(04/23/10)

Minako and I went to school and immediately signed up for Badminton club.

Ms. Toriumi smiled as we wrote our names in the members list.

"Thank you." Ms. Toriumi said.

"No problem, Miss… but I thought the school only allowed a limited amount of clubs?" I said.

"Well, ever since Ekoda," She said his name as if he was a disgusting worm, "Cut down the Tennis club, there's been a vacancy… in fact, some of the members are former Tennis club members… like Rio here…" she points to a good looking sporty girl.

She has long black hair and gray eyes.

She really looked good… her skin is pale… like cold milk.

She is memorable, since I've always seen her not wearing the proper uniform…

I wonder how she gets away with it…

"Huh? Oh, hey there…" she said, "I'm Rio Iwasaki… I've been here last year, but I don't think we met…" she said.

"I don't think we did…" I shook hands with her.

"Rio… an unusual name for a girl…" I said.

"Yeah, well, my parents loved to travel, so…" she stammers.

"Huh…"

She glared at me.

"Uh… better if I don't ask…" I said.

I saw a blonde gangly young man beside Rio.

"Kenji? What are you doing here? Are you lost?"

"Yo Minato… Rio forced me to join… said I needed the exercise… as if!" he said.

"Well, you DO need it! You're like a walking scarecrow!" Rio said.

"Hey! Walking scarecrow?! I resent that!" they began to argue.

I shook my head and saw a small figure clumsily trying to swing a racket.

"No, no, swing harder, Fuuka!" Mr. Ono said, his golden helm shining in the sun.

It was Fuuka.

"Fuuka!" I said.

She turns.

"Minato-kun! And Minako-chan as well!" she said.

"Uh… hello… I don't think we've met before…" Minako said.

Fuuka fidgeted.

"Oh… um… I'm sorry about that… my name is Fuuka Yamagishi… I'm a good friend of Minato-kun here…" she said.

"I see… you also hang out with the Dragon Lady, don't you?" Minako said.

"Dragon Lady…?"

"She means Yukari…" I said.

"Oh! That's right… I need to say that Yukari really doesn't like you right now, Minako-chan…" Fuuka said.

"Good." Minako said, "Please tell her that the feeling is mutual."

Then, Ms. Toriumi called our attentions.

"Alright, now, we have a new club manager, Yuko." She said.

"Yuko?! I thought she was the manager of the Kendo team?!" one of the second years said.

"I quit. The coach said that they're men and they need to do their own stuff from now on..." Yuko said.

"Well, that accounts for about 16 members all in all… 18, if you count Mr. Ono and I…" she said.

Applause.

"Right, what should we call ourselves?"

"How about the Tennis club?" one said.

"BO-RING!" Minako said.

"How about the Club That Beats All The Other Clubs And Still Smiles?" Fuuka said.

Utter silence.

"Okay… how about the May Sighs On The Feathered Projectile In The Deep Blue Sky?"

This was ridiculous.

"Uh, Fuuka, I admit your skill with technology and cooking are great, but your naming skills leave something to be admired…" Ms. Toriumi said.

"I still say the name "Badminton Club" is cool…"

"BO-RING!" Minako said.

"Well, what can you come up with?!" he said,

"How about… The Racket Legion?"

"Splendid! The Roman culture is great, but still, the Japanese culture beats it easily…" Mr. Ono muttered.

"Then it's settled… we are now officially The Racket Legion." Ms. Toriumi announced.

A cheer went up.

Then, Ms. Toriumi's face melted into disgust, then into fake pleasantries.

"Mr. Ekoda… an honor to have you here…" she said honor as if she had to vomit out a broken glass bottle.

"Attention!" Ekoda said, but no one really did.

Behind Ekoda were the bullies and three cheerleaders.

"I'd like you to meet the elite members, if all are not elite, of our basketball team… Cato, Quan, Hide and Hortez. These beautiful young women are our head cheerleaders, Pink, Michonne and our newest student, Yo." He said.

Those were the bullies from the other day… plus a new member, a jet black haired girl who seemed to wear too much makeup…

"Yo." We said right back at him.

"What did you say?!" Ekoda flared.

"Yo…?"

"Why, how dare yo-"

"Mr. Ekoda, is there a reason why you're here?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"Quite right. This will be the team to win the regional meet, so I wanted these… kids, to see what they're up against." Ekoda said haughtily.

"Are you quite sure of that?" Ms. Toriumi said.

"Quite sure. The skill of my team is excellent." He said.

"Please leave, Mr. Ekoda." She said.

"Alright, but you and this rabble will see our might soon enough, I tell you." he said, then left with the bullies.

Ms. Toriumi flipped him the bird and we all laughed.

He turned around and she waved at him.

When he turned around, she did it again.

"The nerve of that little man…" she muttered.

"I agree… if I found the Masamune blade, he'd be a pile of blood on the floor…" Mr. Ono said.

"Alright! Now, all of you can go home for now… remember we meet every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!" Ms. Toriumi said.

"Goodbye and Thank you, Ms. Toriumi!" we all said.

We went out and walked home together.

She kept looking back but I was lost in thought.

"So… what now?" she said, raising her voice..

"Eh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"What will we do about our lovely dovey relationship?" she said as she pinned me to a chain-link fence.

"Minako! What the hell!?" I said.

She looked straight in my eyes and darted them sideways.

I looked and I saw Yukari walking behind us with Fuuka.

"Uh… Uh… Oh! Help!" I said.

Minako gripped me.

"Look, make her jealous…" she hissed.

Yukari walked towards us.

"Minato, who's this?" she points to Minako.

"This?!" Minako said.

"Hold on you two… Minako is just a friend." I said.

"Friend? Yeah right… Minato, why are you doing this?" she said.

"Doing… what?" I said.

"Making me jealous." She said flatly.

"We are doing no such thing!" Minako said.

"Shut up, tramp."

"Who are you calling a tramp?! Do you think I'm your little maid or something?!" Minako hissed.

"Please, Yukari, there's nothing going on between us… we were just horsing around…" I said.

"Don't you two horse around enough in bed?" Yukari said.

"Wha-"

"Listen, we don't need to hear this, so we'll leave." Minako said.

"Minato, you forgetful, cheating little shit…" Yukari hissed.

"We're going…" I said, "And besides, you seem to hate me anyways… maybe I should've died!" I said in her face, "Let's go!" I grabbed Minako and went off.

When we were ways off from Yukari…

"Don't do that, please." I said.

"That was good. Anyway, what is between you and Yukari?" she asked.

"I'll tell you when the time is right."

"Ah… okay… bye!" she said as she went in her house.

I went in my house and Junpei, Akihiko and Leah were there…

"Dude!" Junpei said.

"Hey, where've you been?" Akihiko said.

"Badminton practice…" I said.

"Badminton eh? Healthy sport, if you opt to develop your arms…" Akihiko said.

"Man, sucks to be you…" Junpei said.

"You should try joining a club, Junpei…" Leah said.

"I agree… better than sitting here, watching porn all the time…"

Junpei glowered.

"I… I decided not to watch anymore…" he said.

"I don't believe you, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt…" Akihiko said.

"The benefit of the- wha?"

"You know…"

"Forget it… remember how we came to this house?" Junpei said.

"Yeah… we searched for days and finally found a house at the 31st…" Akihiko said.

"Yup…"

We ate some of the delicious food Leah made and went to bed.