Disclaimer: The series of Prince of Tennis does not belong to me, but to Konomi Takeshi. I solely own the plot and Original characters that appear in this work of fanfiction.
"AH!! This can't be happening!! Not to me!! Not this!! Anything but this!!" Yukari sobbed, bringing the palms of her hands to her face. Shaking her head from left to right, her happiness completely crushed by the sign that was stuck to the front window of the small quaint shop with a light green roof and pots of all sorts of the flowers that bloomed that season surrounded the front of the shop.
The front window read in English cursive letters in white, "Sweet Mimori" Tokyo's very own plush store hidden in one of the darker streets of the city. The reason of why the shop came to be located in that area, no one was particularly sure. The store sold cute little handmade plush dolls of cute little critters, dolls and such made by the store's own 'Sweet Mimori' whose name was actually Aizawa Miyu, a friend of Yukari's.
Miyu looked like a little doll in her light pink sweet Lolita gown with tiny frills, bows and beautiful lace. She had pale green eyes that were mistaken for grey by everyone and her hair was a dark blue like the city's night skyline. Her thick tresses were tied back in a low ponytail by a single silk pink ribbon and a little headdress matching her adorable ensemble. Miyu was older than Yukari by a few years but looked like she was a year younger than her.
"Sweet Mimori"'s plush dolls were Yukari's darkest secret and she had kept this secret of hers hidden from the world from all she knew.
The sign on the door had read in dark bold, "Dear customers, until further notice from the head office of business affaires, take note that this store will be closed this coming weekend, thank you. Head Secretary, Ichihara Tetsuya."
"No way, please let it be a dream!" Yukari thought desperately, closing her eyes tightly and re-opening each eye slowly.
"I'm sorry but it's not," whimpered a voice behind Yukari, who made her nearly jump right out of her skin.
"AHH! Miyu-chan! Can you please quit scaring me from behind like that?!" Yukari cried out and began to lecture her plush maker friend for the tenth, no wait…
Anyway the number of times Yukari almost always had to repeat herself to Miyu wasn't the issue.
"And how did she know I was thinking that?" Yukari thought, holding her book bag closer to her waistline.
"It's because I'm a mind reader." Miyu whispered in an eerily manner, adding a little shrill cackle at the end.
"MIYU-CHAN! Seriously please stop doing that!" Yukari whined.
Miyu laughed, "Oh, but it's so fun to mess around with you, Yukari-chan" Miyu batted her lashes innocently at Yukari.
"Geez Miyu-chan!"
"I'm sorry Yukari-chan, but you're so cute when flustered." Miyu leaned over to pinch Yukari's cheeks with the thumbs of her hands.
"Anyway," Yukari stepped back from Miyu a few paces to avoid her "crab claws" and cleared her throat.
"Why's the store closed?" Miyu asked simply, smoothing down the folds of her dress and petticoat.
"Yeah, why is the --"Yukari began but stopped herself short, her mouth opens into a wide "O" and then immediately closes it shut. Her light brown irises almost burned a hole on Miyu's face.
"Let's go inside, shall we, Yukari-chan?" Miyu smiled rather cheerily, not taking into account that her best customer and great friend, Tokugawa Yukari was most likely internally stabbing thousands of knives into Miyu's gut. Miyu walked behind Yukari once again and pushed her right towards the door to the little shop.
The light green door swung easily open with a tiny twinkling of bells from the silver chimes of different sizes which hung near the door whenever it was pushed inward for customers to enter. Once inside the store, the scent of something almost indescribably sweet and succulent filled your lungs, leaving you breathless and at peace. It always left Yukari wondering because the scent was constantly enchanting and yet so completely different every time she stepped foot inside that one small shop.
Miyu's plush doll shop was a peculiar place indeed, no one really knew about it unless they were plush toy collectors like Yukari, Otaku cosplayers or Lolita. It was like a wonderful dream inside that tiny shop, even with its outer appearance which made you think the shop itself was a little bakery or maybe even a florist because of the flowers decorating the front.
Miyu led Yukari through the threshold of the store, where shelves were filled with plush dolls, the room painted a calming lavender color and the floor carpeted a faint pink. Fake roses on vines adorned the walls and candles were lit by each corner of the room, the wax oozing down into their respected holders. They went straight to the back of the store where the two young ladies sat on cushions inside of Miyu's working area.
Miyu poured a cup of Jasmine tea for them both, while Yukari picked up a tiny long eared pink rabbit with dark ruby pools for eyes on the table left by a spool of pink and black thread, a needle and tiny black buttons that were used to be her animal plush dolls' noses. The doll however, was still missing a right leg and one of the ears needed to be stitched on properly, but all the same, it was an adorable piece of art that Yukari couldn't take her eyes off of.
This was the why Yukari loved Miyu's plush dolls so much, not only because of the adorable designs of the dolls themselves and how each and every doll was uniquely different in their own way. It was because they were made with such love and care, it clearly showed in Miyu's intricate needlework.
Miyu placed the porcelain cup before Yukari who thanked her and cautiously laid the bunny back in its place on the table.
"So, why is the store going to close Miyu-chan?" Yukari inquired, blowing on her tea, attempting to cool the liquid down. She watched right then at the steam rising out of the cup.
Miyu took a long sip, licking the droplets of tea off her glossy lips, "It's because I've haven't had much business lately and have just renovated the place last month. I tend to forget to pay the rent and so, you know."
Yukari stared at Miyu in pure shock and just about dropped the glass cup in her hands, "That's terrible! Why didn't you move to one of the main streets and just sell your plush dolls there to get more business? Wouldn't it have been easier that way?"
"I'd be forced to have to compete with the top competitive stores over there. That's too much of a hassle for me. Besides, I like it here, less commercial and a whole lot quieter too." Miyu concluded, finishing her tea.
"But…" Yukari protested.
"It's fine Yukari. I can always do something else for a living." Miyu simply countered Yukari's sign of dispute, and poured herself another cup.
"No it's not," Yukari rose to her feet.
"There has to be something we can do, I mean, it isn't until the weekend that you'll close up shop right? There just has to be a way, there just has to!"
Miyu sighed, lowering her cup onto the table and stood up, resting in the same place where she sat.
"Well, if you're so desperate as to help me, Yukari."
"I'll do anything Miyu-chan! Just please don't close up shop!" Yukari pleaded.
Yukari sighed as she sat there on the city bus on the way home from Sweet Mimori, her head conked against the window as she thought back to Miyu's scheme.
"Yukari, you're a photographer, right?" Miyu asked. Yukari nodded in reply, wondering what Miyu was cooking up in that mind of hers.
"Mostly girls come to the shop to buy my plush dolls, and most girls who are your age like young beautiful boys, am I right?
"Where are you going with this Miyu-chan?" Yukari thought uncertain and considered that she had made a mistake by helping her friend with this great plan. It might have been a good idea to back out right then.
"How about this, beautiful boys with Sweet Mimori's plush dolls, wouldn't that simply be delightful? You'd make fliers with your pictures Yukari-chan and then spread them all over town!" Miyu enlightened Yukari with her brilliant proposal.
"I'm doomed…" Yukari grumbled under her breath, banging her head against the glass window.
"Where on earth do I find those 'bishie' she wants so much anyway? I barely talk to those kinds of guys. I'm so screwed!" Yukari complained, drowning deeper into her despair.
"Saa ne, Yukari-san is that the reason why you have such a long face?" A voice spoke out, breaking her away from her thoughts and impending doom.
Yukari turned to see who spoke from beside her.
"Ah! Fuji-san! What are you doing here on this bus?" So it was, the young third year junior high school student who attended Seigaku, the ever popular blue eyed genius himself, Fuji Syusuke.
Fuji was a fellow photographer much like Yukari, they had met several times at the photo developing store on weekends and mostly talked about the kinds of pictures they took and gave tips to each other on how to improve their own work.
He chuckled and answered, "I just finished tennis practice and I'm heading home right now."
Yukari gave a small silent 'oh'. Fuji was a member of his school's tennis team as 'tennis regular', whatever that meant.
"So, you can't find any 'bishie' Yukari-san?" He went on to continue.
Yukari flushed into one such a person who had taken a bit too long at the tanning salon.
"Y-y-you heard a-all that?" Fuji nodded with his famous fox like grin on his face that slightly freaked Yukari out.
"W-well, umm… You see Fuji-san; it's a funny story actually." Yukari chuckled nervously as Fuji kept his smile as if he was pressing her on to continue.
"Uhh…A friend of mine has a shop and you see her shop, well, it's going to close down soon in a few days. So, her idea was to find s-some 'bishies' to take some pictures with her products, well, she makes plush dolls and uh…"
"No need to worry about it Yukari-san, it'll be alright. I'd love to help you in fact; I know exactly where to find plenty of 'bishie' for you." Fuji standing up to take his leave.
"Really, you do Fuji-san? You'd do this for me? Oh, thank you, thank you so much, Fuji-san! This means a lot to me!" Yukari smiled.
"I'll meet you at the park tomorrow with the 'bishie' after school, so bring your friend and her plushies, alright Yukari-san?"
"Ok then, Fuji-san, I'll see you then! And again, thank you so much for doing this for me!" Yukari slightly bowed.
"It's no problem." Fuji waved goodbye as he got off the city bus.
"Thank god…" Yukari sighed, slouching down in seat.
"The worst is over!" Yukari cheered, throwing her arms into the air.
"Yukari-chan! Hey!" Yukari looked up.
Oh great, it was Kei-ken and Tsunako-chan coming down the aisle to meet her! Shoot! Just her luck…