36Hi again!! Yea, I'll explain why I'm a FujiAn fan later...yea, there were some shock with the last chapter. May contain spoilers!!

Translations:

"Are?" --- Japanese. Actually pronounced as "a-le." Means "what's this?"

"Urusei" --- Japanese. Pronounced "oo-lu-sei." Means "You're too loud"

"kanojo" --- Japanese. It's like "girlfriend"

Well, on with the story!!

Chapter 4

It was a Monday---the first week after the district preliminaries. The wind blew lightly, and the entire Seigaku courtyard was covered with a sheet of white. Students roam around the halls before class can begin. Back in the tennis courts, the boys' morning practice was typical---except for one small problem.

"FU-JI-KO!!" Eiji pounded on Fuji's shoulder repeatedly, just as a like a whiny little kid would do to their parents' arm if they wanted more candy. "You didn't explain it clearly!!"

Fuji stopped swinging on a tennis ball and sweatdropped while (must I say this?) smiling. He lightly pushed Eiji away. "Eiji...I told you, there's nothing to explain."

Eiji ignored this and pressed, "Why did you come back all muddy and wet?? Why was Aya all muddy and wet??"

"It was raining."

"But-that-doesn't-explain-ANYTHING!!"

"They probably had a nice time together," Momo stopped swinging also and tapped his racket on his shoulder. He sneered, "Eh, Fuji-senpai?"

Fuji gave him one of those sad-eyebrowed-yet-still-smiling-and-sweatdropping looks.

"Are?" Momo stretched his neck further and quirked an eyebrow sinisterly. He accused, "Nani, nani? What's this? What's with this guilty facial expression??" His tennis racket tapped his shoulder faster by the nanosecond.

"Urusei," came a dark voice a few meters away from Momo, saving Fuji any more embarrassment.

"Mamushi!!" Momo yelled back to the figure, "Stop complaining!!"

"Senpai-tachi..." Ryoma walked past them while calmly sipping grape Ponta. "You're both too loud."

"Oi, Echizen!! What do you mean by THAT??"

"Fssshhhh."

"Demo minna!!" Eiji shouted, trying to keep them down. "I'm trying to tell Fujiko-chan that everyone have their moments..."

Kaidoh mumbled, "'Moments'?"

"You know!" Eiji's facial expression was like that of a cat's. "When a guy starts to feel like they need a kanojo in their life..." (A/N: this conversation between Eiji and Kaidoh actually took place in one of the later episodes.)

Kaidoh blushed and turned away, resuming his morning practice.

"But you know, don't you, Fujiko?" Eiji smacked Fuji on his shoulder and leaned closer to him.

"No, Eiji, what do I know?" Fuji asked just to please Eiji.

"That she's the perfect kanojo." Eiji whispered rather loudly, his breath visible in the chilly air.

An on-looking Inui pushed his glassed up the bridge of his nose. "Oh?" he said to himself thoughtfully at the sound of Eiji's comment. He scanned Fuji's face and started to scribble in his trusty notebook...

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"Uh, Miyu?"

The morning was blisteringly cold, and the Japanese schools forced all the girls to wear skirts in any weather. Aya wrapped her jacket tighter and walked down the hallways, followed by Miyu.

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering...if a guy comes looking for you, and I don't mean just ANY guy, but this one certain guy comes looking for you if he didn't have to, and out of like, let's just suppose nine guys, this CERTAIN guy comes to find you out of the nine guys, and he looks for you in the rain despite himself, and---actually, in the wind AND rain AND dirt..."

"Get on with it, woman!"

Aya paused and looked around. She hadn't told Miyu about her tree incident with Fuji the other day. All the regulars had looked at Aya and Fuji strangely when they saw the two of them coming back all patched up, but Miyu was too busy telling Tezuka about her pet Tama-kun.

After making sure that absolutely no one was around, Aya continued, "...So if this guy, out of all the other guys, comes looking for you when you're lost although he doesn't have to..." she paused. "Does that mean anything?"

"Well...I'm pretty sure that this 'certain guy' was worried about you."

"You think?" Aya asked, more to herself than to Miyu.

"Why?" Miyu gave Aya a look and stopped walking.

Aya, on the other hand, did not stop and continued her way. "I don't know. I think I saw it in a movie, but I didn't get to finish the ending. I was just hoping that the main character and her crush got a happy ending after all!"

"...You're so weird."

Miyu dashed up to Aya and they could say no more for they reached 3-D. Aya straightened her bangs before walking in the room, followed by Miyu.

"Ohayo, Aya-chaaan!!"

She didn't even get to step 3 steps inside before hearing the familiar voice. She turned around to greet Eiji.

"Ohayo," she smiled. Eiji inched closer to her and somehow Aya felt like he wanted something from her.

"Ne, ne...remember Saturday?"

"Sure," she felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "Saturday...how can I not?" she thought, and a sudden flashback of Fuji on his back, his hand to his hair, laughing inaudibly, one knee in the air...that image reentered her mind and her heart quickened its pace. Her eyes darted to Fuji's direction---some girls from class C were standing around him, asking him questions about him. Fuji was, as usual, being polite and smiling at them, avoiding their questions.

"Fuji-kun, what do you like to do when you're not playing tennis?"

"I thought the biology experiment went really well, don't you think, Fuji-kun?"

"I really enjoy biology---I'm a vegetarian! Don't you just love our planet, Fuji-kun?"

Aya felt slightly jealous for a second, but she didn't show it. "Saturday, sure...why do you ask, Eiji-kun?"

"Well---"

Before Eiji could ask anymore, the teacher came in and told everyone to get in a desk. The girls from class C scattered, and one girl stuck her tongue out at the teacher when his back was turned. Aya watched them leave and sat in her desk.

She wanted to say something to Fuji but couldn't, for the teacher started speaking.

"Now, I know that you are all very excited about the upcoming winter break..."

A series of cheers went through the class. The teacher raised a hand and they stopped.

"However," he resumed, "due to circumstances...I have to announce that we have to cut a week out from your winter break---"

Everyone exclaimed in shock.

"---For a class trip to Yamanashiken---this was all the principal's idea, so all I can say is: cancel your plans. We'll stay at a cottage for approximately 4 days."

"Class trip?" Aya looked at the back of Fuji's head. She bit her thumb. "I don't know whether I should be excited or horrified!"

"Actually, it's not exactly a class trip. Everyone in the ninth grade will go."

An image of the girls from class C entered her mind. Winter break is like...what? On Thursday? Not counting today, that's only 3 days away! "Transferring during the middle of the year was a really bad mistake..."

She really, really wanted to say something to him. Maybe a simple "Doesn't our teacher talk funny?" or "I had things planned for the break, too!" or "Were you going to do anything over the break?"

But she couldn't. So she said nothing as the teacher changed the subject and started drabbling about Japanese history...

Tuesday and Wednesday passed like this. In the morning, the C girls were always around him. During lunch, Fuji wavered off to the regulars. After school, before Aya could say anything, as soon as the bell rang Eiji would drag Fuji outside, not wanting to face the wrath of Tezuka if they arrived late. It was strange...even awkward...

Finally Thursday came. Aya locked herself in her room and started packing some stuff that she would need, mostly cosmetics. She has even packed her laptop. She grabbed a hair straightener and was about to stuff it in her bag, then paused to take a look outside her window.

"Wow...there's snow everywhere nowadays..." As far as she was concerned, snow was just as bad as rain.

"It's a bad thing that Miyu had to catch a cold in the last minute...who will I talk to during the trip? Well, there's always the girls in my homeroom, but they don't know the things that Miyu knows about me... And then there's the regulars...but we don't talk much...stupid principal.

"There's only one person who actually knows me well..."

Syuusuke Fuji knew all about her, her weird actions and her love of clear skies. He's witnessed it all, only him.

"But we haven't talked a single word since the tree incident..." But then it struck her.

"Maybe...maybe Fuji thinks that I'm a freak and doesn't want to talk to me anymore?? Is that it?? Is that why we've been so awkward lately?! Come to think of it, he said 'That's what I like about you'...so he was MESSING with me?! He-he was trying to make me fritz and hyperventilate?? And plus, on Friday he was ANALYZING my clumsiness when I hit that ball...and he was SMILING, too...oh my God, so he's been PLAYING 'friends' with me all this time...?!?!"

Self-confession is the act of facing the truth and spilling out the lies. Self-destruction is the situation this girl's in.

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(A/N: I know, I know, you normally wouldn't ride a PLANE for a class trip, you'd take a bus or a subway, right? But I like the atmosphere of a plane better. And I know an entire planeload of ninth graders wouldn't be allowed to sleep overnight in the plane, but to hell with that!! This is what makes it interesting!! Ok, I will take some space here and explain why you should support FujiAn.

Fuji had opened his eyes and looked at An in the date episode because he was surprised in a good way with her.

Eiji had agreed that she was cute.

An's one of those can-do energetic type of girl, one who's mysterious and can get any guy if she wanted to, like Momo and Kamio.

She's the only one in the PoT anime who's actually old enough to be with Fuji---she's in 8th grade.

I know An's in 8th grade, but I'm making her a 9th grader in this fic! If you have any comments about this couple, please leave a comment and I'm sure I can tackle it!! Anyway, on with the story!!)

"Fuji-kun, would you like to see some pictures of me by the beach last summer?"

"No, he's looking at MY pictures now!! So Fuji-sama, don't you think I looked good in my bathing suit? Which one do you think I look better in, the one-piece or the two-piece?"

"But Fuji-kun, you were just about to answer my question about what type of Ponta you like to drink after your matches..."

"And don't forget to sign my yearbook!! You never got around to it last year!!"

"Don't look their way, Aya, keep your head..." She licked the tip of her index finger and flipped the page of the book she was reading: Who Needs Men. She couldn't find the concentration to read, since basically all the girls were squealing, so she put the book down and searched for something else to do. She opened her purse.

She dug through her other mini reads, "'Women Who Love Men Are Mad'...hmm...'The Joys of Being Single'...'Spending Nights Alone As a Virgin'...WHOA!!"

Someone tapped her shoulder and she immediately closed her bag. One of the regulars had walked up the plane's aisle and had taken the seat beside her.

"Uh..." she tried remembering his name. "...Mr...Inus."

His glasses shone. "Inui."

"Right!" she clasped her hands and smiled in a so-how's-life-been-treating-you kind of way. "Mr. Inui. Soooo..."

He uncapped a pen that was in his breast pocket and opened the notebook in his hands. He wasn't smiling. He said flatly, "What did you learn from Fuji?"

"...Eh?"

"Saturday. You were with him." He shoved his glasses closer to his eyes. "What signs did he show you?"

Aya twitched. She tried looking at him in the eye, but they weren't visible from his thick glasses. "What are you trying to say, Inui-san?"

"I wasn't there with him so I couldn't receive any data."

"So we have a stalker."

She said instead, "'Data'?"

"They are necessary in certain ways." He got up from his seat since Aya seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. "Ja."

As soon as he walked away, she shook the creepy feeling from her skin. "Weird guy..." she looked at the empty seat beside her. "I sit all the way in aisle 30, and Fuji's all the way in the back with the C girls...this is perfect. All I have to do is ignore him on the ENTIRE trip, and the rest of the school year afterwards..."

She stared out from her window again. No clouds whatsoever, the sky was blue, the sunlight flooded the entire plane. There were noises all around her, the squealing of the girls, the voices and laughter of students, the clanking of cups that were filled with coffee. She closed the blinds and stared at the empty seat beside her and sighed again. "I wonder who was supposed to sit next to me..."

"Whoa! Take a look at that chick over there..."

Aya heard the guy sitting behind her whisper to another guy who was sitting beside him. "Meh?"

"I've seen her somewhere...isn't she the Tachibana girl from Fudomine?"

"Wha? Fudomine? Tachibana girl?" She turned around and followed the guys' gaze. "Who are they talking a---

"THE GIGGLY GIRL?!?!"

She was walking up the aisle, wearing a miniskirt and a tight pink top. She blinked twice, making some guy stop and stare at her fluttering lashes. She walked as if she's walking onto a yacht, followed by close admirers. She flipped her hair, her steps steady as if walking in an airplane was the most casual thing to do.

Swish, step step.

The plane's noises didn't stop, but nearly all the guys were whispering by now. She was only a few feet from where Aya was sitting.

Aya turned around to the back of the plane where the regulars were sitting to see if they had noticed her. They didn't, and they kept talking about something. She wanted to yell across the plane and ask Eiji about her, and who the heck was Tachibana, and why a Fudomine girl is here.

"Why is SHE here for our flight?! She doesn't even go to this school!!"

She turned around and faced away from the regulars, for her nostrils filled up with flowery perfume or lotion of some sort. She looked up.

"Oh Christ no."

"Hi! You remember me from last week, right? An Tachibana." She smiled. "I believe you were..."

"Aya Minase."

"Yoroshiku, ne, Aya-chan?"

Aya just smiled in return. No reply.

An said, "Well, according to your teacher, I'm supposed to sit---"

FLOP!

"---Here."

Aya laughed weakly and found out that she had less room to breathe. She coughed and said rather quickly, "So, An...Why are you here?"

"Oh, you know...with Fudomine closed for the winter and all, I thought I'd do some volunteering."

"Volunteering?"

"Yeah." More smiling. "I thought I'd suggest this winter trip to your principal...and he thought it was a great idea!"

"YOU came up with this?!"

"Mm-hmm." She didn't sound guilty. Excited, even. "I rented the most luxurious cabin! Don't you think it's exciting? Oh, and by the way..." she turned around to look at somebody. Aya followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at the regulars. Then An turned and whispered to Aya, "Ne, you know Fuji-kun, right?"

"No."

"...You don't?"

"No."

"...Well, do you think you can introduce me to him?" her eyes sparkled and she brushed her skirt.

"...Uh..."

"Onegai!" she really wanted to meet this guy, doesn't she.

"Okay, so we have a girl who just ruined my entire winter vacation, sitting beside me, putting on the innocent and girly act, asking me to introduce her to Fuji?? I will so NOT!!

"But on the other hand, this does give me a chance to show Fuji that I don't need him in my life after all..."

Aya stood up. "Okay, follow me."

The two girls walked to Fuji's direction and stopped for there were a circle of girls around him---an impenetrable wall. Aya just pushed through the crowd. Fuji looked up at the two, one wearing pink and glitter (An), the other wearing a black tank top and ripped jeans (Aya). He opened his eyes. "Hey, Fuji," Aya began.

"Fuji, this is An. An, Fuji. Fuji, you remember her? An's the vain-ass bitch who thinks that she can say whatever she wants in my face and get away with it. Fuji, by the way, is a no-life tennis fuckwit who spends his time toying with random classmates. I'll leave the two of you alone so you can fuck each other in some way, shape, or form and ignore me for the rest of your pathetic lives."

At least, that was the introduction that Aya formed in her head.

"Fuji, this is An. An, Fuji. Fuji, you remember her? An was wearing the purple uniform, sitting with the Fudomine regulars. She has a really good personality. Fuji, by the way, is...he's very...well, you know...he's a brunette. Have fun!"

And with that, Aya walked off.

Momo overheard them. "'Have fun'?"

Eiji sat right next to him. "...Fuji's...'a brunette.'"

An turned to Fuji after the shock had died down. "Do you...know her well?"

Fuji spoke, "Un, she's...interesting." He closed his eyes and smiled again, being the usual Fuji. "She's just interesting."

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Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick...

The clock ticked.

Eiji suddenly whined out of the blue, "I can't take this tension anymore, nya!! We have to put the two of them in a better mood!!"

"Eiji." Inui looked back at him. "It's 1 A.M."

"We can still do something."

"Eiji-senpai," Momo looked like he was half-asleep already. "Don't butt into people's lives, remember?"

"But it's no fun that way!!"

The entire plane was asleep, or at least they seemed to be asleep. There would be a few whispers here and there, but it was pitch black, except for a pale glitch of moonlight. The entire airplane was about the size of...well...it's an airplane.

"I want to play!!" Eiji got up.

"What are you doing??" Momo got up and saw Eiji's figure in the shadows, slowly creeping to Aya's seat.

"Saa, she's asleep." Eiji observed her sleeping face, with her eyes closed, head on one side of her shoulder, lightly breathing. "Our luck. And it seems like all the Fujiko fangirls are asleep, too...yay!!"

Momo had caught up with him. "Eiji-senpai, I feel like a criminal! Let's go back and---what's this?" he stared at the object that was in Aya's hands. "...'Sleeping Nights Alone As a Virgin'...???"

Inui had caught up with them too. They were the only ones awake on the entire plane now, listening to Aya's silent breathing. The seat beside her was empty.

"So what are we going to do?" Momo whispered quietly.

"Where did An-chan go?" Eiji asked.

Momo frowned. "Wasn't she sitting with Aya this morning?"

"And then she left Aya to sit with..."

The three of them turned around slowly. "...Fuji," Eiji finished.

They crept towards Fuji's seat. There, sitting beside him like a heavenly maiden in the limelight, was An, her face like a sleeping angel's. Fuji's eyes were closed, but they were ALWAYS closed, so no one made a sound.

"Fuji's asleep," Inui informed.

"Shh!! Inui!! You never know what FUJI's up to. He could SEEM asleep, but he's tricky that way!!" Eiji elbowed Inui.

"Iya, it's not that..."

"What is it, Inui-senpai?"

"...I put some of my Inui Special Deluxe Drink in Fuji's water bottle earlier..."

"WHAT!!"

"...It was the one where I mixed pig oil with chicken fat." (A/N: Fuji actually DID faint after he drank this in the bowling episode!)

Momo's face turned blue.

Eiji shuddered, "I guess he's knocked out cold, then!" he felt Fuji's hand; they were indeed ice cold. "OK, men, grab a hold of Fuji's arms! I'll carry him by his leg!!"

"WHAT?! Eiji-senpai, WHAT are we DOING exactly??"

"We're getting Fuji back together with Aya, that's what!!"

"But they're not even fighting!! And let go of Fuji-senpai's shoes!!"

"You can at least HELP!"

Rustle, rustle, BONK! Rustle.

"...I mean it, I really feel like a criminal now." Momo was grabbing Fuji by his elbow.

"I think he gained about 0.7 pounds since last month."

"This is no time for data gathering!! Okay, okay, haul him over to Aya's aisle!!"

They heaved on "3," carrying the stone-like tensai halfway across the plane, and gently laid him on Aya's empty seat.

"There! And for a finishing touch---" Eiji poked Aya's head and held his breath sharply as she breathed in for a moment. She mumbled softly, "God...never forgive...that baka...SNORE." Slowly, she tilted her head and rested on Fuji's shoulder.

"Perfect!! Let's go away before anyone sees us!!"

Saturday was a perfect, romantic setting---a guy and a girl, partially holding hands, both covered in mud.

But they weren't really considered an item, and now their feelings have spun off in completely pointless directions.

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"Meh...it's probably 8 already...Aoi would be shouting soon...my alarm would start singing...better get up or I'll be late for school...

"School...where I'll face Fuji Syuusuke...baka...definitely won't forgive him for pretending with me...I won't need him...I'll show that guy..."

Fuji. Syuusuke. Brunette.

"Eh?"

Hair.

Sniff, sniff.

Warm.

Rustle.

Shoulder.

Shoulder? Hair? Strange scent?

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Aya tumbled onto the floor. "Eek!!"

What was he doing?! Why was she sleeping on his shoulder?? Where---

Aya slapped herself and looked around. Everyone was still sleeping, thank God. So what was SHE doing?? She looked from the clock to Fuji's sleeping face. It was seven, and apparently Fuji had somehow moved to her seat.

"An..." Aya twirled around and saw that An was still sitting beside Fuji's original seat. She hadn't moved since yesterday.

Aya got up. The regulars were still asleep, so they had nothing to do with it, did they?

She ran a hand through her hair and bit her knuckles. "That nasty, perverted BASTARD!!"

Sorry, Eiji. We knew that you were only trying to get them to be friends again, but Fuji's social status just changed from mental jerk to a nasty pervert. This was going to be one hell of a winter vacation...

Aha...I had some fun typing up this chapter. Thank you kind-hearted folks who leave reviews, and if you want to comment about the FujiAn thing, I'd like to know what you have to say to that!