A/N: Arigatou for the reviews!
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2: Exchanges
"Nyaaa, ochibi.." Eiji panted out as he jogged beside Ryoma, "you're not going to let Inui off just like that are you?"
"Hn. Mada mada da ne."
"So we should work together and plan the ultimate revenge for Inui, nya, ochibi?"
Ryoma considered the proposition carefully. It may be good, in the sense that two heads were better than one. Although of course, HIS head was better than Eiji's.
But Eiji wasn't exactly the cunning mastermind he had in mind. He cringed as Eiji hollered something in his language in some direction he didn't wish to know.
"Nyaa, ochibi...how about it? Come on come on come on pleeeeeeeeeeease...."
"Yeah, yeah, okay."
Eiji was harmless. Besides, with his own planning, they could only come out on top.
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"So I'll meet ya a little outside the school gates okay," Eiji whispered dramatically to Ryoma, fortunately attracting attention only from the always-observing Fuji.
Ryoma rolled his eyes and nodded.
"HOI! Oishiiii...wait for meee..." Eiji yelled as he chased after his poor doubles' partner.
Ryoma sighed out loud, hoped he hadn't gotten into anything he didn't want to, and proceeded to the tennis club room, leaving only Tezuka and Fuji behind.
Ah crap. So much for some peace and quiet. That girl was there, waiting for him.
He had nothing against her really. He knew that she did care about him. She always showed concern for him, and at least she wasn't as annoying as that dumb friend of hers who kept screaming his name and drawing unwanted attention towards him. He would even say that she was a nice person.
But this was really a bad time to be accosted by her. He had no wish to speak or explain to her what was going on, or to field the barrage of questions that he was sure would come.
Should I just ignore her? After all, it's not as if I've never done it before.
As he drew closer, she looked down to her feet.
He walked right past her.
Looks like she's having one of those 'shyness' attacks again.
"Ryoma-kun..."
He stopped. "I'm sure it'll be over soon," she said softly, but clearly, their backs towards each other.
Surprised at the lack of questioning and at the total acceptance, Ryoma started and blinked. "Un...yeah. Thanks."
It seemed like years before she finally took the first step, walking away from him. Ryoma then followed suit in the opposite direction, marvelling at how well the encounter had been.
He was beginning to think that he'd had a lot of misconceptions about the girl. She really wasn't that bad after all.
Suddenly, he felt really pissed at Inui for making him lose his tennis skills. She must have watched every single failed attempt of him trying to serve, or trying to return one that afternoon. It sucked to think that she might have pitied him. How humiliating.
I'm going to kill Inui.
Almost entirely pissed, Ryoma stalked into the tennis club room.
"Yo, Echizen!" Momoshiro called out from where he was sitting, packing his sports bag. "Wanna go and catch a bite? I'm starving!"
"Sorry, Momo-senpai," Ryoma replied curtly as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Gotta meet someone today."
"Great!" Momo said enthusiastically as he dumped some tennis balls out. "We'll go pick up a burger at the usual- what? Did you just say 'Sorry, Momo-senpai, gotta something something...." Momoshiro turned towards the short boy, an incredulous expression on his face.
"Yeah." Ryoma slung his bag over his shoulder and put up a hand as a farewell wave. "Ja."
Momo gaped at the treating back of Echizen Ryoma.
"What're you gaping at," Kaidoh hissed as he untied his shoelaces. "The kid has a right to do other stuff than always hanging out with you. I don't blame him either, sss."
"Urusei na, baka mamushi," Momoshiro retorted, and continued packing his bag.
Ch'. This is so not fair! I'm so hungry and now I have no one to force to accompany me to eat.
He took a look at Kaidoh, who somehow sensed it and glared at him.
No way!
Just then Eiji and Oishi entered the room.
"Nyaa, I'm late already Oishi....Can you help me tell Fuji that I've gone off first? I gotta do something. Ja!" With that, he was gone.
Oishi blinked. "Wow, that was fast. And weird too. He didn't tell me or Fuji that he had plans earlier. Guess I'll just wait for Fuji and Tezuka."
Stomach growling, Momoshiro got to his feet. "See you guys tomorrow. I've got to fill my stomach before it folds itself out of emptiness."
"Ja," Oishi and a few other second years called out to the retreating second year.
Momoshiro walked quickly out of the building and past the tennis courts towards the school gate.
Hmm...wonder what it is that Echizen is doing. Maybe he has a date with that Sakuno girl. That's probably it. I'll tease him about it tomorrow.
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Fuji watched Ryoma walk quickly past the tennis courts, alone.
Then Eiji.
Then Momoshiro.
"That's weird..." he thought aloud, a slight frown on his face.
"What's weird?"
"Oh, nothing," Fuji turned to Tezuka and smiled. "Want to practice some more, or to call it a day?"
"I'm going to lock up," Tezuka answered shortly.
"Okay," Fuji replied sunnily and returned to his musings.
Funny Echizen and Momoshiro weren't off together. Funny Eiji's gone, he usually waits for me or Oishi.
Fuji recalled the exchange he'd observed between Ryoma and Eiji and smiled to himself.
It'll be fun to see what's going to happen in the next few days.