Chapter 3

Ryoma didn't know why yesterday's events bothered him to the extent that he can't even focus on tennis practice. Usually, scuffles with Momo-senpai never affected his concentration. Even if they had a misunderstanding, Ryoma would just opt to shelve that worry at the back of his mind while he played his game. Only after the game would he bother to think of what he should do to make it up with Momo-senpai.

Ryoma sighed as he pulled his cap down low on his brow to hide his tired eyes from his senpais. He didn't want to attract any unwanted attention – may it be from a fussy Oishi-senpai, an overly nosy Kikumaru-senpai or a gossipmonger Fuji-senpai. Ryoma didn't think he can handle any of them right now.

The pillar of Seigaku crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back on the gates of the tennis court. He knew he shouldn't worry about personal matters at club activities but he just can't bring himself to be enthusiastic about tennis practice when he was this troubled. Ryoma can't help but be consumed by these confusing feelings - and he really wanted to sort this out as quickly as possible so that he can go back to being his normal, tennis-happy self. So he drew his brows together and reflected – to hell with being productive at club activities!

First off he really didn't know why he was so mad at that Atobe Keigo. All he knew was that he was pissed off at Atobe for having mispronounced Momo-senpai's name. He didn't even know why that was. He knew that he should've been amused at that but he just wasn't. In fact, every time he heard Atobe calling his best friend 'Momosharu' he was practically stopping himself to slap Atobe silly.

Secondly, he was so angry at the fact that Momo-senpai hid something from him. Weren't they supposed to be best friends? And weren't best friends supposed to tell each other secrets and stuff? It really stunned Ryoma to hear that Momo-senpai had been picked as the Foundation of Hyotei. It was a big moment in his best friend's life he knew. Because when Tezuka-buchou singled him out, he felt like he had achieved something and that made him want to celebrate with Momo-senpai. He would've expected Momo-senpai to share his glory with him as well. But alas, that was not the case.

Thirdly, he was confused as to why he was still protective of Momo-senpai when that Atobe Keigo started pulling his hair for stress relief. After knowing that Momo-senpai had hid something from him, Ryoma surmised that he should have felt vengeance right then. He should've felt satisfaction that Momo-senpai was being hurt as he did him. But no, he was ticked off at the fact that Atobe walks all over his best friend like that. He didn't even think of getting his payback.

And lastly, he realized this just now, that what hurt him the most during that encounter was the fact that Momo-senpai had agreed to being his rival. And that he had probably agreed to severe friendly ties with him. He knew that Momo-senpai was doing this albeit a little reluctantly what with Atobe ordering him to do so. But Ryoma, reasoned to himself, if he was in his best friend's shoes, he would've turned down being the Foundation of Hyotei, if that would mean that they wouldn't be able to hang out like they used to.

Ryoma sighed to himself yet again as he dropped his hands to his sides. He would have to talk with Momo-senpai. If he didn't, he wouldn't be placated. He wouldn't be able to think of anything else. He wanted to confirm things between them. Like if they were still friends…

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ryoma almost lost his balance from his surprise. He righted himself from where he was leaning on and looked at the owner of the voice. Fuji-senpai.

"Hn." Ryoma answered distractedly. Fuji-senpai just gave him a small smile as he settled himself beside Ryoma.

"I heard that you met up yesterday with your best friend. Momoshiro from Hyotei right?" Ryoma looked at Fuji-senpai with narrowed eyes.

"How'd you know?"

"Eiji told me. He's worried about you. He told me that you practically let him win the match." Fuji-senpai said this seriously. Ryoma thought he could see a sparkle of blue peek from his closed eyes.

"Just not in the mood." He mumbled. This time Fuji-senpai fully opened his eyes and studied him.

"You were fine yesterday. Up until you left that burger joint…"

"Don't tell me Eiji-senpai ratted on me again." Their resident genius closed his eyes once again and smiled serenely.

"No. Taka-san did. He said you passed their sushi store and you were looking like a zombie. You didn't even acknowledge him when he greeted you." Ryoma knew he was caught. He sighed deeply. He knew that sooner or later Fuji-senpai will know, so re relented.

"You see, I found out that Momo-senpai had been appointed as the foundation of Hyotei and that we're rivals now…"

"Momoshiro told you that?" Ryoma snarled to no one in particular.

"No. I had to find out from his captain who just appeared suddenly at our table."

"And he told you all about being rivals with Momoshiro?" Ryoma nodded.

"Well he really didn't say it aloud but his actions say it otherwise. He was so angry at Momo-senpai for spending time with me."

"And what did Momoshiro say?" Fuji prompted Ryoma. Ryoma was suddenly glad that he opted to speak with Fuji-senpai. Talking about his problems aloud let him sort out his thoughts.

"I don't know. I didn't let him explain. I just left." Ryoma said as he knitted his eyebrows together. Fuji-senpai puts a hand on Ryoma's shoulder.

"Echizen, why don't you try talking with Momoshiro first? I'm sure he wouldn't let your friendship go down the drain like that. Being rivals in tennis doesn't necessarily mean giving up what you got." Ryoma looked at Fuji-senpai with anxiety in his eyes. It was if Ryoma was asking Fuji-senpai for reassurance.

"Talk with him Echizen." Fuji-senpai firmly told him as he gave a little pat on Ryoma's shoulder. The pillar of Seigaku nodded at that. Fuji-senpai gave him one last smile before walking off to find Inui-senpai.

Ryoma walked to the center of the court as he heard Oishi-senpai asked them to assemble. He thought to himself that what Fuji-senpai told him was a sound advice. After all, Momo-senpai looked all guilty when he left him and he remembered just now that his best friend was telling him about disclosing something upon their meeting. Maybe that Atobe Keigo just beat him into spilling the beans?

Feeling better than he did earlier, Ryoma took his place in front of Kaidoh-senpai in the line assembled. He had made up his mind to call Momo-senpai later to settle things between them.

"As you all know the matches in our prefecture are up coming." Tezuka-buchou started his speech which was met with excited mumbles.

"And to help us prepare for the prefecture tournament, we have decided to hold a joint training camp with that of Hyotei Gakuen." That took Ryoma's attention. A joint training camp with Momo-senpai's school? What good timing! Now he didn't even need to call his best friend up. All he needed to do was to confront him at that time!

"The training camp will be held a day after tomorrow. That's a Saturday and the meeting time is at 7 am sharp. We'll meet at the school gates." Ryoma half heartedly said his goodbyes to the captain and the coach along with the other members of the club. In his mind, Ryoma was starting to write up the speech he was about to tell Momo-senpai at the joint training camp.

Momoshiro had a bad feeling about this. He had expected that he'll be skinned alive immediately by Atobe-buchou after he had defied his orders of not fraternizing with the pillar of Seigaku. But so far, his buchou had shown him nothing out of the ordinary.

He still had that practice session with Atobe-buchou. He hadn't been beaten up by Kabaji. His food hadn't been harmed. But Momo thought that the creepiest out of them all was the way his buchou had been smiling up to him. Momo knew that the diva was up to something. And it just couldn't be good news for Momoshiro.

Momo knew that he was in a fix. He felt really bad for the way he had treated Echizen. He could still remember the face Echizen had made when he found out from Atobe-buchou that they were now officially rivals. It made him want to apologize to his best friend and make amends. It was just not his luck that Atobe-buchou still had the grip on his hair. If their buchou hadn't, he would've run after Echizen.

He sighed as he ran a hand through his scalp. It was still stinging a little from Atobe-buchou's pulling. He really wanted to call Echizen right now to talk with him about yesterday but he can't. He didn't want risk being in the wrath of the diva once again. He hadn't received his punishment yet, and he can't imagine its magnitude if he pissed their buchou once again.

If only he had the guts to just spill the news before Atobe-buchou had arrived. Maybe Echizen wouldn't be as miffed as he was right now. Momoshiro really hated the situation he was in. He wasn't used to having fights with Echizen. When they argue about something, they settle it right away. But given the circumstances… Momo just shook his head sadly.

"Hey, what's the problem? Looks like you had just eaten something extremely sour by the way your face is looking." Momoshiro made a face at Gakuto-senpai who had appeared before him, landing from a flip he just made.

"What's the matter? Did you piss the diva off or something? He's not acting like his usual snotty self." Gakuto-senpai commented as he proceeded to act like Atobe. Looking at Momoshiro and then smiling happily.

"Well, you see… You know about my appointment as the Foundation of Hyotei right?" Momo asked seriously. Gakuto-senpai nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! It cracked me up that you are to be the next 'ore-sama'!"

"Hahaha. Scared me to death at first, you know. Almost gave me the heart attack when he said, 'Momosharu, be the next Ore-sama'!" Momo boomed loudly as Gakuto-senpai laughed animatedly.

"Jeez. He could've told me that I was to be next captain or something. Well anyway, since he picked me, Atobe-buchou also ordered me not to be friendly with Seigaku's pillar…" Gakuto-senpai scrunched his brows together as he thought about it. His eyes lit up when he remembered one of Momo's excuses.

"Hey, isn't your best friend that Pillar of Seigaku?" He asked with his brows still drawn together. Momo nodded dejectedly.

"Oh that sucks." Gakuto-senpai said as he pouted for Momo.

"Yeah, big time. And now Echizen's mad at me because he had to find that out from Atobe-buchou!"

"Why didn't you tell him yourself? It could've made a whole lot of difference." Gakuto-senpai told him matter of factly. Momo's shoulders dropped at that.

"Well you see, I was being a coward. I really had it planned to say it to him but at the last minute, I thought, maybe tomorrow will be a better time."

"But then Atobe-buchou showed up and ruined your plan?" Gakuto-senpai continued for Momo who had opted to sit down on one of the bleachers. His bouncy senpai followed him.

"Apart from worrying about Echizen, I have to worry about buchou too! I mean, you know him. He had to 'teach' me a lesson for defying him and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of that punishment!" Momo wailed at Gakuto-senpai. His friend just sighed and sat next to him.

"Look, I think you and that Echizen would be fine. Just call him, apologize and explain and it'll all be better."

"But…"

"And as for our buchou, well… Let's talk to Yuushi and ask him to help you." Gakuto-senpai finished happily as he slapped Momoshiro on the back. Momo looked at him in disbelief.

"You think Oshitari-senpai can erase Atobe-buchou's sadistic side?" Gakuto-senpai shook his head as his eyes lit up with mischief.

"No. But he can definitely soften the blow the diva will inflict on you!"

"Hahaha. That's a big relief." Momo said as he stood up and rolled his eyes at his senpai. Gakuto just made a face at him. They both stopped in their friendly banter when they noticed Kabaji passing them with Jiroh-senpai slung over his shoulder.

"Atobe-buchou called a meeting, Kabaji?" Gakuto-senpai asked Kabaji who stopped walking and regarded them seriously.

"Usu."

"Do we have to be there too?" Momo asked, or rather whined. Gakuto-senpai just smirked at him.

"Usu."

"Alright! We'll follow you shortly Kabaji!" Gakuto-senpai saluted Kabaji who had resumed walking down the bleachers. They didn't see Atobe-buchou in the tennis court so they assumed that the meeting was to be held in their coach's office.

Moo slumped back down on the bleachers with his face on his hands. He had a bad feeling about this. He knew that whatever buchou had been brewing… It had to do something with this meeting. They only had these meetings in the coach's office when it was of outmost importance, and Momo couldn't think of anything important coming up. Well, apart from the prefectural tournament that is. But Atobe-buchou couldn't be worried about that!

"Hey, Momo! Stop whining already! It couldn't be that bad!" Momo just looked at his Gakuto-senpai, incredulous.

"Yeah right. And I'm the tooth fairy." Gakuto-senpai just gave him a playful glare as he put his hands on his hips.

"You wouldn't want to anger Atobe-buchou further by being late, do you? So come on!" He pulled on Momo's hand and the sophomore grudgingly followed his bouncy senpai.

"I'll talk to Yuushi about this okay? He'll definitely help you." Momo didn't think that it could help his cause a lot, but that he thought that it will be better than nothing.

Atobe was still simmering with anger at Momosharu. Up until now he can't believe that Momosharu had defied his orders! And this was after explicitly telling him not to do so! He even told him in great detail the reasons why he shouldn't have friendly ties with his rival. And being the good person that ore-sama is, he even disclosed his own personal experience on having a friend as a rival – about its disadvantages, the difficulty he had faced and all that.

But did Momosharu listen! NO! That damned sophomore had just waited till he got his back turned and ran to that pillar of Seigaku. Well, Momosharu has got to pay. He will not tolerate being played upon and his advice-slash-order being disregarded like that. Oh and yeah? That Echizen Ryoma's indolence towards Ore-sama shall not be overlooked.

Ore-sama had not forgotten the way that Echizen Ryoma looked down on him and how he vainly tried to make him look like a fool! What the hell was he implying? That he did not even know his prodigy's own name! Hmmp. As if that Echizen cold trick him into believing that Momosharu's name is Momoshiro!

But since Ore-sama can't very well punish that Echizen Ryoma, Momosharu would just have to take over. Besides, they were best friends, weren't they? Ore-sama nodded to himself as he settled that matter. Momosharu should be punished twice the intensity since he'll be taking over Echizen's fault as well.

Ore-sama shook awake from his thoughts when he heard the office door open to reveal Kabaji with Jiroh slung on his shoulders, followed by Ohtori and Shishido. Soon after, Oshitari, Gakuto and Momosharu came along with the ever sulky Hiyoshi. Ore-sama nodded at them when they all had sat down. Jiroh was still asleep but that was fine. Kabaji would take notes for him.

"You all know that the prefectural tournament is coming up right?" He asked without further ado. Shishido snorted at this.

"Don't tell me you're worried about it Atobe?" He asked. Ore-sama just raised his brows at him.

"Of course not, but don't you think a little tuning up will hurt?"

"Tuning up?" Oshitari asked him questioningly. Ore-sama sighed.

"Well it seems that Seigaku is worried about it…"

"Huh? But…" Momosharu started to say something in defense of Seigaku but stopped short when he saw Ore-sama looking at him with a murderous glare.

"Well, as I was saying… Seigaku invited us to have a joint training session with them…" Truth was that Seigaku didn't invite them. Ore-sama was actually the one that had planted the idea into Tezuka's head. He'd phoned Tezuka and told him that maybe a joint training session would do good for both their teams because Ore-sama had heard that there were now some fierce competitions out there. A lot of teams had improved greatly, such as the St. Rudolph and Fudomine teams.

After Ore-sama had gone on and on about the improvements of the other teams and how this will be a new experience for them and that this might actually boost their teams' morale before the competition, Tezuka finally succumbed. He had asked if Ore-sama wanted to do the joint training camp. Of course, this was Ore-sama's plan so he agreed.

"And I accepted since, I think this will be good opportunity for us." He finished with a flourish as he looked at his teammates. All of them, minus Momosharu were looking forward to it.

Ore-sama smirked to himself. Well, Momosharu should look forward to it. After all, Ore-sama went to the trouble of making this joint camp possible just so he could teach Momosharu some more about having rivals and how to act around rivals. And then there was the pending punishment he had to give to the sophomore. Ore-sama hadn't thought of one yet, but he knew that the opportunity would arise at the joint camp. He'll worry about that when he got down to it.

"So any objections?" Ore-sama asked daintily to his teammates. No one said anything; they just shook their heads at him.

"Well then, be here this Saturday at 7 am sharp. That's all. Dismissed." Ore-sama waved his hand about. All of them stood up but none was faster than Momosharu. The next ore-sama was already at the door, when the current ore-sama realized that he was not finished with him yet.

"Momosharu! Stay back for a moment. I need to have a word with you." Ore-sama said with a sharp voice. Momosharu's shoulders drooped down as he turned back to Atobe-buchou. Gakuto gave Momo an encouraging smile as he wrapped an arm about Oshitari's.

"Kabaji, wait for me at the door." Atobe called out to Kabaji who had just dumped Jiroh on the floor who appeared to have finally woken up.

"Usu." The moment the door closed behind Kabaji, Ore-sama turned to Momosharu. Momo shrank back on his chair as ore-sama strode to him.

"Momosharu…"

"Yes, Atobe-buchou?" Momo asked in a small voice.

"Do you want the real reason why I agreed to have this joint camp?"

"Uh… No?"

"I don't think so, Momosharu. You know perfectly well, right?"

"Uh…"

"Well since you're hard pressed for answers, I tell it to you now…" Ore-sama took his own chair and slid it right across from Momosharu and sat down so that he could look at his prodigy right in the eye.

"This will be the start of your real training. Do you understand? Everything I say is a rule and I expect you to follow them." Momo fidgeted under the intense glare Atobe-buchou sent him.

"Y-yes, Buchou."

"Good. I'm glad you understand. The first rule: No contact with Echizen Ryoma at all times. Understand?"

"But…" Atobe slammed his hand on the table top, startling Momo.

"No buts." Ore-sama said forcefully as he stared into Momo's eyes. He was challenging his foundation to dare him. The sophomore fidgeted once again before nodding meekly.

"That's the first and only rule for now." Ore-sama continued as he leaned back on his chair and daintily put his hands together on his lap.

"You understand now, Momo?" Momo could only nod once again. It's not as if he can deny their buchou when the diva was looking this murderous at him. Ore-sama studied Momosharu carefully and when satisfied at what he saw, he sighed.

"You may go now, Momosharu." Ore-sama watched Momo go. When the sophomore reached the door and was about to close it behind him, Ore-sama called out one last time.

"You'll find out about your 'special' training and lessons at the joint camp. I hope you don't fail me." Ore-sama saw Momo drop his head and finally closed the door.

Ore-sama leaned back on his chair and sighed. He didn't want to do this to Momosharu but he must. He didn't want his prodigy to experience the same thing he did, once upon a time.

t.b.c

A/N: yay, finally a chapter done! but yeah, hehehe... still not much going on but we think that on the next chapter we'll start the ball rolling faster! Hope you still like it!

Tammy H. de Kinomiya: Well, ore-sama hasn't got anything definite yet but, hey, we're sure ore-sama will come up with something great! Hahaha.. and dont pull on Momo's hair! Ice-chan will get mad! (she's a bit over protective of Momo!) thanks for the review and hope you like this chap!

KatrinaKaiba: Wai! we're glad you find this interesting! thanks!

ennov: oh, akirei just loves torturing Momo! hahaha... and yeah, we'll think of the atobe-tezuka!