Incident Two

In which Fuji tricks Tezuka into dinner,

Yagyuu is robbed,

and Saeki gets bad vibes.

It was a rare occurrence for Tezuka to be accompanying Fuji home, but this was the case that tranquil Friday afternoon. It was just after tennis practice, and both boys were currently strolling down the cement block, tennis bags swung over their shoulders with leisure. Fuji had an inquiring pout knitted onto his lips, and Tezuka seemed a bit too edgy for the prodigy to suspect that it had something to do with school, or even tennis in that case. After all, if Tezuka had issues with school (which Fuji highly doubted the genius would) or the tennis club, he'd go straight to Oishi, who, even Fuji admits, was a lot trustworthier than him.

Despite his angelic look and that smile that could literally make you drop dead, Fuji Syusuke was no angel descended down earth, and if you knew him well enough, you'd know well of the devilish things he was able to achieve. In fact, perhaps only Yuuta, Saeki, and maybe Kikumaru and Tezuka truly knew this demon in angel's skin. His motives were always hidden inside his closed eyelids, and when you do spy his brilliant cerulean eyes, you wish you hadn't, just like Tezuka did now. Anymore brilliant and the taller boy would've had to succumb to the fearful allure of Fuji turned siren.

"So… what did you want to talk to me about, Tezuka?" The prodigy was in an especially good mood that day, Tezuka noted. He really should have rethought his choices.

"Well, actually, I…" Tezuka trailed off— rare for the boy do so. Usually his sentences always ended with an exclamation point or a period, but never ellipsis. Fuji was amused to no end. It was always a treat to see Tezuka… embarrassed and blushing? Must have been a trick of the light.

"Tezuka?"

"I… I actually wanted to talk to your sister, if that's not too much trouble…" Fuji stopped short, eyes peering at the Seigaku tennis club captain with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Well, it depends on what you're going to ask her," Fuji said cautiously. At this Tezuka promptly adverted his eyes from the prying teen.

"It's… a school project," Tezuka admitted. Fuji didn't doubt him for Tezuka never lied. Fuji didn't demand details either, much the relief of the younger boy. (Fuji is older than Tezuka, unless you want to only count the years with February twenty-ninth in them.)

"Will you stay for dinner?" Fuji asked with a soft, hopeful smile.

"No," Tezuka answered promptly. His senses told him something was going to happen if he stuck around the boy too long. Last time he 'stayed for dinner', he was force to watch Fuji make a spectacle out of Yuuta, who was unfortunately home that day. Somehow the younger Fuji in a miniskirt wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts or memories. Much to his surprise, (and dreading dismay) Fuji's smile just grew wider.

"Good. Then we can go out to eat."

Tezuka's lips immediately took the shape of a sharp frown. Well, they don't call Fuji Syusuke the prodigy for nothing. That's quick-witted thinking for you, and Tezuka got a feeling that Fuji was planning this sentence from the beginning of the conversation.

"Isn't that Seigaku's Fuji Syusuke and that… that… eh…"

"Tezuka Kunimitsu," Oshitari informed Niou, who just gave a small shrug. He was never one to remember names of people he didn't find amusing, intriguing, or just downright fascinating. "He's Seigaku's captain. How come you remember Fuji's name and not his?"

The two had been strolling along the street illuminated by neon signs, city lights, and the surrounded by the hubbub of chatter when they spotted Tezuka and Fuji seated in an outdoor parlor. With their sharp eyes, they immediately locked onto the scene and were now observing them with interest from across the traffic-jammed street.

"I have an eye for people. Fuji's more… captivating," Niou said, pausing a bit before uttering the word 'captivating'. Perhaps it was to emphasize his point, or perhaps it was just stalling for the perfect word. Either way, Niou received a disdainful look from his 'date'.

"So you only remember the names of captivating people?" Oshitari asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he emphasized the word 'captivating'. Niou just gave out one of his infamous snickers.

"Well, that's what I implied, isn't it?" Niou answered suavely.

It was then that Oshitari abruptly stopped, a look of disdain crossing his calm features. Niou blinked as he abruptly stopped at the invitation of the other, mind whirling as to try and read beyond those sharp eyes of his companion. For a while, the two did nothing but stare out into space. The minutes rolled by and just when Niou was about to say something about how stupid the two look standing in the middle of the crowded sidewalk doing nothing but staring at nothing when Oshitari suddenly snatched his wrist and started to roughly pull him along.

"Wait, we are not going to spy on Fuji and Tezuka, are we?" Niou blurted out the theory he had come up with. Oshitari stopped briefly and cast him a funny look before breaking into a devilish grin. It irked Niou to see that it was so much like his own. Oshitari wondered why the trickster seemed surprise by his implied suggestion.

"Of course we are," Oshitari answered, still pulling Niou along, which earned both of them strange looks from the people around them. "Isn't that what you called me out here for? Good timing, though. I had no idea they'd be here."

Niou pretended to think about it as a truly thoughtful expression splashed onto his face. After about a second of so, though, he dropped the act and replied with slight sigh, "Actually, I kind of wanted to play another game, but I suppose that can wait…"

It turned out that Tezuka's 'school project' revolved around gender superiority. As much as Fuji would've loved seeing Tezuka interviewing his sister, he was forced by Yumiko to wait outside her room as she and Tezuka got on with the boring process. Fuji whole-heartedly trusted that Tezuka wouldn't do anything, and he knew well enough that Yumiko wasn't completely a sitting duck either. Besides, Tezuka was probably the most girl-un-phased person Fuji knew. While boys their age were striking puberty at full force, Tezuka, aside from his appearance of a twenty-year-old, remained completely cold to the process, especially when it came to girls. Even though Fuji knew he had a soft spot of Sakuno (either that or he simply couldn't stand seeing her horrid form), other girls seemed completely irrelevant to him, but enough of that now.

As soon as Tezuka was done with Yumiko, Fuji had dragged him out for dinner, as promised. The two were now seated across from each other sipping on their water as they watched the nightscape blur by them. Traffic seemed to be loosening up now after rush hour, but they knew that it wouldn't last very long as soon as people came out for late-night clubbing. Fuji seemed serene and unreadable as always with a lingering smile, and Tezuka rigid and cold with the frown that seemed to be permanently plastered onto his facial features. Fuji spoke first:

"It's peaceful, isn't it, Tezuka?"

"Not really," Tezuka muttered in response. He failed to see how the prodigy found the vulgar swears coming in all directions plus the horrid glare from the excess signs peaceful. Tezuka found it rather bothersome and degrading of civilization. He much rather would prefer a quiet and traditional dinner at home with his family.

"You're too formal and uptight," Fuji laughed as he poked his captain on his forehead. Tezuka found that even more disturbing than all the lights and swearing and signs combined. Fuji obviously sensed that as he gave his captain a few more pokes with a broad smile.

"So, Tezuka, what do you think the superior sex is?" Fuji asked.

"They're both equal," he grunted as he finally got fed up and grabbed Fuji by the wrist and removed his poking hand from his forehead.

"But last time I checked, 'equal' wasn't an option on your assignment." Fuji Syusuke just wouldn't be Fuji Syusuke without a little curiosity and a whole lot of snooping around. Tezuka just happened to the unfortunate victim who had plunged into Fuji's grasp of terror.

"So, Tezuka," Fuji went on, "what do you think the superior sex is?"

Tezuka knew then that he had already been dragged too deep into Fuji's Hell to escape it. The Devil's trap has been set, and Tezuka has been successfully captured. Tezuka soulfully wished he were in a different situation.

"Well…"

"Gakuto is going to throw a fit."

Seated a couple tables down from the prodigy and the emotionless rock were Oshitari accompanied by Niou, sharing an eyebrow raising sized sundae (due to shortage of cash from one and the another unprepared to be able to buy two) as they shot the occasional glance at Fuji and Tezuka between mouthfuls of ice-cream. Niou was taking over most of the portion while Oshitari sat back and ate the occasional spoonful. The latter didn't have that much of an attachment to sweets, but Niou, who constantly was forced to buy Marui candy and the occasional float (because Jackal's diet was strictly no sugar) had grown rather use to the extreme flavor that came attached with hordes and hordes of cherries over syrup over whipped cream over fudge over ice-cream with and immensely excessive amount of sprinkles to adorn this heavenly creation.

"He's your doubles partner, isn't he? The one who has this thing against another Seigaku member?" Niou inquired. Oshitari merely nodded his head. Knowing Gakuto and his temperament, he would go into hysteria if he found out that his best friend had been hightailing off with a member of Rikkai when usually the two would walk around town aimlessly chatting about aimless things around this time. It wasn't a set appointment between the two, but it had become sort of like a routine they would follow. It took quite the amount of persuasion from Oshitari to ensure Gakuto that he really did have 'other things' without specifying just what they were. The redhead had left with a disappointed huff.

"You know, Yagyuu would throw a tantrum too if he knew that I had been coming down here."

"I thought your friend was rather level headed and calm."

"Well, I'm kind of borrowing his money…"

Oshitari scoffed as he recalled another memory that was much like this one. It was during their second year and he remembered how Atobe burst onto the courts one day screaming bloody murder at Shishido who had rang up a rather impressive bill under his name. (The shiny cards and mounds of cash the shorter boy had found dropped on the courts were so divinely tempting.) It was both amusing, but ultimately disturbing as the yelling was quite consuming their practice time.

Meanwhile, Fuji and Tezuka had spotted the two.

"What are those two doing here?" Tezuka muttered at one point. Immediately he wished that he didn't voice that question once he saw a flicker spark in the other. Fuji caught up on it immediately as he eyes flared into the direction Tezuka was peering at, and widened significantly as he recognized the two.

"Let's go find out," Fuji suggested, relaxing back into his normal smiling mode. Tezuka sternly replied:

"I'm going." (home that is)

As soon as the stoic boy got up, however, he found himself going in just the opposite direction he had wished he were going. Apparently, the brunette, despite his rather delicate looking physique, was quiet strong and persistent, and Tezuka found himself heading over to the Oshitari and Niou pair under the tugging force of Demon Lord Fuji. These were the times which Tezuka truly wished that he hadn't previously wished that he wished he were in a different predicament. Suddenly, the superior sex talk didn't seem all so appalling, even to one who was strongly against prejudice and sexism.

"They're spotted us, Yuushi."

Niou generously pointed out the obvious as he licked off the last of the ice cream (how he managed was an unexplainable miracle). Oshitari nodded in response as he turned himself to face the oncoming duo, one who seemed all to eager and the other all too unhappy with reluctance and pain.

"Well, what a coincidence," Fuji greeted, though if you noticed the slight stress on the 'coincidence' part, you would know that the prodigy suggested otherwise. Niou greeted both of them with a light scoff while Oshitari seemed engaged in a staring contest with the brunette. Tezuka seemed indifferent, but Niou easily picked up on his exasperation that shone clearly through his eyes. He was glad that Tezuka's glasses weren't a one-way deal like Yagyuu's. (He has still yet to find out which store sells those kinds of spectacles.)

"Fuji," Oshitari said with a push-of-the-glasses greeting.

"Oshitari," Fuji returned with his own strained smile. Past occurrences seemed to have caught up to them, mainly revolving around the match they had played before and Oshitari's 'borrowing' of one of Fuji's beloved Counter Quartet. (They had to have changed the name after the Kagerou Zutsumi, didn't they? That and Quadruple Counter is quite an odd jumbling mouthful.) Oshitari remained under his usual guise of a scheming smirk while Fuji hid under his own. It was like an electrical current had suddenly sparked between the two as they stared into the eyes of the other prodigy.

Tezuka decided to take this moment when Fuji was busy duking it out with Oshitari to take his leave. Niou could rarely care less as he offered only a tiny wave, more engrossed in the scene between Fuji and Oshitari. The Seigaku captain prayed that Fuji wouldn't make a scene, for wanting to deal with a Fuji-sized catastrophe was the last thing on his 'To-Do' list.

Somewhere far away on the road of a very different street, one with no glaring signs, peeling billboards, and honking of cars, a jolt shot down the spine of Saeki Koujirou, and it was a very disturbing jolt. The boy had felt this kind of unease just once before— when Fuji was about to attempt the impossible and it would have ended in tragedy had he not been there to put a halt to it. (Said tragedy will be disclosed until further notice.) However, he felt with the jolt an accompaniment of a shiver, which told him that this time it might just as well have been suicide if he decided to even check it out.

"Saeki?" Aoi said very slowly as the vice-captain suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and seemed to have gone into a standing coma. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Well, you go ahead, I have something I have to do."

In the same time at a different place, Fuji and Oshitari, once again, began another heated match of tennis (For what else were they to do?) with Niou refereeing and watching with insane delight.
And somewhere else:

"Hiroshi! I want ice-cream!"

"Hiroshi, go buy your brother some ice cream."

"Just a minute! …Where is that wallet?"