Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Fuji's School Project

By meg gara

It was another day at Seishun Gakuen. The boy's tennis club has just finished their afternoon practice and the nine regulars of the team gathered in the locker room to change.

"Minna," Fuji said. "I have a favor to ask."

Oishi looked up from untying his shoelace. "What is it, Fuji?" he asked.

Inui took out his trusty notebook and was ready to jot down information about this unusual event. In fact, everyone was curious about this favor that the tennis club's tensai wanted to ask them. After all, they all knew that Fuji could take care of himself. You could almost say that he was too capable to the point that it was scary.

"It's for a project in my photography class. We have to shoot some photographs with models and I wanted to ask if you all could pose for me," Fuji explained with his ever-present smile.

"Nya! We'll be models!" Kikumaru exclaimed.

"Of course Fuji. We're here to help you in any way we can. Especially since it's for a school project. Right, everyone?" He turned to the other members.

"I don't think I'm going to be a good model for you Fuji," Kawamura said as he blushed slightly.

"I'm sure you'll be okay, Taka-san," Fuji assured. He looked to Kaidoh who was slowly inching towards the door. "What about you Kaidoh?"

Caught, the second year could only nod his assent. "Pssshhh…"

"Oi, Echizen," Momoshiro nudged the freshman. "What are you going to do?"

Ryoma just shrugged. "I've got better things to do than stand around and pose for pictures." He turned away and was surprised to find that Fuji was suddenly in front of him.

"Echizen, you're going to help me with my project right?" Fuji cracked open his eyes and his cold blue eyes stared right at the other's hazel ones, sending a chill to run down the spine of the youngest regular.

"Yes," Ryoma could only reply and pulled down his cap to shield himself from Fuji's eyes.

Pleased at Ryoma's answer, Fuji then turned to Momoshiro. "What about you Momo?"

Momoshiro's head bobbed up and down quickly in assent. He definitely didn't want to incur the wrath of Fuji.

Inui closed his notebook with a hum. "I will, of course, help you Fuji. I'm up to anything for the sake of scholarly pursuits. And," Inui pushed the brim of his glasses and smiled. "It would be interesting on how well everyone can cope with the pressure of modeling in front of the camera."

"I knew I could count on you Inui," Fuji smiled back.

The other six persons in the room suddenly became nervous as the two continued to smile at each other.

"Hey, by the way, where's Buchou?" Momoshiro asked, looking around the room.

The day finally came for Fuji's photo shoot. Everyone was given directions by Fuji to meet him at a little studio downtown.

"Is everyone here?" Oishi asked the group. They were all wearing their casual clothes, as Fuji told them that they need not worry about what they were going to wear to the shoot.

"Echizen's still not here," Momoshiro reported.

"Late as usual," Inui only said.

The boy in question suddenly came walking towards them. "Wis," he greeted. He looked at everyone. "Why are you still standing here? I thought you'll already be inside."

Everyone looked a little embarrassed at this.

"Well, to tell you the truth Echizen," Oishi said weakly. "We were postponing it until the last minute."

"Nya, everybody's afraid of what's waiting for us inside," Kikumaru added.

Everyone became silent as they contemplated making a run for it but that option became moot when Fuji opened the door of the studio and found all of them standing outside. "Ah, I thought you wouldn't come. Did you find the directions okay? You didn't get lost, did you?" He opened the door wider. "Come in everyone."

With no other choice, the seven regulars walked into the studio.

The studio was not really large. On the far side was a big blank wall facing a row of professional cameras and surrounded by lights. On one side were two racks of what looked to be clothes and costumes. The table beside it was filled with wigs and make-up.

As the rest poked around the room and gaped at the expensive camera equipment, Fuji merely stood in the middle of the room smiling his serene smile. After a few minutes, each one of them stopped what they were doing and turned one by one to the lone figure in the center.

Fuji smiled. "Well, everyone, let's start."

Five hours later, the seven Seigaku regulars quietly walked out the studio.

"Ii data," Inui said, but without that certain gleam in his eyes – as if he didn't really feel like it.

Kawamura and Kaidoh were blushing, Momoshiro was unusually quiet, and Ryoma looked like he wanted to hit something.

"Minna," Oishi whispered. "Not another word will be spoken about what happened here today, do you understand?"

The rest somberly nodded.

"Waahhhh!!!" Kikumaru suddenly cried and ran away as fast as his feet would take him.

"Eiji!" Oishi shouted and ran after his doubles partner.

Ryoma balled his hands into fists. "I'm going home." And with that, the boy stalked away with the thought of challenging his father to a tennis match until he was exhausted enough not to think about what happened that day.

The four who remained quickly muttered their goodbyes, not having the courage enough to look at each other's eyes.

That afternoon, Kaidoh ran five times more than usual. Kawamura didn't help out at his father's sushi restaurant but instead went to his room, locked the door, and just stared into space. Momoshiro, much to the puzzlement and concern of his family, would not – could not – eat a bite. Inui stared at the notebook and the notes before him before finally tearing the page out and throwing it into the trash can.

Meanwhile, at Fuji's residence…

"Yuuta," Yumiko called. "Tell your brother dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay," Yuuta replied. The youngest sibling went upstairs and started to open Fuji's door when he heard a giggle coming from inside.

Yuuta froze, his hand inches from the door. His aniki always smiles, but he could only remember hearing him giggle like that a handful of times. And those few times didn't really bode well for someone. He went back downstairs.

"Onee-san, I just remembered that Mizuki-senpai invited me to eat dinner today, so, bye!" Yuuta quickly put on his shoes and went out the door.

"Hmm… I wonder what happened?" Yumiko mused and looked warily up the stairs.

Fuji giggled. He had so much fun today. The tensai browsed over the pictures taken by the digital camera in his computer. He could not really decide which photo was his favorite. Was it the one where he made them all dress up as the characters from the Wizard of Oz (with Kaidoh being Dorothy, Inui as the Tin Man, Oishi as the Scarecrow, Momoshiro as the Cowardly Lion, and Eiji as Toto)? Or was it when he made poor Kawamura wear those tight wrestling shorts? Ah, but Ryoma wearing diapers and surrounded by flowers like an Anne Geddes picture was simply adorable.

The rental of the photo studio and the costumes were expensive. Fuji calculated the expenses he made that day but disregarded the cost. He knew he was going to make millions once he sells this to the fangirls (and fanboys) in school. He didn't have to worry about money for college anymore.

"Maybe I could even pay for Yuuta's college tuition," the tensai mused. "Ah, but too bad about Tezuka." He sighed.

Fuji remembers his conversation with the stoic captain the day he coerced the regulars to posing for him. He found him walking home and Fuji ran to catch up to him.

"Tezuka, you disappeared from the locker room. You didn't hear what I wanted to say."

"I heard what you said."

"Well? Will you help me with my school project or what?"

"No," was Tezuka's curt reply.

"Saa… that's bad of you Tezuka. Don't you want to help me pass my photography class?"

Tezuka stopped in his tracks and turned to the other student. "You don't have a photography class."

Fuji's eyes opened wide with surprise then closed again with a sheepish smile. "I never could get anything past Tezuka-buchou."

The two continued to walk in silence.

"But," Fuji wondered aloud. "Why didn't you tell anyone what you know?"

Tezuka's face remained unchanged and only said, "It was their own fault." He glanced at Fuji. "I repeatedly told them to not let their guard down."

THE END.

A/N: I know! Sadistic Fuji strikes again! I don't know if this is too cruel or not. Please review.