36 Drabbles

19: Mada Mada Dane

Momoshiro Takeshi prided himself on many things. His power tennis, being able to eat tons of hamburgers and not gain an ounce of fat, being able to run thirty laps without dieing in dehydration, his rocking intelligence in mathematics, and his smooth moves with the ladies (read: Ann). Teaching was not one of them, unfortunately, because his kouhai needed a serious crash course in the art of being a boyfriend!

Echizen Ryoma, said kouhai needing serious lessons in the art of dating, and Ryuzaki Sakuno, the sweet girl with whom said kouhai was dating, were merely two months into their relationship. Via intelligence from an anonymous source (read: Tomoka) Momoshiro had the feeling his kouhai wasn't being very boyfriend-like, and on a reconnaissance mission the day before, he affirmed the information to be accurate.

Translated into English? Momoshiro spied on Ryoma's date with Sakuno yesterday, and found zilch.

No hugs, no kisses, not even handholding! His stupid kouhai just kept his hands in his pockets, looking positively bored as Sakuno walked meekly beside him, holding onto their bentos. And guess what they're "date" was. A freaking tennis lesson and then lunch with Sakuno's homemade bento! Sure, you would've thought the lunch would be pretty lovey-dovey, but nooooo. His kouhai finished his bento, waited for Sakuno to finish hers, and then stood up and proclaimed the tennis lesson to continue.

"How can he be so stupid!?" Momoshiro ranted to the Freshman Trio and Osakada Tomoka, who was pouting a little at her friends misfortune. Horio, Katsuo, and Kachirou were looking at each other nervously.

"Echizen-kun doesn't really strike me as a romantic person, Momo-chan-senpai." Kachirou said, cowering a little at the furious face his senpai sprouted. But then realization crossed his face, and he smacked a fist into his palm.

"Of course! Echizen hasn't really had much to care about aside from tennis, so obviously he's totally clueless in this area!" Momoshiro said, starting to think. "Teaching him won't work; he's like a brick in that area, and I'm not such a great teacher." Momoshiro winced, remembering an instant in his childhood where his acting as teacher failed miserably (something about tennis balls, a racket, and an irate younger sister). "Hmm… " Tomoka sighed exasperatedly, slamming her hand in the middle of the table loudly, and drawing attention from the other customers in the burger place. A quick glare sent them all minding their own business, and Tomoka leaned down with a triumphant smirk on her lips.

"I have an idea."

Ryoma was confused.

Very, very confused.

It was a leisurely Saturday morning, and the young Echizen had decided to call his girlfriend to tell her to get ready because he was coming over for their tennis lesson. She had just picked up the phone, and he was about to say hello when her hurried, apologetic voice filtered over from the other end.

"Ryoma-kun, I'm so sorry but I have something I need to do today! We're going to have to cancel the tennis lesson, I'm sorry!" And without letting him respond, the line abruptly cut off. Ryoma had sat on his bed and stared at his phone for the next five minutes, Karupin curled up near his feet and looking up at him wondering what was so interesting about the strange contraption he held in his hand. Then Ryoma shrugged, throwing the phone on his bed and flopping back to catch a few catnaps.

"Ryoma~!"

He groaned. "What?" His father, Echizen Nanjiroh, burst into the room with a smile plastered over his scruffy face. He jumped onto Ryoma's bed, sending the phone clattering to the floor and scaring Karupin. The momentum shot Ryoma's body up in the air, and he landed back on the bed with an "oof".

"We're out of milk. Go buy some." Ryoma glared at his father, turning away to try and take a nap.

"You go get some." Nanjiroh grinned a mischievous grin, turning and getting up. He shoved his hands into the sleeves of his yukata, closing his eyes as he meandered out of the room.

"Alright… I just wanted to ask you first, since I saw Sakuno-chan walk past our house with another boy~!"

He felt a breeze then, and opened his eyes to see his son dart down the stairs and out the door. Chuckling, Nanjiroh scratched the itch at the back of his head.

Ryoma was angry.

Very, very angry.

Sakuno had mentioned to him that she had something she needed to do today. She apparently forgot to add that it was with Momo-senpai. She obviously didn't realize that she would be laughing and talking and flirting with him. She didn't think that she would be holding hands with him and running, or that Momo-senpai would give her a piggyback. And there was never a thought in her head that she would give him a kiss on the cheek.

What was he, chopped liver?

"I had a really fun time, Momo-senpai." Sakuno said, giggling as she readied herself to bid Momoshiro goodbye. The senpai laughed, rubbing the back of his head and shrugging.

"Maybe we can do this again, sometime Sakuno-chan. I never thought you to be the naughty type." At this, a brilliant blush appeared over Sakuno's cheeks, and she looked to the ground in embarrassment.

"M-Momo-senpai! It was an accident!" She protested, placing her hands on her red cheeks. Momoshiro laughed loudly, patting her head.

"That's what they all say."

"Who's they?"

Sakuno froze, recognizing the voice instantly and registering the furious tone behind it. She turned around quickly, hands up in the air like she was caught red-handed. Momoshiro just stood there, a smug little grin on his face as he saw a Fila cap wearing freshman glaring daggers at him.

"R-Ryoma-kun!"

"Yo, Ryoma!"

"Momoshiro. Sakuno." Momoshiro pouted, crossing his arms at the younger boy.

"What, no honorific? I'm your senpai y'know, you should respect me!" Momoshiro said, wagging his finger at his kouhai. Ryoma just continued to glare at him, arms crossed and not budging a single bit.

"You will be respected when I deem you respectable, bastard." Ryoma growled, Sakuno's gasp igniting when she heard her boyfriend curse at his senpai. She stepped forward, a little scolding in her tone. Her pretty white dress swirled around her as the wind blew gently, and Ryoma's heart panged a little as he saw how pretty she looked. At how pretty she had made herself look for someone other than him.

"Ryoma-kun! You shouldn't talk to Momo-chan-senpai like that!" Ryoma's furious golden eyes swivelled on her, making her jump a little in fright at his hardened eyes. She had never had to see those eyes reflected at her, staring her down like a mighty predator of the jungle. It was not a pleasant place to be.

"Momo-chan-senpai?!" He hissed, very reminiscent of a cat. Ryoma rounded on Momoshiro, who still remained as calm and cool since Ryoma had appeared. In fact, there was a bright smile on his face, one that Ryoma could not stand looking at. It had screamed triumph, victory, superiority; it was infuriating. "Is this some sort of stupid joke, Momoshiro? Or maybe some long-held grudge from the first day we met?" At that, Momoshiro pretended to put on a confused, puppy-eyed look.

"Why, Ryoma, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You stealing my girlfriend!"

And a gasp burst from both Sakuno and Momoshiro's lips. Sakuno's was surprised, shell-shocked, Momoshiro's was (obviously) faked. He even put his hand up to his mouth to cover his gasp, much like those women did in those old movies. But then his gasp turned into laughter, confusing Ryoma and further angering him.

"Momoshiro! There is nothing to be laughing at!" He shouted, only to further amuse Momoshiro. His chuckling soon died down, and he peeked at Ryoma and Sakuno, who were both a little confused. Straightening up, Momoshiro pointed one finger at his kouhai, successfully not laughing as he delivered his line.

"Mada mada dane, Echizen."

And Ryoma, who was at first very confused, soon grew incredibly ashamed as he realized that Sakuno had only accompanied Momoshiro out this Saturday to help him pick out a present for his younger sister's birthday. He had invited her for lunch at a local café after, to thank her for giving up her time with Ryoma to help him. Sakuno had, being the clumsy girl she was, spilled coffee all over his pants and tried to help him clean it up. But then she realized where she was patting, and almost fainted from sunstroke.

Ryoma, a faint pink now flittered across his cheeks, tugged his Fila cap down and turned away. Sakuno was tugged away by him, hurriedly bidding Momoshiro goodbye as she was pulled away forcibly. Ryoma turned his head a little to the side, to make his voice heard clearly to his senpai.

"Che. Not bad, Momo-senpai."

Momoshiro just smirked, watching the two lovebirds walk away together, hand in hand.

'Really Echizen… you still have lots to work on, ne?'

A/N Nineteenth out! The fated drabble after their get-together. Did it live up to drabble eighteen?

My inspiration for this chapter was mainly shoving Ryoma's own catchphrase in his face! And who better to do it than Momo-senpai? And what better reason than Ryoma's complete lack of romanticism?

Review for a doughnut with sprinkles on top!

Snowflake Flower