Here's the next one! Hope you enjoy!

I tried not to think much of the change in my daily routine – that is, Atobe showing up at my doorstep in the wee hours of the morning – and it wasn't too hard to succeed. Him being weird and random didn't quite strike me as weird and random anymore, after all.

"When did you start playing the piano?" Okay, maybe I wasn't immune to all of his weirdness and randomness.

I was breathing heavy already when he asked the question so I offered him and exasperated glance before taking a deep breath to answer him. "Why?" I panted.

"Ore-sama is just trying to be friendly." He smirked, still breathing easy as we jogged our usual route. Damn athlete.

I glared at him. "Save your friendliness until we sit down or something."

Atobe simply shrugged and focused straight ahead while I struggled to get my legs to keep moving.

When we were done and sitting down with water in our hands as per usual, Atobe glanced at me from the corner of his eye and smirked over the water bottle. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Sakaki-sensei taught me how to play when I was four years old."

"Sakaki-sensei?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" I gave him a lopsided smile as I stood up, getting ready to go back home. Atobe followed suit and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder smoothly.

Atobe gave a curt chuckle as we started down the street. I was tempted to pause for a moment and ask him why he was walking this way but I decided not to react to it. Great, so he was walking me home, too. "It's hard to imagine Sakaki-kantoku teaching a little girl how to play the piano."

Wiping my face with the towel he gave me, – he gives me one every morning and I wonder if the Atobe household ever runs out of towels, though I seriously doubt that – and stuck my tongue out at him. "Well, keep imagining, he taught me for a good eleven years."

He raised an eyebrow at that, the smirk still tattooed on his face, "It's even harder to imagine that he put up with you for eleven years."

Using the towel in my hand, I brought my arm across so that the white, fluffy – and sweaty – piece of cloth hit him upside the head. He retaliated by placing his hand on his face like he did during tennis practice and, using his other hand, flicking me with two fingers at my temple. I glared at him hotly.

"Point made." He stated just as we reached the front of my building.

We both stood at the entrance for a few moments in silence, he stood smirking into space while I stood simmering into the pavement. After a second more, I smirked.

"Well, you know, Atobe," I started and he directed his smirking face towards me. "You have to put up with me, too." He raised his eyebrow at the smirk on my face before I brought the towel across his head much like I had done earlier, only this time, to the front of his face and dashed off to the elevator, card key in hand.

I laughed at his put off expression until the doors shut and blocked him from view.

Take that, pretty boy.

"Hey," I was sitting at the usual bench when Shishido came up to me just as I put my last bit of bread in my mouth. Morning practice started today as Atobe had instructed and I arrived at the classroom earlier this morning to see Yuushi's, Taki's and a bunch of other tennis club members' things already at their desks. I went to practice in the music room before I bought some bread and brought it to the courts.

Once I arrived, I wouldn't have thought it was only a little past seven in the morning with the way they practiced. It was almost as if it were their usual afternoon practices minus the people crowding the place. I decided I liked the crowd – or lack thereof – better in the morning, not that I was anyone to judge.

"Hey," I replied as he groaned and dropped down next to me.

"Damn," he said. "I was going to ask if you still had more of that." He nodded to my empty bag of bread and I shrugged, dusting the crumbs off my skirt.

"Come earlier and you may just get some."

He sighed and reached underneath the bench to get his bag. He pulled out a pack of gum and popped a piece into his mouth. I could smell the mint. "I'll keep that in my mind." He smacked his gum once. "You eat a lot?"

"Considerably."

"So you mean yes?"

I pulled his head backwards using the bill of his baseball cap. "Shut up."

He was about to make a retort when Akutagawa Jirou ambled over and motioned over to Shishido that it was his turn. He adjusted his cap before standing and allowing Akutagawa to tumble into his previously occupied seat.

"I don't know what possessed Atobe to start morning practice so soon," Shishido muttered as he went on his way.

If one could shrink at will, I would have been but a mushroom cap already.

Yuushi made his way towards me a few minutes later with an abominably energetic Mukahi in tow and I scooted closer to the sleeping regular next to me so that he could sit, leaving the acrobat standing and glaring at me.

"Do you want me to offer you a seat, milady?" I asked him sardonically as he continued to glare. I could see Yuushi stifle a chuckle next to me. "Tell me, Mukahi," He looked at me warily. "Would you prefer a seat or a late birthday present?" He perked up significantly and started on this tirade about my not being able to resist his charms as I handed him his gift and he walked a little ways off the where that second-year Hiyoshi was standing. He grudgingly agreed as I told him not to open it until later.

Atobe left practice in Yuushi's hands a little earlier. I passed him in the hall as I was on my way to the courts and he told me he was taking care of some more paperwork in the Student Council Room. I actually wanted to watch practice so I didn't go to the Council Room for a second time in the same morning. I wouldn't admit that to him, though. That I wanted to watch practice, that is.

We had a short conversation in which he handed me an envelope out of his pants pocket before he left which I placed into my own skirt as I made my way to the tennis courts. I'd make time to check it later. He didn't look particularly eager that I open it immediately anyway.

"You told Atobe about your living situation?" He smiled in a way that would have made a fangirl die.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, he asked."

"And you played the piano?" He smirked slightly and I rolled my eyes at him.

"He asked that, too." I stated blandly. "He told you about it?"

"In not so many words."

"Which words, then?"

"He told me this morning that you 'knew how to play the piano.'"

"What did you say?"

"'Oh, she knows how to play the piano?'"

"You already knew that." I said, raising my eyebrow amusedly at Yuushi.

He shrugged. "He knew I knew that, too."

"You lost me." I squinted at him as I tried to grasp his meaning.

"He hardly ever says that, Mai-hime." He explained.

"I can imagine that he only says that about people who play the piano." I responded flatly.

"Yeah," he laughed. "But what I mean is, he hardly says that someone knows how to play. It means he thinks you're good."

Blinking a few times, I sighed. "Well, at least, now I know he actually thinks I'm good at something."

"True."

I pulled at Yuushi's hair and he smirked. "That was not the answer I was waiting for."

A few meters away from us, Mukahi started making a fuss and I figured he'd already opened my present for him. From the corner of my eye, I could see that second-year awkwardly 'cough' into his hand. Yuushi turned to look at the commotion and Mukahi started stomping towards us. He looked at me in outrage before pointing at me, a piece of paper clutched in his hand. The tensai next to me plucked the paper from his best friend's accusing hand and the gift from underneath Mukahi's arm. He read the paper out loud, "I hear you like bungee-jumping."

Yuushi cleared his throat discreetly but I knew he was just trying to hide a laugh when he opened the box and looked inside. "Mai-hime," he chided laughingly in his sexy Kansai drawl.

"In my defense, it was Atobe's idea."

On my other side, Akutagawa stirred awake probably due to the hubbub Mukahi was making next to us as he complained about me to Yuushi. He sat up and leaned over me to take a look at the box in Yuushi's hand.

"Who has a dog?" He droned sleepily.

As it turns out, yes, the teachers are fully aware that Atobe Keigo is no longer an unattached man – well, they didn't know the whole story but they didn't know that – and they certainly knew who he was supposedly – and I stress that word – attached to. Namely, me.

One of the things they were probably unaware of was my general dislike of being supposedly attached to him. And that, no, I was not alright with spending all specifically going out of my way to spend 'quality' time with him.

Their ignorance of this was proven when one teacher called me over to him just as the lunch bell rang. It was that bad, the lunch bell.

"Takashina-san," he said kindly as he rifled through a bunch of papers in his attaché case atop the teacher's desk.

"Hai, sensei," I responded cordially, my eyes narrowing infinitesimally as I wondered what I was standing in front of him for.

He finally looked up at me, handing me a folder with a thick stack of paper inside. I took it and fingered the edges absently, still at a loss when he finally decided to tell me what I was supposed to do. "I hope you're alright with taking this to Atobe-kun this lunch period. I have an important teacher's meeting and I won't be able to hand it to him myself."

Yeah, well, I have an important meal to eat and I don't want to hand it to him myself, I wanted to say but, realistically speaking, couldn't. Instead, I settled for a diplomatic smile and a polite bow. "Of course, sensei, I'll go look for him now."

"Thank you, it's a big help," He smiled at me before gathering his things and starting for the door. I simply bowed again and walked towards my friends to tell them I'd have to leave them for a bit and they should go ahead to the cafeteria without me.

They grinned and smirked and leered as I answered their inquiries of where I was going. That was their typical reaction to anything that involved Atobe – and now, Atobe with me. Oh, that and sighing, squealing and fainting. Which they were also doing their fair share of at the moment, except for the fainting. Thankfully.

The first place I went to was the Student Council Room because that was the only place I ever really saw him other than the tennis courts – I surveyed that area from the window behind his desk – and I didn't fine him at either location. It then struck me that the first place I should've looked was his classroom, not only because that was closer to where I started than the Student Council Room, because it was his classroom. And it just occurred to me that I haven't actually been there since all this business started.

I sighed and made my way towards the aforementioned place as fast as I could walk in hopes of getting this task done as quickly as possible so I could still actually use my lunch period for lunch.

"What are you doing here?" He politely asked me as I stood in front of his desk as he looked up from reading some Greek poetry book.

I rolled my eyes at him before dropping the folder on top of his desk with a light thud. "Miura-sensei asked me to give this to you."

Atobe closed his book and slid into his desk compartment before propping his elbow up on his desk and cradling his head in his open palm as he idly flipped through the contents of the folder. "Ahn, are you sure you're not just making excuses because you wanted to see ore-sama?" His infuriating blue eyes glanced up at me.

I snorted. "Please, Atobe, it's lunch." I stated matter-of-factly. "Do you really think I'd willingly trade food to see you?"

He smirked and shut the folder before sliding it into his book bag hanging off the hook on the side of his desk. "You make a good argument." His doing so made me notice something I previously wasn't paying attention to and I briefly pondered on how I didn't notice it earlier.

"Of course," I raised an eyebrow at him and then the tower next to his feet. "That aside, what's up with the o-bento tower you have going on here? And you tell me I eat a lot."

Atobe didn't even have to glance at it to know what I was talking about. He simply tilted his head up to look at me fully and show me his smirk more pronouncedly. "Simply because you do." I glared at him, leaning casually on the chair in front of his table. "Don't misunderstand, though, ore-sama's adoring fans routinely give me a number of those every lunch period."

Snorting again, I leaned over and picked one of them up by the handkerchief knot, inspecting it blithely. It was then I noticed, out of the corners of my eyes, that a good majority of the people in the class were staring at our interaction, shamelessly. I shrugged internally. That seemed to happen a lot recently. "Where does it all go?" I commented instead of paying attention to the hostility around me. "I hardly believe you'd even bother to try eating these."

He shrugs and I hate how I notice how he shrugs. In my head, I sigh. Weakness. "Kabaji comes around to pick them up some time before the bell rings. I'm also very liberal with giving it to whoever asks." He gives me a look that's meant to say, 'yes, ore-sama's just that generous' and I resist the urge to roll my eyes as I set the bento in my hand on his desk. "You're free to take one if you'd like."

Cocking an eyebrow at him again, I held my hands out in refusal. "No, thanks. I'll pass on that offer." His change in expression seems to tell me 'it's food' but I'm adamant in my refusal. "I fear I may be poisoned by their love. Especially since it's for you."

He tipped his head forward and chuckled curtly before facing me again. "Why don't you attempt to make me one?"

It didn't occur to me to be shocked by the request but my eyebrows shot up of their own accord as I stared at him. I said the first thing that came to mind. "Don't you fear you may be poisoned?" I told him with an incredulous look.

"By your love for me?"

I snorted and rolled my eyes at that. "By poison." Came my monotonous answer.

The smirk was even more pronounced, if that was even possible. "I'll take the risk."

My brows lowered and instead furrowed. "What makes you think I'm even capable of preparing an oh-so-elaborate bento for you?"

"You're living situation." He stated simply. And I warily came to terms with the fact that there was no chance that he wasn't going to bring that up.

"Heh," I breathed disinterestedly. "Is that it? Alright, then, I won't argue with you simply because it's rare that you actually think I'm capable of doing something well." I said, my voice dripping with something akin to sarcasm. I straightened and pulled at the hem of my skirt to flatten it. " Anyway, I better get some food for myself before the bell rings."

"Going already?" He said, deliberately patronizing.

"You don't like me when I'm hungry." I waved him off.

He closed his eyes coolly, head still resting on his palm. "Oh, I know."

I gave him a withering look which he couldn't really see.

Just as I turned around, I heard his thick drawl addressing me. "Such a flat out refusal."

Looking at him over my shoulder, – and still seeing the fangirls glaring intently at me – I clucked my tongue, "Perhaps if I feel like it, I'll make you a riceball."

He moved the fingers on the hand supporting his across his face, brushing away locks of hair that had fallen over his forehead and settling over half his face in a way I keep forgetting to ask Yuushi about. His eyes were still closed, the picture of bored confidence. "Why, thank you." He drawled. It was three words but I heard the annoying tone of voice he often used with me when I ate.

Scoffing, I resisted the urge to chuck something at him and kept walking. He wasn't worth missing lunch.

My friends were nowhere in sight when I arrived at the cafeteria to grab lunch so I simply bought myself a couple pieces of soba bread and ate them as I walked back to my classroom. I knew that wasn't strictly allowed but I wanted to finish the food before the bell actually rang.

I was on my last half of soba bread when I opened the door to my classroom and found my friends and a few other people gathered at one spot in the room. Specifically, my desk. Vaguely, I saw Yuushi at the center of the brood, obscured from my sight by the others. I gave the gathering a measuring stare before I finished my bread and strode towards them purposefully. They didn't seem to notice me until I tapped one of my friends on the shoulder and she turned back with an over-excited squeal. That couldn't mean well. That was when I nudged her aside and saw Yuushi lounging atop my desk with the envelope handed me earlier in the morning and the biggest grin/smirk on his face as he looked up at me. I wasn't exactly sure what was in there since I hadn't opened it since Atobe gave it to me but the expressions around me couldn't mean anything good either.

"Sorry, Mai-hime," he said as he handed me the envelope, not sounding even the smallest bit sorry as he did so. I stared at him suspiciously as I took the proffered item from him. "I bumped into your desk by accident and they fell out of your notebook. Evidently, the envelope wasn't sealed."

Hearing his explanation, I carefully slipped my fingers into the top of the envelope and felt a thick wad of something filmy. I drew it out and my eyes widened as I saw that they were a stack of photos. Photos that featured me and Atobe at his party the previous Friday night.

I glared at Yuushi and my friends and my classmates. The fangirls glared back but Yuushi stood from his perch on my desk and wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I looked back down at the pictures and went through them, ignoring the rambling going on around me.

Most, if not all, of them were taken when Atobe and I started dancing because, as I recall, that was when the professional photographer courtesy of Allyssa-san arrived. They weren't in chronological order, a detail that went with Yuushi's story of them spilling out from the envelope and I realized I wasn't particular pissed since this wasn't something to be particularly pissed about. After all, they were just a bunch of pictures. I found a few pictures of us sitting at the bar before he dragged me to dance. There was even a picture of when he offered. It looked so much more romantic if my thoughts during the actual event were taken out of the context.

Yuushi winked at me and then squeezed my shoulder. "Have I ever told you that you're my type?"

I scoffed at him as I nudged him in the gut with my elbow none-too-gently but with a smile. He had abs enough to cushion the blow anyway. "I believe you told me and my sisters that quite a bit over the years." He winked again at my response and I felt little, imaginary daggers stab me. I could only guess where – or from whom – they came from.

My friends where gushing about how I was so lucky to have been invited to a party held by the Atobes and that I should invite them next time and that they didn't care when or where it would be held as long as I remembered them, my precious friends. I stuck my tongue out at them and thrust the envelope of pictures into my desk compartment. They laughed and dispersed as, apparently, the bell had already rung. The crowd cleared from my desk except for one. I pursed my lips curiously at Yuush He still had his arm around me even when the rest of our classmates were filing into the classroom from God-knows-where.

Seeing that everyone was getting ready to settle in and not paying attention to us, – a rare occurrence – he released my shoulder and slipped his fingers into his blazers sleeve and, like a magician, pulled out another picture that, judging from the scene I was seeing, came from the set in the envelope. I was about to ask him what he was doing with it when he took my hand and placed it inside.

"Can I safely assume that this was an accident?" He said in a low, amused drawl and I glanced at the picture and resisted the urge to laugh. It was a picture of me dancing with Atobe, one of the many, but my boot wasn't exactly in a place where feet should normally be.

Huh. The photographer got a shot of me taking a shot at Atobe's leg.

I took my seat as the teacher walked into the classroom and Yuushi took his own at his desk next to mine. I didn't bother to hide the smirk on my face.

"Well, you can't safely assume otherwise." I said to him in a low tone only audible to us.

Yuushi gave a silent chuckle and I slid the picture in my hand into the envelope as well.

Later on in the class, Yuushi slid his notebook to the edge of his desk and I picked up his scrawl on the corner of the page.

I wouldn't mind if you happened to have another copy of that photo.

Well, I hoped you liked it! In about 3 or 4 chapters, it'll get a little faster, skipping through the weeks more. This fic is supposed cover the Japanese school year starting from the second term in September until the end of the school year in April and then some. I really do wish you'd stick around to the very end because I have some scenes planned out that make me really excited.

Thanks to all the readers and reviewers, I couldn't even fathom getting 200 reviews in my whole life and I'm entirely and wholly thankful for all your support!

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