Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis. Shirakawa-san is an original character.
Author's Notes: This is a long one-shot. Be warned that the first part of the story contains some 'thing' you may find disgusting. Be prepared.
Mt. Ryoma-kun
He yawned loudly.
Of course, he does not care if it sounds awful. Nobody is around anyway.
He yawned again as he stretched his arms. He has been sleeping at the rooftop for quite a while but after several minutes or so of sleeping, he still feels drowsy. Perhaps, it is because of exhaustion. Inui-senpai has been driving all the regulars crazy with his ludicrous training menu. Yesterday, Inui-senpai instructed them to dance along the perimeter line of court A. It was not actually a dance. They just had to do some footwork exercises which involved very bouncy steps plus criss-cross movement of their feet. It did not seem difficult when Inui-senpai demonstrated it to them. However, the regulars had to do it all together with very little distance from each other. They also have to keep their feet on the line.
In the end though, all of them, minus Tezuka-buchou, missed a step or two.
Well, Fuji-senpai might have missed a step on purpose.
He, on the other hand, was doing well actually. He can do the split-step which requires coordination and advanced footwork. But no! During the drill, he missed a step because Momo-senpai tripped on a stray stone and clambered upon Kikumaru-senpai, which created a domino-like effect. Up until now though, he still wonders where the stray stone came from. The tennis courts were clear of anything that would trip the club members before training started.
The training itself was not that horrible, really. Inui-senpai's new invention was. After the horrendous exercise, Inui-senpai gave them a box of delicious-looking brownies. He called the brownies "energy bars". They were reluctant at first but being the hungry trainees that they were, they gulped the treats. Actually, Fuji-senpai ate the snack with all dignity. Tezuka-buchou had no plans of eating any but Inui-senpai managed to shove a piece to the buchou's mouth. After eating, they all rushed to the comfort room to…err…"cough out" the brownies.
The brownies – the delicious-looking brownies – as they had discovered, were mainly made of bitter gourd, coffee and all sorts of edible items found in the kitchen.
Echizen Ryoma turned green at the thought. Perhaps, he will not be eating any sweets for a while, not until he has gotten over the "brownie" incident.
He sat up and shook his head to get rid of the energy bars and drinks Inui-senpai has been making since Middle School. Just as he is about to leave, he realized that he has not eaten lunch yet. His tummy growled in agreement. Instead of leaving though, he decided to look down at the school pond below just in time to see Ryuzaki Sakuno.
Mada made dane. She's probably lost again.
Echizen sighed.
They are actually friends now. Well, it is Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo who have assumed that they are friends. He has never thought of correcting them though. Besides, Ryuzaki is a nice girl. She does not ogle at him like the other girl she is always with. She gives him lunches and sweet treats every now and then. Also, she has saved him many times from getting reprimanded by his homeroom teacher whenever he forgets his homeroom assignments during lunch break. He is not a leech of course. He is far from it actually. He does return all the kindness shown to him by talking to her in complete sentences and occasionally teaching her tennis.
However, there are times that he chooses not to be around her.
Why?
Whenever she is with him, his stomach feels funny. His chest also tightens, making it hard for him to breathe. Sometimes too, he gets this burning sensation all over him, especially on the cheeks, when she looks at him. Being with her gives him those uncomfortable sensations which confuse him a lot. He does not want to talk about it to any one though. If he talks to Momo-senpai about it, he will probably share it to the other regulars minus Tezuka-buchou and Echizen will never hear the end of their teasing. He has scratched out the option of talking to his father about his dilemma. He – the younger Echizen – will probably get a heart attack during the discussion.
Finally, Echizen Ryoma decided to go down and buy his lunch when suddenly, he spots one of his boy classmates approaching Ryuzaki. He watched as the two conversed, his hunger momentarily forgotten. Then, out of the blue, the boy takes hold of both Ryuzaki's hands, tenderly. Echizen does not need to watch further. He does not need to think things either. He dashed outside to the school pond before the boy does anything 'perverted' to Ryuzaki.
"Whoa!" Kikumaru side-stepped to avoid a collision course when someone from the rooftop dashed past him. Keen eyes assessed who that someone is, only to discover it is just Echizen.
"Ne, Momo, isn't that Echizen, nya?" He turned to his companion who has a puzzled look on his face. "What's Ochibi's problem, running crazy like that?"
Momoshiro scratched his head. Echizen acted frantic, just like the way he was when he found that his pet cat was lost in school. "I don't know senpai. Let's just go to the rooftop. He probably saw something disturbing from up there."
"Thank you very much for helping me Ryuzaki-chan. My sister was really glad when she received those sweet treats from you. I think she'll be able to recover faster," the boy blabbed gleefully.
Ryuzaki Sakuno, being the shy girl she is, blushed. She is glad that her classmate's sister is getting well. She is also glad that the sweet treats she made had made someone happy. However, she is getting more and more uncomfortable by the moment as her headache started to attack again.
Earlier, before class started, the boy classmate approached her and whispered to her to meet him by the pond during lunch time. She did not want to be rude to the boy, and he sounded eager so she decided to go even if she did not feel well. She actually spent fifteen minutes looking for the pond only to find that he was not there upon her arrival. She waited for him and, well, he did arrive panting hard. She did not ask why he was late because she thought it was not her business to do so. He did not mind explaining too, but he did apologize. Afterwards, her boy classmate grasped both her hands, thanking her profusely in the process.
Sakuno is not used to such attention. She is not used to her hands being held by a boy either. Amidst her discomfort, she is quite glad she manages to say something decent. "I…I…I'm glad your sister is recovering fast, Shirakawa-san."
"Yes, I am too, and I can't thank you enough for helping Ryuzaki-chan," the boy continued, squeezing her hands gently.
"Aaa…ah…hai…" Sakuno nodded embarrassedly, but gladly sighed when he released her hands. She is not, however, prepared to hear his next words.
"Ano…ehehehe…is it okay if I'll get your number Ryuzaki-chan?" The boy, Shirakawa, scratched his head, blushing. "It's just that my sister likes the doughnuts you made and I think she'll be asking me to get her some more of those. I hope you do not mind."
Sakuno assessed the situation. She then smiled and is about to give her number to her classmate who is ready to jot down her telephone number in his notepad, when suddenly…
"Oi."
Shirakawa turned only to meet Echizen Ryoma. "Err…what is it, Echizen-san?"
"The teacher has been looking for you," Echizen said. Shirakawa is about to protest but Echizen's eyes seem to flare in silent fury that he decided to keep quiet. He even forgot to take note of Ryuzaki's telephone number. Shirakawa then, left quietly after giving a sheepish smile to Ryuzaki. He, however, did not look at Echizen.
"Thank you…Ryoma-kun," Sakuno began when Shirakawa is far from sight. She is glad that Ryoma-kun interrupted. Shirakawa-san is nice and grateful but her discomfort around the over-enthusiastic boy seemed to worsen her headache.
"Ah."
Echizen pulled down the bill of his cap further. Here it goes again – the funny feeling he gets whenever he is around her.
"Ano…Ryoma-kun…I made ice cream sandwiches for you."
Sakuno sat by the pond and unzipped an insulated lunch box. She pulled out a plastic container where the ice cream sandwiches are, and placed it near Echizen who sat a foot from her. "The ice cream's probably soft now, Ryoma-kun. I hope you don't mind."
"Ah." Echizen stared at the ice cream sandwiches, debating whether to eat them or not. The memory of Inui-senpai's brownies haunted him.
Sakuno watched in mixed confusion and disappointment as Echizen continued to stare at the treats she made for him. Then, a thought hit her.
"Ano…Ryoma-kun…ha…have you…eaten lunch yet?"
Perhaps, Ryoma-kun is reluctant to eat something cold and sweet because he has not eaten lunch yet.
A growling tummy seems to confirm her thoughts.
Echizen blushed in embarrassment. Sakuno did not notice it however, as she pulled out her bento box and two pairs of chopsticks. She gave one pair to Echizen.
"What's this for?"
"Lunch," she answered, blinking innocently.
Echizen stared at the bento box between them. We're going to share? He adjusted his cap again as the funny feeling resurfaces. The situation is getting uncomfortable for Echizen, but he does not know how to deal with it. Quietly, he started picking the sushi to pop it in his mouth hoping to get rid off all those funny things happening inside of him.
"Ano…I'm sorry Ryoma-kun…" Sakuno began.
He stopped chewing in confusion.
"Huh?" Sometimes, Ryuzaki just apologizes for no reason at all. "What for?"
"This, Ryoma-kun. I forgot the lunch I made for you…" she sighed glumly.
Echizen nodded in understanding. Of course, he may like having a bento of his own, but the thought of them sharing lunch made him warm all over. He inwardly shook his head. This is getting out of control…Just as he is about to pick another sushi, he realized she is not eating. He opened his mouth to ask what her problem is, when he noticed her drooped shoulders, bowed head and distant eyes. Perhaps, she is tired. Then, his thoughts went to their classmate, Shirakawa. Nobody knows it but he saw that Shirakawa approached Ryuzaki early that day. Perhaps, this is their meeting place. Knowing Ryuzaki, she might have spent most of her time looking for the school pond just to meet that boy. Echizen gripped the chopsticks hard enough. Why he did so, he does not know.
"Ryuzaki."
Sakuno turned to him. She winced as she raised her head.
Echizen did not miss it but decided to keep quiet.
"Yes, Ryoma-kun?"
"Let's finish this, and then let's go."
"Did you see that, Momo? They're actually sharing lunch, nya!" Kikumaru whispered excitedly.
Momoshiro grinned mischievously. He and Kikumaru-senpai went to the rooftop to see what bothered Echizen. They walked the perimeter of the rooftop, scanning the grounds it overlooked for signs of Echizen. Half-way through, they saw him by the pond scaring some boy away. Perhaps, the two thought, the boy was trying to propose to Ryuzaki-chan and Echizen, jealous of someone else hitting on her, frantically ran to interrupt. When the boy had gone, the two spies watched as Ryuzaki-chan pulled out one plastic container and a bento box for the two of them.
"So young, so young," Momo commented.
"What are you two looking at?"
Kikumaru and Momoshiro jumped slightly. They turned only to meet an amused Fuji and Inui. Kikumaru especially noted that Inui has his data notebook with him. Echizen taunting time nya!
"Oh," Kikumaru crossed his arms behind his head, an idiotic grin plastered on his face. "We're just watching Ochibi's sweet moment, nya."
"Really?" Fuji asked amused. He stood beside Kikumaru and grinned sadistically upon seeing Echizen and Sakuno sharing lunch together by the pond. "Ah…they look so cute together. Saa…"
Momoshiro and Kikumaru snickered in delight and excitement. They are both excited because they have something to tease Echizen later during practice. Fuji watched as the "cute" scene unfolded before him. On the other hand, Inui, who has been standing quietly upon arrival, is furiously writing what is happening in his notebook.
Seconds passed when the foursome saw the two first years leave the school ponds, probably to go to class.
"Nya, did you see that? Did you see that? They even left together. Together!" Kikumaru excitedly said, flailing his arms for emphasis.
Momoshiro mockingly shook his head. "That Echizen! I didn't know he can be that sweet."
Fuji's smile just widened.
"You two," Inui interrupted. Kikumaru and Momoshiro turned to the data guy. "Lunch break will end in ten minutes. I am sure you haven't eaten lunch yet because you have been busy spying over Echizen," Inui said with all conviction that his glasses gleamed in hidden mischief. He watched as Kikumaru and Momoshiro gasp in realization. The two dashed outside the rooftop, with Kikumaru screaming 'nya! nya! nya!' They even left a cloud of smoke behind them, literally.
Fuji turned to Inui after Kikumaru and Momoshiro left. Inui's tone was rather suggestive. "What's the matter, Inui?"
Inui stared hard at the pond below as if immortalizing the 'sweet moment' they all have witnessed. He adjusted his glasses.
"He is rather smitten. He does not know it though."
"Really?" Fuji stared, too, at the pond below in deep thought. He grasped one of the poles of the fence which ran the perimeter of the rooftop. "He is too passionate for tennis to notice other things. I doubt that is happening," he finally said.
Inui considered Fuji's statement as he took note of it. "You have a point. Echizen's ultimate passion is tennis. Because of that, it is very easy to assume that he will not notice things other than tennis. However," Inui turned a page in his notebook. "Things are and will be different now. He is an adolescent. He is more exposed to girls, crushes, and those sorts of things. He may want to ignore them but no matter how hard he tries to, reality will always push itself on him. It is actually happening now. I can prove that," Inui added emphasis on what he has said by waving the notebook in front of Fuji. "I am 95 sure he is actually getting more and more confused. He must learn how to deal with these things though. Or else…"
There was a pregnant pause. Fuji waited for him to continue, but Inui seemed tongue-tied.
"Or else what? You're intriguing me Inui."
Inui exhaled heavily. Echizen, no matter how odd it may sound, is like a volcano. There goes the magma, he is sure of that. However, the kid chooses to suppress it causing a clog in his system. If the kid does not let it out…
Now, that is some ground Inui does not want to tread on.
"Fuji, the volcano must erupt soon," Inui unconsciously blurted.
Volcano? Fuji opened his eyes wide in confusion, but he easily caught on. Soon? His sadistic grin reappeared. Why not make it erupt sooner?
It is practice hour for the Seigaku Tennis Club High School Division. Court C is occupied by several club members dribbling tennis balls with their racquets. Ryuzaki-sensei told them to do so to improve their ball control. Court B is occupied by the remaining club members, minus the regulars, bouncing tennis balls with their racquets face up as they walk on the perimeter line of the court. Court A is occupied by the tennis club regulars. The activity there is as intense as the heat of the sun.
Ryuzaki-sensei, who followed them all the way to Senior High, specifically divided the regulars into two groups. The first group occupied half of the court. The second group is at the other half. The footwork drill Inui designed goes like this: the regulars will run from the base line to the net, tap the ground with both hands in a sprinter's ready-to-run position, and then they will run back to the base line, backwards. The drill replaced the running of laps. A lot of the regulars might be quite thankful, Inui guessed. Being sadistic himself, however, he knows that the drill they are doing will consume more energy than running laps. So, his energy bars and drink will come to the rescue and be of good use…
After an hour of footwork drills and match games, the regulars gathered outside the court, all panting heavily. Amazingly however, they realized they still had energy left as they waltzed their way out of Inui's 'energy' trap.
"I think I'll die of exhaustion," Momoshiro commented once he was far from Inui.
Kaidoh wanted to retort, but he is too tired to open his mouth.
Ryuzaki-sensei generously gave them some more time to compose themselves before she announces what is in store for them tomorrow. A sudden tug at her jacket made her whip her head to her right. She saw her granddaughter, who has been watching with her during the whole training, clutch her head with her right hand.
"Sakuno-chan," Ryuzaki Sumire called onto the girl, placing both her hands on the girl's shoulder. Sakuno managed to give her a weak smile. "Do not tell me that you are fine, because apparently, you aren't," she continued sternly. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Ano…a headache, obaachan," came the very soft reply.
Ryuzaki-sensei does not need any urging. Without taking another look at the regulars, she led her granddaughter to the clinic. It is Tezuka who called on to her.
"Sensei…"
Ryuzaki-sensei stopped. She almost forgot the bunch of young men she called students. Her heavy sigh did not escape the regulars' ears. They continued to stare at her, then past her to fix their eyes on her granddaughter who is paper-pale. Ryuzaki-sensei took note of their worried looks as they all approached her. "Tezuka, I have to bring Sakuno to the clinic. Kindly take over for me, please."
Tezuka is about to nod when Fuji interrupted. "I'll take her to the clinic sensei," the prodigy suggested.
Momoshiro noticed that Echizen stiffened. Inui also took note of it.
"Thank you Fuji, but we will be fine. I'll just see-" Ryuzaki-sensei stops talking upon seeing Fuji Syuusuke carrying Sakuno, the lovers' way. The young man just gave her a polite grin. "I said we'll be fine, Fuji."
"Ah, yes, I heard you sensei. I know how concerned you are with Ryuzaki-chan, that's why I'm helping. She can barely stand now."
Sakuno cannot help but blush intensely. She is not a close friend of Fuji-senpai and she is a bit wary of the mysterious tennis prodigy. Now, it is justifiable for her to feel uncomfortable in the situation she is in. However, she cannot protest. As he has said, she can barely stand. Her legs feel wobbly too. Sakuno, amidst her discomfort, decided to take comfort in the fact that the clinic is not that far away and once they are there, she will be fine. Unconsciously though, she snuggled her head on Fuji-senpai's chest as a full-fledged headache came attacking again.
Fuji just smiled.
The regulars though, stared hard in unspeakable shock. Well, almost all, expect for Inui who took note all of their reactions, especially those of the seemingly horrified first year tennis prince.
Ryuzaki-sensei had nothing to say. She is, of course, surprised too, but noticing the tense atmosphere, she cleared her throat. "Let's go, Fuji." The coach took one last glance at the remaining regulars. Warning bells told her to call for another aid. She does not know why though. "Oishi," she called out.
The vice-captain whipped his head to the direction of the coach. "Yes, sensei?"
"I think I'll be needing your help," she answered.
Oishi followed suit.
The remaining regulars watched as the four tread the way to the clinic. Tezuka cleared his throat to call their attention. It works, as usual, but not for one this time. Echizen stay rooted to where he has stood during the whole 'ordeal'. The thought of Fuji-senpai carrying Sakuno did not seat well with him. He did not know why, but his genius mind just stopped working at that time. All he could do was stare and grip the handle of his racquet hard enough to break it. He was not quite sure too, but he thought he heard himself seething.
He furrowed his brows.
"Echizen." Tezuka-buchou called sternly.
Echizen glared at the direction where the four went before following the rest of the team.
"Ara? No one's inside, Ryuzaki-sensei," Fuji announced as he entered the clinic whose door was apparently left open by the nurse.
"The nurse left a note," Oishi told them. "The doctor will be out to attend to an emergency." He read aloud the note that is posted at the glass paneling of the door. "Nothing's written about the whereabouts of the nurse though," he solemnly added.
Fuji placed Sakuno on the couch found at the reception area. He scanned the reception area for over-the-counter medication for headache. He frowned when he did not see anything. Ryuzaki-sensei on the other hand, approached her granddaughter, inquiring about her headache. The girl just gave a weak smile and murmured assurances to her worried grandmother as she curled up.
Oishi closed the door. "We cannot just take headache pills in here." He sighed. "I'll go look for the nurse, sensei." Oishi started for the door when Ryuzaki-sensei stopped him.
"I'll do it. Stay here. You two guard Sakuno."
"Ah, sensei?" Fuji called, a wry grin plastered on his face.
"What?" Ryuzaki-sensei sounds pissed, Fuji observed.
"Don't do anything rash," he warned suggestively. The tennis coach just huffed.
The three are now left in a dead end. Oishi studied Sakuno. Her small frame sat limply on the couch. Worried sick, he approached her only to be surprised yet again by Fuji. The tennis prodigy gently took Sakuno and cradled her on his lap. The girl blushed hard again. Oishi has his mouth hung open. "Ah…Fuji-san, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to help Ryuzaki-chan feel better," was the innocent reply. Fuji, then, turned to a cherry-red Sakuno. "Ne, Ryuzaki-chan, is it okay if we remove your braids and your hairclip? That way, your scalp can breathe. It may also help ease the pain."
The fidgeting Sakuno nodded shyly in consent. She took both ends of her very long braids and removed the rubber bands. She also removed her hairclip. Oishi, getting the logic of Fuji's suggestion, helped untangle the knots in Sakuno's hair. He tried hard to discard the image Fuji and Sakuno make and all those other…err…immodest thoughts.
When Sakuno's long auburn hair cascaded behind her.
Silence reigned in the room.
Oishi knows that staring at people is impolite, but he cannot help it this time.
Fuji, on the other hand, has his eyes wide open.
Sakuno is absolutely enchanting with her hair down. Her dark hair, which cupped her small face, contrasted her pale skin. The two found it hard to take their eyes off her innocent face.
"Eh?" Sakuno inquired softly. Fuji-senpai and Oishi-senpai now look like tomatoes that have grown very large eyes. She wanted to laugh at the thought but the way they are staring at her made her uncomfortable. She fidgeted again.
Sensing her discomfort, Fuji broke from the trance and reached for Sakuno's nape and massaged it. He watched as the apples of Sakuno's cheeks turn to an impossibly deeper shade of red. "Just relax Ryuzaki-chan."
Oishi got tongue-tied as the scene unfolded before him. He watched as Sakuno rested her head yet again on Fuji's chest, her eyes slowly drooping. Fuji continued with his ministrations, seemingly oblivious of the unusual position he and Sakuno are in. It took a whole minute before something registered in Oishi's good head. "What are you doing, Fuji-san?"
"I'm massaging her nape to ease her headache. I learned this from my older sister," he answered. He smiled upon seeing a sleeping Sakuno in his arms. "See? Ryuzaki-chan is already asleep."
Oishi sighed. Things did go well at least. However, he is still afraid that Ryuzaki-sensei will see Fuji and Sakuno in such a…err…position. He blushed and his brain racked for reasons he can tell Ryuzaki-sensei when he sees her granddaughter on Fuji's lap.
A slamming of the door broke his train of thoughts.
Oishi feared the wrath of their coach. Unfortunately for him, he never considered thinking of an explanation for the enraged first year student who has just walked in.
Well, he actually does not have to think of other reasons. Echizen Ryoma stood frozen in place.
"Oi, what's happe-"
Momoshiro stopped by the door.
Kikumaru is about to bonk him on the head for blocking the entrance if not for his keen eyes that has caught on what hushed the second year. The usually giddy and noisy Kikumaru Eiji turned to a statue. Well, not literally though.
Kawamura, who is not far behind, also caught on 'the scene'. His mouth hung open.
Fuji is cradling an enchantingly different Sakuno on his lap. They could have dismissed it, but the scene is too far from comfortable to look at.
It looks so intimate; the four cannot help but get red all over.
Oishi regarded the three's reactions. He opened his mouth intending to explain things, but no words came out. He closed it for a second in an effort to gather his thoughts only to open it again. Nothing came out though. He only ended up looking like one of his pet fishes because of nervousness.
"Care to tell me what's going on here?" Echizen glared hard at Fuji.
Sakuno is on HIS lap.
On Fuji's lap
Now, Echizen does not care removing that suffix.
This is much worse than the scene a while ago. Echizen can definitely hear himself growling in anger. He cannot explain all the sensations he feels around Sakuno but he can definitely tell this time that he does not like seeing Sakuno on Fuji's lap. He gripped the strap of his bag hard. Oishi, Kikumaru, Kawamura and Momoshiro did not miss it.
"I just helped Ryuzaki-chan relax. The nurse isn't around so I massaged her nape to ease the pain a bit. Besides, we cannot just administer pills to her."
Echizen, in his anger, missed the sadistic grin plastered on Fuji's face. He does not care if what Fuji did help Sakuno feel better. All he wants is to remove Sakuno on Fuji's lap.
Upon seeing the exchange, Oishi is almost certain he will have a heart attack right then and there unless someone interrupts the two.
Kikumaru and Kawamura are quiet. Their mouths still hung open.
Momoshiro, on the other hand, took small steps towards Echizen. In case the first year decides to start a brawl inside the clinic, he is near enough to stop the chaos. Hopefully, Kikumaru-senpai and Kawamura-senpai will break out of their trance before that happens to help him.
"What's with all of you?"
Six heads turned to meet the eyes of a confused nurse. Kikumaru and Kawamura, freed from the trance, side-stepped to let the elderly woman in. Everyone quietly watched the nurse approach Fuji to study the sleeping form of Sakuno on his lap. "I'm sorry for being late. Let's put her to bed."
The nurse led Fuji to a small room near the reception area. Echizen quietly followed them while Kikumaru and Momoshiro closed the door. Along with Oishi and Kawamura, they waited in the reception room in silence.
Fuji placed Sakuno on the bed at the center of the small room. The nurse immediately opened a drawer of one of the bedside tables and took a small plastic box containing the headache pills. "Has she eaten?"
"She did not eat much during lunch break," Echizen replied but he immediately stiffened upon realizing what his answer was. He has forgotten that Fuji is in the room too, and the tennis prodigy is currently giving him a very sly smile.
The nurse rummaged through the drawer again and chose another headache pill. She, then, took a glass and poured water in it. "When your girlfriend wakes up, please see to it that she drinks this. I'm really sorry but I still have an emergency to attend to. Don't worry. I won't be out for long," she said, as she gave Fuji the glass of water and the medicine. To her surprise, the pale-haired boy passed the glass of water and the medicine to the boy wearing a baseball cap.
"I think you're mistaken. I am not her boyfriend," Fuji said. When Echizen mechanically took the glass and the medicine from him, Fuji pointed his thumb sideways to refer to his kohai. "He is."
Echizen stiffened yet again. "I'm just a friend," he immediately squeaked. He tried hard to ignore the burning sensation behind his ears upon hearing Fuji's statement and the humiliating fact that he actually squeaked. Fuji-senpai should be glad I have these in my hands or else…
The nurse studied Echizen for a while before closing the door behind her. A knowing smile ran across her face. She had seen the young man's tight grip on the strap of his bag as he watched his senior place his 'friend' on the bed. This may be one of those complicated teen relationships when the boy is still in a state of denial one moment but turns to a ravage beast when someone else hits on the girl he 'likes'. The nurse sighed inwardly as she noted the way Echizen handled the glass. Perhaps, the boy will be needing tranquilizer shots later.
"Saa. I'm going now, Echizen. Take good care of Ryuzaki-chan," Fuji waved as he gifted his junior one of his infamous sadistic grins.
Echizen scowled. After Fuji has closed the door, he stared hard at the glass of water and the headache pill Fuji passed on to him. He turned his gaze to the sleeping Sakuno and noticed that her hair is let loose; a fact that he missed because of the 'incident' with Fuji. He blushed hard at the sight in front of him. In fact, he can feel all of his joints weaken that he thinks he may drop the glass.
Well, that will not be half as bad if it will break him from the trance.
Echizen seethed for the umpteenth time that day.
After seeing that the nurse and Ryuzaki-sensei have things under control, he prepared to leave only to be 'accompanied' by Momo-senpai, Inui-senpai, Kikumaru-senpai, and Fuji-senpai. He does not mind walking home with Momo-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai. At least, he can have free snacks in the process. Unfortunately for him, Inui-senpai and Fuji-senpai decided to 'accompany' them. He can literally see the gleam in the data guy's glasses and the sadistic grin ever pasted on the prodigy's face which warned him of upcoming torment.
Because of that, Echizen walked ahead of them.
"Oi, Ochibi! Is something wrong?" Kikumaru noticed the quietness of the first year who usually taunted him for free snacks. He also noticed that the first year is walking at an unusually faster pace.
Echizen just kept quiet. Momoshiro did not press further when he sensed the discomfort of the junior around the other two seniors who tagged along with them. He is about to walk beside the boy when they all heard Fuji sigh. They stop dead on their tracks and turned to the prodigy.
"What's the problem, Fuji?" Inui inquired.
"It's not like you to sigh like that, nya!" Kikumaru commented as he scratched an imaginary itch below his lips.
"I was just thinking…" Fuji paused to look up at the dimming sky. "The volcano did not erupt today, Inui. It just emitted gas."
"A false alarm," Inui commented. "However, that may prove dangerous in the long run. We must also watch out for some sort of swelling, though we may need very sophisticated equipment to be able to do so."
"Huh? What volcano? I didn't hear anything like that from the news," Momoshiro scratched his head in confusion.
"Che, Momo-senpai. I didn't know you watch the news," Echizen snorted sarcastically, which earned him a bonk from Momoshiro.
"Few people know this volcano," Fuji replied.
"Huh?" Kikumaru scratched his head.
"It is a different kind of volcano. I predict that given present circumstances, once it erupts, it will be very violent," Inui explained.
Kikumaru, Momoshiro and Echizen got dotted eyes in the process. Inui and Fuji has been speaking like the geniuses that they are that the other three cannot help but feel like ignorant little boys. Inui did not mind the three's lack of response as he adjusted his glasses to take note of their reactions.
"Mou!" Kikumaru flailed his arms in frustration of not being able to catch on with the two's conversation. It felt as if he were being taunted and he did not like it one bit. "Inui! Stop teasing us! What's it called anyway!"
"It's name, Eiji?"
Three heads turned to Fuji. Kikumaru, Momoshiro and Echizen unconsciously gulped after hearing the creepy tone in Fuji's voice. Fuji fixed his eyes only on one person though, whose amber eyes flared challengingly.
Fuji just smiled.
"It's called Mt. Ryoma-kun."
Information regarding volcanoes is from Wikipedia.