Author's Notes (1): Still takes place before the Hyotei arch. (I think they had a month of practice before they met.)
Author's Notes (2): My Japanese still sucks and if I used the words 'Kaasan', 'baka' and 'gomen' wrong, please let me know.
Author's Notes (3): These are basically summer dishes that I found in my recipe books. banbanji: chilled chicken and cucumber salad; Suisho dofu: chilled tofu and aka hyayako (in Eng. Trans. crystal tofu); Zaru soba: chilled soba noodles with nori.
Author's Notes (4): def. aojiso is the green perilla plant( 'geh-nip' for Korean-English speakers) or beefsteak plant (for those who live in North America) and akajiso is the purple perilla plant. I know that the green leaves have a strong flavor and are tasty, which fits in to Fuji's taste buds. Though it has a variety of uses in Asian cuisines, I have no idea on how often it is used in Japanese cuisine. I only know how often Koreans like to eat, which is quite often. Anyway, I just needed an extra plant and I knew that one would be ready by early to midsummer.
Title: Desperate for Ryuzaki
Time: Saturday afternoon
Yuuta's eyebrow twitched as he crossed his arms. "No."
Kaneda looked at Yuuta- seriously annoyed. "Yuuta, if you don't call her, we're seriously going to be in trouble."
"I will not call her," Yuuta said stubbornly as he crossed his arms. "We can do it ourselves. We don't need her help. Besides, it's a St. Rudolph event, not a Seigaku and St. Rudolph event."
"I think that we do need her help, da-ne," Yanagisawa Shinya said in exasperation as he looked at his stubborn kohai. "It's a freaking food station we have to make, da-ne! Do you think that any of us really know how to cook, da-ne? We're guys and we suck at it, da-ne! If you won't do it for yourself, then at least do it for the team, da-ne."
"We don't need her help, sempai," Yuuta said mulishly as he glared at Yanagisawa. "And how is having her do all the baking considered me doing something for the team, sempai?"
"Because you're making the phone call for the team, da-ne," Yanagisawa yelled in exasperation. "You know that I would call her and ask her myself if only I had her number, da-ne."
"And if Ryuzaki-chan weren't so scared of you, Shinya," Kisarazu Atsushi added as he looked at his doubles partner ironically.
Yanagisawa glared at his partner. "Atsushi, you know that she's just scared of my handsome looks, da-ne."
"Right, Shinya," Akawaza said wryly as he stepped into the club room. "You keep thinking that." He continued before looking at Yuuta Fuji. "You don't have to call her- we still have a week before the mini-bazaar. We'll think of something to sell and make money for the club. Right, Hajime?"
"As you wish, Akawaza," Mizuki said as he twirled a lock of his black hair. "Though I must say- if we had any of Ryuzaki-chan's food stuff, we could make a load of money for the club."
"The purpose of the mini-bazaar is to do it ourselves and not have someone else do it for us, Mizuki-sempai," Yuuta rolled his eyes as he rose to gather his things. "If this meeting is over, I'm going to my dorm and then heading home."
Yanagisawa shrugged in defeat. "Might as well since there's nothing else to discuss- I'll ride the train with you, da-ne. You coming, Hajime, da-ne?"
"I'll be there," Mizuki said as he gathered up his tennis gear.
Prince
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Yuuta sighed as he threw down his tennis gear and weekend bags. "I'm home!"
"Ah, Yuuta! Welcome home," called out a voice from the kitchen. His older sister's head popped out from the entrance. "Dinner will be ready in an hour- you have time to take a bath. And don't leave your stuff in the foyer."
"Hai, hai, but I'm thirsty and I want a drink first, Neesan," Yuuta said as he entered the kitchen and made a beeline towards the refrigerator and grabbed a cold juice from it. After taking a swig, he sniffed the air and felt his stomach start growling the tempting aromas that floated around. He snatched a handful of shredded carrots and popped it in his mouth before asking, "So, what are we having tonight, Neesan? And where's Kaasan?"
Looking over her shoulder, Yumiko smiled as she continued to shred chicken for the dinner. Without missing a beat, she slapped Yuuta's hand as he started to reach for the chicken. "Kaasan is at her monthly dinner meeting with her friends and we're having banbanji, suisho dofu, zaru soba and miso. Go wash up and don't forget-"
"To put away my gear," Yuuta finished for her as made another attempt at the chicken. "Ittai!"
"I'm home! Yuuta, you left your tennis gear in the foyer again," Syusuke called out before he entered the kitchen. "I'm taking it to your room before I head into the bath-"
"I got the bath first, Aniki!" Yuuta called out as he ran out of the kitchen and after his brother.
"It never fails," Yumiko winced as she heard the starting of an argument.
"But you were in the kitchen and you didn't put away your gear, Yuuta- so that means I get to have the bath first-"
"I was going to put it away but I needed a drink first and I got hungry! I want the bath first-"
"But you still have to put away your gear and unpack and while you're doing that I can take a quick bath-"
"Your quick baths take at least thirty minutes, Aniki! And you use up most of the hot water!"
"You take just as long, Yuuta! And-"
Having enough, Yumiko called out, "And if you continue to argue, I'm going to take the food I made and throw it out!"
After hearing silence for a few seconds, her eyebrow twitched when she heard, "Did Neesan burn dinner again?"
"The chicken didn't taste burned-"
"Then did it taste strange?"
"You mean other than over salting like the last time? Or her making it really sour when it was supposed to be sweet?"
"No, I mean like her making it bitter like the last time-"
"Syusuke! Yuuta!"
Prince
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"Baka, Aniki," Yuuta said as he stared miserably at the untouched plates of food in front of him.
"Gomen, Yuuta," Syusuke said as his stomach growled from hunger.
Yumiko said nothing as she ignored the two and loudly slurped up her noodles. She bit the inside of her lip to prevent herself from laughing at their matching miserable miens. Her imagination allowed her to see the large cross bandages on their heads where she rapped them. She used her chopsticks to take some more chicken and cucumbers and put it on her plate. Giving the boys a stern look, she demanded, "So what did we learn?"
"We don't argue with each other," Syusuke said quickly with a hopeful smile.
"You put away your things as soon as you walk into the house," Yuuta said just as quickly and with a hopeful smile on his lips.
Yumiko lifted her eyebrow. "And?"
"We don't ever make fun of Neesan's cooking," the two answered in unison.
"That's right you don't," Yumiko said as she looked at her younger brothers sternly. "Now you may eat."
"Thank you for the food!" they cried out before they descended on their plates like the couple of hungry boys that they were.
Yumiko watched with amusement as the two brothers piled on more food. "So anything interesting happen to either of you today? Syusuke? Yuuta?"
"Nothing really, Neesan," Yuuta shrugged as he stopped eating long enough to answer. "I just walked Sakuno-chan home at the request of her grandmother then I stayed to help her a bit with her garden. She said that she can give you some of her green onions, red lettuce, akajiso and aojiso leaves if you want them. The tomatoes are still green and the cucumbers, Kirby pickles and green peas are only starting to come out. And if Aniki wants, she can give you her young chili peppers and radishes by next week."
"Are they ready already?" Syusuke asked as he clicked his chopsticks thoughtfully. Then he deftly went after the piece of chicken that Yuuta was aiming for. "I'll tell her on Monday that I'll take a few."
"I wanted that piece, Aniki," Yuuta glared at his brother as he popped it into his mouth.
"I saw it first, besides, you need more vegetables, you've been only eating the chicken and not the vegetables," Syusuke said as he munched on the piece of chicken. He was about to get another piece when Yuuta's chopsticks intercepted him. His eyes narrowed as Yuuta popped that piece into his mouth. "That was mine."
"I saw it first," Yuuta mimicked as he munched on the chicken. "And you've been eating more of the chicken than I have, Aniki."
As the two brothers glared at each other over the table, both poised their chopsticks to get the next piece of chicken first.
"Syusuke, please stop teasing Yuuta. Yuuta, there are other pieces of chicken," Yumiko said as she sipped her tea and gave them a hard look. "It sounds like her garden is coming along nicely, so how is she? I didn't know you were giving her lessons to today."
At the silent threat, the brothers slid a look at their sister then mutually declared a truce with Syusuke putting down his chopsticks and Yuuta going after a cucumber. After all, neither boy wanted to know what else she could to them.
"He wasn't- he just walked her home because Sumire-chan was almost a wreak today," Syusuke answered as he sipped his tea. "Sakuno-chan went to the racket stringer's by herself."
Well aware of Sakuno Ryuzaki's positive points as well as her negative ones, Yumiko winced. "And she got lost, didn't she?"
"That was the least of what happened to her," Syusuke said with a wry smile as his blue eyes opened and glared at his food.
"She almost had a phone-camera up her skirt," Yuuta growled as he clenched his chopsticks. "She was lucky that Hiyoshi guy was there- even if he is from Hyotei."
"Yes, she was very lucky," Syusuke said as he took another sip of tea. "And come Monday, those boys-"
"Will soon be very unlucky," Yuuta said as clicked his chopsticks then stopped as he looked at his brother. "What did you just say, Aniki?"
"I didn't say anything, Yuuta," Syusuke said as he put his tea down and looked at Yuuta. "But I heard you say something. Are you planning anything?"
"Like what, Aniki?" Yuuta asked as he looked at his brother. And knowing his brother's protective streak, Yuuta had to ask, "Are you planning anything, Aniki?"
"I'm always planning something, Yuuta," Syusuke said sweetly. "But nothing comes to mind right now."
Not trusting his brother, Yuuta lifted his eyebrow. "You're not planning anything really sadistic and harmful are you, Aniki? Because you really shouldn't, considering that you're about to go into high school."
Syusuke looked at Yuuta innocently as his face held a hurt look. "And why do you think I'm planning so sadistic or harmful?"
Used to his brother's ways of manipulation, Yuuta narrowed his eyes. "Because I know you, Aniki. And let me tell you right now, it won't be good if you do anything bad to those perverts from Kakinoki."
"Oh really?" Syusuke said as he lifted an eyebrow. "And I suppose that if you plan something it'll be all right because you're not about to go to high school?"
"That's actually a good supposition, Aniki," Yuuta said brightly. "How about you-"
"Too bad it's not going to happen," Syusuke said brightly as he interrupted Yuuta and smiled.
Looking at her younger brothers as they volleyed their words around, Yumiko sighed. She was well aware of the strong protective streak that the two had for the little girl, especially Yuuta. He had changed much in these last two years and had grown more confident, but the basics of his personality had not.
He was still a sensitive boy who looked up to his older brother and occasionally considered himself a self-appointed protector of the defenseless. She had no doubt that though he still aimed to beat Syusuke with his style of tennis, he had gotten over most of the resentment over his being labeled as 'Fuji's Little Brother' and not as Fuji Yuuta.
Her lips quirked as she looked at Yuuta- he resented being called 'Fuji's Little Brother' but he had no problem's being called 'Sakuno-chan's Oniisan' or as Syusuke teases him, 'Real Hero Yuuta'. 'It was amazing at what a little adoration from a little girl could do' she thought as she let out a chuckle.
"Is there anything funny, Neesan?" Syusuke asked as he looked at his sister.
Yuuta rammed his hands in his pockets. "Ah- Neesan's just spacing out again, Aniki."
"I am not spacing out," Yumiko said with some mild indignation as she shook her head slightly. "And I was thinking about nothing really." She gave her brothers a hard look. "Just let me tell you, if I have to bail you two out for anything- you two owe me cleaning duties for the next three months. Are we clear?"
"Hai," Syusuke and Yuuta said in unison.
"Good," Yumiko said with satisfaction. "By the way Yuuta- I got a strange call from someone before you came home- He wanted me to either know or bake or buy some cookies for your booth this Friday. What's that all about?"
"Tennis club is in charge of a food booth for the mini-bazaar," Yuuta said with a frown. "What did he sound like?"
Yumiko looked at Yuuta helplessly. "I couldn't understand what he was saying since he sounded like a duck."
"Oh, that was Yanagisawa-sempai," Yuuta said dismissively. "And you don't have to cook anything- just leave it all to me. I'll make something."
Syusuke frowned as his eyes glinted with humor. "I don't think that burned okonomiyaki or bitter cookies counts as food, Yuuta."
"Shut up, Aniki," Yuuta muttered as his cheeks blushed.
Prince
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Prince
Of
Tennis
Time: Sunday Afternoon
"Are you sure that you want to do this, da-ne?" Yanagisawa Shinya asked as he looked at Mizuki Hajime a bit doubtfully as they crossed the street. "Do you know how to even bake, da-ne?"
His partner, Atsushi Kisarazu cleared his throat. "He should know how to bake since he was the one that suggested it, Shinya."
"I don't get it, da-ne! Why not just ask Ryuzaki-chan to make something, da-ne?" Yanagisawa demanded as he looked at Mizuki hopefully. "She'd do it if you asked Yuuta to ask her, da-ne."
"I know that," Mizuki chuckled as he twirled a lock of his hair. "I was there remember? But we can't ask Yuuta to that because Yuuta is very protective of Ryuzaki-chan and if we went behind his back to ask her- well, the consequences would be horrific for the St. Rudolph team. So it seems that he is determined that we are the ones that must make something for our booth. After all, what happened after you called his house?"
"He called you to tell me to back off, da-ne," Yanagisawa sighed as he shook his head.
Mizuki gave Yanagisawa an annoyed look. "Yes, he did. And my eternal rival, Fuji Syusuke just had to add his two cents worth by saying that a manager who doesn't know how to make delicious and nutritious food like Inui Sadaharu for his team is not a real manager at all."
Kisarazu looked puzzled. "Didn't you say that when Seigaku drinks or eats Inui's things they fall down like flies? How can that be delicious?"
"But they are also more energetic because of it and that is what the manager of a team must strive for!" Mizuki grinned manically as he looked at Kisarazu. "So therefore we must strive up to be the best manager that there is to match the expectations of my eternal rival, Fuji Syusuke! And to do that- we must go into a kitchen and make something for the damned booth!"
Kisarazu shook his head slowly. "There's something wrong with that logic, Hajime."
Yanagisawa shook his head violently. "There is no way that you're going to make me step foot in a kitchen, da-ne! The Home Ec teacher tried to kill me just because I was trying to cook my egg, da-ne!"
"Who wouldn't try to kill you after what you did, Shinya?" Kisarazu retorted as he looked at his doubles partner. "You nuked an egg! While it was still in its shell! And because of that, the door of the microwave blew off!"
"Indeed, even I know better than to put an uncracked egg in the microwave," Mizuki snorted as he twirled his hair and looked at his friend speculatively. "Did you finish paying for the microwave, Shinya?"
"Put in the last payment last week," Yanagisawa said happily as the trio entered the super market. "Now whatever I get it's all mine, da-ne."
"I still can't believe that happened." Kisarazu shook his head as he remembered the chaos that happened. "Anyway, what are we going to make?"
As Kisarazu picked up a basket, Mizuki twirled a lock of his hair. "I did some research on some of the easier recipes- cookies seem to be the easiest things to make, along with cakes."
Prince
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Kisarazu scratched his head as he looked at the tray of cookies. "Well, they look all right."
"And they're not burnt, da-ne," Yanagisawa said as he looked at them closely. He sniffed them carefully. "And they smell all right, da-ne."
"So are you going to try it or stare at it?" Mizuki frowned as he looked at Yanagisawa and held up a cookie. "Or would you like to be the first to try my special tennis endurance workout first?"
Paling at the thought of being a guinea pig, Yanagisawa glanced at the mountain of inedible cookies before his trembling hand reached for the cookie.
"I'll let Atsushi try it first, da-ne," he announced as he shoved the cookie at his doubles partner. He smiled brightly, "After all he's the connoisseur of food, da-ne."
Not one to take a threat lying down, Atsushi Kisarazu took a cookie and shoved it into Yanagisawa's hand. "But I think as partners we should share the experience, Shinya."
Feeling a vein popping in his forehead, Mizuki grabbed a cookie and looked brightly at Kisarazu and Yanagisawa. "Well, shall we try these? And to prove that I am a decent baker, I will have one myself."
Each boy looked at each other then at the cookies they held in their hands. Taking a deep breath, Mizuki announced, "On the count of three- One- three!"
All three boys ate the cookies and smiled as nothing happened to them.
A bird flew into the evening air as the city noises stirred it from its perch….
Prince
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Tennis
"Hey- Hajime! You around here?" called out a sweet voice of a girl as she walked into the house. "I'm home- what's this burnt smell?"
Fearing that there might be something burning in the oven, the girl screamed as she saw three boys lying on the kitchen floor unconscious. "Hajime! What happened?"
Prince
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Prince
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Time: Monday morning
"My head still hurts," Kisarazu groaned as he rubbed the bump on his forehead. "Damn Hajime and his cookies. And my tongue still feels numb."
"I knew it all along, da-ne," Yanagisawa said as he looked at the sky. "I knew that he couldn't bake, da-ne. What boy can if his sisters burn water, da-ne? If we can't come up with something decent, we are going to be dead for our booth, da-ne. All because Yuuta won't call Ryuzaki-chan to help us, da-ne!"
"So what can we do?" Kisarazu wondered as he twirled his tennis racket. "Should go off and buy some cakes from the bakeries?"
"No! We have to get Ryuzaki-chan to help us, da-ne," Yanagisawa announced as he looked at his partner with an almost fanatical gleam in his eye. "There has to be away, da-ne."
"The only way to do it is to ask her directly and we don't even know where she lives nor have her number to call," Kisarazu said flatly.
"But Yuuta does, da-ne!" Yanagisawa said as he thought about it. "We could lift his cell phone and then-"
"Get beaten for it within an inch of our lives," Kisarazu said flatly. "No thank you."
"And if you even tried to do that, it's called stealing Shinya," Mizuki said as he popped up from behind Kisarazu.
"Hajime! You nearly gave me a heart attack, da-ne!" Yanagisawa yelled. "Don't do that, da-ne!"
Smirking, Mizuki simply shrugged. "You are aware that there is an easier way than to filch Yuuta-kun's cell phone, no?"
Yanagisawa glared at Mizuki. "Such as, da-ne?"
"Such as just going to Seigaku? Or even being at the lessons that Yuuta is giving her?" Mizuki suggested. "Those would be easier than to steal his phone-" Just then his own cell phone rang. "Excuse me, mushi-mushi, Mizuki. Ah! Give me some good news please!"
As Mizuki answered it, Yanagisawa sighed, "I guess we'll do it the easy way then, da-ne. We'll follow Yuuta to where he's teaching Ryuzaki-chan and ask her there."
"But if we do that with him there, he'll be upset with us," Kisarazu frowned. "Wouldn't it be better if we simply go to Seigaku?"
"Oh man, this is giving me a headache, da-ne," Yanagisawa moaned. "When will we have the chance to get to Seigaku?"
"Well, it won't be soon," Mizuki said as he looked at his teammates. "I finally have the info that Yuuta wants."
"About the two perverts?" Kisarazu demanded as he looked at Mizuki. "So what's the word?"
"It seems that the best time to attack them would be tomorrow afternoon," Mizuki said as he scrolled down the information on his cell phone. He gave a very sly smile. "Just when they're at a joint meeting with the school photography club and the school paper tomorrow afternoon. Let me call Akazawa about this new development."
Prince
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"There is a slight problem before we can address that issue, Mizuki, Yuuta," Akazawa said as he looked at all the club members. He took a deep breath. "I just had a meeting with the school council and they told me that there had been a change in policy that was given to them by teacher's council just on Friday."
"This does not sound good," Kaneda whispered as he looked at Yuuta.
"It is not good," Akazawa said as he looked at Kaneda. "Before, the monetary policy of the mini-bazaar was that whatever the booths made, they could kept ninety percent after expenses. The policy has been changed that the booths must now give twenty-five percent after expenses."
Mizuki stared at Akazawa as his mind did the math. "So that means that the clubs-"
"Must make at least thirty percent more than what they made last year," Akazawa said flatly. There was a collective groan that went around the room. "And since most of cannot cook for the life of us- we must think of other ways to make food or at least buy it at a cost where we can make a profit."
As Nomura and Yanagisawa lifted their hands, Akazawa lifted his own. "And if anyone says that we should somehow get Ryuzaki-chan to cook for us, then I will personally make sure that you will do at least 100 sit-ups, push-ups, laps and side-to-sides each for the next week. Any other questions or suggestions? No? Then everyone is dismissed and go think of some ideas but the Regulars must stay behind for now."
"I can't believe this," Yanagisawa groaned as he looked at his doubles as he looked at him. He looked at the team captain. "Can you at least explain why we can't ask her?"
"Because if you ask Sakuno-chan to cook, sempai, I will personally make sure that I will never share whatever she makes for me every Tuesday," Yuuta threatened as he looked at Yanagisawa. "And that I will find a way to make sure that your life is miserable for the next week. She does not go to this school and she should not have stress from this school simply because she sees me as her Oniisan."
"And if that doesn't stop you, let it be known that I received a call from Fuji Syusuke," Akazawa said. "He has taken the liberty to inform me that Coach Ryuzaki has been informed of the dire straits we are in. And she, in turn, has told him that she would boil anyone from the St. Rudolph tennis team in oil after she eviscerates them."
"Oh, that's just great, da-ne," Yanagisawa moaned as he shook his head. "So now what are we supposed to do since we can't ask Yuuta's little girlfriend?"
Feeling a vein popping, Yuuta cracked his knuckles. "Sempai, I told you and I keep telling you- she's not my girlfriend!"
"Yeow!"
Prince
Of
Tennis
Prince
Of
Tennis
Time: Tuesday Afternoon
"Well, that was very interesting," Kisarazu said as all St. Rudolph tennis club members rode the bus. "Who would have thought that Seigaku would have shown up as well?"
Twirling a lock of his hair, Mizuki chuckled, "I should have suspected it from my destined nemesis, Fuji Syusuke. You did forward that picture to him on Saturday, when you were with us, did you not?"
"Ah- hai, you were there when I did, Mizuki-san," Yuuta said as he looked at the older boy.
"Hey, Yuuta- aren't you supposed to meet with Ryuzaki-chan for her lessons today?" Kisarazu asked as he looked at Yuuta.
Yuuta shook his head. "Nope, she had to cancel. Sakuno-chan said she was going with her obaachan to meet a friend of her father's at his dojo."
Yanagisawa blinked. "Ryuzaki-chan is going to learn karate?"
"According to her, she's going to learn some basic tai chi and yoga," Yuuta corrected as he shook his head. "To help her gain some balance."
"Will it work?" Yanagisawa asked aloud. "She's really very clumsy, da-ne. But then again, I haven't seen many scrapes on her hands and knees lately, da-ne."
"I hope it'll work," Yuuta said grimly. "Else I have to go out and buy more gloves and knee pads for her."
Prince
Of
Tennis
Time: Tuesday Midnight
The light was still shining brightly in the student lounge of the boy's dorm.
"I think I looked at this book already," Kaneda groaned as he shut the cook book in front of him. "Did anyone find anything we can mass produce?"
"Not a thing yet, Ichirou-kun," Mizuki said without looking up from his cook book. "Keep looking, please."
"This is not working," Yanagisawa moaned as he looked at the different cookbooks. "All I see is food that we can't make. Damn, I wish my mother wasn't off visiting my grandmother, da-ne."
"I think I'm hungry from reading about all this food," Kisarazu said as he closed another cook book. "This recipe reminds me of my mother's soup in Chiba."
"We could always buy the food from the local stores," Yuuta said as he opened another cook book. "And then resell it at a higher cost."
"But then it wouldn't be as cost effective and it would eat up most of our profits," Nomura said as he looked at the price list he had. "I compiled all the prices of the things we need to sell and even if we buy them, there is no guarantee that the boys of this school will buy them. And there's no guarantee that it'll all taste good."
"Watch it, Nomura, your Osaka taste buds are showing," Akawaza said as he closed a book. "Too bad my parents are on vacation- they're pretty decent cooks."
"You're lucky, sempai," Kaneda snorted. "My mother's a decent cook but since she's in the hospital with a broken ankle, we have to suffer my father's cooking. How the heck do we make enough food let alone make a profit?"
"Let's just concentrate on getting something to sell first," Akazawa said as he yawned. "I'm going to turn in and try to think of something that'll sell. Yuuta and Ichirou, don't forget that you two have quizzes in your classes tomorrow."
"I forgot," Yuuta groaned as he rose from his seat. "I haven't even studied for it."
"Me too," Kaneda groaned as he stretched his back. "Let's study for an hour and then hit the sack, Yuuta."
As the two younger boys left, Kisarazu rose. "I'm going to wash my face to try and keep awake."
"I'll go with you," Mizuki said with a yawn. "I need to clear out my mind."
As the two left, Yanagisawa shook his head. "This is just hopeless, da-ne. Why are we even looking at things to cook when the most that we can do is boil water, da-ne?"
"Because we are masochists, Shinya," Nomura said as he flipped a page.
"No, if we were real masochists, we would brave Coach Ryuzaki, Fuji Syusuke, Akawaza and Yuuta to ask Ryuzaki-chan to help us cook," Yanagisawa retorted.
Nomura paused as he looked at Yanagisawa. "Are you suggesting that we be real masochists and ask her?"
"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting, da-ne?" Yanagisawa demanded as his eyes focused on Nomura. "That we brave them all just to ask her- without any guarantee that she'll do it, da-ne?"
"What have we got to loose, Shinya?"
"Good point, da-ne."
"So have you guys found anything?" Mizuki asked as he walked into the lounge.
Yanagisawa smiled brightly. "Just a couple of ideas, da-ne."
Prince
Of
Tennis
Prince
Of
Tennis
Time: Wednesday morning
Walking towards the tennis courts with some things that she picked from her starting garden to grow, Sakuno smiled as she looked at the tennis team practicing. She managed to see the person she wanted to see most, Ryoma, practicing with Momo-sempai on the courts as well as Oishi-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai.
Off to the side, she could see her grandmother talking to Tezuka-buchou, Inui-sempai and Kawamura-sempai. Kaidoh-sempai was off to the side drinking a cup of something.
As she came closer to the courts, she saw just the other person she wanted to see most, her oniisan's Aniki, Fuji Syusuke.
Mindful of her manners, she started walking faster before calling out, "Fuji-semp-EEEEKK!"
Prince
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Tennis
"So you think that Kawamura should gain more power if he uses the hand like this," Tezuka said as he held the racket and showed the gentle Kawamura. Ryuzaki-sensei nodded as watched Tezuka's demonstration.
"It should work," Inui said as he adjusted his glasses. "And I also think-"
"EEEKK!"
Ryuzaki-sensei's head whipped towards the direction the scream came from. "Sakuno!"
Heart-stopping fear filled her as she forced herself to run as fast as she could towards her granddaughter's scream. "Sakuno!"
She was only vaguely aware of two people holding on to her granddaughter. So with a mighty cry, she gave a flying kick to the one that was holding her granddaughter by the shoulders and the moment she landed, she landed an open-palmed blow to the other attacker's chest, forcing him back. When the two were down, she resumed a battle stance and was about to attack again when she felt a small weight against her waist, holding her. She was about to fling the slight weight away when a small voice cried out:
"Obaachan! Don't!"
Shaking out of herself out of her bloody-mindedness, Sumire Ryuzaki felt all the energy leave her the moment she realized that it was Sakuno who was holding her down. Dropping to her knees, she hugged the girl tightly before desperately checking her for injuries. "Are you all right? You aren't hurt are you? They didn't hurt you?"
Sakuno shook her head. "I'm okay, Obaachan! I'm okay!"
"Oh, thank god," Sumire Ryuzaki the protective grandmother said as she held her little girl close to her. She closed her eyes and willed her fears to go away. "Thank you, Lord."
Fires of anger flew through Fuji's blood as he lifted up Yanagisawa by his shirt. "Just what do you think you're doing, Yanagisawa?"
"There goes the other cheek, da-ne…. Kaasan- Look, da-ne! I think I see stars, da-ne," Yanagisawa moaned as his eyes rolled back.
"Nomura, explain," Tezuka ordered as he knelt by the other boy from St. Rudolph.
"We're just a couple of masochists that needed to see Ryuzaki-chan," Nomura coughed as he rubbed his chest. "I didn't know it would be this painful to see her. Can I please get up?"
"Ano- why do you need to see her?" Oishi demanded as he helped the other boy up.
"But more importantly, why did she scream, nya?" Kikumaru demanded. "She scared the daylights out of us, nya!"
"I have no idea why she screamed," Nomura said as he rubbed his chest to try and ease the pain. "Why don't you ask her?"
"It's probably because you and Yanagisawa grabbed her shoulder and scared her," Fuji said coldly as he glared at Nomura.
"That is the most likely probability, Fuji," Inui said as he adjusted his glasses. "And the most likely reason for you to be here is to ask Ryuzaki-chan to help cook for your mini-bazaar this weekend, right?"
Hearing this, Ryuzaki-sensei felt her anger returning as she let go of her granddaughter to confront the idiots that dared to scare the wits out of her. Without noticing, most of her Regulars took a step back. "You scared the hell out of me and my granddaughter because you want her to bake for your booth?"
"Obaachan!" Sakuno cried out as she tried to stop her grandmother from doing more bodily harm to Yuuta-oniisan's teammate. She stopped when she felt herself being held back. She looked up to see-"Syusuke-oniisan!"
"Your grandmother has every right to be mad, Sakuno-chan," Fuji said as he never took his eyes off of his coach's back. He kept her by his side to stop her from interfering with her grandmother's wrath.
"Fssh, that's stupid," Kaidoh hissed as he looked dismissively at Nomura and the duck-faced tennis player. "I'm going back to practice-"
Nomura got to his knees and bowed before Ryuzaki-chan's grandmother. "We really need her, please! Her cooking is the only surefire-guaranteed thing that will sell in our school! Please sensei! Can she help us?"
"I thought you guys were forbidden to come here to ask for her help," Fuji said in a hard voice.
"We are, but we decided that we were masochists," Nomura admitted as he lifted his head slightly. "Because we really can't stand looking at the cook books anymore and drooling over them and then ruining any recipe we could find! Ryuzaki-chan! We need your help please!"
"Ano," Sakuno stammered as she grabbed and twisted the hem of Syusuke-oniisan's jacket. "Ano- ano- I don't know-ano-"
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Ryoma stated as he looked at her in the eye. "You're not obligated to help them."
"Ano-I know," Sakuno stammered. "But- but- ano- they're asking for help-"
"Mada mada dane, Ryuzaki. People will always ask for help," Ryoma stated as he shook his head. "But you don't always have to give it. Come on, I'll take you back to class so your grandmother can deal with this."
"Yes, walk her back to class!" Momo grinned with glee as he looked at Echizen. "Take a walk back to class!"
Echizen gave him a killing look. "Mada mada dane, Momo-sempai."
Desperate, Nomura put his head down again. "But we're begging and we're going to face horrible punishments anyway if you don't help us!"
"You guys are really pathetic," Kaidoh hissed. He turned to look at the curious spectators of the tennis club. "What are you all looking at?"
Tezuka noticed this and announced, "All of you- go do twenty laps!"
Immediately, the non-Regulars started to jog and do the laps. Tezuka looked at his coach. "We have to get back to practice-"
"Please let Ryuzaki-chan cook for us!" Nomura asked again.
"I dunno, is her cooking really that good?" Momo asked as he scratched his chin and glanced at Echizen who only shrugged.
"Yes," answered six resounding voices. Inui lifted an eyebrow as he noted the voices of Tezuka, Oishi, Fuji, Kawamura, Ryuzaki-sensei and Nomura.
Hearing this, Sakuno blushed fiercely and hid her face into Syusuke-oniisan's jacket. "I'm not that good, Nomura-san!"
"Yes, you are, Ryuzaki-chan!" Nomura said as he lifted his head. "Please help us!"
"Oi, will you please stop pestering her?" Oishi demanded as he looked at Nomura.
"If she doesn't want to, my granddaughter will do no such thing," Ryuzaki-sensei said stoutly. She made her granddaughter look at her. "Do you want to, Sa-chan?"
Sakuno bit her lip. "I want to help Yuuta-oniisan but he told me that I shouldn't cook if the team asks because- because it's a St. Rudolph matter. He said that he didn't want them to take advantage of my food."
"He has a point," Fuji said as he looked at Nomura. "You'd be putting all the time and effort in cooking while these guys reap in the profits."
Ryoma glanced at her troubled face then sighed. "Mada mada dane. Then why not just charge them for the food?"
Everyone looked at Echizen owlishly. Then suddenly Kikumaru glommed himself onto Echizen's back. "Nya! Ochibi hit on the solution! Nya! Charge them! Charge St. Rudolph!"
Prince
Of
Tennis
Yawning, Inui smiled as he started writing his latest entries.
Observation A: Ryuzaki-sensei has had some training in the martial arts and when motivated, her speed is on par with Tezuka's speed.
Observation B: Confirmed that Tezuka, Oishi, Kawamura and Fuji have tasted Ryuzaki-chan's cooking and found it tasty.
Observation C: Echizen is becoming more mentally mature in consoling Ryuzaki-chan when she is upset.
Observation D: Negotiations for Ryuzaki's cooking was advantageous to both sides. Nomura and Yanagisawa were both given severe punishments upon their return.
Fact A: Ryuzaki will receive twelve percent of the profits after expenses as payment for her dishes.
Fact B: Ryuzaki will make the total of fifteen dishes, ranging from meals to desserts, not including the baked items. And a portion of the more expensive dishes will be auctioned off in an effort to raise more money for the St. Rudolph tennis club.
Notation A: Will go to St. Rudolph mini-bazaar over the weekend to see how the auction and sales went.
With that final notation, Inui took off his glasses and went to bed.