A/N: This chapter had been sitting around since 2005. I know! Talk about writing in advance, but I'm glad I finally get to use it. Plus I'm not sure if the characters go 'ooc' in his chapter. It was fun to write nevertheless… then again, I wonder if this is a little incomplete… *shrug Enjoy
(Wow, six chapters uploaded last month... it'll never be that good again.)
Also: Hi to any new readers and those who are sticking with it. I don't reply to reviews because I would want to tell all of you the whole story and I can't have that, but thanking you for taking the time out to share your thoughts. x
Edited because it's finally 2010 (4.1.10)
Disclaimer: I asked Takeshi Konomi how much it would be to buy Prince of Tennis and he laughed at me… (T_T) (not true!)
Chapter Twenty Eight
It was never a dull moment with Ryuzaki-sensei. As promised, again, she mixed up the morning practise by letting her doubles play in singles and her singles play in doubles. The bottom line for this was so they could get used to it. She planned on creating a different line up for the quarterfinals. They had no time to complain fore tomorrow they were to go live. She explained to them that their previous line-ups were too typical so she wanted to give the other schools a surprise. Shikawara was lumbered with Yokoishi, Fuji teamed up with Suzu while Kikumaru fought against Arai and Jinhana against Nariko. Oh, but that wasn't all! The losing team would have to drink some of Inui's vegetable juice. They still didn't get the threat but Ryuzaki-sensei giggled at the thought of it. She wasn't going to let them get away with not tasting it.
They played for about an hour before class began and they were to continue again after school.
Fuji wasn't paying much attention to anything. All that happened yesterday plagued her mind and made her smile wider, richer and sexier. She didn't like it, but she couldn't help it. She tried to busy herself with class work but that didn't get the thoughts out of her head. That's what she gets for playing with fire, and boy was it scotching her! By the time lunch came and she walked the length of the corridor and up the stairs with Kikumaru, the thoughts began to bother her and annoy her… they wouldn't go, no matter what she tried. Even when she thought about the look on her sister's face yesterday, it didn't kill the thoughts. It only prolonged it until she thought about his provoking words. And that thrilling feeling came to her again, starting in the pit of her stomach and worming it's way up to her arms. It sickened her now. She played with the fantasy until she fell asleep last night and now she couldn't let go of them. Fuji didn't know why she couldn't let them go. When she compared it…
… she understood and it scared her greatly.
They walked out onto the roof, it was a little breezy but they didn't mind that. They sat down near the fence and got comfortable. Kikumaru busied herself with her food but Fuji was trapped in that thought again.
"Fuji-chan, are you okay? You don't look so well. Fuji-chan? Sumiko!"
She blinked several times and faced Kikumaru. Kikumaru didn't say anything at first. She studied Fuji's face and didn't like what she saw.
"Fuji-chan, tell me what's wrong?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?" She asked back.
"Because you're looking at the ground and you're really quiet, and your smile is pretty weak. Did something happen when I left you? Did Yumi-san see you and say something to you?"
If only it was her sister who approached her yesterday, maybe then she wouldn't be feeling like this. She pulled her green skirt down and slumped down on her thigh.
"No, nothing like that."
"Well, eat!" Kikumaru paused as a thought came to her mind. "No. Something is wrong. I can tell. You were like this yesterday before that brat came over."
Fuji leant back on the fence. "Well that was Yumi related but now it's something… different." A cold sensation travelled through her again and she closed her eyes.
"How different?"
"Very different."
"Hmm, is it Tezuka-san related?"
Fuji opened her eyes quickly and paused in her response. "Something like that."
"Ooh, did he do something nice for you?"
"Not really."
"Yeah, but he might have done something."
"Well, he hasn't!" Fuji replied harshly. The annoyance was getting to her.
Kikumaru had to stop eating to really look at Fuji.
Fuji realised what she done, she let too much of her emotions out and had to turned away. She would have to tell Kikumaru of her confusing thoughts. She didn't want to. She sighed once more and forced herself to stay quiet, but her thoughts where so chaotic that she had to say something. Fuji finally looked to Kikumaru.
"Kikumaru-chan, promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. No one, not Arai-chan or Oishi-kun, or even let it slip to the year sevens."
A worrisome nerve ran through Kikumaru. She leant closer to Fuji. "Whoa, what have you done? Is it something bad?"
The wind picked up and ruffled through Fuji's hair. She fitted it in place, stalling and finding the right words to use.
"No, not really but…" She paused, she didn't even want to create the thoughts into words, to put them into the world and make them real. "I… wow, how do I say this… well, I'm not sure it's anything but for the time being… I think I might be falling for someone else."
Kikumaru went blank for a moment. "What do you mean? I don't understand?"
Fuji held back a groan. Why was Kikumaru doing this to her? She didn't want to repeat herself.
"It's like I said…"
"Someone else? As in other than Tezuka-san?" Kikumaru concluded.
The mere mention of Tezuka's name made Fuji more confused. How could someone take his place in her heart? But it was true. Someone else was trying to push him out. The door to the roof opened and a group of four walked out, saw Kikumaru and Fuji and tried to not sit so close to them.
"… I guess." Fuji spoke softly so others didn't hear her.
"…But I don't understand Fuji… You love Tezuka-san, right? And he might not say it but he loves you too."
"But Kikumaru-"
Kikumaru refused to allow Fuji to reason with the idea. "No! This is why I wanted us to confess first so something like this wouldn't happen. And after all that stuff you told me yesterday, and you go and do the complete opposite!"
Fuji couldn't face Kikumaru. She could hear the distaste in her words. "You're disappointed with me are you?"
"Of course I am! Fuji-chan, it's like you're having an affair!"
She couldn't argue with that. It certainly felt like she was caught in the middle of something.
"Who is it? Is it someone in this school?" Kikumaru wasn't letting her get away with not saying.
"… Geez Kikumaru-chan…" She hung her head low. "It's not someone in the school."
"Don't avoid the question. Tell me his name?" Kikumaru rushed her.
Fuji sighed again. She was cornered. "… Atobe-kun." Fuji murmured but Kikumaru didn't hear because of the wind. "I said, it's Atobe-kun."
Fuji expected her friend to scream in disgust and to rant in her usually way, but Kikumaru sat quietly. Kikumaru placed her chopsticks on her bento and leant back on the fence. She didn't say anything. Fuji rubbed her thumbs into the hem of her skirt while she waited for a reply. When she didn't get one she forced Kikumaru to say something.
Kikumaru crossed her arms and glared ahead of her. "I'm telling. I'm telling Oishi and Arai-chan and then I'm telling Tezuka-san! Fuji how could you?"
Fuji didn't expect her to say that. She had no way of answering.
"Why him? Why? He was so rude to you that day, saying he would hurt you by breaking your foundations. How could you like someone like that?"
"I don't know." Fuji murmured.
Kikumaru wasn't happy with that answer. "I know you Fuji, tell me how he got in there?" She pointed at Fuji's heart. "Tell me? I'm telling if you don't. I know it's bothering you, so tell me at least?"
Fuji kicked her legs out and hugged her knees. The doors where right in front of her. She could easily get up and walk away from Kikumaru's confrontation but she wanted a sense of peace to return to her.
"It's that very reason Kikumaru. Even though I have my suspicions that Tezuka likes me… he's never told me… So when Atobe-kun came along, those words that Tezuka-kun finds so hard to say came easily out of Atobe-kun's mouth… and it excited me… it really got me thinking…" She looked up. "Don't think that I don't like Tezuka-kun because I do, a lot."
"I know you like him Fuji-chan. The both of you like each other, if he didn't he wouldn't put up with all your teasing, would he?" Fuji shrugged. "And just think how much more excited you would be with Tezuka-san tells you those words? You'll be so in love nothing, not even a-a… the moon crashing into the earth can take that away from you, so please Fuji, tell him. Promise me you'll tell him something Fuji-chan?"
It was that same problem. She couldn't just tell him… she just couldn't, and she really didn't know why. What was stopping her – something was stopping her… She shrugged her answer again and Kikumaru shook her head. Kikumaru really would tell someone if Fuji didn't clear things up.
Kikumaru worked herself up so much that she had to eat something, but she didn't stop laying into Fuji.
"Atobe-san was so mean to you Fuji. You don't deserve someone like that, and don't abandon Tezuka-san for something that looks pretty on the outside but has no depth."
"It was the rose, Kikumaru-chan." Fuji finally confessed. "He was the first person to ever give me a flower… I couldn't throw it away – other than Chise-chan – and then straight after that he said he wanted my heart. I think it's working."
Kikumaru pointed her chopsticks at Fuji, something she wouldn't have done if she were thinking clearly. "I'm serious Sumiko Fuji. I'll tell. You just get all these emotion out now, because after this I want you to think about how you'll confess to Tezuka-san."
Fuji covered her face. The thought of telling him made her heart panic. "I can't tell him."
Kikumaru nearly choked on her food. "Why?"
"… I just can't... Not yet…"
Kikumaru wasn't going to give up. "How easy do you think it was for me to tell Oishi about my feelings? That was really hard for me. I nearly cried I was so embarrassed. But after that initial fear Fuji-chan, it got easy, really easy. I didn't care if it was a yes or a no – if it was a no at least I knew where I stood - and I'm very glad I did it, and… and I want you to do it for Tezuka-san too. Stop putting a boundary up because that's what you're doing. Instead of building it higher, smash it down until you can tell him. You better tell him." She munched on some rice and Fuji sat quietly. She no longer had those thoughts in her head. Kikumaru's harsh words rung loudly in her ears.
"And you know Tezuka-san would make you happy. He's not so self-centred and he's very caring, he wants the best for those around him."
Fuji flopped down on the ground. The whole thing exhausted her.
"Think about it, Tezuka-san telling you everyday that he loves you with that voice of his… and wanting to embrace you when he gets to morning practise."
Fuji finally found the desire to laugh. The thought embarrassed her. "…I get it… I'll try." She wiped the small tears from her eyes and grabbed her bag to rest her head on.
"Don't betray Tezuka-san, Fuji."
"…I won't…"
Fuji closed her eyes and enjoyed the cold breeze that travelled passed. With it, the breeze took the confusion away from her and replaced it with her sense of peace and clarity… really, it put her back where she was before the whole thing got the better of her, at least, that is what she hoped.
She took at deep breath and let the breeze carry the anxiety high into the clouds where she didn't have to think about it.
"Love ya, Kikumaru."
Kikumaru tapped Fuji's leg. "I love you too, Fuji."
…tbc…
A/N2: Ah, friendship! Where would we be without great friends?
Chapter 29: The losers from morning practise finally taste Inui's drink and Ryoma pops up for more revenge!
