"Fuji-senpai, what were you doing with Sakuno last night?" Ryoma was never one to beat around the bush.

Fuji and Ryoma stood less than ten feet from each other, standing halfway between the tennis courts and the locker room. The rest of the regulars pushed at one another to get a better view from behind the fence dividing the courts with the path, watching intently. As Fuji turned to face Ryoma a certain ambiance filled the air, if only there was a slight breeze and a tumble weed it would have been a western duel.

"Sakuno? You're being awfully familiar with her, Ryoma-kun." He said quietly, his evil smile ever present as if to mock the static Ryoma.

"Just answer the question." The younger boy growled.

"Could it be that, after that accidental kiss earlier this week, you've been harboring a bit of a crush on little Sakuno-chan?" Fuji asked, deceptively sweet.

Ryoma practically rippled with rage. "First of all, we didn't kiss. She punched me in the mouth with her mouth."

"Oh, of course," Fuji mocked.

"And secondly, it's not of your business if I have any kind of feelings for her-"

"But it's your business what I do?" Fuji's eyes were open, with the slightest glare tinting his expression. His evil smile was gone, replaced by an even more sinister frown.

Ryoma's fists clenched. "Just leave her alone." He ground out.

"I will do no such thing." Fuji's expression held, but he spoke normally. "If I decide to date Sakuno-chan, she'll be the only one to tell me I can't." His voice lowered an octave. "And I'd love to see you try to stop me."

O.o

"Sakuno, did you hear?" Tomo jumped over the back of the couch Sakuno was sitting in, doing her homework, and landed right next to her.

Sakuno jumped, slightly startled. "U-um, no, Tomo-chan, what did you hear?" She asked distractedly, searching between the cushions for the pencil she'd dropped in her surprise.

"Ryoma-sama and Fuji-senpai got into a fight right outside the tennis courts!"

Sakuno's head snapped toward her friend, her pencil forgotten. "A fight? Ryoma-kun?"

"Yeah, with Fuji-senpai! And guess who they're saying it was about?" Tomo seemed even more excited.

Sakuno, of course, was speechless. But that was never a problem for her loquacious friend. "They're saying it was about you!" Tomo exclaimed gleefully, bouncing up and down on the couch. Sakuno turned bright red. "Apparently, Ryoma-sama was crazy jealous that you went on a date with Fuji-senpai!"

"Oh, no, it wasn't a date!" Sakuno tried to tell her friend, but Tomo was too excited.

"And Ryoma-sama was like 'You stay away from her', and Fuji-senpai was like 'I'd like to see you make me!' and then they got in a tennis match, and Tezuka-senpai had to break it up!"

"A…tennis match?" Sakuno was bright red, but Tomo still wasn't paying attention.

"Yeah, a tennis match! I mean, you know how Ryoma-sama is only this one was like really fierce, and…Sakuno-chan, are you ok?"

Sakuno was, of course, still blushing, and she was staring off into space. Tomo waved her hand in front of her friend's face, and Sakuno snapped out of it. She looked at Tomo for a second, the stood and ran up the stairs to her room.

"Sakuno-chan! Where are you going?" Tomo called up the stairs.

Sakuno appeared a few seconds later, carrying a large bag, slipping her shoes on as she went.

"Um, I've got to go, Tomo-chan. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Sakuno called over her shoulder before running out the door.

O.O

A/N: The first of the last three chapters. I kind of wrote them all at once, and if I didn't really like the different names for each of them, I'd probably have piled them together. Big hugs for Chibi-Kari for beta-ing for me! So totally awesome!