I'm sorry for so many mistakes. Actually, it's a real challenge for me to write in English. English is my third language, so I'm still a bit weak. But I really enjoy writting this fanfiction, so I will be more careful from now on.
Again, thank you for reviewing. (Bow).
Now back to the story!
From last time…
"Okay little sister, if you win, I'll treat you whatever you want next Sunday!"
"Then prepare to see you wallet to loose weight because I will win!" And Ryoma served.
Unknown to them, someone, who was passing by, heard them.
Ryoga was exhausted. He stumbled on a bench and stood still, trying to recuperate. But Ryoma won't let him. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up.
"Aniki, I want another ice cream! Come on!"
"How can you still want another ice cream when you already had…" Ryoga blinked. He lost count of the number of ice creams Ryoma ate today. "Arrrgh! You already have too much ice cream for the day, young lady! You'll get fat if you continue like that!"
But it wasn't likely, considering the among of energy she spend in one day only! But still, she has a way too sweet tooth!
"I win and you promised me you'll treat me anything I want! So I want another ice cream!"
'I shouldn't have bet anything involving food with her!' Ryoga sighed.
"Okay, fine. But this is your last one for today!"
"Yay!" And she jumped away to the ice cream stand.
'It's still cute!' Ryoga thought, smiling as he watched. 'It's fine. She's enjoying herself!' Ryoga smiled as he looked at her, literally bouncing in front of the ice cream stand. The sale man smiled at her childish antic and gave her a huuuuge scoop of her favorite orange flavour sorbet, making her eyes glinted with stars.
"You are Echizen Ryoga, right?" someone asked.
Ryoga turned over.
"Oh! It's you! It's been a while since I last saw you. How do you do?" Ryoga greeted.
"I'm doing fine. Thank you."
"And what are you doing here?" Ryoga asked.
"I want to talk to you, about Echizen Ryoma."
"Chibisuke? What do you want to talk about?"
"Echizen-kun… is a girl… Right?"
Ryoga's smile disappeared.
It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
Meanwhile, somewhere away…
Kikumaru, with a chocolate and vanilla soft ice cream in hand (Again ice cream! He's addicted to ice cream this guy! But then, Ryoma too…), was on his way back home with Ooishi. They just when shopping for news tennis supplies. As they turned on a corner of a street, they saw Momoshiro.
"Ooishi, look, it's Momo! Momo!!" Kikumaru called, but the rascal player don't respond to him. The two golden pair members looked at each other in question. Why Momo didn't answer them?
In fact, Momoshiro didn't hear his cat-like senpai, because he was concentrated into staring a pole. Deep focusing staring into a electric pole! Kikumaru blinked. Why would Momoshiro stare into a pole? Now, what was the fastest way to know the answer? Kikumaru ran to him.
"Hey, Momo, what are you looking at like that?" Kikumaru asked, taping on Momoshiro's shoulder, starting the rascal.
"Heh? Eiji-senpai, Ooishi-senpai, since when were you here?"
"We called you but you didn't notice our presence," Ooishi calmly explained.
"So, what were you so seriously looking at?" Kikumaru asked again.
"This!" Momoshiro pointed a festival advertising. "It's a local matsuri (1) that will be hold tonight. There's a contest that look very interesting. If you win, you can get a week-end in a mountain onsen (2) resort with your whole family, with every cost covered. I thought that we could participate and maybe win the prize. It would be nice if we can spend some time together just between us before you graduated with Kawamura-senpai, Inui-senpai, Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-buchou," Momoshiro said, smiling.
"That's some good thinking Momo!" Eiji grinned, hitting Momo's shoulder. Ooishi smiled, touched by Momoshiro's words. It's good to know that you're so appreciated by your kouhais.
"But after I read the whole thing, it's not possible for us to participate," Momo added, a bit sad.
"Huh? Why can't we?"
"It's a yukata (3) contest, a beauty contest! It says that the participant who will collect the highest number of votes will win the contest. But guys don't take part in a beauty contest!"
Kikumaru looked more carefully the advertising, his fingers grabbing his chin in deep concentration. Suddenly, he grinned sheepishly.
"It is a indeed a beauty contest, but it doesn't said that guys cannot participate!"
"Yeah, but in the tennis club, who can possibly win a beauty contest? Kawamura-senpai and Inui-senpai are too muscles built. It's impossible to win with them. Mamushi looks way too scary. He will scare people away. Tezuka-buchou is too serious, not fit in a beauty contest. Fuji-senpai… (shaking in fear). I don't want to die so young. And Ech-!" Momoshiro stopped, suddenly realizing what Kikumaru was implying. "Eiji-senpai, that's right! We can win the prize!" Both of them grinned in agreement. Ooishi sweat dropped. He was fearing what was coming.
"Now now, you two. You can't possibly be thinking what I'm thinking you're thinking about, right?" Ooishi trailed off, but shut up when he saw the mischievous glint in their eyes.
"But how can we convinced him to participate? Knowing him, he will more likely ditch us if we tell him something like this," Momo reflected.
"Hmm, you're right. He will ditch us!" Kikumaru thought more deeply. "Ah! I know how!" Turning to the broom-dead boy. "Momo, you know where he lives, right?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Then let's drop by his house! But we need to do some preparations before. Come and help me!" And Kikumaru dragged Momoshiro with him, Ooishi following behind, miserably trying to stop them.
(1) matsuri: Japanese traditional festival;
(2) onsen: Japanese thermal hot spring;
(3) yukata: traditional Japanese clothing, an informal cotton kimono.
