Six miracles: Crossed paths

Chapter 17 || Seirin High

Seirin High

"Uh... Senpai, are you sure about this?"

"Yup," said Riko, practically skipping as she rattled the change in her hand.

"And you're completely sure about the address, and we're not heading to God-knows-where?" said Akira.

"Yup."

"Nae, has anyone ever visited the shop before?"

Akira received a few half-hearted head-shakes from the team, and her sense of mistrust increased. Kuroko had received an all-clear from the hospital and the coach had insisted that they had to celebrate the event. But the team was almost broke, and other than transportation, they had very little.

Riko had been on the verge of giving up, when her face suddenly lit up. She had read an advertisement for a diner, and for some unknown reason, she insisted that they were going to eat there.

"Senpai," whispered Akira, falling in line with Hyuuga, "Coach saw that ad for approximately four seconds before that truck sped away. Are you sure she has the right address?"

"No."

"Then why are we all following her?"

"What can we do about it?"

"Point taken."

Finally, coach stopped in front of a diner. Akira was relieved they weren't lost after all. The smells wafting from inside made her stomach grumbled loudly. Coach pushed open a door, which had a colourful, flashy poster about some challenge.

"All inside!" she said brightly.

The team took one of the larger tables near the front, while Akira and Riko went to place their order. Riko counted out the change in her hand. "Splendid! We can buy one large orange juice with this."

"Senpai, we have an entire team sitting back there," said Akira.

"Can I take your order?" said the guy behind the counter.

"Yes!" said Riko, "One large orange juice..."

"Yes."

"And one special steak for each of the boys back there," said Riko, taking a headcount.

Akira's jaw dropped, and she tugged on Riko's sleeve. "Senpai, who's paying for the steaks again?"

Riko pointed to one of the colourful notices in response. Akira's heart plummeted to her shoes when she read it. "Senpai, just look at that picture... It's huge. We'll be washing dishes till nightfall, if even one of them doesn't manage to finish their portion, let alone the entire team."

"Don't worry; they're growing boys," said Riko with a laugh.

Akira followed Riko to the table. "Senpai," she casually to Hyuuga once she sat down, "Did you read the notices at the entrance?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Nothing..."

Realization slowly dawned on him, as waiters lugged the huge slabs of steak to the table. It smelled delicious, but Akira felt nauseous, when she remembered that they didn't have a single yen left to pay for any of them.

"Nae, Riko," began Izuki, "Did you--"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

The boys began to slowly dig into their steaks as Akira and Riko shared the juice. Akira watched apprehensively as their speed reduced with every bit. In addition to that, Izuki's steak puns made everyone nauseous, making the task even more difficult. Ten minutes later, Kuroko threw in the towel, reducing the team's morale even further. One by one, even the senpais pushed back their chairs, looking ready to throw up. Akira didn't even need to count the unfinished steaks on the table. None of them had finished.

Akira was thinking how her parents would react to her turning up late after being a human dishwasher, when a voice abruptly cut into her thoughts. "Oh wow, this was awesome! Can I have some more?"

Akira blinked in amazement. It was Bakagami. He was eyeing the steaks on the table. "Does anyone want that?"

Kagami looked like Christmas had come a month early, when the entire team pushed their stakes towards him. He stuffed his face like a ginormous hamster, and worked through the stakes until the plates were spotless.

The hotel manager was stumped and stared at them, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

"Hey, don't you usually take pictures of people who finish challenges to put up on your wall?" said Izuki.

"Now, now Izuki-kun," said Riko, pretending to ruffle his hair, but actually grabbing him by the collar. "Let's not push it okay?"

"Get out... All of you!" said the manager.

"That was some steak!" said Kagami, happily, "I'll drop by someday."

"You two Bakagami," said Riko, grabbing him with her free arm, "Let's go, all of you."

Once they were outside, coach took a head-count, only to find—much to her annoyance—that Kuroko was missing.

Akira sighed. Kuroko was so dead...

It was well into the evening when they found Kuroko. Riko immediately put him in a crab-hold, and the rest of the team began to walk wearily towards the bus-stop, ignoring Kuroko's pleas for help. Akira momentarily considered going back to help him, but reconsidered when she thought about how bone-weary she was, and how that they had been delayed for more than half-an-hour because of him. Luckily for the team, a bus approached not long after all of them assembled in the bus-stop.

Akira sat near the window, mulling over the day's events. She had been inclined to laugh at Kagami and Kuroko when she first learned that Kuroko had promised him that he would help him beat the g.o.m. Now, their crazy plan didn't seem so far-fetched. After all, they had already taken on one of the g.o.m, and emerged victorious.

"One down, four to go," muttered Akira to herself.

She heard a small beep from her phone, and she found that she had received a text from Sora. She sighed. Satsuki had probably told her about the match already. That was disappointing... Now she wouldn't be the first one with the news.

'I'll call you when I get home, 'kay?'

Akira yawned slightly, as she reclined on the seat. If they kept up this streak, they would really be Japan's number one in no time.

Probably.