Breaking the Masks
Author's Notes: Here we are again! This was, again, written by nhowy who worries that, perhaps, Erica-chan might be OOC. But Erica-chan thinks otherwise. Erica-chan is very much in a default Perfect Pair fangirl mode. But she did minor changes here…
Disclaimer: Tezuka and Fuji do not belong to us. But they've been made for each other by Konomi-sensei.
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Chapter 1: Erica's Plan
"Ne, Aniki, what are you doing?" Erica asked. She was leaning against the open door of Tezuka's room.
"Packing." Tezuka replied, not looking at her.
Erica sighed and thought, Honestly, it's easier to talk to a rock than to you. "For what?" Erica asked again.
"There's a sleepover at Fuji's tomorrow." Tezuka replied, still not looking at Erica.
That hit a nerve. Specifically, Erica's teasing/sadistic/mischievous nerve.
"Aniki, that's still tomorrow. Why are you packing already? Surely, you wouldn't go directly to Fuji-sempai's house after practice." Erica replied. –insert evil smirk-
Tezuka stopped and looked at her, slightly speechless.
Erica looked back inquiringly.
Tezuka pushed his glasses up and said:
"It's important to be always prepared. Yudan sezu ni ikou."
Erica chuckled. "Of course…unless you're too eager."
Tezuka glared at her and said: "Don't you have other things to do?"
Erica shrugged and left.
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Erica grabbed the phone and dialed Fuji's number's
"Hello. This is Fuji Syusuke speaking."
"Fuji-sempai, this is Erica."
"Ah Erica-chan, is there something I could do for you?"
"Sempai, I actually want to ask what you like in a person."
Silence.
"Why the sudden question?"
"Just curious.
"Let's see…… I like responsible people. The quiet and beautiful type suits me I think. (that's from Atobe's movie) I also want someone who supports the good in others and strives for her/his dreams. Also, someone who doesn't know how to give up and keep on persevering no matter what trials she/he might undergo."
"Is that all?"
"There's actually a lot more but that about sums it up."
"Alright. Thanks a lot, sempai."
Erica hanged up.
Well, Aniki fits in the description easily. This might be easier than I thought.
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Tezuka sighed. Erica asked him to meet her at the park. For what reasons, he didn't know. She could have just talked to him at their house but she just chose to talk to him at the park. The tennis club didn't have any practice that day so he didn't mind waiting a little. But, no, Erica was nearly half an hour late and he could feel his eyebrows twitch in annoyance.
Erica came running a few moments later.
"Aniki, sorry I'm late." She said.
Tezuka muttered a "hn" before asking: "What do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing, I just want to spend some time with my brother. Is that wrong?" She asked.
Tezuka could feel his veins popping.
"Let's go." She said as she grabbed Tezuka's hand and led him to different stores.
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Erica paused and said: "Aniki, wait here for a while. I…. I just have to go and do something."
Tezuka nodded.
Erica left.
"Ne, okaasan, buy me that, will you?" a boy said.
"Shin, I know you love apples but you do know that your father doesn't want you to eat so much sweets." His mother replied.
"But… I want to know how Fuji apple-flavored mentos tastes like." The boy said, giving his mother a cute pout.
"Sorry, Shin but that won't work on me." Said Shin's mother
The said boy and mother caught Tezuka's attention.
Fuji apple-flavored mentos? I wonder how that would taste.
Without further ado, he entered the candy shop and purchased a pack of Fuji apple-flavored mentos.
He went out of the store only to find an annoyed Erica waiting for him outside.
"Aniki, what the…..what are you doing in a candy shop?!" She asked.
"……"
"What did you buy?" She asked again.
"Nothing." Tezuka replied, trying to hide the candy.
"Let me see." She said as she grabbed the candy from Tezuka."
Tezuka could be seen with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.
"Oohhh….Fuji-flavored mentos." She said, teasing his brother. "Ooops. I mean Fuji apple-flavored mentos." She said.
"It's not what you think." Tezuka tried to reason.
"But Aniki what exactly am I thinking?" Erica asked.
"……" Erica's statement left the buchou speechless.
Erica chuckled and gave Tezuka back the candy.
"Maa… It's getting late. We should go back." Erica said.
Tezuka nodded.
They walked in silence before Erica broke it and asked: "Aniki, how did it taste?"
Tezuka stopped in his tracks.
Erica looked up at him.
"Umm…. Well, it was good." He replied, stuttering a bit.
Erica fought the urge to laugh out loud (and succeeded). "Right." She replied.
Both were engulfed in silence once more.
"Aniki, don't you have a sleepover to attend?" Erica asked.
Tezuka nodded.
"Why are you still here?" She asked a bit mad.
"I don't have to be there until 7. It's only 6:15."
Erica sighed and asked a bit irritated:
"Why don't you just go home, grab your stuff and leave already?"
Tezuka stopped in his tracks again and thought:
'This was the girl who wanted to spend some time with me a while ago?'
Seeing no response from his brother, Erica gave Tezuka a push and said:
"Have fun at Fuji-sempai's place!"
Tezuka looked back at Erica's waving form before breaking into a complete run.
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Erica went directly to her room after reaching their house.
Pulling out a spare notebook, she began to write:
Steps to Get the Perfect Pair Together:
1)Make Aniki admit that he likes Fuji-sempai. (witnesses needed, I trust Aniki's word, but still…)
2)Make Fuji-sempai admit that he likes Aniki. (witnesses needed)
3)Get help from someone who knows Fuji-sempai real well.
4)Make sure that Momo-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai keep their mouths shut. If ever they found out.
5)Plot a fool-proof plan to actually get them to confess to each other.
6)Devise Plan B, C, D and E in case Plan A fails. (Aniki's fault for always insisting on preparation)
7)Celebrate!
8)Drag them to a church so they could get married! (not really)
9)Celebrate some more!
She closed the notebook.
This will be fun. I can't wait to see what will happen. I'll need help but that can be easily solved. She smirked. I need a way to get to Fuji-sempai's house tonight. I want to discuss this with someone. She thought.
She left her room and quietly entered his brother's.
"Aha!" She exclaimed as she grabbed something in Tezuka's desk.
"This is just perfect." She said to herself as she went out of the house to go to Fuji's.
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Author's Notes: There really is Fuji apple-flavored mentos. At least in the Philippines and it does taste good. Reviews, critiques, even flames (not really) will be appreciated.