Thanks to Sezu-nii for proofreading and helping me with AP Chem. I am forever in your debt. I might actually get an A because of you. I'll try and update as much as I can this summer because next year I'm taking the IB Diploma, and from what I've heard, I won't have too much time for fan fiction which is upsetting...

I'm taking the SAT in June, if anyone has tips please help, because my parents are banning me to take journalism class (my school publishes a a magazine a couple times a year) and I really like that class.

I have to get a 2200... (I kid you not). I don't exactly think it's an Asian stereotypical thing exactly, but more because my family's not that well off to let me taking the SAT again and again ($$).

Thanks to all reviewers! Reviews are just like tiny candy each time you get them — each time you receive one, you feel a drop of sweetness.

Was that poetic?

Chapter 12 - Bringing it back: that is, a very difficult task

Hazuki's eyes felt heavy as she tried to sit up as straight as possible in class. The practice match yesterday with Kaijou had been pretty tough even though she hadn't played in all four quarters.

She glanced at Kuroko and Kagami, who gave up trying to stay awake. Kuroko was leaning on his hand as he dozed, which made his sleeping less obvious, but Kagami was completely knocked out and snored openly on his desk, distracting everyone from the phantom 6th player behind him.

He kind of looks like a sleeping tiger, Hazuki thought drowsily, her eyes beginning to droop.

Meanwhile, Kagami began to twitch in his sleep as his dream began to turn from blankness to the practice game with Kaijou the day before.

Kagami ran down the court and dribbled the ball, trying to find an opening towards the goal.

"I won't let you!" Kise yelled as Kagami jumped.

"You won't copy anything anymore — because I'll end it with that!"

BAM!

Kagami's hand clutched the head of their steadily balding mathematics teacher.

"Huh?" he muttered.

"Don't, 'huh' me," a voice that was not Kise's growled with veins threatening to pop on his face. He was still holding a grudge over the magnificent escape of the class two weeks ago.

"How dare you sleep so shamelessly in my class! Come to the faculty office after class!"

"Eh!?" Kagami exclaimed. "EH!?"

And… why didn't that guy get in trouble as well! Kagami glared at the dozing Kuroko behind him.

Oh… misdirection at work, even in his sleep! Hazuki thought, putting her right hand in an L-shape and resting her chin on it just like a detective. As expected of Kuroko-kun.

Meanwhile in the 2-C classroom, Hyuuga gave a long and drawling yawn. I'm so sleepy… I've never been this tired after a single game before…

Riko glanced at Hyuuga.

As I thought, games against the Generation of Miracles aren't easy.

She wrote 'Stamina Up!' in her basketball notebook and circled it.

Now that I think about it, today's that day… Riko took out her cell phone secretly and texted a message to all of the first years.

...

Subject title: Urgent Message!

All the freshmen are to gather at the second year's floor during lunch break~ (´ ▽｀).。ｏ .

...

Hazuki could not help but feel a small sense of intuitive worry when the coach called the first years for a very important 'meeting' with all the second years present.

I can only hope that it's not triple the training menu for all of us as some reward for winning the practice game...

She scratched her cheek sheepishly when she realized it probably wasn't a good idea to think like that.

"What do you want?" Kagami asked nonchalantly.

"Go buy some bread," Riko said.

"Huh?"

"Bread?"

"On the 27th of every month, the Seirin High cafeteria sells a limited quantity of very special bread," Riko explained.

The 27th...? Hazuki pondered. Why is this starting to sound dangerously familiar…

"Supposedly, eating this fantastic bread will bring you great success in love, clubs, or anything else (it's just a rumor though)."

Hazuki began to try to recall some events from last year. If it was what she thought Riko meant...

"I'm back!" Kiyoshi yelled cheerfully as he walked into the doorway of his house.

"Welcome back Tepp — GYAA!" Hazuki gave an uncharacterized shriek.

"Eh, what's wrong?"

"Wha… what's wrong!? Why do you look like you've been trampled over several times!? Were you in a fight? Did some delinquents catch you?"

Although Kiyoshi Teppei could be scatterbrained (and often at the wrong moments), she could depend on him to be at least somewhat orderly and neat in what he wore. (Oddly enough, she sometimes felt that she was the one that was taking care of him instead of the other way around).

However, today he looked like he had come back from a war. His white button up shirt was covered with patchy stains of dirt and several buttons were missing, leaving stray white frays poking out from his shirt. Despite his sunny smile beaming at her, there were several more obvious dirt marks on his face and a very very messy hairstyle that was almost reminiscent of a scarecrow. Strangely enough, there weren't enough bruises from what she could tell.

"What… happened?"

"Ah… well…"

…However that was the extent of her memory.

Hazuki couldn't quite recall the reason for her brother's abnormal appearance (which was saying something), but it was something bad.

"It's the triple delicacy Iberian pork cutlet sandwich with caviar, foie gras and truffles — for 2,800 yen!"

"Expensive!" Fukuda said.

"Won't the quality drop if you add so much stuff!?" Furihata tsukommied.

"We beat Kaijou, and practice is coming along well," Hyuuga said. "We're asking you to get this fantastic bread so you can continue building momentum."

"But, we're not the only ones with our eyes on it," Riko added, a little shifty-eyed. "It might… be a little more crowded than usual."

"Hmn," Hyuuga coughed, his eye twitching slightly.

"We just need to get some bread?" Kagami scoffed, unobservant as usual to the suspicious actions of the 2nd years. "That's too easy."

"Here," Hyuuga gave an envelope. "The second-years will pay for it. And bring back some lunch for everyone else while you're there too. But, if you fail—"

A dark smile formed on Hyuuga's lips and the air around turned ominous.

"I don't need any change. Instead — you'll be doing three times as much strength training and footwork."

Terrifying… Kawahara thought.

He's in clutch mode when buying lunch!? Fukuda thought.

Is this what is referred as a yandere moment?! Hazuki thought with the otaku gleam in her eyes. She had completely forgotten the likely predicament that all the first-years might suffer horribly in the next 20 minutes or so.

...Why does her expression look different from the other first years besides Kagami and Kuroko? Izuki thought.

"It's like she possesses a different mindset from most people," Koganei said, agreeing with his decipherment of Izuki's face.

And why… does that sound so familiar?! Both of them thought in unison in their minds.

"Anyways... if you don't hurry up, they'll be sold out," Izuki said.

"Izuki-senpai..."

"It's okay," he said. "We managed to buy some last year and all of you are just going to buy some of that bread."

"Wait. Huh?"

Izuki's head snapped up.

"Bread!" He quickly swiped out his pun notebook. "Panda bears… eat panda bread."

"...We're off," The freshman group chorused while Hyuuga glared at Izuki. The other second years stared at Izuki, pokerfaced.

"But, but..." Izuki protested.

Hazuki patted his shoulder then walked after the other freshman.

"..." Mitobe raised his hand helplessly and stared off in worry.

"You always worry too much Mitobe," Koganei said in exasperation. "What are you, their mom?"

"And what did you mean, a little busier?" Hyuuga said.

"Eh~" Riko feigned innocence. "I'm going to make that a regular event for first-years from now on."

"Seriously!?"

"Seriously?" Kagami tsukommied.

The scene in front of the first years was nothing but a disastrous frenzy of all the students in the school, shoving (killing?) each other to get to the bread store.

Hazuki's felt her stomach drop. She finally recalled the gory events from her brother's chaotic tale from last year — and at the worst moment: it was too late for her to run away.

"Excuse me, an Iberian sandwich —" a boy tried to yell. "Ouch!"

He was cut off from an elbow to his throat.

"I want an Iberian sandwich!"

"Hey, what are you doing?! Get out of the way!"

"Move aside!"

"Don't PUSH!"

"An Iberian sandwich — AHHHHHHHH!" An unfortunate student was shoved out of the tirade of the battle.

"Th-This… is chaos," Fukuda squeaked.

"—We have to go," Kagami made a fist of determination. "Three times the strength training and footwork will kill us!"

"Alright I'll go first!" Kawahara said. "I might not be as strong as Kagami, but I'm pretty confident in my power!"

He stormed into the crowd, fist held high.

"Don't die!" Fukuda called after him as an afterthought.

"AHHHHHHH — aeeeeeeeeee!" Kawahara shrieked as he flew out of the tightly packed crowd.

"You're unbelievably useless!" Furihata said.

Meanwhile, Hazuki who was unnoticed by the boys (she was standing in the back) was already beginning to see stars and planets swimming around her.

"Now that I take a better look, this is going to take more than a little power," Fukuda gulped. "The forwards of the rugby club, the linemen of the American football, the sumo club…. the weight-lifting club… how are we supposed to get through these guys?!"

"...Sounds interesting… I'll do it!" Kagami declared, his eyes fired up.

"Kagami!?"

"AAHHHHHHHH!" Kagami charged and tried to shove some students aside.

"Guargh! KUH!"

"…." The other freshmen (except of Hazuki who was beginning to zone out badly) stared at Kagami.

"Whoa!" Kagami fell back.

"…This… is Japanese Lunchtime Rush!"

"Kagami!"

"Why are you acting American now?!"

"Just one person charging like that isn't going to work," Fukuda observed morosely. "Wait, I have an idea! Fujidana has that sliding move in basketball doesn't she? What if we manage to push her under the crowd and make her reach the bread store that way?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Kawahara agreed. "Just like a catapult!"

"Hey Fujidana — FUJIDANA!?"

Hazuki's usual casually derpy and 'oblivious-not-worried-to-the-problem-at-hand' face was nonexistent by this point.

"Ahehehe. Ahehehe…" She muttered and stared into the frenzied crowd, no signs of sanity present in her face.

"What's wrong Fujidana-san?" Kuroko asked Hazuki.

"A lot of things," Hazuki told him, a cloud of depression beginning to settle on her.

This declaration shocked the freshman trio to no end. They usually could depend on Hazuki for logical outside-of-the-box ideals and solutions, but now…

"Fujidana is depressed by our problem!?" Kawahara exclaimed. "Something terrible is definitely going to happen!"

Kuroko cocked his head to the side and looked at Hazuki, asking in his invisible way if something was the matter.

She looked down and mumbled something incoherent.

"What?" Kagami demanded, aware that the time for them to buy the bread was running out.

"…I see," Kuroko nodded.

"See what?!" Kagami shouted.

"Well, Fujidana-san has agoraphobia."

"Ah…" The freshman trio connected the pieces together in terrible realization, covering their face with the palms of their hand.

Their sliding expert wouldn't be able to save them from their predicament.

Kagami remained as hopeless confused. "What?"

"Agoraphobia," Kuroko repeated.

"Yes, I know that! What does that mean!?"

"….." All the boys stared at him.

"I'm so sorry for being a Japanese-returnee! Tell me what that means!"

"...Kagami-kun should read more," Kuroko deadpanned.

"Shut up!" Kagami yelled back, embarrassed.

"It's the fear of crowds," Kuroko explained.

"…Seriously?" Kagami said.

"Ah… I kind of want to dig a hole and bury myself in it…" Hazuki sank down to the ground and descended into a state of crazed apathy. Kuroko patted her head as if there was nothing weird about it.

But all the same, their optimistic sliding expert was out of the game.

"I guess..." Furihata gulped. "We all have to go together!"

"Seirin… FIGHT!" The freshman trio yelled and charged.

"AHEEEEEEEEEE!" They screamed as they were knocked out of the war zone.

They leaped up, disheveled, but charged again.

"AHEEEEEEEEEE!" The trio screeched.

Their uniforms were becoming as ripped as Hazuki remembered Teppei's had been.

"AHEEEEEEEEEE!" They now looked like they had been trampled and stomped on.

THIS ISN'T EASY! They tsukommied.

Kagami grabbed Fukuda's collar.

"...We've gotta take our chances," Kagami said. "Sorry, FUKUDA!"

He threw Fukuda into the crowd.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Fukuda landed as flat as a board onto the raging crowd

"My basketball isn't the only American thing about me!" Kagami exclaimed and leaped onto Fukuda's back.

"Crowd surfing!" Kawahara exclaimed.

"It's crazy, but it might work!" Furihata said.

Hazuki put her hands together and prayed.

"Go! Ride those waves!" Furihata shouted.

Kagami spread his arms out and balanced like a surfer. The crowd of students began to lift Fukuda (and Kagami) towards the bread store. After a few moments, the flow suddenly halted.

"Wuh?" Kagami said. "Wuh wha WHAT?"

Kagami-kun... Hazuki tsukommied in her head. The way he's balanced right now... they're going to fall back to where they started...

The crowd pushed Fukuda and Kagami to the back of the crowd, sweeping them onto the ground.

"This... this is Japanese lunchtime rush!" Kagami gasped in awe and fear.

Hazuki grabbed Kagami's head.

"Eh, what the—" Kagami said, oblivious.

"Gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero-gero," Hazuki repeated and clenched Kagami's forehead (who was becoming terrified by the look on her face).

"Fujidana's broken!?" Kawahara shouted.

"Stop that!" Kagami yelled. "This is really scary!"

"Gero-gero-gero-gero..."

"STOPPPP!"

Hazuki let go and turned around, not paying much attention.

"I thought I was going to be cursed..." Kagami panted, bent over on his knees.

"Kagami... what are we going to do?" Furihata said.

Maybe this is some divine intervention that's telling me I should participate in the bread contention... Hazuki thought. Should I go? Should I not?!

"Agsiohgsiurhafhkdsgbiouna..." Hazuki mumbled putting her head in her hands. "Alright... I'll—"

And right before those cursed words were said, someone patted her shoulder.

"Huh?" She turned.

"Excuse me," Kuroko said, holding a sandwich. "I bought one."

"Uh..."

Everyone stared for a solid three seconds.

Kagami broke the silence and grabbed Kuroko's collar. The bluenette stared straight back, unfazed.

"WHAT? YOU? HOW?" he spluttered.

"Um..." Kuroko said, completely pokerfaced. "The flow of the crowd pushed me to the front, so I got the bread and left some money."

"Uh..." a stunned Kagami muttered.

"But Kuroko-kun," Hazuki said. "Don't we need to buy six breads? Did you buy all of them?"

"...I apologize. I forgot."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Everyone tsukommied.

"Kuroko you bastard!" Kagami yelled, ticks growing on his forehead.

Hazuki buried her face in her hands again. Maybe this really is divine intervention...

"Well, I'll be back in five minutes," Kuroko stated, willing to go back to the frenzied bread contention.

Or maybe not.

"Why didn't you get all the breads the first time!?" Kagami yelled.

"I forgot."

"Lunch is about to end," Kagami yelled. "Hurry up. Please!"

"Kagami-kun, you really need to stop yelling so much," Kuroko jabbed Kagami's ribs to make him let go. "And yes, I will do so."

The freshman trio stared at Kuroko, flabbergasted.

"Is something wrong?" Kuroko asked.

"No... nothing," Fukuda blurted.

"It's just...as expected of the Phantom Sixth man..." Kawahara said.

Kuroko wordlessly blended into the crowd once more, unperturbed.

"What the hell..." Kagami said and sank to the ground, cradling the side Kuroko jabbed him on.

Maybe it is god's intervention... Kuroko... you're a saint! Hazuki thought.

The freshmen climbed onto the rooftop, four of whom looked like they came from a battlefield, one looking as impassive as ever, and a girl whose face was slightly contorted and pensive as if she didn't know what kind of expression to make.

"We brought it back..." Kawahara declared, exhausted and held the bag out.

"Good job," Riko praised cheerfully. "Here's some juice for you guys!"

"Eh?" The freshman trio asked, confused.

"Go ahead and eat," Izuki smiled.

"Is that alright?" Fukuda asked.

"Of course. Don't hold back," Hyuuga said.

The freshmen all looked at each other.

"I guess we'll take turns," Furihata said hesitantly. "Who's first?"

"It's gotta be Kuroko right?" Fukuda held out a bread for Kuroko.

Kuroko took a sandwich. "Thank you for the food." He took a bite.

"This!" His eyes widened.

"This?" Hazuki asked.

This is... incredibly delicious," He lifted his head and looked at everyone.

"Whoa! This is the first time I've seen Kuroko look this happy!" Kawahara said.

"Kuroko-kun, you should always keep your face in that state," Hazuki said seriously.

"That's impossible Fujidana-san," he said, his face back to normal.

"My turn!" Furihata said, taking a bite of the sandwich. "WHOAA! What is this harmony of flavors!?"

Kawahara took a bite of the sandwich with a look of anticipation.

"The juicy Iberian pig, the sweetness of the foie gras and the acidity of the caviar... is SO DELICIOUS!"

Kagami rolled his eyes and began munching on his 'Super Long BLT' (100 cm - 1000 YEN). "It doesn't matter as long as it's big."

"What are you talking about!?" The freshmen trio tsukommied.

Hazuki smiled and slipped her sandwich into her pocket. She decided to keep it as a (peace) offering for Teppei. She gave a small grimace at the thought of her brother...

...because he ranted for two hours straight yesterday.

"You baka baka baka baka baka!" Kiyoshi rambled on the phone, so loud that his voice rang in her years.

Hazuki held her cellphone by the strap at an arms length away, waiting for him to finish yelling while she soothed her burning ear from his outburst.

"Okay okay okay okay okay!" Hazuki yelled back, still holding the phone far away from her ear.

"Did you really join the basketball team!?"

"Please don't get mad! And you're disturbing the other patients at the hospital!"

Kiyoshi made a muffled raspberry-like noise.

"You're pouting aren't you?" Hazuki asked. It looks like he forgot about asking why I joined. Thank goodness...

"You should have told me!" Kiyoshi shouted.

"Ahh jeez! Let's stop talking about this! Or I won't bring you dorayuki when I visit you!"

"Noooo~" The pout was even more audible

Hazuki felt a bit guilty that she was compelled to skip lunch for Teppei. She sighed as she rested her chin on the railing.

What a troublesome brother, she thought, listening to Seirin chatter and munch their lunches.

Her stomach growled.

Hm... her thoughts wandering as she kneeled against the railings groggily, staring off the edge of the rooftop.

"Are you not going to eat?" Kuroko asked. Then without asking more, he broke off a large part of his sandwich and offered it.

"No, it's fine... you like the sandwich don't you?" Hazuki asked, her eyes betraying her interest, sparkling in hunger and mouth almost drooling.

Growl...

"That's not convincing," Kuroko deadpanned. He fed (shoved?) the sandwich into her mouth.

"Musha, musha..." Hazuki mumbled. She then smiled with her mouth as full as a happy squirrel.

"If you don't eat, you'll collapse at practice," he said.

Hazuki suddenly visualized Kuroko falling facedown like he did every day after basketball practice.

"...Fujidana-san, I'll get mad."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Gather!" Hyuuga yelled as their basketball practice came to a close. Everyone circled around the captain.

"The preliminaries of the Inter-High are beginning soon! We were only one step away from reaching it last year, but we'll definitely go this year!"

"Hanamiya Makoto," Hazuki murmured morosely.

"There are a lot of strong schools in this district. The biggest and strongest opponent here is Shuutoku High!"

One of the three Kings of Tokyo, Hazuki thought. Aniki competed against their current Captain, Otsubo Taisuke-san, several times in middle school.

"They were in the best eight last year," Hyuuga continued. "On top of that, they recruited a player of the 'Generation of Miracles,' If we can't defeat that school, we won't get a ticket to nationals!"

"Kuroko," Kagami nudged him. "You know what kind of guy he is right?"

"This is probably not something you can believe with words, but like Kise-kun said, the other four Miracles are on a different level. It he's improved even more since then, I can't imagine his level right now," Kuroko said.

"In order to challenge Shuutoku, we have to start by winning our first match. Let's get fired up and go for it!" Hyuuga shouted.

"Yeah!" The players cheered.

"Anyways, where's coach?" Hyuuga asked Izuki.

"It seems that our opponent in the first match is having a training match nearby, so she went to check on them," he replied.

In a neighboring school's basketball court, Riko stared at the match in awe and fear.

"It can't be... they're completely different from last year! Before we can even challenge Shuutoku, we'll lose the first match!"

Please R/R. :) Whenever I receive a review in my email inbox I put it into a folder named "Beautiful Reviews".

www...