A/N: I know, I know another 3 months gap. Writer's block has been stopping me from forming this chapter. I'm glad I've gotten over that hurdle.
Also, because it has been so long, let's do a character bio:
Sumiko Fuji – Protagonist, Captain;
Leiko Arai – Antagonist, Vice Captain, doubles with Kikumaru;
Eiko Kikumaru - Fuji's best friend, doubles with Arai,
Umeko Kikoishi – Arai's best friend. Dropped out of reg's in chapter 9;
Yumi Jinhana – Loves flowers, doubles with Nariko. Hates losing, big time;
Tamika Yokoishi – Hyperactive girl, loves everything, talks too much, reserved and singles player;
Ai Suzu – Made regs after chapter 7. Singles, plays very prolonged games;
Tori Nariko – New to the team, doubles with Jinhana. Doubtful about playing doubles;
Takara Shikawara – Yakuza girl. Cool, calm and collected. Respect's Arai, very strong.
Disclaimer: Oh what the heck! I own it all!!!
Edits: Perfection… 13.11.09
Chapter Twenty Two
"So, what happened to you the other day?"
Fuji was in the changing rooms with Arai. The team had already started their gruelling morning practise matches but Arai pulled Fuji away for a moment to clear the air, as she put it. Fuji, who knew what was on Arai's mind, leant against the lockers and waited for her to start her rally of questions. When Arai posed the knowing question to Fuji she didn't show any signs of discomfort or unease. She was well prepared.
"What day?" Fuji replied.
Arai stared at her unimpressed. "The day you didn't turn up to school?"
"Oh, you wanna know?"
Arai shrugged her right shoulder with indifference. She didn't want to say too much, knowing Fuji's twisted mind and how she could turn the conversation around to her own gain.
"Personally, I'm not really bothered, but it's a different matter when my brother tells me he saw you at their match the other day."
"I don't see how." Fuji answered, not giving Arai even the smallest hint of the truth.
Calling for a day off school wasn't the easiest thing to do at Seishun Academy. Merely having a silly excuse, such as being sick, wasn't going to put you in the clear. Lucky, Fuji's brother didn't just drop her outside the Sports Park the other day. He also called into the school as a request to keep Fuji at home. He wanted her to help him with some family preparations. She owed her brother for that. Big time! He got a grilling from the office secretary for hindering Fuji schooling and for not being a responsible guardian. And that's how Kikumaru found out about it. She had the misfortunate of collecting all the class notes for Fuji the next day. No doubt Fuji owed Kikumaru a big debt too.
Arai tilted her head slightly not really sure what to make of Fuji's response. "So you're calling my bro a liar?"
Fuji didn't much like the tone in Arai's voice or what she was insinuating but she wasn't going to satisfy her rightful suspicions. "No. I was at home with my older brother preparing the home for when my parents came back. It was only for the one day."
Arai lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you were gonna say you were sick?"
"No, I wasn't sick. How could I let my body get that weak so quickly? I was merely helping my brother out that day."
"You can say that even when my brother saw you with Tezuka-san?"
Fuji couldn't help but laugh lightly to herself, annoying Arai in the process. She wasn't laughing because she really was with Tezuka and a few nerves were getting to her, she laughed because the little white lie she was about to tell didn't sound like a lie at all.
"That definitely couldn't have been me. Do you really think Tezuka-kun would have tolerated me at the match that day? Think about it, if he saw me he would have marched me back to school, don't you think, Arai-chan?"
She breathed out deeply through her nose. "…I guess."
"And besides, I think we all know Tezuka-kun doesn't like being around me that much."
Arai's eyebrow twitched. "What makes you say that? That's not what a lot of other people are saying?"
"Oh, what are they saying?"
Arai was going to tell her all that the girls spoke of, but she quickly covered her month. She wasn't going to massage Fuji's ego, not while she had her own plans. "Never mind. If you were only at home I'll have to set my brother straight. I didn't think you would do something so reckless."
Fuji eased off of the lockers and made her way for the door. "Oh, I would do something reckless, but not if I know I could get caught."
Arai rolled her eyes. "I totally don't get you."
They both step outside to see their team getting on with their practise. A group of four year eights ran pass them as a punishment for losing one of the accuracy games. Everyone was trying their hardest, especially the regulars who were looking forward to the city tournaments in a few days. At that moment Fuji could see Nariko and Shikawara playing a mini intense game. Fuji was interested to know what the scores were when someone called her name. She peered over her shoulder to see Katou Kachiro from the boy's tennis team. He held one hand to the back of his head with a sheepish and bashful smile.
"You okay, Kachiro-kun?" Fuji wondered. Arai glanced over to see Kachiro, didn't see anything interesting and carried on onto the courts. "You haven't come to peek at my girls have you?"
He laughed lightly to ease the tension in the air. "Sorry to disturb you Fuji-sempai, but Ryuzaki-sensei has something to ask you."
Fuji felt deflated. Arai's brother couldn't have said anything too loudly could he? And if not Masashi Arai then maybe the little one… he had the type of eyes that always wanted to dominate any situation… no doubt he wanted a little revenge after she wiped the cap off his head and whacked it down on his face. If that were the case, she was ready for him just like she was ready for Arai's questioning.
She walked around the corner and wasn't surprised to see Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka standing side by side. Tezuka clearly wasn't going to make eye contact with anyone. And rightly so. Next of course, to her amusement, was Echizen. He was under the dominating hand of Ryuzaki-sensei as she held tightly onto his right ear. This looks interesting, Fuji thought as she walked closer.
"Morning." She greeted deliberately ignoring the situation.
"Explain to me why this one is claiming to have seen you the other day, Fuji-san when you should have been at school?"
"What do you mean sensei?
"Echizen mentioned that you were at Shikinomori Sports Park the other day when they had their first set of matches. Is that true?"
"No." Was her readied answer.
"What! Sempai's lying!" Echizen protested.
She was right, he was hoping for a little revenge. Shame he was up against someone with a little more strength and cunning. Ryuzaki-sensei pulled harder to shut Echizen up.
"Ow! But she was there! With Tezuka-buchou, both of them, together. Ow!
All eyes now landed on Tezuka to whom wished he was somewhere else.
"Well, Tezuka-kun?" Ryuzaki-sensei encouraged him.
He closed his eyes, not interested in the matter but he had to give an answer. Now it all rested in his hands. Would he side with Echizen or would he be sweet enough to side with Fuji? Either way she would respect Tezuka's answer. He seemed ready to talk as he let out a bothered sigh.
"No, she wasn't there. I was talking with one of the spectators. That's who he saw."
"WHAT!" Echizen called only to get his ear twisted.
"Your cockiness is getting the better of you Echizen. Go and run several laps around the court. NOW!"
Ryuzaki-sensei released his ear and shoved him forward. Now his eyes were burning and it was aimed straight at Fuji. She returned it with one of her smiles and it warned him not to mess with her.
"Ah, I told him not to mess with Fuji-sempai, I told him." Momoshiro commented from the courts. Fuji glanced over to him and gave a wave. He gave her a wary one and darted off knowing not to get involved.
"If I'm expected to run, maybe Tezuka-buchou should join me too!" Echizen said before he set off.
"Shut up and run before I decide to bench you! Fuji?" Fuji faced Ryuzaki-sensei. "Any more of this tomfoolery and I'll have to take strict punishment against you, and I will. Get it together! You have your games soon."
"Sorry Sensei. I'll try not to look like other people in the future."
Ryuzaki-sensei didn't appreciate the sarcasm. "Hurry up and get back!"
"Wait a moment." The two of them faced Tezuka. "I want to have a private talk with her."
Ryuzaki-sensei reluctantly let them go. Well, this is new. What could he be thinking? He reached over and took her hand. He didn't give her time to react as he pulled her towards the changing rooms. He didn't take her inside. He didn't want to be out of someone's view.
He sighed deeply and adjusted his glasses. "I want you to stop doing such reckless things Fuji-san. We're suppose to be an example to them."
"I didn't ask you to lie. You could have told the truth."
"Stop it Fuji-san. You're no better then Echizen-kun at times, though he is a lot worse."
Fuji folded her arms not wanting to be rebuked right now. "What do you mean?"
"He is arrogant and over confidence. And even when I say that much, he's got enough skill to back it up. Not only did he beat Kaido-kun and Inui, he won his first doubles match and beat Shinji-kun within ten minutes and with a deep wound to his eye."
"Is that so." Fuji watched Echizen jogging around the courts. He had his head down and got on with the punishment. She could see his strength. He wasn't panting, gasping for air or losing pace. She also remembered the match he had with that worn racket.
"As skilful as he is, with that attitude, it's not enough to get him ahead in the city tournaments."
"You're right. I can understand why you would say that. I've noticed the strong and successful ones are quiet yet their aura makes you tremble, a little like you." She smirked.
"I chose to side with you to remind Echizen-kun that he needs to respect the game and the players whatever team they are on. He lacks etiquette and because of that he lacks focus."
"That's quite observant on your behalf."
"In the city tournaments he's not going to come across short tempered players like he has in the preliminaries. Their minds are of a different calibre and I want him to take note of that."
"Well, 'mummy' and 'daddy' have just lied to him… how do you hope to teach him to respect the game?"
"That's what I wanted to tell you know. I'm going to have a match with him in a few days."
Fuji opened her eyes and cut a glare to Tezuka. "Pardon?"
"I've already discussed this with Ryuzaki-sensei and she gave me the okay."
She moved her arms to rest her hands on her hips. "You're going to play a serious game? All out?"
"It's the only way he'll understand."
Fuji noticed that he was serious about this. So anything she said wouldn't convince him not to do it. "I'm sure there are better ways… Can't say that I'm happy to hear that. Don't forget you own me a match too."
"I'm not running away from you Fuji-san. We're not ready to play each other at full power."
"Hmm?"
"Keep practising."
"If it's a request from you I can't refuse, can I?"
She turns to leave when an unexpected hand made its way around her waist. There's no way it could be Tezuka's hand. When she glanced down to see who it was, she was bemused to find it really was his hand… touching her. Willingly. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. That deep voice sailed over her spine causing her muscles to seize and her mind to go blank.
"Please, don't do anything careless, Sumiko. Remember the promise you made to get to the finals?" They were his last words.
Though he had already moved his hand and left her side, she couldn't find the will to move. He got her, again. It didn't quite rid her of the fact that he was going to go all out with Echizen but it did encouragement her. And to even do it outside in front of his team! Hmm… why was he being so bold with her? Sure enough, she hadn't done much teasing on her part… is that why he's returning it? Now she could move and it was to chuckle. She didn't no if Tezuka had a reason or not, she was going to enjoy the moment.
There was a skip in her step as she made her way back to her courts and to start her gruelling training with the rest of her team. As she made her way back Echizen rounded the corner. They caught each other's stare and it wasn't friendly. She decided to keep an eye on Ryoma Echizen in the future… With his plans foiled, he'll be after her again. Cute.
...tbc... promise...
A/N2: Yeah, it's going the way I want it...
chapter 23: Kikumaru plucks up the courage to...
Thanks for being so patient ^_^
