Chapter Seventeen: It's Over, Or Is It Really?

Fuji awoke the next morning early, but well rested. She blinked a few times at the bright sun that shone outside the window before the past week's events rushed to her head. Quickly and quietly getting dressed, as not to wake anyone, Fuji was delighted to see that the effects haven't worn off yet. Now she had another day to stir up some fun and havoc.

Somehow, the sound of a giggling Fuji leaving Tezuka's room didn't sound very reassuring. …Especially to one who had been forced to sleep on the couch… again.

"Saa… I wonder why everyone's staring at us, Tezuka," Fuji asked as the two walked to school. Tezuka resisted the strong urge to just break away and run to school leaving Fuji in his dust, and settled for an exasperated sigh instead. He knew it was dumb question, the one Fuji had asked. Of course everyone would be staring if someone had linked their arm around the Seigaku tennis club captain. Why won't they? Ah… Tezuka could just picture the school newspaper's headline: "Friend or Friendlier? Tezuka Kunimitsu's Secret Love". Maybe they'd believed him about the whole cousin ordeal. Heh… he wished. They'd twist the truth either way.

…Or, at least that's how he hoped it would turn out. Apparently Fuji was more popular than he thought, for every time someone from school caught sight of the female prodigy on their way to school, they would let out a stunned gasp and continue on, muttering in excited tones for the boys, and giggling for the girls. It didn't take long before Tezuka paled and realized the truth: they all knew it was Fuji.

Wonderful… 'Prodigy Cross-Dressing and Clinging to Stoic Captain'. Just great.

"Fuji, kindly explain to us why you are in a girl's uniform rather than a boy's?"

The whole class turned, wide-eyed and questioning at the brunette. Apparently, they too all wanted to know the answer ever since she had merrily made her way into class. If for not the fact that Eiji had somehow managed not to make them cause an uproar, Fuji would've been bombarded with questions and the teacher might've as well had a heart attacked when she walked through the classroom doors. (Might've had something to do with the usually happy-go-lucky Eiji frowning and glaring at everybody as if to warn them off.)

"Saa… well, I'm just trying to explore my feminine side. Is that so wrong? Girls are always complaining about how men don't understand them these days.

A coupled of girls in the glass giggled, and others sighed. Most, however, just stared at her with bewildered look that is impossible to put into words. The teacher, however, just blinked before proceeding on with the day's lecture. Even she knew well enough not to try and comprehend the mind of Fuji Syusuke. Honestly, (s)he shouldn't be in this class. (S)He should be in class one where all the other geniuses are. Just her luck…

Confrontation with Oishi

Surprisingly, the first person Fuji had bumped into that school day was Oishi, a flustered and a panicked, dashing towards him with a surprised and stunned look painted on his face. As the boy neared, Fuji gave a smile and a polite nod in acknowledgement. In return, she got a good shake and a long rant in incomprehendable words that were most likely a lecturing scold.

"Fuji! Why are you in a girl's uniform and why did you and Eiji and Inui lie to me the other day and why have you been causing trouble all over the place and why has Echizen been at the hospital at your expense and why-"

"Oishi…"

"Have you been eating well? Have you been brushing your teeth every night? How are you feeling? Inui told me you were on your period! Where were you sleeping? How were you faring? Did anything happen?"

"Oishi…"

"Oh! Fuji!"

Fuji's eyes flickered open and grew unbelievably large as Oishi dropped all his books in the middle of the hallways and drew Fuji into a bone-crushing hug, making the girl drop all her books as well.

"I'm so happy you're alive! But what were you doing as a girl anyhow!"

"Eh…"

Confrontation with Echizen

"Fuji-sempai!"

Fuji second confrontation was with none other than little boy wonder himself. Ryoma had a slightly agitated look on his face as his brows were arched and his lips in the form of a delicate frown, which seemed to amuse Fuji to no end as the girl had been wondering for quite a bit about Ryoma and his little 'hospital accident'.

"Oh, Echizen," Fuji said casually with a wave. "Are you alright? Several people have told me about your little trip to the hospital."

At this, Ryoma's face turned an unhealthy shade of red, whether from embarrassment of the incident or anger, no one could really tell. Fuji smiled. Ryoma was so easy to read. Pushing his buttons was as easy as counting to ten.

"Fuji-sempai…" he growled as he flushed deeper and his hands scrunched up into fists. "Do you know how much the hospital bills costs! Because of you, I was poisoned!"

"Saa… I don't really see how it's my fault," Fuji sighed. "If you have a problem, you should go sue Inui."

Ryoma, if possible, turned even redder by this comment, and Fuji couldn't resist a girlish giggle, which somehow Ryoma's mind interpreted as a sadistic snicker. The prodigy then flashed Ryoma and soft smile before patting him on the head and walking away.

"But I'm happy you're alive, Echizen, even if you do someday surpass me and snatch away singles two from me, which you won't, not now anyways."

Ryoma glowered at the retreating figure. "Mada mada dane…"

Confrontation with Kawamura

"Um… You dropped your pencil…"

Fuji swung around with gleam as she recognized the voice to belong to none other than Kawamura. The boy was shyly handing her a pencil, but his usual shyness (unless in burning mode that is) was quickly replaced by a look of shock. Apparently, rumors had yet to travel to his ears.

"F-Fuji!"

"Hello, Taka-san," Fuji said sweetly.

"Y-You're… Y-You're…"

"Inui didn't tell you?" Fuji asked, slightly surprised. If Inui hadn't blabbered, Eiji must have.

"That you're cross-dressing and becoming a girl?" Taka said faintly as if he was going to have a heart attack. His family would NEVER accept such behavior.

"…"

Confrontation with Momoshiro

"FUJI-SEMPAI!"

"Ah! Hello there Momo."

"FUJI-SEMPAI!"

Fuji couldn't help but laugh at the look on the teen's face, one that was a distortion of confusion, shock, and disbelief. Momoshiro had been one of the ones aside from Inui, Tezuka, Eiji, and Echizen that had been slightly tangled up in Fuji's wonderful little web of chaos, so the realization hit him harder than some of the others such as Taka or Oishi. (Well, actually, scratch out Oishi. He was probably taking it worse than anyone else.)

"Why didn't you tell me! Why didn't you tell us! Why did you say you were Tezuka-buchou's cousin! Why didn't-"

"Whoa! Slow down, Momo, slow down!" Fuji said as she tried to get Momoshiro to stop shaking her shoulders like crazy.

"FUJI-SEMPAI!" And for second time that day, Fuji found herself in a bone-crushing hug, only this one tighter than the other due to Momoshiro's strength. The girl could only try to breathe as she secretly wondered why everyone was so big on hugging her.

Saa…

Confrontation with Kaidoh

Now, Kaidoh was probably the only one who had nothing to do with the Fuji case, minding his own business and training menu. However, if you're a close association of Inui Sadaharu, you occasionally hear him mumbling things as he jots down notes in that trusty notebook (or notebooks) of his.

So Kaidoh wasn't nearly as surprised to see a female Fuji Syusuke hopping around school, for the initial shock had already set in quite a while ago. Still, it didn't justify that he was absolutely stunned at how she presented herself to the rest of them. The person certainly wasn't the prodigy Kaidoh knew.

"Fssh…"

"Oh, hello, Kaidoh," Fuji said with a beam. Kaidoh merely adverted his eyes as he never really bothered with girls before.

"Fuji… sempai…" he said slowly, not quite sure of the words that was coming out of his mouth. Unlike the rest of the regulars, Kaidoh was never really big on the whole 'magic' thing. For him, only way to do something was to work hard at it, not through magic.

"That's me, or, rather, was me," Fuji said sheepishly.

Silence…

"Well, class is starting, so I should go now," Fuji said. Unless you were Momoshiro or Inui, it was just impossible to hold a conversation with Kaidoh.

"Fssh…"

"Nya! One more minute until Fuji turns back to normal!" Kikumaru Eiji gave an earsplitting smile as he automatically, out of habit, clabbered onto the unsuspecting Ryoma, who gave an annoyed grunt as he splattered juice all over the place.

For this special 'occasion' shall we call it, the regulars had all gathered in the clubroom just before practice to witness first hand the amazing transformation Fuji was about to make, or, at least, hoped to remake. For the past seven minutes, Fuji, along with everyone else, had constantly been bothering and nagging Inui all with the same general question. Everyone was anxious.

"Finally," Tezuka muttered loud enough so that only Fuji could hear.

"So! Fuji, are you going to miss being a girl?" Eiji asked innocently.

"Eiji!" Oishi scolded.

"Five," Inui had begun the countdown.

"Saa… probably not," Fuji smiled. "I wouldn't be able to play tennis with you guys then, will I?"

"Four."

"But was it fun, Fuji-sempai?" Momoshiro asked, "I mean, it's not everyday you get a… a gender swap." At this Fuji let out a small giggle.

"Three."

"Ah… I suppose you could say that," Fuji answered. "Though there was one thing I always wanted to do that I didn't get to…"

"Two."

"What was that, Fuji-sempai?" Ryoma asked darkly, as if afraid of the answer.

"One."

Fuji let out another giggle, only this time it was with a dash of maliciousness. "Well, I never got to kiss anyone…"

"Zero."