A/N: Chapter Eleven is here, and the Valentine's Day dance! Thank you, thank you, and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story. Five thousand reads already! So this chapter is extra long as a thank you for everyone. Sorry about the overload of sweet cheesiness in this chapter- but it can't be helped! After this chapter, as I said in the previous one, the main focus of the story will be on Tezuka and Rei- partly because it is a TezukaOC story, and partly because Tenshi/Fuji belongs to aehlta, RyoSaku isn't my favourite pairing out there, Momo and Akira are a bit hard to write, and Oishi and Sora…well, they will turn up quite a bit too. My bad.

The quote from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in the last chapter- "I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?", for those of you who have forgotten- I really liked it, so it may turn up later, and it has also been the inspiration for a one-shot companion piece for this story I am beginning. Look out for it!

This chapter is dedicated to Savage Kill, for her recent support for both this story, and my other story Lost in Your Eyes. Thank you so much! :) Also, thank you to VanillaAnime for drawing a lovely picture of Rei! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, but I own the OCs.

A knock resounded throughout the apartment, and Rei stuck her head out of her bedroom, where she was at the time, and called out, "Who is it?"

When she couldn't hear a reply, she sighed and jogged over to open the door, to see her best friend standing outside, arms crossed and bags on her arm. Rei burst into a round of laughter at the disgruntled look on Sora's face.

"What are you laughing at, midget?"

"Hey, I'm not that much shorter than you! Just five centimetres, no big deal!"

Sora walked into the apartment, setting her bags down on the couch, and wiping her hands absently on her hoodie. "Sure, whatever floats your boat. So, what are we doing?"

Rei forgot the comeback on the tip of her tongue in an instant, and clapped her hands with a childish glee. "That's right! We have to get dressed for the dance!"

Sora glanced with a deadpan face towards the clock. "Rei. It's four. All sports practice was cancelled, remember? We have hours."

"Oh, right." Rei laughed sheepishly, and then exclaimed, "Well, then we can eat ice-cream and talk!"

"About?"

"I don't know, stuff!"

Sora laughed at this, finding it strangely hilarious. "Alright, then, we can talk about stuff."

In the meantime, Rei had opened the refrigerator and taken out a tub of ice-cream- she called out to Sora, "Choc-chip or vanilla?"

"Vanilla," Sora decided, after a moment's indecision. "I don't feel like I can handle the sight of more chocolate on Valentine's Day."

Rei laughed hysterically at this, as she brought the ice-cream over with two spoons. She jumped onto the couch next to Sora, and held out the container. "Want some?"

The blonde gave her a deadpan stare. "What do you think?"

Laughing, Rei handed it over to Sora, along with a spoon. The captain immediately began shovelling it into her mouth, and Rei sweatdropped at her best friend. "Um…ha ha…"

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing…"

Rei took a spoonful as well, swallowing it slowly, before a strange expression came across her face, and she lowered the spoon in her hand. Sora looked at her questioningly. "Rei, aren't you going to eat any more?"

"Nah…I've just remembered…I'm trying to go on a diet now…"

Sora gave her a look. "Rei, we've been through this before," she started. The dark-haired girl winced slightly at her tone, immediately backtracking. "You don't need to go on a diet! If you don't eat, how will you be able to play in a game?"

Rei nodded slowly, somehow not looking convinced. "Yeah…I guess…"

As Sora's penetrating stare became fixated, Rei finally gave in. "Alright, alright, I get your point! But just this once, okay?"

The blonde didn't seem satisfied, but she let it go and held out the container of ice-cream to her friend. "So eat already!"

Rei laughed, and the two of them dug in, enjoying the simple pleasure of eating and talking together.

Two hours later, Rei was tearing madly through the apartment, searching frantically for something, rummaging through and throwing things everywhere in her haste.

At a particularly loud crash as she sent a shoe flying, Sora stuck her head out of Rei's bedroom to see what the matter was. "Rei! What are you doing out there?"

"I…am looking…for…a safety pin!" Rei got out between breaths. Sora's look became deadpan- again- and she held up a box in her hand. "You do realize that I brought a pack with me, don't you?"

Rei turned and laughed sheepishly. "Ha ha…I suppose I should have expected that…"

She returned to the bedroom, and the two girls stood surveying the two dresses laid out carefully on the bed with critical eyes.

"I think my one needs to be adjusted a little on the straps…"

"Yeah…well, that's what the safety pins are for, right?"

After almost half an hour of fussing around, both of them were dressed, having helped each other with zippers and buttons whenever needed, and helping do each other's makeup- in Rei's case, mostly trying to get Sora to stay still enough.

Rei was standing behind Sora, a safety pin firmly held between her teeth as she carefully pinned another to secure the straps of Sora's dress.

The blonde girl attempted to watch over her shoulder warily. "Hey, watch where you're poking that thing."

Murmured, unintelligible words followed. "What did you say?"

Rei stepped back, and took the pin out from between her teeth. "I said, I will. And don't distract me while I have a pin in my mouth- what would happen if it slipped? Ugh, just imagining it…" She shuddered at the thought.

"Just fix it already!"

"Hai, hai, baka-buchou...I don't even know why I put up with you…"

"Say that again, and I'll throw you across the room."

But even as both of them playfully bantered, they had identical smiles on their faces, enjoying the moment they were sharing together.

Finally, Sora forcibly sat Rei down at the dressing table, despite her whining and protests of Why do I have to? "I'm going to do your hair whether you like it or not," she stated, "because I know that if I let you do it, you'll just do a boring old ponytail again."

At Rei's sudden look of sheepishness, she pressed, "Am I right?"

"…Tch, fine," Rei grumbled as she pulled off the elastic and shook her long hair out. "Don't do anything ridiculous, though. Like pigtails, for example."

"Just stop moving. And talking, while you're at it."

Surprisingly, for someone who hated dressing up and girly things in general, Sora was rather adept at hair styling. Her fingers were nimble and sure, expertly arranging strands and spinning stray wisps in place. After not a few rough yanks on Rei's hair whenever she moved, much to the dark-haired girl's annoyance, Sora was finally finished. "Alright, done. And don't- what did I just say?- don't touch your hair."

Rei pouted childishly at her friend, removing her hand from a wisp that was hanging on the side of her face. "But-"

"Just don't."

"Fine, then…" She looked in the mirror, and smiled happily. "Wow, it's amazing! Thank you for doing it! You're so much better than I am at this kind of stuff!"

Sora laughed while her hands were occupied with twisting her own shorter blonde hair into a braided crown at the back of her head. "I knew that without you telling me. It goes without saying."

Rei stuck her tongue out childishly and busied herself with slipping her feet into a pair of simple black flats, while her hands were busy adjusting the strap of her dress. Sora was preoccupied with giving the final touches to her hair, before putting on her shoes as well and grabbing her phone from the counter where it lay.

Frowning at a text on her phone, she glanced at Rei with a look of concern on her face. "Come on, we don't want to be late. My sister's driving us there, but are you fine walking home by yourself? It is going to be late…"

Rei waved a dismissive hand at her, with her usual careless smile on her face. "I'll be fine, there's no need to baby me around. You're not my mother, you know."

Suddenly, she seemed to realize what she had inadvertently said, and she fell silent, hand involuntarily going to touch the plain silver necklace that hung around her neck.

Sora seemed to understand exactly what she was thinking. The blonde girl's normally no-nonsense expression softened into one of understanding and sympathy, and she reached over and on impulse, unexpectedly hugged Rei, murmuring, "Hey, it's going to be alright" in her ear.

The two of them stood there for a moment, before Rei finally pulled away, looking better with a smile on her face. "Thanks, Sora."

"What are friends for?" In the space of a few seconds, Sora had reigned in her brief show of sentiment and her brisk, strict expression was back. "Now, hurry up, Shouka-nee-san isn't going to wait for long."

The dark-haired girl laughed cheerfully, hand tucking the two rings on the chain around her neck back out of sight. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that happening, would we?"

The sound of laughter and joking echoed around the empty apartment long after they were gone, the memories of good times from long years past ringing silently in the dark.

Akira was already at the dance- or at least, outside the gym in which it was being held. She felt uncomfortable about being in there- first, because it was the gym. It was beyond weird to see the place where she played basketball every day decked out for a high school dance.

And second, there was no one she knew there yet, and she certainly wouldn't go in unless she had to.

Shifting uncomfortably, she tugged on the edge of the black dress she was wearing. Of course she would go with black.

She never wore dresses unless she was forced to- in this case, her brother had made her wear one. You have to be an actual girl at a dance, she mimicked mockingly, but without anger, in her head. God, he could be so annoying sometimes.

The dress was attracting a lot of strange glances- it was completely in Akira's style, and that usually meant it wasn't to other people's taste. With the black material with laced up corset-style sides, and deliberately slashed sleeves and hem, and the red streaked pattern, it was definitely what others would call gothic. Or punk. Or emo, for that matter.

It wasn't like Akira cared what other people said. She never had.

"Hey, punk cherry! Over here!" She turned to the familiar voice of Shizuka calling her, a smirk already tugging at her lips reluctantly. The small, brown-haired girl was jogging over to her- well, jogging as well as she could in heels- with a grin on her face.

As soon as she was close enough to hear, Akira drawled out, "Oi, baka risu, wipe that idiotic grin off your face. It suits you too much."

Shizuka seemed like she was in too good a mood to get angry at her long time friendly rival. "Are you waiting for someone? I'm waiting for Ryou-senpai to turn up, he told me he would meet me here." She glanced expectantly at Akira. "Do you have a partner?"

The red-haired girl snorted and looked away mock-contemptuously, with a small smile creeping onto her face. "What do you think, idiot?"

"Ha ha, there's no way someone would ask you…wait, WHAT?" She yelled out at the red-head's silence. "Someone asked you, didn't they!"

"Che, figure it out for yourself."

Shizuka, still only up to Akira's shoulder despite her heels, tried to plead with her fellow second-year. "Come on, punk, tell me! I really really REALLY want to know? Who is it? Is he in our year? Did you ask him, or did he ask you? When-"

Akira was beginning to look seriously annoyed. "Oi, shut it, squirrel." After a few more minutes of Shizuka's begging and pleading, she finally relented, a secret smile of triumph on her face. She had everything under control. "Well, if you must know…"

The small girl leant forward on her toes, bouncing eagerly in anticipation of finally knowing what boy had dared to ask Kurenai Akira herself to the dance.

"Yo, Kurenai!"

"…he's right behind you."

Shizuka spun around suddenly, shrieking in fright as Momoshiro jumped back, just as startled. "Okay…I did not expect that…"

"Y-you! You mean…you and h-HIM? Why him out of all people? When? What? How?"

Akira grinned ferally at Shizuka's utter bewilderment. "Surprise, idiot."

Momoshiro looked confusedly between them. "Wait…what's going on?"

"Momoshiro!" Shizuka rounded on him, and he backed away nervously. "Since when did you like that punk cherry over there?"

"Isn't that thinking too far ahead?" Akira muttered under her breath, but neither of them heard her- or if Shizuka did, she ignored it.

She took another menacing step towards Momoshiro, prodding a finger at his chest. "You're such a liar! Didn't you ask me first! What-"

Suddenly, Akira got a strange glint in her eyes, and she snorted with laughter. "Nagasaki, you're really…" She broke out laughing again, and the other two second-years stared at her weirdly.

Akira finally looked at Shizuka, the effect from the excessive laughing fading off. "Are you actually jealous, baka risu?"

The effect on Shizuka was immediate. She immediately turned bright red, and began stuttering out a half-strangled yell of surprised indignation. "I do not-! What the hell, you punk, you wanna go-?"

It seemed to have dawned on Momoshiro as well. He suddenly burst out laughing, attracting stares from both of them. "HA HA HA! Nagasaki, that was priceless!"

"…what did you say, baka peach?"

"Hey, when did you start imitating Mamushi? Don't do it, it doesn't suit you and your face!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY-?"

"Have fun, you two, alright?" Shouka waved from the driver's seat as Sora and Rei climbed out and walked towards the gates of the school. The blonde turned and waved back to her older sister, while Rei flashed a smile over her shoulder.

"We will, Nee-san, don't worry about us! I'll be walking home, alright?"

The car reversed, and then sped off as the two of them walked through the gates of Seigaku. They weren't the only ones- many students were beginning to drift leisurely, one by one, towards the gym where the dance was being held.

Sora irritably pulled on the strap of her shoe again- really, her feet were already beginning to blister from the barely two-centimetre high heel, how was she supposed to get through the whole night? "Damn heels, already hurting like hell."

Rei laughed at this. "That's why you wear flats, like me!" She held a small foot out for inspection, prompting a snort from Sora.

"Yeah, well, I would have if I could find a pair that matched my dress. And someone insisted on finding a pair of gold shoes to match…" She glared playfully at her friend, who flipped her hair in an imitation of a fangirl, and stuck her nose haughtily into the air.

"Hn, I wouldn't have any idea what you are talking about, peasant."

"That sounded uncannily like Atobe Keigo, Wakanari." The two of them turned around to see Fuji standing there behind them with his customary smile on his face.

"Fuji-san…you found a partner?"

His eyes crinkled with the widening smile on his face. "Saa…Igarashi-san, there's no need to sound so surprised. I'm hurt."

"Yeah, sure you are, like the sadistic tensai you are."

While Sora and Fuji began their argument afresh, Rei let her eyes wander over to the girl standing next to Fuji. She vaguely recognized her- maybe they had passed each other in the corridor at some point? With her boyish, black hair and dead brown eyes, she rather scared Rei. There was just something about her that sent a shiver up Rei's spine.

Still, she decided, she couldn't just judge people by their appearances. So she put on a friendly smile and walked over to the other girl, who just stared at her blankly. "Hi, I'm Wakanari Rei, third-year. And you are…?"

"You, are?"

Rei was confused. The other girl's words by no means answered her question, and her oddly fractured way of speaking was strange. She figured that she wasn't very good at Japanese, since she had a noticeably heavy accent. "I mean, what's your name?"

The girl seemed to understand this time. "Name, Kasumi."

Meanwhile, Fuji seemed to have noticed during his bantering with Sora. He patted the girl on the shoulder, looking at Rei with a smile.

"Ne, Wakanari, this is Tenshi-kun, although she'll probably want you to call her Kasumi-kun. Tenshi-kun, this is Wakanari Rei."

"I, know. Told, me."

Although Rei was struggling to understand Tenshi's broken Japanese, Fuji seemed to have no problem listening to his partner. He smiled. "Saa, well, we should be heading in soon." He glanced over Rei's shoulder, and his smile widened that sadistic inch more. "And it seems someone is looking for you."

Rei was just turning around when Tezuka caught sight of her.

He had been walking from home towards the school gates, enjoying the peace while it lasted. He knew that the night was going to be hectic chaos, and he was not looking forward to that part of the evening.

But to the actual dance, he wasn't averse to the idea.

Heading into the school, he had walked to the gym, and there, had talked to several members of the student council who had been responsible for organizing the event. Sora and Oishi hadn't been there, as they were not responsible for the actual event taking place.

After finishing up the talk, he headed back out, this time with the purpose of finding Rei, and while he was at it, anyone else he knew. He had already found Inui, who had come alone, and Oishi, who was conveniently looking for Sora.

They had been walking across the courtyard again when he had heard the voice of a certain tensai speaking, and turned his head that way just as Oishi pointed out, "Oh, Sora-san and Wakanari-san are over there with Fuji!"

Tezuka caught sight of Rei just as she was turning around, her long hair swirling around her face as she turned and saw him.

He hadn't known what green was like until he saw her eyes.

Up until now, he hadn't been able to pinpoint what precise shade of green her eyes were- of course he had known what it looked like when she was in front of him, but he had never figured out exactly what shade they were.

Suddenly, a word came into his head, like a missing puzzle piece that he had finally found. Chartreuse*, he thought, and the word sounded as though it had been made for this moment.

Rei had seen him now- her eyes had widened and the uneven smile had broken out on her face again. "Tezuka-san, you're here!"

"Aa." He walked over to her, glancing at Fuji and Tenshi, the tensai smiling his sadistic, all-knowing smile at him, before turning back to her. "Rei."

She was looking very different to usual- not in a bad way. The pale, icy green dress she was wearing only served to make her eyes look darker than usual, and her long hair was arranged in a delicate-looking, intricate updo.

Rei was a little- just slightly- startled by how good Tezuka managed to look in casual clothes. Sure, he already had girls swooning over his looks left and right, just in his school uniform- but she had not anticipated that he would look this good.

It was funny how good a simple white collared shirt and a pair of black pants could look on a boy.

Really, it was almost unfair how easily he could look good- without even trying! Whereas she had to put in so much effort to-

She cut herself off in the middle of that thought. Since when had she, queen of I-don't-care and what's-it-to-me nonchalance, started caring so much about things like this?

But the thought was forgotten when Tezuka spoke. "You…" A certain question immediately jumped into her mind, but she was left slightly disappointed when he continued after the brief hesitation. "You came with Igarashi-san?"

She nodded brightly, easy smile on her face as usual. "Yeah, her older sister drove us here!"

Tezuka dipped his head, and then, "Are you going back home with her?"

"Actually, now you bring it up, no! She can't come and pick us up, so we're both walking home separately…"

At this point in the conversation, a certain tensai surreptitiously leaned over Tezuka's shoulder and whispered teasingly in his ear, "Ne, Tezuka, you should walk her home after the dance. Girls shouldn't have to walk home at night by themselves, you know?"

And then he was gone, just in time for Rei to look expectantly at Tezuka. He showed no sign of irritation on his face, although in his head, he was already thinking about how many laps to give Fuji around Japan.

Although, he had to admit the tensai was right. But he decided that it was not the right time to ask such a question. Not now.

Instead, he just nodded, and then glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the gym. He could see pairs who had already met beginning to head inside, and he knew that they would have to follow suit.

"We should go in." It was a statement, not a question, but the manner with which he looked questioningly at Rei said it all for him. Her smile tilted slightly, and she laughed.

"Yeah, we should. Come on, we don't want to get left behind!"

She walked off, and Tezuka followed her closely, just far enough behind her to let her take the lead, but close enough to still be walking alongside her.

They walked in a relative, but comfortable, silence towards the gym, Rei watching the other pairs- Sora especially- with a fond smile and a sparkle in her eyes, and Tezuka watching her.

"You look nice tonight."

Rei smiled softly at the quiet, awkward compliment, despite knowing and telling herself that it really meant nothing. Just between friends.

Oishi walked next to Sora with a smile, scarcely able to believe his eyes at the girl. Sora was looking very different that night- in her black knee-length dress and with her blonde hair not severely tied back in a ponytail, she was a very different person, at least in terms of appearance.

"Sora-san?" She looked around at this. "Oh, Oishi. You look great tonight, by the way." The casual compliment immediately set Oishi's cheeks on fire.

"A-ah-! That is- thank you…I mean-! Y-you look nice too!"

Sora laughed at his confusion and stammered compliment, and patted companionably him on the shoulder. "You don't have to worry so much, Oishi. It's just a dance."

Ryoma had to admit that Sakuno looked rather nice.

He had been talking- well, he had been tolerating them- with his fellow teammates, and he had known something was different when Momoshiro and Kikumaru's eyes widened and they broke out into identical evil smirks.

He was even more certain of it when they had simultaneously seized him by the shoulders and heaved him towards someone walking behind him.

The first thing he felt was someone clutching at his shirt as he staggered back, both of them flailing around to regain their balance.

"Ryuzaki?"

Cat calls and whistling from the watching tennis regulars sent Sakuno's cheeks burning hotly, so much that her face felt like it was giving off steam.

"Ano…r-Ryoma-kun!"

"Echizen, kiss her already!" yelled Momoshiro with a loud whistle, and the boys behind them cheered and laughed loudly. Sakuno felt her cheeks turn even more red, if that was even humanly possible.

Of course, Ryoma just stuck his nose into the air, cheeks faintly pink. "Yadda." But he secretly thought that Sakuno was very pretty that night, although he didn't particularly like the pink dress and matching shoes she was wearing.

"Hee hee, Ochibi has grown up! That's our little boy!"

"Shut up, Eiji-senpai!"

Sakuno felt slightly disappointed, although also slightly relieved. Ryoma…didn't want to kiss her?

After a while, the regulars eventually gave up on pestering the freshmen, and the two of them were left to their own devices. Ryoma seemed intent on looking anywhere but Sakuno, who was looking extremely embarrassed.

"…You look nice," he got out reluctantly, but Sakuno could hear a smile in his voice.

"r-Really? Do you t-think so?" Sakuno looked hopeful, and her eyes were wide and a smile was creeping onto her face.

"…but your hair's still too long."

"Ryoma-kun!"

Two hours and seven glasses of lemonade later, Rei was absolutely exhausted.

Dances and parties had never really been her thing in the first place, but the deafening noise at this dance was really beyond comprehension. Fortunately, most of her time had been spent between Tezuka and their friends- some of it in dancing, but mostly just talking and laughing on the sidelines.

There was no telling what her carelessness would do on the dance floor.

She was feeling crowded in and trapped in the hot, stuffy gym- it was strange, seeing a place which she normally found free and releasing so crowded and sweaty.

From beside her, Tezuka silently handed her another glass of lemonade, and she looked up in pleasant surprise, having not expected him to return so soon from talking to Oishi at the drinks table.

She smiled gratefully at him, and took the drink, carefully wrapping her fingers around the cool glass and taking a long sip.

"May I have your attention please, everyone!" A voice echoed out in a microphone, and the crowd of teenagers gradually fell silent after a lull of murmuring and whispers. Everyone's attention turned towards the stage, where they saw Aida, the assistant publicity director, grinning not in the least nervously in the bright lights.

"I am very pleased to announce that the final results of today's Valentine's Day competition are in!"

Raucous cheering and excited shouts at this. Many of the girls were looking almost hysterical with anticipation, and even many of the boys were looking eager.

"First of the winners- the cutest couple!" Squeals could be heard, and literally everyone was leaning forward silently with their breaths held, waiting for the announcement. Aida pressed something in her hand, and a screen lit up white and blank above his head, projected onto the wall.

"And the winner for the cutest couple is…" He trailed off, just as the screen lit up with a photo. For a moment, everyone was silent. And then the screaming began.

On the screen was Sakuno, just sitting up from falling on Ryoma, and the boy leaning back on his elbows as he struggled to sit up. Both of them had blushes evident on their cheeks, and they were looking at each other.

Sakuno immediately flushed tomato red, and she covered her face with her hands. She could feel Tomoka holding a vice grip around her neck, squealing with joy. "I knew it, I knew it, I just knew it!"

Ryoma merely adjusted his cap- why he was wearing a hat indoors anyway, no one knew, or cared- and lowered it over his face, attempting to hide the light pink that had crept into his cheeks. Half the tennis regulars immediately pounced on him, as well as his three friends, ruffling his hair, slapping his back, and cheering obnoxiously loud in his ears.

"Echizen, I'm proud of you, my man! Teach me how to catch girls like you do, eh?"

"ECHIZEN! GOOD ON YOU!"

"Brat, how dare you become such a ladies' man!"

"Congratulations to Osakada Tomoka for your winning entry! And to Echizen Ryoma and Ryuzaki Sakuno for your adorable chemistry!" More squealing and whistling at this.

"Tomo-chan! How could you enter it after I told you not to?!"

"But Sa-ku-no! You two were so cute together, I couldn't resist! AND I WON!" She danced around, completely oblivious to Sakuno's acute embarrassment.

After a few announcements of categories like most flirtatious couple and most hilarious couple, another category was announced.

"And the next category is 'Couple Most in Love'!" Girls shrieked in excitement at that one, and everyone held their breath in anticipation again.

"The winner is…" Aida deliberately trailed off questioningly, and then the screen lit up again, this time with two photographs side by side.

"TEZUKA-KUN! WHY?"

"That's right, the winner is Tezuka Kunimitsu, indifferent darling of the ladies, and Wakanari Rei! Congratulations to Fuji Shuusuke on your winning entry!"

Tezuka was rather shocked- although he really should have expected it. Fuji was going to be running his legs off the next day.

Rei was absolutely speechless. No words came to her as she stared at the photographs projected onto the screen.

In one of them, she saw herself, standing very close to Tezuka, her eyes lowered to the book in her hands and a small smile on her face. She recognized the library- it must have been the photo Fuji took while she and Tezuka were talking about Shakespeare.

Speaking of which, Tezuka was watching her in the photo with what looked like a small smile on his face, and looking down at her bent head.

Rei covered her face in embarrassment at the photograph, peeking through her fingers with increasing horror as she saw the second photograph.

In it, she was holding Tezuka's wrist- she knew where it had been taken- but from the angle of the photograph, it looked like she was holding his hand!

God, it was embarrassing.

Half of the girls in the room were squealing at how adorable the two of them were together- the other half were screaming with dismay that their dear Tezuka-kun had been taken, as they thought.

She could feel her face literally on fire- the stares and whispers of almost the entire gym was getting to her. Beside her, Rei felt Tezuka shift uncomfortably, still standing quite close to her.

Tezuka directed his harsh gaze towards Fuji, zeroing in on the tensai standing with Tenshi over by the food table, angelic smile already set firmly in place.

Luckily for Fuji- and Rei and Tezuka- the announcer was already saying something again, frowning at someone who whispered into her ear, before turning back to the crowd.

"Attention, please! We have just received word of a late winner- the officially weirdest couple is…"

This was the first winner that everyone was praying they wouldn't be; it was clearly a joke that had been deliberately held back.

"Fuji Shuusuke and…Kasumi Tenshi?" Aida seemed rather confused about who Tenshi actually was. "Anyway, congratulations to…Kikumaru Eiji!"

On the screen, Fuji had his head turned to the side and was chuckling at something, while Tenshi looked extremely bored and annoyed at whatever he had just said.

"Hoi hoi!" Kikumaru was looking very pleased with himself, and his fellow tennis regulars slapped him on the back, laughing at his achievement. "So someone finally called out Fuji! You go, Eiji-senpai!"

Fuji just smiled, as if he had been going with the plan all along. "Saa, so Eiji took a photo of us together? I must congratulate him on his improved photography skills."

But Tenshi wasn't so pleased. "What."

After the dance had finally finished, the students lingered in the entrance of the gym and the courtyard, talking excitedly about the success of the year's Valentine's Day.

The tennis regulars stood slightly off to the side, away from the majority of the crowd and the noise. Tezuka just ignored the joking and teasing comments of his teammates, glancing at Rei who was standing nearby with her friends, looking very embarrassed.

Fuji was getting a lot of slaps on the back and pats on the shoulder, and he seemed to be taking it all in stride, smiling at everything directed at him.

"Hey, Fuji, good job on winning!" Momoshiro yelled, as he directed a sneaky glance towards their captain, who just studiously ignored all of them.

"Um, bad time to be interrupting?"

Sora and the rest of the basketball team had come over, except for Shizuka, who was talking with a good-looking third-year. Akira smirked when she saw Momoshiro discreetly peek at them.

Rei smiled at Tezuka, and he nodded back, adjusting his glasses with his right hand. Sora had made a beeline for Oishi, and was asking him something under her breath.

The dark-haired vice-captain looked up at Tezuka. "Tezuka-san, are you walking home?"

"Yes, I am." He remembered Fuji's words from beforehand echoing softly in the back of his mind.

"Ne, Tezuka, you should walk her home after the dance. Girls shouldn't have to walk home at night by themselves, you know?"

As much as he didn't want to admit it, the tensai was right. Any proper gentleman would offer to walk the girl home, especially this late at night. And he did pride himself on his proper, and traditional upbringing, courtesy of his strict grandfather.

Besides, there was something he thought he might want to show Rei on the way back.

At that moment, Rei was just saying goodbye to Sora and a few others, saying, "I need to get going, or I'll be late. See you all tomorrow!"

As she turned away to start walking home, Tezuka said quietly, "I'll walk you home."

Her eyes widened fractionally. "Oh, no, that's fine, you don't have to-" But Tezuka was already walking towards the gates, glancing expectantly over his shoulder at her. She smiled exasperatedly, secretly thankful for his strict sense of manners, and followed him.

The two of them were soon alone, walking along the street in a comfortable silence again. Out of the corner of his eye, Tezuka noticed Rei shivering slightly in the chilly night air, breath clouding as she huffed. Silently, he took off his jacket, ignoring the sudden snap of the cold, and without a word, offered it to her.

Rei just looked at it, then looked up at him. "Really?"

"Really."

She smiled at his familiar reply, and took the jacket gratefully, slipping her arms into the sleeves and wrapping the too-big garment about her.

After a few minutes of walking, Tezuka suddenly interrupted the quiet with a question. "May I show you something?"

Rei looked surprised, but smiled and nodded. "Sure, I have time."

Tezuka led her past her home- she was surprised at this sudden request- and they walked for a minute or so up the street. Just as the nagging pain in her feet was beginning to sharpen, Tezuka stopped, and she almost walked right into his back.

"Here." He led her through a small gate, and they went through. Rei found herself in a small park, lit dimly by lamps hung in the trees. She saw a set of swings, creaking softly in the cold breeze, and a glint of water shining darkly in the light through the trees.

"I found this place while I was walking home from the tennis courts nearby." She looked swiftly at Tezuka, who was staring at the park.

"It's beautiful," Rei whispered, and then she bent over slightly and slipped her shoes off. She barely managed to repress a sigh of relief as she put her foot down onto the cool, damp grass. Tezuka looked questioningly at her.

"Flats hurt, you know. Almost as much as high heels do."

He nodded, although he didn't really know what she was talking about, and after hesitating for a moment, reached his hand behind her head, and deftly pulled out the two pins that were holding her hair in place. Rei's long, wavy hair tumbled out loosely, falling over her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise.

"I like it better this way."

Without any further explanation, he gestured for her to follow him as he made his way along the worn pathway through the trees. Rei followed him with a smile on her face, barefoot tread not making a sound.

Her curiosity was growing as she followed him- what could be in here that he wanted to show to her so much?

And then they came out of the trees, and Rei gasped softly at the sight before her.

In front of them was a small pond, an ordinary fishpond that would have seemed not worth a second glance if it weren't for the glinting coins in it. Rei realized that it was one of those ponds into which people toss coins for luck and good fortune.

Tezuka stopped at the edge of the pond, staring at the scattered dull gold and silver coins at beneath the rippling water, fish darting lazily around. "I first found out about my arm a few months ago." His hand involuntarily came up to touch his arm.

Although he had never told Rei before, she had heard rumours of the famed Seigaku tennis captain having an injury from freshman year come up again.

It wasn't like she didn't know what it felt like- the knee that had been re-damaged in the game against Iwaki had been a former injury too. But even she couldn't imagine what it would be like to know that it was your arm or tennis.

Tezuka continued. "I came here, to where so many people have come to make wishes or seek good fortune for their dreams- to try and find out for myself whether it was worth it to sacrifice my arm for tennis."

He looked at Rei, and gestured to the rocks surrounding the pond. She frowned in confusion, and knelt down to have a closer look. She realized that what she had thought were scuff marks were actually wishes and prayers of others, carved and scratched into the rocks.

I wish to find my true love…I wish my father would recover from cancer…Please help my sister to come home soon…

"And I came here, and carved my own wish on the rocks."

Tezuka knelt down beside her, searching among the countless kanji markings before pointing at a short message carved near the edge of the water. Rei strained to make the words out.

Never give up.

Rei almost smiled at the Tezuka-style comment. But she was touched- touched that he had the courage to keep on pursuing his ambition and dream, and touched that he had shown it to her.

The two of them just knelt there, next to the pond, before Rei pulled a pocket knife out of her dress pocket. She stood up and moved a metre or so away, kneeling before a different rock and busy carving something into it.

Tezuka watched her, not without curiosity, but he had the feeling that she didn't want anyone to see it yet.

Finally, Rei finished whatever she had been writing, and she stood up, brushing her dress off and coming back over to him with a smile. "Let's go."

He stood as well, and for a moment, both of them stared at the rocks with countless carved messages of hope for the future, and the pond with the glinting evidence of so many wishes.

Rei turned to Tezuka, a small coin in her hand. "Tezuka-san, let's make a promise together."

He waited to hear what she would say, an idea already creeping into his mind. "Let's stay strong, shall we?"

He had never found her smile more genuine and beautiful than at that moment. His expression softened, and Rei smiled even more as she slipped her hand into his, and with the other, tossed the coin into the pond.

They hadn't realized their feelings for each other. Not yet, anyway. But both of them felt the connection between them, and it was something that would only grow stronger as the years came.

The coin shone dully in the dim lamplight, a reminder of the past, and a promise for the future.

A/N: The cheesiness is finally brought to an end! :D I thought I would end on a romantic, sentimental, poetic note, just for kicks. Just remember- that message Rei carved onto the rock in that last scene will be important, and it will turn up later! Anyway, next chapter, I believe, will include part of the tennis match with Hyotei (just Tezuka's, I think, he is the main character here) and some more sweet scenes, perhaps? :P

I've decided- the one-shot spinoff Nothing So Well will be set five years after Tezuka leaves for Germany to play professional tennis, and it will probably be published after this story is complete. It may (hint hint) include a certain person asking another certain someone a very interesting question (hint hint again)…guess away!

Oh, and next week is my birthday, so I will try to update then as a gift to myself :P So if you want to wish me a happy birthday...

Please, pretty please, review! I really love it so much when people do- it makes me feel wanted and like a good writer of stories that people like to read! So review for more love! Or else I won't update and I will go on a long hiatus… (blackmail haha :D)

*Chartreuse is a shade of green, but just note that the shade I was thinking of was more a forest green- that was too mainstream, though. The word just sounded cool :)