"Hey, do you think buchou like likes anyone?" Momoshiro asked after seeing his captain leave the club room.
Ryoma shrugged and tugged on his cap. "If he does, I bet it's some smart girl like him."
"Saa… Or maybe a really energetic one." Shusuke input his opinion.
"Ooh, what if the girl is older than him!" Eiji chattered excitedly.
"Pshhh, that's stupid." Kaidoh bluntly stated, tying his bandanna on.
"Actually, the chances of him having a girlfriend are below 25%" Inui pushed his glasses up his nose.
Oishi sighed and looked over to his teammates before deciding he might as well give them a hint. "Whoever said that it was his girlfriend he visits each Saturday?"
With that, everyone froze and turned to the mother hen of Seigaku. Crazy theories concerning 'what in the world' started up. Such as, if it wasn't Tezuka's girlfriend, was it someone else's? Or just a very one-sided love on Tezuka's half?
Oishi stood in the back as everyone else filed out, making plans to follow (read: stalk) Tezuka on Saturday. He wondered if this would bring them closer together or tear them apart. He sincerely hoped it would be the former.
Saturday came and behind some not very helpful at camouflage bushes were the entire team, save for Oishi. Their eyes followed the stoic captain as he made his way toward… wait, where exactly was he going with those green and blue roses? And why was Oishi walking next to him, holding a bouquet of yellow roses?
"What if it's a double date?" Momoshiro whispered conspiratorially to Ryoma who was only there because he had been bribed with ponta.
"Che." Ryoma took another drink from his ponta paid by Momoshiro.
"How is she doing Tezuka?" Oishi turned to talk to his old friend.
"If everything keeps going as well as it has been now, she'll be running around in 1 week." Tezuka's face uncharacteristically softened, a small smile almost visible on his lips.
"That's great!" Oishi grinned. To the others, he was clearly happy as well.
"78% chance they're talking about the same girl and 89% chance that Tezuka visits her regularly." Inui muttered as he wrote in his notebook.
"Saa… those flowers are interesting though…" Shusuke commented.
"What do you mean Fujiko, nya?" Eiji looked over to his classmate.
"Saa… Yellow roses mean friendship and caring, and then blue rose are 'I can't stop thinking about you, and finally green roses are for 'get well soon', so why do they have those exact colors?"
"Nya, maybe it's because-"
"What are you doing here?"
Everyone stiffened up at the stern voice of Tezuka Kunimitsu and slowly turned their heads to see the captain glaring at them.
"The senpai-tachi wanted to spy on you visiting a girl." Ryoma bluntly said.
"50 laps on Monday for everyone except Oishi."
"Saaa… But we might as well meet the girl Tezuka. We've heard so much about her." Shusuke input his argument that was a bit of a lie, they didn't even know her name.
Tezuka sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "She did say she wanted to meet you, but only as long as you're not too loud and disturb her."
With cheers and a few more assigned laps, everyone started following Tezuka and Oishi once more. Eiji bounded up to his doubles partner.
"Nya, where are we going Oishi? You never told us where Tezuka visits this girl."
"... You're the one who told them?" Tezuka's strained voice sounded terrifying to the now very nervous Oishi.
"Well, this will either bring us together or break us apart, and I took a chance." Needless to say, Oishi got 50 laps as well.
Tezuka sighed again and addressed the entire team as they finally reached the place.
"Minna, we are going into a hospital, do not bother anyone there. The girl's name is Ayano."
Whispered questions about why a hospital began. It looked like Tezuka ignored them, but he gripped the roses in his hand just a bit tighter.
"Back to visit Ayano-chan?" The receptionist greeted Tezuka as if he was here everyday.
Tezuka simply nodded. The receptionist, a lady in her early 40's, sighed with jealousy.
"She's so lucky to have someone like you loving her."
Room 113. Tezuka opened the door casually, though his erratic heartbeat begged otherwise. As the door let in a slight wind, white curtains rustled as a girl on the hospital bed sat up and turned with a bright smile to her visitors.
"Mitsu, Chiro-kun!" Her excitement was evident in her bright blue eyes.
A small smile graced Kunimitsu's lips. "Ayano." He breathed out, eyes and voice full of love.
Ayano pouted a bit, tilting her head as she spread out her arms. "Hey, I can't just get up and walk, so you have to come over to hug me." She demanded in a joking tone.
"We brought some flowers to brighten the place up Ayano-chan." Oishi took both his and Kunimitsu's roses and placed them in a vase half-full with water.
Kunimitsu obligingly stepped forward and hugged the younger girl. Ayano giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms carefully circled her torso, a hand on her back and the other cradling her neck.
"Oh, who are you guys?" Ayano tilted her head at the regulars of Seigaku who had gathered in the doorway.
"We're the tennis team, nya! Are you buchou's girlfriend?" Eiji bounced up and down on his feet in excitement.
"Bu… chou? You mean Mitsu-kun?" Ayano clarified as she let go of Kunimitsu. The captain sat on the hospital bed, holding one of her hands.
"Saaa… You seem familiar…" Shusuke noted, opening his eyes to see the girl easier.
Ayano turned to look at him and squealed loudly.
"Shu-kun!" Her smile seemed to widen if possible.
Shusuke blinked and smiled with uncertainty. Ayano noticed and her mood dimmed a bit.
"It's Ayano-chan, remember? You used to visit me and Mitsu-kun before. Oh, does the name 'Sora-chan' ring and bells?"
"... Sora-chan? What happened? Why are you in the hospital?" Shusuke's memories of a girl one year younger than him resurfaced as he asked concerned questions.
"So you do remember me Shu-kun! And it was a car accident. Drunk driver, 'nough said." Ayano waved her hand dismissively before reaching out both arms.
"Hug." She said with a straight face.
Shusuke chuckled and quickly complied. Ayano leaned into the genius, not even noticing the stares.
"My favorite color is still blue Shu-kun." She murmured quietly.
"Saa… Just like our eyes Sora-chan."
"Hai! Now who's that cutie?" Ayano let go of him and pointed to the cap-wearing freshman.
Ryoma glanced over and noticed her pointing at him. He blinked, and realizing he should probably introduce himself, swallowed his mouthful of Ponta.
"Echizen Ryoma."
"And I'm Tezuka Ayano, how about you sit down as well? You look like you could take a break." Ayano smiled easily as the youngest one there came and sat down in front of the girl.
Ayano grinned and hugged him from behind softly, nuzzling into his hair as she placed his cap in his hands.
"So cute, you're like a big teddy bear." She murmured.
Ryoma blushed the slightest, littlest bit, but didn't move away. It was, he mused, better than Eiji's glomps. So he leaned back and relaxed, letting the older girl cuddle him.
"Te… Zu… Ka?" The other regulars seemingly having had just realized what her last name was.
Ayano never let the smile leave her face as she explained. "Yeah, I'm Mitsu-kun's younger sister, why?"
"WHAT!?"
Introductions soon followed.
"Mitsu-kun, can I borrow some of your shorts?" Ayano frantically asked, barging into her brother's room a week later.
"What for Ayano?" Kunimitsu asked, placidly still buttoning up his uniform.
"The girl's uniform has a really, really short skirt and I can't find any of my shorts." Ayano replied nervously. "I don't want anyone to see my underwear!" She cried.
Kunimitsu's fingers froze as he finished securing the last button. He looked up to see his sister tugging at the edge of her green skirt as if it would magically grow longer that way. His gaze landed on the above the knee cut on the tiny skirt that could have passed as a longer t-shirt. It made Ayano look as if she had on no underwear as well.
"... You're getting a new uniform." Kunimitsu muttered, handing some shorts to his sister who gratefully slid them on.
"Thank you so much Mitsu-kun, this thing makes me feel naked." Ayano hugged her brother as her new article of clothing was adjusted to fit her waist correctly. The white shorts fell past the skirt and her thigh high socks.
"Come on, we're going to be late!" Ayano tugged on her brother's hand and pulled him out the door.
"Who is she?"
"Woah, Tezuka got lucky."
"That slut! Holding onto Tezuka's hand!"
"Oh dear, sounds like the fangirls are angry, ne Mitsu-kun?"
"Ayano, you're in Momoshiro and Kaidoh's class, let's go."
"What, not denying it Mitsu-kun?"
"It's the truth, whether it is bad or good, that you are very beautiful and attract attention wherever you go."
"A-Ara Mitsu-kun, don't say stuff like that!"
"Why not, sweet Ayano-chan?"
"Don't act all innocent with me, I swear, Shu-kun is rubbing off on you. And you're making me blush…"
"There's nothing wrong with that, you look even cuter that way Ayano."
"Baka Mitsu-kun."
"Hello, I am a new student here! You can just call me Ayano. Please take care of me."
"Any questions for Ayano here?"
"Are you single?"
"Will you go out with me?"
"What's your favorite color?"
"What kind of music do you like?"
"Why were you with Tezuka-sama earlier?!"
"I'm single, and asexual, so I'm not interested in a relationship at the moment, sorry. My favorite color is blue, sky blue to be exact, and I like to listen to vocaloid songs, nightcore, and also english songs by 'Icon for Hire'. Oh, and I'm Mitsu-kun's younger sister, and since I'm a bit new here, he walked me in. You'll probably see us together a lot, Mitsu-kun's a very sweet and overprotective brother."
"... WHAT?!"
"... What? But it's true, Mitsu-kun's an amazing big brother."