Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Prince of Tennis
Chapter 3 - Contentment
"Tezuka, really...Thank you for fetching me to school this morning," Fuji thanked the taller boy, wondering why out of the sudden he had become so polite to the captain.
"It's alright. It is my responsibility anyway."
'Responsibility,' Fuji repeated the word in this mind, as he felt a little twinge of sadness in his heart, 'Do you feel happy being with me? Or am I just being a burden then?'
"Fuji," Tezuka glanced at the shorter boy who looked troubled, "Is something wrong?"
Surprised at being caught off guard, Fuji immediately put on a mask – his usual smile as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Nothing. Nothing is wrong."
Upon reaching the school gates of Seigaku High, the tennis captain spotted the familiar figure of a female whom he dreaded to see.
"Fuji," he said suddenly with a hint of urgency in his voice, "I have something on. Is it okay if you walk slowly to your classroom by yourself?"
Feeling slightly bad for thwarting Tezuka's plan, Fuji apologized, "I'm sorry for holding you up. I will make it to the classroom safely on my own."
With a nod of thanks, Tezuka hurried off. Curious to know what made the usual stony-looking boy now seeming so flustered, Fuji could not help but follow closely from behind.
'Why am I so afraid for Fuji to see Sue?' Tezuka pondered, frowning as he started to feel confused at the mixed wave of emotions he was currently experiencing. 'Could it be that I am worried that Fuji will get the wrong idea about me and Sue? If so, why?' He thought.
"Mitsu-chan!" Sue greeted, hoping that her voice carried enough sexiness to seduce Tezuka, "I'm so happy to see you."
Tezuka cringed at the voice of Sue. For a moment, he felt thankful that he had enough perseverance not to run off even hearing the voice of the irritating girl.
"Here's the lunch I have specially prepared for you." With that, Sue pulled out a brown box and placed it onto the hands of the shocked Tezuka. Immediately, she blew him a kiss and sauntered off before saying, "Remember to eat the lunch I prepared with my love!"
Taking in the scene was Fuji Syusuke, who stood with his eyes wide open. Glad for the fact that Tezuka had not notice the tensai, Fuji hurried off in the opposite direction, with his eyes staring at the ground.
"No wonder Tezuka is in a hurry," Fuji whispered, as his vision started to become blurred by the welling of warm tears in his eyes, "Tezuka already has a girlfriend," he mumbled.
'What should I do then?' Fuji thought with a sense of overwhelming helplessness and confusion.
"Humf!" Fuji cried out upon colliding with another person, "I'm sorry!" he apologized.
"It is okay, since there is a hundred percent chance that you will bump into somebody," a familiar voice commented.
Glancing up, Fuji heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Inui, who was scribbling furiously in his notebook.
"Fuji," Inui said, pushing his glasses up, such that for a moment, Fuji thought that his spectacles would break, "Would you like to have a talk?"
Taken slightly aback at the invitation, Fuji stared suspiciously at the data tennis player. 'Hmm...why not? Maybe Inui will give some advice or something.'
Fuji nodded. "Let's meet at the rooftop during lunch break then," he said, pausing for a while before saying, "Thanks, Inui."
"No problem," Inui replied, before scribbling in his notebook again, walking away as he mumbled without Fuji hearing, "Chances of Fuji crying because of Tezuka...Hundred percent."
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Even the refreshing breeze could not lift up the spirits of Fuji Syusuke, who was waiting for Inui at the empty rooftop.
Fuji sighed again for the umpteenth time. Seeing Tezuka with another girl had truly caught the tensai by surprise. He had never thought that the Seigaku tennis captain would be interested in any relationships since his body and soul seemed to be focused on nothing but tennis.
"I guess I am wrong," Fuji said out aloud.
"Seeing Tezuka with another girl has made you upset? Ar...Ii data..." Inui's voice broke into Fuji's thoughts, startling the tensai.
Fuji shot a surprised glance at Inui. 'Am I that obvious?' he wondered.
"Don't worry," Inui began, sitting beside Fuji as he flipped through his notebook, "Tezuka has zero percent interest in that girl named Sue."
"No interest at all?"
"Absolutely," Inui confirmed, "Sue only sort of...force herself on Tezuka."
Feeling relieved at the news, Fuji stared at Inui in a puzzled fashion, "Why are you telling me this, Inui?"
A pregnant silence hung in the air before Inui spoke, "I thought you could make your feelings known to Tezuka."
Fuji immediately chuckled, "How could I tell him?" He said, feeing embarrassed at once for confessing in front of Inui.
Closing his notebook, Inui pressed his hands together. He spoke slowly and haltingly, but with emphasis.
"You never know unless you try, Fuji. Just like me and Kaidoh. According to my data, I thought Kaidoh would never take any interest in me. Yet, I wanted no regrets. So I made my feelings known to him. Surprisingly, he had a touch for me too." He paused, looking at Fuji as he continued, "If I hadn't made the first step, Kaidoh and I would have never get together. Relationships don't progress according to data, I suppose. So I think you should at least try." He finished.
Fuji looked thoughtfully at the young, solemn face staring so earnestly at him. "Maybe..." Fuji trailed off.
"Inui," a gruff voice called out from the entrance.
Both third-year students turned to the direction of the voice to find Kaidoh Kaoru approaching them.
Giving Fuji a slight nod to acknowledge his presence, Kaidoh turned to Inui and said, "Lunch? Together?"
Standing up, Inui looked down at Fuji who remained seated, as he repeated, "I think you should at least try."
With that, Inui walked off, grabbing hold of the viper's left hand onto his own, leaving Fuji staring enviously at the couple.
"Giving it a try?" Fuji whispered.
"There you are!" A voice broke into Fuji's thoughts once more.
Startled, Fuji turned and was secretly delighted to find Tezuka Kunimitsu standing at the entrance, looking slightly breathless.
"I have been looking everywhere for you. Kaidoh told me you were here." Tezuka said.
Cocking his head to one side, feeling confused, Fuji asked, "Why are you looking for me?"
Without answering his question, Tezuka showed Fuji a blue bag in his hand, "I brought lunch. Let's eat together."
Taken by surprise again for the third time in that day, Fuji blurted, "I thought someone made lunch for you."
Tezuka froze. 'Had Fuji seen him and Sue? Had Fuji mistaken Sue as his girlfriend?' With a shrug, hoping that it would portray to Fuji that he did not care for the lunch that Sue made, Tezuka said, "...I let Momoshiro have that lunch."
Not wanting to ask any further, the pair started to eat, both feeling warmth and happiness at the current situation.
"Tezuka," Fuji said with a hint of mischief in his voice, "Yumiko-neesan says that in sale, there is such a thing as 'Buy one get one free'? I prefer, 'Have Tezuka's lunch, and get to lean on him for free.'" With that, Fuji placed his head comfortably on Tezuka's shoulder as he glanced up at the clear, blue sky.
Tezuka stiffened for a moment. But he gradually relaxed as he began to feel how right it was for Fuji to lean on him like that.
Stealing a glance at Tezuka, Fuji thought wistfully, 'Letting Tezuka know my feelings? Well...maybe not now, since I have no confidence yet. I don't want to change the current situation...yet.'
A/N: I hope this chapter is as enjoyable as the previous ones:)
Thanks to all for reviewing the previous chapter.
Lastly, reviews are greatly appreciated:D