"LLLLLADIES AND GENTLEMEN," Nanba cried from the makeshift stage that had been erected in the school's sunlit courtyard, "I welcome you all to this year's Osaka High Pie Eating Contest!" The crowd remained silent, and Nanba forced himself to remain smiling. Why did I ever agree to take the role of RA for this unenthusiastic lot?

"There are no ladies here, you nimrod!" Nakatsu hollered from the sidelines as Mizuki sidled away in embarrassment.

Sano clapped a hand over his eyes. "Tone it down Nakatsu, would you? Look at you! You're fine. I don't see why you can't still enter the competition."

The bleach-haired boy looked aghast. "Me? In this horrible condition? You have no sympathy, do you, Izumi?"

"Not for you I don't," Sano growled, eyeing the rows of pies on the tables in distaste. "Because I'm the one that has to fill your position." He grimaced as the soccer player clapped him heartily on the back.

"Oh, you'll be fine, tough guy." Then he turned to Mizuki. "What about you? Did you train like I told you to?"

Nakao emerged from Mizuki's other side and snorted. "Why? So he can fall over with a stomach ache like you did yesterday? Give me a break."

"Arrgh! Shut up, you little—"

"May I have your ATTENTION," hollered Nanba from the stand, one eyebrow twitching in irritation as he fixed his glare on Nakatsu, who drew back and let out a nervous laugh. "The contest will begin momentarily. Tables are arranged by class number, so please find a seat quickly and we'll get started. Those who are NOT PARTICIPATING," he spat vehemently as Nakatsu whimpered, "Will find a place along the sidelines and will kindly refrain from any useless actions of any sort, such as obnoxious catcalls…"

"Okay, okay, I get it already," Nakatsu fumed, shaking a fist at the smug RA on the stage. "Why don't you shut up and do your damn job?" I swear, that guy has it in for me today.

Nakao gasped audibly. "Don't speak to my Minami that way!"

"PLACES!" screeched Himejima in German, as he confiscated the microphone from his fellow resident advisor with a mighty flair.

Mizuki turned to the two quarrelling boys. "Well, I guess Sano and I should go," she said, waving cheerily as she headed for the closest table. Why do I get the feeling that I'm walking to my doom?

"Mizuki, wait!"

She spun around to find Nakatsu in her face. "Wh-what is it?" she stammered.

"Here." Without further ado he thrust a rather strange-looking object into her face and made as if to scamper off.

Sano grabbed his arm and held him in his spot. "Just a minute," he warned, "What exactly is that thing?" He watched as Mizuki squinted at it.

She held it before her eyes incredulously, examining the strange lump of green and blue that dangled from the cord he'd handed to her. It looked like it should have been a figure molded out of clay.

"It's a good luck charm, obviously," Nakatsu stated, indignant. "I made it in preschool. It's a person, can't you tell? I've kept it safe in my underwear drawer all these years. It'll help you win, Mizuki."

Sano blanched. "Disgusting. Ashiya, put that thing down." Much to his horror, she clutched it to her chest before tying the cord around her wrist and letting it dangle there.

She smiled. "Thanks, Nakatsu. I'm sure it'll bring me good luck." She seized the shirtsleeve of a very baffled looking Sano and pulled him to one of the tables while Nakatsu hollered a loud goodbye. "We need a seat that has those meat pies set up near it, so you don't have to suffer through the sweet things," she said with a grin.

Sano blushed just slightly. "Y-you can let go of me now. There's a spot over there." He motioned to two empty spaces. Geez. It's not like I'll pass out from just sitting near the other pies.

"Uuwah! Look at all this," Mizuki cried, scanning the array of bright, glazed pies with awe. "I don't know if I can finish so many!"

"If you can," came a voice to her right, "Then you'd be no better off than that Nakatsu pal of yours. And if I have to deal with one more groaning patient like him, I think I'll quit my job."

"Doctor Umeda!"

"That's me," he said sarcastically, plunking himself down on her other side with a sour expression.

"Are you taking part in the contest too?" she asked him, her curiosity aroused.

The elder man snorted. "Contest?" he sneered in disgust, eyeing the pies that lined the tabletops, "It's sheer idiocy, that's what it is! I can't believe I got myself into this mess."

Mizuki felt a drop of sweat course its way down her head as the furious aura of the doctor made itself felt. "What happened?" Wait – do I really want to know?

Umeda crossed his arms as he began to relate the story. "I was at a bar last night and I met up with someone…"

I knew I shouldn't have asked…

"And it turned out that he used to go to Osaka High. When he heard about the competition he laughed and said he'd won all three years in a row."

Sano quirked an eyebrow. "So what was the big deal?"

The elder man positively simmered. "He wouldn't give me his number unless I agreed to take part in the competition."

Mizuki blinked.

"I think he just wants to see me squirm," he finished, glancing around as if expecting to find the mysterious man right behind him, "But then again, if I won he promised me that he and I could—"

Sano held up a hand. "Enough, old man. We get the picture."

Umeda huffed in response. "Teenagers and their dirty minds. I'm not old. Let's get this stupid thing over with." He fixed his eyes on his nephew as Nanba reclaimed the microphone from Himejima.

"Everyone at their places?" he asked, a fiendish glint in his dark eyes. "Ready…BEGIN!"