Note: Once again, I'm really sorry for the late update, but I've been soooooo stressed out and very very busy lately. Too much work. Anyway, it's pretty late right now...So hopefully this chapter will be worth staying up for. (Actually I'm tired but also awake from too much sugar at the same time, so this should be interesting to see how this chapter is going to end out...)...anyway, chances are I wont even finish it tonight, and I'll write most of it tomorrow...

-----------------------------------------------

Previously...

"Thank you all so much! We have a grand total of...$1000!" Sumire announced. 'Even a million dollars wouldn't be enough to make up for what I've been through tonight...'

"Next...we have our special auction prize, the last item up for bidding, this adorable golden-"
"man! Hello everybody! I'm Echizen Nanjiro! I enjoy long walks on the beach and-"
"Nanjiro! Where is the dog?"
"Huh? Oh yeah...that brat...in the room where I left her..."
"What?! I asked you to watch her...not stick her in a room and leave her there!"

"Well you didn't tell me she was going to pee on me!"
"She what?!" Sumire looked at him for a hint of sarcasm, but when she saw he was serious, she started cracking up. Her eyes started to water as she continued to laugh.
"Hey...you old hag...it's not that funny...HEY! We're still on stage here!" Nanjiro yelled at her.
"Huh? Oh right! Well let's go get that dog already..." she whispered, handing the mike to one of the volunteers. "Stall." She whispered to him, and he nodded back.
"Um...hey...you old hag...you might want to see this." Nanjiro said, as Sumire approached from behind him.
"NANJIRO!" she yelled as she looked at the door to the room she had left him in charge of, and saw the door open, and the room empty.

----------------------------------------

"So...um...how are you?" Taka mumbled as he glanced at his date, across the table in his father's restaurant. Nanako just smiled in response.
"I'm pretty good...are you alright?"

"...h..hai."
'What am I going to do? I always say stupid stuff when I'm near pretty girls. I know! Every time I'm about to say something stupid...I'll eat something! That way I can keep my mouth busy!'

"So what do you kids want to eat?" Taka's father asked.

"Ah...I'll have the california rolls with sushi and a cherry ponta to drink..." Nanako answered sweetly
'I guess Echizen's love for ponta runs in the family...'

"I'll have the Chirashizushi...and a glass of water..."
"Hai, your order will be right out. Please enjoy the appetizers!"

"Ah...anago sushi! My favorite!" Nanako said happily. "you must like sushi, ne?" Taka just nodded as he stuffed food in his mouth.
"Oh, pardon me. You said that on stage, didn't you? Also...didn't you say that you want to become a chef?" he nodded again.

"That's really cool!" she said smiling. He continued to nod as he stuffed another piece of sushi in his mouth.

"Hm...you Seigaku regulars sure have to eat a lot to get all that energy, ne?" Taka nodded for the 4th time.
"Does your throat hurt?" Nanako asked concerned.

"mummmuhhmmummmumm" he tried to say, but there was too much food in his mouth.

"Here's your order!" Taka's dad announced cheerfully.

"Arigato, Kawamara-san." Nanako replied.

"Yeah, arigato, Dad." Taka said. Taka's dad left after placing down their food and Nanako smiled.

"So, the guy can speak. There's a surprise."

"...Hai..."

There was a huge pause in the conversation while the two ate quietly. When they were about done, Nanako spoke up.

"Taka-san, I don't mean to be rude or nosy, but is something bothering you?" he shook his head no.

"Am I bothering you?"
"Huh? No, why?"

"You haven't talked to me like at all on this whole date..."
"Ah...well that's because...I...I..."

"I understand...I'll go. Bye, Taka-san." Nanako got up to leave, but Taka got up as well and stopped her.
"No, no it's not you...It's just, whenever I get by a pretty girl I feel stupid and say something stupid. The prettier the girl, the stupider (yes I know that stupider is not a word, but I had to use this word for the sentence) I feel. And to be honest, I have never felt so stupid. So I tried to keep my mouth occupied by eating so I wouldn't say anything...well stupid...but I guess it didn't really help much..."

"That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. And...I have a better way of keeping it occupied." Nanako said, smiling.

"Huh?" he looked at her confused. Suddenly he felt her lips on his and he blushed. She pulled away and blushed.

"Sorry I'm usually not so-" Taka cut her off by kissing her back.

"-forceful..." she added at the end. "I guess you didn't need your tennis racquet this time, ne?"

-------------------------------------

"Nya! This is fun!

"Hai! Wan!" Eiji's date, Avalona answered.

"So what's your favorite flavor of toothpaste?"
"Hm...tough decision...definitely apple though. It's the best!"
"NO WAY! Grape is 10 times better!"
"Nuh uh! Apple is red and green, and tastes awesome!"
"Puh-lease...you're making it sound like a Christmas decoration, GRAPE ROCKS!"
"More people like apples then grapes! Therefore more people like apple toothpaste then grape toothpaste!"

"Excuse me, but what do you know about toothpaste?"

"More than you!"
"Oh, no you didn't..."

"Oh, yes I did..."
"YOU'RE GOING DOWN AVALONA-CHAN!"
"RIGHT BACK AT YOU, EIJI-KUN!" Soon the two love birds were having endless thumb wars for hours...
-------------------------------------------------

Momoshiro, Ryoma, Oishi, and Kachiro all went to get burgers with their dates. Momoshiro looked all over to see if Fuji had come too, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Tomoka was clinging on to Ryoma's arm as he coolly glanced over to see Kachiro...and his date. He pulled his hat down so no one would see, but unfortunately, Oishi wasn't that blind.
"Ryoma, you shouldn't be so rude to your date...stop ignoring her for Sakuno-chan!" Oishi whispered. "What if you break poor Osakada's heart? But then...what if you break Sakuno-chan's heart? What if you break both their hearts?! Oh no! What are we going to do?!"
"We aren't going to do anything, senpai. I am going to do as I please." Ryoma whispered back rudely.

"Ryoma-sama! Come! Let's sit over hereeee!" Tomoka cheered joyfully. Ryoma could feel a headache coming on. Suddenly, the door opened. It was Fuji and Ann. Ryoma looked at them, and it took him a second for him to process it, and his, Momoshiro's, and Oishi's jaws dropped.

"Ah, there you are." Fuji said. His arm was tightly wrapped around Ann's waist and his hand was in her front left pocket on her skirt (which by the way was a little too short). His eyes were open and he still had the same fake, innocent, incoherent smile on. Momoshiro's fists clenched.

"Fuji-senpai..." he muttered, inaudible to all except for Ryoma and Fuji.

"Yes, Momo?"
"what are you doing?" he said deeply.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you doing...with...here...What are you doing here?"
"The same thing you're doing. I'm on a date."

"Um...excuse me...is anyone going to order?" a small cashier girl asked quietly.

"Ano, Kachiro, would you like to order now?" Sakuno said sweetly. Ryoma flinched. He loved her sweet voice, but he hated it when it was talking to anyone, well any other guy, but him.

"Hai, what would you like, Sakuno-chan?" Ryoma flinched again. '...what did he just call her...?'

The two of them ordered, but Kachiro found it a bit difficult since he kept seeing Ryoma glaring at him. Fuji just smiled in amusement as he ordered next, while Momoshiro flashed him dirty looks. Once they all ordered and took their seats the unofficial staring contests began.

"Oishi-kun...you look tired...why don't we feed you?" the blonde girl, Miho, asked.

"Hai! Hai!" the brunette, Ren, asked.

"Ah, that's not necessary."
"Aw..." the two girls sighed, pouting. 'Oh no, I made them sad...'

"Well okay..."
"YAY!" Ren and Miho cheered.

------------------------------------------------

"Hypocrite..." Momoshiro muttered from the table behind them.

"Hey Momo, I thought you had a girl...no wait, she's over with Fuji." Ryoma said, smirking at the table behind Momoshiro.

"Why you little..."
The door opened again, and this time, Tezuka and Shiba entered.

"Ah, Tezuka-buchou, daijobu?" Oishi said, concerned. Tezuka looked a little pissed off. Probably because there was a girl in her mid-20's draped around his arm...

"Hai." He mumbled quietly, leading Shiba to the cashier. Normally, even if this wasn't a real date, he would've taken her to a much nicer restaurant, but since Sumire asked Shiba to make sure Momoshiro and Fuji, and the other regulars didn't kill eachother, he was stuck going with her to babysit. He really didn't know who he was supposed to keep from killing eachother. Momoshiro and Fuji, or Ryoma and Kachiro.

-----------------------------------------

"NANJIRO! YOU IDIOT! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?! THAT DOG COULD BE ANYWHERE!"

"Calm down, old hag...you'll find her."
"I'll find her? I'LL FIND HER?! I DON'T THINK SO! YOU'RE GOING TO FIND HER! GOT IT?!"

"WHAT?! No way...not now, not never!"

"well if it's not never, and not now then that means you'll do it later..."

"No...no I meant not ever!"
"Oh, look. It's later...NOW FIND HER!"

"But..."

"...NOW!"
"Okay, okay!" Nanjiro said, scurrying around the back of the stage, looking in every room. After opening the 10th door and seeing nothing except some paper ripped up on the floor he sighed... 'This is going to take a while...'

-------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N):

Incase you were wondering, I did end up writing almost all of it the next day, Also, the part with Taka and Nanako was based on an episode of "What I Like About You," but still, a lot of it was original...Sorry that part wasn't very good though...This chapter is kind of short compared to the last one, and after taking so long I should've written more...sorry again. I'll try to get started on the next one right away.

Wan- barking (dog)
Daijobu- are you okay

Miho/Ren/Avalona- real Japanese names, but made up characters.

Hai- yes

Chirashizushi- a platter of 9 different kinds of sushi and vegetables with rice