The Love Triangle
Disclaimer: If I owned the Prince of tennis, then I wouldn't be writing this disclaimer now would I? No, if I owned the Prince of tennis then I wouldn't need to write one; I could do whatever I wanted to with the Seigaku regulars lives, which includes me having Fuji for a lover but I don't, so boohoo for me, Fuji's fate rests with Konomi-sensei and I can never have him for myself.
a/n: please be reminded to read and review minna!
Chapter Ten
In His Arms
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
"Saa, you three must be my roommate's men," the brunette forced a smile in greeting. "And those must be the luggage. Well then, feel free to put them anywhere you please inside the room, then after that you can leave quietly. This is a private room and I don't think I'd want to share it with more than one person."
The threesome didn't bother to contest with Fuji's wishes and left as quickly as they arrived. With that irritated look he had on, the three had no wish to stay longer anyway.
Shutting the door locked, Fuji sighed as he walked to the single bed that occupied the room and snatched up a bathing towel lying at its edge. He wanted to shower. He was tired, numb and most of all annoyed – very annoyed. He needed an outlet to take out his exhaustion.
Stepping into the shower without his clothes on, Fuji twisted the faucet and felt warm droplets pelting on his skin and ease away the tension in his muscles.
"Just what is my father thinking setting me up in this kind of situation?" grumbled the brunette coldly as the twisted the knob open just a little bit more. "First he moves my office without letting me know beforehand, then he sends me to Tsushima and now this? Reserving me a room that I'm supposed to share with a complete stranger. Kami, this must mean no privacy for me at all. Just wait till the weekend's over Outosan then I'll really find out what you're up to."
An icy sadistic smile crept up the tensai's face and he chuckled evily.
Hohoho. His outosan really won't like what he'll do if he finds out his father was doing all of this for the sake of worming his way back into a stressed-filled, heart-hostile life and kill himself…….
Nee-san would certainly make that old man change his mind.
In fact, maybe his outosan would be very glad to stay put, rest and make the hospital his permanent residence once Yumiko-nee would get word about the old man's little escapade. Shampooing his light brown locks, Fuji's smile got even wider as his thoughts got more sadistic.
"Hmmm, come to think of it, Yumiko-nee still needs more teaching. What new recipe should I teach her? Aozu Tropica Deluxe, worm mud pie, or sardine shake? Maybe — " Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by knocks on the door. They were faint knocks but Fuji could still hear them despite the pattering of the dripping shower. It was as if the knocks were alive and calling him to the door.
The tensai had a small notion that it would be his roommate and he was supposed to hesitate and become grumpy but instead he found himself hurriedly wrapping a dry towel around his waist and rushing out without even bothering to wipe himself dry.
Padding to the door, he stood there feet away, stunned to the core and dripping wet.
"Sakuno-chan?"
She had her jet black wig on but Fuji had no doubt that it was her. The blush on her cheeks, the full and sweet pink lips curved out in a gape, the well formed nose, the large brown doe-like eyes that emanated her surprise proved that point. It was none other than Ryuuzaki Sakuno.
"Sempai?" the crimson on her cheeks darkened as she covered her eyes that went wide. "I – I didn't mean to just barge in, anou, I knocked but then no answered so – eto….I'll just get out if you want to. Please finish changing."
Fuji stared at her and then looked down at himself.
Oh snap. He had forgotten to change. He was half-naked, no wonder the girl went into a shaking crimson shock.
" Daijoubo, daijoubo Sakuno-chan, you don't need to get out. Just sit there on the couch by the glass doors and I'll be out in a second."
Snatching a shirt from the closet, the brunette quickly reentered the shower to change.
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
Blinking her eyes in disbelief, Sakuno stole quick glances of the young man helping her unpack beside her. She still couldn't believe that Fuji-sempai was her roommate all along. She had expected to see a female roommate, not a sempai modeling his well -built torso with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
Kami, she was still blushing at the remembrance of the brunette in such an arousing state, his upper body uncovered, exhibiting his sinewy muscles, trickles of water caressingly dripping down his hair and down his jaw line making her want to — Kya! Ryuuzaki Sakuno just what are you thinking about? This is Fuji-sempai we're talking about, stop thinking hentai thoughts, he might notice your tomatoe-ness right now!
"Saa, is there something on your mind Sakuno-chan? I don't think it's healthy for a young woman such as yourself to stare at a man ne?"
"Ehhh! Gomene sempai! I was being absent-minded again!" she squeaked shakily as she quickly averted her gaze from her smiling sempai. " Eto, could you please put these inside the cabinet? I need to go to the restroom for a moment!"
Without even thinking, the auburn-head dumped whatever she was holding in her hands and dashed straight into the restroom, slamming the door behind her. If she had slowed down a bit she would have heard the tensai's amused mutters but she was too embarrassed to even bother recalling the more shameful deed of just dumping her brasseries and underwear right into the tensai's arms.
Good thing she didn't remember what she had held at all because if she did then her cheeks wouldn't only be the color of a tomato but a blackish red tomato.
Meanwhile, inside the restroom the embarrassed girl leaned her back on the door for support.
"Ryuuzaki Sakuno, just what were you thinking about your Fuji-sempai? What's happening to you? Don't be a pervert Sakuno-chan……..Fuji-sempai is your bestfriend, don't let him think that you've become a hentai," her inner voice began chiding her inside her head. "You have a boyfriend for crying out loud, stop it already! Fuji-sempai is not Ryoma-kun, Fuji-sempai is not Ryoma-kun. Now compose yourself!"
Taking a deep breath, Sakuno tried to calm down her heart that was beating wildly against her chest. "Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out," she chanted. Closing her eyes she tried to put all her effort into what she was doing.
"Eto, this is odd, I can still hear my heart thudding. I wonder why, anou, I can usually compose myself easily around Ryoma-kun. My pulse has never reached this fast before. Okay then, I should concentrate a little bit more."
It wasn't that easy for her to calm down; it took her exactly ten minutes to return to her normal pulse and lose most of the red in her cheeks.
"Okay, now I can get out of the comfort room without having to worry about having a tomato for a head," she sighed.
"Saa Sakuno-chan you've been in there for fifteen minutes. Is everything alright Saku-chan?"
Bam, after hearing her sempai's voice, tomato colors appear on her again. Gaaah. All her precious efforts were put to a waste. "Never mind that, Fuji-sempai will surely think that it's normal," she thought.
"Sakuno-chan?"
"Hai, I'm coming!"
The auburn head opened the door to be greeted by her sempai's warm smiling face and she couldn't help but smile back despite the heat rising in her cheeks.
"Kitto Yatta. I thought that something might have happened to you in there. You really made me worried you know Sakuno-chan. Well then, now that I know that you're safe, why don't we have some dinner ne? That way we can talk better over supper. You've been keeping to yourself since the unpacking and hardly said a word at all. Besides it seems that you've been feeling quite uneasy ever since you got here. Eating some sushi in the restaurant might lift your spirits up. What do you say to it?"
"Eto, gomennasai sempai, demo I think you should go on without me. I'll have to finish unpacking first and I don't want to drag you down with me…." she apologized bowing down her head.
Fuji smiled at her as he pointed out, "But I finished unpacking for you minutes ago Sakuno-chan."
"Uso!"
"Honto ni."
"Demo, demo - ," she waved her hands up and down the air hurriedly trying to think of a reasonable alibi. "I can't tell Fuji-sempai that I can't go with him because I look flustered whenever he's around….gaaah that would make things so awkward and embarrassing."
Fuji sighed and lost his smile which he tried to hide.
"I guess you're not that up for it. I'll go on my own then. What do you want me to bring you when I get back?" he offered, trying not to sound too disappointed.
"Sempai, don't! I mean….um….why don't we just order? I really can't go the restaurant because if I do go as Nadeshiko Maaya then it might cause us trouble. If I go as Ryuuzaki Sakuno then the hotel management might get suspicious."
"Alright then, I'll call the restaurant delivery, just wait there okay?"
With the disappointment in his voice erased, Sakuno watched the tensai pick up the landline on the stand next to couch and put a sort of relieved hand on her forehead. She decided to sit down on the couch next to him and listen to him order on the phone.
"Hai, miss, I said steak, onigiri, wasabi sushi and — what? You ran out of viand? Hai, hai, I understand. Thanks anyway." Putting down the receiver, Fuji turned to the girl next to him. "They ran out of food in the restaurant Sakuno-chan, there were too many customers. You were right to not let us go there; it would've been a waste of time. We can't go to another restaurant, in Tsushima we're far away from the main city."
"What should we do then sempai? I don't think outosan packed any food at all and I don't think it would be safe for us to go to the city with me as Nadeshiko Maaya. We could get mobbed. It's so late already and…….and…..what if a ghost were attack us along the way?" Sakuno began to panic.
Patting his kouhai on the shoulder Fuji chuckled at the shuddering auburn head whose superstitious side just got to her. "I don't think there are any ghosts here Sakuno-chan but if you really don't want to eat out the why don't we just cook dinner ne? I haven't tasted your cooking in a really long time already and it would be really fun, ne? I could teach you how to cook wasabi."
Bling. Bright brown doe-like eyes began to sparkle. Bling. Bling.
"Sure! But…..does this room even have a kitchen?"
Fuji nodded his head and pointes at the door with a sign in huge letters reading 'kitchen'. The smile Sakuno gave out was boundless.
The two walked through that door to find a kitchen haven. Complete utensils, the latest high-tech kitchen appliances, a huge counter and a refrigerator stocked full with all sorts of ingredients.
What more could a girl like Sakuno want? Everything she needed to make a perfect dinner for two was right before her eyes……….she really did miss the kitchen this much. It had been quite a time since she had gotten to cook and now that the opportunity presented itself, she would rise to the occasion.
All they both needed were clumps of vegetables, rice, fish, a bowl of laughter topped with jokes and viola, tension and all former uneasiness goes kapoof and in its place is happy couple getting ready to eat. Simple and easy magic!
"That was so fun sempai!"
"Yeah. Do you want to cook again sometime? If you do then make sure to cook a hundred of these wasabi for me," mumbled the tensai with a happy smile in between bites.
Sakuno nodded her head. She really felt so happy today, especially during the times her sempai would smile like that.
"You really should smile like that always Fuji-sempai. I want to see your real smile always."
"Is that so?"
"Hai. It makes me happy to see you happy sempai."
Fuji gently wiped a crumb on her face. He resist looking at the girl warmly, touched by what she had said while she blushed at the sudden contact. " No, I'm happier when I see you smiling," he muttered softly, letting his finger linger on her face as her blush deepened. "And I'm glad that fate put me in this sort of situation, in a place where I can get to see you even for just a week. If I just get to see you smile all the time we're together, then I'll be content to live out my life with nothing else."
Sakuno couldn't exactly understand what her sempai was really trying to say, nor could she understand that warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart.
"Eto, are you done eating sempai? I'll start clearing up the table if you're done," she said. Of course, the brunette wanted to see to it that he could offer her assistance and of course Sakuno declined that offer.
"Alright, if that's what you want Sakuno-chan. Come out and join me on the beach when you're done. Saa, the night's beautiful," said Fuji as he walked out of the sliding door, leaving the auburn head to battle the dishes alone just the way she liked it.
Sigh. Now Sakuno could have more time to compose herself again.
"Lalalalalalala….." she hummed. "There, almost done – Eh, a phones ringing. Could that be my phone?"
But it wasn't her phone, she had turned it off during the ride in the chopper.
The ringing was continuously sounding and it was getting louder by the second. That was when she noticed the cellphone on the bed, most likely Fuji-sempai's. She looked into the caller i.d., and when she saw the name, Sakuno froze.
It was Karumi. A strange feeling rose up her chest as she stared the words Sakamoto Karumi with trembling and shaking hands that held the phone.
Sakamoto Karumi. Really, she had almost forgotten about the day she forgot about 'them', Fuji-sempai and Karumi. " I –I need to give this to Fuji-sempai," she sputtered weakly.
She walked out the glass doors and saw him. There he was, basking underneath the starry sky and gazing at the rocking waves. He was waiting for her and her alone. Sakuno really felt like throwing the phone away but that wouldn't be right.
Picking up her pace, Sakuno quietly approached the spot where he was sitting.
"Saa, Sakun-chan, you look like you've just seen a ghost. We can go back inside if you want to. You don't look too well, you seem rather pale," Fuji looked up at the girl.
Feebly, she handed him his phone and turned quickly away.
"What's this?"
"Someone's calling you." With that the auburn head distanced herself away from him and sat down with her back facing the brunette.
Sakuno couldn't understand it. She didn't want see Fuji smile sincerely this time, because now he would be smiling because of someone else. She couldn't stand seeing his eyes shine so brightly if he would look at her when he would be thinking of someone else. She couldn't understand why she was feeling this way.
"Saa, I'm so happy Sakuno-chan!" Sakuno heard the tensai's cool yet excited voice from behind.
"Why is that sempai?" she asked, looking away as he sat down next to her. She tried to get up, but then suddenly arms were wrapped around her shoulders just midway of her getting up so that now she was sitting on her feet while being embraced.
"Karumi-chan finally broke up with me!" "Sempai." "What? Aren't you happy for me?"
"No sempai, it's that I'm losing my balance and we're about to —,"
Thud. And fall they did, rolling down onto the shore and into the watery waves with Fuji right on top of Sakuno, right into the cold and salty water.
"Cough, cough, Sakuno-chan, ogenki desu ka?" sputtered the brunette, his face centimeters away from the auburn head who just mouthed a meek 'hai' in response. "Kami, you're getting cold and wet, you're even shivering because of the cold Sakuno-chan. I have to take you inside, you might get sick staying out here like this."
Fuji lifted her in his arms and carried the soaked girl bridal style the whole way.
Sakuno looked up at him and smiled as she watched him hurry along, not bothering to even mind about anything else but the mere thought of getting her back inside safely.
"Fuji-sempai really cares about his friends so much," she thought outloud.
"Iie, you're the only one I care about Sakuno-chan," responded Fuji absentmindedly as they got closer to the room.
"Huh? What was that sempai?"
"Never mind, it was nothing. Oh, here we are already. Saa wait here on the couch, I'll go get a dry towel."
When the tensai returned with the towel in his hand, Sakuno was planning to let her do the drying up but then as if he read her mind, Fuji tugged at both ends of the towel and wiped her dry himself.
"There all done, you can now go to the restroom and take a warm shower," he declared, wrapping another dry towel around her shoulders.
"What about you sempai?"
"I'll be fine Sakuno-chan. Now go get to the restroom."
After a few minutes in the shower the auburn head was done and then it was Fuji's turn to use the restroom. " Sakuno-chan, you should go to sleep now. Don't wait for me, you need to get some rest. We'll be cooking breakfast early in the morning together, okay? Saa, oyasumi."
Sakuno opened her mouth to speak but then the tensai was already gone and she pouted in dismay.
"But there's only one bed! Don't tell me he wants me to sleep comfortably on a nice proper bed while he would have to endure either the hard agonizing floor or the study couch? Fuji-sempai is really kind but I can't let him have his way so easily."
Fuji-sempai had already done so much for herm now it was her turn to at least sacrifice for him just this once. Not only that, but her sempai must be going through a lot of heart ache and despondency right now after breaking up with the woman he loved so much. He was the one who needed to rest, not her. Even though he seemed so energized and filled with life right after hearing the horrible news and even though Sakuno felt like jumping up and down in ecstasy Sakuno would not let his facades not her mind-boggling feelings get in the way of giving her sempai his much-needed rest.
"Sakuno you're still up. Is there something wrong with the bed? Do you have trouble sleeping?" The auburn head crossed her arms and simply nodded at the tensai who had just come fresh out of the shower. ( A/N:He was full dressed mind you. Don't get any funny ideas just yet.) "You have trouble sleeping? Is it because of something that Echizen might've done? Ne, you can tell me anything Sakuno-chan. I'll always be right by your side to listen to every word you say."
"Really?" Sakuno looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "Really." Puppy dog eyes really do work like magic sometimes.
A sheepishly coy ran across her lips. "Okay then! Let's swap places, you stay on the bed, I stay on the couch!"
"Saa, that's it? I cannot let that happen Sakuno-chan, you know I can't."
"But you said that you would listen to every word I'd say!" she protested.
"Saa I did say so demo I didn't say that I would agree without a proper mindset, and a person without a proper mindset would allow their endearing little best girl friend sleep on the couch while he on the other hand snores selfishly on a queen sized bed."
Anou, Fuji-sempai really is so persistent but, he doesn't have what she has……get ready Sakuno-chan. One, two, three, and Puppy dog eyes. "Pleeeeaase."
The tensai's determined eyes softened and then melted in warmth. Like I stated earlier, the canine counter part of human's so-called 'windows to the soul' always work on anyone.
"I — alright, I give up. But you shouldn't stay on the couch, you'll feel stiff on the morning on the sofa."
"That's fine with me. I don't mind sleeping on the floor because I want sempai to sleep well tonight. It isn't easy to have your heart being torn apart by the person you love the most sempai, I can understand what you're feeling right now. You should rest well so you can recover from your break up with Karumi."
Fuji put a hand over his forehead and shook his head with a sigh. Without warning h e lifted his utterly surprised Sakuno-chan into his arms and plopped her right on top of the bed. The opposition in her voice did not hinder him at all.
"Sempai, I thought we had a deal!" she protested, kicking at the blanket near her feet. She struggled to get up, but Fuji would always topple her back down on bed.
"Saa, yes, I do recall making a deal but I still don't it would be good for you to sleep on the floor or on the couch. Hmmm, since you don't want me to sleep on the couch, and since I don't want you sleeping there either, why don't we try this? We'll just share the bed. Anyway it's queen sized, both of us can fit in."
"O-okay," she stuttered as she flushed at the thought of sleeping in the same bed with her sempai. She watched herself being tucked in gently and observed with a blush her sempai crawling into bed next to her. Though they were a distance apart Sakuno could still feel the wild rhythm of her heart beating against her chest.
Kami, what was wrong with her?
"Sempai," she murmured.
"Nani o Sakuno-chan?"
"Um, um, I hope you don't mind me asking Fuji-sempai but – but did you really break up with Karumi-chan? I – it's just that she might get mad at the two of us for doing this. She might see things differently…….and……and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought the topic up," the auburn head said. She shifted her position sideways.
"Sakuno-chan, I haven't told you about Karumi-chan yet, haven't I? It must have come as quite a shock to you. Our relationship actually wasn't something that I really wanted. Circumstances just put the two of us together and well, I never loved her at all. I'm glad that she called saying that she never wanted to see me again and that she was breaking up though I have exactly no idea why she did."
Sakuno flushed. So her sempai felt nothing for her manager Sakamoto Karumi at all.
"Then who is the one that you really love then sempai?"
"The person closest to my heart, but she loves someone else. Why do you want to know Sakuno-chan?"
"I think – I was just curious that's all. Don't think about it anymore sempai, you shouldn't bother your mind on it. I don't know what I was thinking." She apologized with a little disappointment in her voice. She had been expecting a well-defined answer from the hard to read brunette and though she denied it fervently in the hallows of her mind, a part of her longed and hoped for him to say the one he loved was her.
"Don't apologize Sakuno-chan, you don't have any reason to. Saa, it's raining."
The two heard the faint pitter patter of droplets tapping on the roof which progressed into a heavier, steadier beating and then eventually transformed into a pounding downpour. Cold wind crawled through the windows and the temperature in the room dropped considerably.
Sakuno wrapped her share of the blanket around her, wounding it tightly.
"It's really raining hard," se quietly spoke to herself as she buried her body deeper underneath the covers seeking warmth.
"Do you feel cold? Saa, come closer to me, I can help you feel warmer."
"But- but," hesitated Sakuno.
"Come."
Obediently the girl moved closer and closer to him, her light pink cheeks turning into a darker shad as she did so. She was now a few inches away from him.
"Closer Sakuno-chan."
She did as he said. Now they faces were merely centimeters apart and their skin touché each other.
"Does it feel better?"
"Sort of," she gulped, her voice nearly drowned out by the trashing of the rain.
Suddenly the auburn head felt her sempai's sinewy arms wrap around her back pulling her body closer to his with their only boundaries being their clothes and she suddenly felt his legs twining around hers securely, making her blush turn maroon.
"Does this feel any better?"
Oddly, it really did feel comfortable for Sakuno to be in that position with her head underneath the crook of Fuji's head, leaning against his upper chest. She could hear the smooth pattern of his breathing despite the trampling downpour and she really did feel so secure in his warm embrace. So secure, so content that all her troubles, thoughts of Ryoma-kun, thoughts of Karumi-chan faded in that warmth.
"Mmmm, Hai," she answered contentedly.
Slowly her tensed body eased in comfort as it moulded and pressed closer to Fuji's and as she responded softly to his touch. The scent and feel of his skin was so soothing and yet so tantalizing to her.
"Fuji-sempai, don't ever let me go. I don't want you to…." she mumbled heavily on his chest.
"I never will let you go. Don't worry, I never will Sakuno-chan."
"That's all I ever wanted to know. Oyasumi nasai," was her drowsy answer as her brown doe-like eyes slowly shut the auburn head into her dream world of pleasant dreams.
If she had only hadn't succumbed to the pleasant warmth in sleeping in the brunettes arms, then she would have felt the light feathery kiss planted on her cheeks.
"Oyasumi, Sakuno my love."
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
"Tezuka, we're here in the Japanese Pro Invitationals." Ddddttt…..hang up, redial. " Tezuka come over, Echizen's playing any second now." Ddddttt…..hang up, redial. " Eiji, Oishi , Momo and Kawamura are here." Dddttt hang up…again. "Tezuka —"
"Inui-sempai, how many times does Tezuka-buchou have to hang up on the phone? You should just give up and sit down. The match's almost starting!" insisted the dataman's so called apprentice Momo as he snatched the mobile from Inui's hands."Besides you're blocking the view right in front of me!"
"But there's a 0. 000001% chance that Tezuka actually listens after a hundred times of calling. That was the tenth call, I'm so close to a hundred already," he protested stubbornly.
He was about to dial on the phone again when a magazine splatted right onto his face with a sound that went like bang.
"Nya, that's for you Inui! Oishi and I got it at the magazine stand outside the stadium. Read it nya!" wailed Eiji happily with a sheepish grin. He then threw two more copies of the same magazine at Inui's face again. "Those are for Momo and Kawamura! Nya, hand it to them, please. Oishi and I are going to get a bite before Ochibi's game starts!"
With that the kitty-faced Kikumaru Eiji bounded away with Oishi who looked like he was dead tired already from all the jumping around as they disappeared into the crowd of people pouring in to watch the world renown tennis prince's invitational game.
"Ii Data. Eiji's stamina in bounding seems to have improved considerably," Inui noted. He was about to jot that down onto his special notebook when he noticed that he was holding very scandalous magazines along with it. "Data, data, data! Interesting data! Here, Taka-san, Momo, read these!"
"Inui-sempai can't you see that Kawamura-sempai and I are busy debating about sushi and hamburgers – oh what's this?" Momo glanced at the front cover of the magazine. His hand curled into fists as he rose up in indignation, tossing the paraphernalia over to Taka right beside him along with the fired-up Kawamura's tennis racket. "That cocky bastard! Wait till I get my hands on him! I'll make sure he never plays around unfaithfully with any innocent girl's heart any longer, that scrawny brat!"
"BUUUURNNINNG BABY! I'M WITH YOU MOMO! WE'LL MAKE SURE HE NEVER CHEATS ON HIS GIRLFRIEND EVER AGAIN!"
"Chotto. Just where do you two think you're going? The match's about to start," said Inui as he held onto both of their collars. They spun around with angry and annoyed looks on their faces only to be dramatically changed by seeing what the dataman held in his hands. "I want to observe Echizen's movements on court and compare it after he knows about his 'scandal' issue's publication. Ii data. Just wait after the match, then you can beat him up. If you don't wait, then this will be the one waiting for you."
The clanging og the two mugs held in Inui's care and the sight of what it contained was enough to make the two stagger back into their seats.
"Hai, Inui-sempai."
"BUUUUURRRNNNIIIIING! I'M SITTING DOWN! I DON'T WANNA DRINK THAT THING! BUUUURRRNNNIIIING!"
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
Thwak. The sound of a tennis ball tearing through a rackets strings while leaving a hole as its mark reverberated throughout the entire stadium as the referee stood up to make the cal.
"Game and match set, Echizen 6 games to love!"
Screams, shouts and more screams echoed out.
"Mada mada dane," smirked the tennis prince cockily. "That was a good game Kagura, demo it wasn't good enough. You have to practice more."
Leaving the defeated player sprawled on the ground Echizen simply walked out of the court with his bag in hand. The guy had obviously been no match for the tennis prince at all even though he was one of Japan's so called 'top players' and a top bragger as well. He had been spouting off during the match how easy it would be for him to defeat the tennis prince, after all he had defeated Atobe Keigo, an extremely strong player. (Pffft. He had had only defeated Atobe because ore-sama got disqualified. Atobe was half an hour late because he would rather continue with his TV commercial about 'how great ore-sama is' than waste his time playing with someone like Kagaru. If Oshitari hadn't dragged him out of the TV set and into the court then Atobe wouldn't have gone there at all.")
It was extremely annoying for Ryome to play with the likes of Kagura, the idiot bragged all the time. It was even more irritating when the idiot would mouth off saying Ryoma wasn't worthy to have Nadeshiko Maaya, saying that if he won he'd steal the girl away from him.
Now that certainly got to his nerves.
Ryoma couldn't help but beat the guy pointless and rip his racket apart with a newer and stronger version of the cyclone smash. If Ryuuzaki had been there in the stands waiting for him then he would have gone a little bit easier with the guy, but poor Kagura she had to attend some concert, so for Ryoma there had been no holding back at all.
Speaking of Ryuuzaki, Ryoma had to call her right now. He missed her a lot and wanted to at least hear her voice. Picking his phone out of the bag, he begun dialing her number. Then he heard the rumbling of high-heeled shoes racing towards his direction and he looked up.
Oh crap. He had completely forgotten about his fangirls and his motto, 'always step out of court with caution' .
"Congratulations Ryoma-sama! You were so amazing!" "Ryoma-sama I love you so much, you were so awesome!" " Ryoma-sama won't you teach me how to play tennis?" "Ryoma-sama!" "Ryoma-sama!"
Che. Stupid fangirls again. When would they ever leave him alone?
They were pressing in on him from all sides and Ryoma found no way out except looking himself back into the court.
They banged on the railings, tried to unlock the latch with bobby pins, and did everything they could to get inside but thank goodness it was to no avail. Sighing in annoyance with a mixture of relief Ryoma sat down on the bench.
"The court fortifications really came in handy. Now they cant get in no matter how hard they try. I'll just have to wait it out until they leave," the tennis prince thought to himself as he stretched in the bench. "I guess I should just nap around for awhile. It'll take them a long time for them to finally go away."
Ryoma was about to shut his eyes when —
"AAAAAHHHH!"
"Ugh," cringed Ryoma as he got up, " What the hell was that – Inui sempai? What are you doing here? And where are those stupid fangirls?"
"I took care of them," came the dataman's reply. He grinned evilly as he lifted a pitcher of his infamous juice.
"And now we're going to take care of you."
"BUURRNNING! YEAH, LET US IN ECHIZEN!"
"Momo-sempai? Kawamura-sempai? Why are you guys here? Don't you have better things to do? And what's with those looks on your faces?" Ryoma asked.
The only answer he got was that of Mom breaking down the reinforced steel door just as if it were made of paper. The threesome walked up to him brandishing each of their own weapons, Inui with his juice, Taka-san with his racket, and Momo with his hard closed fists and all of them brandishing a killing aura.
Usually when people up to you like that, it always meant trouble, but knowing the kind of person Ryoma is with his huge pride and cocky attitude, the tennis prince stood his ground and kept his cool.
He would only run away for his life when he needed to, just like in the reunion when he had been chased down by all the regulars except Fuji.
Ryoma simply observed calmly as they got closer and closer until they stood a few inches from hi, which was near enough for Momo to reach out and grab him by the collar of his shirt.
"Daijoubo ka Momo-sempai? Or has Inui given you too much Aozu to drink?"
"Arrogant brat! You better explain this properly or else! Give a good explanation for this Echizen," yelled Momo in anger. His grip on him tightened as he shoved the cover of the magazine. "What do you think you were doing to Sakuno-chan?"
"BUUUURRRNNNIINNNNG! YOU ARENT SUPPOSED TO CHEAT ON MAAYA-CHAN! YOU SWORE NOT TO! BURRRRRNNIIING!
Ryoma peered at the cover and just as he thought, it was a picture of his kiss with Ryuuzaki on the courts in Nagasaki.
"Damn the stupid paparazzi," he cursed.
"Hurry up Echizen, we don't have all day!"
"Kuso, why are you even butting in my affairs, this is none of your business!"
"Bastard! Don't tell me that you won't care what Maaya-chan and Sakuno-chan will feel when they find out what you've been doing to them, you two-timing little brat!"
"Whatever Momo-sempai! Let me go!"
"No, not until we get some answers!"
"Let me go!"
"Do you want me to call both of them right now? Or should I tell Ryuuzaki that you've only been using her in place of Maaya?"
"Damn it, I've had enough of this already! Maaya and Sakuno are the same person! You baka's I wasn't cheating on anyone!" shouted Ryoma as he pushed Momo away. "Great! Look what you made me say! It was supposed to be a secret. Why are you so angry when you always wanted me to be with Ryuuzaki in the first place?"
"Because Ann-chan surely wouldn't want you to hurt her idol and her friend Sakuno-chan and besides it would be unfair for you to have two — wait, did you just say that Nadeshiko Maaya and Ryuuzaki are – are the same?"
"BUUUURRRNING! USO!"
"Iie data."
The three protested in denial with shock and disbelief.
"Look closer at Maaya's photos sometime sempai-tachi," he grumbled as he walked away. "And don't you dare tell anyone else about Ryuuzaki and Maaaya. I'm going now."
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
Kami. Why did he have to have such an unlucky day?
First he had a match without Ryuuzaki by his side, then there were the fangirls and then his sempais.
Surely it couldn't get any worse, or – it could.
Just as he walked to his Ferrari in the parking lot, a blue sedan pulled in; his managers blue sedan.
"Echizen!"
"What is it now Toshigo? I've had a bad day, don't mess with me," growled the tennis prince.
"Didn't I tell you strictly before to tell your relationship bf-gf contract partner to not get caught dating by the paparazzi? Look at how much mess I had to clean up. Bribing the cameramen isn't easy you know!"
"What are you talking about? Maaya is my real girlfriend, didn't you know that already? And what are you giving me? If a porno magazine is what you're giving me as evidence of Ryuuzaki dating someone else, then you are such an idiot." Toshigo hastily grabbed his magazine back and Ryoma grunted. "Che. You remind me of Oyaji and his dirty mind, reading those kind of stuff."
"That's because that was Nanjiroh's magazine, baka. Your father and I are good friends you know. Besides, that wasn't what I wanted to show you . Here this is it," said Toshigo as he pulled several pictures. "Pictures of your girlfriend having dinner with someone else, walking with that someone else, talking with that someone else."
"That 'someone else' is Fuji-sempai, He's her bestfriend, he wouldn't do anything to her," Ryoma shook his head.
"Oh really? But why is it that in this photo they're in bed together? That's too intimate for two bestfriends."
The tennis prince shoved that picture into his pocket and a scowl appeared on his face as he got in his Ferrari.
"Where were those pictures taken?"
"Why?"
"Just answer it."
"In Hiroi Sora Hotel in Tsushima. Why, where do you plan on going?"
Without even bothering to answer Ryoma sped away leaving his manager shouting on the road, "Echizen, make sure you get back in time for the invitational finals and make sure you fix things before you get back!"
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
Japanese Terms
Outosan – father
Tensai - genuis
Daijoubo – it's alright
Hentai - pevert
Gomene – I'm sorry
Hai – yes
Iie - No
Kitto Yatta – I'm glad
Uso – that can't be, that's impossible
Honto ni - really
Demo - but
Onigiri – Japanese rice balls
Kouhai - junior
Sempai – senior
ogenki desu ka – are you alright
oyasumi - goodnight
Nani o – what is it?
Buchou - captain
Ore-sama – Ore = me, sama suffix used to express superiority or greatness
Kuso - damn
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo
A/N: Ohayou Minna! Sorry for the late update…demo we just had our first two week of classes and class life is really hectic in our school in the Phil. Gaaah. Homeworks, projects, tests. It's always so annoying, I have limited time to myself. . Plus I've got to audition for the school paper next week and there are the everyday chores that I have to do at home. Okay, I'm not a rich girl, we dont have a maid or something that can hepl around the house. Sigh. Life sure is a drag with all these complications.
Anyways thank you everyone for all your support! ( reviews, favorite story subscriptions, favorite author subscriptions, story alert subs) Really, they mean everything to me. Don't worry guys, there'll be an exclusive thank you note with all your names in the end of the story. ^_^
Oh yeah, and in the last chappie I forgot to put in C: -chan. Gomene C:-chan! And thank you new reviewers, sandstorm-chan, maxyne-chan and valled-chan! It's so nice to know that you guys read and like my work!
So, what do you think about this chap? Gosh I REALLY had so much fun writing this! I can't wait to update the next one, it'll be even more fun, but that should take about two weeks but I'll do my best!
Psst, guys, don't forget to read and review!
Well, that's all. Chap 11 coming up! Hey dont worry, chapter 11 will be really, really exciting!
Ja minna, until next time. : P
Fuji's girl