A/N: A little over due but better late than never.
Edit: Mistakes should be gone.
Edited 'cause he needed to be! 11/5/2009
Disclaimer: Y'all know how it goes...
Chapter Four
Arai walked a few steps in front of Fuji. They turned onto the third fall of the school and made their way to Ryuzaki-sensei's office. Fuji had forgotten her pens in her schoolbag and needed to borrow one from the office. Arai has a self-satisfied walk, Fuji thought as she watched Arai's high hung head and swinging arms, elegantly swaying at her side. They brushed her hips with every model-imitated-step she attempted to make. If it were not for the flat tennis shops Fuji would be sure that those hips would be swaying like a child's swing. She was quick tempered like her brother and her brother was every bit a show off as she was.
"What do you see in Tezuka-kun anyway?" Arai questioned, straight off the bat.
"Hmm?"
"I said, what do you see in Tezuka-kun? He clearly has nothing in common with you. You're content and he's serious. Are you sure you two are compatible?"
Fuji did not have to think about it, but just to make Arai feel as if she had anything up on her, she stopped walking and hugged her waist. Soon enough, Arai glanced over her shoulder to see what damage her meaningless words caused.
"I don't know. I guess the same thing you and everyone else sees in him." She saw Arai's eyebrow frown. "And maybe more. Everyone sees this authoritative young man who sends shivers down their spines when he talks. I see a lot more in him. And you know what they say, opposites attract."
That shut her up for now, or so she thought.
"I heard you had a date with Tezuka-kun."
Fuji rolled her eyes but felt good that people seemed to think her brief talk was anything like a date.
"Yeah, he called me up and asked if I would have a drink with him. He called me every other day over the summer break, but I was away."
"Really!"
"… no."
Fuji playfully bumped into Arai who had stopped walking, probably trying to make sense of the story. Fuji left her alone, wanting to find Ryuzaki-sensei's office. She saw the nameplate over the door and twisted the handle and left the door ajar. She called to Arai to hurry and to go on in before her, seeing as she was not familiar with the ranking papers. Arai didn't believe her for a second but still tossed her head to the side and pushed her way forward.
"For a captain, you're not very organised, are you?"
"I guess not, it's a good thing I have you Arai-chan."
She huffed and pushed the ajar door open to walk in on Tezuka and Oishi. They stared up at her. Arai forgot they were in there. She stood up straight and bowed in apology and quickly closed the door.
"You knew they were in there, didn't you?" She tried to compose herself.
"Yeah, I did. Ryuzaki-sensei said so. Oh, but I still need those papers. You can wait out here while. I'll get them."
Fuji did not wait for an answer and walked into the room, not paying attention to the two in there. She walked over to the filing cabinet and flipped through the papers.
"Fuji-Ann, we've run out." Oishi told her.
"Here." Tezuka pulled apart one sheet from beneath his. "You'll need to photocopy them if you need more."
"Thank you. Would you like some for yourself?"
"Just one."
She closed the door behind her and pulled Arai away to the media room. She placed the paper in the machine and hit for twenty-four to come out. She leant on it while they waited.
"Any idea who we're likely to play this year?" Fuji spoke first to keep the topic of conversation off Tezuka and herself.
Arai slide her an unimpressed eye. So to keep the peace she answered. "Well if we're playing the same lot from last year I doubt we'll have anything to worry about."
Fuji nodded in agreement. "So it wouldn't matter what group we put the girls in?"
"Oh course it does! Why do you always do that?"
"My random entries have always worked well in the past." She said innocently.
Arai sighed under her breath and turned her back on Fuji. Fuji smiled.
"You need to think about the player's skill and how that skill will make us win later on."
While she dribbled on about how to pick and choose, Fuji wondered, out of the three teams they had to face, which of them would be a challenge. It was an easy win against Suzuneyama last year. She remembered hearing that Daigosho Academy put up a good fight to make it to the next stage. But no real challenge otherwise. Even if she wanted to annoy Arai she could easily jot names down willy-nilly and still have a good team. The year eights' did not look as if they would improve, although Ai Suzu of the year nines seem to be making shocking improvements. She'll be in block A so Fuji could see just how good she is.
The photocopier made its last prolonged beep. Fuji took the warm sheets in her hand, not forgetting to take the original one with her. They made their way back to the office to give the boys the extra sheet and to put the rest in the cabinet.
"Do you know if there are any open classrooms on this floor, Tezuka-kun?" Fuji asked.
He peered up from his page, glaring with that serious face of his. Arai seemed trouble by it. She tried to indicate to Fuji to leave him be. Fuji waited patiently for him to answer. Oishi had to step forward and explain that the other rooms were locked.
"Don't worry." Tezuka finally spoke in a bothered tone. "I've almost finished. You can have this room."
"Thank you." Both girls answered.
Fuji went to the back of the room with Arai and sat with her back to them. Arai kept looking over ever now and then. Fuji didn't completely dislike Leiko, only the pompous manner she had no shame in displaying, even towards her own brother. She was pretty too, not that Fuji felt inferior to her charms. They both had their fair share of boys. The only problem that Fuji could see was that they wanted the same boy. The annoying thing about this was that Arai was more likely to do something about getting her hands on him opposed to anyone else who kept a respectful distance. Being the kind of girl who liked a challenge, Fuji indirectly dared Arai to get him before her.
"Doesn't your hair get in the way when you play?" Fuji reached out to touch the black strands.
"Hardly. My hair is not as long as Ryuzaki-san's hair. Someone should tell her to cut it."
Fuji changed the subject. "That's why you can't confess to Tezuka-kun."
"EEH!" Arai shrieked. She composed herself and asked Fuji to explain herself, and so suddenly, and with the very person in the room. Fuji didn't aide Arai's surprise. Arai controlled herself by lowering her head into her arms. Soon enough Fuji explained.
"Remember when you walked into the room and they both looked up at you, you turned red and apologised for interrupting them. Then when I interrupted Tezuka-kun, you looked at me as if to say 'don't bother him.'"
Arai stared at her bitterly. "You set me up?"
"I did nothing of the sort. It was just close observation."
"You shouldn't do things like that to people Fuji-san. You wouldn't like it if someone did it to you?"
"No, I wouldn't. We'll call it a coincidence."
Oishi announced that he and Tezuka had finished and that they could now have the room to themselves. The two girls waited for the boys to leave before they discussed what they would plan… at least that is what Arai had wanted. Fuji had another system of getting it done and she wished to execute it. She quickly jotted names down and all to the horror of Arai.
…tbc…
A/N2: Cuz this was late, chapter 5 will come in a few days. Thanks for reading. loads more to come. xox
