That Manager - Kuroko no Basuke (Book 1)

第21Q

"This year, at the beginning and end of summer vacation, we'll be taking two trips to the beach and to the mountain!" announced Riko to the team, who gathered in front of her and Hyuga.

'They chose both!' thought the other upperclassmen, who had heard hers and Hyuga's discussion on the location of their training camp, with horror.

"The qualifiers for the Winter Cup start right after summer vacation ends!" continued Hyuga. "It's important we use this vacation as effectively as possible. Let's give it everything we have! Dismissed!"

"Good work!" shouted the boys.

"Sorry." said the coach with her hand raised to them. "I have to go talk to the teachers about our training camps."

"Okay." said Hyuga before she took off.

Yasu was helping Kuroko to put away the scoreboard when they bumped into Kagami, who was helping to put away the basketballs. "Sorry, Kagami." she said.

"That hurt." he said. "Look where you two are going!"

"Kagami-kun, please don't stagger around like that." advised Kuroko.

The said boy pointed at Nigou with his foot. "It's his fault for hanging around my feet." he blamed. Nigou wagged his tail and ran around Kagami, scaring him. "Hey, get away from me!"

Yasu giggled at the scene before kneeling on the floor to pat the dog. "It seems we'll be able to take Nigou with us on our trips." she said, remembering her phone call with the owner of the guesthouse on the rules and regulations. "The guesthouse will allow it."

"Don't bring him!" scolded Kagami. "He's annoying!"

"Kagami-kun, you're so mean." commented Kuroko.

Nigou got up after Yasu had stopped patting him and ran back to the said boy. "Get away from me!" he said.

"They've started talking to each other again, but they seem to be arguing a lot more." noted Koganei as he, Tsuchida and Kiyoshi watched the exchange.

"Are they okay?" asked Tsuchida worriedly.

"They're fine." assured Kiyoshi.

"But they didn't pass to each other during practice today." added Koganei.

"It's just for now." said Kiyoshi. "They'll pass again in the winter."

"One more time, everyone!" yelled Hyuga. "Gather 'round!" Everyone didn't waste any time to assemble in front of Hyuga, who had Nigou watching next to him. "We're currently facing grave danger. In order to make two trips this year, we chose cheap lodgings. We'll have to make our own food, which is where our problem lies." He closed his eyes in agony as every waited for him to say what the problem was. After a few seconds of suspense, he said, "Coach will be cooking for us!"

The first-years blinked at him, confused by the statement. "What?" responded Furihata. "Is that bad?"

"Of course it's bad!" snapped Hyuga. "At the Touou game, you saw her honey-soaked lemons!"

'But I thought all you have to do is preserve the sliced lemons with honey?' questioned Yasu, recalling the time she had to make them for her Teiko teammates because Momoi gave them whole lemons bathed in honey.

"So..." said Kiyoshi in suspense, who looked as uneasy as the other upperclassmen. "That's not cooking anymore."

'You mean it's inedible?!' thought the first-years in horror, upon noticing their seniors' expressions, even Mitobe was quivering in fear.