The wonders of a paradox

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Konomi-sensei, Shirota belongs to himself (just borrowed his name), and the storyline belongs to me. :winks:

Rating: G or K

Genre: General, suspense

Pairing: Currently none

Warnings or notes: Might contain anime spoilers, AU, OOC-ness, grammar and other errors (English is not my mother tongue).

Blame my obsession with Aiba and Shirota to my friend, Carzla, who asked me to watch Tenimyu hehehe. Oh, a few of my readers actually guessed the identity of Aiba. I shall say it'll be revealed soon.

Johin is my beta reader, so credit is given to her.

Kindly drop a review; comments or critiques are welcome.

: Ready… Go :

Chapter 2 – Meeting Tezuka Kunimitsu

When they approached the tennis courts both boys were panting heavily from the run. Fuji stopped momentary, breaking into a fit of giggles. "Thanks, Eiji-kun. I had no idea by solving a question would cause such a commotion."

After regaining his breath, Kikumaru beamed. "But you were really cool! Wicked! To answer such question with ease... Now I have someone to teach me! Nya!" he exclaimed happily as he tackled the other boy in a bear hug.

"It's easy to answer something you've learned. I'd be glad to be of help," Fuji answered smoothly.

"When did you learn it though?"

"Secret," Fuji replied playfully and successfully causing the redhead to pout adorably. Knowing his question would not be answered anytime soon, Kikumaru could only change the topic by grabbing his new friend towards the tennis courts where the yelling voices became clear.

"Eiji-kun," Oishi's voice called and when he had spotted Fuji, bowed. "Oishi Syuichiroh. Nice to meet you, Fuji-kun."

Out of politeness, Fuji did the same. "Nice knowing you too. Seems like you have heard of me beforehand."

"Fuji Syusuke, 12. Physical appearance looks feminine, has a charm that draws any girl in, friendly. New sources say he has a high IQ. Other than these, everything else remains unknown," another voice interjected. Inui came out from his hiding place with a notebook in hand.

"Inui-kun!" Oishi warned, feeling a little helpless to stop his friend's weird antics. The data collector seriously freaked anyone out.

"You have a unique hobby, Inui-kun," Fuji turned to greet the bespectacled boy with an amused smile. Already he felt as if he had known them for a long time. Kikumaru was an adorable brother that liked to be spoiled, Oishi was friendly and polite that gave him a motherly feel, and Inui was weird, but seemed to be interesting and Fuji knew he could be his twin.

"Assemble!" Someone called out and the three boys hurried towards the tennis courts after giving Fuji an apologetic look from Oishi and Kikumaru.

"Freshmen, have your usual practices. The juniors and regulars will have a match," and the instructions went on. Fuji only watched half-heartedly. Of course, he knew more or less about tennis. In fact, he played it with his younger brother at home. Yuuta seemed to like the sport a lot, and so by being a good brother, he tagged along. To say he loved tennis was an overstatement. He never really loved the sport. He just loved playing it with his brother and that was all.

Bored, Fuji walked around the fence and gave an occasional wave at his newly made friends. At the corner of his eyes, he spotted a stoic boy was wearing a regular's jacket. Now, that was something to take note of, he mused. From what he observed, the boy was just a freshman. If he remembered Eiji's rants correctly, freshmen were not allowed to join the regulars. So, if the boy could be one of the regulars… that meant something right?

"Tezuka-kun, you will have a match with Shirota-kun," their captain commanded.

'Tezuka-kun… hmm… So he's the one,' Fuji thought silently while his gaze was still focused on the said boy.

So, the match began. At first, Fuji would have said it was nowhere near as exciting as he had a match against his younger brother at home. Even the regulars seemed to be averagely skilled, in the twelve years old boy's eyes. Only one was different among all people. It was as if he was born to be a well-known star that captured every single soul's attention. Every serve, every return, every volley or smash Tezuka Kunimitsu delivered was simply… astonishing. The stoic boy was surrounded by an overwhelming aura; a natural enigma indeed.

"Amazing na? Tezuka-kun is the only one of the first years to be a regular," Oishi's soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Fuji turned to look at the figure standing beside him momentary before returning his attention to the game. "He's not playing his best," he muttered lowly as he stared at Tezuka's left hand, which was holding the tennis ball for a serve.

"Pardon?" Oishi blinked. What did the other say just now?

"Seigaku Tennis Club is really interesting," the sandy-haired boy said with a smile, not bothering to answer Oishi's question.

"Game and match! Tezuka, 6-0!" The referee called out loudly.

As soon as the match was over, Fuji turned to face Oishi once more. "Can you please tell Eiji-kun that I have an early dinner with my family and need to get going now? I apologize for the abruptness."

If Oishi was bemused by the boy's weird antics, he showed none of it on his face. Instead, he replied with a smile and a nod. After giving a bow and saying 'thanks', Fuji walked away from the courts towards the school's main gate. Two pairs of eyes followed his departure until he disappeared from the sight.

"I have a feeling our club will become more lively soon," a female voice commented casually.

"Indeed, coach," was the reply from the tennis club's captain, Yamato, who was currently glancing at the oblivious Tezuka.

That night, before Tezuka went to sleep, he stared at the beautiful painting again like he always did. For some reasons, the painting gave him a soothing feeling like the voice he heard somewhere. He vaguely remembered he heard it in school, but he had no idea to whom such melodious voice belonged to.

: To be continued :