A/N: I finally updated, and right on the deadline of the contest too… anyway, one more chapter to go after this!!! Huzzah!!! And thanks for the reviews!

DISCLAIMER: Konomi Takeshi owns them all.

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LIKE A CHILD
© Doctor Meowzie

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Eiji.

It was then, back at last year's school festival, where it had all began.

Around the time, Eiji was strolling along the corridors of the junior high school building. Since the rest of the high school tennis team regulars were quite busy with many matters and he has finished his part of their own high school festival (which, may he proudly declare, was all on baking cakes and pastries), he decided to take a look on the many stands that showcased the creativity and ideas students of the younger years had cooked up.

One section of the second years chose a simple tea party theme; across their classroom was a spooky-themed one, not to mention yet another one, this time full of ribbon-decorated kitten plushies and cuddly-looking rabbit stuffed toys—enough reason for him not to miss. There had been all sorts of stands and cafés, not all of which the acrobat had visited, but nonetheless he joyously praised each and every section for a job well done.

He was aimlessly walking around the corridors when he spotted the room of Year 3 Class 3. Seeing that there were quite a number of visitors that entered the classroom that looked like a café, Eiji grinned to himself and decided to drop by and do some sampling.

As he took an exuberant step towards the classroom, a squeaky hurrying voice yelled at a distance, somewhere behind him.

"A-Anou sa!!! Excuse me!!! Ah!!! Sorry…! Excuse me—"

Making way for the owner of the feminine voice to pass by, Eiji blinked upon noticing two long braids fly by him in a swift yet fluent motion. He stared at the girl who ran, entering the classroom, where he was supposed to be going as well, and it didn't take him another saga of blinking eyes and dazed stupor for the realization that that girl was actually their coach's fourteen-year-old granddaughter had hit him fully. He recalled the hurried little squeal that the girl emitted as she wormed her way through the throng of bustling people along the corridors, carrying a tray of chocolate cake with her two petite arms. He chuckled amusedly to himself; she was still so cute!

Soon he followed her and stepped inside Year 3 Class 3.

The familiar aroma of cakes and pastries filled through his nostrils at once. He glanced around and saw quite a number of students sitting together, eating cakes and munching on cookies that he knew the students of Year 3 made. Seeing the satisfied smiles on the customers' faces, he immediately concluded that it was worth spending money on the food being sold at their booth. Grinning cheekily, he walked up the counter where a variety of baked goods lay displayed, gloriously sitting on baskets and plates for him to savor the sight of.

It just so happened that the student who was put in charge as the cashier was Ryuzaki Sakuno, seen quickly putting on a pink apron, standing right behind the display counter.

"Hoi hoi, Ryuzaki-chan!" he happily greeted the girl.

Sakuno perked up and immediately bowed. "Ah—welcome to our booth, Kikumaru-senpai!"

"Hehe, cute as usual, you Ryuzaki-chan you!" he playfully exclaimed, whilst the girl only blushed. "Nyah! Looks like everything's yummy here! Would you recommend to me the most delicious one among them, neh, Ryuzaki-chan?"

"Eto…" she thought for a short while, her wide brown eyes scanning through the choices displayed. "Um… this chocolate fudge cake… we made it with a special recipe… and this marble cake too—"

"—and it's highly recommended, with a strawberry on top!" A shrill voice piped up in the middle of their conversation.

"T-Tomo-chan…" Sakuno sweatdropped at the big grin painted across her best friend's face at the moment.

"Yep, it's a treat you'll surely love, Kikumaru-senpai! Why, Sakuno here did the specialties herself! Neh, Sakuno?"

"Eh…"

"Eh, really?" he grinned appreciatively at the bashful young woman who was staring at her feet with an adorable red shade coloring her pale face. "That's amazing, Ryuzaki-chan! Then I'm gonna have three slices of this chocolate fudge—chocolate's the best, nyah!"

"Ah, hai!"

After receiving his order, Eiji immediately took a seat and took a bite of the cake.

With just one bite, hallow mirth described the heavenly look on his face as he tasted the chocolate fudge. His eyes somewhat watered at the delectable taste that filled his mouth, his heart fluttering like crazy and all. He himself jumped in evident approval, approaching Ryuzaki in a blink of an eye and, on one knee, he screamed, "SENSEI! YOU BAKE THE BLESSED CAKES OF HEAVEN! IMPART YOUR TALENT AND KNOWLEDGE TO YOUR APPRENTICE AND TEACH ME HOW YOU DO IT! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Heads turned to see the second year high school student kneel before the shocked girl; had there been a bouquet of roses in Eiji's hand, the scenario would've looked as if the redhead was courting Sakuno. Her classmates and the rest of the audience giggled at the sight, obviously making out something else from it.

Of course, Ryuzaki—being the submissive little girl she usually is—complied with his request. But how could she even deny him? He was pouting adorably and irresistibly at her when he saw how she tried to avoid his eyes when he kneeled before her. Besides, he was her senpai, who has done a lot for her along with the rest of her senpai-tachi.

And hey, they both have an affinity for baking cakes. Maybe this might enable them to bond with each other, senpai and kohai, friend and friend, boy and girl…

So ever since, Kikumaru was always seen knocking eagerly at the front door of the Ryuzaki household every Saturday. Sakuno would open the door, greet him happily and they'd have a little chat and some fun before they start the baking lessons, which always starts with Eiji's promise to do his very best to please his sensei, saying, "I'll do what I'm told! Because I want to bake a cake—a very delicious cake—for you, Sakuno-chan!"

And on days like these, Ryuzaki-sensei, coming home early in the evening, would usually enter the hose with a glorious cake shoved right at her face by two grinning children who're telling her to taste their masterpiece and make the verdict. Needless to say, the verdict Ryuzaki-sensei makes was always along the lines of "Magnificent!" and "Delicious!"

Due to this routine of theirs, they had become considerably close. When they see each other at school, during tennis practice, or just along the corridors, they'd always say more than an exchange of "Hi" and "Hello", grin at each other for no apparent reason and chatter away with laughs and giggles, as if they had been friends since childhood. This caught every one of their friends' eyes and earned those whispers and gossips they hear here and there. Eiji and Sakuno knew this, but decided to just shrug them off and not let it affect the friendship they had newly shared.

Then one day, as they sat at the bench right outside the tennis courts, she blurted out to him out of nowhere:

"Ryoma-kun seems to have everything he wishes for…"

The line that she semi-whispered while staring at the tennis prince's faraway figure made him freeze for a brief moment. Suddenly, the normally inconspicuous beating of his heart somewhat halted. He knew he was still alive, but after that brief halting, he was surprised to hear his heartbeat go faster and clearer. Why so, he had no clue.

He turned to her and lowered his head a little to study her face at a closer angle.

"What… do you mean, Sakuno-chan…?"

She took a deep breath before speaking.

"He seems to have everything one would strongly wish for to have. He has looks, has fame, has girls willing to be his girlfriend and has talent to top it all off… he's just too perfect. And I… I can't help but admire him… I really do wish to be like him…but I only stutter around him. I feel so inferior around him, senpai. I really do, and I don't know how to change that about myself. I just want to be… a better person."

It was the first time he saw her face so sad, so disappointed with herself. Even if she always smiled either shyly or radiantly, she was always like an average girl who lived her own life with a "Come what may" motto; but only now did he realize that she was so depressed—and she transparently told him this truth without hesitation. It dawned to him how mature she sounded when she told him this; how she said it, it's as if instead of being the center of the universe, hogging all attention and recognition, she was a wallflower, always hanging around the sidelines and silently observing the central figure, looking at the rest with a wide, open eye that enables her to come up with several conclusions on different aspects without much bias.

She quietly watches the central figure—central figure being Echizen Ryoma.

He frowned.

"Don't you think you're only comparing yourself to Ochibi, Sakuno-chan?"

Her shoulders tensed a bit, and then relaxed before she said, "I may be, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still inferior."

Those were the last of her words before he was called back at the tennis courts for more practice.

That was then, after when Sakuno told him her feelings about the ochibi, when Eiji started to feel a little resentment towards Echizen Ryoma.

But as days went by, something happened. Something changed. Someone changed.

"Neh, Ryuzaki would you mind if I talk to you for a minute?"

It was at the cafeteria when Eiji, queuing up at the counter, heard the ochibi actually talk to Sakuno, who sat at a table with her girl friends.

Eiji saw the girl get up and follow Ryoma, who was walking towards the outside of the cafeteria with his hands kept in his pockets, Sakuno trailing right behind him. He had questioningly stared at where they disappeared to, wondering what happened that made Ryoma talk to Sakuno of all things. His dubious theories on the ochibi soon cleared, however, when during tennis practice later that afternoon, the two third year junior high students had a real conversation. As in a real conversation.

The acrobat sensed that their air of sudden friendliness wouldn't last long, but boy was he so wrong.

Day by day, he spots them hanging out together at random places at a more frequent basis. They talk in peaceful tones and smile at each other like they really were friends. Sakuno even looks content and comfortable with him. This shocked not only Eiji, but also the rest of the regulars, Osakada, the Freshmen Trio and even Ryoma's fangirls. Ryuzaki-sensei didn't look at all surprised though, and even said it was "About time for Ryoma to do that!"

The redhead knew he should be happy. Happy that Sakuno doesn't stutter around Ryoma anymore. Happy that Sakuno didn't feel inferior around him anymore. Happy that Sakuno can get to be as close as a friend to the person she admires.

The thing is… Eiji wasn't happy.

The back of his mind keeps saying weird things he wished with all his might that he can ignore. For example, when Ryoma and Sakuno are together, talking and hanging around, it'd say—

"Brat. He took her away from me."

'He took her away from me'—he felt that it was almost true. Because the two were classmates, spent more time with each other than before, and even walked home together, Eiji never really had hung out with her as often as before. The only day when he can actually be with her was during Saturdays, when he has his baking lessons from her. But the fact remains that Eiji wasn't happy.

And he found himself glaring at the tennis prince one day.

He still felt a slight resentment towards the ochibi, only for an entirely different reason now.

It affected him very much, and it frustrated him how he didn't know how to deal with it. In desperate need of an answer as well as an emotional vent, he can actually play tennis without mercy. He can even forget glomping his friends when he doesn't feel right. He now very easily gets into a mad mood too.

Like now.

He's spinning his pencil like mad. The several numbers that lay in a notebook before him only made his head ache. This really won't make him answer this stupid homework of his. Seriously. And what's taking Ryuzaki-sensei so long?

Oishi stood near the window, watching his doubles partner spinning his pencil. He sighed at Eiji, who was currently emitting bad aura.

Still frowning, Eiji suddenly stopped spinning the pencil in his hand

Oishi stared at him questioningly.

Pouting like a child, but with his eyes staring straight ahead, he declared, "I need a miracle."

"E-Eiji…?"

"I need a miracle… just… urgh!!! Anything that can make me happy!!!" he fisted some of his red locks in frustration. What the heck was happening to him?

This thing he's feeling right now, whatever it is, is so complicated! He was just a simple person who plays tennis. Honestly, one shouldn't just smack complex situations right at his face! And why was he feeling like this…?

He really couldn't understand.

He heard a sigh from Oishi, shortly followed by the door of the office banging open.

They half-expected it to be Ryuzaki-sensei. Half-expected, because the aged coach wouldn't dare slide open a door to the side with a loud bang on such a peaceful day.

"Senpai-tachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was Osakada, Sakuno's best friend.

"Not too loud, Osakada. Not too loud." Oishi mildly chided the pigtailed girl. "What is it?"

"Have you both seen Ryoma-sama???!!!"

Neither Tomoka nor Oishi noticed the slightly annoyed look that crossed Eiji's face.

"No, I'm sorry," said Oishi, "but maybe he's at the tennis courts. Why?"

"Oh, nothing much, really. I just came across Sakuno carrying a box of what looked like a cake, figured that she'd give it to Ryoma-sama, and decided to help her look for him. Well anyway, thanks senpai! Ja!"

She closed the door with another loud bang. Seems like she's to busy to care about others' discomfort… Oishi sighed.

Eiji buried his face in his arms folded on the desk.

'Oh joy. Another dose of Ryoma whatchmacalldems. Yay.' He sarcastically thought.

Then much to his utter vexation, the door opened once again, only this time not too loudly.

"Echizen!" Eiji heard Oishi exclaim.

The red head slowly raised his head, and his sharp eyes met Ryoma's equally sharp, golden ones.

Tension filled the room at an instant. Ryoma stared back at Eiji's cold regarding of him, wondering what on earth has gotten into his senpai. Oishi was nervously standing between them, keeping his guard in case his acrobat of a partner starts something that may mean trouble.

Ryoma only raised an eyebrow, and then calmly spoke, "Kikumaru-senpai, Ryuzaki is looking for you."

It took a short while for Eiji's mind to completely register what his kohai said. When he finally understood what it was, the tension around them vanished as he said, "Eh? Ryuzaki—Sakuno-chan is…?"

Ryoma nodded his head.

"But Echizen, Osakada came by earlier and said that Ryuzaki-chan was looking for you," said Oishi confusedly.

Ryoma raised both his eyebrows this time, but still kept his cool. "Osakada must have assumed wrongly, senpai. Ryuzaki herself was saying she was looking for Kikumaru-senpai. It looked like she wanted to give him something—"

He abruptly stopped what he was saying when he felt a swift breeze sweep by him. Ryoma turned to look at Kikumaru-senpai's back outside, getting farther and farther away as the acrobat dashed at full speed in order to find his favorite female friend.

Ryoma then turned to Oishi. "Oishi-senpai, does Kikumaru-senpai know where to find her?"

The high school student stared at Eiji's wake and smiled understandingly.

"Probably. Children are good at hide and seek, you know."

TBC