Summary: Eiji was cold, bored, and he had nothing to do. So what's better than spending one day with your friends on a hot spring? eijiXfuji... NON-yaoi...
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine... unfortunately.
Chapter 2: Phone Calls
RING! RING!
Eiji awoke to something ringing noisily. Rubbing his sore head gingerly, he looked around. "Where's that noise coming from?"
He spotted Fuji pointing to Tezuka.
Grinning mischievously, he leaped up, and then bounced over to their captain. "Buchou! Who's that?" Without waiting for an answer, he snatched the cell phone from Tezuka's hand.
"Nice model..." he muttered, bringing the phone near his ear."Hoi, hoi! Who is this?" Of course, it was rude- Tezuka's glare was practically melting the redhead alive- but Eiji wasn't known for his manners anyway.
"Tezuka?" a feminine voice asked, surprised, from the other line.
Eiji almost threw the phone away in horror. It was a girl! "Nya! Buchou! It's a girl!" he cried out in terror, throwing the phone to Oishi, who threw it to Inui, who threw it to Kaidoh, who threw it Kawamura, who threw it to the still-dreaming Momo, who just threw it somewhere. Fortunately, Fuji caught it. Ryoma pointed to the sleeping Sakuno in his arms, so Fuji handed it to the stoic captain delicately.
"All safe." the tensai announced cheerfully.
Tezuka, whose eye was twitching very very slightly, just nodded to Fuji.
Eiji was horrified. How could some girl know about their buchou's number? His cell phone was the most guarded among them to protect his privacy from the weird girls who always chased after him. If they could manage to break into Inui's security like that...
He gasped in utter despair, falling dramatically to his knees. "NOOOOOO!"
The rest of them seemed to know what he was thinking, and they all took their own cell phones from their pocket.
No calls.
No messages.
All of them sighed in relief.
Nothing.
Nil.
Zero.
"Thank toothpaste..." Eiji exclaimed, wiping his cold clammy hands in his pants. For a while there, he thought their phones were gonna die due to data overload.
Inui was skimming through his notebook determinedly. How could that girl break through his very much high defenses like that? "There is zero percent that someone could do that." he said thoughtfully. "Another zero percent that someone stole my notebook... then that means..."
Tezuka glared at all of them.
Oishi started. "It can't be..."
Kawamura blinked repeatedly. "Buchou has..."
Kaidoh hissed. "Fsh..."
"Mada mada dane?"
Momo's jaw dropped for the second time. "Masaka..."
Inui's pen almost snapped in half from the way he was holding it tightly. "There is a 10 percent probability that he can hide something like this from me... but there is a big chance that..."
Eiji clutched his red hair in shock. "Buchou... buchou... you... you..."
Fuji opened his eyes in surprise. "Saa..."
Tezuka looked daggers at all of them, and they winced. "I know it's a girl." he said icily to Eiji. "She's my girlfriend."
All they could do was to stare.
Turning away from his exasperating teammates, he brought his phone to his ear. "Keiko, what's wrong?"
Fuji, who was nearest to the captain, craned his head to hear what the girl replied. Even the sharp look that Tezuka shot him didn't stop him from eavesdropping. "Saa..."
"I will." Tezuka finally said, then hung up.
Eight faces looked at him expectantly, not excluding Kaidoh. Hey! This was big news!
"I shall be leaving." he said shortly, taking his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
"NYA!" Eiji yelled, coming back to his self. "BUT BUCHOU! HOT SPRINGS!"
"Maybe next time, Eiji." Tezuka said stonily. "Sorry." he added as an afterthought.
But he didn't sound the least bit apologetic.
Their small bus stopped. Eiji was clutching the hem of Tezuka's jeans desperately. "Nya! But what's her name?"
Tezuka stilled, his form a breath away from the door. You could almost see an internal battle going on inside him- the urge to kill Eiji NOW warring with the desire to torture him first before killing him.
Slowly.
"Keiko Ana."
BANG!
Eiji blinked. "Keiko Ana? That's her name?" Sighing, he sat back down beside Oishi. "It's boring without Buchou..."
Ryoma smirked. Buchou has a girlfriend, huh? Maybe he should also...
RING! RING!
All of them started, quickly getting their phones again. Blank screens stared back at them.
RING! RING!
Ryoma blinked, feeling something vibrating near his thigh.
RING! RING!
Looking down, he saw Sakuno's phone peeking out from her pocket.
RING! RING!
Looking up, he saw his senpais' eager faces. He looked down again.
RING! RING!
"Saa..." Fuji started softly. "Won't you get it, Ryoma? You don't want Sakuno-chan waking up, do you?"
RING! RING!
The tennis prince glared at him, then took the phone from Ryuzaki's pocket carefully.
RING-
"Hello."
"Hello, uh, Sakuno-chan?" a confused feminine voice said at the other line.
Ryoma cursed inwardly. It was the loud girl Ryuzaki always brings with her. "Mada mada dane."
Pause.
"RYOMA-SAMA!" Tomoka shrieked. How on earth could Sakuno be with her Ryoma-sama!
"Ryuzaki is sleeping." he said flatly.
Momo whistled. "In his lap!" he shouted gleefully. Eiji shouted "YES, NYA!" in the background.
"Oh. My. S-sakuno i-is s-sleeping in your l-lap!" she practically shrieked in his ear.
Ryoma resisted the urge to throw away the damn phone away from him. It was Ryuzaki's phone after all, and making her angry with him was not on his list.
"What do you want?" he said quietly.
"Uh... um... I wanted to ask Sakuno-chan if she could go to..."
Ryoma didn't hear the rest of what she said, because the girl in his arms had just nuzzled her head on his shoulder. 'This is bad.'
"... of my brothers."
"She won't be going." he muttered abruptly.
"She- what?"
"I said," he repeated. "Ryuzaki won't be going."
Eiji and Momo looked at each other. The others had lost interest earlier on. "She won't?"
"Naze?"
Ryoma snarled inwardly. Wasn't it obvious? Girls. "Mada mada dane."
She was persistent. "Naze, Ryoma-sama?"
"Because I said so." was his reply, before he hung up.
"Because I said so?" Momoshiro mimicked. "That's all? No 'because I want her to stay'?"
Eiji nodded energetically. "Hoi, hoi, nya! No 'because Sakuno-chan is with me'?"
Ryoma just tugged his cap down. "Mada mada dane."
Momo sighed, scratching his head. "Not very satisfying answer, right, Eiji-senpai?"
"Hai! Hai! We need some answers, Ochibi!"
"Mada mada dane."
"We need to torture Ochibi!" Eiji yelled, doing a cartwheel.
The sadistic Fuji grinned, lifting his camera, obviously for blackmailing. "I agree."
Inui looked at Eiji. "I have my latest concoction, Eiji." he said, taking a bottle with clear liquid from his bag.
The redhead shrank away in horror. "W-what's that!"
"It's called Inui's Cold Water Special v. 15."
"Cold water?" he asked doubtfully. "What's the catch?"
"Saa... I fainted when I drank it the first time." Fuji supplied helpfully. "It was quite bitter, and I thought I tasted tentacles."
"T-tentacles?"
Inui adjusted his glasses, holding out the bottle. "But I have worked on it. There is only a 15 percent chance that Fuji will faint this time. I am sure Echizen can drink this."
"No way." Ryoma said quickly. The last time he drank Inui's juice, which was dark green in color, he couldn't even walk straight.
Momo and Eiji sprouted identical evil grins. Fuji? His smile was different. His face was the epitome of calmness that it was almost hideous to look at.
Taking the bottle from Inui's hands with utmost care, Eiji neared Ryoma. "What do you feel for Sakuno-chan?"
"..."
"Do you like her?"
"..."
"Do you-"
RING! RING!
Ryoma quickly took his phone. "Hey."
"Ryoma-chan!" his cousin's voice, Nanako, sounded panicky in his ears. "Ryoma-chan!"
"Don't call me -chan..." he muttered, but he was terribly relieved. "What's wrong?"
"Karupin!"
He sat up, waking the girl in his arms. "Sorry." he whispered to the disoriented Sakuno. "What's wrong with Karupin!"
Karupin?
Eiji looked at Momo. "Karupin nya?"
"His cat." Momo replied.
"Yes!" Nanako said. "He's missing again!"
Ryoma nodded. "Don't worry. I'll look for him."
"R-ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked softly, moving away from his lap so he could stand.
Like Tezuka, he took his bag then slung it over his shoulder. He looked around. "Where's yours?"
She blinked. "M-my what?"
He spotted her small bag at the space under her seat. Taking it, he then pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."
"NYA!" Eiji shouted frantically, pulling Sakuno to his side. "If you're going, Ochibi, you can't drag Sakuno-chan with you!"
She blushed. Ooh boy... "E-eiji-senpai..." she choked out, her face practically pressed against his chest.
Ryoma saw red.
"Oops!" Eiji exclaimed, releasing the blushing first year. He looked at Ryoma, and winced. "Won't happen again!"
Ryoma calmly took out his tennis racket and his own tennis ball. Then, he pulled Sakuno to his side. "We shall be going, Eiji-senpai."
Eiji shivered inwardly. Ochibi's angry side was even freakier than that of Fuji's. "Nya! All right!" 'I don't want to be at the receiving end of Ochibi's twist serve...'
So he let them go.
Sakuno bowed. "G-gomen nasai, senpai." Then they left.
Eiji slumped back down on his seat. "Everybody's leaving..."
Oishi patted his back comfortingly. "Don't worry, Eiji. I'm sure none of us will leave anymore."
RING! RING!
"Hello?"
They craned their necks to see Kawamura talking to someone on the phone.
"You're leaving dad? Uh-hai... hai. Bye." Takashi stood up, then walked shyly towards Eiji. "Sorry, Eiji, but my dad needs me at our sushi house. I have to go."
"NYA!" Eiji sighed dejectedly. "Okie... bye-bye..."
"There are still more of us here, Eiji. It's alright." Oishi started.
RING! RING!
"Sadaharu Inui speaking."
Pause.
"What? They have a match? A surprise?"
Eiji looked pleadingly at Inui. The latter looked away quickly. "All right. Thanks."
"You aren't going too right?"
Inui shrugged. "Fudomine and Yamabuki are having a surprise practice match. I need to collect more data."
"B-but! Are you sure? You don't even know if there's really a match!"
Adjusting his glasses, he looked down at the pleading Eiji. "The odds that my contacts are lying… 1 percent."
"It's still one nya!"
Inui stopped the bus, and quickly went on his way, muttering, "I need another notebook..."
Eiji moaned in despair. "This is not happening!"
"There's still Fuji, Momoshiro, Kaidoh, and me, Eiji... so don't worry."
He sighed. "I'm always sighing... but Oishi's right! Hoi, hoi, Mo-" he stopped. "Momo?"
Kaidoh hissed at the lanky second year.
Momo snarled, taking his racket from his bag. "You are challenging me, Mamushi! How dare you insult An-chan like that!"
Eiji raised an eyebrow. "An-chan?"
"Bring it on."
Pointing his racket at Kaidoh's face, he huffed. "If I win, which is obviously the truth, you will treat me to burgers for the next three weeks!"
"If I win, fsh, you will drink Inui-senpai's juice everyday, fsh..."
The interested onlooker cringed. " I don't want to fight Kaidoh... he's too brutal..."
Momo took a step back, then took a deep breath. "Fine. Let's do this, Mamushi!" Glaring at his co-sophomore, he attempted to storm past the redhead.
"Hoi, hoi! Where are you going?"
"Didn't you hear us, Eiji-senpai? We're going to finish this with tennis!"
"B-but-"
"Bye, Eiji-senpai!"
"Fsh..."
BANG!
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Eiji screamed, jumping around wildly. "What happened to my wonderful idea! NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Spotting Oishi, he then knelt in front of the surprised vice-captain. "Oishi! You won't leave?"
Fuji, hearing him, smiled. "Saa... do not worry, Eiji. I won't leave."
Nodding distractedly, Eiji again turned to Oishi. "You aren't, right?"
Oishi patted Eiji's shoulder comfortingly. "Of course I won't Eiji. Calm-"
RING! RING!
"Wait a second." Oishi answered his phone. "Hello?"
Eiji panicked. This can't be happening... Oishi said he won't leave right? He promised, right?
"But Mom... Eiji- you know I can't-"
Eiji tugged on his shirt. "O-oishi..."
Oishi smiled reassuringly at him for a moment, then frowned at the phone. "Mom, maybe I could- Mom! She hung up."
"Oishi?"
He sighed wearily. "Sorry, Eiji. But I guess I have to go as well..."
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Oishi, not you too!" Eiji wrapped his arms around Oishi's ankles frantically. "Oishi can't go! Eiji needs Oishi!"
Fuji shook his head, disentangling Eiji from Oishi. "You better go now, Oishi. You know I can't restrain Eiji for long..."
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Eiji yelled, kicking his feet like a child. "Let go of me, Fuji! Let go of me!"
"Sorry, Eiji." Oishi muttered, before leaving quickly.
"OISHIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Fuji finally let go of the shouting redhead. "Eiji. I'm still here you know."
Eiji sniffed. "I know... but Oishi..."
"It's just a day. And you know Oishi won't leave you unless it's very important." the tensai reasoned cheerfully.
Eiji looked at his companion weirdly. 'Nya?' "At least Fuji's here..." Smiling again, he bounced around, then finally sat next to Fuji. "So I guess it's just you and me here..."
Fuji nodded slowly. "Hai. Just you and me."
P
O
T
Later that day...
Oishi frowned, looking around. "Hmm... I wonder what's happening to Eiji and Fuji..." His wandering gaze caught someone familiar walking towards him. He squinted his eyes. 'Too bad I don't have Eiji's gift... squinting is hard...' "Tezuka?"
The stoic captain noticed him, and then walked over. "Oishi. Why are you here?"
Oishi shrugged. "Something came up."
"I see. Then-"
"Tezuka!" a voice called out. "Oishi!"
It was Kawamura.
Tezuka looked at him. "Takashi, why are you here?"
The sushi man shrugged. "Something came up."
"Then-"
"Mada mada dane, Ryuzaki." they heard a voice say.
"B-but Ryoma-kun-"
The first year couple finally noticed the trio. "Buchou!" Ryoma blinked. "Takashi-senpai? Oishi-senpai? Why are you here?"
Sakuno appeared behind Ryoma, carrying a big fluffy cat which resembled a raccoon. She started. Oishi-senpai wasn't with Eiji-senpai.
The two seniors shrugged. "Something came up."
Tezuka took one look at Ryoma and Sakuno, and then he looked away.
"Draw... when taken by surprise, the chances that Fudomine will win is decreased by 10 percent…"
"Inui-senpai!" Sakuno said in surprise.
The data man stopped from writing into his notebook, noticing the clustered regulars. He blinked (though you couldn't tell). "What happened?"
"Fsh..."
"Hey, Echizen!"
"Kaidoh! Momoshiro!"
Tezuka looked at the faces around him. "If all of us are here..."
Oishi sighed. "I hate to leave Eiji with Fuji, but it can't be helped..."
Inui quickly scanned his data. "Kikumaru Eiji... together with Syusuke Fuji..." he muttered."... will result to..." He blinked again. "I hate to break this to you Oishi but..."
Oishi glanced at him curiously. "But what? Fuji couldn't do much harm to Eiji, right?"
Inui whispered something to all of them.
"NANI!"
P
O
T
Meanwhile, somewhere in the hot springs...
"Fuji, I don't think that is a good idea..." Eiji stammered, backing away from Fuji.
"Saa, Eiji, this is just some scrub... I promise it will feel good..."
Eiji was horrified. Fuji can't wash his back! Anybody, even Ochibi, can do it, but not Fuji! "Nya... no thank you..."
Fuji smiled wider, and the redhead knew he was doomed. Grasping Eiji's arm in a vice like grip, he pulled him closer. "Now, now, Eiji... I won't hurt you..."
Eiji whimpered slightly, looking up to the heavens for help. 'I wish Oishi was here...' was his last thought before...
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
And then everything went downhill from there.
P
O
T
a/n: nya... so, did you, my lovable viewers like it? i hope so, coz i put a lot of hard work into that... in case you're wondering, 'Keiko Ana' was just some fictional character that i have made... i mean, it's nice to see tezuka settle down right? anyway, there's a slight hint of light eijiXoishi here but it's no big deal anyway! so pls review! there's only one more chappie left to upload so pls pls review! thanks! c;