I somehow like my senpai

Chapter 01

--xXx--

Ryoma's POV

Since I was young, tennis had been everything for me. And when I said 'young' I meant as in 'sixth months' young. I have just figured out how to sit without my hands supporting my weight when suddenly oyaji gave me a racket two size of my own, how considerate. Oyaji had been teaching, playing, mocking, massacring me on countless of tennis matches ever since. The fact that I was only a helpless toddler didn't seem to stop him from going all out in every match at that time. But thanks to the intense training I got from him, I won the world youth tennis championship at the age of ten with my own power. Well, my dad had to pull some strings to get me in the tournament at first (I stumbled an age-related issue back then), but other than that it was all me. I am the best. I'm not being cocky when I said that but it's the truth. I won the fricking WORLD youth tennis championship for God sake, of course I'm the best (italic word meant to be spoken in a veeerryy discreet manner). Everyone who knows or has interest or somewhat related to the tennis world is sure to recognize me as one of the rarest tennis prodigy. One that only appears every one hundred years or something like that. I don't like the attention though, but I sure do like the nickname they gave me: The Prince.

… Okay, I made that one up. Anyway… being at the top is not my first goal in playing tennis, it hardly even my second. In fact, it's quite near the bottom two on my goal list. The last being 'meeting different kinds of people who enjoys tennis and enrich my social skill' (my mom forced me to squeeze this idea in my list when she found out that I actually had one) and the first is, obviously, seek revenge by beating the old man mercilessly – preferably in public. Seeing how things are going the past year, I have an un-describable confidence that I'll beat him in one year time. Nine months if I concentrate in my training in exchange of cutting myself from the rest of the world civilization. Therefore, things like friends and friendship, hatred and love are really not on my top priorities right now.

But still…

I really don't get this guy. This Fuji guy. A guy two years older than me who happens to play tennis, and proves to be good at it, and also happens to go to the same school and is listed in the same club as I am which obviously make him my senpai whether I like it or not.

Why don't I get this guy? Well, I don't want to brag but I kind of proud of my tardiness, as in I am never on time. I also have extreme tendency to yawn, as in I yawn all the time. But this guy… he's often late attending morning practice. In fact, he's ALWAYS late. He also has tendency to yawn all day, in fact he even sleeps in the clubroom and skips the first period sometimes. And I thought that all Japanese people were all hard-working morning people who didn't have the word 'slacking' in their dictionary.

He somehow bothered me. I don't know why I get bothered because of him, but I do.

I heard from my other senpai – the one with this super cheeky aura - that this guy, from now on will be called 'Fuji senpai', recently have a part time job at night. That's why he's constantly late and sleepy. The entire club member seemed to understand his situation. Well, everyone except our captain who gives him a fair punishment: one laps for every minute lateness. Buchou gives me a flat ten laps punishment every time I'm late but I don't mind. I'm usually late for fifteen minutes anyway. As for me, I can only think about one thing: why join a club that has morning activity if you have a part time job at night?

That's just stupid.

Since I love being my usual ignorant self, I only sigh and mutter 'Mada mada da ne' whenever he catches me up during my laps, saying 'We look like a couple if we run side by side like this, don't we?' with a wide smile on his face.

I am sure to speed up after that.

As if I want to look like a couple with him.

Then he'd also speed up for the sake of catching up with me again which make me run even faster and before I know it, we indulge in some kind of running competition.

One day, I found him half asleep in the clubroom, changing his clothes. And to my surprise, I felt even more bothered about him. Maybe it's because I'm not practically thrilled with the idea of changing my clothes when there were only the two of us in the clubroom. He has this weird hobby of looking at me when I change clothes. Pervert. I don't get why he did that but then again, the clubroom is usually empty by the time we arrived. It's not like he has other option. Anyway, that day I caught him looking at me again. I shrugged, turning my back toward him then start stripping when I suddenly felt the chill running through my spine.

That time, I knew that he was not just looking at me. He's watching me.

Funny, I thought he's half asleep.

After a brief awkward moment, I heard him sighed heavily. His action made me think that there's something wrong about my body. I mean, he's been commenting on how scrawny I am since the first time we met after all.

Just for your information, Fuji senpai, I am NOT scrawny. A little underweight, maybe, but not scrawny.

I remembered muttering 'What?' not long after but he only shrugged me off by giving one of his 'smile' while saying 'We better hurry.'

I don't get him. I just don't get him. I also don't get myself because I keep on insisting on getting him when I obviously couldn't get him.

God, I need a help.

I need professional help.

Sadly, the only help I could get is from my senpai tachi. I'm not saying that they incapable of providing professional help, but… for me, trying to keep up with their antics is enough to make me want to seek for another professional help. In other words, it's pointless. I hate doing pointless things.

Speaking of pointless things, Momoshiro senpai asked me to visit Fuji senpai's work place tonight. He said it will be 'fun'. I was about to decline his offer when he suddenly said 'It's settled then! See you tonight.' Gosh, what's with him? Sure I am curious about Fuji senpai's work place but not curious enough to actually go there.

…

Wait, I suppose to have nothing to do with the tensai so why am I curious about where he works?

The more I think about it the more confused I become. All my thoughts and actions seem to be so contradictive recently.

Well, you know what, I've decided. I won't go tonight and it's final. Even if Momoshiro senpai were to show up in my front door to pick me up, I won't come. I'm not called stubborn for nothing. Once I set my mind on doing something, or in this case, not doing something, I'll do it.

Momoshiro senpai did show up in my front door, together with Kikumaru senpai, tonight. The two tried talking me to go but their efforts were wasted in front of me. I practically had to push the two out of my house to let them knew how serious I was. Half an hour later, they gave up and left me alone. Finally. Now I'm able to spend some quality time with my Karupin.

.

.

.

That said… why the heck did I found myself following Momoshiro senpai and Eiji senpai right now? If those two found out that I've been stalking them, they'd laugh at me for sure. Better be careful not getting too close to them or else they might see me.

--xXx--

general POV

"Ne, ne, Momo." Eiji said quietly, "Don't look back but I think ochibi's been following us nya."

Spontaneously, Momoshiro turned his head back. Eiji quickly smacked him on the head while repeating his order in hissing tone, "I said don't look back!!"

Momo rubbed his head and gave his red headed senpai a confused look, "I don't see anyone. Must be your imagination, senpai. Besides, Echizen-kun said-" He suddenly stopped talking as his eyes caught a familiar white cap reflected on a nearby window display. "Whoa… you're right. That has to be Echizen-kun."

"Nya, ochibi is soo cute when he's in denial." He said in a sing-song tone. Momo gave him another confused look but Eiji decided to ignore it this time. Momo's not someone who could keep a secret in the first place so he better not gave him any enlightment regarding his kouhai's situation at the moment. "I just hope he doesn't bump in to any trouble nya. I hear that this are is not very safe at night."

"Oh please, he's a guy. He has cute face. He won't get in to trouble." Was Momo's reply but, once again, the red head said yet another confusing word.

"Exactly."

--xXx--

Ryoma was stunned. Wait, make that 'very' stunned. He had to blink a few times, looking left and right before he pointed his nose, asking, "You're talking to me?" toward the group of idiots – ahem, I mean, a group of three high schoolers who suddenly came out of nowhere, blocking his way.

A brief silence before the group burst in to laughter, as if the cute kid in front of them had said something hilarious. One with the red cap was the first one to notice that the kid was not trying to be funny, so he stated, "You see anyone else?"

Ryoma looked around again before he shook his head slowly, eyes still observing the bunch carefully.

"That's your answer." Said the other. He then walked closer toward the kid and lifted the kid's face with his hand, "You're cute. Want to hang out?"

Silence.

More silence.

Another silence before the words finally sunk in. "You're picking me up?" Ryoma asked in a flat tone. Unbelievable. He thought this whole picking up girl thing was meant to pick up… well… girls. "I'm a guy you know."

The red cap leaned his head closer and whispered, in a very seductive tone, "We notice." Then smiled.

Ryoma sighed.

Not once in his life did he ever encounter a bunch of idiots like those three. He then clenching his fist and told them, "Would you look at this?"

Curiously, the three then take a good look at the kid's fist. Ryoma was planning to smack them on the face with his fist at first but then he suddenly saw a tennis ball flying just two inches away from his right cheek then hit the one in the middle right on his nose.

Whoa, nice shot.

"Hands off my property." Came the icy voice from his back along with a murderous aura he started to get familiar with. "This kid's mine, go flirt someone else." The voice continued. He could see fear reflected on the high schoolers' face, it's as if they were seeing a ghost or something. Not long after, they all ran away. Bunch of scaredy cats, if his guess was right then the one hitting the ball should be Fuji. Last he check, Fuji's face was not that scary. In fact, his face was so beautiful that one might want to look at it over and over.

He turned around, wanted to say thank you when he found a familiar brunet looking rather angry. And to top it off, both of his eyes were open.

Okay, they were right to run away. Fuji was scary when his eyes were open.

"What are you doing here all alone?" The older one asked, there were still traces of anger in his voice.

The freshman only stood silently, gazing the brunet carefully. Fuji looked kind of… dazzling with that black elegant suit. What kind of job which required someone to dress like that anyway?

And he thought that maybe Fuji was working at an AV rental shop. That explained the 'fun' part Momoshiro was talking about.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to walk around this are at night alone?" He asked again, picking up Ryoma's white cap that had been blown away when he hit the scumbag with a tennis ball.

"Are you angry?" He asked finally. Fuji paused for a while before sighing. He then put the cap back on Ryoma's head slowly before he spent the whole minute looking at the kid's face. "What?"

"Who told you about this area?"

The kid looked hesitant to answer that question. Somehow he had a feeling that it's better for Momoshiro and Eiji if he just shut up.

"Maa, I'll find out even if you try to cover for them."

True, but at least he wouldn't feel guilty if he found the two laying dead on the tennis court tomorrow.

"Follow me." He said finally. Ryoma was about to resist by saying that he wanted to go home when suddenly the brunet grab his hand and dragged him. "I'll walk you home once I finish my work. Until then, you're going to wait for me at somewhere safe."

"That would be…?" He trailed off, though he kind of knew what the answer would be.

Fuji chuckled before he answered, "Somewhere in my vision range."

"That's what I thought…" He muttered, letting himself getting dragged around in public.

Ah…

He felt bothered again. But this time, there's this sweet tingling sensation sneaking in his chest which he never felt before.

Maybe it's because Fuji had said something weird tonight when he chased off those high schoolers… What did he say again….? Oh yeah, 'he's mine'. People didn't usually claim other people as theirs, right? Moreover, he's way from angry when Fuji said that he was his property.

Why?

"Ne… Fuji senpai…" He called hesitantly.

Fuji gave him a side glance silently, waiting for his kouhai to continue but Ryoma just shrugged while saying, "Never mind." The brunet raised his eyebrows but decided not to pursue the matter any further. The two then walked quietly, both was deep in to their own thoughts without knowing that secretly, they were hoping for the same thing.

'I wish this moment could go on forever…'

Omake: What happen with the trio who tried picking up our dearest Echizen Ryoma? (btw, I'm giving you total freedom to imagine what their face look like… haha)

Not long after they fled from Fuji's wrath, the trio took a break at the nearest park, catching their breaths. They then indulge in a heated verbal fight.

"Told you not to pick up random people like that!!" The one who wear the red cap blamed his friend.

"If I remembered correctly, you're the one seducing him with that leaning over thing. That's so lame, you know!"

"Ow, come on! You're both at fault here."

"Shut up!!" The two yelled in unison

"Now what should we do. Don't you feel that it's a little sad for three guys spending the night together?" the red cap said again.

"I don't see how things could get better to have four guys hanging out either. Why don't we try picking up girls this time?"

"Sshh!!" One of the trio suddenly hissed. He then pointed a calm figure who had this intense beauty aura. The only glitches about this beauty? It's a guy. And not just any guy, it's Tezuka. "Let's pick him up!"

"Count me out." The sanest of them all quickly stated. "I had a feeling that this one is also dangerous."

"Wimp!" His two friends mocked him before they ran toward Tezuka and started practicing their 'picking up' skills.

"Hey, beautiful, want to hang out?"

"That glasses suit you, you know. Anyway, that bag looks heavy," The red cap paused as he leaned over (again. Some people just never learn, ne?) then continued, "Want me to carry it for you?"

Tezuka sighed while thinking, 'How can Japan maintain its supremacy if its future generation are doing reckless flirting like these two?'

Or maybe he's just thinking, 'What the hell!?' Hm… I don't know… It's hard to read the captain's mind in the first place. Anyway…

"Excuse me, I need to get something from my bag." He said with his usual deep, husky voice. The two gave way to him, a decision they would soon regret as they saw him getting a racket and a tennis ball from his bag. "I'm giving you two minutes to leave me alone or else…"

"Not again…!!" The two exclaimed as they started running as fast as they could, thinking, 'What's with these cute people and tennis ball anyway?!'

--xXx--

a/n: I have a confession to make… I have a writer's block so I really am sorry to those who had been waiting for Karupin's last chapter. Also, I decided to replace Love Vector with this story. It will be the same pairing, and has the same theme: loving each other gently. There might be (many) grammar errors so feel free to tell me if you find one, I'll try fixing it.

Disclaimer: Not mine.