The day was hot and humidity high in the air. Sendoh hurriedly passed out the coupons, then wrapped an arm around Koshino and smiled, shaking his head slightly.

"I still can't believe all of us came here on the last day of the carnival. At the same time."

Kiyota laughed and nudged Jin, who allowed a small smile to pass on his face. "I can't believe it, either," they chorused.

Throngs of people stared nervously at the ring of the ten tall boys who blocked the exit to the roller-coaster rides. There was that wild-looking one with the red hair, that one who towered above the rest, a girlish looking, slender one, another unsmiling one, one with hair standing up and blown in every direction…

"Well then, let's hurry!" Hanamichi yelled enthusiastically, waving his coupon so vigorously that he knocked Rukawa in the face with his elbow. "Argh! Kitsune! Are you all right?!"

Rukawa looked at him darkly, before Hanamichi reached for his hand and squeezed it slightly. "Don't be angry, please?! Today is a day to play and enjoy ourselves!"

Fujima had to restrain himself from laughing, but it was getting hard, what with the boisterous redhead's obvious efforts to placate his dark-haired lover, that loud-mouthed monkey from Kainandai High School who had come with the well-known, quiet and studious three-pointer of the same school. He coughed, then turned away and banged into a large chest.

"What's so funny?" Hanagata grinned at him, before reaching down and planting a soft kiss on his head. Behind him, he heard a groan, and he spun to see Sendoh shaking a long finger at them.

"Remember boys. Behave."

"Look who's talking," the muttered remark from the ace of Shohoku High School had Koshino dumbfounded, then doubled over laughing.

"Fine! Make fun of me," Sendoh grinned and narrowed his eyes in mock anger at Koshino as the latter slid an affectionate arm around his waist. "Stop wasting time! Which ride do you all want to try first?"

After another half an hour of bickering over which game to play and what ride to take, they all split up for their own individual endeavors.

@@@

The brown-haired boy laughed merrily as Sendoh whacked the tiny hammer down with all his might, slamming it onto the pad and grinning in satisfaction as the buzzer at the top of the mark rang loudly. Colors jumped into being along the panel, and the manager of the stall handed the still-beaming Sendoh a large brown teddy bear dressed in a white sweater.

"That was pretty good," Koshino commented.

Sendoh smiled at him mischievously, before thrusting the bear at Koshino. "You're much better."

@@@

Kiyota was growing increasingly uncomfortable as the ride dipped, tossed, jerked and sped along dizzy circles. He felt a long arm reach around his waist and pull him close, and he leaned as best as he could along Jin's shoulder, praying he wouldn't throw up.

"If you really have to," he could barely hear the other boy in the wind of their passage, "Then turn around so everyone else gets it."

Stifling a laugh as he felt his lover's lips curve up in a smile, he managed to calm himself down enough to release his death-grip on the front handlebar. He regretted it immediately as the ride bounced and flipped once more, turning him an odd shade of green for its thrills.

End of part 1