A Ripple in the Ocean Chapter 7: An Uneventful Saturday, a prince of tennis fanfic

Author's Notes (1): Okay, my Japanese sucks. So in this chapter, by the grace of convenience, there's no use of it. 

Author's Notes (2): This happens before meeting Hyotei and before the episode 50 (Seigaku's Claim to Fame).

Title: An Uneventful Saturday

"Sakuno!" called out Sumire Ryuzaki as she put on her sneakers and grabbed her handbag. "I'm going now!"

"Take care, Obaachan," Sakuno said as she popped her head into the foyer. She grinned as she looked at her grandmother. "Have a good practice today!"

"I'm sure that we will," her grandmother smiled. "Now- you have your keys? And you have your cell phone? And the directions and the map? Are you sure that you're going to be all right? You really don't need a ride? Are you sure that you don't want to do this tomorrow? I'm free tomorrow, Sa-chan."

"Obaachan, I'm not a baby anymore," Sakuno pouted as she looked at her grandmother. "I can go to Haritatsu's by myself. And I have everything with me."

"You've only been there once," her grandmother countered. "And that was when Ryoma took you, Sakuno. Why don't I ask him-?"

"Obaachan! He has to practice with the team today!" Sakuno exclaimed as she looked at her grandmother, her face all red at the fact that her grandmother was trying to get Ryoma to take her to Haritatsu's again. It was just too embarrassing to have her grandmother arrange for her met up with Ryoma-kun every time she needed help with anything from everything related to tennis to helping her with her English homework to making sure she doesn't hurt herself in the hallways.

Sumire Ryuzaki raised her eyebrow. "I was going to say that maybe he could take you tomorrow instead of today."

Sakuno shook her head. "I have a tennis lesson with Yuuta-oniisan tomorrow after morning mass and then I have to go to my koto and piano lessons with Morimoto-san at her house. I only have today to weed the garden, do the laundry and to get my tennis racket restrung." She grinned brightly at her grandmother. "I have to get my racket restrung again!"

"Yes, you must get your racket restrung again," her grandmother smiled indulgently. "Fine then, you may go alone. But at the first sign of trouble, Sa-chan-"

"I will call you on the cell phone," Sakuno promised as she saluted then she tiptoed to give her grandmother a kiss on her cheek. "Take care, Obaachan."

Resigned, Sumire gave her granddaughter one last hug. "I'll be home at about five. Be home before me."

"Okay, Obaachan," Sakuno chirped as she looked at her grandmother.

Sumire turned around. "Well then, why don't you get Yuuta-?"

"Because he's still at school with his team helping them get ready for their mini-bazaar next week," Sakuno interrupted as she looked at her grandmother in askance. "And he doesn't know when he'll be home. I will be fine, Obaachan. Really! If you keep worrying about me, you're going to be late!"

Knowing Sakuno could be as every bit stubborn as her, her grandmother sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'm off then. Don't forget to lock the door. And don't forget your keys or your wallet."

"Hai, Obaachan," Sakuno saluted again. "I will lock the door and not forget my wallet."

Her grandmother scowled. "And don't forget your cell phone!"

"Hai, Obaachan," Sakuno saluted again. "I will not forget my cell phone."

Her grandmother frowned. "And don't get lost!"

"Hai, Obaachan," Sakuno saluted again. "I will not get lost."

Her grandmother narrowed her eyes. "Are you teasing your Obaachan?"

"Hai! I am teasing my Obaachan!" Sakuno saluted again. She gave her grandmother a cheeky smile. "Are you done giving orders?"

"Are you sure that you don't want me to call Sanada-Baasan and Jiji-san to take you?" Sumire asked. "I'm sure that they would-"

"Baasan is having a meeting with the hospital board and Jiji-san is evaluating his students at the dojo today," Sakuno said with a small amount of exasperation. "I will be fine, Obaachan."

Rolling her eyes, Sumire Ryuzaki sighed. "All right then. See you in the afternoon."

"Hai! See you in the afternoon!"

In the middle of the semi-crowded streets, there was a lone voice that could be heard.

One voice that was shriller and more frightening than all the others….

"I just can't be lost!"

"This cannot be happening," Sakuno moaned as she looked at her map and the directions then at the street she was on. She bit her lip in frustration. "Where am I? I have no idea where I am."

"Don't get lost Sakuno," Sakuno said as she mimicked her grandmother.

"I won't get lost," said as she answered herself mockingly. "And what do I do the moment I step off the train? I get lost."

Sakuno sighed as she looked at her map again.

"Can I help you?" asked a voice. Sakuno looked up to see a couple of older boys looking at her and immediately she blushed in embarrassment. "Are you lost?"

"Ha-hai," Sakuno stammered as she looked at him. She showed him the map. "Do you know where this street is?"

The taller boy took the map from her, started reading it then lowered it enough for her to see where his finger was pointing. "I take it you want to go here?"

Tiptoeing to see where he was pointing, Sakuno never noticed the other boy whip out his camera phone and try to place it under her skirt.

"Sensei! Ryuzaki-sensei!"

Sumire Ryuzaki blinked as she noticed the vice captain of her tennis club calling her name. "Oh! I'm sorry, Oishi. My mind was wandering. Did you want something?"

"Just some papers for you to look over," Oishi replied as he looked at his coach. He glanced over at Tezuka who simply shrugged. "Are you all right, sensei? You don't seem to be yourself."

"I'm fine," Ryuzaki said smiled as she looked at her students. She looked embarrassed as she put down her clipboard. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little distracted- Sakuno's going to get her racket restrung today at Haritatsu's."

Tezuka widened his eyes and immediately understood his coach's distraction. "I see. It should be safe enough."

Ryuzaki looked at Tezuka and gave him a small unhappy smile. "I hope."

"That's a good thing, isn't that?" Oishi said as he looked at Tezuka and then his coach. "It means she's improving her tennis."

"It also means that she's going alone," Inui said as he walked over with his green data book.

Oishi's eyes widened as he immediately understood the implications. "I'm sure that she'll be fine. The streets aren't that crowded in the morning. And I'm sure that you gave her good directions. And a map."

"Is there a group discussion going on here?" called out a voice. Oishi looked over to see Fuji and his partner, Eiji Kikumaru, come over. Fuji smiled. "Everyone looks so serious."

"Is it a Big Plan to defeat Hyotei, nyah?" Kikumaru asked eagerly as he looked at his partner.

"There's no real discussion about that," Oishi smiled as he glanced at his teacher. "We're just discussing Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter."

"Is anything wrong? Has something happened to Sakuno-chan?" Fuji asked as he looked at his teacher with open eyes.

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Oishi said quickly as he ignored Inui writing things down in his data book. "She just went to get her racket restrung at Haritatsu's."

Fuji whipped his head to look at his coach. "By herself, Sumire-chan?"

Giving the tensai an irritated glance, Ryuzaki-sensei answered tersely, "Who are you calling me Sumire-chan? And yes, she went alone."

"Oh my," Fuji said as his eyes widened. "Does she know the way?"

"I gave her the directions and a map and I made sure that her cell phone was fully charged so she could call me," Ryuzaki sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I even gave her cab fare just in case she gets lost."

"Then I'm sure that she will be fine, sensei," Oishi said soothingly. "After all it's not her first time that she's going to Haritatsu's. She went before-"

"She was with Ryoma before," Ryuzaki said bluntly as she looked at Oishi. "And now she's going by herself- For the first time."

Oishi paled then rallied himself. "So she's been there before- she should know the way then."

"All that means is that she now has an 80 percent chance of getting lost," Inui said as he calculated. "And given her track record of trouble finding her-"

"Nyah! You don't think she could be kidnapped!" Kikumaru exclaimed in a horrified tone.

"Eiji!" Oishi shouted as he looked at his partner. He glanced at his teacher's suddenly ashen face.

"I don't think that will happen," Tezuka said calmly as he looked at the other half of his team's Golden Pair. It was best to get this all calmed down before the redheaded doubles specialist said something else.

Waving his arms excitedly, Kikumaru continued, "But Tezuka! Oishi! Nyah! I'm serious! Nyah! I heard on the news just last night that a girl was-"

"Eiji! She will not be kidnapped," Fuji said firmly as he looked at his friend. "Right, Inui?"

Inui looked at his book. "Hmm…The probability of her being kidnapped in broad daylight is about five percent, but given her ability to have something that remote happen to her it increases her chances of-"

"Everyone! Twenty laps!" Tezuka commanded in a loud voice. "Now!" When no one moved, his eyebrows lowered. "Ten more laps every second everyone remains where they are. Thirty laps- forty laps-"

Everyone stared at Tezuka then broke into a run.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Sakuno lifted her head up to see an older, blonde haired boy suddenly coming at her, at full speed. Terrified, she stood stock still as he ignored her to grab someone behind her and flipped him over his shoulder then gave two quick punches to the guy's solar plexus and jaw.

"Who the hell are you attacking?" shouted the boy who was helping her. He shoved her away to lunge at the attacker.

Sakuno squeaked as she saw the attacker give the boy a roundhouse kick that knocked him into the ground, landing him next to his friend. The attacker glanced at her then returned his deadly gaze to the two on the ground. He went over to the first boy, picked up the open cell phone from his hand and then dropped it to the ground. He smiled coldly as he viciously stepped on it, crushing it. "We don't tolerate perverts who take pictures of innocent girls' panties around here."

Horrified, Sakuno stared at the two boys then at the attacker-turned savior. Her savior then whipped out his own cell phone and took their pictures. "I'm sending your faces to everyone that I know. And if they catch you doing this again, I'll do more than just stop you- I'll break your bones. Now get out of here."

As the boys scrambled to get away, the blonde haired boy looked at her. "And you should be more careful! Didn't you know what they were doing?"

Sakuno violently shook her head as she felt the tears gather in her eyes. "No- no…I didn't know. I'm sorry- I didn't know. He was helping me find- I didn't know what- I'm- I'm lost- I'm sorry!"

The boy looked lost as tears started rolling down her face. "Hey- look- it's all over now- You don't have to cry-"

"I'm just lost!" Sakuno cried as her breath started to hitch. "I- I just wanted- to get-get my racket- re-restrung by-by myself!"

With that, she flung herself at the boy's chest.

"What's going on?" Momo demanded as he looked down at Echizen. "What did we do? Why is buchou angry with us? "

"No clue at all," Ryoma said as he started running faster, passing him and making him in line with his classmates.

"Why- why are we running forty laps?" Horio panted as he looked at Echizen who shrugged and then at Katsuo and Kachiro.

"I don't know," Kachiro gasped as he looked at Katsuo who shrugged.

Katsuo looked at Ryoma. "What do you think, Ryoma-kun?"

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma muttered as he started to run faster, leaving them behind.

"Do you think it was something the sempai-tachi said to Tezuka buchou?" Horio gasped.

"Are you blaming your sempai for this?" demanded a low hissing voice. The Freshmen Trio looked behind them and panicked.

"Not- not at all, Kaidoh-sempai!" Horio stammered before he forced his legs to go faster.

"Never!" Katsuo cried out with Kachiro as the raced to keep up with Horio.

"I'm very sorry about that," Sakuno said as she wiped her eyes. "I sometimes just cry when I'm very emotional."

The boy sighed as he looked at her and patted her shoulder. He tried to give a reassuring smile and ignore his wet shirt. "No harm done."

"Thank you for saving me," Sakuno smiled back. She bowed formally to him. "My name is Ryuzaki Sakuno. And I'm looking for a racket stringer around the area."

The boy blinked. "Ah- I'm Hiyoshi Wakashi and maybe I can help you- my father's dojo is around here-"

"Oh! Is that where you learned your jujitsu? From your father?" Sakuno exclaimed as she looked at him with wide eyes. "That was a very nice roundhouse kick. And over the shoulder flip."

"Ah- thank you," Hiyoshi stammered as he looked at her strangely. "You practice?"

Sakuno shook her head ruefully. "No- no balance. The last time I flipped someone, he fell on top of me. I was very lucky Yuuta-oniisan was there. Anyway, everyone else in my family does some sort of martial art. Obaasan is a kendo master."

"I see," Hiyoshi said as he looked at her. At a loss for anything else to say, he cleared his throat. "So what's the name of the place you want to go to?"

"His name is Haritatsu and here are the directions," Sakuno said as she gave him the directions. She studied him as he read the directions on the paper. His hair was a lighter blonde than Yuuta-oniisan's and it sort of framed his strong looking face. He had a seriousness to him that reminded her of Kaidoh-sempai. To her, his hairstyle made him look like one of the Beatles from the sixties or if she were whimsical, she would thunk that he looked like a life-seized mushroom.

"I know where it is," Hiyoshi said as he looked up. He looked at his watch. "I have time- let me call my father and I'll take you there."

"I wouldn't like to impose," Sakuno stammered as she blushed.

"It's not an imposition," Hiyoshi said as he started walking and calling his father on his cell phone. "It would be expected of me."

"It would be expected of you?" Sakuno asked as she looked at him.

"My father would expect me to help someone who is lost," Hiyoshi said with a nod. "Hello, Father? I'm helping someone find Haritatsu's. So I'll be there in about an hour. All right. All right, bye. We can go now."

"Thank you," Sakuno bowed as she followed him.

Sumire Ryuzaki looked at her watch then at her cell phone. She supposed that it was a good thing that Sakuno didn't call her. It meant that she wasn't lost or hurt or in a ditch somewhere.

Or kidnapped.

Her eyes narrowed. Could it be that her granddaughter wasn't able to call her?

No, that couldn't be the case. Who would want to kidnap her granddaughter? Why would they want to kidnap her granddaughter? Is she in a ditch somewhere? Or somehow hurt?

"Sensei!"

"Sakuno!" Ryuzaki shouted as she snapped out of her horrified thoughts. Then she blinked as she saw her regulars on the ground panting. It seemed that they had just finished running their forty laps. She blinked then looked at the young captain standing next to her.

"No, it's Tezuka," said her captain as he looked at her. "Sensei, if you wish to look in on her-"

"I can't do that," Ryuzaki groused. "I don't know where she is right now and I promised I wouldn't call her just to check up on her."

"But if I can call Yuuta, then he can check up on her," Fuji offered as he panted. He slowly stood unconsciously bringing everyone's attention to him. "Sakuno-chan will tell him where she is and he can walk her home. And that would make you worry less about her."

Ryoma lifted his head up to frown at the tensai. This running was all because of Ms. Clumsy-Wobbly-Hips?

"Neh, you think there's something going on between Fuji-sempai's younger brother and Ryuzaki?" Horio whispered to Kachiro but kept his eyes on Fuji-sempai. One never knew what he might do. "She's been spending an awful lot of time with him, if you ask me."

Ryoma's eyes narrowed as he turned his head slightly to look at Horio. Kachiro shook his head as he watched the sempai as well, not noticing Ryoma's narrow eyes look. "I heard from Osakada that they're not dating- he just gives her tennis lessons every Tuesday in the park when he has time."

"I heard that she feeds him everything," Katsuo whispered as he watched the sempai as well. "I have a friend that goes to St. Rudolph and he says that Fuji-sempai's little brother has the best bento and snacks after he gives her a tennis lesson."

'I'm the one that's been giving her tennis lessons every Sunday and she's never fed me anything remotely homemade' Ryoma thought as he adjusted his cap and scowled slightly. 'She's always bought a bento for me.'

Horio shook his head and scratched it. "Seems to me that they could be dating if she's seeing him every Tuesday and feeding him- Ow! Echizen!"

"Sorry, didn't see you there, Horio," Ryoma said carelessly as he finished taking off his team jacket. His eyebrows knitted. 'They are not dating- dating isn't giving tennis lessons or giving food. It's more than that.'

Yeah, it's about a girl spending her time making and giving delicious homemade bento to a guy. She makes him chawamushi and other tasty stuff, retorted the little voice in his head.

As Horio grumbled about being abused by Echizen, Kachiro looked at Katsuo and said in a low voice, "Did you notice that he always-"

"Uh-huh," Katsuo nodded as he watched Echizen speculatively. "And it's not just Horio- just yesterday while I was studying in the library, Tora was talking with Yukimura and Yukimura said he found Ryuzaki's clumsiness cute while Ryoma-kun was passing by- and just then Ryoma-kun suddenly tripped and dropped all the library books he was carrying on top of Yukimura's foot."

"The other day Kuwabara wondered if Ryuzaki was dating anyone to Miyama and he was hit with Ryoma-kun's tennis ball during practice," Kachiro nodded. Suddenly he stiffened when he felt a pair of eyes on him. When he turned, he noticed Inui-sempai writing something in his data book. He looked at Katsuo in alarm before he stammered, "Uh- Inui-sempai?"

"Yes, Kachiro?" Inui said as he continued writing.

"What are you writing down?" Kachiro asked timidly.

"Just some statistics," Inui said as he got up and stride towards Ryuzaki-sensei, Oishi, Fuji and Tezuka. 'And some of your very enlightening conversation.'

"Oh," Kachiro and Katsuo sighed in relief then they looked at each other in alarm when Horio let out a cry of surprise.

"Oi! Echizen! Watch where you're stretching your arms! You nearly hit me!"

"If your brother does that, Fuji, there is a good 75 percent chance that your granddaughter won't know that you're checking up on her, sensei," Inui said as he looked at his book. "Or arranging for her to be watched."

"Thanks for the confirmation, Inui. That sounds like a good plan, Fuji," Oishi panted as he got up. "This way sensei won't have to worry about the needless things that Inui and Eiji said-"

"Nyah! I was just telling you what I saw on the news," Kikumaru protested as he looked at his partner. He panted, "What was wrong with mentioning the kidnapped girls? Nyah? Sensei should know that if little Ryuzaki is looking for the stringer in downtown that she could-"

"Little Ryuzaki is going downtown by herself? And to the stringer's?" Momo yelped in alarm and sat up immediately. "The last time we saw her downtown- there was a strange pervert monk that was following her and Echizen!"

"Huh? What? A pervert monk?" Ryoma stared as he looked at Momo-sempai as he vaguely remembered that day- he took Ryuzaki to Haritatsu's to get her strings changed. And all of a sudden while walking with her- she was talkative and then she started crying for no reason. And then out popped Momo-sempai, yelling at him about the god of dates and threatening him if he didn't apologize. He did it, he didn't know why he had to or what he did that had to merit an apology, but he did it and she seemed happy with the Ponta he gave her.

Now that he really thought about it- it meant that Momo-sempai was following him around while he was with Ryuzaki. And if he thought about it, was he the only one that was following them? It couldn't have been…would he? Oyaji wouldn't have- would he?

"There was a pervert that was following Sakuno!" Ryuzaki nearly shouted as she stared at Momoshiro. "What are you talking about? Sakuno never told me about any pervert monk when she went with Ryoma to Haritatsu's."

Kachiro sprung up. "Momo-sempai! How can you say that! You fed him after he complimented you on yelling at Ryoma-kun for making Ryuzaki cry!"

"And you were really worried when he collapsed in front of you!" Katsuo said.

"He tricked me!" Momo shouted back. "I thought he was starving! And besides it doesn't matter- a pervert is still a pervert!"

"That's right, nyah! A pervert is still a pervert, nyah!" Kikumaru said as he looked at the younger. "And if that pervert is still around while little Ryuzaki is going to Haritatsu's-"

"Eiji!" Oishi scolded in alarm. "Momo!"

Inui looked at his classmate. "Kikumaru! If you continue that sentence, Tezuka will-"

"Everyone do ten more laps!" Tezuka ordered as he glared at Kikumaru and Momoshiro. "Now. Fuji, go call your brother."

Everyone groaned as they picked themselves off the ground to run more laps.

"Sensei?" Fuji asked as he looked at his teacher.

"Do it," Ryuzaki said as she looked at him and smiled gratefully. "Thank you Fuji."

"You mean we were running because sensei is worried about Sakuno-chan?" Kawamura panted as he looked at Oishi. "What's wrong?"

"It's her granddaughter's first trip by herself to Haritatsu's," Oishi panted as he looked at his friend. He gave a quick glare at Eiji, Momo and Inui. "And if these three hadn't proceeded to mention certain facts-"

"I did hear it on the news," Kikumaru exclaimed as he glared at his doubles partner.

"And there was a pervert after her the first time," Momo said with conviction.

Inui pushed up his glasses. "And it's a fact that her granddaughter has an 80 percent chance of getting lost-"

"You guys didn't have to mention it to her," Oishi scolded. "It was because that you mentioned her ability to get into trouble, the pervert monk and the girls getting kidnapped that has Tezuka angry and sensei upset!"

"I think I would be upset too if I heard that," Kawamura said as he glared at Kikumaru and Inui. Then he looked at Momo. "And if I knew it was her first trip alone there!"

"So the first time we did the forty was because of Kikumaru and Inui-sempai?" Momoshiro demanded as he looked at Oishi. "And we're running now for the same reason?"

"Don't you have ears? That was the reason before," Kaidoh just looked at his feet and hissed. "Now we're running for your stupidity."

"What was that, Mamushi?" Momo shouted as he glared at his rival.

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma said as he shoved his cap down even more and ran faster.

The train started coming closer to the platform as two older members of St. Rudolph's tennis team waited for their younger member to finish his phone call.

"Hai, Aniki. Hai- I'll call right now, later," Yuuta said as he hung up the phone and immediately started calling another number. He waited as it started to ring.

His teammates looked puzzled as they looked at him. Yanagisawa cleared his throat. "What was that all about, da-ne?"

"Was your brother trying to see what we were doing?" Mizuki asked as he looked at Yuuta and twirled a lock of his hair.

Absently, Yuuta looked at his sempai. "No, it seems that Sakuno-chan went to get her racket restrung by herself today. The last time she was there, a pervert monk followed her there. And Aniki wants me to call her because Ryuzaki-sensei is upset because someone mentioned that and girls being kidnapped."

Mizuki frowned. "But the girl it happened to was extremely rich and well-connected."

"Someone else mentioned Sakuno-chan's ability to attract trouble," Yuuta frowned as he wondered why it was talking so long for her to answer.

Yanagisawa frowned as he thought about it. "Whoever said that has a point, da-ne. She does get into trouble a lot, da-ne. Remember how she nearly was hit by that guy on the street court with his tennis ball?"

"More like trouble just finds her, sempai," Yuuta said as he looked at his phone and frowned. "She's not- Ah! Sakuno-chan? Where are you?"

"Yuuta-oniisan!" Sakuno smiled as she answered her phone. She smiled as she gave Hiyoshi-san a can of Ponta. "I made it to Haritatsu-san's place! No- I didn't get lost much… well, I sort of got lost but I was in the right area and then I was saved by Hiyoshi-san from a couple of perverts who were trying to put a camera phone under my skirt! He was a real hero- I didn't even know that they were doing anything! I'm fine! Really! Ah? Okay… Hiyoshi-san? Yuuta-oniisan would like to speak to you."

Hiyoshi looked from the martial arts movie he was watching to gingerly pick up the phone from her hand. He frowned. "Why does he want to speak to me?"

Sakuno smiled brightly, "Because Yuuta-oniisan wants to talk to the hero that saved me!"

"I'm not a hero," Hiyoshi mumbled as his cheeks turned red. Clearing his throat, he brought the phone to his mouth. "Hello?"

"Yes, if you could please do that. Thank you," Yuuta sighed as he closed his eyes and shut his phone. "I think that I should just cage that child and not let her out until she's forty. It'll be safer for her that way.'"

"So what happened, da-ne," Yangaisawa asked as he looked at Yuuta. "What's he sending over, da-ne?"

"She got lost and when some guy offered to help her find the place, his friend tried to use his camera phone under her skirt while she was distracted," Yuuta said as he rubbed his forehead. "Then some guy- a jujitsu expert, saw this and beat the crap out of them and got their faces on his cell. I asked him to send it over."

Mizuki scowled as he looked at Yuuta. "So what's going to happen now?"

"Since she's almost done there, he's willing to walk her to the train station so she won't get lost again and I'll meet her at the station to walk her home," Yuuta said as he looked at his cell phone when it beeped. He opened the sent file and frowned, "These two guys look don't look familiar… but I know their jackets."

Taking the phone from Yuuta then gave it back to him, Mizuki looked at them and frowned, "These jackets are from Kakinoki Junior High. That's our first clue to finding them..."

"Those two are such lowlifes," Yanagisawa snarled as he punched a fist into his hand. "We should go after them as soon as possible, da-ne. They should be taught a lesson, da-ne. Mizuki- you'll find them won't you, da-ne? And when you do, we can get Akazawa and Atsushi and go there at once and teach them real good, da-ne."

"I should know who they are by Tuesday the latest," Mizuki said as he twirled his hair and made calculations on how to find the two perverts.

In the middle of calling his brother, Yuuta looked at his sempai. "Thank you sempai- I don't know what to say-"

Yanagisawa slapped Yuuta on his back. "Think nothing of it, da-ne. We have to do everything to protect your little girlfriend, da-ne."

His cheeks red, Yuuta slapped Yanagisawa's hand away. "She's not my girlfriend."

As the rest of the team collapsed to the ground around him, Fuji stood talking with his brother.

"I see- All right then. Um-hm, I understand, all right- then I'll see you at home, wait Yuuta- can you send over that picture to me? Because I want it- thank you. See you at home," Fuji said then he closed his phone. He walked over to where Tezuka was quietly talking to Ryuzaki-sensei.

He looked at his sensei's concerned face and smiled brightly. "She was a little lost but she found her way with the help of someone. She should be heading home soon- she's meeting Yuuta so he can walk her home."

Ryuzaki let out a breath of relief she was holding. "Well- I should have expected that she would get lost somehow. And Yuuta said that he was walking her home?"

"He most certainly is," Fuji smiled at his teacher. "Though I'm not sure how safe Sakuno-chan will feel around him- he'll be walking her home with Yanagisawa and some other guy whose name I can't remember."

Ryuzaki blinked. "I can understand Yanagisawa- but who's the other guy?"

Fuji just shrugged. "Just some person on the St. Rudolph team- I can't remember his name. Anyway, she should be home soon."

"That's good to know," Ryuzaki said with a nod. "After a small rest- these guys can start practicing again. Thank you, Fuji."

"You're welcome, Sumire-chan," Fuji said as he grinned at her.

Too relieved about the safety of Sakuno, Ryuzaki shook her head. "I'll let you get away with that one for now. Practice starts in ten minutes."

Standing up, Oishi looked at Fuji in relief. "That's good to know- she was only a little lost and nothing happened." He gave an annoyed look at Momo, Inui and Kikumaru. "And you should know better than to get Ryuzaki-sensei excited like that."

"I didn't say nothing happened," Fuji said as he opened his phone when it beeped. He flipped it open and looked at it before passing it over to Inui. "Inui- can you find these two guys for me? I think they go to Kakinoki Junior High because of the jackets."

"It does look like Kakinoki jacket," Inui said as he looked at the two beaten boys in the small frame and frowned. "I might need to make the photo bigger, but I think I can find them."

"What happened, Fuji?" Tezuka demanded as he looked at the team's tensai. "What do you not want sensei to know?"

Bringing his fingers to his lips, Fuji opened his eyes and smiled, "Now Tezuka, if you must know… it's a secret for only the select few. And those who can't keep it, well…."

Everyone felt chills Fuji looked at Tezuka. The captain of the Seigaku tennis club simply lifted an eyebrow. He looked at the regular members and the non-regulars. "Rest time is over- first years- pick up balls on the courts. Second and Third years- work on your swings in courts B and C. Regulars will have matches in court A in five minutes. Move."

As the group dispersed, the regulars stayed and looked at Fuji. Tezuka crossed his arms and waited. "So what happened? Who are they?"

Fuji smiled coldly as his blue eyes flashed. "They're two perverts who will never try and use a camera phone under a girl's skirt ever again."

Horio looked over to where all the regulars were and wished that he could be there. "So what do you think that they're all talking about?"

"Horio, stop looking there! I have no clue and I don't want to know," Kachiro shrugged.

Horio spun to look at Kachiro. "Aren't you the least bit curious? Katsuo?"

"Not the least bit," Katsuo said as he looked up from the ball he was picking up. "And you shouldn't be wondering either."

Horio rubbed his chin. "Think it could be about-"

"Horio! Grab that ball there!" Kachiro ordered. He smiled sheepishly as Horio stared at him. "I can't reach it."

Horio got the ball. "Honestly, do you think that they could talking about-"

"Ryuzaki? Maybe," Katsuo commented as he picked up a ball. "But I think they're more like talking about what Fuji-sempai's younger brother's told them about Hyotei. They wouldn't gossip about Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter like most people."

Indignant, Horio glared at Katsuo. "I don't gossip about Ryuzaki!"

"So then who is gossiping about my granddaughter?" Ryuzaki-sensei demanded as she looked down at Horio.

Everyone stared at Fuji then went over to Inui to look at the faces on Fuji's phone. Nothing was said until-

"Mada mada dane."

Everyone whipped their heads to look at Ryoma who was adjusting his cap. "That girl needs to be put into a cage until she's forty."

"Fsssh," Kaidoh hissed as he shook his head and glared at the younger boy.

"Is that all you can say?" Momo growled as he ground his knuckles into the younger boy's temples. "How can you get a girlfriend with an attitude like that? Even the Mamushi is angry with you!"

"Ittai!" Ryoma winced as he tried to get away from Momo-sempai.

Tezuka ignored them to look at the Seigaku data man. "How soon can you find them, Inui?"

"Are we going in force?" Oishi asked as he looked at Tezuka. "Or are we going to register a complaint to the school?"

"I think we should do something," Kawamura said as he looked at Oishi. The memory of the little Ryuzaki's happy smile as she presented him with her strawberry shortcake and gingerbread Seigaku team flashed through his mind and he grew angry. He punched his fist into his palm. "And it should be as Fuji said- they should be taken cared of. They shouldn't do this to girls as nice as Sakuno-chan."

"Ohh- Taka-san is burning with out his racket," Kikumaru goggled as he looked at his classmate. "Inui! How soon can you know, nyah?"

Inui's glasses gleamed as he looked at Fuji. "I should know by Monday afternoon who they are."

"You should know who by Monday?" Ryuzaki asked as she came up to them. "Why are you all just standing here letting your bodies cool down?"

"Ah, sensei! We- we were just discussing some plans about our matches," Oishi stammered as he looked at her and smiled weakly.

Not trusting Oishi when he stammered like that, Ryuzaki narrowed her eyes. "What plans about the matches?"

"Plans about how to deal with our opponents," Tezuka answered. "Some new information has become available to us."

"Yes, and Inui wishes to verify the information," Fuji offered with a smile.

"And I was wondering if I could have practice off tomorrow," Inui smiled as his glasses gleamed. "I would like to do some research on our opponents."

Ryuzaki looked at them shrewdly. "And it takes all of you to devise a strategy?"

"It is rather some disturbing information that I have come across, sensei," Inui said blandly.

Ryuzaki frowned, "I see. And you wish to go to-?"

"I wish to go to be sure of my data," Inui replied as he looked at her. "Then I can do some thing about the unsettling information has come to my attention."

Noticing that he never specifically mentioned where he was going and the deliberate vagueness of everyone's words, Ryuzaki sighed as she looked at the seemingly innocent faces of her tennis club. Finally, she nodded her head. "Very well- you may go and be sure of your data."

"I'm home!" Ryuzaki called out as soon as she entered the house. She smiled as she heard the fast walk her granddaughter was doing.

"Welcome back Obaachan!" Sakuno chirped out as she popped into the foyer. "How was practice today?"

"It was uneventful," Ryuzaki said as she smiled at her granddaughter. "And how was yours? Did anything happen? Did you have a hard time finding Haritatsu's?"

"Nothing exciting happened really and I was lost only once, Obaachan," Sakuno said brightly as she shook her head. "And I found a new hero, Obaachan. His name is Hiyoshi Wakashi and he beat up two guys- he was fast as Sai-chan, maybe faster."

Lifting her eyebrows, she looked at her granddaughter. "Care to tell me why your hero Hiyoshi Wakashi beat up two guys?"

As Sakuno related her story, her grandmother thought, 'Those boys just can't lie very well.'

-End.

Author's note (3): I'm working as fast as I can….and just to let everyone know, like life, all randomness will tie in together some way, somehow. I just have to work on it to make it all fit. Now I'm off! Work to do, bills to pay…