A/N: A/N: Okay, there is Seigaku 2.0 in this, who you may have met part of in Off the Spiral: Shaft.
Ichiba Hikaru is the captain. He's little and cute and blonde. Kinjo Kimimitsu is the vice captain. He's very stern and quick to anger, tall, brown hair and eyes. Sato Eri is the team stoic he has very pretty long black hair tied back in a pony tail that Miyaki Hiromi is obsessed with. Hiromi is the tensai/redhead of the team—he's a super twink and obsessed with Tezuka. Tanaka Arashi is the data collector, but all of his information comes with a price. He has a hat and green hair. Ono Tsukasa is the team's little cute mother hen, he has fluffeleh brown hair and often does things for Arashi to know what's going on in his teammates lives. Yamamoto Katsutoshi is more or less a more mature version of Ryoma, kind of snarky, kind of whiny. Atobe Keitaro is Atobe Keigo's little cousin who enjoys the hell out of being a pain in everyone's collective ass.
Ummmm… If you need more info go back a bit on out LJ there are longer descriptions and pictures.
We understand this may not be to some people's taste, seeing as it's not so much about the our Seigaku as it is about future Seigaku, and they're our original characters so it totally makes sense if you're not interested.
Off the Spiral: Ryomoka's First Date
"Who are you going out with again?" Kaidoh asked the girl as multitasked, swishing mouthwash while fixing her gold tennis ball earrings, a good luck charm from her nii-chans.
"Oh, you know, the guys. Hikaru-sempai, Kinjo-sempai, Takumi-kun, Sat—" she said after spitting out the blue liquid.
"Who is Takumi-kun?" Kaidoh's eyes narrowed.
"A friend. He writes all the articles on the tennis clubs for the school paper, and I take the pictures."
"Liar." Kaidoh rolled his eyes.
"I am not! He's just a friend! And everyone else is going to be there anyways…" she protested, face now bright red.
"Ryomoka-chan, your parents trust us to take care of you for the week… I trust Tezuka's team, but…" He sighed.
"I hear sighing. What's wrong?" Eiji came down the hallway.
Kaidoh jumped. "K-Kikumaru! When did you get here? I didn't hear you come in…."
"Momo and I just got off work. Tezuka's picking up Shuichirou and Ochibi on the way over… Fuji said he had an errand to run before he came… Did you really think I'd show up late to movie night! I'm always the first one here! Why does Ryo-chan look so cute?" Eiji turned mid-rant to the second year Seigaku student.
"I'm going out with my friends." She gave Kaidoh a warning look.
"Nuh-uh. You're too dressed up. The last time you wore that dress was when we all took you out to a fancy restaurant after you got onto the Regulars for the girl's team…" Eiji frowned.
"Besides, you hate dresses," Momo interjected.
Ryomoka glared. "Fine. I'll just go change." She stalked into the guest room, door shutting loudly behind her.
"Well, she was named after the right person." Momo shifted his eyes down the hall to watch Echizen walk through the front door.
Eiji laughed at that and went to greet his husband. "Shuichirou! How was work?" He hung himself around the taller man's neck.
Tezuka stepped inside around his cuddly former teammates. "Are Inui and Fuji here yet?"
"Not yet, but they should be here soon…" Kaidoh replied, still watching the young girl's door for her to reemerge.
"Osakada-chan do something?" Tezuka followed Kaidoh's gaze.
He shook his head. "She's going out with the boys and some guy from the newspaper that covers the team's stories."
"Takumi-kun?"
Kaidoh turned to look at the taller man in confusion. "Yes…"
Tezuka's smirk was almost nonexistent.
"Hello, everyone!" Fuji walked in at that moment with grocery bags.
"What's that?" Momo asked.
"Spicy things."
"Oh." He looked disappointed.
The door opened again when Fuji after Fuji stepped out from in front of it, revealing Inui and a group of young boys.
"Tezuka, I believe these are yours?"
"No way!" a little red headed one pouted. "Just me!"
"Hiromi-kun…" Fuji growled.
"Okay, bye, Kaoru-nii! I love you guys!" Ryomoka practically ran from the room, in shorts and a tank top with her hair thrown up messily now, grabbed Hiromi's arm, pulling him away from the threshold, and hastily retreated down the stairs.
"What was that all about?" Inui asked.
"Ryomoka likes a boy," Kaidoh growled, "and I think she's going on a date with him and pretending it's a group thing, and I don't like it."
"You knew she would grow up eventually, Kaoru."
"She's thirteen! She's too young to grow up!"
Inui patted his head affectionately and steered him toward the living room. "She'll be fine. She has Tezuka's team with her, and they're quite protective of her. Besides, I don't know if Takumi-kun has the same intentions as Ryomoka..."
—
"Just what does Tezuka-sensei see in that—that—" Hiromi made a strangled noise and fell silent, apparently at a loss for a bad enough word to describe Fuji.
"You're going to try and deny he's good-looking now?" Eri asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"He's old!"
"He's the same age as Sensei!" Hikaru cut in. "You're jailbait to Tezuka-sensei, Hiromi."
Hiromi huffed and stomped a foot. Ryomoka giggled.
"Mitsu-nii and Shuu-nii have been together since they were, like, twelve or something. It's never gonna happen, Hiromi-kun."
"We will see about that."
"You're very lucky I'm not the jealous type, you know," Eri said mildly.
Ryomoka moved so she was walking next to Takumi. "Hi there, Takumi-kun!"
"Oh, hey, Ryomoka-chan."
"I've been really excited for tonight, you know."
"Oh… have you? Isn't it just, you know… the usual?"
Ryomoka giggled. "Stop being coy, Takumi-kun. I know what's going on."
Takumi blinked. "You… do?"
"Well of course! You don't have to be embarrassed, but if you want to keep it quiet, I won't say anything, okay?"
"Uh… okay. Thanks, I think."
At the back of the group Tsukasa glanced up at Arashi. "Doesn't she...?" He made a vague gesture with his hand.
The green-haired boy smirked and patted Ono's head fondly. Watching his boyfriend squirm was just too much fun.
"Where're we goin'?" Katsutoshi yawned.
Atobe rolled his eyes. "We've been over this a million times. We're going to the street courts and then dinner, just like we do every Saturday evening."
"Oh, whose pick is it this week?" Hikaru peered over his shoulder.
"We decided to let Ryomoka-chan pick this week, since she is our guest." Arashi smile secretively.
"I'm not your guest. I'm your manager and I take pictures for Takumi-kun's articles."
"You know," Hikaru said, "She is right. I mean, she's practically our sixth ranger!"
Kimimitsu raised an eyebrow.
"Super sentai, Kinjo." Atobe Keitarou sighed. He thought the shows were ridiculous, but even he knew what the little captain meant.
"I don't know what that is."
"What?" Hikaru hugged the taller boy's arm. "How can you not watch Super Sentai? It's only the greatest thing in the whole world ever."
"Watch...? Oh, it's a television show. I don't watch television."
Hikaru sighed. "I'm so going to educate you! Anyway. Ryo-chan, where are we going for dinner?"
Ryomoka shrugged. "I'm not in the mood for anything specific... I'll think about it while we play."
"'We'?" Hiromi repeated incredulously. "You want to play?"
"Why shouldn't I? Just because I decided to quit the girl's team and manage you rather than doesn't mean I'm not good. You do realize that since I was four years old I've been training with your coach, not to mention Echizen Ryoma and Kaoru-nii, both of whom are professional players?"
"Geez, somebody touched a nerve." Hikaru flicked Hiromi's nose. "Don't be such a brat, Hiromi-kun. Ryo-chan could probably beat half of us at tennis."
"This is why you're may favorite, Hikaru-kun!" She smiled and hugged him.
"Well you're my favorite too, Ryo-chan!" Hikaru smiled.
"Hey!" Hikaru looked over his shoulder at the chorused outburst of Arashi, Keitaru, Katsutoshi, and Hiromi.
"My favorite girl. All the other ones are scary!" He backpeddled quickly.
"That's because the only other girls you talk to are the ones from your fanclub with crushes on you," the vice captain grunted irritably.
"His fanclub isn't as big as yours, Mister Softie Vice Captain." The purple-haired boy walking behind them smirked. "Should Hikaru-buchou be worried?"
"Stuff it, Atobe-kun." Kinjo jammed his hands into his pockets.
"Don't be like that, Kinjo-kun. It's sweet..." Tsukasa piped up from the back of the group.
"Yes, Kinjo-sempai. Cute even." Arashi's shoulders shook with his smirk.
Kinjo's face flushed as he looked out of the corner of his eye at the little captain. Hikaru was smiling back up at him. "It's okay. I know you don't like your fanclub. I don't like mine much either, even when they aren't being scary."
"I'm part of your fanclub, Ichiba-sempai..." Takumi, walking on the outside edge of the group, spoke up.
Hikaru blinked. "I don't mean Takumi-kun, of course! We're friends! You actually know how awesome I am from experience, but all the weirdo girls in my fanclub just want in my pants."
Takumi looked away and bit his lip, and Hikaru threw an arm around his shoulder, making Takumi jump.
"You okay?"
Takumi nodded silently.
"If you say so, buddy." Hikaru released the writer as they reached the entrance to the park where their regular street courts were.
"Who's playing first?"
"I want to play Hiromi." Ryomoka crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Hmpf, fine." Hiromi began gathering his hair into his trademark tennis pigtails.
"We'll play Kinjo-sempai and Atobe-kun." Arashi slipped an arm across Tsukasa's shoulders.
"We don't play doubles, Tanaka." Kinjo thought back on that disastrous match.
"Katsutoshi and I will play you!" Hikaru smiled.
—
Two games in Hiromi had traded out his pigtails for a single ponytail and was sweating.
"I wonder when he's going to realize how much she's making him run around..." Arashi sat on the bench with Tsukasa cuddled to his side.
"He won't..." Takumi answered.
"What?" Tsukasa blinked. The tensai usually figured out strategies pretty quickly.
"Hiromi-kun is mad. He doesn't think Ryomoka-chan can beat him because she doesn't play for the school." The captain was all too cheerful about his friend's two-game loss. "Ne, Kimi-kun?"
Kinjo nodded, eyes following the yellow ball as it narrowly missed Hiromi's ankle.
"Quit aiming at me!" The redhead spun to launch it back at his female opponent.
"Don't be scared of the ball!" Ryomoka stuck her tongue out, letting the ball go out of bounds.
"30-15, Osakada," Eri called.
The match ended an hour later, the score at six games to four. Hiromi looked furious, and Ryomoka was grinning like she'd won the U.S. Open.
"Not bad," she said with a smirk as they shook hands over the net.
"Oh, shut up," Hiromi snapped. "You may be named after Echizen Ryoma, but you're still not as good as he is."
"Yet," Ryomoka teased.
"I wanna play with Ryo-chan next!" Hikaru shouted, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Can I, can I?"
"Sure," Ryomoka called, backing up to serve. Hikaru ran to the other side of the court, and the match began.
When they all finally left the courts, Ryomoka having lost rather badly to Hikaru and the others having played a few matches, the team started badgering Ryomoka to pick a dinner location.
"I don't even know what's around here, guys." She gave in as they reached a crosswalk.
"Well, Kawamura Sushi's about a block and a half that way." Katsutoshi motioned with a nod of his head.
They agreed and made the short trip there, where they found their couch, and his seven clostest friends.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ryomoka glared at her temporary caretakers.
"We always come here at the end of movie night, Ryomoka-chan," Inui smiled and moved to let the light bounce off his glasses evilly.
"Tezuka-kan!" Hiroki shouted, marching up to the coach.
"Hiromi-kun..." Fuji warned.
"Shut up, I'm not talking to you. Tezuka-kan, I need you to teach me how to beat her!" He pointed at Ryomoka.
"Sorry about that." Eri appeared behind the second year and bodily forced him to the table where the rest of the team had seated themselves.
"But you guys never come here after movie night..." Taka whispered to Inui over the counter.
"Ryomoka-chan likes a boy," Eiji explained quietly.
"Oh."
"Mitsu," Fuji whispered, angry and finally out of the shock of being told to shut up.
Tezuka turned and caught the tensai's chin with his hand, kissing him soundly to sooth his raised hackles.
"Sato-kun needs to keep a better leash on that little cretin," Fuji growled. "Because one of these days I will snap, and bad things will happen."
"I don't know what else to do. I've given him more laps than is probably legal. I've spoken with him, even. He refuses to back off."
Fuji sighed. "Laps, Mitsu. Really?"
"Laps are an effective form of punishment."
"Not when you do fifty a day anyway."
Tezuka opened his mouth to retort, then paused. "You may have a point. Inui," he said suddenly, turning to look at the former data player, "do you think you could provide me with some of your old juice?"
Inui grinned. "It would be my pleasure, Tezuka."
At the table where the current Regulars were sitting, Ryomoka was trying to inconspicuously scoot closer to Takumi.
"So, Takumi-kun, you're single, right?"
"Yes, Osakada-chan..." Takumi turned to find her closer than expected.
"Oh, silly, call me Ryomoka! Everyone else does." She giggled.
"I don't think—"
"I insist."
The others were exchanging worried glances at their friends' interactions.
"Um..." He swallowed thickly and scooted away from the girl.
"Takumi-kun, I think we both know what's going on here..."
"We do?"
"Ugh!" She threw her hands up. "I like you, stupid!"
"Oh..." Takumi blinked. "Oh! Osakada-chan, I thought you knew..."
"Knew what?"
"Ryo-chan, Takumi-kun is gay..." Hikaru broke in helpfully.
"Oh..." She surveyed the boy next to her. "That... That actually makes a lot of sense."
"What?"
"Well, you're obsessed with writing about the guys, and you always turn down the girls in our class, and, well, NO OFFENSE," she said loudly enough for the former regulars to hear, "but you like tennis."
Takumi nodded. "Still friends?"
"Of course. I'm the one who is an idiot." She hit herself on the side of the head with a laugh. "Besides, we still have to work together for at least the rest of the year on the paper."
At the bar Kaidoh watched in confusion. "Takumi is gay?"
"Yes, now quit worrying about the brat getting a boyfriend." Ryoma rolled his eyes.