Disclaimer : All charas here belong to Takeshi Konomi-sensei. Do not sue me.

Author : SIB

Chapter 3 : A Creative Trap and A Different Smile

"Why should I do that?"

Oishi sighed in desperation, but then quickly thanked Kami-sama anyway. Dealing with Echizen Ryoma, especially asking him to do something like a joke wasn't easy, but he was better than his partner who had to explain the plan to Kaidou mainly because he lost the bet.

"Nothing in particular, but... why can't you just regard this as a request from your senpai?" Oishi finally pleaded.

The freshman seemed to consider it, although Oishi had no faintest idea why it would require any contemplation at all.

"So, do you mean all I have to do is answering affirmatively to everyone who ask me whether I'm going to watch the High School tournament or not but actually I won't go?"

"That's right. I can't tell you why, at least for now, but believe me it's for a good purpose," he reassured. "You just say, ' Hai, I will go' if somebody ask you and don't tell anyone about this. Not difficult right?"

"Well, I'm only curious why Oishi-senpai suddenly have this sense of joke," Echizen inquired with his usual-arrogant smirk.

"You will know when the time is come, young man," he patted the shorter boy. "Thanks and remember, don't go!"

"Ne, Echizen,"Horio approached him right after Oishi left, "what did Oishi-senpai want from you?"

"Nothing, only a simple joke."

"Really? What joke?" He shrugged indifferently.

"Anyway, the girls like to see Oishi-senpai! They asked if you are willing to talk to him more often here, or even with Tezuka-senpai! Maybe they will put more attention to us then!" His friend offered enthusiastically. But the fact he got was Echizen walked away with his I-don't-care way.

"Echizen! Wait!"

* * *

Oishi bumped into someone when he was going to turn left in the school corridor. He fell backward before saw a pair of well-known eyes.

"Eiji! What are you doing running like that? It hurts you know!" he tried to push the other guy up.

"Sorry, Oishi! I'm really sorry! I'm just loosening up after had so much tense with that snake!"

"So you did it?" Oishi looked evilly at him.

Kikumaru waved his hands in desperation. "If only you know. Lucky he didn't ask anything but the way he looked at me, Oishi! A real viper he is!"

"Well, everybody knows that the only which can match his snake state is the furious Tezuka," the vice-captain responded casually. "Inui?"

"Mattaku! I got all the hard parts! He kept torturing me with his endless speech about how bad a joke could be and he gave me every percentage we had in receiving jokes! And you know what? He even said if our joke was proved to be ill-fated, I would have to drink his juice!"

"Then I'm lucky," Oishi smiled smugly, "Echizen was fine and Momoshiro-kun even agreed before I explained fully as long as it was a joke. Taka-san, well, you know him if he doesn't hold any racket."

"Unfair," his partner leaned idly against the wall, then stared at Oishi seriously, "I hope the plan will succeed. It's the best plan we've ever made!"

"Un, the last thing we must do is forcing the two of them to go. Who will talk to Tezuka?"

Kikumaru made a face, "Obviously not me. I have had enough dealing with dangerous guys. You tell him."

"No way! I had three already!" Oishi promptly objected. "Beside, he will suspect me in tricking him again!"

"Well, I'm your best friend, so why won't he suspect me too?"

"At least he'll be less suspicious to you!"

"He trusts you more!"

"Not after what I had said! He'll kill me if he finds out!"

"He'll hung me at that big tree!"

"Actually, it will get you nowhere, so why don't you tell him together?" Suddenly a voice broke in. The quarrelling guys promptly turned their heads and saw Inui stood patiently before them.

"Inui!" They stated the obvious.

"Yes, it's me. Will you please step aside 'cause you two are blocking the way?"

Obediently they did the firm request. No one spoke for a moment, then Kikumaru whispered to his friend. "Do you think he knows?"

"I don't know," Oishi shook his head. "But I think he's right. Let's talk together with Tezuka. We can support each other if...something unwanted happens."

"Geez, another scary task..."

* * *

"There he is!"

At last, they decided to talk to their captain after the day's practice. They were spying Tezuka's every movements but the guy didn't seem would come to the changing room, where they prepared.

"What's he doing? Why don't he come here?" Kikumaru's were pacing back and forth nervously.

"Ryuzaki-sensei has a long-long talk with him. They seemed pretty serious."

"What the hell are they talking about? Kuso! This is really frustating!" He resumed his strolling activity, before looked at Oishi who was peering out of the window. "By the way, Fuji hasn't changed his clothes either right?"

"I think so. He hasn't come here."

"You know, I have a bad bad feeling that we can't make them up. Tezuka will never make a start and Fuji seems extremely oblivious about this! What a dense!"

"Calm down, Eiji," Oishi simply answered. "Ne, let's see if my plan worked! He's coming straight into here!" He could hear the sound of Kikumaru inhaling a deep breath.

The door threw opened, revealing a tall figure. Inside, Kikumaru and Oishi pretended of picking their things.

"Ne, Tezuka! Good you come! I want to tell you something!" Oishi easily played his role. The captain glared at him suspiciously, but still waiting for further explanation.

"This weekend, the High School's final will be held. We have a plan to watch it. Won't you come with us? I already asked all the regulars!"

"Where?" The even tone didn't falter a bit.

"The district sport center, Saturday night, seven o'clock!" Kikumaru waited hopefully, while his fingers were still searching for a missing towel which as a matter of fact had been folded neatly in his bag.

"I'll try," was the only answer they got.

"Come on, Tezuka! It will be a good reference for us about their strength if we somehow will face them in the high school! Beside all the regulars will be there too!" The net player felt it was his time to encourage the ice man. As the result, Oishi looked at his partner with oh-no expression and Tezuka sent him a glare, unmistakably a death threat.

"So?"

Kikumaru realized his blunder and immediately thought another reason. "I mean, it'll be fun if all members can go together so maybe we can discuss it!"

"Where are you going?" Another guy appeared before the thereshold.

"Ah Fuji!" Kikumaru walked towards the new arrived member. "We will watch the high school's final together! Come with us, OK?"

"The final? Gathering information from your next opponent?"

"So you have known," the net player raised his eyebrows. "Well, not really. Just for fun! Maybe we can repair any weakness we have! They're high schoolers!"

"I think I'm interested," Fuji smiled approvingly before diverted his gaze to his captain. "You're going too, Tezuka?"

Oishi had been paying attention to the cold leader and felt great amount of anxiety bred inside him. That guy seemed merely changed his tennis shirt with a new one without giving a damn about the going conversation. He was afraid to think that all of his hypothesis about Tezuka's feeling was wrong.

Tezuka only nodded and passed them without any words. Unexpectedly, Fuji opened his eyes and said with a lower voice, "Another night training? Be careful of your health. We still have lots of tournaments."

Not receiving any response, Fuji only smiled in a self-satisfied way and walked to his locker. In the other hand, Kikumaru took his bag as he didn't hear any of the simple monolog.

"OK then! Let's go Oishi! See you tomorrow, Fuji and don't forget this weekend!"

"Hai, don't worry."

When they were walking to the school gate, Kikumaru realized there was something wrong with his partner who hadn't said a word since their leaving. He observed Oishi anxiously.

"Ne, something wrong, Oishi?"

His friend shook his head slowly. "No, only..." He looked at Kikumaru with a weird expression. "Did you see Fuji's face? When he smiled?"

The red hair guy simply shrugged, "He smiles a lot, you know."

Oishi smiled grimly at him before continued, "I mean what just happened, when Tezuka passed him."

"Nope. What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," the vice-captain sighed heavily. "It was different from his usual smile. That time, I even thought he looked...well, cruel."

Kikumaru stared at him in disbelief. "Cruel? It's the last word suitable for him!"

"I thought so, but I believe my eyes. He seemed ruthless and his smile was almost a derision one."

His partner absent-mindedly scratched his chin. "It's a kind hard to believe, but..."

At last Oishi waved his fingers carelessly, "Forget it. Maybe I was tricked by light or something. You're right, Eiji. No way he could be cruel."

TBC....

Chapter 4: A date! They'll gain something more but friendship still have the power here!

R&R please!!!!