Disclaimer: I do not own PoT. I do own Kennichi and Misao.
Chapter 23: Investigation part 2.
Misao has been tailing Sakuno all of today, thanks to Ryoma being busy and his indifference allowed her the freedom to spy on Sakuno and her every action. At the same time, Misao kept an ear out for any conversation which involved Sakuno or the conversations that she may have participated, just in case she would hit something big.
So far, she had been tailing Sakuno, all she did was tend to her duckling known as Kennichi and smile patiently as Osakada Tomoka gave a brief outline of her sad life and how envious that Kennichi wasn't causing any problems.
The day was already ending and yet there was nothing in particular which caught her eyes. Until... Tennis practice. Sakuno was all dress up as she walked out of the changing room in her tennis uniform.
In her hands, Kennichi sat regally as if he was on the top of the world. Noting that Sakuno having tennis practice was pretty inconvenient for her was it not? Sakuno walked towards the men's courts. Misao followed carefully to avoid any suspicion being thrown at her.
Sakuno walked past all the tennis members and headed towards the regulars. This was one of the moments she had hoped to happen, after all, she was hired to find out if there was anything going on between her and the Seigaku regulars.
"Sakuno-chan!"
Eiji came and gave her a quick hug before letting go and smiling down at the small little duckling.
"Nya! Ken-kun, this time Uncle Eiji did not hold longer than 1 minute!"
That so called Kennichi just gave what sounded like a satisfied quack, with that Eiji gave Kennichi a thumbs up. Kaidoh gave a fleeting glare at the duckling before saying
"Fshh, stay out of our way today boy."
Misao's ears were malfunctioning right? Did Kaidoh sempai just regarded the duckling like a... HUMAN! Kennichi only managed to quack at Kaidoh, it was strange because for some reason Kaidoh looked slightly embarrassed and skulked away.
What in the world did the duck say? Two of the regulars behaved as though they could understand the duck! What is going on?
"Ey! Kennichi! Watch your Uncle Momoshiro lob!"
"Better focus Momoshiro, or I will beat you, isn't that right Ken-kun?"
"Fshh Fuji sempai is going to squash porcupine anyway."
"What did you say Mamushi?"
Oishi came quickly and said in a motherly tone
"Now, now... we didn't really want it to become that way ne, Kennichi-san?"
This time the duckling had already got down from his mother and stood beside her as he quacked several times.
"75% chance buchou will yell at you Kennichi, 25% Buchou will say do what you say."
Kennichi quacked twice, it was as if he was saying something smug. Inui smirked as he said in a menacing tone
"Want my juice Kennichi-kun?"
Kennichi waddled behind Sakuno's legs.
"Inui sempai, personally please le...leave Kennichi alone...? Pretty please?"
Inui smiled at Kawamura-san instead and repeated the question in a different way.
"Oh? So you want my juice too Kawamura-san?"
"iieya... heh..."
"Enough nonsense! Everyone 10 laps now!"
What is this? What is going on with all the seigaku regulars? The only one who is behaving sane is probably the buchou of the Seigaku regulars and Ryoma Echizen who still said nothing. It was as if they all regarded him to be human and understood everything the duckling had just spouted.
Sakuno did not blush, as she smiled patiently as each member started to jog. Each member which passed Sakuno by waved at her and at the duckling. Ryoma was the only one who ran wordlessly. Sakuno making note all of them had begun to run, Sakuno approached the Buchou. Misao was extremely curious, why did she approach the stoic man, wasn't Ryoma her partner?
"Sumimasen, Tezuka sempai."
Tezuka turned and regarded her, was there something Misao missed? Somehow the stoic captain looked less intimidating. Was this because she was like a sister to him? Why did she feel as though he had warmed considerably yet there was no space for any other human to fit in? With an exception for Kennichi that is.
"Yes?"
"Ano... I have tennis today."
Tezuka could see that, he nodded and replied
"I will take care of Kennichi then."
Kennichi quacked once more, but Tezuka did not say anything. Sakuno was busy thanking Tezuka as she waved at the two of them goodbye. The atmosphere seems a tad weird, Misao felt like she was observing a mother leave her child in the care of... of... she swallowed hard as she felt that it couldn't be real... in the care of the father?
"Ken-kun! Please behave."
Kennichi quacked back at Sakuno, and she walked far away now. Misao knew where to find Sakuno but it felt rather crucial she stayed her and pay attention to what was happening here.
"Kennichi, 2 laps. You shouldn't be running my team like that."
Kennichi quacked again, Misao just didn't get it. The buchou himself is conversing with the duck? That was weird enough, but to hear Tezuka buchou command the duck to run laps... wasn't that against animal law? Wouldn't he have broken every animal activist law?
"No... no matter how my team behaves they are my team members. You don't have the right to go and ask them to run 10 laps."
Misao thought back to Inui's conversation... Then it clicked in pretty fast. So the duck was asking the team to run 10 laps? In place of the stoic captain, the duck decided to make that decision. No wonder Tezuka would be mad.
WHY WAS SHE HERSELF THINKING LIKE THE SEIGAKU REGULARS? It was strange, now in this perspective, she is evaluating things like the duckling was human. How did they get to be so friendly? Tezuka had jogged alongside Kennichi as it went waddling, strange.
It must have really strong leg muscles after all, it was running pretty fast! It already caught up with the tail of the Seigaku regulars. They were running closer and closer to Misao's hiding spot as she heard.
"Nya, Ken-kun is being punished again."
"Fsh, told you to stay out of the way kiddo."
"Well I am sure he did it for perfect reasons."
"Told you my stats are never wrong Kennichi."
"Hey! I bet you can't catch up to your uncle Momoshiro!"
"Eto... You shouldn't be so tough on Kennichi-san. He is still young and still a baby."
"Smile Kennichi, this is for your picture book."
"Fuji! This is no time for photos! Wait take it with me..."
"THIS IS TRAINING! RUN NOW OR I INCREASE THE LAPS."
The team went silent as they jogged quietly, but if Misao wasn't mistaken she was pretty sure she saw a smug face on Kennichi's face. My, doesn't that resemble Ryoma Echizen. She was right though, Ryoma Echizen is the only one who hasn't really talked or regarded the duckling as an equal, or was it because he was always like that, ignoring people as per usual.
After the two laps, Kennichi sat beside Tezuka as Tezuka supervised the whole tennis practice. Misao noted that occasionally, Tezuka's eyes would shift to the girl tennis courts. Misao followed Tezuka's gaze, she saw Sakuno trying her best in playing tennis. Misao wouldn't want to be bias or mean, but even she as a girl could not stop staring at Sakuno for awhile. Her braids dancing around her like wings and the way she moves were probably clumsy but she reminds you of an angel as her white shirt and skirt shines in the sun and a radiant smile from time to time and even her look of determination.
Sakuno turned and caught Tezuka's glance as she smiled and waved at him for one second before she turned to focus once more. Misao swore they must have something going in between them! She was now forcefully swallowing her words. WHO WOULDN'T FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS GIRL?
The fan club members must have been blind, because she definitely a threat to all handsome men, they would fall either helplessly in love with her or bound their body to be her shield.
Misao deciding that it would be catastrophic if the Seigaku regulars found her here, she better scoot off. Where could she go? There had been so many of these things happening, there can only be one solution. Find the biggest house among the regulars and wait there. However there was a small guess that perhaps it should be Tezuka's house she should be wary of.
Slipping away quickly she walked towards her clubhouse determined to find out if her theory was true.
To be Cont.
Look, these few chapters are going to be long for undeceisive reasons. I can't seem to cut anything out! = =''' At this point I just want to get out all my chapters and then put my feet up and rest. XD For I am excited to bring this baby problem to its final station. NOT NOW of course. I have more.