TSUKI
A very appetizing aroma drifted from the kitchen. "Tsukiko! It's time for dinner!" called my mother.
"Coming, coming…" I replied, not getting up from my bed.
"Tsukiko! This is important!"
Perhaps Father had received another promotion, which could only be a good thing – we might move to Tokyo, the capital. Kyoto was a big city, but it was just… different. And I needed a change of scenery... Plus, I'd heard that a Tokyo team had won this year's boys' tennis national tournament. I did keep track of such things… Kayuu-nii had been an avid tennis player, last time. But I'd stopped, partly because of him.
In any case, it didn't really matter. It would be nice to be in a new place.
Chapter 1: The New GirlFUJI
"Taihenda nya, Fujiko! I forgot to do the last page of English homework! Pleasepleaseplease let me copy yours!" A cat-like redhead skidded to a halt in front of me.
"Saa, Eiji, I really don't know. You're getting too reliant on me for such things," I said, just to watch him suffer.
"Fuuujiiiiiikooooo-chaaaaaaaan!!" He stared at me with pleading eyes.
I relented. "Fine, fine, here you go."
"Arigato Fujiko-chan! I owe you my life!"
"I hope you realize that sensei's already here…"
"Shoot!" He quickly stuffed the books under his desk. Yamada-sensei gave him a queer look, but then shook it off. He quickly quelled the noisy class by slapping a ruler against his desk.
"Class! Before we begin, we have a newcomer. Kindly welcome Hayashi Tsukiko to our class!"
He did seem to be alone…
Sensei coughed. "Excuse me, Tsukiko-chan. Please come in and introduce yourself."
There were footsteps outside the door, then a girl walked in.
The first thing that struck me was her hair. I had seen plenty of blonde girls, but never one with what is I believe called silverblonde hair. She had a whole sheet of these silvery tresses, all the way to her hips. I noticed that it had been cut in the layered style, one of the latest trends according to Yumiko-nee-chan if memory served me.
The color wasn't the sort of shade that you could obtain out of a bottle, and a natural blonde with Asian features was certainly not something you saw every day. She was extraordinary.
The next thing that caught my attention was her eyes. They were a clear grey color, and very sharp. She seemed to look over the entire class, checking if they met her standards, before smiling politely, her eyes closing slightly.
"Fuji, she's really cute, don't you think? But that smile reminds me a bit of you…" whispered Eiji.
Interesting. I had a fellow smiler.
EIJI
The new girl seriously reminded me of Fujiko-chan. It was unnerving.
"Introduce yourself, please," said Sensei.
She opened her eyes, and I half-expected them to have become a bright cerulean blue like those of a certain somebody. I was relieved when they remained grey, though they seemed slightly different from before.
"I am Hayashi Tsukiko, from Kyoto. I am half Japanese and half Belgian on my mother's side, which is why I look Eurasian. I have no favorite subject. I hope to be able to integrate into this class well," she said.
I raised my hand, wanting to ask why she had transferred to Seigaku.
Ignoring me, she continued, "Before anyone asks, I transferred to this school because my father's company had posted him here in Tokyo. If you have any personal questions, please address them directly to me instead of asking before an audience."
She had totally read my mind! While I was trying to get over the shock, Sensei coughed. "Tsukiko-chan, as you seem to be quite a good speaker, I would like to recommend the Debate Society, of which I am the teacher-in-charge. We need people like you, and I believe you have not chosen to join any club yet."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Yamada-sensei. I will think about it," she said politely.
"Well, then, choose a seat. There is one at the back next to Nagano-kun and one near the middle next to Kikumaru-kun."
She looked at the two seats before moving in my direction. Oh dear. I was going to be sitting between Fujiko and someone who seemed to be a female replica of him.
TSUKI
Even after Yamada-sensei had begun teaching, I did not remove my polite face. His class was lackluster, and he acted like we were all still in grade school, unable to understand the slightest thing. I listened with one ear while I began to map out the class.
The first thing I noticed was that very few people were paying attention. Most of the other students were staring off into space or playing with various items such as their stationery or their hair. One boy was even drooling, obviously fast asleep. The girls, however, were quite occupied. Many were drawing in their books; others whispered to their friends on either side. A large number, I noticed, did not look very happy at my presence.
Too bad, I thought. You'll only have to put up with me till graduation, and then I'll be out of your hair.
EIJI
Whoa, she was really a master of the poker face, able to look interested even in Yamada-sensei's class. Just like a certain tensai who happened to be sitting on my other side. It was starting to get creepy, how very alike the two of them were. At least she didn't close her eyes all the time.
I plucked up my courage, reached across the aisle and poked her arm. "Hoi, Tsukiko-chan!"
She turned and looked at me. "Yes?"
Phew. Her eyes weren't as scarily piercing as Fujiko's.
"Wanna come for lunch with me and Fujiko-chan? That guy on my left, I mean."
She stared at me, eyes suddenly a metallic silver. "Why are you asking? Trying to get in close already?"
I pouted. She was being so mean. But on the bright side, it showed that she really wasn't a female version of Fujiko. He'd never say anything like that.
"I was just offering, you know," I huffed. "But don't if you don't want to."
Suddenly the faint scowl vanished and was replaced by a genuine smile. After hanging out with Fujiko for so long, I was getting pretty good at telling when smiles were real or just for show.
"Kikumaru-kun!" rapped out Yamada-sensei. "Kindly read the next paragraph for the class and tell us what you think the author means to say in it."
I leapt to my feet. "H-hai sensei!" Inwardly I was freaking out. I hadn't been paying any attention and had no idea what I was supposed to read and explain.
"Page 87, paragraph 5," came two simultaneous whispers from either side.
No time to dwell on the freakishness of it now. I began reading.
TSUKI
"Thanks! You saved me!" Kikumaru whispered the moment he sat back down.
I wasn't sure who he was talking to, Fuji or I. After all, we had said the same thing at the same time to the same person for the same purpose. So, I didn't answer.
He looked at me. "Didn't you hear me, Tsukiko-chan? I said thanks!"
Apparently he had been addressing me. I smiled at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were talking to your 'Fujiko-chan'," I apologized. "And actually, if your offer still stands, I'd like to take you up on it."
His wide eyes betrayed his confusion. "Offer?"
"Yes, about lunch. I'd like to go with you."
He blinked at me. "Why'd you suddenly change your mind?"
I had half-expected him to just accept my decision without a word, but it seemed that he wasn't as dumb as I had thought.
Giving him the most angelic smile I could muster at the moment, I told him, "If I didn't go for lunch with you, your fangirls are going to give me a hard time. And I don't really want a hard time on my first day here. It leaves a very bad impression, don't you think?"
"Nya, so this is really all about you, then?"
"Oh no, what on earth made you think that?" Inwardly, I grinned. He really wasn't so dumb. Maybe lunch with him and his teammate wouldn't be so bad.
"Well, actually you're right. But when I told you no the first time, you looked so sad. That really made me feel guilty," I informed him. "So, does the offer still stand? Am I going for lunch with you two? Or am I going to get eaten for lunch by these drama and cheerleading fangirls of the both of you? I believe I am right when I say that you are the most popular in Seigaku."
He looked surprised. "How did you know that, nya?"
"Just looking at this class is enough. One-third of the girls in this class have been glaring daggers at me since you started talking to me, while the other two-thirds of the class have been ignoring me and gazing starry-eyed at dear "Fujiko-chan". Only five girls are exempt from either of these behavioral patterns; I suspect they crush on other members of your team or have boyfriends from other clubs. Also, your reaction when I informed you of the results of my observations concluded that I was correct." I knew my smile was bordering on a smirk, but that couldn't be helped. "Well? Am I allowed to tag along with you two for lunch?"
He seemed to think it over, then shrugged. "Sure."
Good. I was safe, for lunch at least.
EIJI
I really didn't know what freaked me more, her original resemblance to Fujiko or her growing resemblance to Inui. If a new girl absolutely had to resemble my teammates, couldn't she have picked someone less freaky, like Momo or Oishi?
A/N: First fic ever written, so please be kind…? I hope the storyline isn't too cliché… Reviews would help
