Disclaimer: I own prince of tennis… in my dream!

I'm so sorry i haven't been updating!!! College Applications are huge pain! I hope to update every week after January since that's my last application that's due!!

Chapter 12: Jealousy means heated rice cake

The first day of summer vacation………

"Aiyah….How can she think of such a project?" I cried in disbelief, throwing my pillow at the wall.

Flashback

"Class we are going to do a marriage project!" my teacher announced joyfully. "Since the boys picked out of a hat last time, girls can pick this time." She mixed up the names of the boys in a black Mexican sombrero. "Basically the rules are just as follows. Respect each other, no harassing, and I want you to carry around a 2 pound sugar as your baby. This is part of a history project; write me reports during your summer vacation everyday. This should give you the reason to go out and have fun. Make up ideas imagining that it is a real baby. So describe the growth. Etc.."

The classroom was as silent as if someone turned off a radio. Everyone was dumbfounded instantly. The first to recover were the Tezuka and Fuji fans. Those girls…they're never tired...

They squealed up and down, hoping that the name they'll pick out is Tezuka or Fuji.

I reluctantly took out a piece of folded paper. Wonder if I'll get Tezuka? But if I did what should I do? Somehow, my palms became sweaty and my hands numbed at the thought, stopping the process.

"Mina, what are you doing?" Kaga asked, amused how I can pose like a sculpture, "Did you get some pervert?" She quickly snatched the folded paper and opened it carelessly.

"Ooo you got Fuji-kun! Lucky! He's smart, and good looking so you won't have to worry a thing about acing this project,"

No doubt about that but…and even before I was able to finish my thought, most of the girls in the class started to squeal and scream, some sending their death glares at me to express their jealousy.

"Aizawa-san, are you my partner?" the tensai smoothly approached me.

"Yes," I answered not knowing whether to give a smile or a sigh. Fuji kun will be a good partner but jeaousy from other girls are unbearable.

"We were paired for the flag catching and now this. Maybe we were meant to be together?" Fuji announced publicly.

You better not have done that on purpose Fuji-Kun! This was embarrassing as my teacher was laughing hysterically and the girls on the right side screamed and beat their hands in anger. Oh my, what fun…

However, I missed one person sulking in the corner.

This project is extremely degrading, Tezuka thought. As Tezuka sat in the corner, pouting like a bull dog, Miyuki walked toward him.

"Ano…Tezuka-kun?" she asked nervously.

"Yes?" Tezuka replied without looking up from his book. What was her name? She's one of Aizawa-san's friends.

Even though Miyuki has been here longer than Mina, Tezuka barely noticed her. Kaga and Hitomi were more talkative while Miyuki was quiet and shy.

With the quick response, Miyuki flinched and backed off a step.

"Umm… you're my partner…so um….yoroshiku." Miyuki whispered and before Tezuka can give the slightest of his infamous nods, she was out of sight.

There are many people that stalk me and are afraid of me, but one that is afraid of me to that point of flinching is unusual…Tezuka watched Miyuki disappear and resumed his reading.

End of flashback

PINGPONG!

Oh great! I thought as I ran down the stairs.

"Hi!" I came face to face with the flawless face. "Hi Fuji-Kun" looking at Fuji is always refreshing. Wearing white vest over a light blue dress shirt and a pair of khaki, he is one of the guys I know that has good style.

"I thought I should pick up our child." He said as he held up a 2 pounds sugar of C&H brand.

"Thank you! You sure will make a good husband." I said sincerely. I led him up to my room then a thought suddenly came over me.

"Oh yeah, do you mind if I invite Miyuki and Tezuka-Kun over? Then we can all work on this project."

Tezuka is my neighbor and Miyuki is one of my best friends. Might as well share ideas so that I can finish at least one month full of entries

"Of Course not…but you don't want to spend some time together alone wifey?" he said giving me a naughty grin.

I was astonished at first but began to laugh at his playfulness. Then in a second I called Miyuki who agreed instantly since she is terrified of Tezuka. "Yes!! Mina, you're my lifesaver!" she screamed over the phone, "I don't even know how to talk to Tezuka-kun. I think I need to write in some hieroglyphic to communicate with him or something."

I laughed continuously at her anxiety and Miyuki decided to head towards my house.

After I hanged up, I noticed Fuji gave a yawn one after another.

"You didn't sleep well?" I was concerned since in school, the tensai had his famous smile plastered over his face everyday.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit sleepy." I had him lie down and I was about to go down to the kitchen to make some tea when I caught a glimpse of the infamous grumpy face, who seems to be reading a booking

I opened my window and screamed across, "Tezuka-kun!!!" however, he's concentration was great. Even if Fuji was wincing in the back, Tezuka did not look at from his book. Luckily I remembered the digital-messenger that my friend gave me before I transferred here. I pressed the button for recording, and said "Tezuka-Kun if you're not busy, do you want to work on the marriage project together?" I released the button and gazed at the hand size, angel shaped technology. I checked if there were batteries inside. I threw a plastic bottle cap at Tezuka's window, causing him finally to look up and I sent my hand size angel straight towards his window. He hurriedly opened the window to catch the unknown object. And I exited my room to make some tea for the groggy tensai.

Meanwhile…

Tezuka curiously glared at the unidentified flying object. Mina, unlike Fuji is a safe person so I guess this object is not a bomb or anything…The pure white, bony hand turned over the object to find a post-it that said "Press here" he pressed it cautiously to hear the melodious voice that he at once recognized to be Mina's. "Tezuka-Kun if you're not busy, do you want to work on the marriage project together?" shouldn't she work with Fuji on this? I guess I can work on some homework with her. Oh and I need to ask her this…Tezuka thought as he glanced at two tickets on his desk. Inserting them carefully into his binder, he headed out of his house.

I finished brewing out a pot full of green tea when the door bell rang once again. Miyuki or Tezuka? I wondered. Tezuka won't answer that fast right? Wrong. I came face to face with the beautifully sculpted face. Tezuka always exerted this aura that was filled with charisma. No matter how irritable he looked, he always made me smile. I guess I got used to it… "Hi Tezuka-Kun! Perfect timing, I just finished brewing green tea." He followed me into the kitchen and took a cup of green tea with a murmur of thanks. I placed my up and a cup for Fuji on a plate and headed upstairs. Why is she carrying up two cups for? Is someone here? What Tezuka saw was a terror to his eyes.

There on Mina's bed was the familiar tensai nestling comfortably on her bed.

"Fuji, what are you doing?" he asked instantly. "Oh Fuji-Kun was tired so I asked him to lie down." I answered, curious at Tezuka's attitude. Fuji just smiled and began to heave himself up. I was forced to leave the strange situation as the door bell rang again.

"Miyuki! Good thing you're here! What took you so long?" I asked as I pulled her in. "Sorry, I took a detour to the bookstore I heard the new volume of Fruit Basket is out," She said apologetically.

Meanwhile…

"What's that Tezuka?" the shorter boy asked as his eyes caught sight of two admission tickets of a sort. "Homework for Music Appreciation." The glasses boy answered in short fragments. "Are you going to invite me?" the sandy haired boy asked slyly, causing Tezuka to be silent. "I'm just kidding. By the way we should head downstairs. I think your partner is here." Fuji saved the silence and gave a smile that seems to say "I know everything."

Sure enough, besides Mina was his partner, who hid behind Mina as soon as she caught sight of the two boys.

"Miyuki what are you doing?" I questioned amusingly, gently pushing her forward, "We should get started, I want to finish at least 31 entries so we can relax for a month."

"By relaxing, do you mean studying for your finals that's in December?" Fuji suggested and Miyuki snickered behind my back.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with it? If you do, no dinner for you tonight husband!" This project isn't bad and neither is having Fuji-Kun as a partner, since I don't have to see his stalking fans. Things may have gone smoothly if Tezuka was a bit more outgoing but as we all know, no one can change him.

"…So on the 13th day, my husband got fired from his job…and he took out his anger by serving a tennis ball against the window…" I scribbled jokingly.

"Then our neighbor, Tezuka Kunimitsu started to laugh his head off…" Fuji continued by whispering.

This earned a glare from Tezuka who was not doing well with Miyuki.

"Um….so um…what happens on the 14th day?" Miyuki stutters constantly and whenever Tezuka would cast a glance, she glued her eyes on the papers. Fuji and I just shook our heads. Might as well write my husband scared me and I never communicated with him whatsoever…

Tezuka was greatly annoyed. What am I doing that causes her to be so cautious? I'm never getting this done while Fuji and Mina are just finishing at the rate of one entry per second. This is not good, I have to take control.

Then he started to write continuously, pencils causing a whirl wind and papers flying.

"Ok I'm done. Andoh-san, tell me if you agree."

All three of us stared at the four eyed genius.

"Behold the Robot's power." I said subconsciously and I smiled guiltily as Tezuka cast off another icy glare.

"Let's go take a walk around the shotengai. We actually need to experience this project and we finished nearly the whole summer entry already." I suggested to disrupt the cold tension Tezuka was sending me.

I walked in the front with Fuji while Miyuki was walking with Tezuka behind us. It felt like double date, too bad Miyuki looked like Tezuka might yell at her any second. Fuji and I alternately carried our baby, Fuji tried to make me drop the baby couple of times. Tezuka on the other hand, volunteered to hold his baby the whole time as to fulfill his duty as a gentleman.

As we were walking past the park, I stopped at the sight of two boys rallying without a net. One of the boys fell when he missed the ball but got up quickly to take the next shot.

"What's wrong Mina? Do you know them?" Miyuki asked as I gazed at the two boys.

I shook my head, "Somehow, those boys reminds me of me when I started playing tennis." I felt nostalgic, "Hoping that I'll be able to catch every ball, persistently running after every shot, and believing that there is no such thing as iniquity." Until reality slaps you in the face, I added silently. Little did I know that the silent figure beside Fuji was thinking the same thing.

"I think we should get going. The air is getting a bit chilly," the frail boy declared as wind started to blow his hair to one side.

Tezuka nodded and motioned for me to follow him. "Miyuki, I'll walk you home first." I said but I was cut off by my fake husband. "It's okay, you and Tezuka head home. I'll walk her home." He winked towards both of us and gently pushed Miyuki's back with his palm.

The shy and quiet Miyuki gave me an alarming look but was forced to follow as the blue orbs attempted to send a message.

I waved and followed the robot, who already started walking.

Should I ask her now? Do I really need to ask her? Does she even like these things? Questions popped up one after another as Tezuka zoomed past the street and I trailed behind him.

"Tezuka-kun, slow down a bit please!" I panted, and finally caught hold of his arm.

I don't know if he was lost in thought or something but he better not be walking fast on purpose!

"Sorry…" Tezuka murmured and jammed his hands into his pockets to draw out two admission tickets to the Classical concert.

"Um…Aizawa-san. If you're free will you go with me to the concert Saturday night?" For the first time in his life, he stuttered and it was not a happy feeling at the moment. I have to blame father for this…

"Sorry?" Unfortunately I had to ask him to repeat as I was trying to keep myself from sneezing.

I can't say never mind now…I'm holding the tickets. Tezuka regretted.

"If you're free on Saturday night, will you go to a classical concert with me?"

"Wow, aren't these the exclusive tickets? I remember the Four-season company only had like two tickets left."

"Yes, my father suggested that we go as an experience."

"Oh…You should have asked Miyuki, it would have been a good entry for the project," Tezuka's face fell, "But as your imouto I get priority first!" I enjoyed classical music, especially since it was Beethoven's music that is being performed. Tezuka smirked as I turned around.

"Look, Tezuka-Kun," I pulled the authoritative-looking Tezuka toward a tree, "A blue jay! They're usually found in United States but what are they doing in Japan? And besides, did you know that blue birds symbolize happiness?"

No one, not even my parents are able to interact with me at such ease. Maybe that's what makes her so special. She accepts the stoic person that I am and doesn't idealize a change in me as others. She doesn't treat me differently from others and maybe that's why…But he stopped the thought immediately as a hand waved in front of his face. "Earth to Tezuka-Kun, are you at Mars again?"

Tezuka was satisfied that he didn't have to confront that thought...

Sooooo how is it? Did I lose my touch for not writing too long?? PLEASE Read and Review!! I'll love you guys forever!!