"Are you coming to the game tomorrow?"
"Am I supposed to?"
"Well it would be nice to have your support. It might encourage me to play better."
"You always play well Fuji."
"Ah, I suppose you're right. But I'd still like you to come, Ari."
"Those…first year Echizen fan girls can cheer for you in my place."
"Jealous are we?"
"We are not jealous. One of those girls scream hard enough to blow my ear drums out."
I close the manga that I had been reading. Lunch was almost over. Pushing my chair back a bit, I flicked locks of raven hair over my shoulders.
"I don't think she cheers that loud."
I rolled my green eyes. "That's because you're usually standing further away."
Fuji smiled his usual pleasant smile. He rarely ever revealed his vibrant blue eyes, only doing so when something caught his attention. "Kuni-chan'll be sad if you don't come support us."
I snorted, earning a wider smile from Fuji. "Tezuka'll have your head if he heard you."
Fuji just smiled, silencing himself as his ever bubbly redhead friend popped back into the classroom.
"Did you find it?" Fuji asked, turning his head to face Kikumaru. The redhead shook his head frantically. "Nya! I looked everywhere for it but I still can't find it! Mou, I wonder if someone took it."
"What did you lose?"
Kikumaru turned to me for a moment. He seemed to forget what he was going to say. Strangely, he shook his head before saying, "I had this cute little bear Nee-chan got me for my birthday and it straps onto the zipper of my tennis bag and I lost it! Uwa, Nee-chan's going to be so mad!"
I blinked before reaching into my bag. Within seconds, I managed to fish out a little auburn bear linked to a circular ring of steel. Hooking my finger through the ring, I held it out in front of me. "You mean this?"
I didn't think Kikumaru's dark blue eyes could get bigger. Unfortunately, I was wrong. His eyes widened as Kikumaru held out his hands for it, leaning over Fuji's desk "Uwa! Where did you find it?!"
I opened up my manga book once more. The sensei was late. "It was in the courtyard. I picked it up when I saw it on the ground on the way to class."
My bangs were in my face again. When I reached to brush it back, I noticed that the ribbon had gotten lose. My mother thought it would be cute if I went to school with a ribbon in my hair. It took her nearly 15 minutes to pull my raven hair into a high ponytail, bound by a satin emerald ribbon. She claimed it brought out my eyes.
"Fuji, would you?" I asked, turning the page in the book.
"Hmm?"
I pointed to my hair. He only chuckled but I heard the chair scrape back. Seconds later, my thick raven hair brushed against the back of my neck. "Your hair has gotten longer Ari."
I made some sound that told Fuji I heard. I actually couldn't focus on the images and words in front of me. Having Fuji rake his fingers through my hair felt too nice. I turned the page for the sake of appearances. The brunette pulled my hair into a high ponytail, smoothing out any bumps and gathering loose strands. With expert hands, he rebound my hair with the ribbon before sitting next to me once more.
The tightness felt nice. It gave me the impression that it wouldn't loosen so easily. I reached up. And the bow was perfectly made too.
"Sankyuu."
"Does that mean you'll come?"
The sensei walked in, apologizing for his lateness. "I suppose so."
Sunday came faster than I would like. As promised, I planned to attend the tennis game. Seishun Gakuen was participating in the Tokyo Prefectural Tournament. Fuji neglected to tell me the time so I had set my alarm for 10 AM.
After a shower and brushing my teeth, I pulled on a pair of dark American Eagle Favorite Boyfriend jeans with some purposely made tears on it along with a dark green laced tank top. Grabbing some money, my keys, and cell phone, I got into my older brother's car. With dark hair like mine, he had tou-san's eyes, dark violet. He had offered to drop me off, claiming that he had something to do in the area anyways.
By the time I had gotten to court where Seishun Gakuen was playing, Doubles 1 was already playing. I walked down the bleacher stairs to where the rest of the Seigaku Regulars were watching from. Naturally, Tezuka spotted me as I hit the bottom step. I gave him a slight wave. The ever stoic buchou merely nodded back.
Noting that the freshman trio, as Fuji so fondly referred to them, were there as well as the duo cheerleaders, I decided to stand a bit nearer to Fuji. The girl with the pigtails screeched rather loud. Apparently Oishi and Kikumaru were playing against two of St. Rudolph's Regulars.
"Ah, Ari. You made it."
"I did say I would come."
"You did say that."
"Ne Fuji, isn't this your brother's school?"
"Aa, Yuuta's here somewhere."
I nodded once, turning my attention back to the game. The game was just starting the second half. Kikumaru looked extremely winded.
"Do you think they can pull through?"
"Maa na."
We ended up losing Doubles 1. Apparently Kikumaru's "battery" ran out. Silently, I walked away, eyes searching for a vending machine. I quickly spotted one. Standing in front of the large machinery, I opted for the apple juice. Putting in the right change, I pressed the button for the apple juice and out came a cold metal container. I put in more money and got another apple juice.
When I arrived back, Singles 3 began. Seishun Gakuen's Echizen Ryoma versus St. Rudolph's Fuji Yuuta. I silently held out the cold container of apple juice for Oishi.
"Sankyuu ne Ari. I didn't expect you to show up," Oishi said and gratefully took the offered drink.
"You can blame Fuji for that," I murmured and held out the other apple juice to Kikumaru. He blinked in surprised but 'nya'ed' and took the drink, pressing it against his forehead and neck. Kikumaru's smile was rather wide.
I stood a bit closer to the fence when the Regulars were called onto the court. Fuji had been standing by me, earning a glare from his younger brother. Yuuta's brown eyes widened when he saw me next his older brother. I waved once. I smirked when he diverted his eyes, giving me a halfhearted wave before taking his place on the court. Singles 3 began.
Fury radiated off Fuji. I knew exactly why. For most of the match, Yuuta had been using a tennis move that was ever so slowly damaging his shoulder. Even the Seigaku rookie caught on. I sighed a breath of relief when Singles 3 was finally over.
"Ne Ari, hold onto my jersey, will you?"
Fuji hardly waited for a reply before dropping his jersey onto my shoulders. "Fuji."
He turned to look at me once. His eyes were open. Fuji Syuusuke was absolutely furious. "Don't be so selfish Fuji. Yuuta's important to me too."
A dangerous smile appeared on his face. "Aa."
Kikumaru whistled softly from my left. "Mizuki's going to get it," he softly said. I nodded, adjusting the jersey on my shoulders. Kikumaru's eyes lingered on Fuji's jersey for a brief moment before he smiled at me. His face seemed redder than usual.
I noticed he has his jersey on, fully zippered. "How are you not hot?" I asked, pointing to his jersey. The tennis acrobat blinked once, looking down to his jersey. "Mou, I think I'm just used to it," he answered cheekily. I nodded, turning my attention back to Fuji's game.
It was hardly called a game. In a manner so unlike Fuji but so enjoyable to watch, Fuji decimated Mizuki. It was a complete victory for Fuji and a humiliating loss for Mizuki. The tensai had said something to Mizuki who collapsed onto his knees. I rolled my eyes. He just had to add salt to the wound.
I glanced once at Tezuka. "It looks like you won't get to warm up after all." The stoic buchou merely shrugged. A thought popped into my mind. "Oh, tou-san wants you to stop by the clinic. He wants to do a check up on your arm."
Tezuka nodded once, informing me that he heard. "Just stop by any time when you're free."
Once everyone was gathered, they as a group began to leave the court grounds.
"Ano…Aizawa, can I talk to you for a moment?"
I looked back at the resident redhead. He was shuffling his feet into the ground, his tennis bag heaved onto his shoulder. The auburn bear clinked softly against his tennis bag.
"What is it Kikumaru?"
The red head made a face. "Mou, call me Eiji na?" I tilted my head at his plethora of positive energy.
"Aa, if you call me Ari. I don't really like being called by my last name," I answered back. Kikumaru nodded his head thoughtfully.
"A-Ari-chan, nya, I…uh…I mean…"
I shifted onto my right foot, curling my fingers around each other behind my back. What exactly was he trying to say?
I have to admit that Kikumaru looked adorable while shuffling his feet into the ground, eyes diverted to his right, and face lightly tinted red. I had an idea as to what he wanted to say but for the boy's pride, I decided to stay silent. Fuji had delightfully told me some interesting things last night when he decided, on his own accord, to wake me at 1 in the morning.
Kikumaru took a deep breath. He was getting slightly frazzled. In a manner only he could pull off, he mumbled, "Nyawouldyougoonadatewithme?"
I raised an eyebrow. Kikumaru had said that so fast, I couldn't even hear all the words. "Can you say that again? Slower?"
Kikumaru took a deep breath, his face all red from embarrassment. "Would you…go on…a d-date with m-me?" It was so endearing.
Of course I already knew Kikumaru harbored a crush on me, courtesy of Fuji. The tensai had told me that ever since we were first years, Kikumaru was enraptured with me. It was kind of why he never approached me as a friend and I was not one to make the first move when making friends. Fuji had called me anti-social more than once.
Kikumaru had his eyes tightly closed, fist clenched. I didn't realize how long it took me to respond but he must have been expecting me to reject. Actually, I was touched someone as vibrant and bubbly as Kikumaru even liked me in the first place, for two years in fact.
I leaned up towards the redhead. I was rather short, only reaching about 5'2" while he towered over me at 5'7". I scrunched up my face at the scent of sweat. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips against his cheek, causing his eyes to fly open.
"Uwa! Ari-chan! You scared me!" he cried out, holding a hand over his chest.
I grinned at his reaction, turning so my back was to him. I began to walk in the direction his team had gone.
"I think I'll take you up on that Eiji-kun. Now c'mon, Fuji and Oishi can only distract the team for so long," I said, turning back at me.
The surprise on his face was rare before his ever present jubilant smile reappeared. "Yatta! Hoi hoi, chotto matte Ari-chan!"
I smiled as Kikumaru bounded to my side. There was an extra bounce to his step as he grinned down at me. I think I'll have to thank Fuji later for bothering me so much to come to the game.
