Congratulations to Empress Satori who was the 69th review.

Warning: Insinuations for perverted minds.

-I did it for the team!-

"Hoi, Inui-senpai! Do you know where Echizen could be? He wasn't home when I stopped by!" Momo whined to the data collector- because if someone knew, it would be him.

"Hmm… Echizen… 70 percent chances that he's sleeping." the tall teenager read. "1 that he's dead… 1 that he went back to America and decided not to tell anyone. 2 that he quit tennis because of a new discovered illness or his father death. 1 that he's clobbering someone in tennis. 1 that he actually woke up early but got a problem somewhere. 10 chances are that he was in the bathroom when you passed by. 14 are or unknown or data unperfected since he acts weird."

"Oh. I'll take it he overslept" Momoshiro conclued sheepishly, before disappearing. In the process, he heard his captain talking to Oishi…

"Hn. Echizen's late again?"

"Hai, Tezuka… he probably overslept, but it's normal, he is young and needs sleep for his bones to grow and…"

"Oishi. Some laps will be good for him too. We need to train in order to beat Hyoutei."

The second year swallowed, feeling bad for his favourite freshman. After all, maybe he was in the washroom and he should have waited for him! Maybe that the little prince had to run all the way to school and… when Tezuka-buchou meant some laps, it meant run until you faint dead.

A black limo cut his thoughts short. Atobe's black limo, to be more precise. But even if only some people from the tennis team knew it, the fact that there was a limo in front of the school caused a crowd to gather.

The door started to open, and everyone held their breath. Now, who can that be? Well, Momoshiro didn't expect a celebrity, like every other student, and knew pretty much that Atobe would come out. A foot stuck out and…

"ECHIZEN?!" Momoshiro couldn't help but shout.

"Hn, Momo-senpai, you're too loud…" the young boy winced.

"Echizen" another voice added in. "50 laps for being late"

"Ah, buchou, please… it wasn't my fault!" Ryoma pleaded, putting on his best puppy dog face. Which wasn't that effective, since he had no experience in 'pity me' looks.

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Another pregnant woman?"

"My fault, Tezuka" Atobe declared from within the limo. "Beside, I don't think he'll be able to run now."

Atobe smirked at the clueless expression his rival wore and then turned to Ryoma.

"Heh, be convincing, brat. Careful, ne?" he spoke softly. The boy nodded.

"Ok, I'll be leaving then" Atobe ordered his driver to go and soon they were far from sight.

"Echizen. Why were you late and came to school with Atobe?" Tezuka questioned, his face expressionless again.

"Aah. Well I… huh… so… and then… yeah" the freshman stammered, his face flushing a bit.

Yeah, if you think it's out of character, so does Tezuka.

"Oh? Care to tell us more, or save your breath for your laps?"

Yeah, a full sentence. That's OCC too, but Tezuka knows how to adapt. That's the way he is (to compensate the fact that he is boooring!).

"Slept at his house. Shut his alarm clock before sleeping. He didn't wake up, neither did I" Ryoma explained hastily, his face clearly showing that it didn't seem to be such a good idea with a step back.

"Why?"

Yeah, one-word sentence. Simply because, when things get too strange around you, you go back to the familiar field.

"So he wouldn't wake up?" was the hesitant answer. "You know, since he's Hyoutei captain, and there's no vice-captain, then the club would go wrong and…"

He stopped, mostly because of the incredulous stare his captain was giving him.

Stare that started to crack his cold mask…

"I did it for the team!!!" he cried, poor misunderstood little boy…

"You're saying that… you spent the night with Atobe?" Tezuka asked after a few seconds. The younger boy eyes shifted away. "Did you sleep in his bed?"

The question was full of implications and Echizen couldn't help but flush.

"I DID IT FOR THE TEAM!"

Yup. Go imagine whatever you want. Be a pervert and forget that he's only twelve if that pleases you.

In the next episode:

I don't care if he looks like a monkey and if he calls me a brat. I guess it's true, but I'm willing to mature with him at my sides.

Gee. It didn't felt like he wrote it at all. Since when did he show emotions- especially when people were going to read this?

I don't care if he decides that being the heir of the Atobe Company makes him unhappy and that he has to live in a creepy and tiny apartment...