Before I'd spent a week in Shuubijou, I was greatly regretting that I'd taken up Yumiko-nee-san's challenge to go and prove that I could do anything, just because I was a tensai. There were some things beyond tensais… and this was one of them. Good Kami-sama; I'd gotten accusations of homosexuality almost daily! It was truly embarrassing to walk down a corridor minding your own business and suddenly hear someone shouting "Lesbian!!" at you – and when you turned around, no one would meet your eyes.
The only exception so far to this trend was Hideko Misaki. She was never polite – I'd realized that the first time I met her – but when she said something, it was true. She wasn't a gossipmonger, nor did she exaggerate things; she was blunt-worded but talked straight.
Happily, these first few days were only orientation for us high school freshmen, so the fact that I was the famous tennis tensai Fuji Syuusuke hadn't been spread around; not much, anyway. Or at least, I hoped not. Hideko knew, that was for sure – but it being Hideko, she wasn't likely to spread it around much. She'd taken the revelation with as much calm as had my old teammates. For the moment, though, I did my best to stay anonymous in this huge group of girls.
Even after only four days of observation, I'd learned quite a lot of new things about this strange, unfamiliar world completely made up of females. I'd never really experienced firsthand a girls' catfight – one occurred during break on the second day. Two of our fellow freshmen were yelling at each other, flushed with anger; screeching like crows. When I asked Hideko later, she told me that they had been fighting over another girl's older brother.
"So girls really are as shallow as I'd thought," I'd said, shaking my head.
Hideko had shrugged. "Some are. Some aren't. You opinion will depend on which one gives the more lasting impression."
"My only experience with girls worth speaking of before I came here was with my sister and my fangirls," I'd admitted. "Nee-san's a famous seer, and she's about as smart as I am –"
"Which means she's smart," she'd commented. "You're a tensai, after all."
I'd chuckled slightly. "Maa… the fangirls were so shallow, they could probably reflect themselves. I personally tried to ignore them as best as I could."
"I assume this means that you've never had a very good impression of your own sex," had been the cool remark.
She was right. I hadn't – but was it really my fault?
A voice at the back of my head laughed maniacally. You're still trying to put the blame on someone else? On fate? Well, too bad. It's your own fault and you ought to learn how to deal with it.
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I picked up the ringing cell phone and checked the caller ID. It was Eiji. I rejected the call and collapsed onto my bed with a deep sigh.
My old teammates had been calling almost incessantly for three days running, immediately after they'd found I'd withdrawn the application to Seigaku Koukou. Not just them, either; Yukimura and Atobe had both called too, to ask which school I'd chosen – but no way was I about to let them know I'd gone to Shuubijou.
I'd surely never be able to live it down… plus, they'd find out soon enough without any information from me. Seigaku's Inui and Rikkai's Yanagi were both data maniacs and experts at finding out things without permission from people, while Atobe had a legion of secret agents and spies at his beck and call. It was only a matter of time before someone came storming in to demand why the (bleep)ing hell had I chosen an all-girls' school and deprive the high school tennis circuit of my talents.
This was truly much more troublesome than if I'd turned down Yumiko-nee-san's challenge and gone to Rikkai or Hyotei. Had I done so, the team I chose would easily fend off the others, not wanting to let go of their prize.
Was I half wishing that someone would march into Shuubijou, toss me into a car and drive me off to another school? It wasn't really unrealistic – Atobe would have no qualms about doing such a thing. Who knew? He might actually do that. My knight in shining armor… oh, what a stupid thought. I shoved it to the back of my mind and reached for my cell phone, which had begun ringing yet again.
It was Atobe. Feeling rather irritated, I rejected the call. If they were really desperate to speak to me, well, it wasn't as though my house's location was classified information – anyone could just walk in if they wanted to.
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When I walked out the school gates after school the next day, I noticed a large group of girls fangirling over something… or somebody. Curious, I headed over for a closer look – but was arrested by a hand on my shoulder. Looking around, I saw Hideko.
"There're some guys over there. That's why everyone's squealing," she explained, as if knowing exactly what I had been about to ask.
"Guys? What are they doing here?" I asked, rather puzzled.
"I don't know. Perhaps they are looking for girlfriends," was the cynical reply. "But it won't hurt to check it out – of course, there is always the danger of getting trampled by fangirls…"
Ignoring the second part of her sentence, I headed towards the huge group. Hideko followed me silently.
"Kyaaa, he's so hawt!" exclaimed a girl next to me.
Beside her, her friend bounced excitedly. "What's his name? I'm going to cover my notebook with it!"
I quickly shoved past them, making my way towards the hub of the group. When I saw who it was, though, I froze, and Hideko, who'd been following in the path I'd carved through the other girls, walked into me. "What happened?"
There, surrounded by females, stood Atobe Keigo, looking as coolly aloof as he always did. Next to him was Kabaji, blank and subservient to Atobe as usual. And a slight distance away from them, Oshitari Yuushi leaned against the wall beside the gate, with his patented bored-but-mysterious look on.
Good Kami-sama, what on earth was Hyotei doing in front of Shuubijou's school gates?!
Suddenly Atobe turned, and our eyes met. His eyebrows rose slightly before he smiled – or perhaps 'smirk' would be a better word. Turning to Kabaji, he said something inaudible under the thrilled squeals of the girls around. The huge boy nodded, lips forming his trademark word 'Usu', then walked towards me.
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"I can't believe you did what you did," I repeated for the umpteenth time.
Atobe just smirked. "Did you never think Ore-sama would do such a thing? Ah… Tensai Fuji Syuusuke is losing her grip in this unconducive environment…"
Glaring at him, I retorted, "You didn't need to do it in front of half the school."
(Flashback)
Kabaji lumbered towards me, and instinctively I tried to push back out of the crowd to safety. Unfortunately, it seemed that more girls had joined in, and thus getting out of there was perhaps as futile as parting the Red Sea for someone who wasn't Moses.
"What's wrong?" asked Hideko, pressed up beside me in the crush.
"I need to get out of here," I explained, shoving a smaller girl out of my path and stumbling into a momentarily empty space.
"Is the big guy after you?" she inquired, still keeping her composure as she followed me again.
I quickly hopped into another opening. "You could say that."
However, I'd just managed to reach the outskirts of the huge group when Kabaji appeared in front of me. "Kabaji-kun, what –"
"Usu." The giant grabbed hold of my collar and held me up in the air off the ground. Hideko was gaping in shock; most of the other girls didn't even seem to notice, fixed as they were on Atobe and Oshitari.
"Let me down, Kabaji-kun," I gritted, grimly hanging onto the mask of politeness.
"Wait there, Kabaji," came the familiar, imperious voice – Atobe. Twisting around in Kabaji's grip, I saw him walking through the magically opened path in the crowd, Oshitari behind him.
"Usu," replied the huge guy, and he obediently waited for the diva of Hyotei to reach us. I could feel everyone's eyes fixed on me in curiosity and amusement; I prayed that nothing more humiliating might happen.
My prayers went unanswered, for Atobe snapped his fingers to call up his limousine. When the chauffeur opened the door, the silver-haired boy gestured to Kabaji – and the giant tossed me into the car, much like a bag of trash.
The three boys followed swiftly; as the door closed behind them, I could see the shocked faces of the fangirls and the amused one of Hideko.
(End Flashback)
"Good Kami-sama, Atobe, I think I've died of embarrassment and come back to life," I grumbled. "Wasn't there a more civilized way to go about this?!"
"Considering it was you, I didn't bother," retorted the diva. "And it was effective enough. Na, Yuushi?"
"Finally remembered I exist…" remarked the blunette. "It would have been more interesting if you'd kissed Fuji in front of all those fangirls, though."
Atobe sighed in exasperation. "This is not one of your trashy romance novels, no matter how much you wish it was."
"I never said it was. It would have been more interesting," defended Oshitari. "Probably the only interesting thing about this little excursion."
His buchou – or perhaps not his buchou any longer, since they were now in high school – ignored the comment. "Anyway, Fuji, you shall be coming with us to my mansion. You can't have expected us to believe you'd come here of your own accord."
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A/N: My writing is deteriorating… T.T I'm sorry; I know that this chapter is really not up to standard. But in any case, now Fujiko's going to Hyotei – for the moment, anyway… XD
Those who were complaining about the lack of boys, well, here they are. I hope it's okay… :-X
Reviews are truly loved!!
