Spring Fever
VII. Momoshiro

Momoshiro was still muttering unkind things about that "baka mamushi" when he made it to the street courts. He had thought to find Fudomine's Tachibana An there, in hopes of receiving a Valentine's gift from the girl. Unfortunately, he got Kamio instead.

"Why do you want to know where An-chan is!" demanded the Fudomine speed demon hotly. "Baka! Do you think she's going to have Valentine's chocolates for you!"

"Oi! Why not!" Momoshiro shouted back just as loudly. After all, if Atobe could get presents from the Seigaku girls, he figured that he had a pretty good chance with one Fudomine girl. "Just because you didn't get anything from her doesn't mean I don't have a better chance!"

"What did you say!" Kamio's knuckles were white from gripping his racquet. "You take that back!" Apparently, Momoshiro's random taunt had accidentally hit a nerve.

"I was right?" Momoshiro burst out snickering. "Oh-hehe-that just shows you, rhythm freak. What, did she give chocolates to everybody else on your team except you?"

Kamio sputtered screeched out before he could think. "Baka! An-chan wasn't even AT school today so of course I didn't get anything from her! Nobody did!"

"Eh?" Momoshiro blinked, his attention suddenly diverted by the new topic. "Not at school? How come?"

"How would I know!" Kamio continued yelling, lost as he was in the familiar rhythm of arguing with the Seigaku second-year.

"Hey! You don't have to shout!" Momoshiro yelled back automatically.

"None of you really have to shout to be heard since you're standing so close that you can hear each other perfectly fine even if you whispered. I don't know why you two always yell when you see each other. It's not like you suddenly become deaf and actually need to shout…"

Naturally, Ibu Shinji had been mumbling in a steady stream of semi-irrelevant commentary from the moment that Kamio had ditched their game-in-progress to scream at the new Seigaku arrival. And also just as naturally, everyone ignored him.

"…I don't see the big deal about getting Valentine's Day chocolates from An. I bet you both get lots of chocolates from girls at school already. Eating that much chocolate in one day can't be good for you, so I don't know why you still want more. But if I'd known Kamio wanted chocolate that much I might've got him some too, except today is supposed to be for girls only and I'm not a girl, which isn't fair since White Day is only for returning presents from Valentine's Day and there isn't any holiday for boys to give chocolates first. I think if there was a day like that I'd give chocolates to Kamio so he wouldn't get so mad arguing with Momoshiro about getting chocolates from An, who probably didn't come to school on purpose because she likes to make them argue more, like they always do after talking to her…"

A feminine giggle from behind him caused Shinji to pause in his quiet monologue. He turned to see none other than the object of the ongoing argument at the court, Tachibana An, giggling into her hands behind him.

"Maa Shinji-kun, you're much more perceptive than I thought," said An. "It's too bad that not many people ever really listen to what you're saying."

When she spoke, her voice immediately caught the attention of both Kamio and Momoshiro.

"An-chan!"

"I'm sorry I made you two wait, Kamio-kun, Momo-kun," An chirped brightly as she waved, the very picture of innocence. "I didn't think you'd all get so upset with each other because of me."

The two boys in question immediately started protesting that they were arguing over her. But they quieted when An pulled out two boxes of chocolates, one for each of them. The two rivals mumbled their thanks to An while they covertly shot hostile glances at each other – or, at least, Kamio was shooting most of the hostile looks while Momoshiro split his attention between glaring and clumsily attempting to flatter An, possibly (to Kamio's mind) as a prelude to asking her out.

"Oh!" An's soft exclamation suddenly brought the boys up short. She stared at her watch. "I'm sorry guys, but I have to run. I have to meet my brother and I still have one last box of Valentine's chocolates to give to him!"

With that, she ran off without waiting for a response, leaving Kamio and Momoshiro to gape after her, choking on the fact that they'd been ditched for An's own brother once again.


Next Up: Fuji. Who gets another name for his hit list.

Author's Notes:
Someone tells me that the typical Japanese school year begins around April. That means Valentine's Day would take place near the end of the school year, long after the Nationals are over. In that case, I suppose this fic can take place perfectly well in anime continuity.

Vocabulary:
baka - idiot
mamushi - viper