A/N Written as a challenge from Judge Claude Frollo. This is my first shot at a PoT multi-chaptered FanFic, so give me a note if you think anything's going wrong. I accept all kinds of reviews, be them one-liners or flames.
This is the first chapter, i.e. the introductory chapter.
Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?
Chapter 1
"Then it's decided. Shishido will be our representative!" The teacher pointed in Shishido's face with a flourish.
Shishido, who had been daydreaming the whole day of a certain silver-haired sweetheart, snapped to attention.
"Huh? What?" Shishido looked around the class for clues of what he had just been represented for.
On the blackboard, there were several names, all crossed out except for his. Next to the names, was a big circled "China".
This did not look good.
"Shishido-san's in China?" Ohtori asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, he's our class' representative." Oshitari smiled.
"For what?" Ohtori asked nervously.
"Every year Hyoutei sends three students from Class 3-A, Class 3-B and Class 3-C to attend a meeting with our Chinese sister school Hou Jiang. I nominated Shishido, because it would put the Tennis Club in the favour of the higher-ups." Oshitari explained.
Gakuto crinkled his nose. "And here I thought you were still mad about him breaking your glasses yester-"
"Shut up, Gakuto." Oshitari smiled.
"But will he be okay?" Ohtori, still worried, fretted.
"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine." Oshitari said dismissively, in a way that no sane person would trust.
"Okay then." Ohtori smiled, trusting Oshitari.
"What are you doing in here? Practice has long started." Atobe entered the locker room, raising an eyebrow at the three Regulars still in there.
"Y-yes Atobe-san!" Ohtori immediately stood up straighter and resisted the urge to salute.
As Ohtori walked home, images of Shishido flew through his mind, and he wondered how he was going to survive 1 whole week without him.
The rain gently pattered against his umbrella, and he looked around dejectedly.
He had borrowed an umbrella from Hiyoshi, because he hadn't wanted to trouble the driver by driving home from Hyoutei. The driver had already called him twice, making sure that he hadn't died of the cold yet.
Looks like he was just a bother to everyone.
At times like this Shishido would have comforted him, saying, "Ohtori, you're not being a bother to anyone, so stop putting yourself down. It's lame."
Come to think of it, wasn't Shishido's house near this area? Ohtori remembered this was always where they would part, Shishido heading off down that path with those brick-lined walls with a puppy traveling on top of…
Ohtori blinked. What was that puppy doing up there?
He walked closer, and smiled in amusement. The puppy was small, and had silver fur that was pretty drenched. Its ears were stuck to its head in sadness, and it looked quite lost.
"Come here, puppy…" Ohtori couldn't help it. It was just so adorable; he had to take it home. He'd bring it to Hyoutei tomorrow and ask if anyone had lost their puppy.
Smiling down at the ball of cuteness, he could've sworn the puppy smiled back at him.
Maybe if no one claimed it, he would keep it himself.
"Eh, what's that, Ohtori?" Gakuto stuck his ever-nosy face near the thing Ohtori was cradling in his arms.
"It's a puppy I found yesterday." Ohtori smiled down at the puppy. "I asked if anyone recognized it, but no one has seen it before." He sighed.
"It's so cute! You should name it Yuushi!" Gakuto grinned.
"Gakuto, what are you doing?" Oshitari, upon hearing the conversation, rolled his eyes.
"I think you should name it Geki." Hiyoshi muttered, apparently taking interest in the cute puppy.
"I don't know. It looks like a Mari-chan to me." Oshitari mused. Eventually, they decided that it was to be named Mari-chan.
"Practice has starte-" Atobe paused. "What is that… thing?"
"It's a puppy, isn't it adorable?" Gakuto snatched it away from Ohtori and shoved it in Atobe's face.
"Get that vile thing away from Ore-sama's beautiful face!" Atobe backed away. "Who knows what kind of diseases it might have? Ore-sama forbids that disgusting Swine Flu Carrier from the courts. Could the owner please take it somewhere far, far away from here?"
"That was ridiculous, Atobe. Mari-chan's just a puppy." Oshitari responded to Atobe airily.
"Yeah, besides, only Mexican pigs have Swine Flu!" Gakuto chimed in.
Everyone turned to look at Gakuto slowly.
"Gakuto, do you even know what Swine Flu is?" Hiyoshi asked.
"Yeah…" Gakuto answered. He looked like he was going to launch into a full explanation of how Swine Flu was caused, and how it was going to kill all the Mexican pigs in the world.
"It doesn't matter. All Ore-sama asks is that the owner of that… thing takes it away." Atobe flicked his hair over his shoulder, successfully hitting Kabaji in the face.
The 4 other Regulars looked at one another.
"It's mine." They all said at once. Well, Ohtori said something more along the lines of "I'll take care of it.", but same thing, right?
"Well, whose is it?" Atobe asked impatiently.
"I named it." Oshitari said.
"I like it." Hiyoshi argued.
"I think it's cute." Gakuto glared.
"I… found it." Ohtori said meekly.
"This is hopeless. Ore-sama expects this problem to be solved by tomorrow." Atobe sighed. "Let's go, Kabaji."
"Usu." Kabaji gave a lingering look at Mari-chan before following Atobe dutifully.
"Yes. Let's settle this like men." Oshitari gave a menacing look to the others.
"Of course." Hiyoshi agreed, hand reaching for his tennis racket.
"I propose…" Oshitari continued suspensefully…
"Just say it already, Yuushi!" Gakuto said, exasperated.
"Why can't we just use Rock-Paper-Scissors?" Ohtori suggested timidly.
"Guitar Hero. My house. After practice." Oshitari glared. "...Is what I would say if my mother's friends weren't visiting. So, I propose we all head over to Ohtori-kun's house."
"Sure…" Ohtori was just happy to be of use.
"Okay then, Guitar Hero it is! Get ready to have your ass kicked!" Gakuto cheered.
"Language!" Ohtori said, appalled.
"Gekokujou." Hiyoshi, a bit disappointed in not being able to play tennis, muttered.
"It's settled, then." Oshitari smiled.
"Is it settled yet?" Atobe's yell from the courts hit the locker room.
"Alright then. Mari-chan, you stay here." Oshitari instructed the puppy.
"Be good, Mari-chan." Ohtori smiled.
"Don't mess with my stuff." Hiyoshi warned.
"You can play with this." Gakuto gave the puppy Atobe's expensive Hyoutei jacket.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Ohtori worried.
"Don't worry; clothes can't catch Swine Flu either!" Gakuto reassured.
"I'm not so sure about that." Hiyoshi muttered sarcastically as he walked out the locker room.
"All the better then." Gakuto grinned as he bounced out the door, dragging Oshitari out with him.
"I hope Shishido-san comes back soon…" Ohtori sighed as he pulled the locker room shut.