Author's Note:
Hey guys! This is the longest chapter I've ever written! Very eventful, if I may add. LOL! I hope you're doing something else as you read, wouldn't want any of your bums to get bigger! LOL!
When I was writing this chapter, I was listening to Ben Jelen's "Come on". Not throughout the whole process, but I did repeat it more than five times. If you can play or download the song as you read, it'll be way cooler. Especially on the part where Tezuka flashbacks.
Do not attempt if you can't read and listen to music at the same time though! Haha!
Also, if I could just say, Reiko's interpretation of 'spongy' is a "Spongebob" out of water.
--
Chapter 21
Of Love and Martyrs
--Monday Morning--
A muffled, drowsy grunt escaped through Fuji Syuusuke's lips as he drove lethargy out of his system. Unusually a grouch in the morning, the Seigaku tennis prodigy sighed before pushing away the warm cotton sheets and the heavy comforter that relentlessly compelled him to cave into lassitude. He did not get much sleep last night. His inexhaustible thoughts made his mind unsettled, causing him to restlessly toss and turn in bed. Finally, he lifted from being supine, planting his bare feet on the carpeted floor as he sat on the edge of his double sized bed.
Ruffling his dishevelled brown hair, a habit to stir himself out of torpor, the tennis prodigy stood up and proceeded to cleaning-up his muddled blue and black- striped beddings, fluffing every pillow and straightening each noticeable crease. He finished by placing his cleanly folded navy flat sheet on the foot of his bed before heading to the bathroom to get ready for school.
He allowed the cool water to pelt his skin, each droplet washing away an ounce of languor from his body. He watched as the soapy suds stream down the drain, all the while wishing that like the bubbles, his thoughts too could easily be flushed away.
Robotically, he finished dressing, then headed down the stairs to find that his house was unsurprisingly empty. Grabbing a box of cereal from the pantry, he made his way to the refrigerator to get a carton of milk out, a bright orange post-it note stuck on the stainless fridge door caught his attention just before he pulled it open.
Syuusuke,
Had to leave early for work today. Didn't have time to make your lunch so I left some money on the table. Fuji shifted his eyes on the round dining table and found a white envelope, he presumed had the money in it. He shook his head in mild disapproval before continuing to read the rest of the note.
Have fun and take care at school today.
Love,
Oneesan.
P.S.
Try to come home early tonight, Yuuta is coming home.
The tennis prodigy couldn't help but wonder what might be happening that night. His younger brother seldom came home unless for something important. Shrugging the minor thought away, he sat down on a dining chair to eat breakfast properly. While crunching on his cereals, he reached across for the white envelope and inspected its contents. He mirthlessly smirked upon seeing how much money his sister had left him this time. No way at all was he in need of lunch money, he had already been given his monthly allowance. Also, no way at all was the generous "sum" inside the envelope just "lunch money". The tensai couldn't help but feel suspicious about whatever it was that would be happening that evening, why else would his sister be bribing him?
He placed the wad of cash back inside the envelope before putting his bowl inside the dishwasher. /I guess there's no training for me tonight./ He thought while walking to where his tennis bag lay. He took out all that he needed for school from a compartment on his racquet bag, then took a black backpack from the linen closet and proceeded to depositing his items there. He took the house keys on the dining table before heading out the front door, leaving the 'innocent', white envelope behind and its contents untouched.
--Outside--
With his bag slung on his right shoulder, Fuji secured the front door to his house, pushing the handle down to double check if everything was locked. Satisfied, he slung the other strap on his left shoulder so that the bag hung properly on his back before walking down the front yard.
Upon hearing the distinct sound of a door being shut, the tennis prodigy turned his head a few degrees to the direction of the sound. Again, he was unsurprised when he spotted his learning partner's familiar raven-hair emerge from the house next door. Silently, he sneaked up behind her to give her his morning greeting.
"Don't even think about it." Reiko warned without turning her head around.
/Smarter every time./ He thought, amused.
"Ohayou, Hasegawa-san. Are we prepared for the big history test today?" He asked.
"Hah!" She scoffed. "'Prepared' is an understatement. From the test you gave me, I'd say I could ace that one." She declared proudly as she finished locking up.
"Oh? We're quite confident are we?" Fuji teased. He then stopped upon sensing his pallid companion's sudden unease.
"Err... speaking of confidence..." Reiko trailed, finally looking up from her bag to Fuji. Her bright amber eyes never ceased to take the tennis prodigy by surprise. He could never get used to it's warm and lively glow, always guessing when his learning partner would be hiding or exposing them.
"No glasses today?" He asked, albeit the obvious. Reiko merely shook her head.
"No. Listen..." She began again, keeping her gaze down to her fiddling fingers. Of course, her nervousness did not go unnoticed.
It was evident in her face that she had something to say, and her reluctance and discomfort opening up to him was starting to get on his nerves. Why couldn't she just tell him what it is she wanted to say?
Sighing to rid himself of the irritation, he put his hand under her chin and once again tilted her face up so that she could meet his expectant gaze. So far, that persuasive tactic proved to be reliable.
"What is it?" He inquired, his azure eyes washing the apprehension in her eyes.
"Err... About yesterday..." Reiko started. Fuji resisted the urge to tap his feet impatiently. "You know, when you gave me the hint..."
"Oh." From years of practice, the brown-haired boy did not have a hard time trying to conceal any trace of disappointment, be it in his voice or face.
"Okay look. Here." Reiko said, sounding slightly annoyed. She then reached inside her bag to take out a small blue plastic container. Hastily, she shoved the Tupperware to his hands, before meekly looking up. She found her learning partner staring at her with the same unremitting smile, although his brows were raised in surprise and suspicion. "What, you didn't think I'd forget about you right?"
"How fantastic would it be if you really hadn't." Fuji murmured, barely audible for his companion to hear.
"Sorry, what was that?" Reiko asked, not quite catching what the tennis prodigy had said.
"What was what?" Fuji asked looking dumbfounded.
"Oh... Never mind. I thought you said something." She said, waving off the thought.
Fuji eyed the amber-eyed girl oddly. /Too close, Syuusuke. Too close./ He warned himself before proceeding to inspect what was inside the blue container.
"Hmmm?" He hummed pensively upon seeing the chocolate brown squares inside. He then eyed raven-haired girl distrustfully.
"There's no poison in there." She assured rather defensively. Of course, Fuji knew there wasn't anything suspicious in the baked goods. His wariness was raised by the disquieted expression on the girl's face. She's given him the baked goods, so why did she still look perturbed.
"Well... aren't you going to try them?" She pressed.
Fuji knew her face was too eager to be guilty of committing crime. He then mentally mused if it was true that 'nothing good is ever free.' She wanted to ask for a favour. She wanted a lab rat.
The tennis prodigy chuckled. "So you want me to be the hamster, eh?" He teased, taking out a slice and inspecting it.
"No, it's not like that!" Reiko denied. "I'm not that... bad... you know." She stated flatly, struggling to find a more appropriate term.
"Anyway, I really doubled the recipe because I planned to give you some. See how thoughtful I am?" She beamed. "Of course, a little feedback won't hurt." She mumbled.
Aha. So it's proven. Hasegawa Reiko doubts her baking skills. And she needs a test subject for assurance. /What's with women and their bribes today?/ Fuji speculated.
"Feedback, eh?" He mused, focusing on the brownie in his hand. He then noticed that the baked good in his hand was a bit... crusty.
/Did I not say spongy?/ Fuji thought.
"Err... Hasegawa-san..." The tennis prodigy began. "Wasn't I clear on the hint I gave you?" He asked, cautious.
"You were. I think... Why?" Reiko confirmed.
"Nothing. Never mind." Fuji shrugged. /I must've left out the spongy part./ He presumed before taking a bite. He crunched down on the chocolate cookie, feeling like he crushed his enamel. He then swallowed, the broken glass shards—err, cookie bits—before reaching for his bag to grab a bottle of water.
"How is it?" Reiko asked expectantly. The anxiety in her voice was evident.
Fuji raised his hand up, palm facing the raven-haired girl, motioning her to give him a few seconds. A few seconds for his throat to heal and think of a good answer. /Never mind that it was too sweet. Anything sweet is good right?/ He asked himself, unsure. He then downed another mouthful of water before speaking.
"Your cookies were... delicious..." Fuji lied. Of course the unusual croak in his velvet smooth voice made it unconvincing. "Maybe a bit too crunchy, but some people prefer that." He justified. He felt himself gulp, despite the pain in his throat as he saw the quirked brow on Reiko's face.
"What cookies?" Reiko asked, clueless, taking the tennis prodigy aback.
Unsure, Fuji raised the blue container head-level and rattled it slightly. Instantly, ochre eyes started watering in devastation.
"These... cookies...?" Fuji stated, uncharacteristically nervous.
"Those are brownies..." Reiko declared lifelessly.
A cold gust of wind blew by.
"Brownies?" Fuji asked, nearly scoffing as he failed to prevent the incredulity from escaping his lips. Rather than feel guilty, the tennis prodigy's shoulder began to tremble. He could no longer resist the urge to laugh. Yes, laugh. Not chuckle. Laugh. Fuji Syuusuke, tennis genius of Seishun Gakuen Middle School burst into fits of hysteria.
The melodious laughter would've been appreciated by just any normal female in the entire universe, galaxy even. Even Hasegawa Reiko would be 'soundstruck' by the musical tone in her learning partner's chortle, had it not been the wrong time. Her fists began to shake as she clenched them tightly.
"Teme... FUJI! YOU IDIOT! I HATE YOU!" Reiko screamed at the top of her lungs. She even stood on her toes so as to belch everything out. But despite her outburst, Fuji continued to laugh.
SNIFF. SNIFF.
Instantly, the brown-haired tennis prodigy shut his mouth the moment he heard the sobs come. /Uh-oh/ Fuji coughed, clearing his throat and composing himself. He opened his eyes and found the raven-haired girl sitting down on her porch, her head tucked between her knees, dejected.
"Hasegawa-san... I..." He began.
"They were that bad, huh?" She asked, her voice cracking at every word.
It pained Fuji to see her that way, more so because it was his fault. In truth, this isn't the way he'd expected his learning partner to react. He was not used to her fragile, sensitive side. Where was the spitfire of a girl that was always up for a fight? Where were the foul yet creative curses? Did she like him that much to have been offended to that extent? Was she beyond liking?
"I'm sorry. There's no excuse for the way I behaved." He apologised limply.
"Why apologise? You were telling the truth." She said bitterly. "At least now I know better than to give it to him."
A gouge to the heart.
"Could you please stop being foolish?" The usually calm and collected tennis prodigy now sounded annoyed.
Heavier sobbing.
Fuji sighed, regaining his cool. "I apologise. That was harsh but it's the truth." He paused to eye his raven-haired companion again, still no sign of improvement. "You remember last night when I said Tezuka only likes homemade?" He asked.
A weak nod.
"That's because he appreciates the effort you put in, more than the quality of the end product." He continued. He then noticed that the scuffles had finally come to a stop.
"Besides, I never said your brownies were off. In fact, you could still give it to him and pass them as cookies." He reassured. "And isn't it great that Tezuka never says anything?" He added.
"Right..." Reiko scoffed. "If he doesn't say anything, he loves it. But if he doesn't say anything, he hates it. Greeeaaat." She said sardonically. Finally, she looked up to find a blurry image of her learning partner towering over her. She blushed when she saw the hazy image of the tennis prodigy crouch down her level to dry her tear-filled eyes with his handkerchief. When he finished, she wondered why her surroundings still remained a blur.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, realizing she had to reposition her contact lenses as they moved out of place during her hypersensitive display. With her index finger, she felt for the lens on each of her eyes and upon feeling it, moved it around until they were in place.
After blinking a few times, she then felt her cheeks burn upon the proximity of hers and her learning partner's faces. The blush then quickly disappeared when she saw the expression on his face. Horrified and repulsed.
"What?" She asked defensively. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something foul on her face, or if it was her face that was offensive.
"Please refrain from doing that in front of me." Fuji requested.
"What? Adjusting my contact lenses?" Reiko asked, amused. "Aww... Do you get queasy when I touch my eye?" She taunted, motioning to replay the scene again.
"It's... disturbing... when you see it up close." He said, turning away to start walking to the direction of the school.
"Sure. Up close. Right." Reiko said wryly. "Anyway... So you think these will pass as cookies?" She asked while slinging her backpack on her shoulders and walking after the brown-haired boy.
"Sure. I never said they were bad." Fuji shrugged.
"You think he'll like 'em?"
"I'm sure he'll love them."
"How do you know?" Reiko demanded.
"Well, you did put a lot of effort into making them. I mean, what rate did you beat the mixture? 360 revolutions per second? I bet you'd have trounced the 'Kitchen-Aid' on turbo mode." He teased, earning himself a sharp elbow nudge to the rib.
"Well, I'm sorry I have excessive wrist strength." Reiko muttered sardonically.
"I think you should apologise for the excessive violence." He corrected, on the contrary.
"Would you like another one?" Reiko offered, fist clenched in the air.
The tennis prodigy raised his hands in resignation and politely declined. "I think my ribs are satisfied."
He slowed his pace to allow his amber-eyed companion to walk ahead of him. As soon as she was a good distance away, the brown-haired boy allowed his plastered smile to falter. /Fuji Syuusuke, you are such a martyr./ He thought, castigating himself for his penchant for her happiness.
--Seigaku, 3-6 Classroom--
All conversation died as heads turned to the door and found Fuji Syuusuke and Hasegawa Reiko, mortal enemies, arrive the classroom together. Jaws began falling upon the sight of their raven-haired classmate, customary glasses absent and bright amber eyes exposed. Then eyes started bulging out of their sockets upon the sight of their raven-haired classmate, customary glasses absent, bright amber eyes exposed, and civilly engaged in conversation with their resident tensai.
Chiharu, Ayumi and Kikumaru, who were being eaten by curiosity since Saturday, could only look on with disbelief.
"No way!" Chiharu exclaimed.
"It was actually true?" Ayumi scoffed, sceptical.
"Nya! Rei-chan is so pretty!" Kikumaru squealed dreamily at the sight of his amber-eyed friend. The two girls exchanged hopeless expressions before continuing to speculate.
"Since when?" Chiharu asked, intrigued.
"You're asking me?" Ayumi returned. The trio were busy gaping at the cooperative learning partners before a deep, husky voice interrupted.
"Hasegawa Reiko, a national level badminton player, and Fuji Syuusuke, Seigaku's renowned tennis prodigy, have been dating since Saturday, the day of they were absent from training." Inui stated in his conspiracy, whilst again, coming out of nowhere.
"Nya! Inui!"
"What the hell?"
"Okay, I know you're going to ignore but this time I really have to ask. Inui, where did you come from?" Ayumi inquired. And as she stated, the mysterious data man ignored the question and cackled maniacally.
"Ii data..."
The bespectacled boy then walked out of the 3-6 classroom all the while scribbling insanely on his green notebook, while all eyes were averted to him as everyone wondered how he got in the room in the first place.
"Weirdo." Reiko muttered. Fuji chuckled. And all hell was about to break loose.
"Fujiko!" Kikumaru whined as his brown-haired friend took his regular seat behind him. "Is it true?!" The redhead prodded, chagrined.
"What's true?" Reiko asked, interrupting as she sat down on her respective desk. Fuji merely shrugged.
"EEEP!" Kikumaru freaked out, unaccustomed to the two's civilised relationship.
"Reiko!" Chiharu and Ayumi chorused.
Had the timely arrival of the terrorist teacher, Sato-sensei, been delayed, the unsuspecting duo would've both found themselves being bombarded by a series of "What?", "Where?", "When?", and "How?" questions.
"Haruto, Takano, Kikumaru!" The shrill voice of the maths teacher called out, causing all colour to drain from the trio's face. "Perhaps you three would honour the class in doing today's math problem? Three heads are better than one." The scrawny sensei cracked a sadistic smile as he stroked the single strand of hair on his mole while waiting.
/Three mindless heads./ He thought, triumphant upon knowing that there was no chance of embarrassing himself in front of the class today. He had called on the 'right people'.
"Hai!" The trio obeyed stiffly.
--5 minutes till the end of Recess--
Fuji entered the classroom just before the end of recess and noticed the extinguished expression on his learning partner's face as she sat on her desk with her head perched on her palm, eyes staring distantly out the window.
"It seems like a lot has been bothering you lately, ne Hasegawa-san?"
The bespectacled girl blew the stray strand of hair that dangled on her face resignedly before speaking. "Are you trying to tell me something?" Reiko asked with a slightly sharp tone.
"Just an observation." Fuji said before taking his seat. "Will you tell me or would you rather I asked?" He pressed.
"Remember this morning, when I gave you a bribe? Well apparently it's not really a bribe, but you get what I mean." She started.
Fuji pointed to his face as his face broke into a teasing smile. "You mean when you wanted me to be your lab rat?"
"Whatever." Reiko rolled her eyes and bit her lip.
"I'm guessing there's a part two." Fuji instigated. He tried to make his voice sound enthusiastic, as if he was up for anything his companion was to throw at him. Apparently it worked, for the girl's pallid face instantly brightened.
"You're a very smart person." She commended. "Look, you don't have to help me. I can always ask Eiji or someone else." She rambled.
"What is it?" Fuji asked, pointing to the silver watch on his left wrist warningly.
"Right. Well, I was planning on giving Tezuka the err, cookies, when we have our-" She stopped in mid-sentence upon realizing that the part she was about to get to was still a secret from her the tennis team.
"When you have your private session with Tezuka." Fuji finished for her. The tennis prodigy watched the gold glints in her bright amber eyes twinkle as the ochre orbs dilated.
"How did you know about that?" Reiko interrogated. Fuji merely shrugged and used his index finger to tap his forehead.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Who else knows?" Reiko asked sardonically.
"The whole team." The tensai merely shrugged. "The favour." He reminded before the raven-haired girl could unleash her fury.
"Right. Well, initially I intended to hand him the cookies on our one-on-one session, but from what happened yesterday, I'm not even sure we're going to have a session. Ever." The raven-haired girl said pessimistically.
"And so you want me to be your delivery boy." Fuji concluded, his face unreadable.
The amber-eyed girl cracked a sheepish smile. "Hehe. You know you're smarter than I give you credit for." She flattered.
"Why did you assume that you won't be having any more sessions with Tezuka?" He asked, his plastered smile stretched a millimetre wider. "'Ever'", he mimicked.
"Well... I don't know, because I got the vibe that he hates me." She answered with sarcasm.
"Now why would you think that?" The mischief in the tennis prodigy's voice could no longer be suppressed.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" Reiko asked dubiously.
"Well, let's just say I've done more than my fair share of the bargain." If his eyes could get any smaller than the slits they were now, Reiko could've sworn her learning partner had just winked.
"Okay... What?" She asked, lost.
Fuji sighed. "Hasegawa-san, trust me when I say all you have to worry about is avoiding stuttering when you give him the 'cookies' after school." He reassured, chuckling upon the thought of his seatmate's cookies. "And possibly Tezuka's dental bill." He joked.
"What did you do?" She asked, suspicious.
"Let's not concern ourselves with trivial matters, ne?" Fuji suggested. Reiko could only nod, far too overwhelmed by her excitement.
"Fuji! I don't know what you did. But you're the best!" She squealed, delighted.
The tennis prodigy seemed pleased at the reaction he received and gladly accepted his partner's compliment. "I am your cooperative learning partner after all." He said in a matter-of-factly tone while stressing on the word 'cooperative'.
"No." Reiko disagreed. The tennis prodigy quirked his brow in question. "You're my friend." The raven-haired girl corrected, flashing the brown-haired boy a radiant smile that was sure to haunt him in his dreams that night.
"That's quite the promotion." Fuji mused.
"Meh. It's fun to have you around, even if you're a jerk." Reiko admitted, trying to sound brush-off. She then broke into a light laughter when her friend put on a fake offended look.
The laughter came into an abrupt stop as the raven-haired girl slapped her forehead. "Crap." She muttered.
Fuji quirked a brow in question.
"Well, I wasn't sure if I'd be having a session with Tezuka-san today, so I didn't bring any gear." She explained.
"But you planned on giving him the 'brownies'?" He asked skeptically. He almost chuckled when Reiko nodded. "Well, I can't always be your Mr. Fix-it." He teased.
"Meh. I'll figure something out." Reiko reassured.
The two did not notice how close their faces were until their heavily bearded history teacher entered the classroom, causing them to pull and lean back on their respective seats. They were also oblivious to the three gaping mouths that gawked as they observed surreptitiously from their seats.
"Alright class, settle down. Only a pencil and an eraser are allowed on your desks. You may commence as soon as you receive the test paper. Good luck." The history teacher announced as he went around the room to hand the tests out.
After receiving her paper, Reiko turned to eye her seatmate and found him looking at her with an encouraging smile. She winked and gave him a thumbs-up before proceeding to answer her test. The brown-haired boy stifled his chuckle before beginning his own. Again, the two were oblivious to the bewildered stares from the surrounding fan-girls, who saw their silent exchange, much to their dismay.
--
A few minutes before the second history period ended, and the history teacher told the class to put their pencils down on the desk. The sensei, whose beared seemed to have grown a centimetre since the start of class, then proceeded to collecting the test papers one by one. After his paper was collected, Fuji turned to his seatmate and eyed her expectantly. She returned his gaze with a blank expression, then raised her hand and formed a thumbs-down. Fuji tilted his head questioningly before the raven-haired girl cracked a proud smile, she flipped her thumbs-down sign and raised her other hand to flash him a double thumbs up. The tennis prodigy exhaled in relief, then leaned closer until his lips were mere centimetres away from her ear to whisper-
"Well done."
--
Just then, the lunch bell rang and the brown-haired boy leaned back on his seat to reveal a flushed Reiko who was still leaning on the edge of her seat, toward him.
Fuji chuckled at the sight. "Aren't you going to have lunch?" He interrupted her shallow trance, amused.
"Y-yeah." Reiko stammered, regaining her composure. She fished out her packed lunch just as her two friends approached.
"Hey Rei, wanna eat under the tree today?" Chiharu's singsong voice asked.
"Yeah sure. Just give me a minute to fix my things." Reiko requested, looking up to find her hazel-eyed and brunette friends eye her seatmate with oddity before walking to the door. She then averted her gaze to her learning partner and found him already immersed in the book he was reading while the stacks of bentos magically started piling on his table. She paused to read the title on the thick paperback, then smirked after effortlessly reading the English text. "Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon", it read.
"Aren't you going to have lunch?" Reiko asked, throwing the same question back at Fuji.
"Waiting for the line to end." Fuji answered casually, flipping to the next page.
"Line?" She repeated, unsure she heard right.
"Canteen." He answered simply.
"Oh." She affirmed. "Why?" She asked, this time it was she who eyed him peculiarly.
Fuji lowered his book to look at his learning partner strangely. "To buy food of course."
"Thank you Mr. Obvious." The raven-haired girl said sardonically. "I meant why would you buy food in the canteen when you have the whole food court." She asked, pointing to the stack of packed lunches that kept growing and growing in number.
Fuji merely shrugged his shoulders before going back to his book. The raven-haired girl then cracked a knowing smile.
"You know, you are one weird guy." She declared before walking off to where her friends were.
Fuji kept his eyes on the page he was reading although his mind replayed what his raven-haired friend told him. Shrugging the thought away, he resumed to reading the foreign text. Before he could finish the whole paragraph, a screeching sound interrupted and caused him to turn to the seat beside him. His curved, slit eyes, widened upon seeing the amber-eyed girl waving at her friends from her seat.
Feeling the weight of his stare, the raven-haired girl returned his questioning gaze with an innocent one. "What? Can't I keep a friend company? Least I can do." She said defensively.
Fuji felt his smile stretch. "That's rather gracious of you." He teased.
"Keeping you company isn't gracious. Sharing my lunch with you is." She corrected.
"Would you be offended if I asked who cooked your lunch before I accept your generous offer?" Fuji asked warily.
"Gee, thanks. I'm being nice for once and this is what I get. Thanks a lot Fuji." She said dryly. "For the record, my mom made it. Not me. There. Happy?" She asked, annoyed.
"Can you really blame me for taking precaution? After your 'cookies'." Fuji joked.
"Keep it up and I'll be shoving those cookies down your throat." She threatened. "So, Mr. Wise-crack, my mom's honey-soy chicken or my chocolate cookies?" She offered.
"I'm not upsetting you by picking the chicken, am I?" Fuji asked, his tone was teasing.
"Yes. I shall forever hate you for picking the chicken over our friendship." Reiko said, satirical. The two chuckled in chorus.
The raven-haired girl then proceeded to push her table toward her learning partner's so that it joined with his. She then realized there was more to the problem than just their tables. The mountain of bentos were as impenetrable as the Great Wall of China, she was barely able to converse with her learning partner without coming face-to-face with a container of katsudon, or unaju.
"Oi Fuji, I'm already providing the lunch. May as well make yourself useful and get rid of all these bentos." Reiko requested, her patience was slowly running out.
"Wouldn't it be rude?" Fuji asked.
Reiko rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease." She scoffed before standing up to grab a dozen or so bentos and chucking them in the rubbish bin, much to the fan-girls' horror. She made three or four trips before the tennis prodigy's desk became 'bento-free' then dusted her hands. "See, that wasn't so hard?" She asked, completely ignoring the piercing glares from all the females within a 2 kilometre radius.
Fuji stared at the raven-haired girl, bemused and impressed by her show of bravery. He wondered if she was aware that she had just practically signed her own death wish.
"You better have your own chopsticks, bucko. Coz I sure as hell won't be sharing mine."
--Rooftop--
The stolid tennis captain stared blankly at the dancing clouds high up in the blue sky while his mind recalled the earlier conversation with his tennis team's resident tensai.
Tezuka's Flashback
--Recess--
Tezuka Kunimitsu impassively watched as the grounds of Seishun Gakuen bustled with life that recess. 'People watching' wasn't exactly a hobby, it was more like a habit he picked up from routinely spending his break times on the rooftop whenever there were no club meetings to attend. Although people resembled black and green ants from where he stood, their actions were very much different from the class of insects. Each person was an individual, moving and acting separately from the rest. They had a mind of their own, in contrast to the dependent, 'colony lifestyle' of ants.
He continued to observe, shifting his gaze from person-to-person until finally, one stood out from the crowd. His gaze remained transfixed on the familiar raven hair whose head turned in all four directions, clearly in search for something amidst the large swarm of students. /Something or someone./ He watched as her shoulders slumped in resignation, before re-entering the main building after obviously having failed to find whoever it was she was looking for.
"Would you like to know who she's looking for?" A familiar velvet voice asked, making it known that he was not alone anymore.
"Fuji." He heard his baritone voice acknowledge the presence. He was not at all surprised by the identity of the intruder. The tennis prodigy was the only person who knew of his routine visits to the rooftop.
"She's looking for you." His companion informed. The accusatory tone caused the stoic boy to turn and face the tennis prodigy. He did not expect to come across his friend's cold and piercing azure eyes.
"..."
The tennis prodigy sighed. "She's confused. Wondering what she'd done to offend you. And although without a clue, she's hurt. Hurt rather than angry. It's appalling, to watch her torment herself with the guilt of a crime she did not commit, because she believes she is at fault, because she cannot find the courage to be mad and find any fault in you," Fuji paused, gritting his teeth.
Tezuka remained silent, clenching his fists tightly.
"...Because she loves you."
The assertion made the stoic tennis captain's head snap up.
"Why are you doing this?" Tezuka spoke, finally. Despite his unfazed exterior, Fuji knew his friend well enough to know that inside he was deeply afflicted.
The tennis prodigy laughed a humourless laugh.
"Because I love her." He openly admitted.
Tezuka raised a brow. Fuji laughed another mirthless laugh.
"Because her sorrow is my sorrow, and her happiness is my happiness. I love her to the point of being suicidal, enduring the thousand gouges to my heart just to make her smile. I love her to the point of desperation. I cannot bring myself to leave her side, despite knowing I will never be the one she weeps for, despite knowing that I'll never be more than just a shoulder for her to lean on. I love her, perhaps more than you ever could. That I'm willing to bear ten times the pain you inflict on yourself every time you push her away, to grant her the happiness she could only find in being with you.
Tezuka was speechless at his friend's confession. Fuji chuckled.
"Are you awake now, Tezuka?" Fuji asked. "Because I sure am."
"Aa..." Tezuka replied, his trademark stoic mask now back in place.
"Good." Fuji plastered his unremitting smile on his face before turning to leave.
"Fuji."
The tennis prodigy stopped in his tracks, his back remained turned against the stolid boy as he waited.
"Are you just going to give up, without a fight?" The question did not sound challenging. It was purely curious, almost anxious.
"Don't worry, I won't get in the way. Besides, you need her more." Fuji reassured before continuing to walk to the door. Tezuka resumed to watching the people below.
"Oh!" Fuji's hand lingered on the knob as he remembered something. "I told Hasegawa-san about the brownies, I hope you don't mind. She was desperate to make it up to you."
Tezuka tore his gaze from the ground and shifted them to his friend. "Aa..." He consented.
"Like her... they're not your ordinary brownies. Pretend they're delicious. And if she says they're cookies, say whatever you think will make her feel better." Fuji advised, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Aa..." Tezuka acquiesced, nodding in comprehension.
"That's all. Oh! And I hope you have a good dentist." Fuji forewarned before heading out the door.
--End of Flashback--
The stoic boy adjusted his rimless spectacles by the bridge before deciding to head back to his classroom.
--After School--
Reiko trudged tensely to where she usually rendezvoused with Tezuka. Her face instantly brightened as she neared her destination. Her heart began to race in excitement upon sighting her personal instructor's eternally stoic face.
"Tezuka-san!" She called out to make sure. Her smile stretched wider when the person by the gates turned to the sound of his name. /So Fuji did pull through!/
"Aa..." Tezuka acknowledged. His eyes widened slightly upon seeing the usually bespectacled girl without her customary glasses. Immediately he became prisoner of her captivating ochre eyes.
"A-anou..." Reiko began to stammer as she sensed his intense stare.
"Hasegawa-san." The impassive lad began, his voice stern and baritone. "I'd like to apologise for yesterday. There is no excuse for the way I acted." He bowed curtly before staring at the dumbstruck girl expectantly.
"Err... Second time I've heard that today." She murmured, trying to regain her composure from the shock. "I'm sure there's a valid explanation for that, so, apology accepted." She beamed. She then glanced at her personal tennis instructor and found him still staring at her expectantly.
"Uhm..." She stuttered again. She then saw his gaze flicker to the grey backpack behind her before coming to a realization. "Oh! Ahehe... You see, I wasn't sure if we were going to have a session today, so I didn't bring any gear." She said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"That is fine. Would you like to call off today's session?" Tezuka enquired although his voice remained monotonous.
"Err..." Reiko contemplated for a while, when a thought struck her. "Is that okay? I do have a lot of homework to finish today." She coyly sneaked a glance at the impassive boy and her face brightened when she saw him nod in approval.
"Cool! I mean! I'm not happy about missing out on a session, I'm disappointed that I won't get to spend the afternoon with you-I mean! Err... You know, with you, learning tennis. It's not like I'm trying to put it off because I'm being lazy, I just don't think it'll be possible without my gear. Not that I left it home on purpose, 'coz you know, I'll never do that..." Reiko babbled nervously. Tezuka merely kept a straight face as he waited for her to finish rambling.
"It's just that I really have heaps of things to do today so I said it'd be cool to cancel training today." She finally finished. Her cheeks burned upon realizing she'd just jabbered nonsensically in front of Tezuka Kunimitsu. /Way to make a fool of yourself, Reiko./ She scolded herself mentally.
"Would you like me to help?" Tezuka inquired, noticing that the raven-haired girl was so troubled by the amount of homework she had to do.
"Huh?" Reiko muttered, slightly taken aback by his offer.
"Do you need any assistance with your homework?" Tezuka asked.
"Oh! No, no! I don't want to waste your time that way!" Reiko declined.
"Homework is not a waste of time." He stated flatly.
"No, I didn't mean it that way!" Reiko stammered. "It's just, I don't want to take up your time with things like homework." She reasoned.
The raven-haired girl exhaled when she saw the stoic boy nod in understanding. She tried to steal a glance at his face once more and found he was still staring at her. His features remained unfazed yet his eyes still seemed... expectant. She thought hard for something else she must've forgotten, then her eyes bugged out when she remembered something that was of grave importance. The brownies. Of course, she was sure that Tezuka was not waiting for the brownies, but she still could not forgive herself for almost forgetting about it.
"Anou..." Reiko stammered, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. "Tezuka-san, err... See, I sort of got the impression that you were angry with me yesterday. So I sort of made you a peace offering in hopes that you'd forgive me." She explained, stumbling on her words.
"I'm not angry." Tezuka said dully, making it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah. I know that now, but I want to give you my peace offering anyway, since I did make it for you." She reluctantly fished a red plastic container from her grey backpack and held it out for Tezuka to take. She kept her head bowed low in embarrassment.
"Brownies," She heard him say and instantly her face brightened.
"You don't think they're cookies?" She asked, incredulous and disbelieving.
"Are they not brownies?" Tezuka asked, although his monotone voice made his question sound like a statement.
The golden glints in Reiko's amber eyes began twinkling as her tears started to well in delight. "I'm... just... err... happy... that you knew what they were straight away." She struggled to find the appropriate words. She found that there the look of expectation was no longer evident and that right now, as Tezuka opened the lid on the red Tupperware, his face was purely stoic. /Was that a coincidence? He couldn't have been expecting my cooki—brownies, right?/ She thought.
She watched in anticipation, as the bespectacled boy took a square from the batch and, without hesitation, took a small bite.
Tezuka did an excellent job of keeping his face blank despite having focused all his energy into that one bite. If felt like he'd broken four front teeth and 2 molars after 'gnawing' on the tough pastry. Keeping his face straight as he swallowed was harder than when he was chewing, but he did a superb job nonetheless. He fought the urge to rub his throat as looked at the raven-haired girl who stared up at him expectantly.
He contemplated on what to say, knowing that he would easily be caught if he lied. So in the end, the stoic tennis captain settled the only thing that was true, which was a monotonous "Thank You."
Reiko's lips hatched an elated smile upon hearing the words out of Tezuka's mouth. She would've jumped up and down on the spot, if the action wasn't so embarrassing and utterly mortifying.
"Anytime." Reiko welcomed. Tezuka felt his shoulders tense and his whole body stiffen.
"Anou Tezuka-san, I think I'll get going now. You know, homework." As soon as her voice rang in the air, the tense tennis captain started to ease.
"Aa..."
"Would you be staying for practice or going home?" Reiko inquired, curious.
It didn't take a second before Tezuka could reply. "I will be heading home." He said stiffly.
Reiko nodded. "I'll see you around then." Reiko bid before turning around to face the school building. Before she could walk off, she caught a glimpse of Tezuka's questioning face. She turned a hundred and eighty degrees to face her personal instructor once again.
"I think I may have left something inside." She explained. Tezuka curtly nodded in understanding before he raised his right hand to wave her goodbye.
After the impassive boy was out of sight, Reiko again turned around and kicked into 4th gear as she ran towards the south end of the school. As soon as she heard the faint and distinct sounds of tennis balls being hit, the raven haired girl broke into a slow jog. She stayed out of visible range for a few minutes to secretly observe her friends train. Her eyes scanned the tennis grounds in search for a particular person, and her lip slightly tugged downward when she realized he was nowhere to be found. She waited for the right moment, which was when the regulars and the varsity did their laps, before she stepped into the grounds and approached Ryuzaki-sensei was sitting on a bench. She was currently in a conversation with the team's resident data collector, and Reiko felt a cold sweat trickle down her spine after realizing talking to Ryuzaki-sensei would be harder than she thought.
She inhaled deeply before clearing her throat to make her presence known.
"Ryuzaki-sensei..." She called, interrupting the pink-clad coach and Inui's conversation.
"Ah! Reiko-chan!" The elder coach's voice sounded surprised but pleased. "No session today?" She asked.
"No, there was a small misunderstanding. I didn't bring my gear." Reiko explained abruptly. She then noticed the sinister gleam in Inui's glasses as she saw him scribbling on madly on his trusty green notebook.
"Is everything alright?" The tennis coach asked, concerned.
"Yeah. Everything is fixed now." Reiko reassured. She eyed the data man again and saw that he was struggling to keep himself from cackling as he wrote maniacally on his notebook. She chose to ignore him. "Uhm... Fuji isn't here?" She assumed with uncertainty.
The aged coach fought to keep her face straight as a mischievous smile prodded the corners of her mouth. "No. He excused himself from training today. He says he had to go home early." Reiko nodded comprehensively upon hearing the coach's answer. The elder woman saw the evident brightness on the girl's face and couldn't resist the devious smile any longer. "Why?" She pressed.
"Oh, nothing important." Reiko replied furtively.
"Hm?" Ryuzaki-sensei raised a brow.
"Err... Well I'll be going on my way now. Can't keep my homework waiting!" Reiko bid abruptly, sensing the coach's interrogating gaze and her impending doom if the regulars and her friends catch her. She bowed curtly to the elder coach, and then to Inui, before taking her leave.
"Hmmm..." Ryuzaki-sensei thought, suspicious.
"Ii data..." Inui cackled.
--Hasegawa Household--
"Tadaima!" Reiko announced upon entering her house. Upon hearing her distinct voice, a loud, excited bark responded.
"Hey Krypto. What have you been up to today?" She asked the large Samoyed while petting its head affectionately.
"Woof!" The dog responded eagerly, like his master could understand his language.
"You're home early, dear?" Mrs. Hasegawa acknowledged from the living room. The middle aged woman turned the volume of the television before approaching her daughter.
"Yeah... My private session was cancelled today." She informed. Her mother nodded in understanding.
"Well... I'll go do my homework now." She said, a bit too eagerly, before charging up the stairs and into her room, leaving her dumbfounded mother staring at her back.
--Reiko's Room—
As soon as she entered her room, Reiko propped her bag down on the floor and then hurried to her bathroom to get out of her uniform. After putting a slightly oversized grey t-shirt and black trackpants on, she then proceeded to the peer out the glass window, which was also the sliding door to her balcony, to find her brown-haired friend in front of his study desk, while typing away on his laptop. She felt the corners of her lips twitch as she slid the door open and headed out her balcony.
Her smile slipped a little when she noticed Fuji's window closed shut. He seemed far too engrossed in whatever it was he was doing on his laptop to notice her standing there. After a few seconds of thinking, she snapped her fingers at an idea before heading back inside her room. Taking her black mobile phone, she dialled a few buttons and walked out to her balcony once again. An impish grin occupied her face as she waited for the person to pick up on the other line, all the while keeping her gaze on the window across her.
Her grin stretched when she saw her learning partner shift his gaze from the computer screen to the silver mobile phone beside it. She cleared her throat to rid her voice of mischief as soon as he picked up the device and read the caller I.D. before sliding and placing the phone on his ear.
"Hello." The smooth voice greeted.
"Oi, Fuji. What's up?" Reiko asked, trying to force her voice to sound inquiring.
"The ceiling." He said nonchalantly. He then pressed a button on the device, then placed it back on his desk, before perching his head on his left hand, while his right manoeuvred the touchpad.
"Skip training today?" Reiko asked, this time faking a disappointed tone.
"I should ask you the same question. Send Tezuka to the dentist before your session?" He teased whilst browsing on the internet.
"Ugh." She scoffed. "For you information, Tezuka-san loved my brownies. At least he wasn't stupid enough to mistake them as cookies." She chided. She then saw Fuji's head tilt upward before leaning it on his hand again.
"That's good news." He said, again going back to his computer screen.
"Uh-huh." She said flatly. Getting bored, Reiko decided it was time to put the jig up. "Hey Fuji... Are you watching porn?" She accused, her voice outrageously loud.
If only she saw how the tennis prodigy's eyes snapped wide open at her wild allegation, she would be laughing her head off by now. Fuji heard the line click before swivelling his computer chair to face his window. He then saw his raven-haired friend waving at him from her balcony, a smirk on her face and her mobile phone in hand. He allowed his smile to stretch wider as he headed out his balcony.
"Yes. I was happily watching pornographic videos before your untimely interruption." Fuji stated, while his face remained unreadable.
"Right." Reiko said dryly.
"So, is Tezuka with the dentist right now?" Fuji asked jokingly.
Reiko rolled her eyes. "No. I cancelled training today since I didn't have any gear." She explained.
Fuji arched a brow.
"Well, I told him I have heaps of homework to do, so he let me off." She expounded. The tennis prodigy crossed his arms and looked thoughtful.
"So shouldn't you get started on your homework?" He taunted.
"Tch. Yeah right." She scoffed. "Listen," She started. "Remember how you asked to try my personal agility program?" She asked, her voice suspenseful. Fuji nodded before she continued. "Well, how 'bout it? Tonight, you and me, I did say I'll be your personal agility coach." She suggested.
"Tonight?" Fuji repeated, remembering the orange note his sister had left him that morning. He would've automatically answered 'yes' without hesitation, if it were any other night. He saw his companion nod, before sighing deeply.
"I'm afraid my evening is booked." He informed, not failing to see the expectant expression on the pale girl's face falter a little. "Raincheck?" He asked sounding hopeful.
"Oooh... I don't know, I'm a pretty busy person." Reiko jeered, although her statement was half-true. She sneaked a glance at an amused Fuji's face before speaking. "What the heck. When?"
"Whenever." Fuji replied casually. "As long as it's not tonight." He repeated.
"Right. Whenever. Well how about-" The raven-haired girl was about to set a date when a resounding 'Ding' interrupted her.
/Must be Yuuta./ Fuji assumed mentally. "We'll talk about it later, ne, Hasegawa-san? I think my 'evening' is just about to start." Fuji informed. He gave his learning partner an abrupt wave before jogging out his room to get the door.
"Sure." Reiko replied nonchalantly as she stared at the brown-haired boy's retreating back. "Great. Now I really have to do homework." She muttered to herself wryly before entering her own room.
--Dinnertime at the Fuji household--
"So, how is St. Rudolph's, Yuuta?" Fuji Yumiko asked, her attempt for small talk.
The youngest of the Fuji siblings was on the verge of devouring a slice of his beef cutlet when his older sister's question intervened. "Eh? It's okay I guess." He answered quickly before popping the helpless slice of beef in his mouth.
"Any girlfriends yet?" Syuusuke asked in a teasing tone, making their youngest choke.
Yuuta scrambled for water, while his sister rubbed his back. When his hand was finally able to find his glass, he gulped down all its contents in one swig.
"What kind of question is that, Aniki?" Yuuta asked, annoyed.
"A simple one." Came his older brother's casual reply.
"Well, if it's so simple you wouldn't mind if I ask you, right?" the youngest retorted sharply.
"Sure." Syuusuke consented, unfussed.
"Well?" Yuuta asked, impatiently.
"Well, aren't you going to ask me?" The older of the brothers asked, cavalier.
Yuuta rolled his eyes. "Any girlfriend yet, Aniki?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"Nope. No one yet." He flashed his younger brother an innocent smile, provoking his short-temper even more.
While her two brothers were still in high spirits, and before all hell broke loose, Fuji Yumiko finally decided to prolong the matter no further. She cleared her throat and waited for her two brothers to settle, well actually only one was in need of taming, before deciding to break the news to them.
"Otousan has come home." She revealed.
The piece of squid that Yuuta thought was secure in his mouth, fell unto his plate as his jaw dropped. Yumiko eyed her other brother and found he had put his chopsticks down, cerulean eyes distant as he waited for someone to speak.
Fuji silently recounted his morning at home that day. He remembered the orange note, and finally pieced the mystery together. /'Come home early', Yuuta coming home.../ He went through the evidence in his head, all the while resisting the urge to clench and unclench his fist. /No wonder there was a bribe./ He thought bitterly.
"When?" The youngest finally asked after recovering from shock.
"Just today. He's staying with Okaasan, at the house." She finished, eyeing her azure-eyed brother warily now.
"How long?" Yuuta managed to ask. Clearly, he would be the only one asking all the questions tonight.
"Only for a week, then back to business." Yumiko informed. Her careful gaze never left the older of the brothers, while the younger of the two could only do the same.
"He would like to discuss something with you, Syuusuke." Yumiko continued. "He would like you to come to the house. Tomorrow." She finished, eyeing her brother anxiously now. Yuuta gulped, although it felt like he'd just swallowed a rock.
"May I be excused." His voice was even, and his expression remained unfazed, but the effervescent smile had disappeared from Fuji Syuusuke's face.
The oldest of the siblings permitted his request with a silent nod.
--Fuji's Room--
Fuji stared blankly at his computer screen, mentally mulling over that evening's events. He tapped his index finger on the desk in frustration. Then when he grew sick of the bright computer screen, he lay down on his bed and stared at his pale blue ceiling. After crumpling his beddings with his tossing and turning, the tennis prodigy sighed and pulled himself off the double-sized bed. He glanced at the white wall clock, it was half past eight, before trudging to a large cupboard at one corner of his room. He took the stainless steel ladder that was folded on the bottom shelf, then heaved a deep sigh as he walked across his room and out the balcony.
Unfolding the ladder, he positioned it securely before he took the 5 easy steps toward his raven-haired friend's balcony. He peered into the room and found her in and Indian sit on the floor, her back leaned on the foot of her bed while she typed away on the notebook on her lap. Again he took a deep sigh, before knocking gently on her window.
Reiko tilted her head up at the sound, then gazed outside her window to find the brown-haired tennis prodigy standing outside, his shoulders slightly slumped. She placed the laptop on her bed before sliding the door open, not expecting to meet his grave sapphire eyes.
"What's up?" She inquired, the concern in her voice evident.
"Just bored." The tennis prodigy replied while managing to flash a meek smile.
"Uh-huh. Sure." She said flatly. "What's bothering you?" She asked, unleashing the full force of her probing and worried eyes on her learning partner.
"Nothing important." He replied listlessly, taking a few steps back for he could not withstand the weight of her stare.
"Right." She said wryly. Crossing her arms, she said, "Well, if you don't wanna tell me, it's cool. Who am I right?" Fuji snapped his head up, appalled by her question. "But if you're gonna come here, please don't come knocking on my door looking like that." She demanded, sounding convulsed as she pointed accusingly at the tennis prodigy's face.
Fuji felt his face flinch slightly at the touch of the cool hands that cupped it.
"You're gonna kill my good mood. If you're gonna come here..." Reiko began. "You have to look like this." She directed, stretching his cheeks upward. She let out a light chuckle before continuing.
"And you're eyes have to be curved, like this." She instructed, this time tugging down on the corners of his eyes until they were but slits in size. Her chuckles grew louder now.
"You're not allowed to look like this. You have to look like this, or like this, or like this." She continued muddling and contorting the tennis prodigy's face, laughing all the while, before she withdrew her hands to see the effervescent smile that was missing but has now returned.
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as Reiko's laughter started to quiet down.
"Ne, Hasegawa-san." Fuji started. "About your training program..."
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking about that raincheck." He said.
"What about it?" Reiko asked, expectant.
Fuji took a deep breath locking his azure eyes on her amber ones.
"How about tomorrow?"
--
XXXXXXXX
Author's Notes:
Hey guys, I hope you wouldn't mind that I will be giving Fuji a background story. I mean, it is fanfiction right? It's not going to be a full on BIG change. I really hope no one minds.
Tezuka and Fuji are no longer in denial! YAY! Thank you Fuji Syuusuke.
"I shall forever hate you for picking the chicken over our friendship."-- This line just stuck with me! LOL!
Also I will not be updating for a while, probably a month. School has just gotten way harder, so I'll be buried in homework pretty much. I should be doing some right now, but meh...
For the people who guessed 'Brownies' in the previous chapter! BINGO! We have a winner!
Alright, shout-outs!...
fujilovesme- Aw.. Well, Tezuka was hurt. So, his actions were a bit justifiable right?
Lia- People never cease to amaze me when they say "I read this in one sitting". A round of applause to you! I hope after this chapter the canons are still in character. I'm very flattered, thank you so much!
akayuki-rin- Wow, sometimes I think we operate on the same wavelenght. I already put the badminton thing there, I was well aware of that fun fact. Just in this case though, the wrist strength was a bit excessive. I mean it's good we baddy players are able to use that wrist power in baking, but... well, you saw what happens when you overbeat... LOL! Exactly, Rei never acts on the usual case.
unknown player- hahaha! I seem to have done an effective job on evening the odds. LOL, people used to only root for Tezuka before. Hooray! Now there are Fuji supporters as well!
Charmane- Hahaha, well, it is Reiko. Yeah, she is a bit dense. At least now she the only one. Tezuka and Fuji aren't in denial anymore. hahaha!
Heart- I think Fuji has well accepted his feelings by now. Same with Tezuka. They're both 'awake' now. Hahaha. Yeah I can't tell the diff without tasting either.
Airashii Mochidzuki- Thanks, 2 days. Was that soon enough? I won't be updating for a while though. Yeah, Fuji's sharp. Long live the Martyrs! Woot!
BloodNinja555- Ah well, some damage to the front teeth and molars. How bad can it be? LOL.
Otakugal- Yup! Bingo! Hence "BoT", Battle of the Tensais. Fuji's not putting much of a fight right now though.
invisible-gurl- Nah, Tezuka doesn't get sick. I think... Few toothaches maybe.
xquisittexabie- Yeah, it is. Suck it up Fuji!
ani-sand- Apparently, no. Reiko cannot bake. Hahaha! Fuji is being stupid, that's what he's doing.
animeninja13- Oh well, now you know. LOL! Lots of Fuji/Rei moments on this one too. LOL!
Alright well, that's all for now. Hope I see you all on my next update, though I'm not sure how long that will take! Btw? Did you try listening to the song while reading? It made me go emo... LOL!
Don't Forget to review on your way out! Thank You! Come Again!