AN: How odd, I'm putting up my notes before the chapter. xD I rarely do that, but this is important. It seems I found a mistake as I was writing this chapter. I found out that ninth grade is part of junior high when it comes to Japanese schools. I thought that they just skipped ninth grade. So, I went back and redid the dates and years in the first chapter and in this chapter. Everyone except Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro are actually 14, not 15. If they are 14 and in the eighth grade, the year would be 2006, not 2007. I changed the days to fit with the 2006 calandar. Sorry for the mix-up. Everything is up to date now. Anyway...from the title of the chapter, Mitsuru makes her first appearance! She should make more appearances later. So, now, read on!

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Chapter 2

Baseball, Dreams, Deals, and Mitsuru Kirijo

Tartarus last night was pretty rough. Everyone fought so hard, and they were either sick or tired now. As Mr. Ono continued his lecture on the samurai age, Minato laid his head on his desk. The thought of sleeping through the class was tempting. Very tempting. He didn't feel like going to the nurse's office to try that weird concoction the nurse had.

Actually, Minato didn't have to think about sleeping. His eyes were slowly shutting, and his mind was submitting into the depths of his dream world…

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-May 7, 2006, Sunday

Arisato Residence

Afternoon

"Come on, hit it! Hit it!" Junpei yelled excitedly. He was bouncing around the couch and around the coffee table like an energetic, little child.

Minato, Junpei, Minato's best friend Kenji Tomochika, and Minato's friend from the track team Kazushi were all gathered at the Arisato residence to watch the baseball match between the Yomiuri Giants of Tokyo and the Orix Buffaloes of Osaka. Koji Arisato was at work (he is also a professor at the city college, and teaching organic chemistry and biochemistry) giving a Sunday lecture, and his wife was doing the grocery shopping. Minako had cram school today so Minato and his friends at the house all to themselves.

"Homerun!" They all yelled when the Giants made a spectacular hit. They were also doing a little bit of victory dance.

"Ah, this game is AWESOME!" Junpei yelled excitedly as he readjusted his baseball cap. "I've always imagined being in a baseball match like this. The whole stadium would be going wild once I would make a homerun!"

"You want to become a star baseball player?" Kazushi asked with his eyebrow raised.

"It was my dream as a kid. Pretty stupid, huh?"

"No, man! You can achieve that dream!" Kazushi answered. He hit his chest and continued, "All it takes is dedication! And no one is as dedicated as me! Just watch! I'm going to make it to the Olympics and become the fastest man in the world!"

Kazushi was pretty passionate whenever it came to track. He was dedicated to the sport, and often pushed himself to his limits. He enjoyed running on the dirt track that was the same color as his eyes and feeling the wind run through his black hair. He always wore his warm-up suit since it always put him into the "zone".

"Heh, to be honest, it is too much work. I don't feel like heading off to practice and working hard for a dumb dream." Junpei replied casually.

"You are a true slacker, Junpei." Kenji commented with a grin.

"Yeah, dawg!" They slapped hands.

"I don't have any dreams. Just getting through life and missing my favorite TV shows is all I'm worried about."

Kenji Tomochika was Minato's best friend. They were friends since grade school. He had light brown hair and black eyes. He was a slacker like Junpei, but there were two things that Kenji did really love: ramen and older women. Of course, Kenji still wasn't smooth enough to have a relationship with an older woman.

Kenji turned to Minato. "What about you? Do you have any dreams?"

Other than this one? Minato thought.

Junpei's face fell. "Dude, if you say you have 30-year goals, I might punch you."

The boy shook his head. "I don't know what I want to do with my life right now. All I know is that I want to get into Gekkoukan High School."

"Gekkoukan…?" Junpei asked.

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-May 7, 2006, Sunday

In front of the front gate of Gekkoukan High School

Afternoon

"THIS is Gekkoukan High School?" Junpei yelled as he stared at the high school. It was pretty majestic. The school was three floors high, and Minato was sure that the roof had a gorgeous view of the city. The school was only eight years old, and it still looked like it was spanking new. Its radiance shined brightly and dazzled in the sun.

"Gekkoukan High School was built by the Kirijo Group." Minato explained. "This school is pretty prestigious because it is under the Kirijo Group control."

Junpei laughed. "Does that mean the students are under brain controlling devices or something?" He asked with a grin.

"They have a large influence here. If something happened, they could prevent the news from reaching the ears of the media." Kazushi answered.

"Takeharu Kirijo's daughter will be attending here next year, right?" Kenji asked.

Minato stared at the school and said, "Yeah."

"So, Minato…this school is your dream?" The new kid asked.

"For every dream every person has, can literally be achieved by attending Gekkoukan." Kazushi replied. "They have the best education and their sports are pretty spectacular."

Kenji scoffed and said, "Every dream? Can this school fulfill my dream of getting an older woman?"

"If you date a teacher."

"Yukari is going to apply here, too." Minato commented absently.

Junpei raised his eyebrow and grinned mischievously. "Yukari, huh? So tell me, Minato. What is your relationship with Yuka-tan?"

"Huh?"

Kenji also grinned wickedly and joined in with Junpei. "You know that I'm not interested in girls like Yukari, but you seem to be pretty close to her."

Kazushi ran his hand through his hair, but didn't say anything. He just watched Minato's reaction: confusion.

Minato laughed nervously. "Yukari and I are only childhood friends. Nothing is going on, really!"

"SUUUURE. That's how it all starts. First you are childhood friends and then – BAM! You guys go one-step further and are now a couple!" Junpei declared.

The navy haired boy frowned. "Junpei, I think you've been reading too much manga."

He ignored that comment. "So, what do you say? Are you going to take it one-step further with her?"

Minato turned his head back to the school then to Junpei. "I'll make a deal with you, Junpei. When we both get into Gekkoukan High School, you have to try out and make the baseball team. If you do, I'll ask Yukari out."

Junpei gave a hard, long stare at him. "You, my friend…have a deal."

"Excuse me." Said a voice.

Minato and Junpei shook hands, symbolizing that the deal was final.

"Excuse me!" The voice repeated more forcefully.

All four heads whirled around, trying to find the source. They finally found the person who said those words. Behind the front gate to the school was a gorgeous girl with curly, ruby red hair and garnet colored eyes. Her hair was not that long – only reaching a little bit past her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back with a purple headband. Minato recognized her clothes to be the Konata Middle School uniform. That school was one of the most prestigious middle schools in the city.

"This happens to be private property to which only students and staff of this school are allowed to access." The girl answered with a cold, dominant voice. "Please leave now."

Minato bowed to the girls. "We apologize for that. My friend here is new to the city, and I wanted to show him this school."

"That is fine, but please do not loiter in front of the gate. It would make others think we have a couple of punks who want to vandalize the school." She replied with a wry smile.

Junpei gaped at this girl. She was beautiful. "But, uh, what are you doing here? It's a Sunday. It's a holiday."

She flipped her hair and said, "My father and his coworkers are currently surveying the school for inspection. I am accompanying him."

"I see. Again, we apologize for trespassing." Minato replied. He bowed again, as did Kazushi and Kenji. Junpei didn't, but continued to stare at the girl. Minato elbowed him in the stomach, and he hunched over with pain. "Good-bye now."

The boy grabbed Junpei and dragged him off with Kazushi and Kenji.

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-May 7, 2006, Sunday

Palownia Mall

Afternoon

The mall was nearby, so they decided to take a break there by the fountain.

"WHO was that girl?" Junpei asked excitedly. "She was AWESOME!"

"That was Mitsuru Kirijo. Her father owns and runs the Kirijo group." Minato answered. "I've only seen her a few times at the college charity dinners."

"THAT was Kirijo's daughter?"

"I've heard rumors about her. She's always calm and cold. She's pretty damn smart, too!" Kenji replied.

"I bet she only dates uber-nerds, then." Junpei commented with a snicker. "But did you guys notice? Mitsuru-senpai has this aura around her…She's almost like a goddess. A really hot one at that, too."

"Okay, I'll agree with you there, Junpei." Minato answered.

"Psh. Stay out of this, Minato." Kenji replied. "You already have Yukari."

The navy-haired boy grinned slightly.

For the rest of afternoon, the four boys resumed their afternoon. Their conversations were filled with talk of certain girls, Game Panic, and baseball. As the sun fell, Minato could feel himself suddenly getting winded and he was certain what was coming next…

(- -)

Minato raised his head to look up at Junpei. He removed his headphones from his ears and rubbed his eyes.

"Dude, you have to stop sleeping during class." Junpei replied. "You should stop studying so late at night."

"I'm fine." The navy haired boy reassured.

He suddenly remembered Junpei's dream to be a star baseball player. Was that why he always wielded his katana like a baseball bat? Minato had to grin at the thought.

"Hey, do you want to go to Tartarus tonight?" He asked quietly.

"Hell yeah!" Junpei yelled. "Let's go blow out money out on the arcade after school then!"

Minato checked his wallet. Oh yeah, he had enough cash to blow. After all, he was heading to Tartarus tonight. He would be able to get more. If Minato and his friends were just normal high school students, this is how their life would be. It was a pretty nice thought at that, too.