Disclaimer: I am not Konomi-sensei, therefore I do not own "The Prince of Tennis" or anything related to this manga, game and anime.
Author's Note: I can't help myself from publishing yet another In-Progress fic! It's just that I have this . . . this itching/nagging feeling that tempts me to write this. xD Tell me what you think about this, okay? ;)
"To Love a Sack"
~Prologue~
The shuffling of papers and the sound of chatters fills the classroom. Students begin to flock in, either by pairs, by themselves or by groups, some settling down on their respected seats as they patiently wait for the teacher to arrive, while others distract themselves with noisy chatters and gossips.
Marui Bunta yawns, rubbing his closed eyelids sleepily. He isn't much of a morning person; he doesn't have much energy to go to school if it weren't for his mother bribing him with his favourite apple-flavoured bubblegum.
Marui digs into his pocket, taking out a closed packet of bubblegum as he tosses the empty one to a nearby bin. He opens the packet, takes out a piece of gum and puts it in his mouth. He chews the gum slowly, savouring the tangy taste. Marui leans on the desk in front of him, burying his head in his long, somehow muscular arms, as he relaxes in his wooden chair. He sighs, wondering why morning practise for their tennis team is cancelled. The weather is fine, everybody is in great condition, yet why is it cancelled? It just doesn't make sense!
The seat beside him screeches as his classmate pulls it back to sit down. Marui raises his head to see who it is, blowing a bubble and eventually popping it. He looks away in boredom as a person with silver hair and cerulean eyes settles himself in his seat.
Niou Masaharu has a playful smirk on his face, laying both of his elbows on the desk and resting his chin in his open hands. He has done something, Marui knows this fact whenever Niou's trademark smirk is present. The only question is: Which person is playing a prank on, this time?
Just then, their Science teacher enters the room and every student hurries to their assigned places. The teacher has black hair and a pair of gentle chocolate-brown eyes. He seems nice enough, except that if you cause trouble, that's when everything goes wrong. Marui hopes it isn't the nicest and the most decent teacher in their school to be the victim of Niou's prank. Oh, but he'll never know . . . Unless he has the same mind as Niou, which Marui doesn't want to have, considering he is a genius. No thank you.
Asahina Suzaku, the teacher, approaches his desk as Marui stares at him intently. Surely, he isn't the one. Surely, he isn't, because . . .
Suzaku-sensei puts the book he is carrying on top of his desk, opens the only drawer of the said object and . . . Nothing happens.
Marui sighs in relief, popping the bubble he made and throwing it to the bin near him. When that is done, however, something makes a 'popping' sound nearby, and he turns around to see . . . one of his classmates falling off his chair as firecrackers explodes from inside his bag.
Marui blinks, stares blankly at the scene before him, before sighing and shifting comfortably in his seat. He doesn't have the energy to react; the energy to panic and scream like idiots like their wild classmates and teacher. All because of the goddamn prank Niou pulled out last night in his bedroom. He'll make sure to pay the Trickster for what he did.
Several minutes later, after all the commotion is over, class resumes as Suzaku-sensei pulls out a . . . sack of flour from his bag?
"Today, class, before the incident occurred, we're learning about child care," Suzaku-sensei smiles softly, hearing the confused and unwilling answers from his students. "It isn't that hard; all you need to do is look after a sack with your partner, and treat it like an infant."
"But, Sensei!" a girl with long, wavy brown hair protests, rising from her seat. "Sacks of flours don't have feelings! They're inanimate objects!"
"Yeah!" the entire student body present in the class agrees, excluding a bored-looking Niou and a tired-looking Marui.
"That is why I had help from other Science Teachers in this school to make an emotion gauge to attach to the sacks!" Suzaku-sensei grins childishly, attempting to make an example to silence the whole class. He does like hearing them groan in displeasure; after all, he is one of the many unknown sadistic teachers in Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku Chuu. "Observe," he says, placing the sack in one hand as he raises it up in the air before slamming it hard on the desk.
In a matter of seconds, the sack begins to make crying noises of an infant.
Some of the students stares at him blankly; others are frozen in place; while the vast majority of them has fainted due to shock.
"S—Sensei, you told us to treat it like a baby! Why the heck did you have to slam it onto the table?" the same girl earlier exclaims awe.
"For demonstration as the majority of you won't believe me," Suzaku-sensei says calmly, smiling as if there isn't a problem, at all. "Now, let's start pairing you guys up, shall we?" Asahina Suzaku goes through the list, picking out the 'mother' and the 'father' for the sack of flour which, surprisingly, has emotions. The last pair surprises everyone — who hasn't fainted — the most.
". . . As for the last pair, the ones who has to look after Miyuki, are Niou Masaharu and Marui Bunta."
Silence. A few gasps, then . . .
"The sack actually has a name?" Marui shouts in disbelief, hitting his palms on the desk and standing from his seat with such speed that he almost looks like a blur, until he freezes and corrects himself. "I—I mean, why, in God's name, do I have to be paired up with Niou, of all people?" he demands, flushing a bit in embarrassment with his error, earlier.
"Marui-kun, please be seated." Marui obeys as Suzaku-sensei has that evil glint in his usual caring eyes that reminds him awfully of someone. "I'll tell you why: I think you and Niou-kun know each other more than your classmates. Besides, you can mostly control your teammate's actions as you have been together longer than anyone else in this class."
"You make it sound like we're in a relationship," Marui mutters in disgust. The very thought of being in a relationship with Niou is . . . highly disturbing. He doesn't want to even think about it, thank you very much!
"Don't worry, Sensei, I'll behave," Niou says in his most innocent tone of voice; it creeps Marui out, knowing that the Trickster is up to something devious once more. "We'll take good care of Miyuki-chan for you, right, Okaa-san?"
"WHAT?"