Disclaimer: I do not own PoT, but Kennichi is mine until I decide to sell him. XD
Chapter 16: The Gossip and Taking Sides
Today was like any other day, Tezuka had set some very strenous routine causing the Seigaku regulars to drag their bodies back to the house, what they did not expect was to catch Sakuno with her hair down.
Last time, they could only see through the window and even then there were certain times they couldn't get a good view. There was once when they caught the two of them, Sakuno quickly tied her hair into a ponytail as she greeted them. At then, she looked pretty but now... with the wet hair licking and enhancing the curves on her faces...
She was far prettier, no GORGEOUS! She was very amazing, and it reminded people of how women are the most delicate because of their beauty. Anyway, instead of noticing all the jaw drops and all the staring she seemed to only notice buchou.
She went up to Tezuka and they seemed to share a few words before he announced that he and Sakuno will be out shopping so the regulars were free to use the hot springs. Ryoma who saw this event where the goddess transcended from the stairs with her hair, found it mesmerizing. Even he, the man proclaimed to have sold his soul to tennis couldn't take his eyes off her.
She was anything but ugly. Buchou was the only one not surprised, as if he had seen her without braids often enough to not react! That thought itself annoyed Ryoma to the depths of his stomach. But he was glad he was right. Braids made her look bad, but now seeing how she can have an effect like that, perhaps it was way safer for her to not let her hair down.
Ryoma found that her good points were accumulating as her bad points were vanishing to thin air. What was wrong with him? Unperturbed by all the gossip going around, he went to have a quick soak before removing himself from the rest. No he did not want to hear how good they were together.
After he sat in the room, he went to the window and opened it. Ryoma was not surprised to see that Fuji had went along to help, Tezuka did not mind. However, the sight where she was smiling and laughing beside the two sempai's was infuriating. He wanted to slam the window shut, but it was the next scene that had caught his eye.
A car was zooming in a far faster speed than allowed, Fuji who quickly dodged with some of the groceries managed just fine, but being Ryoma he was unconsciously focusing on the Ryuuzaki. Tezuka who saw the car instinctively threw the groceries aside as he reached for Sakuno and pulled her into an embrace, protecting her from damage.
You could see his concern for her, and Sakuno blushing. Ryoma could not bear to see any more shut the window. He couldn't forget. His eyes burned with all the images of her and their buchou, and things aren't looking up for Ryoma.
Then as far as his moodiness stretched, Eiji and Momoshiro were smirking from side to side. They already finished soaking and their faces were brimming with gossip. Oh no, tonight will be a hell of a night and to make it worse was the fact that it was nearing 10 pm.
Once they were sure Tezuka had went back to his room, Eiji and Momoshiro nudged Ryoma to get up. Soon after that, Fuji, Inui, Oishi, Kaidoh and Kawamura all entered the room with the same gossip look. Why does his seigaku regulars turning out to be complete old women? Nosy and gossipy!
He perched himself near the window in case it was too much to take then he could jump out of the window.
"Did you not see Sakuno-chan? When she came downstairs she was..."
"Very pretty! If I did not have Tachibana Ann, I would have already gone for her!"
"Fshhh, like you would have a chance."
"What's that Mamushi? As if you would have a chance either! You and buchou, he is god, you are just cow dung."
Kaidoh and Momoshiro were almost leaping at each other, Oishi had to sit in between them, reminding them that if buchou found them, they will all run until even they would beg buchou to just cut their legs off.
"Beside the point, I didn't think Sakuno would be so brave, she did not even notice we all staring at her. She just walked up to buchou."
"Nya! Oishi is right! It is like she could only see Buchou!"
"This is unknown percentage. It could be, but there is at least 70% chance it was because buchou had seen it before."
"No, no. Inui. It is no percentage that was exactly what happened."
"What do you mean Fuji?"
"Yeah! Explain Nya!"
"fsshhh..."
Fuji threw an evil smile, oh dear he was very sadistic. Lucky that they were not the target, it was rather strange. Fuji seemed to have a knack of being sadistic to any guy approaching Sakuno. Oh well, not that it was well... noticed.
"Well... Maybe all Sakuno saw was buchou. She was only eyeing him because she had to ask him and discuss about buying groceries. But because Buchou has seen it before, he betrayed no signs of staring. Thus she did not feel intimidated."
"Whoaaaaa! Fuji is really a tensei!"
Inui was already happily jotting down the answer to his surprised confusion as the rest of the team gasped at Fuji's amazing deduction skills. But all the same, that just meant that Sakuno was only focusing on Buchou, until Kaidoh replied
"Fsshhh! So what? Its not like that was surprising, they live here."
"Correction Kaidoh, HE lives here."
"Fsshhh whatever! They have been living together for awhile, so it is natural."
"According to my data book, 50% is due to habit, and 50% due to feeling like it was home."
Fuji leaned closer to the circle they had formed as they all gathered close, Inui's glasses glinted. He couldn't wait for more information.
"I saw... Buchou instinctively reach out to save Sakuno today."
"ARAAAA?"
Everyone looked simply astounded, Ryoma was the only one not surprised. Inui was speed writing as he wrote it all down into his data book. Eiji was rather surprised, so was Momoshiro. Oishi who was really wishing they did not do this looked excited and he was personally smiling. Kawamura just jaw dropped. Even Kaidoh had nothing to contribute.
"Nya, it is strange though... So buchou saved her?"
"Oh, I have a few snapshots."
He showed them some pictured on his mobile phone. Surprising Fuji was always up to his tricks. In that picture you can clearly see her in Buchou's embrace. His face betrayed emotions unseen by his regulars, unless it was for tennis. A face of fear! Fuji must have been pretty smart, he captured good shots. Never less expected from him. What Fuji mentioned next was even better.
"I caught their words..."
He opened his mouth to say the words, as everyone crept closer, all including Ryoma who slightly tilted to that direction. That moment was ruined as Tezuka had opened the door to the room as he coldly gaze at each and every one of the gossipers.
Tezuka decided that these regulars needed to gossip or else they would just fall over and die. Funny, at this moment, he wished they did.
"I see... So these training sessions are not hard enough. I will make sure the next session will let you sleep right through after practice."
With that said, Tezuka had left them.
"Nya...buchou is scary!"
Everyone wearily crept back to their rooms, not that they needed to, but because they felt like they need to keep out of buchou's way tonight. Eiji, Momoshiro and Ryoma was left in the room. Ryoma was about to go into his bed when Eiji and Momoshiro's hands took hold of Ryoma's shoulder as Eiji said with his eyes were gleaming
"...Don't worry Ochibi! We are your team! We will help you get back your wifey!"
"Yeah! Don't worry Ochibi! We are on your side! After all it should be you and Sakuno no?"
Ryoma in the past would have asked them to roll over and die, but today he wasn't so sure it was the best idea. It was better to have someone to help than to have no help. He felt like Kennichi was already on Buchou's side.
"Ii Data..."
Everyone in the room had to bite themselves or let out a small squeak of surprise as they turned to see Inui in the corner with his glasses gleaming. Fuji wasn't too far away from him either. Fuji had a small smirk.
"Nya... I take it back, buchou isn't the scary one... Inui! Fuji! What are you still doing here?"
"I forgot something..."
Fuji showed them his mobile phone, Inui nodded and shut his book.
"So if you two are helping Ryoma... Inui and I would loooooovvvve to take... Buchou's side."
Eiji and Momoshiro's eyes widen in shock and horror... Ryoma knew Fuji always loved to annoy him, personally he was a tad frustrated but he pretended to go to sleep. Eiji and Momoshiro did not give up.
"Nya! No fair! You guys were the masterminds! I get to have Oishi and Kawamura on my team."
"Fine, we take Kaidoh and Kennichi."
Eiji frowned but Momoshiro looked very high spirited as he pointed at Fuji and Inui and said
"We will win. Sakuno is always for Ryoma."
"Thats interesting, whats the percentage Inui?"
Inui smirked as he didn't even opened his book and replied with confidence
"50% chance of Ryoma and Sakuno and 50% Buchou and Sakuno."
Fuji smiled as he and Inui exited the room, leaving Momoshiro and Eiji speechless and Ryoma a tad more concern of what will happen with the rest of this week.
- To be Cont. -
Long chapter, I don't know what to say. It's been awhile. But so has this chapter been awhile, edited and re-edited. I think its done, doesn't mean I am happy though. I will make compensations. Also ideas were slipping my mind! This time I got it. PREPARE FOR AN ONSLAUGHT OF CHAPTERS. = P Just dont torch me. I try to make things sweet and nice ok? = 3 I try as always.