CHAPTER 43
Syu made his way over, when he heard Horio's voice from behind. "Senpai you should just leave him. He's sulking like a child." The 16 year old crossed his arms and shook his head. "Honestly, we only laughed because he didn't know what sushi was." Fuji could feel himself slowly getting angry. Putting on his best smile, he looked at Horio.
"Saa... It seems like Inui now has new test subjects or is it going to be the laps, Tezuka?" Syu opened his eye and looked at Horio. He felt a shiver go down his spine at the tensai's stare. Mitsu sat at the counter on one of the stools. Giving off a 'Hmm' as if he was going over it in his head.
"What the hell did I do wrong? Momo was the first to start laughing at Ryoma." He said hoping to defend himself.
"Really now." He sent Momo a glare. Momo paled slightly. He had after much thinking realized what he did and he truly felt guilty about it. Even Eiji was now looking at the ground trying to hid his face despite not being targeted for the blame. Syusuke turned his attention to the table and bent down so he could look under it to see the boy.
Meanwhile Shiba was watching the scene with Sakuno and Tomoko, wondering what was really going on. Tezuka looked at Sumire who was watching Syu as well. "Why didn't you do anything?" Kunimitsu asked as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. Sumire turned to look at him for a second. She and Inoue had been talking about the tournament and results of it before the two had entered the restaurant.
"Because Ryoma doesn't like adults as much as people his own age. Even if I did try something it could of had a negative affect on him and made him worse. I did get to pinch Momo's cheeks though." Decided that answer was alright and mentally winced wondering how painful that must of been to have his cheeks pinched by the old lady. With the a police officers hat in one hand he just had to wait for Ryoma to come out from under the table.
"Ryo-Chan... Will you come out here?" Syu looked at the figure of the boy who had curled himself in the far corner. He heard a small muttering of 'no'. "Are you sulking?" Fuji thought he might as well try and find out why he was really upset. He only got another no from the boy. "What's wrong? Will you at least let me see your face?" Ryoma uncurled himself and looked at Syu. His cheeks where slightly dusted red. "You're embarrassed." Syu came to the realization. It kind of made sense. What he didn't know, everybody else did and he was still learning. Syu could only think the boy felt left out and having the mick taken out of him when he thought he asked a perfectly reasonable question, which it was to the boy. "Ryo-Chan, Mitsu has a gift for you."
"What is it?" The boy asked as he slowly started to make his way out. Syu just gave him a knowing smile and told him to go take a look. Ryoma stood up and scurried towards the captain. He stood to the side as Tezuka took a sip of water from a glass. Mitsu took a quick glance at the boy before putting the hat in his other hand and placing it over the boy hood and on his head. It was too big and you could see the hat fall forward slightly coving the boys eyes. Ryoma froze for a second and slowly lifted his hand to the object.
Pulling it off his head he inspected it. 'Police hat.' Ryoma brought it to his face and rubbed his cheek against it. He had his eyes closed and a small smile. The cat looked back up at Mitsu to see him watching the boy. Ryoma launched at him nearly making him fall off the stool and the boy's arms where round the other waist squeezing the life out of him to show how happy he really was. Mitsu saw Syu pouting slightly from the corner of his eye. He knew the other wanted to give Ryoma the hat and get the joy from the boy that came with it. "Ryoma, go thank Syu as well, he did help in finding it." Tezuka then leaned forward, when he got an idea and whispered to the boy something else. Ryoma let go and walked to Syu with the hat still being held onto tightly to make sure he wouldn't lose it.
Fuji had watched from the seat in the corner as he was talking to Eiji and Kaidoh about what had happened. He saw the boy give Mitsu a flying hug which in some way looked funny seeing as the captain was still sitting down and nearly fell off his chair because of it. He saw Mitsu say something to the boy and then Ryoma was making his way over to him. He couldn't hear what they where talking about over the noise everyone else was making.
Without saying anything he sat down on the tensai's lap. The hat was placed on the table in front so he could keep an eye on it. He lifted his two arms and hugged Syu burying his face in to the others neck. Letting go not long after he grabbed the hat again and rested his head on the others chest while he examined the hat some more.
Fuji smiled at the boy and looked towards Tezuka to see him hiding a smile while taking a sip of his drink. Putting two and two together he figured it was Tezuka that had told Ryoma to hug him.
So the minutes wore on and Syu had explained to Ryoma what Sushi was and the different types. Some of them left the restaurant throughout the time, until only the tennis regulars and Inoue where left.
Sumire Ryuzaki had taken both Tomoko and her granddaughter home while Kachiro and Katsuo had dragged Horio away when he started to pick on Ryoma again when he asked questions about random things. Shiba had run home saying something about turning the oven off, which apparently she didn't check before she went out this morning. So the Sushi shop had quietened down quite a bit and the regular where all sitting round one table talking about upcoming matches and who they would have to face.
The cat had moved off of Syu lap and sat on the floor with a can of ponta which Kawamura's father had found in the fridge for him. He had given the hat to Tezuka to put in the bag he had brought saying it was too important to lose. The conversation slowly moved from tennis to the relationship between Fuji, Tezuka and Ryoma. The boy couldn't care at this point and was more interested in playing with his shoes.
"So I was just wondering why you are much softer on the boy then the rest of the team?" Inui asked. He always found it weird how Ryoma had manage to make the ever emotionless captain do things which he had never done in front of others before, like smirking and so on. Eiji answered now knowing the boy secret.
"Nya, it's because O'chibi is super cute." Most just rolled their eyes at the red-heads comment. It was a normal Eiji answer after all.
Inoue watch them all from the counter wondering the same as Inui. Ryoma seemed to of wormed his way into people's heart and the boy himself has no idea. He had watched and seen just how much he was doted on by Fuji and the small gestures Tezuka would do. 'Ryoma Echizen...' He thought. 'Who are you?' He had no idea he was staring at the boy until his eyes met golden ones. They just watched each other. Ryoma had stopped all movement and Inoue could see the boys back tense. Ryoma didn't break eye contact with the other and slowly backed up until his back touched Syu legs.
"Ryo-Chan?" The boys head snapped up and looked into blue eyes. He quickly turned his attention to the reporter again to see him still staring. Syu seeing what the boy was looking at and worrying over just smiled and patted him on the head. "Well go home soon okay." Ryoma nodded still keeping his attention on Inoue. Ryoma felt that the man knew something and it was something that he didn't want to know anything about. It was kind of like the look Inui would give Ryoma every now and then.
Inui was getting annoyed. He was not getting anywhere and it seemed all the people that knew where on the boy's side. Ryoma watched as he put his note book away and seeing a single piece of paper fall out. Forgetting everything else he crawled under the table to the bag and was about to grab the paper.
"What are you doing?" Inui questioned when he saw golden eyes looking up at him. Ryoma didn't answer and just tilt his head in confusion. 'Maybe I could get information from the main source instead.' He carried on looking at Ryoma thinking of a plan though in his head.
I actually got stuck when writing this chapter so I'm sorry if it's crap. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.
Love you all :)
