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Chapter 20: Let's What?

"You played well." I said finally breaking the ice. "Like wise." Tezuka placed a firm grip on his duffel bag. Must he end the conversation so soon?

"I'm glad we placed first for both boys and girls. After all, Seigaku was seeded first for boys but girls were supposed to be second. I was afraid Kakunoki would win against us." Indeed kakunoki was a trouble for the girls and though not for the boys.

"I thought we would be placed second when girls doubles lost their matches consecutively."

Luckily the singles: Miki, buchou and I came through.

"You motivated me" I continued with a smile. "Seeing you try so hard even with your arm injured, I never wanted to settle for a score less than yours." I was expecting a smirk or a softened expression but instead I got a frown.

"You should never compare with others. Never settle for less than your best." I felt a stab in my heart but I forced a smile.

"But even so, no one else could go beyond your best. It was all straight 6-0." I knew what he said made sense but I felt hurt. It was like giving a compliment and have it ripped up into pieces. But then again, Tezuka kun must have been grumpy due to his arm. Fortunately, something else caught my attention.

"Isn't that Oishi-Kun?" I tugged on my companion's sleeve. We peered from behind the walls of the park. Oishi-kun seemed to be hitting against a green container.

"So how was your game nyah?" the voice with a mewing suffix led me to the figure perched on the container. Kikumaru kun…

"When you were gone, I was practicing by myself. I was so lonely."

"What did you practice?" Oishi questioned as he continued to rally against the green container.

"Um…trampling, flips and cartwheels!" the red head made a gesture that looked similar to licking his paws…oops sorry his hands.

"Are you sure that wasn't just for fun?" both boys erupted into laughter. Instead of giggling with them, I turned around to meet Tezuka's gaze.

"Ne…Tezuka kun, did you notice this about Oishi kun?" By this, I meant his control and accuracy. Even while talking, laughing or whatever action, Oishi was continuously hitting the same spot, creating a dent on the green metallic container.

"Keep it up Aibo! We have to train hard next year so we can become doubles partners! We're gonna be head for Seigaku doubles number one! Nationals or kantou here we come!"

"I didn't know they we're such good friends" I began but to see the chestnut head walking back home, uninterested. "I bet you want to say eavesdropping is not my thing right?"

"Hn."

"But tell me, you as well as I know that Kikumaru kun didn't really like Oishi kun. After all, when Yamato buchou selected Oishi-kun to be a doubles regular, Kikumaru kun played a match against him to take his spot."

Silence…

"Besides Kikumaru kun said 'singles are for men!' what made him want to play doubles?"

"Golden pair" the glasses glinted in the sunlight.

"Huh?"

"They're working toward becoming Seigaku's best doubles for all times."

"But Kikumaru kun said…"

"Kikumaru has good doutaishiryoku. As you know from practice, he can follow the tennis ball no matter how fast it is. And with that talent, he realized he can't play singles with his abilities. No matter how acrobatic he is, there will be many flaws when he plays singles." I was also surprised that Tezuka can say more than one sentence in a conversation.

"When he saw Oishi's precision and accuracy, he realized that's what he needed to win in a match."

"Oh…" I caught on, "Wait how do you know all of this? I doubt you stalk them do you? And I'm usually with them during class time."

"You don't change with them do you?" Hazel eyebrows lifted up slightly to say Do you have common sense?

"They talk about it in the locker rooms?" Tezuka nodded, exasperated. "And you're eavesdropping on them?" I grinned

"It's multi-tasking." He explained bluntly.

"Sure…" At this point, Tezuka just seemed so ordinary. He was just like any first year boy except that he was better looking than most of them. Quiet a good catch? But I brushed such thoughts away when I had an idea.

"I know what I can do to cheer you up!" He immediately furrowed his brows. The idea to be announced wasn't sounding too good.

"I'll make you lunch for you tomorrow!"

"No, it's unnecessary." The expected answer came.

"In your case, you need to eat more yellow-orange produces to strengthen your bones and prevent any joint pain." I continued, tuning out any arguments.

"Then we'll switch lunches tomorrow." The robotic voice sounded.

"Huh?" the mention of switch stopped my health lecture.

"We'll exchange lunches tomorrow." Tezuka's voice never wavered on the commanding tone.

"Ok then…" the gear in my head spun. "Since I'm making your lunch personally, you have to make my lunch personally ok?" Without waiting for a confirmation, I rushed into my house.

This was not part of the deal. I never cooked before. Tezuka stood dumbfounded in the middle of Aizawa/Tezuka property.

"Oh by the way, " I poked my head out the door. "I'm experienced in cooking so I can tell if you made it or not." Tezuka stared wide eyed as I shut the door.

Tomorrow morning will be welcome to hell… the left hander opened his own gate and disappeared.

Next morning….

"Mom get out!" I pestered for the third time

"But Mina why do I get such a plain bento?" My mom questioned, attempting to snatch the incomplete colorful bento from the table.

"I told you it's for Tezuka kun!"

"Why not make both bento special?"

"Because Seigaku has a match in an hour?"

"A bear shaped inari and kani roll doesn't take that long…"

How much I troubled her when I was young, I don't know but this was not the time to repay the debt.

"Then you make it mom!" "I never thought my daughter will betray me for her boyfriend!" she pouted.

" I didn't betray you!" I squeaked as I took out the Inari from deep frying. "Mom, Tezuka kun's health condition isn't good, I told you. This is my way to make him feel better." With a smile, my mom shrugged her shoulder. "Ok. I'm done teasing you. I'll be late ja!" Unexpectedly, my mom stole a freshly fried egg roll and disappeared from the counter before I could throw a kitchen towel.

"Oh Mina! I keep forgetting to ask you. Why my slacks and dress shirt reeking with are sweat?"

Eek! I thought as I shaped out the ears and paws from the fried egg. Well I did play tennis in them.

"Oh I forgot to wash it for you after you wore it last week."

"Really? I haven't worn this in a while though…" ignorance surely is bliss.

At the Tezukas…

"Kunimitsu why are you in the kitchen?" Ayane Tezuka yawned. At the first syllable, the said Kunimitsu dropped what he was holding and turned around to deny any view of what he was doing.

"Morning, mother." He gave an expression that would be considered half a smile.

Ayane shivered. Whenever her son did that it was creepy and with a creepy smile came an up to no good event.

"What are you hiding?" the elder Tezuka said trying to overpower her usual stoic son. Was that a cutting board laid out in front of her son?

"I hope you're not trying to practice karate with that." Ayane shook a finger at him. "You have to start with a cardboard then you can try chopping a cutting board."

What is she talking about? Ignoring his hallucinating mom, Tezuka placed a pan on a stove and cracked an egg.

"Anata! Call 911! Something is wrong with our son!" Tezuka gave a long sigh. This will be one long morning.

After the cooking frenzy…

"For me?" I smirked up at him as he handed me a plain white bento. But the smile wasn't returned. In fact it was reciprocated into a glare.

"Had fun cooking?" I placed my box into his grip.

"Hn." Was all I received but I'm sure things did not go so smoothly this morning in his kitchen.

Things had gone rockier than rocky road ice cream. Tezuka thought.

Flashback…

Being the perfectionist of the name Tezuka Kunimitsu, he carefully measured with a ruler where the centroid of the egg was.

"The circumference is 2 inches so crack it at 1 inch." He marked the middle of the egg with a pen and was ready to bang the white sphere against the counter as his mother usually does. But at that moment an ear piercing shriek was heard.

"Kunimitsu! I told you not to practice karate in the kitchen." I woke up 2 hours earlier than necessary and I still wake her up…

"Kunimitsu…playing with fire is not safe you know that…go back to sleep. It's only 5 am…" his mother pleaded with curlers all over her hair. Which may explain why her brain wasn't functioning well.

"Did someone leave the stove on? I smell something burning" Tezuka Kazuma roamed down the stairs aimlessly. However, his eyes snapped open when he reached the kitchen. "Who's that holding a knife?" he roared, "If you're a robber you better get out. I have a phone next to me! I'll dial 911!" The left hander sighed, not only was he waking up the whole city but he has to deal with hallucinating parents and gooey egg mess that he made when his mother shrieked, not to mention the incomplete bento. I thought my family was normal…The aizawas are more sane than us. Actually, the only irregular person is their daughter…thinking of making me do these things.

End of flashback

The bus ride today was noisy, no other word for it. Minamoto Buchou came up with the idea to sing our school alma mater to show school pride, even though most boys suddenly found the windows more interesting to look at. (I won't enter a song here because I'm too lazy to translate!)

"Wow I didn't know there are this many schools in regional tournament." I hung my duffel bag over my right shoulder. "If anything I thought higher level competitions had lesser schools playing?"

"It's definitely higher level here," Hashimoto senpai declared, "But you have to remember this competition covers more area in Japan." I nodded in agreement.

"There are a lot of schools here but we have to watch out especially for that school." Minamoto Buchou jumped in and pointed at a certain school where one side of their uniform top was blue-violet and the other side was white.

"That's Hyotei, the number one seeded school that have been wining for straight five years now."

"Wow but…" I hesitated.

"Hm?" Both of the senpai turned around.

"They're rich right? They might have had private coaching."

"Eh…yeah they're known to be rich but how did you know that?"

With a slight snigger, I leaned closer toward my seniors, "because I see an over decorated monkey there."

"Where?" they whispered.

"Under that parasol. He's sitting on a chair drinking juice. And there's a giant next to him squatting."

"Oh!"

"You mean that raven haired boy with the big mole right?" I nodded instantly."

"He does look like a monkey!"

"Why does he keep flipping his hair with his hand? Is he a girl?"

Unconsciously we had to snigger and it was to the point to where it was audible.

"Oi" the boy seemed to notice.

Oops…the three of us looked at each other guiltily. He seemed to have caught us in making fun of him.

"If you…" He started.

Shall we run away? We exchanged glances. It was never good to start anything with rivalry schools.

"…want to go out with ore-sama, you have to wait in line." He pointed at the group of drooling girls about 2 feet away from the parasol.

Our jaws dropped. Did we just hear him right?

"Minamoto! Hashimoto! Aizawa! What are you doing there?" Ryuzaki sensei called. Sniggering, we headed toward the voice calling us.

"Oi! Just because you're from other schools, doesn't mean you can't be my fan! Just sign here!" the boy with blue violet hair called, waving a thick address book.

"I'm afraid a low life like me is not good enough for oresama." I smiled well naturedly and walked back with my senpais, while we stifled a small laugh.

"Hm…she admits she's a low-life, that must mean oresama's prowess must be more noticeable and sparkling today. Right kabaji?" Atobe keigo smirked, keeping one his ear open for the shouts and praises from the fan girls in the back.

"Usu!"was the loyal giant's answer.

"Ruzaki sensei, long time no see." A gentle voice greeted.

"Banji!" I traced the male voice back to a short old man.

"He's Ryuzaki sensei's eternal rival." Hashimoto senpai answered my questioning look. "Like years ago, Seigaku was favored to be first place in Regional. It was the year when you know that ex-professional tennis player; Echizen Nanjiroh was on the team."

"Wow that famous samurai was from seigaku?" Of course I knew Echizen Nanjiroh, he was the only person dad talked about when he taught me tennis.

Flashback

"Mina bend your knees more! You see how Echizen Nanjiroh is doing it? Shape a nice L there!"

"Owieee…"

End of flashback

Boy do I need to thank him for all the hardships I went through when dad tried to make me a carbon copy of him.

"Yup and Ryuzaki sumire sensei was the coach!" Hashimoto senpai grinned at my widened eyes.

"But that means Ryuzaki sensei must be really old!" I concluded bluntly.

"Aizawa repeat what you said!"

Oops what sharp ears. "I meant I must be getting old quick. Hehe…." I waved it off.

"So then…Seigaku was favored to win against that certain school." Hashimoto senpai continued. "But because Banji sensei came to coach the school, somehow their play changed and Seigaku lost all matches except Echizen Nanjiroh's."

"Banji sensei's tranquil and patient coaching seems to affect the athletes. So we really have to watch out for his school." Minamoto buchou added.

"Oh…" I gazed at the very ordinary looking old man.

"Hurry up old man!" a brusque low growl made me look up. The owner of the voice was a boy as tall as Yamato buchou though, certainly not as good natured. His skin was deadly pale but his muscles well toned.

"Who's that?" I questioned Minamoto buchou.

"No idea." She whispered, "He must be a freshman from Yamabuki. I've never seen him around. He 's rude talking that way to his coach." The boy seemed to sense us talking about him and directed his gaze on us. His eyes were hard and sunken. To me, it wasn't filled with malice. Rather, it was just cold like the glacier that stopped time seemed to stop in the ice age.

"What are you looing at Akutsu?" A cheerful voice, contradictory to his companion interrupted.

"Lucky! You spotted Seigaku girls. I went to go spy on them last time! There are a lot of pretty girls there!" the orange-brown haired boy seemed to be going through puberty with that voice change.

"Ne ne." the boy started to cling around us. "I know the schools here pretty well do you want me to show you around?"

Clunk!

"Oops my hand slipped." Minamoto buchou smirked. "I'm a 3rd year. I know the courts here better than you, freshy. Let's go guys!" Hashimoto senpai and I followed. "Yamabuki is such a weird place…There's a guy that drools at sights of any girls, a zombie looking guy that is especially rude and a senile coach that smiles at anything. "Buchou…" I said as my conscious reminded me not to be rude.

"I have to admit, add the guy from Hyotei and this while tournament is filled with …anti-conformists." Hashimoto senpai analyzed.

I believe she replaced anti-conformists as a synonym for weirdoes.

"Actually, that tangerine head wasn't bad looking…a lot better than that zombie boy who looked like he woke up from Nightmare Before Christmas."

"Really?" I smiled, "I find that silver haired boy strange but beautiful…" my senpais stared at me, eyes as big as microscope lenses.

"I told you this tournament is filled with anti-conformists." Hashimoto senpai thumped buchou on the back. "We have one in our own school!"

Luchtime…

"Wait!" I quickly sat down next to Tezuka as 3 heads turned around to stare at me. "We have to do this formally."

The 3 freshmen boys gave me questioning looks. "Sorry Fuji kun, Oishi kun, you can continue." I smiled as I poured a cup of tea for two. "Let's open it together." I stated as I laughed at Tezuka's scrunched up face.

"But why today Aizawa-san?" Oishi-kun curiously asked as he took out the chopsticks from his mouth.

"Because…" I started.

"Can we eat now?" the chestnut head interrupted exasperatedly.

"Ok." I winked a 'You'll see' at Oishi.

"Wow it's an animal farm…" Fuji and oishi muttered as Tezuka's eyes widened also. Right, my main theme was a zoo in his bento: bear shaped inari, egg covered fox, panda created by cutting seaweeds and a pig made by arranging BBQ meatballs. On the side was chopped lettuces, flower shaped carrots and takuwon to represent a flower bed. "Wow it's so precise." I muttered as I examined my lunch. The egg rolls were cut perfectly and rolled up into cylinders and he must have beaten the eggs for awhile since the yolk and the white was well mixed. The rice on the side was pure white and molded into perfect 2x2 inches squares with the corners of the rice balls sharp. The meat balls were also cut into bite sized squares. The crab salad was the only thing that was not looking precise because the ingredients had to be mixed together. Though I'm sure the ingredients were precisely measured.

As Tezuka indifferently picked up the fox sushi with his chopsticks, I dug some of the crab salad and placed it into my mouth. Before I could savor the flavor, something went wrong…

"Choo!" I sneezed shortly after I swallowed. "Choo! Choo! Tez..choo! …kun what did you choo! Put in…" I pointed at the salad, one hand pinching the bridge of my nose. "It has a really strong taste."

"Spices and mayonnaise…" he looked worriedly as he handed me a tissue.

"How much?"

"2 table spoons of sugar, salt, mayonnaise, pepper, and MSG."

"Heh that 's Tezuka, precise with everything." The girly tensai chortled.

I bit my tongue back as I smiled with all my effort. No wonder my tongue is going through an electrical shock, there is so much pepper in here.

"You mind if I try some, Aizawa san?" I tried to warn the cerulean eyes mentally that it wasn't safe, but with nothing but a smile in return.

I quickly shook a no but masked my eagerness to get rid of the dish as to not offend the cook. Tezuka, Oishi and I were mesmerized as smooth white hands picked up some white and green mush with chopsticks and elegantly placed it into his mouth. What we were more mesmerized by was when those pink petals called lips curved into a smile.

"Tezuka you're a good cook! Want to try some Oishi?"

For a moment, the silence was deafening. Tezuka and Oishi knew quite well that their fragile looking companion had quite an acquired taste, after all his favorite dish is wasabi rolls as he had stated in his personal introduction.

Judging by Oishi's and Tezuka's bewildered expressions, neither wanted to touch the dish.

Wanting to break the heavy tension, I dug into my bag. "I made snacks too."

Tezuka wasn't able to erase his bewildered expression due to what I was holding. "Smiling Tezuka shaped cookies?" Oishi spotted.

"It's Smiling Tezuka-kun fortune cookies to be exact."

"Are those green dots wasabi?" the acquired taster asked, overjoyed as he shoveled more salad into his mouth.

"Sorry Fuji kun, that's candy glitter." I smiled as Oishi breathed out a sight of relief.

"Did you say fortune?" I watched as the owner of the voice beheaded a panda.

Note to self, do not make any more animal shaped sushi, it's getting pitiful to watch them being eaten.

"Yup, have a cookie," I passed around the bag, "…flip it around and read it."

"Do what you think is impossible," Fuji's innocent smile turned into a grin.

"Don't let one problem take over your mind." Oishi read and scratched his head

"Heh, sorry if it sounds random, I got it from magazines."

"No, it actually applies to me." Fuji licked the green candy glitter to see by any chance it may be wasabi.

"Tezuka you haven't told us yours." At the sound of Oishi's voice, I was also curious but Tezuka was silent and clutching at the object in his palm.

"Don't worry Tezuka-kun I won't call you a cannibal for eating it." I joked.

His silence was leading me to think that he doesn't like the smiling Tezuka fortune cookies.

"What does it say Tezuka?" Oishi was even more intrigued and tried to look over.

But before he was able to read it, "Oishi! Fuji! Go fill up the water tanks!" Ryuzaki sensei called.

"You'll tell us later right, tezuka?" Fuji winked.

"Don't worry about it." The stoic boy advised as he covered the cookie. I was puzzled. As I have said, I made fortune cookies, not premonition cookies, so nothing bad was written on any of those smiling Tezukas. After the two boys left, the silence was getting uncomfortable.

"Um..Tezuka-kun I'm going to take a nap. I woke up pretty early today."

I'm sure you did. Tezuka mentally said as Mina's breathing evened out. The chestnut head carefully studied the edible image of himself. Unlike him, the image was smiling a toothy grin. He turned the object in his hand. "This will strengthen your bone" it said. Found it in a magazine? What a bluff. The corners of his mouth started to lift even without the owner's permission.

Thank you for caring…

He brushed the chocolate strand out of the sleeping girl's face.