Her friends were too focused on comforting Georgia to think anything strange of their exit; he towed her along by her hand, pulling her past the Oracle's table in a way she knew she would be teased for later. When they were in the hallway, far from Georgia's ears, he murmured, "It'd be best not to ask Georgia too much about Kana. It's a good way to make her mad at you."

"Why?" Lillian argued, frowning. "Kana is a nice guy."

Ash hesitated, shrugging his shoulders. "He can be. He teased Georgia a lot, though, and then he went and confessed to her in front of the entire school back in sophomore year. It should have been him who was embarrassed, but she was humiliated. She thought he was teasing her some more, and everyone was laughing and…it was really awkward all around. She shot him down in the harshest way possible and he can't even look her in the eye anymore. Obviously she knows now that he was being sincere, but she got teased even more for his confession and he's never reached out to try and explain himself…so, as you can imagine, Georgia isn't the biggest Kana fan."

Lillian's eyes were wide as she gaped at Ash. "Kana asks me about Georgia whenever he gets the chance! I knew there was something strange about him getting detention yesterday. He really does still like her!"

"I don't know how much good it'll do for him," Ash mumbled, shrugging. "Georgia has never seemed particularly interested in him. She's told us over and over that she has a crush on someone, but assures us it's not him. I don't have a clue who she's into."

The brunette frowned, leaning against the lockers beside her friend. "Kana really seems to like her. He's worried about her. I wonder why he hasn't tried apologizing…"

"It's embarrassing, probably," Ash answered with a shrug. "He's a popular guy. I can't see him being able to accept his public embarrassment. He probably feels guilty now and thinks it'd be best if he stayed out of the way. I don't dislike him, but I think it's hard to understand him. He's nice enough, but he's got a lot of different layers. Don't worry about it, though. It's their own thing."

He ruffled her hair as he always did, but Lillian didn't shove him away this time. She knew there was a lot about Georgia she didn't know, but she had never realized how prone she was to holding a grudge. But she's like this with the buzzers too, she realized. She takes the club seriously and puts aside her personal problems like Kana. She can be kind one moment, but when she's focused she's harsh and pushes people. "I don't really understand Georgia," she admitted softly. "I don't know much about her at all."

"She's not as easy to befriend as Cam or Laney, but don't worry. It's not like she dislikes you or anything. As long as you keep working hard for the club, she'll probably like you more and more. Right now I don't know if there's anything she cares about more than the stupid thing." He kicked out at one of the lockers gently, sighing. Lillian started to ask him what was wrong, but he shook his head. "Forget about it! Let's go back inside!" He grinned and pushed her ahead of him, refusing to answer any further questions. Lillian let the subject slide away, smiling back at him. Sooner or later, she would find out.

Dirk and the Oracle were wrapped in discussion with Kana when Lillian walked in. She noted that the boy she now knew to be definitely attracted to Georgia looked highly uncomfortable, and was incredibly relieved when he saw her. "Hey!" he called out, waving the moment she entered the classroom. "We have a substitute today and we get to get into groups of four!"

It was an innocent statement, but his eyes were pleading with her to hurry and end his interrogation. She stepped between Dirk and the Oracle and plopped into her seat beside Kana with a grin. "Sounds good," she told him. "It was too bad you didn't get to come yesterday."

"Thanks," he murmured, relaxing. "Hiro took some good notes for me. Did you two find out anything interesting?"

"We found an interview with Principal Rutger about why Bluebell and Konohana became tourist attractions," Lillian noted, smiling as she thought of Ash's earlier statements. "It really made me think…"

"About what?" the Oracle piped up. Her eyes darted towards Dirk, but Lillian shook her head.

"It just made me understand Principal Rutger's motives a bit more. I explained it to Ash earlier, but I really don't know how to explain it again." She laughed and shrugged, but knew that was a lie. She wasn't sure how they would react if she told them she thought the club situation had intentions other than intense competition. Only Ash, she believed, would be so supportive.

The Oracle huffed. "Well, you tell your boyfriend everything but not the dear friend who made you cupcakes."

"I'm sorry," Lillian laughed. "The cupcakes were nice though."

"It's not as fun to tease you about Ash anymore," the Oracle grinned, winking. "You don't get so embarrassed anymore. You two were in an interesting spot at lunch. You're definitely familiar with each other."

Lillian felt her cheeks heating up and shrugged, murmuring, "Well, I've known him my whole life, and even when I moved he went out of his way to make sure we stayed close. He even saved up to come visit me a few times. So he's the person I know the best here. I know him more than anyone else, and he knows me more than anyone else. So we're just…comfortable around each other."

The Oracle clapped her hands together excitedly, beaming. "Go out!"

"That was to the point," Dirk mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Let's just get started on the group thing, alright?"

Lillian and Dirk spun their desks to face Kana and the Oracle, who did the same. The boy opposite her did not look particularly pleased to be even closer to the Oracle, who had clearly been grilling him earlier, but Lillian suspected he was merely displeased in general. She didn't bother asking him what was on his mind – as much as she liked the Oracle, she didn't want to give her a chance to tease him. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked him, hoping to pull the spotlight off.

"Just work on our project. Basically nothing," Kana shrugged, grinning gratefully at her.

Lillian sighed, unsure what to say beyond that. Being around Dirk left her feeling awkward, and she couldn't properly converse with Kana when there was someone around just waiting to get a hold of new information. Finally she murmured, "The club competition is tomorrow, isn't it?"

"That's right!" The Oracle exclaimed cheerfully. "It's going to be pretty interesting. Dirk against Ash, you against Hiro, Reina against Laney…eh, Cam against Nori and me against Georgia isn't as interesting. Have you been preparing, Lillian?"

"Not really," she admitted, sighing once more. She wasn't a terrible cook, but she clearly wasn't up to Laney's standards either. Whether or not she would be able to win against Hiro was a mystery. "I hope things work out," she tacked on.

"You're the only one in this group pulling for Bluebell," Kana pointed out with a grin. "But, good luck. I hope you guys do good, so do your best!"

He really is a nice guy, Lillian smiled, nodding. "Thanks, Kana. You two do your best too."

"We will," the Oracle grinned. "I don't see either of us losing this one. We've got something to prove."

"Speak for yourself," Dirk argued, his voice bitter.

The Oracle rolled her eyes, surprising Lillian. "Let's not bother pretending that you don't want to win against Ash, Dirk. Are you trying to spare Lillian's feelings?"

He narrowed his eyes at the girl across from him, and Lillian and Kana exchanged a frown. Dirk and the Oracle clearly didn't always see eye to eye, but they had never so clearly argued before. Lillian had witnessed the entire thing and couldn't even say she was sure what the point of the fight was. "It doesn't matter," she interrupted Dirk, pulling her notebook from her bag. "Let's go over everything for our project so far, alright?"

The four leaned together to look at Lillian's notes, but there was clearly still an animosity lingering in the group. Forget about it for now, Lillian told herself. You have too much to worry about within your own club to worry about those two.

During lunch on Friday the club officers – along with Mikhail – grouped together, silently staring at a paper Georgia had placed between them. "Lillian, you're close to some of the Konohana members," he began, gesturing to the worksheet. "So, fill this in for us."

Lillian exchanged a look with Ash, who offered an encouraging smile, and took the pencil Georgia offered her. It was a list of the match ups to expect in the cooking competition, with the only certain names being Ash vs. Dirk and Lillian vs. Hiro. Lillian glanced at Cam after writing in Cam vs. Nori, and he visibly paled. "Damn it," he murmured. "That's a definite loss."

She turned to Laney, watching Cam's expression from the corner of her eye as well, and wrote in Laney vs. Reina. Their eyes widened and they glanced sideways at each other, surprising Lillian. Laney said she didn't know much about Cam's relationship with Reina, but it seems like she knows something, she noted. "I can win," Laney told them reassuringly. "Reina isn't a very good cook. So don't worry, I can pull that one off. That's it then?"

"No," Lillian admitted, wincing. She met Georgia's eyes as she wrote Georgia vs. the Oracle and watched the girl gape. "I'm in a project with them, and when I went over to, er, one of their house's, the Oracle made cupcakes. They were really good. She told me she was sergeant at arms and looks forward to competing."

"It's a loss," Georgia groaned. "I'm a terrible cook. Lillian, how good are you?"

Lillian sighed and shrugged. "About average, honestly."

The redhead patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Hiro isn't a fantastic cook or anything. We've eaten his cafeteria food for four years. What Hiro is good at is closely following directions and having really impressive concentration. He'll definitely grab a recipe and then follow it to a T. As long as you pick a recipe better than his and follow the directions perfectly, you can win. As for Ash and Dirk…I have no clue who will win that one. Dirk is a total mystery. Was he good at cooking when you two were kids?"

Ash stared at his feet and then mumbled, "Yeah. He used to want to open his own restaurant."

I didn't know that, Lillian realized, her eyes widening. Ash didn't look at her – surprisingly enough, it was Georgia who offered a reassuring grin. "Don't worry," she told her. "I'll do my best and so will you guys. Luckily we have such a great fundraiser planned out tomorrow that even if we lose, we'll have a lot of fun afterwards. Alright? Don't look so down everyone! This is only the first competition. Let's do our best!"

Laney grinned, nodding. "That's impressive," she murmured, looking excitedly around the table. Even Ash smiled a little. Georgia got up, heading towards the trash can with her lunch bag balled up in her fist, and Lillian hurried after her.

"That was really nice of you," she murmured. "I know how important this club is to you and…I think it's nice that you made everyone feel better."

Georgia hesitated and then shrugged, grinning. "Winning is a big deal to me. But so are you all. Don't quote me on that, it's a little embarrassing." She clapped her friend on the shoulder once more, chuckling. "Just do your best today."

She hurried off after that, crouching down beside Ash as she hurriedly coached him on what recipe he was going to pick. He looked highly uncomfortable, but Lillian didn't see a way to extricate him from that. This is a big deal to him, after all, she noted with a grimace. He needs the help. It was Laney who caught her attention next, edging away from Cam and Mikhail to sit at the edge of the table, her face pale. Lillian slid into the chair beside her, murmuring, "Your win is a sure thing, huh?"

"Supposedly," she replied, her voice soft and nervous. "I know that Reina isn't a great cook, and I am. But…it's nerve-wracking, competing against her. Reina and I haven't spoken in years. We used to talk occasionally…"

"Because she and Cam were close?"

"No," Laney answered instantly, her voice firm. "Nori and I used to be closer friends, and since she and Reina are best friends, we spoke sometimes. That's why. Facing her again after all this time…it's going to be strange."

"Why did you and Nori stop hanging out?" Lillian blurted out before she could stop herself. She knew it was slightly tactless, to press her curiosity when Laney was clearly worried, but couldn't help it. The more she learned about Konohana's club members, the more perplexed she found herself. Still, guilt pierced at her for the statement and she hastily tacked on, "You don't have to tell me, I'm sorry. I should have said-"

"She's definitely Konohana through and through," Laney interrupted, smiling at her friend. "That's all. Don't worry so much about asking me too much. It's just that I stuck with Georgia and she stuck with her friends. It's not that we were rivals so much as our friends were, and it's hard to be friends with someone your friend is against. I'm sure you have to deal with that all the time, being friends with Dirk, Kana, Hiro, the Oracle – all the Konohana kids, basically. It's tough."

Lillian hesitated, surprised by the answer. Finally, however, she nodded. "Yeah…it is hard…I understand."

"Do your best today," Laney told her, kindly shifting the conversation. "Usually one on one competitions go from lowest club position to highest, so Ash and Dirk's will be the grand finale, and probably the deciding vote if you can beat Hiro. So keep in mind that Ash will be watching you so…give him something to be confident about. I'll do the same for you and Cam."

"I'll cheer you on," Lillian grinned. Going off of Georgia's advice, Lillian was hopeful in regards to pulling out a win, but as for Ash…she chanced a look at his anxious face and frowned. To Ash, the competition was a lot more than just some club thing. You do your best too, she thought, smiling at him when he looked at her. But it won't change how I see you, no matter what.

"Is everyone ready?" Principal Rutger's voice boomed out from the microphone he didn't properly know how to use. As static filled the auditorium, Principal Ina snatched it away and ended the white noise, rolling her eyes. The students groaned in unison and cheered when she stopped it, and Lillian noted that the Bluebell advisor didn't look very pleased.

"This is the first club competition of the school year," Ina called out, wearing a bright grin. "But it's definitely not the last. As many clubs are still getting put together, this week's competition will be a cooking contest based on individual talents – president against president, secretary against secretary, etc. We pulled in a group of teachers who will taste the dishes – not knowing which is associated with which club – and decide the victor. As there are apparently five different contests – if we're including this 'sergeant at arms' position – whoever wins three or more competitions will be the ultimate victor."

Principal Rutger held his hand out for the microphone, and Ina begrudgingly handed it over. "Please keep in mind," he started, wearing a stern expression, "that this is a friendly competition. Nothing to get heated over! As Principal Ina noted, it is only the first of the year. We'll also be announcing how many points were deducted by the buzzer privately to the club officers after the competition, and the official score will be posted on Monday for everyone to see. That score doesn't mean much at all when you take into consideration the stretch of competitions before us. So, have fun!"

"I second that!" Principal Ina noted, leaning in close to Rutger to speak into the microphone. The elderly man made a face, jabbing the microphone towards her. "Everyone, good luck!"

Lillian stood beside the Oracle, who had walked with her to the auditorium, and allowed the girl to drag her by hand through the bored crowd towards the cooking tables. "I'm up first," she told her as she hurried along, slipping between students even if they left only the tightest space between them. "I'm really nervous. I've never competed like this before!"

"Do your best," Lillian murmured, unsure what else to say. "Do your best" was a common phrase thrown around in the school, and it was all she could say to Georgia's opponent. In truth, she wanted her Bluebell friend to win, but knew it was unlikely. She had tried one of Georgia's practice meals during lunch and knew it wasn't anything to be excited about. The contest was already in the Oracle's favor.

"You don't want me to win," the Oracle noted suddenly, spinning around with eyes that looked more pained than Lillian had expected.

"No, it's not that!" she protested. "I…it's not that I don't want you to win…it's just that…well, you're going up against my friend, so I don't want to pick a side. I want both of you to try your hardest."

The Oracle watched her curiously for a moment before smiling, gently flicking Lillian in the forehead. At the brunette's exclamation, she laughed and said, "Dirk always does it, so I wanted to try too. You wear such a nervous expression all the time, it's hard not to tease you. Cheer for your friend, Lillian. It's okay."
With that, the girl spun on her heel, heading towards Dirk. Lillian hesitated, frowning, and then called out, "Good luck!"

She could feel Georgia's eyes on her, but the Oracle turned around with a soft smile that let her know she had done the right thing. Her friend had already made it clear that she hated school, and she knew how hard it must be for her to go before everyone who usually treated her so poorly and compete on their behalf. The last thing Lillian wanted was for her to think even her own friend was against her. "Thank you. Good luck to you too," she replied, grinning when she turned and bounded towards Dirk, who was smiling as well.

Georgia wasn't smiling, however, when Lillian walked up to her, but didn't scold her either. "You don't have to apologize," she told Lillian firmly. "Talk to Ash. He's nervous."

"Good luck, Georgia," Lillian murmured, offering the redhead a smile.

Georgia glanced at the brunette and laughed, shaking her head. "I already know you want me to win. You don't have to try and make sure I remember. Give it your all, though. Don't throw it to your friends!"

"I won't!" Lillian argued quickly, and then laughed when she realized that Georgia was teasing. The redhead winked and pushed her towards Ash, who was sitting in the front row of the audience, watching Principal Rutger and Ina begin to speak with the Oracle and Georgia.

"I'm nervous," he murmured, scooting over so that Lillian could share his seat. "I don't want it to come down to me and him being the ultimate decision. I don't want to lose to him in front of everyone. I'm not a good cook, Lillian."

She glanced nervously at him, feeling his anxiety fill her as well. She couldn't recall ever before seeing Ash so shaken. "It's going to be okay," she answered gently, putting her hand comfortingly on his arm. "We're all going to do our best to try and make sure it doesn't come down to that."

Ash put his hand on top of hers, squeezing it. Lillian felt her cheeks heat up, but knew that Ash was simply frightened. His hand was shaking with nerves she hadn't expected to come from him. "He's been waiting for this chance for a long time, Lil. For an opportunity to publicly embarrass me. If I lose to him…I'll hate it. After everything he's done to me…" The hand he was holding hers with clenched into a fist, locking her hand in its grip. "He looks so smug."

Lillian looked up and met Dirk's eyes. He did, in fact, look rather arrogant. She averted her eyes instantly, leaning closer to Ash. "I think you can do it."

"Say something more comforting than that," he told her, his attempt at laughter falling flat.

"You'll always be a winner in my eyes," Lillian noted, grinning when he looked at her.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "That's too ridiculous," he told her. Still, he was wearing a smile when he looked back out towards the crowd. "Let's cross our fingers, then. There's not much else we can do."

Two makeshift kitchens facing each other had been set up – something Hiro had confided in Lillian was a painstaking process. The recipes had to be fairly simple, with the lack of electrical equipment severely limiting the options. Laney had attempted to coach Georgia on how to make an intricate salad that would wow the judges, but judging from the confused way the redhead was looking around the kitchen, Lillian could tell nothing had stuck in her head. The Oracle was calmly examining it, perusing the recipe book that had been laid out before her. The principals stood at the head of the kitchens, exchanging a look and nodding decisively. Principal Ina lifted the microphone to her lips, shouting, "Let the first club competition begin!"

Principal Rutger's shrill whistle sounded the beginning of the allotted ten minutes, and Ash and Lillian watched nervously as Georgia hurriedly thumbed through the recipe book. Beside Lillian, Laney had her hands over her mouth, clearly scared for her friend. Cam's hardened expression was unreadable, and Mikhail was grimacing. This already isn't going good, Lillian fretted as the Oracle began to calmly cut up a cucumber and Georgia continued to tear through the recipe book.

When the ten minutes were up, the Oracle passed a gorgeous mimosa salad to Principal Ina and Georgia reluctantly handed Principal Rutger a basic and rather ugly turnip salad. Even he looked disgruntled at the messy dish before him. Georgia retreated to her friends, sitting down beside Mikhail and instantly putting her face in her hands. The Oracle looked guiltily over towards the group, catching Lillian's eyes. She mouthed sorry, but Lillian replied with a silent good job that left the girl beaming as she returned to her seat beside Dirk. Unsurprisingly, the principals returned to announce a win for Konohana, and Laney and Reina took their spots at the kitchens.

Reina glanced over, catching Lillian's eye for a moment. Her grip instinctively tightened on Ash's hand, and he looked at her in surprise. Reina's gaze had not lingered on her, however, and instead trailed towards Cam before she reached out and shook Laney's trembling hand. Cam had moved over to sit beside Lillian, leaning forward and resting an anxious face on his hands. Lillian glanced at him, surprised to see him so worked up, and then jumped when he shouted, "You can do it, Laney!"

The blonde looked over at him instantly, stunned, and then her panicked expression relaxed into a smile. "Thank you," she replied, turning calmly towards the kitchen. She smiled at Reina, who was being cheered for by Nori, and then to the principals.

It was a clear win for Laney from the beginning. Reina was obviously struggling, but Laney was able to easily whip up a fantastic dessert – fruit shiratama – that glowed in comparison to the measly asazuke Reina handed in. Laney plopped into a seat beside Georgia, who instantly hugged her, and winked at Cam as he got up. "She did good," Lillian whispered to Ash. "That was really impressive."

"Do your best, Cam!" Ash called out after nodding in agreement. Lillian and Laney echoed the sentiments, though Georgia looked too frustrated to do anything but cling to Laney's arm in gratitude. Cam smiled back at them, but Lillian felt that she knew him well enough to know that relaxed smile was hiding his nerves. His hands hung at his side, shaking slightly as he approached Nori. They shook hands and politely greeted each other, but once again the winner of the contest was clear from the start. Cam was able to assemble an appealing cucumber namul from his time with Laney, but Nori was able to put together a fruit shiratama of her own that clearly rivaled Laney's. He accepted his defeat calmly and sat beside Lillian again, setting his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I couldn't pull out a win for you. It's up to you."

Lillian felt the panic strike her as she rose to her feet. "Thanks," she choked out, offering up a smile. "You did your best."

"Hey," Ash murmured, rising with her, still holding onto her hand. "It's okay if you don't win. I think you are fully capable of it, but even if Hiro ends up winning…you'll always be a winner in my eyes."

He finished with a teasing grin, but Lillian was grateful for his words. She laughed and pushed him back into his seat as she approached the counter, Hiro meeting her as well. "I'm nervous," he told her when they met. "How are you feeling?"

"Sick," Lillian admitted, shaking his hand. "Good luck, Hiro."

"You too," he replied.

"Lillian!" a voice cried. Lillian looked instantly towards the Bluebell group, but they were all staring, wide eyed, in the opposite direction. She turned, meeting the Oracle's eyes with shock. She was rising her hands above her head to ensure her friend knew it was her, and she winked when they made eye contact. "You do your best too, okay?"

Hiro grinned when Lillian looked at him, and she looked back to the Oracle with a smile. "Thanks!" she called back, laughing. Leave it the Oracle to pretend there were no club boundaries. The principals were surprised, and many of the Konohana members were shaking their heads, but Dirk smiled when she looked at him and offered up a teasing thumbs up. She turned back to the kitchen and told Hiro, "I said I wouldn't lose, right?"

"You did say that," he replied.

"Then I don't intend to," she finished, grinning. He just smiled back at her, nodding his head as Principal Rutger's whistle drowned out the cheers of the crowd.

Lillian instantly turned her sights to a mixed salad, as Laney had suggested. It's a complex recipe, but if you follow it closely, along with throwing in the extra ingredients, you can win. She slid her finger down the index and turned to the correct page so rapidly she accidentally tore the page. She murmured an apology to Principal Rutger, who just laughed and ushered her onwards, and then reached for the knife and the basket of vegetables.

The ten minutes seemed to drip by agonizingly fast. Every second she spent ensuring she was on the correct track was a second wasted, every misshapen cut she made into a vegetable seemed to be an incredible mistake, and as she began to assemble the ingredients in a bowl she felt like she had done everything wrong. Calm down, she told herself, taking a deep breath. A glance over her shoulder ensured that Ash was watching closely, and she remembered Georgia's words. Do your best so he has a chance against Dirk, she told herself. Do your best. Do your best. Do your best.

"I'm done," she whispered, raising her mixed salad and extending it towards Principal Rutger. She knew she had done well as soon as the dish was handed over, for Laney's cheering scream rose above the sounds of the crowd. Hiro took another moment to finish his daikon salad before passing it to Principal Ina, and the two hurriedly took them back towards the teachers, who were in the other room waiting to taste.

"Yours looked good," Hiro told her.

"Yours too."

He grinned, shaking his head. "You're really too kind, Lillian. You should know when you've won. Being so oblivious doesn't suit you."

"Hmm?" Her eyes widened in surprise, but Hiro just laughed even more.

"Don't look at me with such a shocked face. You really did give it your all." He held his hand out to her, smiling. "Thanks for treating me normally after all of this, Lillian."

She gave her hand to him, shaking his. "Thank you too, Hiro. You really helped me out. I wouldn't have made it this far without my entire club hating me if it wasn't for you."

The principals returned, and both of them turned anxiously to hear the results. There was silence for a moment, everyone waiting for this important decision, waiting to see if Bluebell was still in the game. Finally Principal Rutger lifted the microphone and called out, "A win for Bluebell! The battle between club presidents is the deciding factor!"

Lillian staggered forward as she felt arms wrap around her, and she looked over her shoulder at Ash in surprise. "You did fantastic!" he told her, beaming. "That was really impressive."

"You totally lied when you said you weren't a good cook," Georgia murmured, standing before her with a smile. She hesitated and then pulled Lillian from Ash's embrace, hugging her herself. "Thank you, Lillian. You really made up for my loss. I appreciate it."

"Congratulations!" Hiro told her, waving as he returned to his seat. Lillian waved after him, and then paled as Dirk took the boy's spot.

They met each others eyes, holding contact for a moment. "Stop celebrating," he finally told her, rolling his eyes teasingly. "You'd think you'd run a marathon."

"You ruin happy moments," the Oracle noted, clapping her hand hard on the boy's back. "We get a five minute recess to discuss anyways. Keep your head in the game! Oh, and good job, Lillian, Laney. Good luck to you too, Ash."

Lillian looked over at Laney in surprise, having not noticed that she and Cam had joined them. Ash thanked the girl when Lillian did, and then the group huddled together, looking nervously around. "Dirk already has his recipe picked out," Laney whispered. "I saw what it was just now. He's going to try and make sashimi. Ash…you have to do your best with the most complicated salad you can put together. Lillian did good with a seasoned one. Try something like that. It has to be something good to compete with an actual meal, when the judges are going to be so blown away by it. He's…really going all out on this."

Lillian straightened up, looking at Dirk. His arms were folded over his chest, looking bored. "What?" he asked, gesturing for her to come closer. "Your team is going to get angry, you know, if you pay so much attention to me."

"I wasn't paying so much attention to you," Lillian protested, making a face. "You really are confusing."

"Why?" the Oracle asked curiously.

"Because he changes his attitude so much," the brunette answered begrudgingly. "Well, do your best."

"Don't say things you don't mean."

"Well, do your worst."

"That's not very nice at all. I think I bring out the worst in you," Dirk shrugged.

Ash's hands landed on Lillian's shoulder, and she looked at him in surprise. "Don't fraternize with the enemy too much," he teased. "Wait until after the competition or Georgia will hate you."

"Sorry," she murmured, blanching at his closeness. "Have you picked out a recipe?"

He spun Lillian around to face him, fussing with her hair. "Laney picked one for me. So go sit down and relax. It's going to be okay. Thanks for pulling through for me. I'll make sure I give it my all for you, alright?"

Lillian smiled up at him as she smoothed her hair down. "Don't stress yourself."

"Sure, sure," he sighed, pushing her away. "You've already done your part. It's my turn now."

Lillian sat down beside Mikhail, mirroring his worried pose as she watched the Oracle struggle to maintain a conversation with two unwilling partners. Dirk and Ash glared at each other, not bothering to shake hands like the other opponents had. "I'm worried about him," she admitted to her friend. "This is a big deal for him. If he doesn't win…I think he's going to be really upset." She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees and her head on her hands, holding her breath as the others took their seats before them and Principal Rutger raised his whistle.

"Don't worry," Mikhail answered, turning to offer her a gentle smile. "Ash is going to do his best to win for our sake. If he doesn't manage to win, then we'll just have to make sure he knows it doesn't change anything to us. We've still got a fair to put on tomorrow. Nothing changes. You know…there's something that could help us, points wise, even if he doesn't win."

Principal Rutger's whistle cut through the conversations around them, and Dirk instantly set to work. Ash was quick to follow, but his clumsy movements were clearly a fault when juxtaposed with Dirk's swift, purposeful actions. "What's that?" Lillian asked, trying to suspend the hopefulness in her voice. She wanted to support Ash as much as possible, but it was hard to do so when he was so obviously struggling.

"If one of the buzzers found out about Dirk and the Oracle helping you, then they'll dock points from their club. You give points based on club loyalty. But…if one of the buzzers is someone on our team who knows about you working with them to raise the money…they'll dock us points too." Mikhail sighed, clapping softly for Ash. "Let's just hope for the best, shall we? No matter what."

Lillian nodded in agreement, but any words she was prepared to say died out. A voice cut across the loudness of the auditorium, and "Dirk!" echoed throughout it. The Konohana president looked over, stunned, to see the Oracle on her feet, hands clenched into fists at her side. He raised his eyebrows questioningly, and she hesitated before crying out, "It's your chance too! You'll regret it if you hold back! So give it your all!"

The Bluebell group grew silent, stunned by this incredible declaration. Only Georgia murmured, "She really went all out." Dirk stared at her for a moment longer before laughing, nodding. "I already knew that!" he called back, but when he turned back to his station he resumed cooking with a fervor that put Ash's meager skills to shame.

"Lillian!" Cam whispered, leaning around Laney to catch her eyes. "You call out to Ash too!"

"Like that?" she asked, heat rising to her cheeks. The Oracle had been brave in so loudly proclaiming support for Dirk, but Lillian found doing the same for Ash more than a little embarrassing – especially considering how everyone would take it.

Laney nodded eagerly, pushing Lillian to her feet. "It'll mean a lot to him!"

Lillian looked out towards the kitchen, but it was Dirk who looked at her, eyes wide. She put her hands over her mouth and shifted her gaze to Ash's turned back, shouting, "Don't forget what I said, Ash! Win or lose, it doesn't matter! It doesn't change anything! Just do your best!"

The Bluebell president looked over his shoulder, wearing a shocked – but tender – smile. He nodded, inclining his head towards her for a moment, and turned back to his kitchen without a single word. Lillian gaped as his movements grew more precise and careful, his knife moving rapidly across a vegetable. "He's going for daikon salad," Laney told her, squeezing the brunette's arm excitedly. "He's doing good! And Dirk is starting to mess up a little!"

Lillian looked at Dirk, who seemed to be even more affected by her profession. He was stumbling in his movements, knocking a dish to the floor. The Oracle was gritting her teeth on the Konohana side, her hands wrapped together. Hiro seemed nervous as well, speedily tapping his fingers against his knee. I didn't want him to mess up, Lillian thought, her mind wandering to his strange actions. She thought of the way he had hugged her and apologized to her, of the way he had caught her arm in the hall and attempted to apologize. He looked up, meeting her eyes over Ash's shoulder, and she mouthed Good luck.

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to do it. She definitely wanted Ash to win. She couldn't recall ever wanting something more. But to think that Dirk was being hindered due to her outburst…she didn't want Dirk to win, but she found that she didn't necessarily want him to lose, either. He smiled at her and then returned to his sashimi, his knife cutting carefully through the fish he had pulled from the ingredients rack. He and Ash continued to work as the ten minutes sped by, their movements fast and accurate, the upper hand constantly shifting from one to the other. When their dishes were handed off, Lillian really wasn't sure who the winner would be.

"You can go ahead and stand with him. The Oracle is waiting with Dirk," Cam told her, gesturing towards Ash, who was staring at the counter, his eyes wide and panicked. Lillian nodded and instantly rose to her feet, crossing the short distance between them to stand beside him.

"I don't know if I did enough to win," he admitted softly. "I…I…"

"We have a winner!" Principal Ina roared. Her excitement left a hollow feeling in Lillian's stomach, and Rutger's grimace added to it. Ash's shoulders began to slump as the woman announced, "Konohana is the winner of the first club competition!"

Konohana's side of the room boomed with cheers, and the Oracle began to jump up and down excitedly as Dirk breathed out a sigh of relief. Hiro, Nori and Reina jumped up to congratulate their president, but the Bluebell club officers remained seated. They all watched Ash nervously, sympathetic expressions on their faces. Cam and Georgia in particular looked guilty and miserable.

"I lost," Ash mumbled, covering his face. "How uncool. Even after you went through so much – doing your very best to give me this chance, cheering me on so much. Sorry, Lillian. I let you down."

"Ash…" Lillian began, clutching the fabric of his shirt with a concerned expression. It was impossible to gauge how exactly he was feeling while he hid his face, but she had a rather good estimate of it.

The Oracle leaned across the kitchens, offering up a genuine smile. "You two both did incredible. I'm sorry it turned out like this."

"Thanks," Lillian murmured, weakly returning the smile. "You too."

"Thanks," Ash echoed, removing his hand from his face to smile at her. It was a half-hearted attempt that didn't do much to alleviate his crestfallen expression.

"Too bad," Dirk noted, his expression hard and gloating. "Better luck next time."

Ash glared at him, his eyes narrowed. Lillian caught his hand, giving it a shake to detract his attention. "Ignore him," Lillian told him, shooting her own dark look towards Dirk. "He's just acting like a child."

Dirk looked visibly stricken, which surprised Ash. He looked between the pair suspiciously, and the Oracle looked just as surprised. "Let's go, Dirk," she murmured when she saw his expression, tugging him away.

"What's your problem?" Dirk hissed, shaking himself free of the Oracle's grasp. "That was cruel."

"You were cruel," Lillian retorted hotly. Her grip on Ash's hand tightened as she faced him, and she felt the eyes of the other Bluebell officers on her. The Oracle and Hiro were watching her, stunned. "You couldn't at least be kind and mature enough to say something like 'good game?' You had to brag? You're…"

"That's enough," Ash interrupted, clapping his hand over her mouth. "Good game, guys! Let's go, Lil."

Dirk glared after her as Ash towed her away, slipping through the crowd and towards the auditorium's exit. Lillian fought to get his hand from her mouth, but he didn't remove his hold until they were a safe distance from the auditorium. "You shouldn't have stopped me! He was doing the same thing as before, being such a jerk-"

"What's going on with you and him?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you tell me stuff about you two but…that seemed like an interesting argument. He said that what you said…was cruel. It seemed like something sort of weird to say, considering all you did was call him immature."

Lillian hesitated, looking away. "We got into an argument the last time I went to work on the project. I said he was always acting childishly. It was…it was mean of me to bring that back up again after he apologized and tried to distance himself from it. That's all."

Ash was silent for a moment before sighing, leaning back against the wall. "You two are pretty close, aren't you?"

"Huh? I just fought with him, didn't I? We've fought a lot lately," Lillian noted, leaning beside him.

"I think being able to say something that hurts someone so much is being close in another way," Ash mumbled. Lillian raised an eyebrow, shrugging in confusion. "Forget it," he murmured, laughing weakly. "I'm not making any sense, am I? I just feel lame right now. This is a lot to take in."

He slid down onto the tiled floor, putting his head in his hands. "Ash…" Lillian murmured sympathetically, crouching before him. She pulled his hand away and froze when she saw a single teardrop strike the floor.

Ash refused to look up and meet her eyes, but didn't deny that he was crying. "I feel awful," he admitted. "You were all counting on me. Everyone looked so disappointed when I lost. You all did your best – especially you – just to give me that chance. You all believed in me and I let you down. I let the entire club down. Being president…it's really not easy. I hate it."

Lillian watched him for a moment and then set her arm around him, pulling him towards her until his head was on her shoulder. He stiffened up, but relaxed when several more moments passed. "You're not a bad president or anything, Ash," Lillian replied softly, smiling as his hair brushed against her cheek. "You did your best. That's all anyone could ask for. I was impressed. For saying you were a mediocre cook, that was a really great dish you turned in. Next time we'll definitely beat Dirk and the rest of his team. So…forget about today and don't be upset. I know you feel like you let everyone down, but that's not a feeling only you have. Georgia and Cam, and even Laney and I…we all feel bad that we either didn't win or we didn't help others or we didn't cheer each other on. So rely on us and we'll rely on you for the next competition, alright?"

Silence brewed between them, and Ash finally laughed. "Am I still a winner in your eyes?" he asked, raising his head to smile at her. The tears had dried on his cheeks, and his face stayed incredibly close to hers. Lillian flushed, pulling away.

"Your mood changes fast, Ash."

"That's because I had my greatest supporter to cheer me up. Say it one more time…what exactly am I to you?"

"You're…always…awinnerinmyeyes."

"Sorry?"

Lillian pushed him back, laughing. "Stop teasing me and let's go! We have to get ready for the fair tomorrow! There's no time to be upset about what's going on!"

Ash grinned, taking off down the hall. "I'll race you!" he called over his shoulder, winking. Lillian gaped and then surged after him, both laughing as they raced down the hall.

"Well, since the president and vice president are both away, I suppose I'll give the score to the treasurer. That would be…you, right Cam?" Principal Rutger asked, smiling gently at the boy.

"Yeah," Cam mumbled, his expression sullen.

The principal held out a paper, grimacing. "Better luck next time, kids," he told them, patting Cam's shoulder before he headed off towards Principal Ina, who was in the midst of Konohana's celebration.

"What is it?" Georgia asked with a sigh. "Zero?"

"It's…negative six," Cam gaped, handing the paper to Georgia. "That's…a really…that's really low to start off with…"

"What?!" Georgia cried out. "Negative six? The buzzers dropped us six points? What the heck did we do? I don't understand at all! We've been really coming together in preparation for the fair!"

Mikhail grimaced, turning away, and Laney and Cam exchanged a look.

"Lillian," Laney whispered, low enough for only him to hear.

"Yeah," Cam replied, quietly enough that Georgia wouldn't hear his words either. "Let's not tell her until after the fair."

Laney nodded, glancing from Georgia's furious expression to Cam's surly face. "Okay."