Author's Note: This story is not a crossover fanfiction regardless of Daidouji Tomoyo's and Hiiragizawa Eriol's occasional appearances. Regarding Eriol's appearance in this chapter, please refer to my other story, Agony. It is this story's prequel. The UVERworld song being referred to in this chapter is CHANCE!, featured in the PSP game, BLEACH: Heat the Soul 2. I don't own the song, whatsoever.
Enjoy reading!
The Sadist of Seigaku
Chapter 6: Revolution
Echizen sighs for the umpteenth time that morning.
He has been hearing the rustling sound of a bag of junk food being opened like forever. It's a bit annoying, considering that it is too early in the morning for Momo-senpai to snack on an unhealthy treat like he does not care.
Oh well…
Today is a Saturday.
Inui-senpai has scheduled a special training session for the regulars. He has said that the venue will be a surprise, and so, he has arranged for all of the regulars to meet at the public park. He has been at the said park for quite some time since Momo-senpai has dragged him out of his house saying 'so you won't be late'. Well, they are here, an hour earlier than the arranged meeting time. At least, Tezuka-buchou will not sneer at him as if the captain were to wring his neck for being late yet again.
"Oi, have some, Echizen," Momoshiro taps the first year with another newly opened bag of chips. He offers some to his kohai who looks warily at the snack.
When Echizen has considered taking some chips, the bag is rudely snatched by a figure towering the two sitting figures. They look up to see who it is, only to find Inui's tall frame in front of them. Behind him is Kikumaru, who is wearing a cheeky grin on his face.
"Junk food is not the healthiest snack there is, Momoshiro. You should know that," Inui chides as he watches the junior's expression getting sulkier and sulkier. "And you should know not to offer anything of this," he adds, raising the bag of chips like a magazine, "to your kohai," he finishes.
"Hai, hai. Gomen, senpai."
"That's good to hear, then. Now, to fight the unhealthy bits in your body, why won't you try my latest concoction?" Inui says as he offers a bottle of simmering brown liquid to the junior, after throwing the bag of chips into the nearby trash bin.
Echizen, upon seeing the unidentified and undrinkable liquid in his senpai's hand, tiptoes towards Kikumaru, who has gone a considerable distance away from Inui and Momoshiro. The junior trump card, on the other hand, is left alone to fend for himself against the threat called Inui Sadaharu.
"Ahehehehe…ne, senpai, shouldn't we reconsider things?" Momoshiro tells Inui in an effort to forestall the destruction of his healthy intestines. "Ehehe…you can use that for today's training," he adds weakly.
Upon hearing what he has said, Kikumaru and Echizen make faces at Momoshiro to show that they disagree with his proposal.
"I don't need to use this for today's training, Momo," Inui answers to the relief of the other regulars behind him. "I have made a more special concoction especially for today."
Kikumaru, Momoshiro, and Echizen all choke at the statement, missing the dark look Inui is wearing.
"Hiya! You're joking Inui!"
"As a matter of fact, no, I'm not joking, Eiji."
"Bububu…"
"What's going on here?"
The four turn their heads to meet the stoic face of the captain, their little game of sadistic cat and poor mice momentarily forgotten. Oishi, Kawamura, Fuji and Kaidoh are standing behind the captain. Upon seeing that the group is complete, Inui decides to torment the three later and concentrate for today's training. Besides, this will be the most challenging and most exciting training he has designed so far, so he has no reason to be disappointed.
"Saa…Inui, where are we going?" Fuji turns to interrogate the data guy.
"It's a secret, Fuji," Inui answers as he adjusts his glasses.
"You just have to follow me."
Six young men are watching Inui Sadaharu and Tezuka Kunimitsu negotiate with the attendant at the newly established gym's front desk. They stay rooted to where they have been standing, no one daring to move even an inch. Fuji Syuusuke, on the other hand, has his signature smile plastered on his face. No one knows what is in his good head, and it seems it won't be known because no one is daring to ask him.
After what seems like eternity, Inui approaches the other seven regulars and hands them their respective locker keys. Before leaving the park, they all have handed Inui their financial contributions for that day's training without really knowing what they will be doing. Upon arriving at the gym, they all thought that they would be doing cardio workout using the gym equipment. When Kikumaru has started to run to the cardio section of the gym building, Inui stops him and says they would not be doing cardio workout.
"Nya, Oishi, what do you think will we do today?" Kikumaru asks as he closes his locker.
"I don't know, Eiji. Besides the cardio workout, what else can we do in a gym?"
The other regulars process Oishi's question as if it were a puzzle. They all stop with what they are doing and are now in deep thought.
"Let's just go and meet Inui and Tezuka down the hall. We won't enjoy the surprise if we think too much about it," Fuji breaks the silence as he starts to leave the room.
"I'm a bit worried," Kawamura quietly tells the others as he follows Fuji.
Kaidoh fsshs at that as he trails behind Kawamura.
"If it is Inui who is giving us a surprise, I doubt I'll enjoy it nya," Kikumaru adds as he places an arm around Echizen who, then, starts to struggle to get out of his senpai's grasps.
When they have gathered outside the men's locker room, they all see Tezuka waiting quietly for them. The captain, then, leads them down the hall to a separate room. The room has polished wood for its flooring. There is one mirrored wall adjacent to the room's door. Aside from the stretch mats and the water dispenser placed at the far end of the room, it is almost empty.
"You're just in time," Inui greets the others as they all enter the room.
The regulars, save Inui, drop their towels and water bottles on top of the stretch mats. After that, they all gather at the center of the room, facing the data guy. It is only at that moment they realize that someone else, besides the Seigaku regulars, is in the room. Inui is taking his time talking to the guest. Every one wants to know who the person is, especially when his form is in an angle where no one can see his face.
Oishi has assessed that he can be someone their age.
Sensing that the regulars are ready, Inui curtly nods at the guest and faces his teammates. The guest does the same.
A few sharp intakes of breath can be heard among the Seigaku regulars.
There is something pretty familiar with this guy…
…dark hair, blue eyes partly concealed by eyeglasses…
It is Echizen who first recognizes the young man. He fists his left hand really hard upon recognition – and memory of who the young man is and what he has done.
Tezuka has some hint as to who the young guest is, but not being so sure, he has decided to keep quiet. However, when he has seen the first year stiffen, the captain immediately looks at Inui for confirmation. A glint from Inui's eyeglasses is his only reply.
Oishi, Kawamura, Kikumaru, Kaidoh and Momoshiro worriedly look at Echizen. Then, they all look at Inui with the 'we-are-so-confused' look that the data guy so prizes. When they realized that they will not get anything short of a decent explanation from Inui, they all look at the visitor who gifts them with a big smile, which reminds them of one of Fuji Syuusuke's signature grins.
Talk about chance meetings, people.
That thought has come from Fuji, who is quietly assessing himself more than the man in front of him. Other than Echizen, he immediately recognizes who the visitor is. However, the sudden jolt of emotion inside of him has him thinking about what it means, more than knowing why that man will be with them for practice.
"Every one," Inui begins, "I'd like you to meet Hiiragizawa Eriol-san. He will be our instructor for street-dancing today."
"WHAT?!"
"Good morning to you. I hope I can be of help in your training today," Eriol politely greets the dumbstruck regulars.He smiles at their reaction. No more are they surprised by his sudden appearance. He thinks that the eight young men are now flabbergasted that they will learn how to street-dance than play tennis.
"Ano," Momoshiro reluctantly cuts in. "Why are we going to learn street-dance, Inui-senpai?"
"Fsshh, just shut up!" Kaidoh interjects, but he cannot deny that he, himself, is shocked for today's training.
Before Momoshiro can lunge at Kaidoh to kick the living daylights out of him, Kawamura grabs the junior trump card and shoves him near Tezuka. Eriol struggles to suppress a chuckle, much to the chagrin of Echizen. Meanwhile, Oishi and Kikumaru both look at Inui, hoping that Momoshiro's question will be answered sufficiently.
Instead of getting an answer from Inui…
"Dance teaches the right form, coordination, and agility. It also helps enhance one's flexibility. These are all necessary for any kind of sport," Eriol wisely explains. "You will learn street-dancing today because I deem it more appropriate for young men like you," he adds.
A few nods of understanding can be seen here and there.
"…unless you find it more appropriate to learn ballet, I can easily change today's curriculum accordingly," he teasingly finishes.
Of course, being Eriol, no one has noticed the teasing glint in his eyes.
Upon hearing the word "ballet", the regulars, with the exception of Tezuka and Fuji, vigorously shake their heads against Eriol's last suggestion. Ballet is not the easiest dance there is, and they are, after all, men with pride. They know their boundaries as unprofessional, even inexperienced, "dancers".
In short, they are just trying to save what is left of their dignity as first-class athletes.
"We can begin, then," Eriol quietly but authoritatively says when he has sensed that things have been settled among them.
The first half-hour of the training is spent on warm-up. Eriol has instructed them to jog around the room thirty times, the pace increasing after every round. On the tenth round, Eriol joins them in the jog. Considering that he is just seventeen – almost the same age as Momoshiro and Kaidoh – he needs to establish his leadership in the group by going through what they are going through, too.
After the jog, Inui leads them in stretching, flexing their muscles for fifteen minutes. When they have finished, the regulars proceed to put the stretch mats back to their place. Eriol, on the other hand, prepares the radio near him as he waits them to reassemble in front of him.
"All of you will start at that far end of the room and cross the room diagonally," Eriol instructs by pointing to where they will start. "You will do so by dancing any way you want, provided that you will dance in the rhythm of the song I will be playing."
The trail starts with Tezuka.
Save for Inui, Fuji and Echizen, all eyes are almost ready to jump out of the sockets upon seeing how the Seigaku captain is moving. They are dancing to the tune of one of UVERworld's songs. The first stanza of the song being played is smooth and almost Usher-like, just like how Tezuka Kunimitsu is moving.
To that, Inui is furiously scribbling this down on his notebook: Tezuka can dance REALLY well…
Fuji is watching his rival-teammate move his way like a trained dancer. His amused smile is plastered on his face.
Echizen, on the other hand, is grinning amusedly and admiringly at the captain. He can feel the surge of a need to meet that kind of challenge running through his veins.
Next to Tezuka is Inui, then Kaidoh, then Kawamura, and then Momoshiro. They all have struggled with their movements. Their more stiffly muscular bodies do not complement the smooth and graceful movements required to move into the rhythm of the song. Oishi has struggled too. Although he is not as muscular as the four, he is not so adept in dancing himself. Kikumaru, when his turn has come, is able to dance relatively well, however. Somehow, they have expected that he can do so because of his more flexible body.
Echizen comes next after Kikumaru.
Tezuka is wearing an approving expression at the first year's performance. It seems that someone has tried matching his execution just a while ago. However, no one, even him, is prepared for what the prodigy has in store for all of them.
When Fuji is dancing across the room, even Eriol's cultured mask of a smile is replaced by an unreserved expression of amazement. By now, the bridge of the song is being played, the part wherein there is rapping while accompanied by strong beats. No one has thought that Fuji can dance THAT well: he is moving as if he were one of those superstars dancing for a live performance on stage.
Fuji's soft body is serving him well, Inui trails as he furiously scribbles this bit of data about Fuji Syuusuke.
Fuji, for his part, is a bit thankful that he has spotted one of those dance videos inside Yuuta's room. He has 'borrowed' one, curious as to what they contain. What he has done today is not a copy of what he has seen. However, those dance videos have given him an idea of the kind of dance young men like him tend to enjoy.
He has to remind himself to give Yuuta a pat on the head for buying such dance videos.
He'll just ask him what they are for next time.
It has been three hours since the training has started. By now, Eriol is teaching the regulars several dance moves. The room is unusually peaceful for Eriol's taste. His voice and several tapping of feet are the only ones that he can hear.
Well, there's also the opening of the door and the entrance of two figures.
Eriol is not a bit surprised when none of his protégés for that day even heard the newcomers.
I'm impressed with their concentration…
He is also concentrating with what he is doing as that day's instructor. However, he has been particularly sensitive and observant with the things that happen around him that few things get past him.
"Okay," Eriol suddenly interrupts the regulars, "I'll be giving you a fifteen-minute break. After that, we'll complete the dance sequence while accompanied by the song."
Each of the regulars breathes deeply before giving Eriol an informal bow. When they turn to get out of the room, they all freeze to their spots.
Ryuzaki-sensei and Sakuno-chan are standing near the door.
They have been watching us!
For how long?!
Ryuzaki Sumire smirks a bit. Rowdy they may be, her protégés are men after all. They don't mind looking flustered in front of her, but the case is different in front of a pretty girl, like her granddaughter.
To compensate for their lack of dignity right now, "you all seem to be doing well," she compliments.
A few blushes here and there…
"Na, obaachan, we didn't even hear you and Ryuzaki-chan enter!" Momoshiro whines after recovering from the shock.
Ryuzaki-sensei waves a hand to him. "Ah. You were all concentrating, we had to slip in quietly so as not to disturb you, right, Sakuno-chan?"
Sakuno beams at all of them. "Hai, senpai-tachi and Ryoma-san are doing well," she says, reaffirming her grandmother's statement. She has said so not because she wants to appease the regulars. In reality, she is not aware that the regulars have all gotten a bit shy because of her presence. She has voiced out her generous praise because she knows how difficult it is to learn to dance for the first time. The regulars are doing really well.
Sensing the sincerity of her kind words, Tezuka gives her a curt nod of appreciation. Echizen, on the other hand, ducks the bill of his cap to hide his embarrassed blush. The others just give her big smiles.
When they have all relaxed after the little surprise, some of the regulars proceed to the locker room. Some stayed for a while and gathered around the water dispenser to refresh themselves before leaving the room.
"I'd like to thank you for helping with today's training…" Ryuzaki-sensei trails as she offers Eriol a handshake.
"Hiiragizawa Eriol. It's my pleasure to teach your students, sensei. They're performing well," he says as he shakes the offered hand. Turning to Sakuno, "It's nice seeing you again, Sakuno-chan."
"You know each other?"
"Ah," Sakuno blushes, a bit taken aback by her grandmother's question. "Ano, obaachan, Eriol-kun is also teaching Tomoyo-chan and I how to dance," she explains.
"Oh. Well, I have to thank you again, it seems," Ryuzaki-sensei turns to Eriol again.
Eriol gently shakes his head. "As I've said, it's my pleasure, sensei."
Ryuzaki-sensei gives Eriol a small smile, before turning to her granddaughter. "I'll just go outside and make some calls, Sakuno-chan. Tell that to Tezuka once he returns."
With that, Ryuzaki-sensei leaves the room.
Sakuno's eyes linger on the door for a while before turning to Eriol. "What are you teaching them, Eriol-kun?"
Eriol turns to Sakuno as he sits on top his stretch mat. He moves a bit to the side to give her some space to sit on. "Street-dancing," he answers with a smile.
Sakuno blinks at him as she absentmindedly sits beside him, but before she can ask another question, Kikumaru suddenly interrupts them.
"Ne, excuse me," he tells Eriol. "Na, Ryuzaki-chan, where's sensei?"
"Ano, she left to make some calls. She'll be back after that, senpai."
"Oh," Kikumaru absentmindedly says.
"Well, excuse me, Sakuno-chan, Kikumaru-san," Eriol abruptly says as he stands up and makes a beeline for the water dispenser.
Left alone together, the two students blink at each other before Kikumaru gives a small chuckle. Sakuno smiles at him, too.
"Ne, Ryuzaki-chan, you know Hiiragizawa-san?" He asks as he plops himself beside the girl.
"Hai, Eriol-kun is my friend. He also gives my friend and I some dance lessons, senpai."
"Nya? You study dance, too?" Kikumaru asks. When he receives a nod of confirmation, "What do you dance, nya?"
"Ano, waltz, senpai."
"Waltz?"
Somehow, Kikumaru has heard of that word from his sister, but being the curious and enthusiastic young man that he is, he blurts out the question Sakuno is not even prepared to hear.
"Will you show that to me?"
Fuji Syuusuke has remained inside the room after Eriol has dismissed them for a fifteen-minute break. He immediately makes a beeline for the water dispenser to replenish himself. He is happy that Sakuno-chan is there to watch them, but seeing that she is preoccupied with her grandmother and the instructor, he has decided to rest first. A bit engrossed in his own thoughts, he does not realize that he has been looking at his water bottle for so long. Only Hiiragizawa's voice interrupts him from his long train of thoughts.
"Excuse me, Fuji-san."
Fuji quietly moves to give way to Eriol. He proceeds to drink from his water bottle, taking note that the instructor is observing him. Fuji decides to keep quiet.
Eriol smiles at him, and after drinking, he approaches the tennis prodigy who is also wearing a mask of a smile.
"You did so well during the impromptu dance, Fuji-san," Eriol compliments him in an effort to start even a neutral conversation with the prodigy.
Fuji does not answer but he continues to give him a reserved smile. He does not know why, but he thinks he should be wary of Hiiragizawa Eriol. The young instructor seems so unpredictable.
On second thought, Fuji suddenly realizes that he and Eriol have the same personality.
"You seem to be cautious around me, Fuji-san," Eriol seriously comments.
Fuji regards him. Meeting a person who almost shares the same personality as his is something that he has not expected. Of course, there is nothing to be worried about that, really. However, this certain guy is giving him the vibe that he knows more than what he is showing; that he is far wiser than he appears. He even appears to know what Fuji has been thinking.
"There is nothing wrong with being cautious, Hiiragizawa-san," Fuji replies, as he discreetly steals a glance at Sakuno-chan and Kikumaru talking.
Eriol notices that and he follows Fuji's line of vision. He smiles back at the prodigy.
"It's just now that I realize that Sakuno-chan studies in Seigaku," he comments, changing the topic of discussion.
Fuji just gives him a ghost of a smile.
"I'm giving dance lessons to Sakuno-chan and a friend of hers. You must have met Daidouji Tomoyo-san," Eriol inquires.
Fuji blinks at the first statement. "Sakuno-chan is learning dance?"
"Yes. She wants to improve her balance. I think she's doing well," Eriol trails.
Fuji regards Eriol further. It seems that although this guy is a bit unpredictable, he is not bad after all. It also seems that Hiiragizawa Eriol is doing his job quite well, too, since Fuji has noticed that Sakuno is keeping her balance better these days.
"That's good to hear, then," is Fuji's reply.
Eriol notices the apparent change in Fuji's disposition upon the mention of Sakuno-chan. He inwardly smiles at his discovery – he knows that "disposition" too well to miss. Then again, he cannot just tease Fuji with his discovery, unlike what he usually does with his dear friend who is now in Hong Kong. Both Fuji and his friend are serious, but Fuji exudes an aura of unpredictability and cunningness, much like he does. Besides, they are not even friends.
Even Eriol, who has teasing as his pastime, knows his boundaries.
"You seem to care about Sakuno-chan," Eriol voices out his observation in the most neutral way he can.
"Sakuno-chan is my friend," Fuji curtly replies.
Eriol smiles to that. Friend, huh? Perhaps, the way he is thinking is so cliché; even this conversation too. Then again, Fuji is not in any state of denial. The idea of seeing one's friend in a new light is something he has not anticipated…or perhaps, a fact he has not comprehended well enough for him to recognize, or even consider happening.
Eriol smiles inwardly at his assessment. Then again, Fuji seems to be more perceptive compared to other young men his age. That is compensation enough. Perhaps, a clue or two will do:
"No, Fuji-san. I think you care for her for a much deeper reason," Eriol softly objects.
Fuji furrows his brows at that comment.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Hiiragizawa-san."
"You think so?"
Before Fuji can reply to that, a crashing sound reverberates across the room.
Sakuno blinks at Kikumaru's request. She has never expected him to ask that, but seeing that Kikumaru-senpai is so eager to know what she has been studying, she gives him her consent.
"Nya, we should stand then, Ryuzaki-chan," Kikumaru points out.
Once he is on his feet, he helps the girl up and pulls her to the center of the room. By this time, besides he and Sakuno, Fuji, Hiiragizawa, and Kaidoh are the only ones who remain in the room. Then again, Fuji and Hiiragizawa are talking while Kaidoh's head is bowed low. Perhaps, the viper is asleep. Kikumaru rejoices at the liberty given to him. He beams enthusiastically at Sakuno.
"Please extend your left arm like this," Sakuno shyly instructs.
With that, she places her right hand in his extended hand. She does not notice Kikumaru blushing upon contact.
"Then, senpai must place his right hand here," Sakuno further instructs as she gently guides Kikumaru's right hand to her small waist. Again, innocent Sakuno-chan does not notice the coldness of her senpai's hand or his beet-red ready-to-explode face.
She, then, places her left hand on his right shoulder.
Kikumaru blinks at her.
"This is one of the waltz's basic positions."
"Ah," Kikumaru absentmindedly blurts out.
His proximity to Sakuno-chan is disquieting him so much so that all he can think of is how close they are to each other. Seriously, Kikumaru Eiji had crushes, but he has never been so close to a girl that his entire mind can do is sing, tralalalalala. Well, he cannot say he is that attracted to Sakuno-chan, but being close to her is not bad either.
Mind you, he is a young man after all.
Besides, it's not like he has asked for the 'lesson' intentionally.
Then again, Kikumaru feels as if he were being struck by invisible lightning.
He immediately remembers Echizen Ryoma, and how dangerous the kid looks whenever he is dead mad.
Iya! I hope ochibi will not kill me for getting this close to Sakuno-chan.
"Ano, senpai," Sakuno calls him to get his attention. Somehow, Kikumaru-senpai has spaced out and is now looking a bit funny.
"Hai?" He blinks at her, puzzled at the questioning expression on her face. When he realizes that he has gone to Tralala Land right in front of her, he blushes hard. Now all he can do is give her an embarrassed chuckle.
"Ehehehehe…sorry, Ryuzaki-chan. Now, where are we?"
Sakuno beams at him before proceeding with the "lesson".
"There are four general directions, senpai. We can go this way," Sakuno begins as she moves to the left by gently pushing the two of them with their extended arms. "Or we can go this way," she further says as they move to the right with Sakuno guiding Kikumaru. "We can do these first, senpai. Then when you get used to the movements, we can do the other two directions."
Kikumaru nods as his mind replays Sakuno's instructions. "Who will lead, Ryuzaki-chan?"
"Ano, the man does," Sakuno worriedly replies. "But, if senpai-"
"Nya, Ryuzaki-chan, I get it. Don't worry. Let's practice!" Kikumaru enthusiastically answers.
The two slowly move to the left and then to the right with Kikumaru leading the dance. Kikumaru is still trying to get used to the pace of the movement. The dance lessons a while ago involved very fast movements, while the waltz he and Sakuno are dancing is a bit slow. When he has thought that he has gotten the hang of it, he gives Sakuno a victorious smile.
The victorious moment is suddenly cut short when Kikumaru steps on Sakuno's right foot. Sakuno instinctively reacts by moving her foot away only to trip. Kikumaru poses, attempting to catch Sakuno, only to lose balance himself. In seconds, the two crash to the floor, disrupting Eriol and Fuji's 'conversation' and waking Kaidoh from his peaceful slumber.
It seems as if time has stopped after the two students crashed to the floor. Eriol and Fuji immediately race to the two. Kaidoh, on the other hand, is left standing at a corner in shock – more on because his sleep has been disturbed and not because of Kikumaru and Sakuno's little dilemma.
Kikumaru groans a little before sitting up, with Sakuno in his arms. Somehow, before crashing to the floor, he had presumed that Sakuno would fall first. That would end up with him squishing her frail frame. So, he immediately shifted his position so that he would fall to the floor first – a feat made possible by his flexible body.
The red-head steals a glance at the girl in his arms. Sakuno's dazed expression still shows that she is surprised with the incident. Then again, Kikumaru is more than relieved that they are both well. At least, no one will be going to the infirmary any time soon.
"Ano, senpai, are you alright?" Sakuno immediately asks upon recovery.
"Hai. How about you?"
Sakuno beams at him, a tad bit shyly than what Kikumaru is accustomed to seeing from the girl. Noticing the blush in her face, he, then, notices that he still has her protectively imprisoned in his arms. The two stare at each other before Kikumaru removes his arms from Sakuno and flails them in embarrassment.
"Ah! I'm sorry Ryuzaki-chan," he says, face flushed and all.
"Ah, uhm, ano, senpai must not apologize. Ano, it's okay. If it were not for you, I might have injured myself," Sakuno explains in order to appease a seemingly panic-stricken Kikumaru-senpai.
The two do not notice Eriol's and Fuji's figures towering above them. The two have seen Kikumaru and Sakuno's 'interaction'. Eriol has watched it with an amused glint in his eyes. However, stolen glances from the prodigy to his right give him more enjoyment than the rather cute display of innocence of Kikumaru and Sakuno. Eriol has noted the very disturbed look on Fuji's face, a look that is not the result of the crash incident itself.
"How are you two?" Eriol disrupts the apology session as he kneels in front of Kikumaru and Sakuno.
"Ano, we're fine, Eriol-kun," Sakuno answers.
"What happened, Eiji?"
It is Fuji who has asked that, and Eriol takes good note of the disturbingly placid tone of the prodigy.
"Ah, ehehehe…well, Ryuzaki-chan was teaching me waltz, when I stepped on her foot. Then we crashed to the floor," Kikumaru explains, leaving off the details he has no capacity of explaining.
Fuji innocently blinks at Kikumaru. "Waltz?"
"It's a rather slow dance for couples," Eriol briefly explains.
With that, Eriol's inner self further rejoices as he sees Fuji Syuusuke stiffen in unease with his answer. Well, waltz is not exclusively for couples, but a little twisting of facts will not hurt them anyway. Then again, Kikumaru and Sakuno seem to not have noticed it, and even then, it seems that Fuji has recovered immediately from his surprising answer.
Fuji kneels beside Sakuno, brushing Eriol's reply aside. He rests his hand purposefully on her left shoulder.
"Are you alright, Sakuno-chan?"
"Hai. I'm fine, Fuji-senpai. Kikumaru-senpai was quick to keep me from crashing to the floor," she honestly replies.
Fuji looks at Kikumaru, who in turn, blinks at him innocently. Fuji genuinely smiles, relieved that both of his friends are fine. Then again, there is that nagging feeling in his chest which he cannot ignore. Forcing himself to set it aside, he helps Sakuno-chan up her feet while Eriol assists Kikumaru. When they have made sure that Kikumaru and Sakuno do not have injuries, Eriol tells them to sit at one corner of the room to relax. Kaidoh, seeing that the ruckus has ended, proceeds to sleep again at his corner as if nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Fuji gets out of the room for a little time-out of it. Once out of the door, he leans his back on to the adjacent wall, heaving a sigh. Many things have happened, and he is just glad that his friends are fine…really…even when he has gotten jealous of Kikumaru.
Fuji heaves a sigh again.
Some things do puzzle him of course, but he is never that clueless not to notice that the instructor has been teasing him. Normally, though, he would have passed them up as mere jokes since he has been with Eiji and Momoshiro – the two most frequent gagsters amongst the regulars. He should have felt none at all at such teasing, or perhaps, he could have given out a good-natured, but all the while neutral, chuckle like he usually does.
However, regardless of how much he wants to react to Hiiragizawa's teasing as normal as he can, he cannot help but have these incomprehensible emotions inside of him. It is just good news for him that he can control them.
Then, add to these incomprehensible emotions is one statement he has to…err…dissect:
You care for her for a much deeper reason.
It's practice hour again, and Kikumaru is taking his time walking towards the clubroom to get dressed. It is a Tuesday, and he is a few minutes early before the regulars' call. The tennis courts are almost empty, save for a few non-regulars who are doing their own warm-up.
"Hora, Kikumaru-senpai!"
The surprised red-head turns to his left only to see the junior trump card of Seigaku strolling towards him. He greets back his kohai with a cheeky grin and a "gentle" slap on the back.
"Hey, Momo!" Kikumaru adds. "How's your day?"
Momoshiro's face darkens a bit. Somehow, Kikumaru knows the answer…
or so the red-head thinks…
"Nya, did Ann-san reject you-"
"Ara!!! No!!! Kikumaru-senpai, how could you even think of that?!" A mortified Momoshiro screams at the top of his lungs. Few tennis club members have turned their heads to the two, but hearing Kikumaru and Momoshiro screaming at each other is almost a usual phenomenon, so they all went back to mind their own businesses. Meanwhile, Kikumaru mockingly nurses a stressed ear as he tries to soothe the horrified Momoshiro.
"Nya, no need to be so uptight Momo. If it's not about Ann-san," Kikumaru stops to give his kohai a wide idiotic grin as Momo childishly pouts at the mention of the girl's name, "why are you so gloomy then?"
"Well, it is not about Ann-chan, Kikumaru-senpai. I'll be taking a history exam on Friday and I'm not really sure how to review for that," Momoshiro drawls as he rakes his head in frustration. "And even before that, we'll be starting with the prefecture games on Thursday…"
"Don't you just memorize the facts and figures in history?"
"Well, not in our case."
Kikumaru blinks as he takes in Momoshiro's ordeal. All of a sudden, Kikumaru has a VERY BRIGHT idea.
"Nya, Momo, why won't you ask Tezuka to help you review for your history exam? He's pretty good – well, that's an understatement – but he's really good in history!" Kikumaru excitedly reports. "You might even get a perfect score if you'll have him as your tutor!"
Unfortunately, for Kikumaru, Momoshiro's face darkens a hundred fold. "Ara, Kikumaru-senpai, I'll be perfectly dead if buchou would be my tutor!"
"Tutor for what, Momo-senpai?"
Momoshiro surprisingly blinks upon the sudden appearance of Echizen Ryoma.
"Ochibi!!!" Kikumaru excitedly hops towards the first year and wraps his right arm around the first year's neck.
"Senpai, you're strangling me," he states monotonously.
Kikumaru chuckles at the first year's deadpan statement, but he loosens his grasp on the first year anyway. They both wait for Momoshiro's explanation about being dead with Tezuka as his tutor. However, before the two can hear anything from the second year, Echizen takes notice of Ryuzaki Sakuno walking towards the courts, a big book in her arms. The diversion of the first year's attention is noted by his two rather observant senpais, who, in turn, follow his gaze.
Echizen does not notice that Kikumaru and Momoshiro are smirking madly.
"Ryuzaki-chan!!!" Kikumaru calls her out as loud as he can.
It is then that Echizen has noticed that his two senpais have caught him staring at Sakuno. He quickly averts his eyes away from the girl and ducks the bill of his baseball cap to hide his embarrassed blush.
"Hiya, Ryuzaki-chan!" Momoshiro greets her as she approaches the three Seigaku tennis club regulars. Forgetting about his exam dilemma, he, then, gives Echizen a teasing wink. The first year, in turn, gives him an annoyed scowl.
"Ano, hello senpai-tachi, Ryoma-san," Sakuno cheerily greets back.
"Ne, what brings you here, Ryuzaki-chan?" Kikumaru asks as he playfully faces Sakuno.
"Oh, ano, I'm looking for Fuji-senpai. I have to give this back to him," she says as she shows them the big hardbound book.
"Well, Fuji-senpai is not yet around," Momoshiro awkwardly answers, as he warily looks at the first year tennis prince whose face has turned blank.
Sakuno blinks. "Ano, I'll just wait for Fuji-senpai here."
"Nya, I think you don't have to wait that long," Kikumaru intercepts as he spots Fuji's approaching figure.
The four wait for Fuji in awkward silence, or perhaps, it is just Momoshiro who is feeling that way as he continues to observe the tennis prince beside him.
"Saa, what's the gathering all about?" Fuji greets them amiably as he stops and stands beside Sakuno the moment he reaches them.
No one notices him gently placing a hand on the small of her back, perhaps no one, except for Echizen Ryoma who squints his eyes in curiosity and quiet envy.
"Nya, Ryuzaki-chan is waiting for you, Fuji," Kikumaru says as he crosses his arms at the back of his head.
"Really, Sakuno-chan? You should not have bothered," Fuji says as he turns to the girl beside him and takes note of his dictionary in her arms.
Sakuno shakes her head in disagreement. "It's not a bother Fuji-senpai," she says with a wide child-like beam.
Fuji smiles back at her in understanding as he takes back his dictionary. After that, he turns to the other three regulars, and smiles mysteriously at them. Echizen and Kikumaru blink at the way Fuji is looking at them, while Momoshiro scratches an invisible itch on his chin with his pointing finger.
"Well?"
Sakuno curiously look at Fuji then to the other three and back to Fuji again. It is a long wait until Echizen breaks the silence by nudging Momoshiro on the ribs. It is then that Kikumaru and Momoshiro understand what Fuji has been waiting for all along. With that, Momoshiro gives out an embarrassed chuckle.
"Ehehehehe…Kikumaru-senpai and I were talking about my upcoming history exam. He suggested that I ask Tezuka-buchou to tutor me," he drawls.
Echizen sighs upon Momoshiro's explanation and turns to Fuji to get a look at the prodigy's reaction. He finds none, which is nothing terribly new.
"Tezuka and Inui are busy with the preparations for the prefecture games," Fuji tells them. "But if you want, I can ask Tezuka to help y-"
Fuji is suddenly stopped by a rather hysterical Momoshiro who is waving his hands in front of his face. Perhaps, the second year is just embarrassed with the idea of approaching Tezuka. For Fuji though, the buchou may be scary but he is definitely…err…kind…in a strange way. However, before he can tell that to Momoshiro, their little gathering is abruptly interrupted – again – when they all notice Inui approaching them…
…Inui with his dark dead grim face.
Seeing a grim-faced Inui Sadaharu is rare, and that gives jitters to all of the regulars and even Sakuno. However, it is Fuji who is getting a very negative vibe from Inui's expression. He does not know why, but it seems that along with Inui is some bad news.
"Tezuka will be arriving in a few minutes," Inui starts upon reaching the group. "Where are the others?"
"Nya, Oishi is talking with Ryuzaki-sensei. I don't know where Taka-san and Kaidoh are," Kikumaru answers. "Ne, Inui, you look so down like Momoshiro here," he adds as he points Momoshiro with his thumb.
Inui mysteriously adjusts his glasses as he steals a quick look at the tennis prodigy. He has wanted that glance to be discreet, but then, knowing Fuji, the prodigy might have caught him. He takes note of Ryuzaki Sakuno's presence, and so, he gives her a small smile before turning to the regulars gathered before him.
"As you know, Ryuzaki-sensei has prepared the line-up for our first match in the prefecturals. She is still considering changes with the doubles, but more or less, the singles are final," Inui drawls.
No one dares to interrupt the data guy and ask him to just go straight to the point. Somehow, they all feel that Inui needs to say all these before throwing out some bomb or what not.
"I have received a message from a good source in St. Rudolph," Inui stops as most of them turn to look at Fuji, who is by now, wearing a blank look. "Mizuki Hajime, the tennis club's manager, is planning to put Fuji Yuuta in Singles 3."
"Singles 3?" Momoshiro echoes the last few words, trying hard not to look at Fuji.
Kikumaru has turned silent, while Sakuno, who has known of the line-up through her grandmother, bows her head low. On the other hand, Echizen blinks continuously as he digests the information. His amber eyes widen in shock as he realizes what this means:
Fuji Syuusuke will be playing against his own brother, Fuji Yuuta.