AGAINST THE ODDS
Kamei Eri glanced nervously around the empty cafeteria. Well, empty except for the ever-present Nakazawa. Wait a sec...
"Eh!?" Eri exclaimed, forgetting her worries for a moment. "Who's that with you, Nakazawa-san?" In unison, the two women occupying the queen's table let the front of their newspapers drop and gazed emotionlessly at her. "Fujimoto-san!?"
"I'm in training," Miki replied flatly .
"Training?" Eri repeated.
"Yep," Miki replied, taking a long drink out of a mysteriously unlabeled bottle.
"What are you in - "
"You might want to run about now," Nakazawa interjected, glancing behind the girl.
"Kamei-san." Eri visibly jumped and whirled around.
"A-a-a-ah! I'll have it next week!" she exclaimed, backing herself against a wall. Sudou Maasa and Kumai Yurina advanced on her.
"You said that last week, Kamei-san," Yurina stated, folding her arms across her chest.
"Right! But, um, I, um, didn't get paid?"
"We all work for the same place," Maasa said with a raise of her eyebrow. The two Berryz giants stopped mere centimeters from the shaking turtle's face.
"NEXT WEEK, I SWEAR!" Eri squeaked out.
"Ah, this is pitiful," Nakazawa commented, taking a swig of her beer.
"Yeah," Miki agreed. The pair returned to their newspapers.
"Kamei-san, I'd really like to let you off with another warning," Yurina said with a sad shake of her head. "But we're under strict orders here."
"B-b-b-but," Kamei protested. "Won't it make trouble for your boss if I look beat up?"
"Not our problem. Boss' orders." Maasa shrugged, cracking her knuckles.
"Boss said just not to touch the face," Yurina added. "Anything else is fair game since there's no concert right now."
"I'LL PAY DOUBLE NEXT WEEK!" Kamei pleaded. Miki groaned and threw her paper down.
"DAMN you people are annoying!" Fujimoto exclaimed, standing up and walking over to the trio. "No one is beating up Kamei, especially not you two little twerps," she declared, staring up at the two Berryz towering over her. "And if your damn boss has a problem with that, she can yankee up and come talk to me, ok?" Maasa and Yurina exchanged nervous glances.
"That's all well and good, Fujimoto-san, but, um, if we don't do our jobs, she'll kill us," Yurina explained.
"But if we do our jobs, Fujimoto-san will kill us," Maasa replied.
"Yeah, I guess we're dead either way," Yurina agreed thoughtfully.
"What the hell is this, Tokkaekko?" Miki asked. Nakazawa started laughing.
"Yoshizawa was never quite the same after she hung out with those drag queens," Yuko mused.
"What's 'Tokkaekko'?" Maasa asked quietly to an equally confused Yurina. Nakazawa glared at them. No respect for the history, those damn kids.
"Get the hell out of my cafeteria," Nakazawa snapped.
"But we - "
"GET OUT!" Nakazawa roared, sending the two girls running out of the room.
"Aaaah, thank you so much!" Eri sighed, flopping to the ground. "I really thought they were going to get me this time."
"What'd you lose on this time?" Miki sighed, helping her former fellow member up.
"Who'd get knocked up next," Eri replied. "I mean really, Iida-san!?"
"Oh, that reminds me, I still haven't collected my winnings from that bet," Nakazawa mused, grabbing another beer.
"Who'd you bet on then?" Miki asked.
"Goto-san."
"GOTO MAKI!?" Miki burst out laughing. "Are you JOKING!??"
"Well, she has the sexy image now, so I thought..."
"GOTO FREAKING MAKI?" Miki repeated. "Are you retarded? I don't think she's ever even KISSED a guy unless you're counting Yossi."
"Never the same after those drag queens..." Yuko shook her head.
"Counting Yossi for what?" the so-called only guy in H!P asked, standing in the doorway. She glanced curiously at the large shipping box by the door before heading towards the group.
"Goto having kissed a guy," Miki replied with a grin. Yossi's normally cheerful expression fell into what can only be described as a face of utmost unamusement.
"Very funny," she said sarcastically. "What brought up this little gem?"
"Kamei bet that Goto'd get knocked up."
"Dammit, Eri!" Yossi groaned. "I told you to stop betting! You always lose."
"But, she keeps telling me that it's a sure thing this time!" Eri protested.
"How much do you owe this time?"
"45,000 yen..."
"45,000!?" Yossi exclaimed. Eri nodded sadly. Yossi sighed and slung an arm around the slumping turtle's shoulders. "Fine. Wash my car and I'll lend you the money...again."
"SUCH A NICE SENPAAAAAAAAAI!" Nakazawa squealed out.
"I sure as hell didn't learn it from you," Yossi muttered.
"Damn straight," Yuko agreed. "Oh!" she called after the departing pair. "While you're out, buy me s'more booze!" Yossi gave them a one-fingered salute as she walked out the door.
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If you have never seen Tokkaekko.... go watch Tokkaekko. Preferably while mildly intoxicated.