One perfectly ordinary afternoon, Kikumaru Eiji and Fuji Syuusuke walked into the Seigaku tennis clubhouse. Eiji was chattering away, not giving his friend a chance to get a word in edgewise (not that Fuji was trying to). As they entered the room, Eiji paused for breath and then called a greeting to the room. Fuji smiled his usual smile and didn't say a word, a combination which in and of itself was enough to scare several of his teammates. If Fuji wasn't talking, that probably meant he was thinking, and if Fuji was thinking and smiling, it was likely to turn out very badly for someone.

"Is something wrong, Fuji?" Inui asked as they changed into their tennis clothes. Given his love of collecting data, he tended to watch people closely, and he couldn't help thinking there was something a little strange about Fuji's behavior.

"No," the other boy replied. Eiji, standing nearby, giggled, but Fuji smiled his best 'Of course I'm not plotting something dastardly' smile, and Inui let it go.

By the time they were through stretching and running, everyone was too tired to think about Fuji's silence. Before they could start to fear for their lives again, Tezuka announced that they would start practice matches. "Oishi and Kawamura." The players in question dragged themselves off the ground and onto the court. "Fuji," Tezuka added, "You call it."

Fuji smiled an 'I hate you sometimes' smile at the captain (only Fuji would dare give Tezuka such an insolent look, and only he would get away with it), but he went to stand by the net without objection. Eiji started giggling again until Tezuka gave him a look and he stopped instantly. Fuji gave him a look of his own, and Eiji clapped his hands over his mouth to stop a fresh stream of giggles.

Finally, Fuji turned his attention to the court. "One," he began, followed by a barely noticeable pause before he said, "thet match. Oishi to therve."

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at Fuji, until Eiji lost control and burst out laughing yet again. That broke through the shock, and Ryoma asked what they were all wondering: "What's wrong Fuji-senpai?"

"Nothing," Fuji insisted, looking slightly embarrassed (an odd look for him).

Through giggles, Eiji explained, "Fujiko burned his tongue badly at lunch. It makes it hard to talk."

"Thanks, Eiji," Fuji said, smiling an 'I'll kill you slowly' smile. He wouldn't really—he had infinite patience with his best friend—but it was fun to threaten.

Eiji collapsed against Inui, who was struggling to hide a grin. Kawamura was chuckling, Momoshiro was flat-out guffawing, and a smile even seemed to be threatening on Ryoma's face. Fuji himself was smiling, a real, unthreatening smile. All concentration seemed to have been lost when Tezuka's voice cut in. "Inui, take Fuji's place." His voice was no louder than usual, but everyone quailed anyway, immediately getting control of themselves.

Fuji smiled as Inui passed him, and went to stand next to Tezuka as the match began.

"You could have just said something," Tezuka pointed out once everyone's attention had turned to the match. It was hard to tell, but there might almost be a hint of amusement behind the hint of exasperation in his calm tone.

Fuji smiled his most innocent smile, the one that anyone who knew him well feared most of all. Without taking his eyes from the court, he asked, "Where would be the fun in that?"