Edit (3/24/2018): Fixed dialogue related grammar errors.

Edit (4/8/2018): Fixed more grammar errors that I missed.

The Technique Known as Kabedon

—

Echizen Ryoma was seething with rage after what occurred that morning on the rooftop of the school — with his back against the wall, Fuji Syusuke cornered him with arms blocking his exit on both sides, opened those damned blue eyes, and asked him if he was free over the coming weekend with a smile.

It was the tenth time something like this had happened, and each time Ryoma became increasingly annoyed with it.

Echizen Ryoma had a crush on Fuji Syusuke. The first-year found out about it a while after their match in the rain, when he became frustrated by Fuji's passivity on continuing the match despite the match's lackluster results and the amazing thrill they unanimously felt during it. Ryoma could not stop thinking about his senpai, and when he vented about the incident with his cousin Nanako, she teased him about it. Ryoma could not remember exactly what Nanako said, but it was her words that brought about an epiphany.

Ryoma decided that he would pursuit Fuji in a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, Fuji made it exceptionally difficult.

It was around the same time Ryoma had his realization that Fuji began his bad habit of cornering or pinning an unknowing Ryoma to a wall, asking insignificant questions while opening his eyes and smiling. Without fail, Ryoma could always feel his heart beating faster, blood rushing towards his face, and his mind getting lost in those blue, blue eyes.

Ryoma would answer the question in the best way he could, and Fuji would back off. Then nothing ever happened. NOTHING.

The first-year prodigy gritted his teeth. His senpai just made his job a thousand times more challenging.

Time always seemed to flow faster when someone was lost in thought; when the school bell rang for the lunch break, Ryoma finally realized that he had spent his entire history class being frustrated at Fuji Syusuke. Closing his blank notebook, Ryoma slowly reached for his wallet and checked how much money he had for lunch.

"Hey, Echizen! Are you coming to eat lunch with me or not?" Horio yelled from across the classroom.

Ryoma was about to respond until his ears suddenly caught a conversation between several girls with several manga volumes in their hands.

"Oh my gosh, did you see this? Kimura-senpai pinned her to a wall and confessed! It's so romantic!" said one of the girls, pointing to a page in the manga.

Ryoma twitched in a mix of irritation and curiosity.

"I know! I love how the mangaka decided to focus the panel on Kimura-senpai's eyes during that scene! It was such a heart-throbbing moment!" replied another girl.

That… sounds strangely familiar, Ryoma thought.

"You know, I wish someone in real life can pull off a naturally romantic kabedon. Yeah, I know it's hard to do, but if it's possible for someone to do it nicely, then I'd fall in love with that guy in no time," the girl that began the conversation sighed dreamily.

Ignoring Horio's loud protests, Ryoma approached the girls. At first, the girls did not think that Echizen Ryoma was intending to talk to them, until the tennis prodigy opened his mouth and requested directly, "This 'kabedon' thing. Tell me about it."

Ryoma did not think that he was talking loud enough for the entire class to hear. Or at least, the girls in the class. But everyone appeared to have heard him, and the girls began to freak out.

"R-Ryoma-sama!" exclaimed a girl.

"K-Kabedon is a trope in manga, which stands for the action when a boy pins a girl to a wall in a romantic sense. Look," said another girl, pointing to a scene in the manga she was holding.

Ryoma looked at the page and found himself more exasperated by the second. The action depicted in the drawing was almost identical to what Fuji did to him ten times in these past couple of months. At this moment, Ryoma was certain that this pointless action was the only thing standing in his way to pursue Fuji.

"When someone does this kabedon, what does it mean?" asked Ryoma, trying to calm himself in order to make himself sound less livid.

"It's supposedly a romantic gesture, s-so the person is probably trying to seduce you? O-or maybe intimidate you because the person is angry."

When it came to Fuji-senpai, the latter option seemed more likely, Ryoma decided.

But…

"But what if the person has no romantic intentions and no reasons to be angry?" Ryoma asked again.

"Maybe the person is just doing it as a prank then. Although I can't personally imagine the action being anything but in a romantic context…" replied the girl, muttering the second sentence so quietly that Ryoma could not hear it.

By then, Horio had gotten so fed up with waiting for Ryoma that he marched across the room and was about to scream bloody murder until he caught a glimpse of Ryoma's face – a scowl of unadulterated rage. Horio decided that it was a good decision to close his mouth and let Ryoma slowly walk out of the classroom to do whatever he needed to do.

A prank? I couldn't continue what I was doing because of one of Fuji-senpai's pranks?

Ryoma decided that he needed some fresh air, and his legs automatically brought him up the stairs to the normally off-limits rooftop. It was only until after he opened the door to the rooftop that the tennis prodigy immediately regretted his decision.

"Echizen?"

There Fuji Syusuke was, standing by the fence at the edge of the rooftop. Ryoma had forgotten that Fuji occasionally visited the rooftop, and if Ryoma wanted to vent his anger somewhere, the rooftop was not the place to go.

But Echizen Ryoma would never run away from anyone.

"Fuji-senpai," greeted the first-year.

"Here for lunch?" asked Fuji.

"Just for some fresh air."

"I see."

After the simple exchange, neither Fuji nor Ryoma had the desire to continue the conversation. Ryoma cautiously observed his senpai; after determining that Fuji appeared to have no intention of approaching him, Ryoma relaxed, found a good spot and proceeded to take an afternoon nap in order to avoid the tennis genius from asking him questions.

The plan worked… for around half an hour.

"Echizen," a voice sounded while someone lightly tapped his shoulder, "it's time to go back to class."

Drowsily, Ryoma opened one eye, closed it again, then slowly stretched and got up. After releasing a big yawn, Ryoma's eyes finally focused and immediately he felt like his heart was about to fall out when he found Fuji's face only inches away from his own.

Ryoma took a step back. Fuji took a step forward.

Somehow, Ryoma found his back at the wall again. Fuji leisurely raised his arms and pressed his palms on both sides of the wall surrounding Ryoma, as if the action was not to block the first-year's escape route, but rather to support the tennis genius's weight as the third-year leaned closer towards the Ryoma.

Ryoma cursed their height difference.

Fuji opened his eyes again.

"Echizen," he said.

Ryoma, being slightly less dazed than the ten times before this, came to a sudden understanding: Oh, so this is how it happens.

The realization made Ryoma growl quietly in fury.

"Echizen…?" Fuji said again, with a slightly unsure tone this time.

Before Fuji could realize what was happening, Ryoma forcefully raised both of his hands, grabbed Fuji's arms on both sides, and turned. Almost instantly, the two's positions became flipped – Fuji's back was facing the wall, and Ryoma pinned both of Fuji's hands onto the wall on both sides, preventing escape.

Ryoma stared directly into Fuji's eyes.

"Let me make this clear to you, Fuji-senpai," Ryoma asserted with a tone of dominance. "I don't care what your game is, or what you are planning on doing these past few months. I am the one pursuing you, and you are making this very difficult. But it doesn't matter, because no matter what you do, I won't let it stop me."

They stared at each other for a while, before Fuji's laughter broke the silence.

"What's so funny?" Ryoma hissed.

"Ah, no, it's just-" Fuji laughed mid-sentence, his face with a healthy blush, "I thought-"

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. I was just being silly," Fuji finally stopped laughing and answered. "Would you mind letting me go? I understand what you want now."

Ryoma looked at his senpai, who appeared to be telling the truth, and let go of both of his hands in satisfaction. Ryoma turned around to leave the rooftop, but he missed the cunning smile on Fuji's face as he felt both of his hands being held once again, and he was forcefully spun around.

His back was on the wall. Again.

"I wasn't finished talking," Fuji smiled sweetly with open eyes.

Ryoma attempted to escape, but his hands were firmly held to the wall.

Damn it.

"W-what?" asked the first-year.

"Would you like to go out with me, Ryoma?"

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this random idea that I had. xD

I will really appreciate reviews, since I love getting feedback from the community and I want to improve my writing.

(Inserts shameless self-advertising) By the way, go check out my other fanfic Under the Cherry Blossoms if you liked this one-shot. It's still in its early stages but I could use some feedback on what people liked or disliked and whatnot.