Disclaimer: I own j00! Not really but still....

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Takashi Kawamura slid open the door of their sushi restaurant, with his head down in complete shame. He knew that the school must've called home already to inform his father. He really didn't mean to hit the principal; in fact he didn't mean to hurt anyone at all. Just the simplest touch of the rubber on his racquet, his attitude changes. He tried to shake the thought off. But as he lifted his head up and saw his father hard at work behind the counter, he couldn't help but be the worst son ever.

Their restaurant, despite the horrific weather outside, was still packed. It seemed as if the worst the weather got more people flocked into their place. Kawamura closed his dripping umbrella and took deep breaths as he walked towards his father. At first his father didn't seem to notice him, but when he politely cleared his throat, his father's head turned.

"Taka-kun," His father wiped his hands on the apron and walked towards his son. Kawamura couldn't even utter out a word. He didn't know how to explain something like this to his father. "Don't worry about it. We'll talk later, right now how 'bout helping your old-man out?" His father gave him a gentle smile and handed him an apron.

"Ah...Hai, Otou-sama..." Kawamura tried to return the smile as he put on his apron.

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"Ochibi! How do you find the area of a triangle?" Kikumaru asked as he chewed at the end of his pencil. He had a confused look on his face, which Echizen started to find really annoying after the hundredth question.

"Aren't you an upper class man? Why don't you know?" Despite the fact the he didn't want to help his sempai, he still walked towards him and sat down next to him on the floor. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be the one teaching me here?"

The immature upper-class man simply beamed a childish smile on him. The kouhai simply sighed in exhaustion from his sempai's immaturity. Why is he here again?  Even if Echizen had the impatient look on his face, as he showed Kikumaru how to do the problem, he still managed to maintain his collective manner.

"Eh? Sooooo, what you're saying is that I have to multiply this with this and this?" Kikumaru asked as he pointed out the numbers in the paper, which were wrong.

Echizen grew impatient with his sempai. He seriously wanted to give up and leave his sempai to fail, but the innocent look on Kikumaru's face bothered Echizen. It looked almost the same as Karupin's when he's begging for someone to play with. So, tired and annoyed, Echizen continued to explain the problem to Kikumaru.

As the two were finishing up on Kikumaru's last problem, a knock came at Echizen's door. The hyper sempai was looking for a way to take a break from his homework, so he rushed to the door to answer it. It was Nanako, with a tray on his hand. It two plates with sandwiches and two glasses filled with orange juice.

"I just thought you two would be hungry by now." Nanako gave Kikumaru a hospitable smile, as she offered the tray to Kikumaru.

"Woah! Arigato gozaimasu, Nanako-san!" Kikumaru bowed repeatedly before he took the tray.

Nanako left the room, giggling at Kikumaru's adorable behavior. Not far from her were Nanjiroh's prying eyes. His head was peeking out of the room eyeing Kikumaru and Echizen. When Nanako spotted the perverted man, she grabbed the broom nearby and hit him on the head. "Stop peeking so much, Oji-san. You might end up blind..."

Echizen smirked at the sight of his father beaten to a bloody pulp by his cousin. "Che, hentai..."

In a corner, Kikumaru was already filling himself up with his sandwich. "Ochibi!" He called out with a sandwhich stuffed in his mouth. "Come here, your cousin makes great food!" He continued to speak with his mouth full.

The younger boy stared at the comical look on his sempai's face. He couldn't help but smile a little. He walked towards him at the table and ate also. Echizen was silently eating his share, while Kikumaru started blabbing about random things, and spitting out his food, for he was eating with his mouth full. Echizen avoided the flying pieces of food by moving away from Kikumaru.

"And you know what?!" Kikumaru ranted as he took a drink from his glass.

"No...I don't want to know..." Ochibi whispered out under his breath. He was really getting tired of Kikumaru's rants and raves.

"If Fuji or Oishi were here, they would like make stick people to make me understand the homework! It always works." He took another bite before speaking again. "I think you should make stick people too, Ochibi!"

It was one thing to take Kikumaru's random rants about life, like why is the world round, but it was another to take his blabs about the  'good 'ol days' with Fuji or Oishi. Echizn was really bothered by this issue, especially since the 'good 'ol days' were just yesterday. "Che, if they're such suuuuuper," Echizen made a point to emphasize the word to mock Kikumaru. His sempai didn't even notice. " Sensei why don't they teach you huh?"

The sempai was taken-aback by the comment his kouhai made. He didn't even notice how much he was talking about Fuji or Oishi. The words just seemed to come out of his mouth, especially because they kept popping up in his mind. "I...I didn't realize..." Kikumaru put his food down and sat on the floor. His legs were together and his arms hugged his legs. He rested his head down on his knees. "Gomen, Ochibi..."

Echizen was definitely surprised with Kikumaru's sudden change of position and mood. He didn't mean to make it sound rude or anything... Infact he just meant it as a joke. Normally, he would just stay where he was and watch the person sit there in depression. Unfortunately, the look on Kikumaru's eyes not only intrigued Echizen, but he also pitied his sempai.

"Ne? Daijoubou, Kikumaru-sempai?" He walked towards his sempai and sat besides him.

He was answered with a rather painful looking smile on his face. It looked almost as if it was forced, which it was. "Eh...I dunno, Ochibi." Kikumaru tried to sound cheery, but as he thought about the event earlier with Fuji, he couldn't help but put his head lower. "Can I ask you something?"

The younger tennis prodigy looked at his sempai and had a perplexed look on his face. He knew that he would regret helping Kikumaru, but it was too late now. "Aa..."

Kikumaru took a deep breath and lifted his head up. He looked at Echizen with a serious look on his eyes. Echizen tried to back away, since Kikumaru looked as if he was going to lunge at him. "Eeto... You see... Fuji and Oishi... I dunno...But.." He had to cut his words off every 5 seconds to come up with the next words. "I...thinkthey'reaskingmeout!" Kikumaru slapped himself in the face and buried himself in them. "Shimatta!"

Echizen looked at him with one of his eyebrows raised. "Are you saying they're courting you?" He asked it almost nonchalantly, that Kikumaru almost fell off.

"I dunno...I guess." Kikumaru answered unsurely.

"So? What do you want me to do?" His sempai almost blew up when he heard the question in Echizen's tone. "I'm not the one they're courting." It was like a brick fell on Kikumaru's head with every word that came out of his kouhai's mouth, more with his unconcerned tone.

"Is that ALL you can say, Ochibi? Don't you have any helpful, friendly advice?! Or maybe words of encouragement and comfort?" Kikumaru crossed his arms and pouted at Echizen.

The kouhai was baffled by his sempai's outburst. He really didn't care too much about this issue. In fact he didn't find any reason why he should. It wasn't his problem after all. He looked at the pout on Kikumaru's face and returned it with an unconcerned look on his face. He knew that Kikumaru would probably go home wailing about how he was insensitive and cold. It was all-true, but to imagine his sempai crying about it was simply pathetic for him.

"Fine, fine...Okay let's see..." Echizen thought for a moment and looked for the right words to say. It was very unlike him to even think about other people's problems, more of actually help them. And to give a friendly advice was for surely something you can't catch him doing again. Kikumaru got the pout off his face and leaned eagerly towards his kouhai. "Let's start with...Oh yeah, I think that, from what I have observed all day, you should loosen up." Kikumaru nodded in agreement and took mental notes. "You seem like you're resisting both of them." His sempai nodded his head to answer his comment. "Give them both a chance to show you...How they feel." The words coming out of his mouth surprised him. He never thought that he, Ryoma Echizen, could come up with such friendly words. "Then I guess time will take its course. You'll eventually make your decision this way I guess."

It was almost as if Kikumaru was typing it all up in his mind, like a stenographer, from the way he paid attention. "Ah...I see what you're saying Ochibi." He said with a contemplating look on his eyes. When Echizen gave him a sort of weird look, the sempai's expression changed. His eyes suddenly lit up and without any warning he lunged at Echizen's small body, tackling him down the floor. Kikumaru wrapped his arms around his kouhai and gave him large bear hug. The younger student tried to pull away from his sempai, but his grip was too tight.

"Ah! I've never seen this side of you Ochibi!" Kikumaru said with Echizen still wrapped around his arms. "I never really thought you could be so..so.. Friendly!" He ruffled little Echizen's hair.

The younger student was starting to regret being nice. He felt like he should've just kept his mouth shut and let his sempai suffer his own feelings. "Please let me go, Kikumaru-sempai. I'm running out of air." Echizen said, still trying to push his sempai away.

When Kikumaru heard Echizen's complains, he immediately unwrapped his arms and sat in front of his kouhai with his legs crossed.  "Ah, gomen Ochibi." He apologized with a smile. "I'm just so...Overwhelmed. It makes me feel really great inside to know that you care." He giggled and patted Echizen on the head.

The little kouhai turned slightly pink, not enough for anyone to notice though, on his sempai's comment about him. He couldn't explain it, but Kikumaru somehow made him feel like a kid...A real, non-insensitive, bratty one. Che, Kikumaru-sempai is contagious. He merely bowed his head down and didn't reply.

"All righty! Let's get back to work, Ochibi." Kikumaru grabbed his books and sat at the bed, trying to figure out the next problem. Echizen glanced back to the confused looking sempai, chewing at the end of his pencil. He couldn't help, but feel slightly attached to the wide-eyed, innocent look Kikumaru gave out.

Echizen sighed compassionately and walked towards Kikumaru. "Here," He sat at the bed in front of Kikumaru and took the pencil from his mouth. "Let me help you there Kikumaru-sempai. I'm going to use tennis balls instead of stick people though." Echizen gave Kikumaru a light smile, and it was returned with another bear hug from the sempai.

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"Want to go get ice cream, Buchou?" Fuji's question seemed like a statement from his tone. He was already walking to the direction of the ice cream shop, so Tezuka didn't have any choice but to follow him.

"Ah, err...F-Fuji..." Tezuka's didn't seem to reach Fuji, almost as if it was just getting drowned away by the rain.

"Ah, what a weather. I sure hope it ends as soon as possible. We'll need to practice a lot for Hyotei, even if it is just a practice match." Even with such a comment, Fuji's expression remained beaming with a pleasant smile on his face.

The buchou couldn't help but feel slightly awkward on how Fuji suddenly wrapped his arms around his. He couldn't just pull his arm away, not that he wanted to. It's just that the very slightest contact with Fuji always tensed up his muscles and would somehow make his body feel slightly warm. He cleared his throat to try and catch Fuji's attention, but his friend remained focused on the path they were walking on. He decided to just stay quiet and concentrate on keeping his body in proper composure.

Fuji opened the door of a bright-looking, cozy shop. From the colors and decorations outside, it made it seemed out of place in the gloomy weather. The windows were decorated with posters of several of ice cream flavors.

When the entered the store, a sweet aroma welcomed the two. It was predictably empty inside, only an old lady and a younger worker behind the counter. The room was filled with calming, cheery music. There were so many colors inside that Tezuka had to slightly squint his eyes, when they entered. Even with all the 'fruity-ness' of the store, something about it drew Tezuka and Fuji on such a gloomy weather.

"Neko-chan would've loved this place. Don't you think so, Buchou?" Fuji asked, finally letting go of Tezuka.

The Captain felt a little disheartened with Fuji's statement. It made him feel slightly jealous and angry inside. He crossed his arms and simply nodded in agreement.

At the counter, the younger worker greeted them with a smile. "Konnichiwa! Welcome to Piyo-Piyo Ice Cream Shop! What can I get you?" The younger worker, a young junior-high girl, asked with a giggle in her tone. Who wouldn't giggle at the very sight of two admirable junior-high boys?

"I'll have a Green-Tea flavored Bubble Tea." Fuji replied with his usual smile, causing the girl to blush madly. "What about you, Buchou?" He turned to Tezuka behind him.

The Captain was never really that fond of ice cream or any frozen treats for that matter. But with Fuji practically screaming out his smile at him, he couldn't help but be attracted to the tempting sweets. "I'll have the same..." He replied with his deep voice.

The girl quickly got to work with a giggle in her heart, while Tezuka and Fuji sat at an empty table near the window. They sat across each other, with Fuji gazing at Tezuka, looking out the window. The contemplating Captain could feel Fuji's piercing gaze right into his skin. He couldn't help but sweat at his temples a little.

"You're quiet adorable when you blush, Buchou." Fuji commented as he wiped a sweat on Tezuka's head with his index finger. "Feeling a little nervous, Tezuka?" Fuji's eyes opened up and he gazed at Tezuka with an enchanting grin on him.

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The Kawamura Sushi Restaurant was starting to empty up by the late afternoon. All their customers left with a satisfied grin on their faces and a full stomach. The last to leave was a newly wed couple, who couldn't just stop thanking the Kawamuras for such a wonderful meal. When they have finally left Takashi couldn't help but collapse at the nearby table. It was such a tiring day that he almost forgot what happened in school that morning.

All his fears started to come back when his father sat down across him with a sudden change of expression. "Taka-kun..." The father said with a serious tone. "About this morning at your school..." His statement seemed to blunt that Takashi didn't even had any time to compose himself to face his father properly. "You're the best son any father could ask for."

Takashi couldn't help but feel shameful with his father's comments. "Otou-sama..." He tried to say something but his father merely nodded and smiled at him.

"No need to worry, Taka-kun. I know you didn't mean it. I'm sure that you're team can pull it back together again and you would be there to help them." Takashi bowed his head down, avoiding his father's gaze. "That principal of yours with change his mind, I'm sure of that. Don't worry, son, everything will be fine." His father gave him a comforting smile and a pat on the back as he stood up. "Well, the customers had died down so I'll leave you in charge. It's been a long day for me. I'll rest upstairs, call me if you need anything." His father walked behind the counter to the stairs of their house upstairs. "Don't forget to do your homework and don't wait up for you mother, she's going to be home late from Grandma's."

With his father gone, Takashi sighed in relief and comfort. He didn't expect his father to be that nice about it. He felt guilt inside, but quickly forgot about it when the doors of their restaurant slid open.

A tall, built, student in a white uniform stood before their door. Takashi felt startled with the sudden appearance of the customer. "Akustu..." He whispered out under his breath.

Akustu entered the room and closed his umbrella. He had the usual scowl on his face and the dirty silver-y hair that stood up. He walked towards the counter and had an impatient look on his face. "It looks like service here is bad..." He spat out.

Takashi snapped out of the sudden daze he was in and quickly got up to go to the counter. "Ah! Gomen-nasai, Akutsu!" He clumsily put his apron back, making grumpy Yamabuki student, disgusted with his actions.

Akutsu ordered an Ebi sushi, which Takashi made with his hands shaking. The gentle sushi-maker couldn't explain it, but Akutsu's presence made his heart slightly beat faster. Just the very aura that Akutsu gave out made Takashi form sweat drops on his neck. He tried to concentrate on making the food and took a deep breath. He felt Akutsu's eyes watching his hands as he wrapped the seaweed on the sushi.

"Ah, all done, Akutsu." He served it in a plate, along with the bowl of rice. "Enjoy your meal."  He smiled at him while the silvered-haired Yamabuki student just shrugged him off.

Akutsu sat down at the corner and ate his meal in peace. Takashi tried not to look too much in his direction, so he concentrated on cleaning up the counter. The two students remained in an awkward silence; even Akutsu's clicking of chopsticks didn't dare to break their quiet conversation.

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Momoshiro took another sip of his fourth strawberry milkshake. Ah, that damn Echizen just had to skip today. The weight of his head was supported by his right hand. He looked out the window and couldn't help but let out another exasperated sigh. He started to dwell on the things he could be doing if it wasn't raining. I could play tennis with that Echizen and beat him, stalk Kawamura-sempai with Eiji-sempai, play tennis, walk at the park with Ann-chan, play tennis…

 His thoughts and ideas were endless but every other one would involve tennis. He felt pathetic all of a sudden. He has never really noticed it, but his whole life revolved around tennis. His life was tennis! It wasn't that he didn't like it. Every Dunk Smash he does is like joy to his heart. He loved tennis but to suddenly realize that his whole life was tennis was kind of awkward for the second year Regular. He let out another sigh before sinking back to his milk shake.

"Hey Momo-chan!" Ann, the young Fudomine, pushed the pensive Momoshiro on his shoulder.

Momoshiro's head dunked into his strawberry milkshake cup. Ann just looked at him with amusement in her expression and giggled silently. Momo's spiky hair was pink due to the milk shale and his face was just oozing with the strawberry. His eyes started to twitch as he saw Ann giggling. The Fudomine girl took her index finger and ran it down on Momo's cheeks and took some strawberry. She licked her strawberry finger and giggled. Momo's face was turning scarlet underneath the sticky milk shake. If he didn't look so pink from the drink the redness on his cheeks would've glowed all the way to China.

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The "study session" at the Echizen household ended quite late with Kikumaru's random outbursts. They both managed to finish their homework and Echizen to remain patient through the rest of the time. He would hate to admit it aloud but his time with Kikumaru was actually enjoyable. It seemed like his sempai wouldn't let a second fly by without his adorable comments or childish comments.

"This was so much fun, nya!" Kikumaru screamed out as he packed up his books. He had the ear to ear smile on his face that not even the weather outside could destroy.

Echizen merely fixed his books and didn't reply. He also avoided glancing at the bouncy sempai, for fear that he might infect him with his hyper-ness.

"We should really do this again, Ochibi!" The sempai kept babbling on and on and manages to keep the smile on his face. As he was exiting Echizen's room the kouhai followed closely behind. "Che…" Echizen replied.

It was like Kikumaru had lost his sense of hearing because Echizen's comments just went unnoticed and drowned out by his voice. He must really love hearing himself talk. Echizen was more than glad when they reached their door. His sempai seemed to be taking his time putting his shoes on, despite the time. His mouth was still going 100 miles per hour.

"You're leaving already Eiji-kun?" Nanako asked with a handy broom on his hand.

Kikumaru's voice stopped as he turned his attention to Nanako. "Hai! You've been so nice to me all day! Arigatou gozaimasu Nanako-san!" He continuously bowed his head down, until Echizen finally stopped him.

"Ah, it's nothing Eiji-kun. I'd love for you to come over more really! Don't worry I locked Oji-san to his room so he won't bother us anymore." Nanako's sweet expression didn't even change at all with the mention on his cruel torture to Nanjiroh.

Kikumaru just laughed and waved to Nanako before she left to go back to the kitchen. When Nanako was gone the sempai jumped at the kouhai and wrapped him around his arms. "Domo!!!!" Kikumaru yelled out. "Thank you for everything, Ochibi." With that Kikumaru grabbed his umbrella and quickly dashed out the door.  Echizen merely grinned as he watched his sempai fade out into the darkness outside.

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Kikumaru was humming to himself as he was walking home after leaving from Echizen's house. He was practically skipping in the rain with his umbrella circling his head. He was particularly in an excellent mood. He almost felt untouchable with his positive aura. "Hoi, hoi, hoi!" He whispered in the rain as he skipped a puddle. The wind got cooler and the streets got darker but his aura illuminated and warmed the whole Japan.

"Hoi!" As he jumped another puddle a car came driving by really fast past him. The car splashed him with muddy water causing him to slip down at the puddle he attempted to jump.

All of a sudden he felt like his world was shook up as his butt landed on the cold puddle. He felt a sudden shot of coolness take over his body as his umbrella was blown away by the wind. The raindrops got heavier and colder as it poured on him. "WAAAAAAAAAHH!" Kikumaru's scream echoed out in the empty street.

"Need some help?" The soaked up Kikumaru lifted his head up and suddenly the heavy raindrops disappeared. In front of him was no other than Oishi, holding up an umbrella to protect him. His arms stretched out for Kikumaru's hands.

Everything suddenly froze for Kikumaru as Oishi's smiling face appeared in front of him. His cheeks warmed up and his whole body started to feel awkward. He dumbly looked at Oishi for what seemed like forever until Echizen's voice echoed in his head. "Just loosen up." Kikumaru got his ear to ear smile back on his face and took Oishi's hands.

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Sorry for the late update! School has been a miserable painful place lately. Thanks for the reviews! Oh oh! Check out my blog: . It's layouts is inspired my fic (how egocentric!). It's a FujixEiji layout though. Wah! Speaking of pairings! I am honestly not quite sure about who Eiji is gonna end up with! I am so confuzzled O.O;;;. Thanks for the reviews again! You all rock!