Seatmates Ch. 4

Tennis and Name Calling

I don't own Prince of Tennis at all. Like nada. Zip.

After the history homework incident with that weird tennis club yesterday, Fujikawa couldn't stop glancing at Sanada, during the lecture. He was much different than she would've expected, like know she knows he's actually social (more social than her surprisingly) and yells... Loudly... She wondered if he could feel her staring at him.

"What?" He grunts softly, trying to not disturb the lecture. Whoa... Talking in class. That's a new one.

"Nothing," Fujikawa responds, looking back down to her notebook to see the notes she's taken, which were drawing of circles smiley faces, and a stick figure jumping off a cliff. Sanada glances down to her notebook, and narrows his eyes, and shakes his head subconsciously. He's been shaking his head so much it became a habit.

Later, after the lesson, Sanada notes the uncomfortable silence between them, and surprisingly it was very... Awkward. He never thought he think this but he misses those one sided conversations between him and her. Out of the corner of his head, Fujikawa was nonchalantly staring at the ceiling, and her gaze was distant, not the 'Who Cares' distant, but the 'I'm Thinking' distant (who knew she had that capability?). It must be something important. Sanada thinks to himself. After yesterday, she must've changed her lazy ways in order to become someone better. Maybe she was tired of being a disgrace to Rikkaidai and wants to make a differ-

"Hey, Sanada, what's your favorite color?" And put those hopes back in the dusty box, where they belong.

"This is not relevant to the lesson," Sanada dismisses, feeling utterly disappointed, but didn't show it. "Why do you ask?"

"... I have no idea," She answers. Sanada turns his head to look at her, only to see that she was looking right back at him with a blank face, the distant gaze in her eyes gone, only to be replaced by... Slight interest. At that moment, Sanada knew she was lying. He didn't know how, but he just did.

"Do not lie to me, Fujikawa," Sanada responds. Fujikawa blinks, indicating that he was right. She sighs.

"We've known each other for three years, right?" Sanada nods. Where was she getting at? "So, why does it feel like I've barely known you at all, after yesterday?"

"I do not understand where you are getting at Fujikawa," Sanada answers, but then realizes some truth to that question. Now that she mentioned it, I barely know anything about Fujikawa at all as well. And we even dropped honorifics.

"Like I didn't know you screamed at people, or had friends since you were four," Fujikawa lists. Sanada couldn't help but raise a brow.

"What does that have to do about not knowing me? Why would I ever mention those facts at all?" Sanada questions.

"You ruined my general views about you, I thought you were quiet and friendless," Fujikawa unintentionally insults. His eye twitches.

"Well, you shouldn't judge people by their appearances," Sanada lectures. Fujikawa shoots him a slightly flabbergasted look.

"That's how you presented yourself in the last three years!" Fujikawa exclaims. She huffs and turns away, crossing her arms. There was more silence between them.

"I like black," Sanada states. Fujikawa looks at him, full of confusion. "Black is my favorite color."

"Oh..." She says, and then mumbles, "Like your soul...?"

Of course, that sly comment doesn't get unnoticed by Sanada, and his eyes narrow dangerously at her.

"I-I mean... You like black because it's a combination of all colors of the rainbow, and you're not being racist...?" Fujikawa quickly covers it up with her voice getting higher for every word she states, but Sanada scoffs. She chuckles nervously to herself, and scratches the back of her head. That was a close one. Then suddenly, another question pops up into her head. "Sanada, how did you meet your friend, Yanagi-san?"

"Tennis club," He answers simply. So very descriptive, Sanada.

"Are you guys like good friends?"

"Yes. Why are you so intent about learning so much about me?"

Fujikawa shrugs, and another question pops up she was almost scared to ask it but she did, "We're friends, right, Sanada?"

"If we weren't friends, do you think I'd allow you to drop the honorifics of my last name?" He questions. Fujikawa grins, in order to relieve herself of her fears.

"I like blue," She states randomly, and Sanada nods, like he doesn't care (but he kinda does). "Why do you like playing tennis?"

"Because I like to challenge myself against strong opponents, and to see who's worthy of being my rival," He answers. Wow. So Sanada. Fujikawa wasn't surprised.

"You think I'd be good?" She questions, and leans over to grab her pencil and start doodling in her notebook.

"No." A flat answer coming from the rock, Fujikawa gaps at him dramatically, like she was offended by the answer, and before she could ask why, he beats her to the punch. "You're not dedicated to anything, and you always half-ass your work. Tennis takes much more dedication and motivation. You have to do your best, be your best, and be dedicated, qualities that you don't have."

Fujikawa couldn't help but feel shaken by this lecture after millions of other lectures he's given her, she felt tense, if anyone said this, she wouldn't mind, but for some reason, she minded this one. She minded it a lot. She felt cold. "...But it would be... Off if you didn't slack."

Her shoulders stopped being tense, and she relaxed, her gaze being relatively normal after he said that.

He noticed the tenseness, the frozen look in her eye. He couldn't help but wonder why.

And another chapter completed. Thanks to you guys who followed and reviewed. Now that it's spring break, I could work on this story a bit more, and the other ones I have.

Thank you all and...

Adieu

Btw I feel like Sanada seemed OOC at the end when he said that. Ugh. Now it's gonna bug me.