Watching the Koi fish swimming in circles in the pond, Akiko's mind wandered elsewhere. She thought of her reaction to Tezuka's compliment yesterday and felt like hitting her head on one of the rocks placed next to her in the elegantly decorated rock garden in Tezuka's backyard.

She sighed deeply. Just when she thought that she had found a solution to her long standing problem, a bigger trouble presented itself through the solution she had been chasing after!

She already knew that she was attracted to his good looks. She was resigned to that fact because there was no helping it. Most of the girls in the school also liked him that way. But after yesterday's encounter, she realized that she might be feeling a little more than attraction towards him. Her mind was treading into dangerous territories, unbidden. She was feeling really self-conscious around him, which was ridiculous since normally, he wouldn't even notice her unless she went out of her way to gain his attention. Lady Fate must be very cruel to make her fall in love at a time like this, and with him of all the people in the world.

If she allows this feeling to continue to grow, then it would definitely lead to disaster. She didn't want to deal with a heart break on top of everything else. She didn't come to this conclusion because she was thinking pessimistically and definitely not because she thought that Tezuka was incapable of love. No, she knew very well that beneath it all, he was a really kind man. She was the one at fault. She doesn't deserve to be loved by a person like him.

She thought of the first time she met him and how much her opinion of him has changed since then. He was free of blemishes and she envied him for that during the 1st semester of their freshmen year.

It was during the disgraceful incident caused by a senpai, who had hurt him in such a way that it would endanger his future in tennis. When she heard those words uttered from his lips, trembling with pain and anger – "Tennis is not used to hurt people!" she thought that he was just another pretty boy with a self-righteous attitude. But when she saw him accept the responsibility of carrying Seigaku's burden in his shoulders and becoming its pillar of support, she found respect in her heart for him, which only continued to grow over the years.

She mused how he would have turned out had he not been an only child, had he a sibling like she did. He would probably become the perfect older sibling a person could ask for, she concluded. After all, he wasn't like her, easily overcome by jealousy. He would never do what she did. He was someone who saves a life, his kindness extended even to dying snake; unlike her… he would never harm another life, let alone the life of his own flesh and blood.

Tezuka found Akiko crouched near the edge of the pond. He face was partially hidden from view by the shadow formed by her long auburn locks. She was worrying her lips and her posture screamed desolation.

Tezuka didn't like what he saw, not after she went through so much trouble to cheer him just yesterday.

Sometimes he wondered just what exactly was going on in her mind. The girl was full of contradictions. He's been waiting for her to open up for so long since he cannot prod into her business. He can only be a silent support during the mean time and encourage her in the right direction. But his patience was wearing thin. Just how long was he supposed to watch suffer silently while hiding everything behind a mask of playfulness?

At first, he thought that she was just another overly outgoing person like Momoshiro but that impression didn't last long. He noticed that she wasn't nearly as imposing at school as she was with him. At school she acted quite polite with their peers. She only took advantage of him. The thought didn't anger him like it should, since he felt that she needed him. The incident with the ball python just drew the point home. He wondered which one of the two was her true self.

However, lately even that has been changing. She seemed to be more considerate towards him. No longer acting like the little terrorist who stormed her way into his life. Not that he was complaining. It was a good change, but he considered what trigged that change.

For now, he wanted to cheer her up. Let's call it a payback for yesterday's treat. With that goal in mind, he approached her from behind.

"Is something wrong, Ayuzawa-san?" He asked her quietly, so as to not startle her.

"Huh? Nothing, everything's fine." She said, in a way which clearly informed him something was definitely not alright.

"These Koi fishes are very old." He said, facing the pond. "They are trained to be hand fed. If you want, you can try feeding them now." Spending time with the fish always gave him a peace of mind. He hoped it would work for her as well.

"Hand fed? I'd like to try!" Akiko said regaining her spirit at the offer. It was a rare opportunity. Usually, some fishes won't even come to the surface level while a stranger is nearby.

"Alright then, but you must remain quiet and very still." He said and took one small stone and lightly tapped it on one of the larger stones at the edge of the pond. It was supposed to act as a fish 'dinner bell' and signal the fish that it was feeding time. He was certain that his grandfather wouldn't be pleased to find him feeding the fish one hour before it was there time for meal.

He threw a small amount of food in the pond, just enough to let the fish know its feeding time. But also kept some in his hand and submerged it just below the water and kept still for a few minutes until the fish came to feed. Akiko followed his actions with curious eyes and then mimicked him. She scooped some fish food, which looked like chicken nugget, with her hand and gently lowered it below the surface of the water.

Akiko felt her breath taken away from her when a large Matsukawabake* came to the surface of the pond to feed from her hand. It looked absolutely stunning in its beauty as well as frightening with the size of its body. It was more than three feet long.

"It's named after me." Tezuka whispered in her ears from where he sat beside her. "We share the same birthday, though it's much older than me. Grandfather bought it when I passed the first level in judo."

"It's huge! But pretty too…it's fitting, I guess." She whispered back. "What about the one you're feeding?" She asked pointing to the red and white* Koi he was feeding.

"This one was named after my deceased grandmother, Hideko." He said.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She apologized awkwardly.

"Don't be. She died long before I was born." He said, and continued as an afterthought, "Father said that she is even stricter than grandfather."

"Really? I wish I could meet your grandpa. I'm looking forward to that day." She said excitedly.

Tezuka whished that day would never come or at least not until Akiko learns to put a lid on her curiosity and hyper activeness.

Meanwhile, Akiko smiled sadly. While she truly grateful and happy even, that he is taking effort to cheer her up, she wished that he wouldn't be so kind to her. Maybe then, she wouldn't have to feel so guilty.

Unknown to the couple, a certain chestnut haired boy was watching them from a distance, with an unrecognizable gleam in his startlingly azure eyes.

Tbc…

R&R

A/N: I believe Fuji is very protective of those who are important to him. Since Tezuka is his best friend, I don't think he'll keep quiet if he feels that Tezuka is serious about a girl… Look forward to an exasperating tensai in the next chapter :)

Constructive criticism are most welcomed ^_^

Notes: *Matsukawabake: Although it is regarded as a black koi, it is popular for its changing colors. Its life span ranges from 35 to 200 years! It can grow up to four feet long.

Koi fish symbolizes perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. So I thought Tezuka's grandfather would buy something meaningful for his grandson's first victory.

*the red and white koi which Akiko asks about is called Kuchibeni. It symbolizes love. So Kunikazu named after his deceased wife.

Response to reviews:

Morenar: Well, I use glasses as well and trust me, it really trying to keep them on during summer. Especially when you are sweating buckets and they keep sliding off your nose! I hope you like this chapter as well :)

Hisss: Why do I get your shortest review for my longest chapter? You haven't answered my question yet and until you do, Tezuka and Akiko won't become a couple; D

Blackrabbit99: I'm glad you didn't dump my story! Thanks for your continued support ^_^ I've given you more clues in this chapter.

Sem Rowz-10: Another long and exclusive Kunimitsu/Akiko chapter for you ^_^ I try my best to make Tezuka a really sweet guy at every opportunity I get… without making him ooc – that's the difficult part!