This was the result of a fifteen-minute word challenge. The challenge word is stated at the end of the ficlet.
Lost in Translation (Prince of Tennis)
By Haruka (email: haruka at ymail dot com)
The Seigaku regulars trooped into the locker room after practice, laughing and kidding each other about how practice had gone. Eiji looked around curiously.
"Where's Ochibi-chan? Didn't he come in with us?"
"Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka wanted to speak to him," Inui remarked. "They'll probably be a few minutes."
Fuji glanced toward Ryoma's bag on the bench and noticed a folded-up sheet of paper sticking out of it. He went over and pulled it out, opening it.
"Fujiko, isn't that Echizen's?" Kawamura asked uneasily. "It might be private."
"It seems to be a letter from Kevin Smith," Fuji commented. "It's all in English."
"That makes sense, since Kevin's from America and Ryoma lived there," Oishi pointed out. "Put the letter back, Fuji."
"Gee," Eiji grinned mischievously, "too bad it's in English. We can't read it then."
"Eiji!" Oishi admonished.
"Sure, we can. I think I know enough English to translate." Fuji looked down at the letter and began reading out loud before anyone could stop him, "'Dear Ryoma, how are you? I am fine.'"
"Well, it's certainly exciting so far." Momoshiro rolled his eyes.
"I'll read from further down then," Fuji said and continued, "'Remember that day in New York when we sneaked out on doing interviews so we could go to FAO Schwarz? We spent the whole day there – it was a blast!'"
"What's FAO Schwarz?" Kaidoh asked.
"A huge toy store with several floors," Oishi explained and looked at the blue-eyed tensai. "Fuji, I think you should stop –"
"'Do you remember what happened later, Ryoma?'" Fuji went on, ignoring his teammate. "'When I kissed you out in front of the store and that one reporter recognized us? He was so mad that he didn't have a camera on him to prove what he'd seen!'"
The boys all stared in silence for a moment, then Eiji exclaimed, "Are you kidding?! Kevin KISSED Ochibi?!"
Kawamura cleared his throat and motioned toward the doorway. Ryoma stood there, his expression unreadable, gold eyes focused on the paper in Fuji's hand.
"Oh, Echizen!" Fuji said brightly and held it out to him. "Here's your grocery list. I guess your mother wants you to pick up a few things on the way home?"
Their teammates groaned. "Is THAT what it really was?" Momoshiro cried.
Oishi sighed in relief. "I should known that Fuji couldn't translate that well from English."
Kaidoh shook his head. "Fsshhuuuu. You really had me going there."
"Fujiko-chan is evil!" Eiji accused, but giggled at the same time.
As the others began to clear out of the room, Fuji leaned closer to Ryoma. "You shouldn't leave such important grocery lists where others can find them, you know," he suggested with a secretive smile.
"Thanks for the advice, senpai," Ryoma said wryly. "And you might want to brush up on your English before translating anymore private grocery lists. You got the word 'kiss' confused with the word 'kick.'"
Fuji's eyes opened and he looked genuinely surprised. Ryoma picked up his bag and walked out, feeling more than a little smug.
"Fuji-senpai is a better translator than he knows." He smiled to himself and went home to reply to his grocery list.
(Word challenge – Translation)
(2005)
Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.