Chapter 5: Of Dates & Stalker-Wannabee Teammates
After Nanjirou finally caught up with his family and his probable future daughter-in-law, (all four of whom had a good laugh at his expense) the five of them went out to dinner at a nice but still comfortable and far from fancy restaurant. Everyone had a good time. It had been a long time since the Echizens had had a chance to have dinner as a family. Nanjirou was often left to fend for himself, as when Ryoma didn't eat out with a friend or more, she had dinner at Kagome's house or ate with Shinji. (His mother had made her stay for dinner two or three times. Strangely enough, Ryoma found that she liked Shinji's family.) It was a wonderful night for all of them.
It was morning now, and Ryoga, Ryoma, and Kagome were all walking to school. It was pleasant- the three of them were just idly chatting. Of course, between siblings without teasing involved is practically nonexistent, especially if said siblings are the Echizen siblings. So Ryoma brought up the perfect bait for banter.
"Ne Aniki, Kagome Nee-chan says you're taking her on a date later. What are you planning, huh?" she said slyly, grinning.
"Oh? What about you? Still don't have a boyfriend, Chibisuke?" Ryoga countered.
Of course, Kagome, being the honorary big sister to Ryoma, couldn't possibly stay out of it. "Actually, she's awfullyfriendly with her friend Shinji Ibu- he goes to a rival school."
"Oh? Too chicken to make a move, Chibisuke?" Ryoga teased.
"Urusai, Aniki. It took you how long to even admit you liked Kagome, let alone even get the guts to ask her out? Besides, he's already my boyfriend."
"Ooh! He asked you out the other day didn't he?" Kagome said, "When's your first date?"
"We're going out tonight actually." Ryoma answered, blushing slightly. (Not that many would notice.)
Unfortunately for Ryoma, this resulted in a noogie from Ryoga. She lucked out, however, when they arrived at school just then. It was time for practice. The two girls parted ways from Ryoga to head to the girls' lockers to change for practice. Both of them wondered how everyone would react to Ryoga. They exchanged evil looks that would have almost sent Ryoga headed for the hills if he was worried that it was directed at him. They both had the same thought: 'This will be good.'
Morning practice went much better than expected. Ryoma miraculously- as always where tennis was or Karupin was concerned- woke up a little once she arrived at the courts for practice. Of course, right as Tezuka was arriving, Ryoga finally made his 'grand entrance'. Which made Kagome & Ryoma exchange glances and hold back snickers, as it was an inside joke that Echizen men seemed to take longer to get ready than women where sports were concerned.
"... You were almost late, Aniki." Ryoma said, deadpanned.
"Did you get lost?" Kagome said, amused, "we got here almost a half hour ago as I recall."
Ryoma, being the dutiful little sister she was, didn't bother holding back her snickering this time. No use denying facts, after all. Ryoga wasn't hopeless with directions like Nanjirou, but he still had a terrible sense of direction & got lost easily. Ryoga glared at Ryoma, knowing what her general thoughts probably were, before pouting at his girlfriend.
"Mou, Kagome-chan, that's mean." he whined.
Kagome giggled. "Oh, you know I'm teasing, Ryoga."
The rest of morning practice went much the same way as usual, with Kagome being the scary training manager instead of Inui and Eiji, Momo, & Shuusuke quickly befriending Ryoga. Being a school full of fangirls or girls that are simply like Sakuno Ryuuzaki's strange friend Tomoko, Ryoga quickly became popular. Especially amongst the girls who were still bitter, angry, or disappointed that Ryoma turned out to be a girl or had simply been ecstatic at the arrival of a cheerful male version of Ryoma. The day past relatively quickly, given the fact that the fangirls' hopes were immediately crushed by the revelation that Ryoga Echizen was already dating Kagome.
On the other hand, Ryoma was noticeably cheerful to those who knew her. Kagome and Ryoga, of course, knew why. (Not that anyone else knew that.) They weren't saying anything, either. After all, it's none of Ryoma's friends' business that she's dating. The two knew that her friends would find out eventually anyway. Therefore leaving no reason to even consider telling them. During practice, the regulars used the opportunity of all being together yet Ryoma neither being in hearing range nor paying attention to talk about this.
"Don't you think that Ochibi is more cheerful today, nya?" Eiji said.
"Yeah- I heard the uni-brow kid mention that Ryoma was awake by lunchtime." Momo commented.
"You mean she paid attention in class, nya?" Eiji said, shocked. (everyone who knew the freshman knew that she didn't pay attention to things that didn't interest her, after all. And it was common knowledge that she tended to sleep through all of her classes except to answer questions and do do or turn in assignments, or take a test... & strangely enough, somehow managing without fail to catch what the homework was.)
"Actually... she just stared out the window the whole time." Momo replied, an anime style sweat-drop on his forehead.
"Saa... Ryoma-chan wouldn't be Ryoma-chan otherwise." Shuusuke said.
"80% chance Echizen's unusual level of joy is due to something tennis related that happened during the weekend." Inui said, never able to resist adding his own input.
"Ne... don't you think that we should just practice?" Oishi said, ever the mother-hen, "It's really none of business."
"Mou! Oishi, that's no fun!" Eiji pouted.
"Get back to practice or you'll get twenty laps!" Tezuka barked.
After that practice proceeded as usual... with the change that Kagome would probably be a training manager and Ryoga would probably get the other regular spot. When practice was over, Momo decided to attempt his usual tricks. Meaning, he tried to talk her into getting burgers with him. (Yet again under the delusion that this time he would talk her into paying) However, he ended up rejected again.
"What? Why?" Momo said, dangerously (for a male) close to whining.
"... No." Ryoma said.
"What? Why? You have to come, Echizen!" Momo said.
"... I'm busy." Ryoma said.
"I know you better than that! If you're so busy, what are you up to?" Momo demanded, unable to get his head around the fact that Ryoma turned down a chance for food.
"... None of your business." Ryoma said.
"Come on, tell me!" Momo was definitely whining now... not that he'd admit it.
"... Why?" Ryoma said.
"Aw, come on! It won't hurt anything! Besides, it's not like you're going on a date or something." Momo attempted (Unsuccessfully) to persuade.
"... And if it was a date?" Ryoma inquired.
Momo paled mentally at the thought of Seigaku's so-called 'baby' on a date with anyone but tried to laugh it off... or tried to avoid the question."Ha ha. What's it matter? It's not like you've actually got a date, Echizen."
"... Then I see no reason to answer you. Ja ne." Ryoma said, going off.
"Oi! Ochibi! You're not waiting for Ryoga-san or Kagome-chan?" Eiji called.
"That's because we're going on a date now." Kagome said.
Eiji jumped. "Kagome-chan! Don't scare me like that, nya! Mou! Sometimes you remind me of Fujiko!"
"Saa, you say that like it's a bad thing, Eiji-kun." Fuji said.
"Not at all, Fujiko, nya!" Eiji protested, not wanting to upset or insult his friend.
Ryoga rose his eyebrow. "What exactly is going on?" he asked.
Kagome chuckled. "Let's just say that Sei-chan & I could have a lot of fun if the three of us teamed up."
Ryoga shuddered. "I don't think Japan can survive just two of you, let alone three. Makes me glad that I'm on your side."
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Kagome said, kissing Ryoga on the cheek.
With that, they were gone. Momo and Eiji were silent for a moment. Then they exchanged glances. Neither would admit it being guys, but Kagome and Ryoga made a cute couple. Said thought about couples, of course, brought Ryoma back to mind. Thus the latest round of chaos was started.
"I wonder where Ochibi was off two in such a hurry, nya." Eiji thought aloud.
"You'd almost think she was actually going on a date." Momo added.
"Ochibi on a date? I just can't picture it, nya." Eiji replied.
"Saa, is the idea really that outrageous?" Fuji countered, not one to miss out on an opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
Momo and Eiji exchanged looks, both with the same thought. In fact, it was almost like they were talking without actually speaking aloud. Ryoma Echizen, baby of Seigaku, may be quite a tomboy, or dangerously close to it, but she is still a girl and she is after all a teenager, even if she acts older at times. Is Ryoma having a boy that she likes really that strange or ridiculous an idea just because it was clear that she didn't see the only boys they could picture her with that way? (as far as they could tell)
Momo spoke up first. "You don't think..."
"Well, Ochibi-chan does have a tendency to surprise, nya. It wouldn't be that weird if she actually has a boyfriend." Eiji replied, not needing Momo to finish the thought.
"There's only one way to find out." Momo said, "We need to follow her."
"In that case, you'd better leave now if you don't want to lose her." said Fuji, who being one of Eiji's best friends could also see the thoughts going through the two louder regulars' heads.
With that, the overly familiar scenario yet again happened. Momo and Eiji agree on something that might be real but knowing Ryoma is probably actually off the wall and ridiculous. Inui occasionally making said speculations worse with his data. Fuji being bored or simply wanting entertainment adds fuel to the fire. Then it ends with Momo and Eiji tailing their target- who is usually Ryoma- with Inui tagging along for the prospects of more data and Fuji for the prospect of entertainment. Of course, when the target was actually someone else, they tended to drag along Ryoma.
It wasn't long before they caught up to their target. (Aka their kouhai, Ryoma.) At first they were so engulfed in tailing Ryoma they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. It wasn't long, however, before they recognized the way they were going as the route to the street courts. This of course led to Momo and to a lesser extent Eiji being loud and almost- not that they were really aware of it- giving themselves away to Ryoma.
"It looks like Echizen's just going to the street courts." Momo commented.
"Momo, we don't know yet that she's really going the the street courts. Besides, she could just be meeting someone there, nya." Eiji said.
"You should be more quiet, you don't want her to hear you do you?" Fuji said, knowing full well that Ryoma might realize soon that she was being followed, as it happened almost regularly.
With that, Momo & Eiji were effectively kept quiet. Of course, the group wasn't doing a very good job at hiding anyway. Just then they arrived, exactly as predicted, at the street courts. If they were surprised at the prospect of Ryoma being on a date, that wasn't anything to just who Ryoma was meeting.
"Is that... that Ibu kid from Fudomine?" Momo said.
"Shinji Ibu, age sixteen. Was a regular on Fudomine's tennis team in Jr. high." Inui said, data book in hand.
"Sh!" Momo said, "We want to hear what they're saying don't we?"
This brought the groups' attention back to Ryoma.
"Ryoma." Shinji said in greeting.
"Hey Shinji. Were you waiting long?" Ryoma replied.
"No, I just got here. Tachibana-buchou made practice run longer than he did in Jr. High to help adjust the newbies and keep them in line." Shinji said, "It was annoying- I was almost late."
Ryoma smiled, amused. "Well, you're here aren't you? Don't let rookies get to you. They're probably all just mada mada anyway."
Shinji chuckled. "You're right- as usual. Besides, what use is there in thinking of them when I'm with you?"
With that, he did something that shocked Momo and had Eiji blushing.
"Is Ochibi... kissing him?" Eiji exclaimed, this time a little too loudly.
Owari
Shuusuke: You must really like cliffhangers, Yoruko-chan.
Yoruko: Well, they're fun to write. ^^ :-)
Ryoma: You're not going over the confrontation or Kagome & Aniki's date?
Yoruko: That's next chapter.