Chapter Two: A New Found Love
Standard Disclaimer Applies
-oOo-
Mayumi was walking down the halls with a smile on her lips, she had a really good morning, and for some reason, she doesn't think anything can happen today that can ruin her day. But then again, that was something that she thought she could do.
"Ohayou Ma-chan!" Shizuka greeted as she was about to bump into her on her way to class.
"Ohayou Shi-chan, you came in early today." Mayumi greeted back.
"Hai, I left my Classical Japanese book on my desk yesterday so I had to come in early to read on the assignment. You always come in early because of Niou-kun right?"
"Hai, we walk to school together in the mornings so I come in early with him for morning practice—." Mayumi was still explaining when she was slammed into the wall. "Itai!"
"Ma-chan!"
"You're Suzuki right?" A girl with long shiny black hair asked.
"H-Hai." Mayumi timidly answered.
"Hmm, nothing special I see." The girl said before walking away, without even apologizing for slamming her into the wall.
"Itai, what was that about?" Mayumi asked in a whisper as Shizuka was helping her get back on her feet.
"That's Kobayashi-senpai, she's a junior, she went to Rikkai Middle School too, everyone knows she's always had her eyes on Niou-kun. I heard rumours that she and Niou-kun were close friends when they were younger, I'm not sure what happened but when Kobayashi-senpai entered Middle School she and Niou-kun had a falling-out." Shizuka explained as she and Mayumi started walking back to their classroom.
"Niou never mentioned her to me before." Mayumi stated.
"It must have been a pretty bad falling-out between them; I hear other senpai-tachi who says that Niou-kun and Kobayashi-senpai were really best friends and inseparable in Elementary." Shizuka furthered.
Mayumi turned her head towards the direction where the older girl walked off to then sighed.
"Maybe Niou-kun really wanted to forget about her, that's why he hasn't told you anything about Kobayashi-senpai." Shizuka explained.
"Maybe." Mayumi agreed half-heartedly, she wanted to know exactly, what was Niou's reason for not even mentioning to her about his childhood best friend.
-oOo-
"So, the three of us are going to this really nice pasta place that Atobe always invites us to this afternoon." Oshitari declared to the other two as first period homeroom ended.
"When did we ever agree to such a thing?" Oishi asked the blue-haired tensai.
"I don't like Italian food." Yagyuu added.
"Come on, I already made reservations." Oshitari complained.
"You should have asked us first before you made the reservations." Oishi retorted.
"Oshitari-kun, we need to finish a lot of paper work, and—." Yagyuu was saying before he was cut off by the other bespectacled boy.
"The pasta place is the perfect place to dine and work at the same time. That's where I and Atobe always do strategic planning for Hyotei."
"Exactly how much planning did you get done compared to how much eating?" Oishi asked, he was not in a particularly good mood to go out that day and Oshitari was not being cooperative.
"Don't worry about the expense, this one's on me." Oshitari said ignoring Oishi's question.
"I already said I don't like Italian food." Yagyuu repeated.
"So, think of anything you want to eat, don't hesitate because this is my treat." Oshitari declared before walking over to his seat before their Math teacher walked in.
"Was he even listening to a single word we said?" Yagyuu asked Oishi who simply raised his shoulders before also returning to his seat.
-oOo-
"Back to basic training huh?" Marui complained as he stretched his arms upward.
"We're ichnen, we don't have a choice, we're back to ball fetching, net folding and the basics." Jackal reminded,
"But we were regulars from Rikkai Middle School." Marui continued to complain.
"Bunta, may I remind you that this is high school." Niou butted in because he was getting irritated with Marui's complaining.
"Yeah, I know, demo, why do Yukimura, Yanagi and Sanada get special treatment?" Marui complained.
"You didn't exactly beat the buchou and fukubuchou in a ranking match Marui, so not unless you plan on dyeing your hair blue and changing your name to Yukimura then you don't have a right to complain." Niou retorted.
"Whatever! I wanna play." Marui continued to complain.
"So win in the next ranking matches." Jackal advised.
"Says the one who only won two out of six games against the senpai-tachi." Marui retorted.
Jackal's head dropped in defeat, "Please don't remind me about that."
"Will the two of you just stop it already?" Niou said as he picked up a ball that rolled their way.
"Still bitter I see. Well, if you hit that last ball in, you would have made it to the regulars 'Niou Masaharu who was one win away from being a regular instead of a ball picker'." Marui teased the silverette who lost his last game at the ranking matches costing him his spot as a potential regular player.
"Shut up pig!"
"How many times do I have to tell you I am not a pig?" Marui protested.
"Iiyo, fattie." Niou taunted.
"Mou!"
"Pipe down you two, Sanada's already glaring this way." Jackal warned them.
Niou and Marui stuck out their tongue at each other like elementary kids fighting.
"By the way Niou, have you talked to Kobayashi-senpai yet?" Jackal asked the silverette making the other boy frown.
"I am going to pick up balls at the other court." Niou said ignoring Jackal's question.
"Do you think Suzuki-kun will have problems with Kobayashi-senpai?" Marui asked the half-Brazilian.
"I hope not, we failed to realize this back in Middle School. I guess Niou failed to project on this as well." Jackal replied.
"Well, Niou better do something about it, or else, Suzuki will suffer the consequences of his actions in the past." Marui concluded.
-oOo-
"Konnichiwa, you're Yagyuu-san from class A right? Here are the papers that we need to have our classmates fill up, these has to be submitted in three days to the Council for filling." A girl with purple hair said as she handed over a pile of papers to Yagyuu after council meeting ended for that day.
"Suzuki-kun?" Yagyuu almost whispered as he stared at the girl whom he saw for the first time.
"E? Iie. Sasaki Riko desu, the class representative for section B." the girl replied.
"Ah, gomennasai." Yagyuu bowed before receiving the papers from the girl.
"Iiyo." The girl handed over the pile.
"Yo! Yagyuu, let's go." Oshitari called the boy from the door.
"Coming. Excuse me." Yagyuu bowed again before heading off.
"Who were you talking to?" Oishi asked as he handed Yagyuu's bag over.
"Ah, Sasaki-san from class B, she gave these papers that the class needs to fill up." Yagyuu explained.
"She's sugoi kawaii, so are you two going out?" Oshitari asked.
"E? I was just talking to her about these papers, and this is the first time we've even met." Yagyuu replied with a tint of pink on his cheeks.
"So, you don't mind if I ask her out right?" Oshitari asked with a sly smile.
"Baka!" Oishi snapped at the boy.
"Oshitari-kun, we've only been in high school for less than two weeks and you're already thinking of girls." Yagyuu stated as he was placing the pile of papers into his bag.
"Nani? Don't you two think about girls?" Oshitari asked in disbelief.
"Iie." Oishi quickly replied.
Yagyuu cleared his throat.
"Aha! So Yagyuu thinks about girls!" Oshitari concluded when the other boy didn't reply.
"Do you think about girls and dating Yagyuu?" Oishi confirmed feeling that he was abnormal or something for feeling differently.
"Iie." Yagyuu replied hesitantly.
"You said that with a hesitant tone, which means you're lying." Oshitari concluded.
"I am not." Yagyuu defended.
"Then what's the real deal?" Oishi confirmed.
"I don't think about girls." Yagyuu denied.
"Are you gay?" Oshitari asked in surprise.
"Iie!" Yaguu vehemently denied.
"Did you leave someone in Kanagawa?" Oishi asked, feeling that Yagyuu was hiding something from them.
"Not really leave—." Yagyuu was about to explain before he was cut off by the overly excited Oshitari.
"You have a girlfriend back in Rikkai don't you?" Oshitari asked.
"I don't." Yagyuu denied.
"Then what?" Oshitari asked impatiently.
"There was this girl, which I liked." Yagyuu started.
"Liked? That's past tense. Does that mean you don't like her anymore?" Oshitari confirmed.
"Iie."
"Which means you still like her?" Oishi joined in.
"Hai."
"Then what's the problem?" Oshitari asked irately.
"She has a boyfriend." Yagyuu plainly answered.
"Oh?" Oshitari and Oishi said in unison.
There was silence between them for a while before Yagyuu broke the silence.
"Please don't worry about me. I don't mind you asking." Yagyuu assured the two.
"So, tell us the story." Oshitari replied.
"Oshitari." Oishi nudged on the taller boy to stop talking.
"Iiyo, I'll tell you. There was a girl that I liked back in Rikkai. She was Yukimura-kun's cousin." Yagyuu began.
"Yukimura's cousin?" Oshitari and Oishi said in surprise.
"Hai. She was in the same year, but she didn't play tennis." Yagyuu continued.
"And here I was thinking that tennis runs in the family." Oshitari said disappointed to know that Yukimura's cousin didn't play tennis.
"Apparently not." Oishi patted the bluenette's shoulder.
"She was simple, quiet, timid, and Niou-kun always bullied her with his pranks." Yagyuu said with a smile.
"So she's the trickster's favourite huh?" Oshitari said.
Yagyuu nodded before continuing, "I always helped her clean off whatever goo Niou-kun would prank her with. At first I thought it was just that I pitied her, by the time I realized I like her it was too late."
"Why was it too late?" Oishi asked.
"Because someone else had realized that he liked her too." Yagyuu replied with a sad voice.
"And you just gave up on her that easy?" Oshitari asked disappointed.
"Iie, I didn't."
"She chose the other guy?" Oishi confirmed.
Yagyuu nodded again before saying anything more, "He loves her very much, that I am sure of."
"How sure are you?" Oshitari asked.
"Because she chose my best friend over me, that's why I'm sure he loved her very much." Yagyuu replied just as he inserted the train ticket into the slot.
"Oh?" Oshitari and Oishi said before silence again filled them.
The train ride home was very quiet; no one said anything, not even a sigh. That was until just before Oshitari was about to get off the train.
"Chotto matte! Isn't Niou-kun your best friend?" Oshitari suddenly realized.
"Hai, he is." Yagyuu affirmed.
"Then—." Oishi was about to conclude.
"You owe us more about this Yagyuu; you better tell us the complete story tomorrow." Oshitari shouted as he got off the train.
"He's a very excited one isn't he?" Yagyuu told Oishi, referring to the hyperactive Oshitari.
"Hai." Oishi agreed.
-oOo-
It was very early in the morning and there was no one in the tennis court when Yukimura started running his laps. It was rather peaceful and calming, until someone showed up and disturbed the demigod's rather happy morning.
"You're very early." Sanada said as he began running alongside his best friend.
"Hmn. I like to get an early start." Yukimura replied.
"So have you heard?" Sanada asked the boy.
"If you're referring to Kobayashi-senpai and Mayumi's encounter the other day, hai, I've heard." Yukimura replied with an angered face.
"And what are we doing about this?" Sanada asked.
"Nothing."
Sanada stopped running and grabbed Yukimura's arm to stop the other boy from running as well, "Nani?"
"This is not our place to mess with Genechiro. This time, it's all on Niou's hands." Yukimura plainly stated then went back to running.
Sanada was left standing there with a confused look on his face, he so wanted to snap Yukimura's neck for allowing his cousin to fall trap to a very messy dispute and decide to step aside and leave things in Niou's hands, not that he didn't trust Niou would be able to handle it.
-oOo-
"She's looking at me again." Mayumi whispered as she and Shizuka were doing homework in the library.
"Just avoid eye contact." Shizuka advised.
"What did I ever do to her?" Mayumi complained s she tried hard to focus on doing her homework.
"Honestly, I think it has something to do with Niou-kun."
"I didn't even know about her until the other day when she slammed me into the wall." Mayumi argued in a low voice.
"Did you tell Niou-kun about that?"
"Iie."
"Nani? Demo, you should have told him something. After all, Kobayashi-senpai was his childhood best friend." Shizuka debated.
"I didn't want to worry him."
"That is not reason enough, he should know about this. Look, Kobayashi-senpai is almost like stalking you, lingering where you are. I heard some girls talking in the comfort room earlier; Kobayashi-senpai never spends time in the library unless it's mandatory paper work that the sensei wants submitted within the day. She always leaves school after the last period and hangs out with a group of friends, like a gang of some sort. That's why everyone is talking about you; they say you're the new prey that she's hunting down." Shizuka explained.
Mayumi glanced secretly towards the older girl's direction, "She scares me."
"That's why you have to tell Niou-kun that she's harassing you." Shizuka advised.
"Hey, ready to go?" Niou asked the girl as he appeared after tennis practice was over.
"Aa, let me just arrange my stuffs." Mayumi began gathering her notes.
"Oi." Niou greeted Shizuka.
"Konnichiwa Niou-kun." Shizuka greeted back.
"Do you want to walk with us home Shi-chan?" Mayumi asked her newfound friend.
"Iie, I'll just finish this here, I need to do the laundry when I get home so I might as well complete this before leaving for home." Shizuka respectfully turned down the offer.
"Iiyo, I'll see tomorrow then." Mayumi waved at the girl.
"Ja ne Hirohito." Niou nodded before turning his back.
Shizuka mouthed out to Mayumi 'Tell him about her' after the boy had turn his back, and Mayumi simple nodded.
A few minutes after Niou and Mayumi had left Shizuka, a shadow reflected on the table where the girl was seating and she felt heavy hands on her shoulder squeezing it tightly. "Kimi, tell you're girl-friend, to enjoy every last minute she has with my Masaharu, because soon enough, I'm taking him back." The older girl whispered in her ears before letting go of her shoulder and walking out of the library leaving the pained Shizuka massaging her shoulder and staring at the older girl's back in bitter retort.
-oOo-
"Yagyuu, wait up." Oishi called as the other boy was already walking out of the gates of their school.
"Oishi-kun, I thought you and Oshitari-kun were going to buy some stuffs?" Yagyuu confirmed.
"We were supposed to, demo, Oshitari got caught up talking to a girl and he decided to go for ice cream or something with the girl instead of buying the stuffs we need for the project, so I guess I'll have to buy them on my own." Oishi explained.
"Sou ka." Yagyuu adjusted his glasses.
"Ano, Yagyuu, do you want to go buy the stuffs with me, or have you purchased yours already?"
"Actually, I still need a few things; I think I'll go buy the items with you Oishi-kun." Yagyuu agreed.
"Hontou? That's great, I've never really went out buying stuffs for a project alone, I usually go with Tezuka or Fuji when buying school related items." Oishi exclaimed happily.
"Tezuka-kun and Fuji-kun, not with Kikumaru-kun?" Yagyuu wondered.
"Hai, Eiji and I are really good friends and doubles partners, demo, my best friends are actually Tezuka and Fuji, well, Tezuka mainly, since Tezuka and Fuji and also close so I kind of ended up hanging around with Fuji as well." Oishi furthered.
"I see."
"How about you Yagyuu, is Niou really your best friend?" Oishi asked to start small talk, after all, they've only began hanging out and he doesn't really know much about Yagyuu.
"Hai. Niou-kun and I also hang out even when there's no tennis practice." Yagyuu confirmed.
"No wonder you too are really good at doubles." Oishi concluded.
"Well, we can't activate synchro at will like you and Kikumaru, but we're a pretty decent doubles pair." Yagyuu humbly stated.
"Are you kidding me? You're from Rikkai, we're defeat is unforgivable." Oishi said before realizing what he just stated. "Gomen."
"It's alright, Seigaku was really strong, and we couldn't have lost to anyone better than you guys." Yagyuu said, accepting defeat. "After all, if we never encountered you in the tournament, I might not have a friend to walk with today." Yagyuu added.
Oishi felt shy with what the other boy said and scratched his head. "But you are really good Yagyuu."
Awkward silence fell on them until they reached the bookstore and began picking up the stuffs they needed for their project.
"Ano, Yagyuu, can I ask you something?" Oishi hesitantly asked as they stood in line to pay.
"Hmn."
"What's her name?"
Yagyuu looked at Oishi, thinking, then answered his question, "Her name is Suzuki-kun."
"Aa, and her first name?"
"Mayumi." Yagyuu replied in almost a whisper.
"But you call her Suzuki-kun right?" Oishi confirmed.
"Hai."
"You're a very formal person and very respectful so I expected as much." Oishi concluded as he began counting his money to pay.
"Do you have someone that you left in Seigaku?" Yagyuu asked the egghead.
"Iie, except my tennis club friends, I have no one." Oishi denied.
Yagyuu nodded his head as he paid for the stuffs that he bought.
"It must be really difficult for you." Oishi stated as they were walking out of the bookstore.
"Difficult?"
"Because the girl you like is your best friend's girlfriend." Oishi expounded.
"As long as she's happy, I'll be happy." Yagyuu stated.
"Yagyuu, forgive me for asking, you must not want to talk about her." Oishi apologized.
"Iie, it's okay, you deserve to know, you're my friend. Besides, it must be difficult for you too, now that Tezuka-kun is studying in Germany, and Fuji-kun is in Seigaku, you must make new friends, like me." Yagyuu assured the boy.
"Hmn." Oishi agreed as they walked to the train station.
-oOo-
"Stay away from her." Niou stated in a cold firm voice as the tall girl walked pass him.
"So you finally decide to talk to me." Kobayashi faced the boy.
"Stay away from Suzuki." Niou stared at the girl's eyes.
"So the little princess already told her knight and shining armour?" Kobayashi taunted.
"She hasn't told me anything. But knowing Suzuki, she never would, she doesn't like worrying me. But knowing you, I know you're already messing with her." Niou stated.
"You know me so well Masaharu." The girl stepped forward reaching for Niou's face.
"Don't touch me!" Niou stepped backwards.
"Nande? Didn't you like to hold hands with me back in Elementary?" Kobayashi teased some more.
"That was before you became the biggest slut." Niou retorted.
"I'm hurt." The girl pretended to hold her heart.
"You hurt me first." Niou countered before walking away.
"Don't forget who your first kiss was Masaharu." The girl threatened.
"I've long forgotten." Niou answered before finally walking away.
-oOo-
"You what?" Oishi and Yagyuu practically screamed at Oshitari.
"I've set a group date for us this Saturday." Oshitari repeated.
"We never asked you to do that." Oishi said in anger almost ready to choke the taller boy for doing such.
"I don't go on group dates Oshitari-kun." Yagyuu argued.
"You do now." Oshitari stubbornly replied.
"Let me rephrase that, I don't, nor will I ever go on group dates Oshitari-kun." Yagyuu replied.
"I invited Sasaki-san to the group date." Oshitari commented.
"Who?" Oishi asked, having no idea who the taller boy was referring to.
"The class representative for section B." Yagyuu answered Oishi's question.
"You remembered her, how sweet." Oshitari teased.
"Of course I remember her, I see her every council meeting." Yagyuu retorted.
"So, you're going right?" Oshitari asked with bright eyes.
"Iie." Yagyuu replied coldly.
"But I told her you wanted her to come and were just too shy to ask!" Oshitari argued.
"Well then, I guess you're just going to explain to her that you lied to her and that I won't be going on that date." Yagyuu irately answered.
"K-Konnichiwa, Yagyuu-san." A female voice greeted.
"Sasaki-san." Yagyuu said surprised by the girl's appearance.
"I'm looking forwards to Saturday." The girl said with a smile before walking away.
"Now, now, Yagyuu-san you don't want to disappoint such a sweet kind girl's expectations would you?" Oshitari told the boy as he patted his shoulder.
"You're sly Oshitari." Oishi commented.
"Besides, aren't you called 'the gentleman', now, now, would a gentleman elude a date with such a cute girl." Oshitari continued to taunt.
"Oshitari-kun, I might just begin to hate you all together." Yagyuu faced the boy with a serious face that matches even that of Sanada or Tezuka.
"How scary." Oshitari provoked.
"Fine, but don't expect anything from me, because I am only going to satisfy your curiosity. I have no interest in Sasaki-san." Yagyuu firmly replied.
"You're going?" Oishi asked in disbelief.
"He's just living up to his nickname." Oshitari said as he placed his arms on Oishi's shoulder like they were such good friend.
"Doesn't mean I'm going too." Oishi argued.
"Oh, you're going Oishi-kun, because if Oshitari-kun is dragging me into this, I'm dragging you with me." Yagyuu argued.
"Nani!" Oishi said wide-eyed.
"And besides, I told Hirohito-san you invited her to the date as well." Oshitari added.
"Who?" Oishi asked.
"Sasaki's best friend, they're both from section B." Oshitari answered before walking away to chase after some girl.
"I don't even know who Hirohito-san is, how can I invite her out?" Oishi complained to Oshitari's back, but he was ignored.
"He's really pushy isn't he?" Yagyuu stated as the baffled Oishi was still staring at Oshitari's back.
"Yagyuu, are you seriously going?" Oishi asked the boy.
"I honestly don't want to, demo, I don't think I can tell Sasaki-san that Oshitari lied to her about me asking her out." Yagyuu explained.
"You still really like Suzuki-san don't you?" Oishi confirmed.
"When I first saw Sasaki-san, I accidentally called her Suzuki-kun." Yagyuu admitted.
"Nande?"
"Because Suzuki-kun also has purple hair and blue eyes, but she's shorter than Sasaki-san, and her hair was cut short too." Yagyuu explained.
"I see." Oishi nodded.
"But it would be unfair to date her just because she reminded me of Suzuki-kun." Yagyuu continued.
"Hai, I agree. So how are you going to get out of this?" Oishi asked.
"I have no idea." Yagyuu admitted.
-oOo-
Sorry for the delayed update, I've been busy, and will be really busy, so please forgive me if I don't update any of my stories soon enough.