The following morning when Karin walked towards Taka's house he was standing outside, waiting.
"Ah, Taka-kun." Karin stopped.
"Good morning." He said.
Why is he waiting here? He is usually driven to school.
"Ah good morning Taka-kun." Karin said and bowed. "How come you aren't driven to school today? Do you have a flat tire or something?"
"Uh no. I thought I'd walk today." Taka said. "Do you mind if we go together?"
"No, of course not." Karin smiled. "It'd be nice to have someone to talk with on the way."
Though there wasn't much talking. At least not from Taka's side. Karin went on about the history test her class had today and other random things.
Wuah… I'm probably boring him, whit all my talking. He seems so distant lately, Karin glanced at Taka. I wonder what's going on in his mind.
"Hm? Do I have something on my face?" Taka asked and felt around his mouth to see if any crumbs from breakfast were still there. Shoot! I didn't realize that I was still looking at him.
"Aah n-no… I mean yes. Yes you did, but it's gone now." She faltered.
"Ah ok." Taka murmured.
"Ooi! Taka! Karin!" Someone shouted from the school gate. It was Yamato. Really, nothing seemed to every bother that guy in the daily life. He's such a morning person.
"Good morning, you two." Yamato smiled. He put, for some reason, extra pressure on the good.
"Good morning Yamato." Karin said and bowed.
"Morning." Taka greeted.
Yamato was as cheerful as always and talked about his grandmother whom he had to go and visit the next day and about how she was almost blind, but was a very good knitter.
"She would always knit me sweaters and such and send them to me in America. Well, matter of fact she still does." He said and shrugged.
"Does she still send them to America?" Karin asked confused.
"No, she knits stuff for me. Though she still thinks I'm seven years old."
"How can you wear something for a seven years old?" Taka asked the 190cm tall boy.
"Yeah, she keeps pointing out how tall I am for a seven years old when I'm there. She is very old and senile." Yamato chuckled. "Well class is about to start. Let's go Taka. See you later Karin."
"Yes, see you later." Karin said and walked to her own class where she was met by some of the guys who all bid her very formally good morning.
"Ah… I've told you guys so many times." Karin lifted her hand as if to stop them. "Please just greet me normally."
She went in her classroom, where she again was greeted with the same formality and she had to tell them again to not be so formal around her and just greet her in a normal way. When the fuss was over she sat down on her seat and took out the necessary things for the test.
After the history class there was English class. Karin sat next to the window and wasn't paying much attention to the teacher. From the window you could see the football training field and two people were already training. Karin smiled. In the beginning she had been somewhat forced to start on the American football team. She remembered the day very clearly. Ibarada-san had accidently thrown a ball and hit her bag so that all her things fell out. He had asked her to throw back the ball and when she asked where to throw it Taka had raised his hand and she threw it to him and he caught it with one hand. He then immediately asked Hercules to make Karin join the team since she'd become a great quarterback. Taka had called her throwing ability "pure talent". Karin looked down on the field and saw that the two persons training were Yamato and Taka. Taka had seen her and waved. Without thinking Karin waved back.
"Yes, Koizumi." The teacher said.
"Eh?" Karin looked at the teacher confused.
"Didn't you raise your hand to answer the question?"
Oh shoot! I wasn't paying attention! Hyaa… I don't know what she asked about.
"Uuh… um no I didn't" Karin tried.
"But you waved you hand and all."
"Th-there was a bug." Karin stammered. "Yeah a bug. It was… uh… bugging me."
"I see." The teacher looked at her rather suspiciously, but then went on with the class.
Phew, Karin sighed. She looked out of the window again. Yamato was now throwing balls to Taka. Apparently they were practicing long passes. From the looks of it Yamato gave it all he got, but Taka was still able to catch every single ball. That's Taka for you, Karin smiled. Without equal. Well there was Raimon Tarou from Deimon. But it was hard to compare the two. Taka was much more…
"Karin-chan." Someone whispered from the right. "Are you alright?"
"Eh?" Karin looked to her side. A girl she used to eat lunch with, Kimiko, was looking at her with careful eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You're all flushed. Do you have a fever or something?"
"Ah… uh no I'm fine."
"You sure?" Kimiko asked. Karin nodded.
After class, Karin went to look for Yamato.
"Ah Yamato." Karin said when she found him. "I was wondering where we should keep the party. I don't think we all can fit in my house and I don't think that the school will let us use the assembly hall."
"What's wrong with the gym hall?"
"Nothing. I just didn't think that we would be allowed to use it."
"Noting to worry about. I'll go and get the key for it later." Yamato said. "Hmm… what time should it be?"
"Around seven?"
"Sounds good. Then you girls will have time to bake and stuff." He smiled. "Alright, at seven it is. Maybe we should tell the guests to be half and hour early."
"Yes. But I was wondering. How will we get Taka-kun to come to the gym hall?"
"Leave it to me. I'll just tell him that it is some sort of special practice or something."
"Alright. So at seven tomorrow in the gym hall." Karin wrote it down on a little note book.
"So everything is in order now?" Yamato asked.
"Yes. Mamori-san and Suzuna will come tonight and then we'll start with the baking."
"Fine then. I will tell the members of Teikoku when to meet and you can tell the rest of team Japan, alright?"
"Yes I'll tell them." Karin nodded and the school bell rang.
"Oh. Well gotta go now." Yamato said and went to his class.
On her way to her own class Karin was met by Kimiko, who was fully dressed and ready to leave.
"Kimiko! Are you skipping class?" Karin asked surprised.
"No. Tamura-sensei is ill, so we get of for today." Kimiko smiled. "Come on. I'll treat you something downtown."
"Oh thank you Kimiko. Hold on I'll just get my things." Karin said and went in the classroom.
"I'll wait for you at the door." Kimiko said.
They walked around a little and Kimiko bought a huge ice cream for Karin, who only could eat half of it and then Kimiko had to eat the rest so it would go to was. After a while Kimiko's mother called and she had to go home and Karin got a chance to buy the cake book for Taka. It was a very fancy book with a lot of recipes in it.
Then she went down to the train station to wait for Mamori and Suzuna. While she waited, she texted the rest of team Japan and told them when to meet and where.
"Karin-chan!" A cheerful voice called from behind. Karin looked over her shoulder and saw Suzuna and Mamori coming out of the train.
"Hello you two. I hope you had a pleasant trip." Karin greeted.
"It was great. Somehow we ended up in first class. So we just had a great free meal." Suzuna cheered and patted her stomach.
"Yeah and the seats were so comfortable and there was so much space." Mamori said and tried to hold back a yawn.
"Well, you must be tired." Karin said. "If we hurry a little we can catch the next bus to my place."
When they reached Karin's place and Mamori and Suzuna had put their luggage in their bedrooms, Karin gave them a tour of the house.
"And this is where I practice piano and draw. I usually also do my homework here." Karin said.
"Yaa!" Suzuna exclaimed and went over to the grand piano. "It's so big."
"Karin-chan, will you please play something for us." Marmori asked.
"Eh? No, I can't… I mean I don't…"
"Oh don't be modest Karin-nee-chan." Suzuna said and hauled Karin to the piano. "Come on. Play something you've done."
"Ah… no my stuff isn't that good. How about I play something else?"
"No I wanna hear something you've done." Suzuan said and took a note book that was laying on the table and looked in it while Karin tried to defend herself against Mamori who insisted that Karin's stuff would be good enough.
"Karin-nee-chan. What's this one?"
"Eh? What one?"
"This one called: a song for the hawk."
"Hyaaa! No you can't see that! It's a surprise for Taka-kun's birthday."
"But we're not Taka." Suzuna grinned. "Come on. Will you pretty please play it for us?"
"Alright I'll play it. But then you have to tell me what needs to be improved." Karin said and began to play.