A/N: FanFiction is acting up but here's the next chappie.

Disclaimer: What would Takeshi Konomi do? He'd turn it into a Prince-ly game of Tennis.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Leiko Arai

As I took the last bit of my dessert, I realised that today was an odd day. I wasn't worried about Shikawara. It's evident that she could take care of herself, but captain has been acting peculiar. Someone of her calibre should be able to handle a little bite from a fly or an ant. You'd think a snake got her by the way she is acting. I placed the spoon down on top of the remaining strawberry sauce and thought about that little girl who claimed to have found Fuji's bag. Since I saw Fuji with that little girl she hasn't been the same… I wonder if that little girl told her something… but that thought sounded just as unlikely as that bug bite. What could a kid say to Fuji that could unnerve her? Something not even her peers could do. I should ask for her name next time I see her. No doubt she'll be at our next tennis match. She looks like Sai big time.

I must admit, though I hate pompous people, Shikawara's household is pleasant, and the food was amazing. If you ignore the husk of death in the air, you could tolerate the homeliness.

Once we were sure she was okay and fit enough, we collected our things and she saw us off with the aid of that big guy Taka-something. Just like a manga, I'm sure her parents named her after him. Throughout the train journey home I still wasn't sure about Fuji's behaviours. When we arrived at the train station nearer to home, I asked Nariko if she felt things were changing within the team. She turned to me and yawned her answer.

"I guess things are okay," She shifts her bag to her other shoulder. "but I still feel a distance in the team, like there's a secret that needs to be rectified."

Her eyes showed her dislike for this feeling. At that point Umeko looked to me with a knowing grin. I ignored it.

"You're right Nariko-chan. Things do seem a little distance. I think we need to talk to Fuji-chan about it if we want the team to get better."

And with that, I walk with Umeko to the 24hour pharmacy to develop my reel of film. We walk into the brightly-lit building and I hand the reel to the tired assistant. He goes round the back to start the hour process. I lean up against the counter while Umeko looks at some heat pads for aches and pains.

"Think you got any nice pictures?" She asks.

I tut under my breath and stare at my tennis shoes. "Doubt it. My camera was doing it's own thing. I think I got more of the floor then any faces."

She points at me. "Oh, and I'm blaming you for the conversations today at Shikawara-san's place." And turns back to the box.

"What now?"

"Don't act dump, they were asking me why I lost my matches and how good I am. No doubt they're thinking something suspicious now."

I half laugh at her. "No one told you to throw your matches all at once! Don't you know how to hold back!"

Umeko rolled her eyes. "Again, your fault. I have to run up and down twice as hard now. Your plan had better work. I'm bored out of my mind. Not being able to play hurts my, what did you call it, 'spiritual energy'. I wanna destroy some people."

I ignore her moans and go and sit down in the waiting area. I ease my tennis bag in the seat next to me and ponder over a few things.

"So… what does Tezuka-san think of you?" Umeko asks out of the blue.

I take a while to answer her. "What do you mean?"

"You said the other day that you guys were talking about random stuff. What do you think he things of you?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, a little doubtful. "I haven't asked so it's hard to say… doesn't help that I asked him something stupid."

"Let's hear it."

I breathe out. "I asked him to go out with me if he's tired of Fuji-chan."

Umeko dropped the box. "Why would you do that! You have no clue do you?" She places the box back and joins me, slapping my arm as she sits down. "Whose coat do you think she was carrying today?" I shrug. "You didn't see because you were watching the match, but captain had Tezuka-san's coat over her shoulders… he gave it to her."

My eyes widen. "What?"

"During Nariko-chan's match against Hyotei the two even sat on the bench together. They looked very sweet, might I add… Heck, you must know something I don't if you thought it was smart to ask him to go out with you." She says, and starts laughing. "How cocky of him to think he can have two girls on the side. That makes you as dim as captain."

I push her away. She always seems to dampen my mood. I didn't realise the two sat together, right behind me! Now I know why she wouldn't let go of that coat. Talk about making a loud statement!

"I think that might be my fault," I murmur. "I told him to tell her he likes her because that swine was sneaking around."

Umeko gawks at me before throwing her arms up in despair. "Why would you do that! If he didn't know, he would have drifted the other way – to you maybe. You're right, you forced him closer to her. I don't think he'd want captain showing affection to someone else, especially if she teases him. That would kill his pride, don't you think?"

"You don't understand. I thought I had one up on her. He didn't seem to care when I asked him – and he said he doesn't know how he feels about her!"

"Trust me, he's making a good effort to let her know. You think it's official?" She asks.

"Nah, he might have done a lot more then give her his coat."

"Mind you," Umeko adds. "she looked really sheepish when they were sitting together."

"Hmm…"

We didn't speak for a few minutes. I feel stupid having asked him that. I was kinda glad when Yokoishi-san interrupted us. What did she say again… don't upset her?

"So when are you going to be the captain, girly?"

Ah, my initial plan… I'm not sure anymore. I really am tired of being second best and having to suck up to that ever cheerful and ever successful face. Even in year seven she was number one. In year eight she was recognised and respected by our senpais and when we were called to Ryuzaki-sensei's office, she was picked first…

Nothing but resentment circled me in those two years and it hasn't die down yet… but what can I do to knock her down a few pegs? I've only pushed the two closer together… geez…

"Dunno… unless she breaks her wrist I don't see how." I say.

"Ooh, you evil thing… when we have our rankings again, want me to do it?"

We look at each other – her gaze is willing and mine's thoughtful.

"No, don't break her wrist, you demon." I decided. "I just want her to realise that she's not so great. She thinks she's perfect, and she keeps testing me… I hate it."

"She's scary, you know. I'm not proud that she made me cry. It's like she could see through the lie… Just say the word and I'll break her." Umeko-chan laughs through her teeth.

Why am I friends with this sick girl? "I guess I'll just have to use the fact that Tezuka-san isn't completely sure about his feelings."

I glance over to the counter and that tall man is still in the back. Someone else had to come out to serve the other customers.

Umeko starts kicking her legs out. "There's something that I don't understand… why on earth is Sai-kun in on this?"

I turn to her. "He likes Fuji-chan too."

"He does! No way! He doesn't show it. Wow! she has everyone after her. What's her secret? I want some of that!"

I shake my head. "They've walked home together in the past. He calls her Fujiko-chan. Haven't you noticed, he gives everyone a stupid nickname but he just calls Fuji-chan, Fujiko-chan? I guess it's his way of showing affection without getting in the way."

"Really! How did I miss that?"

"He's hard to read after all, but he's not doing anything because he respects Tezuka-san."

"Oh, I see. Check it out! It's a square-affair." She laughs.

I sit up in my seat and take the opportunity to ask her a different question. "Do you think he has a sister?"

"I don't care. He's a creepy fool. I'd feel sorry for her if he had one."

She's no help. She's right, but no help. "You don't think his sister would be like him?"

"I can only hope to God that she's not if he has one."

For the remainder of the hour we sit back and continue our small talk. I text home, explaining why I'm going to be late and get a rude text explaining that I could have developed the pictures tomorrow. Umeko does the same by texting her older sister.

I can feel sleep creeping over me by the time the pictures are ready. I hand over far too much money for these pictures that aren't any good. I should have asked for a discount. I tuck them away in my bag.

"You're not going to show me?" Umeko rocks my right shoulder playfully.

"It's not worth seeing. I'll bring 'em to school tomorrow."

Umeko shrugs and heads out first.

We walk home making small talk and soon enough we have to go our separate way. Before we depart, Umeko pats my back.

"Don't worry, it'll turn out okay. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you later."

I reach home in a matter of minutes and dump my bag at the door and take my shoes off. "Sorry I'm late."

"Don't bother," My brother calls from the top of the stairs. "Everyone's already in bed nee-chan." He was about to walk off when he remembers something. "Oh yeah, Sai-kun told me to tell you something."

"What now?" I make my way up stairs with my bags in hand.

"He said, hurry up." Masashi walks off to his room.

Sai's getting impatient too, eh. Excuse me for being slow! It's not easy to get in between smart people but I'm doing my best. I'm definitely not going to let this rest. I have until the end of the year to do something. I have to do something… but what? If all I've done is pushed them together that means there's not even a window of opportunity. Maybe I should stop stressing myself and just get on with the year… Whatever!

I throw my things in my room and flop down on my bed and stare at my wall with nothing on my mind for a while. Then I think about the time when I spoke with Tezuka after school and asked him something stupid… He really has opened up to me, I suppose that is a good thing. He does ask me what Fuji does at the parks, so he cares that much about her… and that's when I asked him that fatal question. Ugh! I roll over onto my front and bury my head in my arms. This is sickening, absolutely sickening! I close my eyes and think how those once cold eyes, that seemed to have a protective force field around them, are normal and approachable, so much so that I could probably take his glasses off and he won't mind. He'd have to tilt a little because he's so tall… and that head of hair would be in my view. I'd love to touch it, just let my fingers run deep in his-

"Whoa!" I jump up. "Don't have time to think of such things!"

I pick up my school bag and take out the pictures. I might as well look at them before taking them to school tomorrow. I spread all thirty-six on the bed and stand over them.

How disappointing… all the really good pictures are on Fuji's camera. It sounds stupid to say but she's even better at that than me. And I was the stupid one to take the pictures for her while she sat back with Tezuka!

"Calm down, don't get angry so late at night, how ever much I want. Let's have a look."

The first three pictures are of my own fingers blocking the lens…. The next ten are of the floor, benches, and shoes and birds even; just everything but a human face. I push them aside. The next eight have faces in them but they are not facing the camera. The few in the middle are okay. The last few took some decent pictures. Now I had something to show the girls. Ah, look, Umeko got a few shots of my match with Jinhana. Just two pictures… the match didn't feel challenging but now that I'm looking at Jinhana's face and my own, I can see that we were losing, and Jinhana's mad rage could have been aimed at me. No thank you!

The next three or four were of Kikumaru's and Nariko's match. Yeah, they looked good in the first few games but this picture shows Kikumaru's annoying cooling down period. I'm glad this picture come out because now I can show her what she does wrong and we can work on that together. I thought I got some of Shikawara's match. She was awesome against Ito but she couldn't last against that stupid attack and lost her cool completely. Now that I think about it, I'm glad nothing bad happened to her. My camera did it's own thing after that. Ah, check it out, it's that little magenta-haired girl. The picture is too blurred to see what she's doing but I wonder at about what time this picture was taken… No idea. I put that one aside. Picture twenty-nine; rubbish. Thirty; rubbish. Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five and thirty-six, all rubbish.

I'm about to pack them away when I glance back at the last picture… Oh, this was the one that the camera took before I found Fuji. Looks like it took a picture of some couple smooching in public. Stupid camera.

Wait a minute, the girl in the picture is wearing our tennis uniform…

…That's Fuji.

"Geez Fuji-chan, doing odd things in public with Tezuka-san. Do that in private and out of my sight will ya."

And even though I think that my mind believes otherwise and I stare at the picture some more. I look closer to see who she's really with… because I know Tezuka didn't stay until the end, and the boys cleared off when Ryuzaki-sensei yelled at us. Hmm, I don't recognise that head of hair but they are over her shoulder.

"Ohmigod!" Are you serious Fuji-chan!"

No, my eyes really are seeing that pompous swine. That's Atobe! Fuji and Atobe! Fuji and Atobe?

I'm… I'm confused. I hold the picture with both hands and stare at it. I can't take my eyes off it. I almost don't want to believe it but my stupid camera caught something… scandalous…

…So that bug bite… was really… no way…

I glare into the photo and think back to her behaviours and it all adds up. "What are you thinking Fuji-chan!"

I feel like I've just seen a crime. It's no wonder she held her shoulder. That... arrogant swine bite her.

"Ohmigod! It's a hickey! A hickey!" I scream.

My brother knocks on the wall and I slam my fist against the wall in return.

Don't shut me up after I've discovered something tasty… but now what do I do with it? I… I can't keep this to myself, or should I… maybe it's nothing. I almost force myself to believe it's nothing, but my mind is telling me otherwise.

"So this is what made Fuji-chan feel sick. Argh! Why did I have to see this!"

I pace my room, left and right, up and down deciding what to do. The demon within me telling me to show Tezuka "I can't. The trust he has for me will break." The angel within me tells me to mind my own business. "But this will help me humble her."

What to do! I shove the photo back with the rest and pick up my phone. Umeko will… not be the best person to call right now.

Aiiee! I stop in the middle of my room and take a deep breath. "I'll… I'll wait. I'll wait and see how she acts tomorrow at school. If she's not remorseful and doesn't regrets her actions then… then I'll tell someone."

…tbc…

A/N2: Oh, ain't I a stinker!

Chapter 38: Fuji sees Tezuka.