Disclaimer: Nope, doesn't belong to me. (You should know by now, but sadly it's obligatory to say this.)
Ryoma was pissed.
Scratch that, he was more than pissed. He was seething and boiling and if he hit the ball against the wall once more he was sure it would break.
Momo-senpai and the overly hyperactive Kikumaru-senpai (was being so high all the time even legal?) had once again tried to set him up with Ryuzaki.
Honestly, for the love of all things tennis, which bit of "I do NOT like Ryuzaki" did they not get?
So today he was going to finally try and get that fact drilled into their brains.
Since it was the end of practice anyway.
He grabbed the both of them by the front of their shirts, ignoring the "Wha-?"s and "Lemme go!"s, and dragged them forcefully to the bench before plopping them down.
"Ochibi?"
He turned and glared at Eiji, who meeped pitifully and cowered behind Momo with a "Ochibi's scary, nya!" Momo only stayed on the bench, patting him with clammy hands while looking at Ryoma fearfully.
Said person sighed, took off his cap, ran a hand through his hair and launched into a tirade.
"Momo-senpai. Kikumaru-senpai. First things first. Contrary to what you like to believe, I am not blind." Momo looked at him in disbelief and opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it anyway.
"I have noticed how Ryuzaki acts around me. She a) blushes, b) stutters, and c) tries to make me obentos all the time. Therefore the conclusion that she likes me.
"But you know what? I think I see deeper than that. I see that it's not me she likes. It's my tennis skills. That's what she admires, not me. Not Echizen Ryoma, but his tennis skills. And that's not what I want.
"If you want to set me up with her, it's fine. But let me tell you it won't work, not as things are right now. Now, she's only got a crush on my skills. But if and when she realises that what she likes is actually me, she is welcome to finally gather her courage and tell me personally. I don't like the way you always try to set me up. I want someone who likes me to tell me themselves, in the face, how they feel. To show that they have true courage. To show that they mean what they say.
"So when she tells that to me, I'll accept it. Because Ryuzaki's a nice person, but right now she's got no backbone. And after the excitement about my skills dies down and she finds out that she actually doesn't like me, I'm fine with that too.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to say? I guess not. But just remember, don't try to interfere. Let her do things on her own."
And, satisfied, he shoved his cap on his head, grabbed his tennis equipment and left.
Momo made an indistinguishable sound in his throat as he and Eiji stared after their favourite freshman's retreating back.
"Ochibi… Ochibi kakoi nya!" A loud sniffle ensues.
And for the first time in his life, Momoshiro Takeshi was completely and utterly floored.
owari
omake
"Ne, Sakuno." The person props up his head on a hand to look at the other.
"Hmm?" The other person, reading a book, answers absent-mindedly.
"I cornered Momo-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai today… And really told them off." An amused chuckle sounds.
"What about?"
"About trying to set us up. It's really irritating."
"Heh…"
There is a short moment of silence, but it's comfortable, not needing words, the two figures just enjoying the company of the other. The porch light is warm and inviting, almost lulling the first figure to sleep.
The first one speaks again.
"Ne, Sakuno."
"Hai, Ryoma-kun?"
"When do you think they'll find out we're cousins anyway?"
The second person starts then, and laughs a clear startling laugh that wakes the sleeping owl, which blinks, hoots, and soars into the black endless sky that is littered with twinkling stars.
