Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Brrr! It's getting muy frio over here! The temp has reached single digits, plus wind chill. So it's basically like...5 degrees outside right now. Plus, today was a long day. I was at school from 8 till 4:30. Oh well, at least tomorrow's anime club, wheee! I've become so desperate now that I'm watching some of the prince of tennis OVA episodes raw. They haven't been subbed yet and I was starting to go through Hyotei withdrawl. Hehe, I love those Hyotei boys...except Kabaji...he freaks me out O.o I drew a few more piccys today...nothing to brag about though. One pic of Hidan, one of Atobe...I think that's it. I can't remember. Oh yeah, I drew a pic of my uni-boy Zephyr, which my design professor complimented ^-^ I love it when teachers notice anime style and compliment it. Hmm...I've been busy writing random scenes for this PoT fanfic. I hate that I always make up OCs, but it's so much fun, seriously. I love making up my own twisted characters. They each have different personalities and they're so much fun to write. I'll post what I've written so far. I just kinda of jumped around with different couples and stuff, so if it doesn't make sense...whoopsie =P

Zese are ze characters:

Alana Wilson
Age: 15
Hair: black; down to waist
Eyes: violet
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: American
Paired with: Kunimitsu Tezuka

Jade Stevens
Age: 13
Hair: golden rod; down to waist, usually in a ponytail
Eyes: sky blue
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: German-American
Paired with: Kaoru Kaidoh

Sapphire Tsukino
Age: 14
Hair: black; about neck length
Eyes: sapphire blue
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: Japanese-American
Paired with: Syuusuke Fuji

Yasu Yoshida
Age: 14
Hair: purple; long front bangs, gets shorter in the back
Eyes: sea green behind glasses
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: Japanese
Paired with: Sadaharu Inui

Skyler Hutchings
Age: 15
Hair: dyed blue with black streaks; long, usually tied up in a high ponytail
Eyes: blue
Personality:
School: Hyotei
Nationality: English
Paired with: Keigo Atobe

Bonnie Adams
Age: 14
Hair: light brown; curly, about shoulder length
Eyes: greenish blue
Personality:
School: St. Rudolph
Nationality: Irish
Paired with: Hajime Mizuki

Tonya Henderson
Age: 14
Hair: auburn; about shoulder length
Eyes: dark blue
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: American
Paired with: Syuichiroh Oishi

Hitomi Kimura
Age: 15
Hair: dark blue; down to her waist (usually up in a bun)
Eyes: cerulean
Personality:
School: Hyotei
Nationality: Japanese
Paired with: Gakuto Mukahi

Shiori Ito
Age: 14
Hair: dyed blonde with red streaks; neck length
Eyes: emerald green
Personality:
School: Seigaku
Nationality: Japanese
Paired with: Eiji Kikumaru

Takara Masashi
Age: 14
Hair: reddish brown, about neck length
Eyes: blind, but her eyes are light blue
Personality:
School: home-schooled
Nationality: Japanese
Paired with: Jin Akutsu

Christina (Chris) Davis
Age: 13
Hair: brown, about shoulder length
Eyes: brown
Personality:
School: Rikkaidai
Nationality: American
Paired with: Akaya Kirihara

and I these are just random scenes from the fic I wrote really quick. There should be italics in certain places, but I'm not gonna go fix it, so yeah:

“What’s so bad about him, Sapphire?” Tonya asked softly. “He seems very nice.”

“That’s the point!” the other girl snapped. “He’s too nice! I can’t stand his easy-going attitude!”

“He didn’t do anything to you though.”

“I don’t care!”

“Ah, hello, Henderson-san, Tsukino-san,” Fuji said with the ever present smile on his face.

Sapphire turned to glare at him. “Why do you always smile?” she growled.

“Why?” Fuji’s smile widened. “Does it bother you?”

“Yes.”

To her surprise, his eyes suddenly opened, revealing beautiful blue orbs. He stared hard at her, a frown on his normally upturned lips. Sapphire was in complete shock. Syuusuke Fuji was…absolutely gorgeous. Her cheeks turned pink. Fuji continued to stare coldly at her. Tonya’s eyes were wide at finally seeing the true prodigy. Fuji then closed his eyes and smiled.

“Did that make you happy, Tsukino-san?” he asked.

Tonya had always known Sapphire was a bit…eccentric. She spoke her mind and wasn’t afraid to tell anyone what she was feeling. She expected her friend to launch herself at the young prodigy and declare her love for him. Tonya knew Sapphire was a bit shallow when it came to other people’s looks. However, the black-haired girl merely smiled back at Fuji and put a hand on her hip.

“Oh? You seem awfully confident, Fuji,” she replied. “If you think I’ve fallen for you just because I saw your eyes for the first time, you are very…”

What was this? Was Sapphire NOT attracted to Syuusuke at all? Tonya thought she would faint from shock until her friend finished the sentence.

“…RIGHT!” Sapphire smirked. Fuji made a surprised ‘o’ with his mouth. Tonya fell off her chair and sweat-dropped.

She only likes him because he looks cute, Tonya thought sadly. Syuusuke deserves more than that. Maybe I can get Sapphire to see his other good qualities.

***

“You do realize he’s completely in love with himself, right?” Alana mumbled to Skyler.

The English girl cast her friend a glare. “I know. But…we’ve known each other a long time. He doesn’t abandon his friends.”

“I’m not so sure you think of him as just a friend.”

Skyler blushed. “I’ve loved Keigo for as long as I can remember. But he’s always thought of himself and tennis before anything else unfortunately.”

“I don’t understand how you love the guy so much.”

“The same reason I can’t figure out how you say you don’t love Tezuka when it’s so plainly obvious that you do.”

Alana’s face turned red. “The guy’s a stiff.”

“He’s very handsome.”

“Yeah, well so is Atobe.”

Skyler sighed. “I’ll tell you why I love Keigo so much if you tell me why you deny your feelings for Tezuka.”

“Sky, that’s unfair.”

“No it’s not.”


***

“He’s scary,” Shiori said bluntly.

“No he’s not,” Jade argued back.

“He hisses like a snake,” Sapphire added airily.

“So? He’s not that bad once you get to know him.”

“But you don’t know him, Jade,” Shiori stated. “That’s the point.”

The blonde blushed crimson. “I-I will get to know him. And I’ll prove you both wrong. Kaoru Kaidoh isn’t scary at all.”

“Whatever,” Sapphire grumbled. “C’mon, we’ll be late for class.”

Jade finished changing and grabbed her bag. As she opened the door, she bumped into someone. “Ah! I’m sorry!” she cried. Her face burned when she saw who it was. “K-Kaoru Kaidoh?”

He glanced up at her. “You’re one of the new girls,” he muttered.

“I-I’m Jade Stevens. N-Nice to meet you.”

Kaidoh felt his cheeks go red. “Yeah.”

Jade bit her lip. This is my chance! Just ask him out! “Um…I know this is sudden, but…I was wondering if maybe you and I could—”

“Ah! Mamushi! There you are!” Momoshiro cried. “Class is about to start! You better hurry or the teacher will be mad again!”

“That bastard,” Kaidoh grunted.

“I-I guess you’re busy right now. I-I’ll just talk to you later, okay?” Jade mumbled, embarrassed beyond words.

He blinked. “I’ll be at the tennis court after class,” he answered somewhat shyly.

The German girl smiled and blushed again. “O-Okay.”

***

“Sadaharu, I don’t mean to pry, but what are you making?” Yasu asked as she eyed her childhood friend curiously. He was mixing together several things that didn’t look particularly edible into a large pincher.

“Juice,” he replied.

She looked closely at it. “That’s not juice.”

“It’s specially made Inui Juice.”

“…there’s a difference?”

Inui smirked and pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Would you like to be the first to drink it?”

“Uh…no. I think I’ll pass.”

“Are you sure?”

“Unless that juice can somehow make me look attractive or something…”

Inui frowned at her comment. “You are attractive, Yasu.”

Her green eyes widened. “Um…shouldn’t you be out on the courts now?” she mumbled while blushing. “I’m sure the tennis club is waiting to try your new juice.”

He didn’t move or say anything for awhile, making Yasu think he fell asleep standing up. He had done it once and it had scared her to death. But he was merely staring at her with that mysterious calculating look he gave everyone else.

“Sadaharu?” He stepped closer to her until he was only a few inches away from her. “What are—?”

“Shh,” he said leaning down so that his face was close to hers.

He was so close that she could see his eyes behind his glasses. “Sada…” He closed the distance with a chaste kiss to her lips. Yasu’s face burned red. “…haru?”

He smiled as he pulled back. “Like I said, you are already attractive.”

“Sadaharu…why did you—?”

“I’m late. I better head over to the tennis court. Are you coming?”

Yasu pursed her lips. “Yes. And afterwards, you’re going to tell me what that was all about.”

“I thought you were smart, Yasu,” he said teasingly. “Can’t you figure it out?”

She blushed again. “You’re manipulative, Sadaharu Inui.”

***

“You’re unusually quiet tonight, Skyler,” Atobe murmured as they stared up at the sky from his balcony.

“S-Sorry, Keigo,” she replied, trying to hide the dash of pink on her cheeks. It was Valentine’s Day. He had already received nearly a hundred valentines from all his fangirls at school. Skyler should know. He had asked her to help him open them all. As his best friend, she really couldn’t refuse him. But now it was her turn to give him a valentine and she was extremely nervous.

Atobe didn’t date, or rather, he wouldn’t. None of the girls at school were up to his standards, which made Skyler feel very disheartened. Nevertheless, she was alone with him at his house and kept rethinking a good plan of action to take. He brushed a hand through his hair and that’s when Skyler thought of the perfect idea.

“Can I brush your hair?” she asked suddenly.

He turned to look at her from where he sat and smiled. “You know I can’t say no when you make an offer like that.”

Skyler smiled back and grabbed a brush from her purse. The two had always brushed each other’s hair when they were younger. To Skyler, it felt more like having a girl for a friend rather than a boy. Keigo was obsessed with his looks and was very vain about it. And yet the English girl found herself absolutely smitten with him, despite his faults.

She started brushing his hair, inwardly cheering that he was so relaxed and content. She stopped using the brush halfway through and instead let her fingers gently stroke his scalp. He let out a soft moan. Skyler glanced down to see that his eyes were closed. “That feels good,” he mumbled. Turning red, the blue-haired girl continued massaging his scalp. “You know all the right spots,” he continued. His eyes snapped open. Skyler’s face turned redder. “Skyler, are you sick?”

“N-No, I’m fine,” she replied nervously.

He frowned. “You forget that I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying.”

Skyler felt butterflies in her stomach. It was now or never. She placed her hands on his cheeks, closing her eyes just as he made a confused face. Then she lowered her mouth to his awkwardly. The position wasn’t making it any easier. For a moment, Atobe was stiff. He’d never been kissed before. Ever. He’d never let anyone. And now Skyler, his friend, was…

He could feel her lips on his. They were so soft. Just as he was about to start kissing her back, she pulled away, a shy smile on her face. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Keigo.”

***

“This is so stupid,” Alana grumbled. “I don’t even know why I’m here. I don’t care about tennis and I don’t care about stupid Tezuka.”

Stop lying to yourself, she recalled Skyler saying.

“So what if he’s really hott? So what if he’s the captain of the tennis club? So what if he…” she trailed off as she saw Kunimitsu Tezuka walking towards her, sweating and carrying a towel around his neck. “…is too sexy for his own good?” she finished. “Damn him!”

He looked up when he was a few feet from her and gave her a hard stare. “Wilson-san,” he said coolly. “What are you doing here?”

“Just thought I’d come say hello,” she said with a fake smile.

He didn’t move. “Tell me the truth.”

Alana glared at him. “Fine. My friend said I should just ‘be honest with myself’ and declare ‘my undying love for you’. So here I am.”

Tezuka didn’t seem amused. It takes a lot for the boy to crack a smile, Alana realized. “If you’re done wasting my time,” he said walking past her.

“Hey! Wait!” she called. “I’m not finished with you yet, Tezuka!”

He stopped walking and turned to glare at her. “What do you want?”

The raven-haired teen stomped up to him, desperately trying to bite her tongue at a rude retort. He stared down at her. Her violet eyes were flashing in anger. He expected a smart remark to come out of her usually foul mouth, but instead, her mouth pressed to his. Before he could comprehend what had happened, she was already walking away, mumbling to herself.

Did she just…? he thought.

I can’t believe I just KISSED him! Alana thought angrily. Although…it wasn’t that bad.

***

Tonya had never celebrated White Day. But when Oishi confronted her after school on the fourteenth of March, she experienced it for the first time. He came over to her, blushing nervously.

“Um…Henderson-san, I was wondering if you’d like to come watch the sunrise with me tonight.”

The auburn-haired girl turned red. “O-Okay. Where will we be watching from?”

“There’s this mountain top that’s close by. We can meet at the school entrance around midnight and leave from there.”

“All right. By the way, why the sudden urge to take me with you?”

Oishi smiled warmly and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it’s the best gift I could think to give you.”

“Gift?”

“For White Day.”

Tonya blushed again. “Oh.”

“So I’ll see you later,” he said turning to walk home.

“Yeah. Bye!”

At midnight, the two met up at the school and began their trip to the mountain. Tonya wasn’t the only nervous one, she was pleased to note. Oishi looked like he had never been alone with a girl before. That was probably true, considering tennis was usually the main attraction in his life.

As they made it to the top, Tonya settled herself on a large boulder. The green-eyed boy shyly sat beside her and shifted over until their thighs were touching. Both blushed furiously but continued to look straight ahead. The hours passed. Tonya could feel her eyelids drooping from lack of sleep. She felt herself lean her head against Oishi’s shoulder.

Oishi’s face burned red at the unexpected contact, but he didn’t push her away. He could just make out the thin line signaling the sunrise. He gently tapped Tonya’s shoulder. “It’s here,” he mumbled. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly.

The two watched the sun slowly rise, completely content with where they were. Oishi carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. Tonya rested her head against his chest and snuggled into him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Oishi replied, letting his chin rest atop her soft hair. “But the gift’s not over yet.”

“Eh?” He pulled away and stared into her eyes. Tonya felt her heart speed up as he leaned closer. His lips pressed to hers gently. It was a quick kiss, but one she’d never forget. They both blushed again. Tonya curled up in his arms and sighed happily. “I really like you, Syuichiroh Oishi.”

“I like you too, Tonya Henderson.” They smiled at each other, content in each other’s embrace.

***

Bonnie shouldn’t have liked him. He was manipulative and cruel. And yet, he was unbelievably attractive and charming. Hajime Mizuki was a boy her friends back home would have liked for his looks, not personality. Her close friend Yuuta Fuji was on the St. Rudolph tennis team and therefore spent the majority of his time around Mizuki. And since Bonnie was Yuuta’s friend, she saw Mizuki a lot at practices.

The only downside was that they had barely spoken to each other. Bonnie was desperate to gain his attention at least once. During practice, as he watched the team play, Bonnie came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He had a temper, a severe one, so she had to be careful not to anger him.

He turned around in surprise and widened his eyes. “Ah, Adams-san,” he greeted.

At least he knows my name, she thought. “Um, Mizuki…I was…wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“Oh? What kind of favor?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Well, I’ve been watching the team play tennis for awhile now and I’ve become really interested in the sport. I was wondering if maybe you could…um…teach me the basics?”

He grinned. “I’d be happy to. Yuuta-kun wouldn’t mind, I’m sure.” He stood up and led her to a separate court. He handed her his racket. Bonnie wasn’t sure how to properly hold it and blushed slightly. Mizuki chuckled. “Your grip is all wrong, Adams-san. Here, let me show you.” He came up behind her and let his hands rest on hers. He helped position her hands on the handle. “There, much better. Now show me a swing.”

He helped her long after tennis practice was over with. Bonnie enjoyed the attention and felt more confident in her abilities when they were done. Mizuki gave her a smile and wink before she left with Yuuta and said, “I hope I was able to help you. Perhaps we could do this again sometime?”

Bonnie flushed crimson. “O-Okay.”

Yuuta gave his friend an odd look. “Why are you so red, Bonnie-chan?”

The brunette smiled nervously. “Oh, no reason.”

***

Shiori wasn’t the type of girl who went insane over boys. Not yet anyway. Her new friends Sapphire and Jade had their own separate crushes and it annoyed her. She couldn’t understand the attraction. Boys are so obnoxious, she thought haughtily. As she passed by the tennis courts, a stray ball flew up into the air and hit her on the head.

“Itai!” she cried, rubbing the sore spot. She spotted the tennis ball and picked it up.

“OI! Sorry about that!” one of the tennis players called. Shiori turned her head. She recognized him as Eiji Kikumaru, a 3rd year like herself. She clenched the ball tightly with her hand. “Hehe, guess I got carried away,” he said sticking his tongue out in a manner that most girls would consider cute. Shiori just found it annoying. “Um…can I have the ball back?”

She debated on throwing the ball farther away for him to chase or just handing it over. She wasn’t known for her forgiving nature. Eiji was watching her with wide, innocent blue eyes. “Here,” she sighed.

“Arigatou!” he replied with a smile. “Nya, I think I know you.”

“I should hope so. We’re in the same class.”

“Ah! You’re Shiori-chan!”

She twitched at the nickname. “You and I aren’t friendly enough with each other for you to call me that, Kikumaru.”

He blinked. “So cold. I was only being nice.”

“I don’t need special treatment from an immature person like you.”

“Special…treatment?” he repeated. He pouted. “Nya, I don’t understand why you hate me so much.”

Shiori narrowed her eyes. “Just leave me alone.”

“Can’t you even give me a chance?”

“A chance to do what?”

He shrugged. “Anything. I don’t like to be hated.”

Shiori continued to glare at him. “There’s no way you can change my opinion of you.”

“Please, Ito-san?”

She stared hard at him. He seemed innocent enough. But underneath that innocence was probably just another annoying boy. “Fine, whatever.”

Eiji broke into a wide grin. “Hai! Let me take you out on a date to prove myself.”

“A d-date?” she gasped. “Are you serious, Kikumaru?”

“Yep.”

That idiot! He tricked me! she growled. “Ugh…fine. When?”

“Tonight at 8. I’ll meet you at the corner of Watanabe Street.”

Shiori nodded, wondering just what he had planned to make her like him.

***

“Ne, aniki?” Yuuta grumbled.

“Hmm?” Syuusuke looked up at his brother.

“Are all girls weird?”

The prodigy smiled. “Weird how?”

“Bonnie-chan was acting really strange today after getting some help from Mizuki-san.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve never seen her so happy before.”

Syuusuke’s smile widened. “She probably likes him.”

“Eh?! But she hardly knows him!”

“Girls are like that, Yuuta.”

The younger brother sighed. “Do you have problems with girls too, aniki?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Really?”

“Hai. There’s a girl in my school who seems to like me.”

Yuuta frowned. “That’s nothing new, aniki. Girls always like you.”

Syuusuke smiled. “She’s not like other girls.”

“Sounds like you like her too.”

He opened his eyes and smirked. “Probably.”

***

“Ano…Tezuka, are you and Wilson-san…?” Oishi didn’t even get a chance to finish his question before the captain was out of the locker room.

He didn’t need this added stress. Girls had never been important to him and never would. And yet Alana Wilson, one of the transfers, was starting to get on his nerves. Kunimitsu hated showing emotion. But when Alana had kissed him that day after practice…he had blushed like crazy. The scary part was that he’d actually liked it.

***

Jade was nervous. Actually, terrified was the best way of describing how she felt at the moment. Kaidoh had said he’d be at the tennis courts after school and yet there was still no sign of him. Just when she was about to give up hope, she heard footsteps and turned. He was jogging towards her, bandana draped over his shoulder along with his school bag.

The blonde had to admit that he looked more his age when he didn’t wear a bandana. She bit her lip nervously. “Oi,” he said with a nod. “You uh…wanted to talk?”

Jade wanted to say he was blushing as much as she was. But she was too nervous to notice anymore. “I…um…yeah,” she stuttered. “I was wondering if you would want to do something together…sometime.”

His eyes widened. “Like a date?”

“Y-Yeah.” Her cheeks burned red.

Kaidoh felt his heart thump loudly against his chest. His face was burning in embarrassment. This girl…she wanted to…be alone with him? He’d never had a girl be interested in him before, so he was unsure on how to act. He decided on giving a small nod. “Is tomorrow after school all right?”

“But don’t you have tennis practice?” she said worriedly.

He shrugged. “I can miss one day.”

Jade smiled. “T-Thank you, Kaidoh.”

He glanced at her shyly. “You can call me Kaoru…if you want.”

“All right. And you can call me Jade.”

***

Atobe had been searching for Skyler all through lunch the next day. She hadn’t spoken to him at all since her unexpected Valentine’s Day present the night before. He didn’t want to admit that he was nervous and excited. His teammates were all giving him odd looks as he scoured the school. Where was she? There were only so many places she could be.

He heard voices in the courtyard and turned. He saw a group of his fangirls surrounding Skyler. He narrowed his eyes. No matter the person, no one hurt his friend without consequences.

“Leave Atobe-sama alone!” he heard one of the girls shout.

“Why would he want someone foreign like you, anyway?” another sneered.

“You’re not even pretty.”

“And your accent is weird.”

Atobe had never seen his fan club so cruel. He could see Skyler fighting back tears as she tried to ignore the girls. He’d seen enough. He walked over to them, ignoring the squealing the fangirls did when they saw him.

“Atobe-sama! Tell this ugly foreigner that you’re too good for her!” the ring-leader said cruelly.

The Hyotei tennis captain narrowed his eyes. “People as ugly as yourselves are not worthy of being in my presence,” he spat.

“B-But, Atobe-sama, she—”

“She happens to be a very close friend of mine.” He smiled warmly at Skyler. “I won’t tolerate you treating her like she’s scum.”





***

Yasu felt herself becoming weak under her friend’s scrutinizing stare. They were in their final year of high school. They had no regrets. She had known Sadaharu Inui long enough to say that she loved him. As he crawled onto the bed with her, a million images flashed through her brain.

When they were five and just meeting for the first time; Sadaharu’s first glasses at age seven; Yasu and Inui’s science project in elementary school; Their first day at Seigaku; Their first kiss; and now the current situation unfolded before her eyes. Inui was shirtless as he hovered above her, a smile on his lips. His glasses glinted in the candlelight.

“You’re nervous,” he noted.

Yasu blushed. “Who wouldn’t be?” she replied haughtily.

He lowered himself until he was on top of her. She shifted under his weight. He rested his elbows on either side of her head so that he could prop himself up. He then deliberately pushed his knee between her legs. She gasped when she felt something hard press up against her panties. Yasu carefully reached up to remove his troublesome glasses.

He smirked and bent his head down to begin kissing at her neck. She squirmed against him, gasping and moaning at how gentle he was being. His lips traveled upward towards her jaw and mouth. As he kissed her, he thrust his hips forward suggestively.

“S-Sadaharu,” she whispered, touching his face lightly. Another thrust. The room was becoming hot. She silently begged him to pull down her panties and to get on with what they had planned to do. He must have read her mind, because within seconds, he was slowly dragging the material down her legs.

“There’s no need to be shy around me,” he mumbled. He spread her legs apart before she could close them together. He unzipped his pants and removed his boxers in one swift movement.

Yasu couldn’t stop herself from blushing. This is it. Sadaharu and I are… She cried out when he entered her for the first time. He glanced down, concerned. She smiled despite the pain she was feeling. “I’m all right. Don’t worry,” she said. He frowned as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in. Her body was convulsing around him and he wasn’t quite sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Inui had experienced many gratifying things in his life, but never something that was as wonderful as what he was experiencing with Yasu. He could smell the sweat from both their bodies mixed in with a strong musky scent that he could only describe as a sex scent. In his mind, he made little probabilities just for fun. Probability that Yasu will arch up off the bed on this next thrust: 80%. He smiled when she did just that.

They made love long into the night. Inui’s stamina wouldn’t let him climax until long after Yasu had, which was disappointing. He had hoped they’d both reach their peaks as one. He lay beside her on the bed, taking deep breaths. “Yasu.”

She turned her head to look at him. “Sadaharu.”

He leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers gently. “I love you.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Me too.”

***

Shiori didn’t want to admit that she was slightly embarrassed by her boyfriend’s antics. He had always been a bit…energetic and she loved him for that. However, acting like a total weirdo in a club was a no-no in her book. There were lots of people that would hate him showing off and want to hurt him. And she wasn’t going to stand by and let people hurt Eiji; not if she had anything to say about it.

“Hoi! Hoi!” he called with a grin. “Nya, Shiori-chan, come dance!”

She hit her head in embarrassment. “Eiji, would you calm down? You’re in a public place!”

“Nya?” Sometimes he was too cute for his own good, even at his age. He was eighteen and still acted like he was fourteen again.

Shiori sighed and rolled her eyes. “These people won’t be happy with you if you keep showing off. They could kick us out or worse, pick a fight with us.”

He pouted. “But I’m having fun.”

“Eiji, please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He smiled and hopped over to her. He kissed the side of her mouth softly. “I’ll be fine, Shiori-chan.”

She watched him go back onto the dance floor and start acting like his crazy self once again. People were eyeing him. Some were angry, some were in lust. She had to mentally restrain herself from wanting to kill all the sluts watching every time a bit of his belly showed when he did a back flip.

“He’s cute, ne?” one girl said to her friend.

“Oh yeah, I wouldn’t mind being wild with him in bed,” the other laughed.

Shiori clenched her fists and teeth. Ignore them. They’re just sluts. They probably say that about every hott guy they see.

“I wonder if the curtains match the drapes, if you know what I mean.”

The blonde felt her cheeks heat up in anger. They did NOT just say that.

“God, he’s making me so hot. I wonder if he’s free later.”

Okay, that does it. “Will you bitches stop talking about him as though he’s a piece of meat?” she growled.

The two women turned to glance at her. “Who are you?”

“His girlfriend!”

The tallest one smirked at her. “You?” she sneered. “Sorry, hun, but someone that hott deserves someone as equally attractive.”

“I hope you’re not referring to yourself,” Shiori spat back.

“Nya, Shiori-chan, what’s up?” Eiji came up beside her, wiping his brow of sweat.

“Nothing,” she grumbled, grabbing his hand and pulling him away.

“Huh? Shiori-chan, you seem angry.”

She whirled around quickly and pulled him against her. She crashed her lips to his hungrily. Eiji barely had time to compose himself and kiss her back properly. Shiori backed him up against a wall, fisting her hands through his red hair and kissing him as hard as she could. Eiji knew she could be aggressive. Hell, it was one of the things he liked about her. She was very protective of him as well. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brushed his lips against her ear. “Love ya, nya,” he purred.

Shiori closed her eyes happily and smiled. She pulled back and rested her forehead against his. “I hate it when other people stare at you like you’re easy,” she muttered.

He smiled back. “You know I’m not, Shiori-chan, and that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah.” She suddenly grinned. “You know, those women may have been sluts, but they did give me a good idea.”

“Eh?”

***

“Why?”

Alana couldn’t think clearly. What they’d just done…

It felt like a sin. And yet…it had felt incredibly good. He was addictive. Once she had had one taste, she’d wanted more. And she’d gotten it. Every. Last. Drop. He shifted beside her, wrapping his left arm around her and pulling her against his naked chest.

“Why?” she repeated.

He didn’t answer and she knew he probably never would. Their legs were tangled together under the blankets. The room smelt of sex and sweat. Alana wanted to taste him all over again. Instead, he rolled over on top of her and thrust himself inside her opening without asking. Her hands clawed at his back as the pleasure wracked her body.

“Tezuka,” she said panting. “Why?”

He stared down at her with cold brown eyes. He lowered his head to kiss her lips, even as they rocked back and forth. He pulled out and took her into his arms again. “Because I love you,” he mumbled.

Alana wanted to cry tears of joy. As Tezuka held her against him, she snuggled in his embrace and smiled. “Good. ‘Cause I love you too,” she replied.

***

Hitomi Kimura had a problem with her cousin’s friend. She’d known him for as long as Yuushi had. She knew he was energetic and rude…and looked an awful lot like a girl with magenta hair. However, this newest development concerning Gakuto Mukahi wasn’t something she was familiar with. She would think about him at random intervals in the day. She couldn’t concentrate on tests because all she would do was doodle his name on her papers.

She was frustrated and debated on telling her cousin. But she knew Yuushi would merely view this as an opportunity to tease her relentlessly. He was her cousin, but he was still a manipulative bastard when he wanted to be. Hitomi knew first hand that once Yuushi discovered something interesting about anyone he knew, he wouldn’t forget it. And if he knew that she had some bizarre crush on his tennis doubles partner, well, Hitomi knew she’d be royally screwed.

She politely declined his invitation to watch their tennis practice. She didn’t want to see Gakuto anymore than she already had. She did walk by the courts on her way home. Yuushi was playing against Gakuto. She spent a minute admiring how acrobatic the magenta-haired teenager was before turning her head and walking away. She hadn’t walked two steps when she heard, “OI! Hitomi-chan!”

Please let there be another Hitomi in the area, she thought. But knowing that there wasn’t, she turned around and faked a smile. “H-Hey, Gakuto.”

He walked over to her, a wide grin on his face. “Why aren’t you staying to watch us play? Are you bored of us?”

“Oh…no. I just thought I’d get home early and start my homework.”

Yuushi glanced at her. “Uncle tells me that your grades have gone down, Hitomi-nee-san.”

“Ah. I’ve just been under a lot of stress lately. High school entrance exams, you know.”

“Hmm. Indeed.” He continued to stare at her as though trying to find the real answer hidden somewhere on her body.

Hitomi was trying her best to ignore Gakuto’s playful jibes, but he was persistent. “Homework can wait!” he said.

“He’s right,” Yuushi added. “Come watch us play a match. Better yet, why don’t you join us?”

Hitomi paled. “I don’t have my racket…or any clothes to change into.”

“Just play in your uniform,” Gakuto offered. “And we’ve got plenty of rackets to spare.”

“But—”

“Please?”

Gah. Hitomi gave up the fight and nodded. “Okay. One game.” It was times like these when the blue-haired girl was certain her cousin wasn’t called a prodigy for nothing. He decided to play against both her and Gakuto. Hitomi felt very self-conscious playing in her uniform, especially when Gakuto could sneak a peek if he wanted to. Not that he was a pervert or anything. She glanced back and made sure her skirt was covering enough.

Hitomi couldn’t brag about her tennis skills. She was no prodigy like her cousin. She had played a few times and was a decent player, but she was really no match for a Hyotei regular. Yuushi served the ball. Hitomi prepared herself since it was hit to her side. She swung the racket and hit the ball back.

“Nice return, Hitomi-chan!” Gakuto cheered. Hitomi tried to hide her blush. Yuushi noticed her cheeks go red at his teammate’s praise and smirked. He hit the ball back, this time towards Gakuto. “Those don’t work on me, Yuushi!” The magenta-haired teen did a turn in the air before hitting the ball back onto the court.

“15-love,” Yuushi mumbled.

Hitomi bounced the ball at the baseline as she prepared to serve. Yuushi knew her serves were good. He prepared himself. “Ganbare, Hitomi-chan!” Gakuto said smiling.

She turned red and threw the ball into the air. Yuushi had seen her falter when she hit it and knew it wasn’t her best serve. He easily returned it. Something was going on with his cousin and he was determined to find out what. She turns red whenever Gakuto speaks to her, he noted. Does she like him or something? As they played, Yuushi also noticed that Hitomi wasn’t playing at her best. He knew she was a lot better than how she was doing now.

“Game and match,” he said, keeping his eyes on his cousin. “Congratulations.”

“Hitomi-chan and I whipped your butt, Yuushi!” Gakuto sneered.

“Hai, hai.” Yuushi narrowed his eyes when he saw Hitomi deliberately hiding her face from them. “Hitomi-nee-san, I’ll walk you home.”

“Eh?” she said in surprise. “That’s okay, Yuushi. You don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

“Mata ashita!” Gakuto called. He waved to them as they walked away.

Yuushi watched his cousin as they walked to her house. “Hitomi…please be honest with me. Do you like Gakuto?”

She stopped walking and stared at the ground. He saw her clench her hands into fists. “If I do?” she answered.

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“You know my parents as well as I do, Yuushi. They wouldn’t like him.”

“Hmm. That may be so.” He smirked. “But they don’t have to know.”

“I wouldn’t be able to keep him secret for long.”

Yuushi put a hand on her shoulder. “Leave everything to me, Hitomi.”

“Whenever I do that, something bad happens,” she said raising an eyebrow.

He pushed his glasses further up his nose. “I know Gakuto a lot better than you. I can get him to relax a bit when he’s with you.”

“I don’t want him to change. I like him the way he is.” She covered her mouth with her hands and blushed.

Her cousin’s smirk widened. “Then I’ll tell him just that.”

“What? No, you can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Yuushi, do you not know the meaning of the word secret? I don’t want him to know…not yet anyway.”

“Are all girls as stubborn as you, or are you just particularly difficult?” he sighed.

Hitomi smiled. “I’ll let you figure that out on your own, Yuushi. Thanks for walking me home.”

***

Gakuto could only stare at his teammate in shock.

“So that’s the basic gist,” Yuushi finished, pushing his glasses further onto his nose.

“Hitomi…likes me?” the other teen managed to say.

“Apparently. And if you so much as hurt her, Gakuto, I swear I will not be happy.”

Gakuto continued to stay where he was with wide eyes and an open mouth. “Hurt…her?” he repeated.

“Yes.” Yuushi was dead serious, but Gakuto was still completely clueless as to what had happened. “Hitomi told me I couldn’t mention this to you, but I knew she would never tell you herself. So when you see her again, act as if you didn’t know anything.”

The magenta-haired boy raised an eyebrow. “You told me that she liked me when she told you not to tell me?” he growled. Yuushi nodded. “That’s low, Yuushi.”

The tensai smirked. “It’s your choice to do something about it. I’m not trying to force you or anything. Just know that Hitomi would have to live with a broken heart for the rest of her life if you chose to ignore her feelings.”

That bastard, Gakuto thought angrily. He knows I don’t like seeing Hitomi in pain. “You’re an asshole,” he spat. “I hope Atobe makes you run 50 laps around the court for missing practice.”

Yuushi continued to smirk. “Just take good care of my cousin and we’ll be even, Gakuto.”

Gakuto blushed as he picked up his bag.

***

“Nya, Oishi, who’re the flowers for?” There were times when Oishi wanted to slap Eiji. Did he not know the meaning of privacy? The green-eyed boy smiled nervously.

“They’re just…for a friend.”

“Eh? Who?”

Oishi’s cheeks turned red. “Tonya-chan.”

“Tonya-chan?” Eiji grinned. “You’ve been seeing her a lot lately, right, Oishi?”

“H-Hai.”

“When do you see her today?”

“Hopefully at lunch.”

As the lunch bell chimed, Oishi hurriedly grabbed his books and walked out of the classroom in search of Tonya. He found her sitting by herself under the tree outside the school. “Konnichiwa,” he greeted as he stood over her. He shyly held out the flowers.

Tonya blinked in surprise. Then she smiled. “Syuichiroh, you really didn’t have to get me anything,” she blushed.

He sat beside her and returned her smile. “It’s your birthday, Tonya-chan. I’m not the type to ignore something that important.”

Her face turned red. “You’re really sweet.”

Oishi blushed. “T-Thanks.” She leaned against him.

“Oh? Looks like Oishi and Henderson-san have become quite close,” Fuji mumbled from where he stood.

“What?” Sapphire grumbled coming to see what he was staring at. Her eyes widened. “Damn, and I thought Tonya was too shy to be in a relationship.”

“You should have more faith in your friend, Tsukino-san.”

“I do. It’s just…you don’t know Tonya like I do. She’s naturally very shy around boys.”

Fuji smiled. “Oishi is usually shy around girls. They make a good pair.”

“I guess.” Sapphire glanced down then back at the prodigy. “Say…Fuji, would you like to do something after school today?”

The brunette opened his eyes slightly. He smiled again when he saw the blush on Sapphire’s cheeks. Kawaii ne, he thought. “Sure,” he replied. “How about a tennis match?”

“But I suck,” she pouted.

“Then I’ll help you improve.”

Sapphire blinked. “That’s a first. The legendary prodigy Syuusuke Fuji offering to give me some help in tennis.”

Fuji smiled again. “We should get back to class. Our lunch break is almost over.”

***

Hajime Mizuki was known to be a bit…obsessive over certain things. Bonnie knew he had some sort of weird fixation with Yuuta’s older brother, claiming he was the prodigy’s sworn rival in tennis. But the Irish girl had no idea that Mizuki was a romantic at heart. He had called her on her cell-phone, asking for her to meet him at the park near St. Rudolph Junior High. She decided to bring her racket just in case he wanted to play a tennis match.

But when she arrived, there was no indication that he wanted to play tennis. He had laid out food of all kinds on a blanket. He smiled and waved her over. Bonnie stared down at him in shock. A picnic…?

“Sit down,” he urged. “The food will get cold.”

“Hajime…did you make all this yourself?”

The red on his cheeks clashed against his pale skin. “Perhaps.”

She smiled and sat beside him. “What made you decide to do this?”

“We don’t get to spend enough time together,” he replied. “Practices aren’t enough.”

Bonnie felt herself blush. “I guess you’re right.”

***

Atobe was adamant on having his privacy. He would not answer phone calls from anyone between the early morning hours and late night hours. However, one winter morning, at roughly 5 am, when Atobe was warm and comfortable in his luxurious bed, he received a phone call from Shishido.

“I’ve told you not to call me,” he snapped.

“It’s an emergency, Atobe,” the other replied.

“Emergency?”

“Hai. This morning, Choutaro and I were jogging past the school when we found…”

“Found what, Shishido?”

There was a pause. “She came back, Atobe.” Atobe didn’t need to ask who he meant. Skyler had come back to Japan? How was that bad news? “She was lying in the snow by Hyotei.”

Atobe nearly dropped the phone. It had to be nearing single digit temperatures outside! How could she have survived? Unless… “Shishido, tell me…is she all right?”

“Choutaro and I brought her to the hospital.”

Hospital?! Atobe didn’t panic. He couldn’t. “…And? Her condition?”

“It’s not good, Atobe.”

He clenched his hand tightly around the phone. “I’m coming there right now. Stay with her until I get there.”

“I…I understand.”

Atobe hurriedly dressed and ordered for a driver to bring him to the hospital. Stay alive, Skyler! he thought. I won’t forgive you if you quit now!

When he arrived, he saw Shishido inside the lobby waiting for him. “Choutaro is with her right now,” he mumbled.

“Has her condition changed?” Atobe asked.

The brunette shook his head. “It’s gotten worse.”

The Hyotei tennis captain paled as they walked. “What do the doctors say?”

Shishido bit his lip. “She was nearly frozen when we found her, Atobe…”

“What do the doctors say?” he repeated coldly.

“Her chances of survival aren’t high. Her lungs were almost frozen. If she had stayed outside another few minutes…”

“I understand.” They stopped in front of a door that read: Hutchings, Skyler. He pushed open the door to see Choutaro holding Skyler’s hand.

“Ah! Atobe-san,” Choutaro said. Skyler was hooked up to several machines that monitored her heart beat. At the moment, it was very low.

“Would you two please leave?” Atobe muttered. “I need to be alone with her.”

“H-Hai.”

He sat beside Skyler and grasped her cold hand. “Why would you do this?” he growled. “Why didn’t you just stay in England? Why come back? Answer me, Skyler!”

***

Akutsu didn’t like people. He only tolerated a few. He had a special dislike for girls. He wasn’t violent with them, but he found them irritating and annoying. He was just walking on the sidewalk, hands stuffed in his pockets, when a girl probably his age with short reddish brown hair and light blue eyes walked into him. At first, Akutsu was in shock that this girl had dared to even come near him. Hadn’t she seen him?

“Ah, g-gomen,” she mumbled quietly. She reached around for something and the silver-haired teen glanced down. There was a walking stick by his feet. Was it hers? Why would someone so young need a walking stick? He didn’t bother picking it up, figuring she could get it herself, but when she started turning in the opposite direction, still feeling around, he rolled his eyes and bent down to pick the stick up.

“Oi,” he grumbled. He held it out to her.

The girl stared blankly at him. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something weird about her eyes. “Ano…what is it?” she said.

Akutsu wasn’t sure if all girls were as stupid as she was. He was growing impatient. “It’s your walking stick, isn’t it?”

The girl’s eyes widened and reached for the stick. “A-Arigatou gozaimasu.”

“So why do you need that?” He didn’t like talking to people, but this girl was weird. He was curious.

“Well…I’m blind. I need it to help me get around places.” Akutsu whipped his head around to stare at her again. That explained why her eyes seemed so unfocused. She couldn’t even see him. He frowned. “Ano…what’s your name? I’m Takara Masashi.”

He glared down at her, realizing that she wasn’t intimidated by him at all. How could she be when she couldn’t see him? “Jin Akutsu,” he muttered.

She smiled, for whatever reason, he didn’t know. “Nice to meet you, Akutsu-san. I’m very sorry that I walked into you. I hope you can forgive me.”

Akutsu narrowed his eyes. “Whatever.” This girl was making him feel something he’d never felt before. She seemed too happy and innocent even though all she could see was darkness. He couldn’t understand her. He had never felt pity for anyone in his life; not his mother, not Kawamura, not Taichi, not Ryoma Echizen…no one. And yet this girl, Takara, was making him feel…bad.

***

“Class, we have a new student today all the way from America. Please welcome her,” the teacher announced. Akaya Kirihara glanced up from his desk at the said new student. She had short brown hair down to her shoulders and brown eyes.

“Hi. I’m Christina Davis,” she said with a smile. Her Japanese was pretty good for an American. “Please just call me Chris. My family and I just moved here from Boston. I hope to have a memorable time here at Rikkaidai. Thank you.”

***

Hitomi couldn’t believe it. Gakuto Mukahi, her CRUSH, was sitting in her living room, conversing with her parents. Normally, she’d be gushing happily that he was getting along so well with her parents. However, she detected something…foul about his sudden desire to want to spend time with her. And she had a pretty good idea that it was her cousin’s meddling.

He never listens to me, she sighed.

“Hitomi, why didn’t you ever tell us that you knew such a sweet boy?” her mother asked with a smile. Hitomi blushed furiously. Gakuto’s face matched his hair.

“H-He’s a friend of Yuushi’s, Okaa-san,” the blue-haired teen replied. “He’s his doubles partner on the tennis team.”

“Ah.”

“You must be very good to have landed a spot on the regulars,” Hitomi’s father stated.

Gakuto grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess I’m all right.”

***

Chris Davis wasn’t like other girls, Akaya Kirihara realized. She wasn’t polite to anyone and he wondered if all Americans were as bad-mannered as her. Later he came to the conclusion that she was just different. She didn’t whine or complain. She didn’t worship the tennis team like everyone else. In fact, she had outright told him that she hated tennis.

Of course that pissed him off. But he kept his attitude calm, for his team’s sake. He eventually learned that her passion was baseball. He would sometimes watch her during practices and was often scolded for spacing out. Akaya didn’t know what was wrong with himself. The brunette girl was constantly on his mind. He firmly told himself that he barely even knew the girl. She sat in front of him in class and they sometimes talked, but other than that, they didn’t really know each other.

Practice was coming to a close one day. Akaya was packing up his racket when he saw Chris walking towards him. He blinked and glanced around to see if maybe she was looking at someone else. Nope. Her objective was him. He stood up to his full height and gave her an amused smile from behind the fence. “Yeah?” he said.

“The other girls were wondering if your hair was as soft as it looks,” she answered.

“Huh?”

Without a warning, she reached through the fence and gently grabbed some of his black hair. Akaya yelped in surprise. She released him and grinned. “Whadda ya know? It really is soft,” she chuckled.

“You…You can’t just yank someone’s hair and act like what you did wasn’t rude!” he finally snapped, rubbing the sore sort where she had pulled at his hair.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

He frowned. “You don’t sound very sorry.”

She shrugged. “I don’t see why you’re making this such a big deal. It’s just hair.”

“Yeah, my hair.” He was about to turn and leave, when he heard her start to snicker. He glared at her over his shoulder. “What’s so funny?”

“That pout…is so cute!” she cried.

His eyes widened. “Wha?”

She gave him a wide grin. “Wanna hang out sometime, Akaya?”

He didn’t like how she used his first name so friendly-like. They weren’t friends. “What do you mean?”

“Like a date or something.”

He nearly choked. “A d-date?!” Wait a minute, since when did girls ask guys out?! Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

“Yeah.”

She’s crazy, was all he could think. Absolutely nuts. The most impolite foreigner I’ve ever met just asked me out. The hell?

“Sorry, tennis practice usually runs pretty late most days,” he mumbled, smirking cruelly in his mind.

“That’s okay, so do my softball practices. We can have dinner or go see a movie or something.”

Dammit, think of something! I don’t want the rest of the school thinking I’m actually dating her!

“I’m usually really tired after practice though.”

She quirked a brow. “I’d be a little worried if you weren’t. You can take a shower before we go.”

Why is she so damn smart? She tosses aside my excuses like they don’t even matter!

“Um…”

“You don’t like me very much, do you, Akaya?” He glanced at her. She suddenly looked very sad. “It’s okay if you don’t. Nobody really likes me here. I’m the new girl so I kind of expected this treatment.”

“It’s…not that.” Okay, maybe it is a little. “I’ve just…never…you know…been on a date before.”

“Oh. Well neither of I,” she perked up. “I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, Akaya. I like you. You’re an interesting guy.”

He blinked. “But you hardly know me.”

“And that’s why I wanna go on a date with you. I want to know more about you.”

Akaya was speechless. He was thankful the rest of the tennis team had left already. He’d be too embarrassed to face them if they knew he was about to agree to go on a date with the new girl. He found himself nodding to her request. What’s the worst that could happen? he thought.

***

“Is it clear tonight?”

Akutsu glanced over at Takara before looking up at the sky. “Yeah,” he answered.

“Are the stars out?”

“Almost.”

“Am I a burden to you, Akutsu-san?”

There was a long pause. “What do you think?”

She bit her lip. “I think I annoy you.”

“That’s about right.”

“G-Gomen.”

“Don’t apologize, idiot.”

“But I—”

“I didn’t say it bothered me, did I?”

Takara was silent. “I bet you wish you had never met me.”

“Stop saying stupid things. It’s annoying.”

“See? I do annoy you.”

“Because you don’t know when to be quiet.”

Akutsu really wasn’t a socialite. His people skills were extremely poor. He looked over at the blind girl. She looked very lost, just sitting beside him. “G-Gomen nasai, Akutsu-san,” she muttered. The silver-haired teen sighed heavily and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms. Takara gasped, unable to comprehend what was happening.

“I told you not to apologize,” he growled.

It was in that moment that Takara truly wished to be able to see him. Jin Akutsu was a mystery to her; a mystery that had been by her side for the past few weeks. She wanted to know what he looked like and why he found it odd that she wasn’t afraid of him. She slowly reached up a hand and caressed the side of his face. She felt him stiffen. “I want to see you,” she whispered.

“No you don’t,” he spat.

“Yes I do.” She traced his jaw line and lips. Then she reached up to touch his hair. “Akutsu-san, what color are your eyes?”

“Gold…like the sun,” he mumbled.

“They sound nice.”

He snorted. “Most people say I look like a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.”

“How can you tell?”

“I just know. You wouldn’t be here with me now if you were a monster.”

Akutsu stayed silent. It felt…nice, for lack of a better word; just being alone with Takara like he was. She listened to him and didn’t judge him. He found it unfair that someone like her had to suffer through being unable to see. He unconsciously brushed his fingers through her red hair.

“Akutsu-san…am I pretty?”

He blinked and stared down at her. “That’s a stupid question,” he grumbled. Takara’s shoulders slumped and she bit her bottom lip. Akutsu leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Of course you’re pretty, idiot.” The blush on her cheeks was enough to tell him that he had said the right thing.

***

“YOU!” Hitomi growled when she spotted her cousin at school the next day. Yuushi Oshitari had never been frightened in his life. However, he knew that his cousin could be absolutely ruthless when angry and decided on the lesser of two evils. He ran. His teammates snickered as the Hyotei prodigy left the school campus just because his older cousin was pissed at him.

“I wonder what Oshitari-senpai did,” Ootori wondered aloud.

“I could care less,” Shishido growled. He noticed Gakuto snickering into his hand. “Something funny?”

“Yuushi’s such an idiot,” the magenta haired-teen said.

“What did he do, Mukahi-senpai?” Ootori asked.

“He told me that Hitomi likes me, when she clearly told him NOT to tell me. Prodigy my ass, seriously.”

***

To say that Yuuta was surprised when his brother suddenly brought home a strange girl was an understatement. Syuusuke never brought girls home. In fact, he usually never brought anyone home. Their sister greeted the strange girl but all Yuuta could do was stare at the pleasant expression on his older brother’s face. Syuusuke seemed truly happy.

“Yuuta, I’d like for you to meet a friend of mine,” the prodigy suddenly said.

“I’m Sapphire Tsukino. Nice to meet you,” the girl said with a bow. She had a distinct accent that sounded American.

“Y-Yeah, nice to meet you,” Yuuta replied. He lowered his voice. “Aniki, since when do you bring girls home?”

Sapphire blushed. Syuusuke’s smile widened and let his hand slip into hers. Yuuta watched with morbid fascination. “Because Tsukino-san is important to me, Yuuta,” he answered. “Nee-san, do you think you could make us some pie?”

“Of course, Syuusuke,” Yumiko said cheerfully. “Would you like some too, Yuuta?”

“Uh…hai.”

Syuusuke and Sapphire went up to the prodigy’s room, still holding hands. Still confused at learning that his brother was actually dating someone, Yuuta seemed to zone out for a bit until his sister called him back to reality. “Something on your mind, Yuuta?” she asked.

He blushed slightly. “Aniki’s never really liked someone before, right, nee-san?”

“Hmm…I don’t think so. Why?”

“It just seems weird.”

“Our brother is a nice person, Yuuta. Why does it seem weird that he should like someone?”

“I just never pictured aniki with anyone before.”

Yumiko smiled. “Are you wishing you had someone special too?”

“N-No!” he said quickly, blushing like mad. “It’s just…aniki is…aniki. I don’t know what that girl sees in him.”

The older woman patted his head. “You’ll understand someday, Yuuta. You’re still young.”

Yuuta pouted. “I want to understand now, nee-san.”

“Why don’t you called Bonnie-chan and invite her over?”

Yuuta’s cheeks turned red. “She’s probably with Mizuki-san.”

“Oh? They’re dating?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, Yuuta.”

He looked up in surprise. “Sorry? For what?”

“I thought you liked Bonnie-chan.”

“Yeah, as a friend. Mizuki-san treats her well, from what I’ve seen.”

Yumiko bit her lip. “Are you sure that’s all you felt for her?”

Yuuta blinked in confusion. “Nee-san, you’re not making any sense.”

Yumiko smiled slightly. He’s still a child, I have to remember that, she thought. He’s psychically grown up, but not mentally.

***

Shiori had never seen Eiji so broken-hearted when she told him that she was going to a different high school than him. “I’m sorry, Eiji, really,” she said. “But I had already taken the entrance exams long before we started dating.”

He continued to stare at his feet. “I don’t want to be separated from you,” he mumbled stubbornly. “What if you meet someone else?”

She smiled. “You’re the only one for me, Eiji. I don’t fall in love easily, you know. Don’t worry about it. We can still walk home together and see each other everyday after school.”

“Yeah…but it won’t be the same, nya.”

She leaned closer and kissed him softly. “I promise to call you everyday.”

She could tell he was still upset when they walked to school the next day. Graduation was fast approaching for the third years. Eiji was in a depressing mood, which reflected in his tennis playing.

“Eiji, what’s wrong?” Oishi asked. “You seem distracted.”

Eiji frowned. “Shiori-chan…she’s…she’s going to another high school.”

Oishi smiled sadly. “It’s not like she’s leaving the country, Eiji. She’s still in Tokyo.”

“I know but…”

“I understand, Eiji. It’s tough to accept.”

“Where’s Tonya-chan going for high school?”

“I convinced her to take the Seigaku High School entrance exams. I think she passed.”

Eiji slumped on the bench. “Why couldn’t Shiori-chan just take the Seigaku entrance exams like everyone else?” he pouted.

Oishi put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not just being separated from her that’s bothering you, is it?”

“I’m afraid she might meet someone else, Oishi,” he replied.

The green-eyed boy frowned. “She wouldn’t do that to you, Eiji. She cares about you too much.”

“That’s what she said.”

“Do you not trust her or something?”

“Of course I trust her!” he shouted. “I just…don’t trust the boys at her new school.”

“You’re jealous,” Oishi mumbled.

“What?”

“It’s perfectly normal to feel that way, Eiji. Just don’t let it turn ugly.”

Eiji smiled at him slightly. “Nya, you really are like the mother of Seigaku.”

Oishi blushed slightly. “Thanks, I think.”

***

That's it for the random scenes from that ficcy! I started a new one yesterday, most likely an AtobeOC fic. Even though I LOVE Tezuka x Atobe to death, I like seeing Keigo with a girl once in a while too, you know? Read and enjoy!

***

The Hyotei regulars stared at their infuriated captain in shock. Atobe was known to be a drama queen; a diva. He didn’t get angry unless something REALLY pissed him off. He mostly lived alone in his huge mansion with the family butlers and maids. He was beautiful and knew it.

The tennis team knew that once every few months, Atobe would hire some famous artist, be it a painter or sculptor, and have them create masterpieces of HIM. He would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even more, so that the works of art were absolutely perfect. Atobe Keigo desired the best and if he didn’t receive the best, well, he got angry. But this wasn’t the case, his teammates realized. There was something else that was angering their captain.

The only one who dared go near him at this dangerous time was Yuushi. He knew Atobe probably better than the others and knew how to handle him. Atobe seemed to be grumbling to himself, reminding the Hyotei prodigy of Ibu Shinji of Fudoumine. Yuushi cleared his throat and pushed his glasses further onto his nose. He placed a hand on Atobe’s shoulder. Atobe turned and glared at him, blue eyes ablaze.

“Atobe, forgive me for interrupting your tantrum, but is something wrong?”

Atobe had to count to ten before answering. “Of course something’s wrong!” he said airily. “I had everything planned out perfectly! I spent thousands of dollars!”

“You spent thousands of dollars on what?”

Atobe dug around in his school bag before taking out a painted picture that seemed to have been mysteriously crumpled up. He handed it over to Yuushi, who straightened it out to look at it better. Atobe then dramatically sighed and placed a hand over his eyes. Yuushi stared at the picture for a few minutes. The other regulars came up behind him. Shishido was the first to speak.

“You spent all your money on this?” he said.

“No!” Atobe snapped. “The signature! Look at the signature!”

“Lucas DeCredicci,” Gakuto read aloud. “What about him?”

Atobe frowned and tapped his foot. “He’s the artist I hired for this month,” he said impatiently.

“So why are you so upset about him?”

“Because he suddenly cancelled our deal this morning! He refuses to come paint me!”

Yuushi sighed heavily. “Atobe, it’s not the end of the world.”

“But it’s tradition, Yuushi! I can’t stop tradition! I need an artist and fast! Do any of you know famous artists?” They all stared blankly at him. “Why do I even bother asking?” he groaned.

“Um…I don’t know if this will help at all, but I know a very good artist, Atobe-san,” Ootori mumbled.

The Hyotei captain’s face broke into a smile. “You do? Who is it?”

“Well, she’s a student from my class and…”

“A student artist?” he scoffed. “No, no, no, Ootori. You know I only accept famous artists.”

“But she’s really good, Atobe-san. And since it’s on such short notice, I think you should accept the offer.”

“Show me some of her work and we’ll see. Although, I doubt her skills are any better than DeCredicci.”

***

Choutaro was under a lot of stress for the rest of the day. He had promised Atobe an artist and for once, he wanted to make the captain realize his worth. He wasn’t just Shishido’s doubles partner. He could contribute to other things besides tennis. He saw his classmate, Mizuno Natari, in the last class of the day. She always carried around a sketchbook and drawing utensils. He had seen some of her drawings and thought they were extremely good for a junior high school student.

He sat beside her and gave her a warm smile. “Konnichiwa, Mizuno-san,” he said.

“Oh, Ootori-kun,” she smiled back. Natari wasn’t particularly eye-catching. She was cute and nice, but there was nothing about her that stood out. Her hair was about shoulder length and dark brown. Her eyes were brown as well. He began to have different thoughts about letting her near Atobe, who exceeded beauty on all levels. If the artist he hired wasn’t attractive in any way, he deemed them worthless and sent them on their way.

Choutaro bit his lip. “Um…Mizuno-san…I was wondering, do you have any of your recent paintings with you right now?”

She blinked. “I think so. Why?”

“Well, I mentioned you to a friend this morning and he was interested in seeing your work.”

“Really?” She seemed mildly surprised, as if no one had ever truly thought her work was worth anything. Choutaro knew good art when he saw it. He smiled when she started to dig around in her portfolio. She took out two finished pieces: a landscape painting done in watercolor and a portrait of a regal figure done with oil paints. “Will these do?”

“Yes.” He gently placed them into his bag for safe keeping. “The truth is, Mizuno-san, my friend was actually looking to hire an artist for a month.”

“Oh? That sounds nice.”

“And he just found out this morning that the artist he had hired, Lucas DeCredicci, had backed out of the deal.”

Natari’s eyes were wide. “THE Lucas DeCredicci? Wow, your friend must be seriously loaded with cash.”

“Yes, well, he really needs an artist this month and I kind of…recommended you.”

He waited patiently for her to yell and scream. She just sat there, staring at him as though he had five heads. “You recommended…me?” she repeated.

“Well I know how good you are and…”

“I can’t believe this!”

Choutaro felt his hopes drop. “I’m sorry, Mizuno-san. I shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

“Are you crazy?” she said grinning. “This is the first time someone’s actually noticed me for what I can do! If he sees my work, he might hire me, right? How much we talking here?”

“I guess it all depends…some hundred thousand or more.”

Natari’s eyes looked strangely familiar to dollar signs. “I accept! But before all this goes down, I just have one question.”

“Hmm?”

“Who exactly is your friend?”

***

Choutaro had thought Natari would be even more thrilled to learn that she’d be painting the infamous Atobe Keigo. However, that was not the case. As soon as he had uttered his captain’s name, Natari’s excitement had died down and she then went into a small rant about how much she couldn’t stand Atobe.

He tried telling her that he really wasn’t all that bad, aside from his dramatics, but she wouldn’t bend to his will. She was firmly against Atobe and anyone who associated with him, but she then explained that the money he would probably offer could be useful. So she accepted…grudgingly.

Now the Scud Server found himself wandering the Hyotei campus looking for Atobe. Said person was lounging by the tennis courts, a horde of fans surrounding him. The only other person Choutaro recognized in the area was Kabaji.

“Ootori, do you have the paintings?” was the first thing Atobe said.

Choutaro nodded and handed them over. Atobe looked them over, trying to find some mistakes but to his utter disappointment, this student artist in Ootori’s class was good. She paid attention to perspective and detail and all the formal elements. Her style was simple yet that’s what drew him in. Atobe smirked over at Kabaji. “She’s pretty good, na, Kabaji?”

“Ossu.”

Choutaro looked hopeful. “Does that mean you’ll hire her, Atobe-san?”

“I suppose since I have no other choices. Tell her to come to my house this afternoon so that I can brief her on what I except from her.”

“H-Hai.”

***

Natari wasn’t happy. She’d just been offered a job painting for one of the richest people in Japan. Most people would be ecstatic. However, painting Atobe Keigo was not her idea of a fun job. The guy thought he was the greatest thing on the face of the earth, always uttering that ‘Be awed by my prowess’ line. She couldn’t stand him and often wondered just what everyone else saw in the guy.

Ootori had come to see her after going to see Atobe and that’s when he told her that the Hyotei diva had agreed to hire her. He then explained that Atobe wanted her to go to his home later that afternoon to discuss everything. That’s how Natari somehow found herself riding in one of Atobe’s limos once school was done. She had to admit, the guy did ride in style. When they arrived at his home, it took her a long time to remember JUST how rich his family actually was.

Natari held her book bag and portfolio tightly as she walked up the long path towards the front door. She was about to knock when the door opened, revealing an elderly man in a suit. “We’ve been expecting you, Mizuno-san,” he said with a bow. Unused to his politeness, Natari smiled and walked inside. Her eyes widened. This wasn’t a house.

It was a palace. The Atobe mansion was beautiful, for lack of a better word. Everything was perfect. Natari came from an okay family, but nothing this extravagant. There were two grand staircases that branched off along with several crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. She was so in awe from everything that she didn’t even notice the elderly man asking if she would like something to drink. She nodded slightly.

“Young master Keigo will be down to greet you shortly,” he said with another bow.

Natari wanted to take out her sketchbook and begin drawing immediately. As she stared wordlessly at everything, she failed to notice the figure gracefully walking down the stairs. When she did turn her head to look, at first she thought it was an ethereal being, or some valiant king out of a fantasy book. However, once she got a better look, she realized it was just Atobe Keigo, the ‘Monkey King.’

“So you are the famous Mizuno Natari that Ootori so graciously recommended, aa?” he said with that usual drawl. She nodded, trying to hide her dislike for the boy in front of her. He was only fourteen years old and yet he acted like he was king of all that was beautiful. “You aren’t much to look at,” he sneered. “Usually I want my hired artists looking somewhat decent. Oh well, since you will be living here for a month, I’m sure the maids could fix you up.”

“Wait, I’ll be living here for a month?” she interrupted.

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes. Weren’t you aware?”

“No.”

He flicked his hair. “Well, now you know. I like my artists here on a moment’s notice so that I don’t have to call them out each time. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“I guess…but what about my family?”

“I will notify them immediately. All I ask of you tonight is that you pack your belongings and prepare to move in tomorrow.”

“Ootori-kun said that we would discuss my pay and anything else I asked about.”

“Ah, yes.” He stepped in front of her, smiling, and gracefully plopped down onto a large sofa. He crossed his legs. “I estimated your work to be worth roughly a few hundred thousand dollars.” Her eyes widened. “However, since you will be painting me at various times of the month while continuing your studies at Hyotei, I decided a much large fee was acceptable. As you may have heard, the artist I had hired for this month abandoned me at the last minute. I am quite lucky to have found you, Mizuno.”

“Uh…thank you?”

“There are a number of guestrooms on the second story. You are welcome to choose any of them, except the ones that have my friends’ names on them.”

“Your friends?”

“From the tennis club. They stop by from time to time, so don’t be alarmed.”

“I see.”

“I have materials, should you need them, for your art as well.”

The butler from before seemed to appear at Natari’s side and held out her requested drink. “T-Thank you,” she mumbled. She turned her attention back to Atobe, who seemed to be thoroughly pleased with himself.

“Also, if you get lost, don’t hesitate to ask any of the maids for help.”

“Um…where will I be painting you?”

He smirked. “An excellent question. I actually have my own private studio on the other side of the estate. We will go there everyday when I want you to paint.”

Natari was still so overwhelmed by everything. “Are you really sure you want me doing this, Atobe…san?”

“I’ve never had a student artist paint for me before, so it will be different. However, from the looks of your work, I think you can handle it. If that is all, I will see you tomorrow.” He stood up, waved her goodbye, and walked back up the stairs. She stared after him.

“Mizuno-san, I will show you to the door,” the butler stated. “There will be a limousine waiting for you when you leave. Please have a safe ride home.”

“Um…yeah. Thanks. Bye.” Natari left feeling like she had just met the Queen of England.

***

Mehehe, I LOVE writing Atobe. He's such a...drama queen sometimes. He seriously loves himself too much =) Anyway, if anything new happens in the next few days, I'll probably post. Bye for now, peeps!
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