Chapter 14

Echizen Ryoma didn't like a lot of things, but his team was driving him nuts. He was sick of the Inui juice, disgusted by the diet, annoyed at his senpai who seemed, in his not-so-humble opinion, to need mental help, and bothered by the fact that he'd already been crushed - twice - by the team's resident stars. Most of all, he was sick of being treated like a kid who had no clue how to play tennis.

He'd already won four titles in America, and he was good enough to keep up with almost anyone he had ever met. The Tezuka and Atobe problems would be remedied, as soon as he figured out how to beat them - and he would. He'd never lost before... well, except to the old man, but that didn't count.

His main problem, though, was not being able to play. He'd thought after showing everyone his skills at a tournament, the matter would be resolved, but Ryuuzaki had made it clear that he still had a long way to go before she would consider bumping one of her star trio for him. She had suggested quite strongly that he might want to seriously consider learning how to play doubles, at least for this year.

The idea was repulsive.

Ryoma had thought about the situation, and came to an obvious conclusion. As far as he could see, the one thing standing between him and regular playing time was Fuji Syuusuke.

He had watched Fuji play all his matches, and while he admitted that the older player was skilled, he hadn't seen anything particularly special about him aside from the Tsubame Gaeshi. And that could be countered, he was quite sure -- just by getting to the ball before it bounced. Using the split step, it should be possible. Fuji was good, but nowhere near Atobe or Tezuka's level. He was good enough for most teams' first slot, which was why he was so dangerous when placed in the third.

Ryoma was sure he could beat him, if given the chance. But regulars rarely held practice matches, so it didn't seem likely to be happening anytime soon.

He had been in a foul mood that weekend, and it had been made even more foul when his father tricked him into wasting his day off "coaching" two girls. The girls were nice enough, he supposed, but utterly clueless in tennis, and he could have spent the time practicing himself.

Needless to say, he did find a way to get some tennis time in. The girls had managed to get into a scrape with a tennis club, and he had challenged them all to a contest.

Which he had won, of course. It had been reassuring to know he still had it - especially after seeing the looks on their faces as the "chibi" left with their entire collection of balls.

It was nice to feel reassured again, to see people stare at him in amazement because they underestimated someone who was younger and smaller. He wanted to prove to them that he could do it, too. He might not be at Tezuka and Atobe's level at the moment, but he was sure the place wasn't far now. But first of all, he had to get himself a permanent slot in singles.

After that, he'd wipe the courts with the two older boys' assess.

Ryoma got a surprise visit the next day.

Someone called Akutsu Jin from Yamabuki Chuu turned up in Seigaku asking for Ryoma. He didn't only beat up Arai and bully Katou, but also served stones at him. It was the first time he had been shocked into silence and stillness, and it was also the first time fear froze him to the spot he was standing at as he watched the stones heading for his face at an uncanny speed.

There was nothing but pure malice in that act.

"Who did this to you?" The exasperated tone Ryuuzaki used when dealing with the youngest member of her regulars had the boy sulking, almost. "This is pretty severe. I can't believe you lied and said you fell down."

"I fell."

Ryuuzaki sighed. "What's wrong with you?"

Practice that day had several people fussing over him, and a lot more others who made comments he didn't want to hear.

"Echizen got attacked by someone from another school?"

"He's in the nurse's office getting treated now." Kikumaru's worried tone was just a hair's breadth away from making him irritated and generally crabby. In fact, he was already crabby. And when Ryoma saw Oishi giving him a similar worried look, he turned away in disgust and started digging through his bag for something.

Atobe stared at Ryoma for a moment before turning to Fuji. "Look."

The prodigy opened his eyes to watch the younger boy for a moment. "He's angry."

"Injured pride. He doesn't want us to think of him as a kid, but he is a kid." The thoughtful look on Atobe's face made Fuji glance over. The younger boy tilted his head to one side in curiosity. "I heard that someone came to school looking for him today. Amazing, isn't it? I never knew he had a reputation outside. I wonder what the hell he did to earn retribution of that kind."

"Akutsu..." Kawamura's worried tone caught both boys' attention at once.

"You know him?" Atobe's easy tone made the frown on Kawamura's brow deepen.

"Ahh, yes."

Fuji glanced at Ryoma again. "He's pretty violent, to do all that. I wonder if Sumire-chan will inform the board about this issue. We'll be playing Yamabuki Chuu in the finals, so we'll probably see him then."

"Hm..." the contemplative look Atobe gave Ryoma was something which many worried over. "It's all up to boy wonder now, actually. I think he'll survive. He's a tough nut to crack."

"I'm sure he will," Fuji grinned, causing Kawamura to look more upset than ever. "I've yet to play against him."

"Hey, Echizen," Oishi began, approaching the younger boy. "I'm sure if you complain to the board..."

"I fell."

Momoshiro caught up with the older boy, laughing. "It's no use, Oishi-senpai." He grabbed hold of Ryoma's head and turned it forcefully, grinning. "He's got that 'I'll take care of myself' face on."

Ryoma scowled at both senpai, looking particularly vindictive. Oishi buried his face in one of his hands. "Please don't cause any trouble."

"Hm... so that's what you see in him?" Atobe nudged Fuji lightly, mirth filling his eyes.

"How can you doubt me, Keigo-chan?" Fuji jested in return, reaching over to wrap secure arms around Atobe. "I want only you."

All across the room, everyone gave the two boys either nervous or droll looks.

Fuji seemed to have calmed down enough to joke around, Atobe noticed with relief. He wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist, smiling as everyone tried not to look at them. "See that it stays that way," he said in a low voice, but one that managed to carry.

"You think I'd cheat on you?"

"Not if you know what's good for you," Atobe purred. "You're not the only one prone to fits of jealousy here."

A few of the club members started to inch towards the door, trying to get away from the vibes the two were giving off. Momoshiro and Kaidou, in rare agreement, were almost to the door before it swung open obligingly to admit another player.

The atmosphere was a bad one, and that was when Tezuka walked in, ready to prepare to go home. He saw Fuji and Atobe, Echizen's face, and everyone else ready to get the hell out of there, and he sighed. It was that kind of day.

"Atobe, if you have a moment, I would like to speak to you," he said, ignoring the diva's intimate position.

Atobe thought for a second, then realized it had to be in regards to their doubles work. "Sure," he agreed readily enough. "Now?"

"Now."

He sighed as he dropped his arms and stepped out of Fuji's half-embrace. "Looks like we'll have to continue this later."

Fuji smiled at him. "Well, I was going to come over tonight to do homework..."

Oishi, who had been unable to find the nerve to stop them, glanced over at Kikumaru, noticing the redhead seemed to be twitching particularly hard. "They're just playing with us," Oishi told his partner, though he wasn't sure if he was telling the truth.

"They make it sound so dirty! I mean, I come over to your house to do homework. Do people think we're doing that?"

"No, no..." Oishi rushed to assure him, missing the smirks from half the team.

Kikumaru threw his arms around Oishi happily. "You're so nice!"

"You are, too," Oishi assured him, running his hands over Eiji's hair. "Do you want to go get some ice cream?"

"Really? Are you paying?" Kikumaru asked.

"Sure." Oishi's face was relatively content as he helped Eiji pack up the rest of his things.

Fuji tilted his head, then looked at Atobe. "It's kind of sad, but I think they win without even trying."

Atobe was smirking again. "I wonder what happens when they realize that they are dating?"

"I want to see," Fuji agreed. He glanced over at Kawamura, who was wearing a troubled expression on his face. "Are you okay, Taka-san?"

"I'm just... thinking. I have someone I want to meet," Kawamura said softly. "I haven't seen her in a while, and I'm not sure what I should do."

"Her?" Fuji and Atobe echoed curiously.

"Akutsu's mother. I think she might be able to keep Akutsu from going after Echizen again. He really loves her... he's just a bit wild."

"You know him?"

"We used to do karate together, before I got interested in tennis. He's not a bad guy, really..." Kawamura hedged.

Fuji gave a smile. "If you say so, Taka-san, I'm sure he's worth knowing. Do you want me to go with you?"

Kawamura thought on it. "I'd better talk to her alone."

"I'll walk you there," Fuji offered. "Atobe's going to be talking to Tezuka, so I don't want to be sitting around waiting for him."

Atobe nodded, deciding. "Taka-san, you should. What if Akutsu shows up?"

"He-he won't hurt anyone... well, he's never hurt me..."

Atobe shook his head, catching Tezuka's look from across the club room. "I hope that all goes well, then." The diva offered his friend a smile. "I'll speak to you tomorrow?"

"Ah-sure." Kawamura blushed, grinning a little foolishly.

"Atobe." Tezuka's low voice was a familiar sound in the club room.

"I'm coming! Just give me a second here." Atobe turned back the two boys watching him, then rolled his eyes. "I don't know why he always has to act like his pants are on fire, but I guess it's alright." Fuji chuckled, and Kawamura only managed to turn redder than before. Atobe smiled fondly at his friends before turning to Tezuka, raising one eyebrow in question. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"We'll talk outside."

The two boys left the almost empty club room, and Atobe was amused to find themselves at the very spot they quarreled at a few days before. Tezuka probably didn't plan to come back to this place on purpose, but Atobe couldn't help wondering if the other boy was trying to hint on something.

"We'll need to practice. Especially if we want to win our next doubles match." The bespectacled boy's confident posture made Atobe amused for some reason he couldn't decipher.

"Of course we have to." The causal tone from Atobe made Tezuka stare. "We're talented at tennis, but we aren't trained for doubles at all. I'm sure that we'll get better with practice. I don't plan to lose anymore doubles matches, Tezuka."

"Neither do I."

Atobe smirked, amused. "I'm glad to see that you agree, Tezuka."

By the time Fuji and Kawamura arrived at the ice-cream shop, Momoshiro and Ryoma were squashed in the same booth with Kikumaru and Oishi. Neither member of the Golden Pair appeared to mind the presence of Momoshiro, who was obviously on the opposite team when it came to fights which split the club down the middle.

Kawamura was distracted, and he gave Fuji a feeble smile when the latter asked if he was alright. The prodigy then wandered towards the table where his other teammates were seating at, sporting a cheerful look on his face.

"May I join?"

Momoshiro almost crowed. "Fuji-senpai! Sure! Scoot over, Echizen!"

Ryoma gave his loudmouthed senpai a dark look and refused to budge from where he was seated. Fuji smiled, amused by the younger boy's antics. Kikumaru watched him carefully, his eyes sharp like a hawk's while Oishi appeared to look troubled by the presence of someone he wasn't expecting.

"Would you rather have me climb over you, then?" The light, jesting tone Fuji used had Ryoma snorting.

Eventually, the younger boy got out of his seat to allow Fuji a space between Momoshiro and himself. He turned to eye Kawamura, who was now speaking to a pretty young woman he had never seen before. Ryoma glanced at Fuji from the corner of his eyes before stating loudly.

"Isn't that Kawamura-senpai?"

That caught everyone's attention.

Fuji was amused at how quickly Kikumaru started babbling. "He's with a woman! An older woman!" Kikumaru said, leaning over Oishi to get a better look. "She's pretty!"

"Do you think it's Kawamura-senpai's girlfriend?" Momoshiro asked, his eyes huge.

Oishi blushed heavily at the suggestion. "No, he wouldn't do anything like that!" the vice captain insisted. He didn't spend that much time with Kawamura, but he was convinced that the boy had a pretty good set of morals - when not listening to what Fuji and Atobe were up to. They were a rather bad influence. He glanced over at Fuji, who was toying with a straw as he watched the unfolding scene with a smile on his face. "Right, Fuji?" he asked.

"Saa," Fuji replied, and Oishi felt a shiver go up his spine. That was Fuji's universal reply, and it usually meant trouble.

Kikumaru gasped as the woman started to cry. "How mean - making a woman cry! Bad Kawamura!" he said, and he started to get to his feet, obviously intending to intervene.

Oishi yanked his partner down before he could get anywhere, though. "It's not our business!" he said urgently.

Kikumaru pouted, but sat down sulkily. "He's really not being nice," he said. "It reflects badly on the team."

"Taka-san is always nice," Fuji cut in, staring at Kikumaru. "Except when he has a racket in his hand."

"You say nice and mean a different thing than I do." Kikumaru's eyes met Fuji's unblinkingly.

The other four stared at the two classmates, wondering what was going on.

Kikumaru Eiji and Fuji Syuusuke became friends in their first year, naturally enough, since both were in the same class and on the tennis team. They would hang out together occasionally when they weren't occupied by other people, and Fuji's rather laid back personality fit in nicely with Kikumaru's effervescent.

There were unspoken lines they didn't cross, though. When practicing, Fuji was almost always by Atobe's side, and Kikumaru had gravitated toward Oishi after being paired with him to form a doubles team, and thus was around Tezuka quite a bit.

It was okay like that. Neither Tezuka nor Atobe made any demands about who people could hang out with.

Kikumaru amused Fuji. He liked watching the red head's natural reactions, and liked seeing how open his face was. While he spent more time with Kawamura and Atobe, Fuji still appreciated being around the other boy. You could never have too many friends, was Fuji's opinion.

"Ne, Fuji!" Kikumaru said one day, going up to him at lunch. "Are you ready to try out for the team today?" he asked. "Our first ranking tournament!"

Fuji tried to keep from being excited. He, Tezuka and their captain had all been placed in the same block, which meant one of them was going to lose. Fuji knew he could probably beat the captain, if he tried, but Tezuka was a different story altogether.

"I think so. It should be fun," he said, frowning a bit as Kikumaru leaned over and swiped some egg from his bento box.

"Eiji!"

"Too slow!" Kikumaru laughed.

Their friendship was easy in that manner, open and carefree. They weren't restricted by their friends, and they weren't tied down by the two different groups they were committed to. Kikumaru was a strongly individualistic person, like Fuji, and they found comfort in each other's company.

Because when they were together, they could afford to not think about the kind of problems their friends were liable to start.

The ranking matches that day were something both boys had been looking forward to. Although the notion of joining the school team wasn't top on Fuji's list of priority issues, not being a regular member would cut him out on a lot of fun in the future. Especially when he knew that Atobe was definitely going to make it onto the school team.

"I wonder who will be the new captain, though." Kikumaru's off-hand remark caught Fuji's attention.

The younger boy grinned, giving the other a knowing look. "Somebody good, I'm sure."

"Who do you think would make it to the captain's slot this year, then?"

Fuji tilted his head to one side and made a soft 'hm'. The determined look on Kikumaru's face demanded honest answers.

"Keigo-chan will make a good captain, actually."

The other boy's eyes widened in shock. "Atobe? Captain? You can't be serious! He would be too busy thinking about himself to think about his teammates!"

At this, Fuji frowned slightly. They were treading on dangerous grounds here and both had to be careful. They never spoke about their close friends often, simply because it would sour relationships when there wasn't such a need. It was a fact that Fuji chose Atobe right from the beginning. Kikumaru, on the other hand, had chosen Tezuka.

They always left the issue as that. It was easier that way. There was an unspoken agreement between them, a deal that they wouldn't speak of the other's choice in friends when they were together. Fuji didn't think he had said anything wrong, though. Kikumaru asked him for his honest opinion, and he had given it.

"Who do you think would make a good captain, then?" Fuji's carefully neutral voice and the slight smile on his face should have told all the warning signs which were needed.

Apparently, Kikumaru never caught on the signal, or ignored it. "Tezuka would make a good captain since he's steadfast and firm with his decisions. He would also do a good job at leading the club."

"But he's not charismatic," Fuji's calm reply caused Kikumaru to narrow his eyes at him and frown. "And charisma is important when you're a leader, because people must be willing to follow you."

"People are willing to follow him!"

"It's not the same as what I'm referring to. Now, Keigo-chan-"

Kikumaru snapped. "Atobe isn't always the best, Fuji! You're not blind, so you should be able to see his antics as well! He's vain and proud. So what if he has charisma? It's simply not the same as Tezuka, who leads by example! Don't you think Atobe will be a bad example for the club when compared to Tezuka?"

Dangerous ground, indeed. "Atobe is different from Tezuka," Fuji said. "He'll shine in the spotlight, make others realize exactly how special the tennis club is. Tezuka is not that type."

"Are you calling Tezuka dull?"

Fuji smiled. "I didn't say that, but it's strange why you would think like that. I wouldn't say Tezuka is exciting, would you?"

Kikumaru glared for a moment, opening and shutting his mouth. "I... he's a good friend!"

"And Atobe is mine. Please stop insulting him," Fuji replied.

Kikumaru muttered something noncommittal under his breath, before wandering away to join Oishi. Fuji watched him go, knowing that the days of their friendship were limited.

The matches continued, and Fuji was eliminated by Tezuka and the boy whom he knew Ryuuzaki had her eye on to be captain next year... Shinoda Yoshi.

That still left the vice captain's slot open. Atobe wanted it. "I'm going to be vice captain this year," he told Fuji, his eyes glittering.

Fuji smiled, but had his doubts. Half the team would be like Kikumaru, and prefer Tezuka's quiet leadership to Atobe's flamboyance.

Privately, he believed each had their strong points. Maybe it was his friendship with Atobe that blinded him, but the glitter around the other boy was irresistible.

Meanwhile, he and Kikumaru had been treating each other stiffly, careful of their words. He knew it was a strain on Eiji, who always said what he thought, to keep his opinion about Atobe quiet, but Fuji was equally hard-pressed to avoid any sly barbs at Tezuka.

Don't make me choose, Fuji thought, but knew he had made his choice long ago.

Tezuka and Atobe had both made the team, and Fuji watched them walk around in their new regulars jerseys with something approaching envy. He should have been able to make the team, if only his block hadn't been the most difficult one to surpass.

Next time, he thought. I'll join Atobe next time.

Upon getting his jersey, Atobe became more outrageous; the status symbol of exactly how good he was worn on his back. He wasn't a bully - not quite - but he did make things difficult for those he considered beneath him.

"They need to get stronger," he told Fuji after one of their fellow first years took off in tears.

Looking at the blue and white jersey, a bit too big on Atobe's small frame, made Fuji realize he had to get stronger as well. He didn't want to be left behind.

Kikumaru, though, saw Atobe's newly acquired jersey as an affront, and was constantly referring to Tezuka in his conversations, exclaiming over how strong the first year was.

It came to a head the day the third years left permanently. Their captain, Yamato, made a speech to the first years about how he was looking to the team to be strong, and Tezuka and Atobe were carefully standing as far apart as possible.

"I hope that you remember what you've learned this year," Yamato said, his eyes falling on Tezuka and Atobe particularly.

Atobe rolled his eyes.

That did it. Kikumaru, with his astounding vision, saw it. "You're being rude!" he accused.

"I don't need repeated reminders," Atobe said. "Unlike some people, I learn things on the first try." And then his eyes settled on Tezuka, whose jaw tightened minutely.

If Kikumaru hadn't been standing by Fuji, maybe it wouldn't have happened. But the redhead grabbed Fuji, as his nearest friend, looking for support. "He's being nasty again! Fuji, tell him to stop it!"

Fuji glanced between Atobe and Kikumaru, and made his decision. "I don't think he is. I think he's right," Fuji said.

Yamato opened his mouth to try to calm them down, but it was too late.

"Fuji! What're you saying?" The distraught look on Kikumaru's face was ignored by Fuji. "I always thought that you-"

"I am Keigo-chan's best friend." Fuji spoke softly and slowly, his expression sombre. "And I don't like it when others insult my best friend."

Very slowly, with a look of dawning disappointment, Kikumaru let go of Fuji's arm and stared at him, hard. Atobe watched on with raised eyebrows, noting that Tezuka was frowning slightly in displeasure. Oishi looked worried and he appeared to be ready to step between Fuji and Kikumaru as and when it was necessary.

Fuji opened his eyes to stare back, calm and obviously nonplussed by Kikumaru.

"I see," Kikumaru began, his lips pressed tight to form a straight line. "You've made your choice."

Everyone watched as Kikumaru stepped away from Fuji, backing towards where Tezuka and Oishi were standing. Fuji remained standing at his spot, closing his eyes to give everyone a small, barely visible smile.

"Yes, I have."

End: Chapter 14