Day 3:
Ryoma had been tense that morning, but as the day progressed with no "incidents," he relaxed. Maybe Fuji had gotten the message and ended his game...
That (rather naive) thought got him through the day and into tennis practice.
"Ochibi!" Ryoma barely had time to brace himself before Eiji threw himself at Ryoma's back.
"Good afternoon, Eiji-senpai," Ryoma said, resigned.
"What's up today, Ochibi?" Eiji asked him, peering over Ryoma's shoulder in order to look at his face. You look happy."
"Echizen, look happy?" Momoshiro came up beside Ryoma and looped an arm around his shoulders-and, incidentally, around Eiji's neck. "That must be a sign of the end times."
"Knock it off," Ryoma said, making a half-hearted attempt to shake off his senpais as he walked to his locker. "And who says I can't be in a good...good..." Ryoma sneezed, interrupting his comment.
"Ochibi? Are you sick?" Ryoma opened his mouth to reply, but instead of words, a flurry of sneezes erupted instead, worrying Eiji further. "Oishi!" he called. "Come quick-Ochibi's dying!"
"I'm not dying, Eiji-senpai," Ryoma growled between sneezes. 'At least the sneezing got the other two to back off,' he thought.
"Echizen-kun, are you all right?" A worried Oishi came over, trailed by Tezuka. Oishi reached out and touched Ryoma's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever...how did you feel today?"
"I was fine," Ryoma replied, knowing better than to avoid Oishi's questions. "At least, until I got here."
"An allergy, maybe? But to what?" Oishi looked at Ryoma. "Are you allergic to anything?"
Ryoma shook his head. "Just strawberries. And...no." On a hunch, Ryoma stalked over to his locker and opened it, triggering a flood of flowers to fall out onto him. Feeling his throat tighten, he hurriedly backed away, accompanied by a new batch of sneezes as well. "I'm allergic to daisies, too," he added somewhat unnecessarily, to the accompaniment of Oishi's exclamation and Momoshiro's laughter.
Oishi looked at the flowers that were now all over the floor. "Where could they have come from?" he wondered out loud.
Ryoma sighed. "Fuji-senpai."
Eiji blinked. "But Fuji isn't in tennis club anymore. Why would he...on second thought, never mind, I don't think I want to know."
Tezuka cleared his throat, bringing all eyes to him. "It doesn't matter right now. Eiji, Oishi, go start warming up. Echizen, go to the showers and rinse off. I'll get you something to wear to practice and get this cleaned up." He paused, then turned to look at the other person still in the room. "And Momoshiro, quit laughing and get to work."
Ryoma saw the figure waiting for him after practice and groaned. "Fuji-senpai," he acknowledged the other teen.
"Echizen-kun. May I walk you home?"
"Can I stop you?"
The two boys walked together in silence for a few minutes. Then, "So, Ryoma-kun, how did you like your gift?"
Ryoma looked at him. "'Ryoma'?"
Fuji smiled. "I like it better, I think. So?"
"If you were trying to kill me, then your 'gift' was perfect."
"Kill you?" Fuji stopped and stared at Ryoma, smile falling away and eyes opening slightly. "Ryoma-kun, they were only daisies. It's not like I left an axe murder in your locker."
"And I'm allergic to daisies, Fuji-senpai. Everything in there has to be replaced now. Do you know how much those tennis uniforms cost?"
Fuji's eyes closed again, but his face took on a more mournful expression. "I...I'm sorry, Ryoma-kun. I didn't know. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear."
"Then what are you trying to do?" Ryoma sighed-funny, how he'd been doing so much more of that since high school started-and began walking again.
"Now, that would be telling." Fuji's smile came back at Ryoma's snort of exasperation.
"Of course." Ryoma rolled his eyes, deciding it was pointless to fight anymore. Fuji obviously had something up his sleeves. "Just...whatever you've got planned, no more daisies, all right?"
"I can deal with that. So...any other allergies I should know about?"
Ryoma sighed yet again, and kept walking. The two walked in silence until they reached Ryoma's gate. "I'm home, Fuji-senpai. Thanks for walking with me...I guess."
"Any time, Ryoma-kun. And...I really am sorry. Let me make it up to you." His smile gentled, and he leaned down. Before Ryoma could move or ask questions, Fuji placed a gentle kiss on Ryoma's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ryoma-kun," he whispered, then straightened and walked away.
Ryoma stood staring after Fuji, unable to move or respond, with one hand resting upon the cheek Fuji had kissed.