Title: The Worst Day, Part II : Feeling Panicked
Author's Note (1): Not related to any of my other fic.
Author's Note (2): No real animals were harmed during this fic.
It was a bad situation.
Currently, Momo-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai were scolding Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo for losing track of the coach's granddaughter. "Nya! What were the three of you thinking?"
Ryoma Echizen pulled down his cap as he ignored his two teammates and fellow classmates who were being scolded at that very minute. He knew that he had to be there, but there was no reason on why he had to get lectured with them when it wasn't even his responsibility to keep an eye on Wobbly Hips, aka Ryuzaki Sakuno. If it was his responsibility in the first place, she wouldn't have been able to shake him off with a ten foot pole but no, they didn't even ask him to keep tabs on her.
He frowned at that thought. It was strange- most of the time he was often dragged into keeping an eye on Wobbly Hips or forced in to making sure that she wasn't getting into trouble or forced to bail her out of trouble, but this time… nothing. There wasn't any coercion or blackmail or orders to keep an eye on her. Zip. Nada. Nothing. In fact, he was only supposed to get some more party favors and leave the babysitting of Wobbly Hips to his classmates. So, why was he annoyed and what was up with that?
"I can't believe that this is happening!" groaned Momoshiro, the power sophomore of the Seigaku Tennis Club. His face contorted in horror as he imagined what Ryuzaki-sensei would do to them of she were to find out about their failure. "We're supposed to keep an eye on her- not lose her just before her surprise birthday party! Argh!"
Kikumaru Eiji, the acrobatic tennis player, wasn't calm either as he grabbed tufts of his red hair in frustration as well. "How could you lose her?"
"We're sorry!" Horio cried out as he and his friends bowed down his head. "We thought that she had an hour's detention- but Satome-sensei only gave her a half-hour's detention! And we needed to get some more supplies!"
"We're very sorry!" Kachiro cried out as he looked at his senpai-tachi tearfully. "We'll look for her at once!"
"Eiji-senpai! We'd better find her," Momoshiro said with a frown. "Or else the old lady will kill us for losing her granddaughter!"
"Nya! I don't want to be yelled at today!" Kikumaru said as he mussed his hair even more with his hands. "I don't wanna! Where could she be?" He looked at his Ochibi and grabbed his shoulders. "Do you know where Ryuzaki-chan could be?"
A slightly irritated look marred the boy's usual calm face. "Why would I know something like that, senpai?"
"It's no use asking him, senpai," Horio said with a firm shake of his head. "In my two years experience, I can tell you that it's Ryuzaki who knows more about his schedule than he does hers." He punctuated this with a firm nod. "Really."
Echizen shot his classmate a bland look. "And anyone worth his two years experience should have found it relatively easy to keep track of one accident-prone, clumsy girl. Really. Ow!"
Momoshiro frowned as he glared down at Echizen. "That's no way to describe a girl who supports you, Echizen. If you do that the god of dates will frown at you and you'll never get a date again!"
"Che!" Echizen snorted as he glared at his senpai. "It's not as if I don't want-"
"Anyway! Maybe she's on her way home, senpai-tachi?" Katsuo suggested desperately as he shot Echizen a look. It just wouldn't do if Echizen said something that Horio would gossip about, especially if it were about sensei's granddaughter. "She sometimes goes through the park as a short cut?"
"But didn't she say she likes to walk past the Oneida Pet Store before she goes home?" Horio asked with a frown.
"She also likes visiting the grocery store on Fridays," Kachiro suggested. "Should we try there?"
His golden eyes revealing nothing, Echizen looked at his classmates. "And how do you guys know the routes she takes to go home?"
Unsure about Echizen's tone, Horio coughed as he scratched his head. "Well, Osakada's not very quiet on where they like to go hang out…right, Kachiro?"
"Oh, you guys hang out with Osakada-chan and Ryuzaki-chan a lot?" Momo-senpai started to tease with a smile. His grin grew wider as Echizen shot him a disgruntled look. "What? I'm just curious!"
"You're not a cat," Echizen said as he frowned.
Taking Momo-senpai's question seriously, Horio shook his head violently. "Not really- it's just that she and Osakada sometimes stop by with drinks whenever they see us practicing by the stream. Right, Kachiro?"
"Yes, they do!" Kachiro said with an eager nod. "And sometimes Ryuzaki will have given us some cookies-" He stopped when he started to feel threatened which was strange when Echizen was only looking at him. "But that's only once in a while!"
"That's nice," Kikumaru-senpai nodded as he pointed towards the park. He was all for teasing his kohai but first things first, they needed to fine the coach's granddaughter or else they would be dead meat. "You guys go find her in the park while Momo and I will look at the stores."