Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis; that is the domain of Konomi Takeshi, and whoever owns the rights to the Anime.
Writer's note: First thing to keep in mind is that the names here are written in the Japanenes style, ie: last name, first name, unlike the names on the picture up there. The second thing is that there is a differing of opinions as to how to spell some of the names (Yushi vs. Yuushi, Ryoh vs. Ryou, etc.), and I don't know which is correct. I think it's a prefference thing - I know Hyotei (as seen above) is sometime spelled Hyoutei, to emphasize the long vowel in the middle. So if Ohtori (the guy on the far right) has his last name spelled three different ways, I'm sorry. I really am only talking about one person (and I won't even attempt his first name!).
Writer's note two: The other thing to keep in mind is that I've only read some things about this particular school; the anime hasn't gotten far enough to meet them (episode 9 - they just picked the Regulars for the District Preliminaries), and I've read the Manga about the doubles match between Hyoutei and Saigaku (the main school) exactly one and a half times. Don't ask what drew my attention to Gakuto - probably his red hair. And that he's short. And if you want to know the story behind Shishido's cap, it's in Manga volume 14 - although the reason for that is in an earlier volume, but I'm not sure which. Oh, and the name of Ohtori's serve - Scud - is in reference to the missile of the same name. Apparently, he hits that serve at close to 200 mph.
Writer's note three: One last thing. I'm pretty sure there are some Japanese words thrown in here; I'll try to make sure I provide some sort of translation (if I remember). I'm trying to keep it down, because my beta-reader doesn't understand Japanese any more than I do - which is to say, not at all. But when reading so many fanfics that use them, I tended to pick them up. Also, I'm pretty sure that the honorifics (-san, -kun, etc.) are all wrong, and sometimes I get confused about who calls who what. For the most part, from what I could pick up about the team, everyone calls everone else by their last name - except Gakuto and Yuushi, who, apparently, are close enough to call each other by their first names with no honorifics at all (which I suppose is more apparent in the Anime, when it's dubbed. Maybe one day....).
So, now that I've talked your ears off (or your eyes out, something - those are the longest writer's notes I've ever written), here's
Oshitari Yuushi came around the corner of the school and stopped dead in his tracks, causing Shishido Ryou to curse him under his breath as he slammed to a stop before running into the boy ahead of him. Before them was a scene neither of them had ever seen - although they weren't sure why, considering it was Oshitari's double's partner.
Mukahi Gakuto stood before a girl barely taller than himself. She had his shirt in a good grip, rage on her face as she listened to him try to explain something. They couldn't hear what he was saying, only that he was talking very quickly. The girl, Watanabe Satome, suddenly gave him a push, knocking him off his feet, and turned and ran, hiding her face. Gakuto just sat there, looking after her.
Oshitari moved then, striding over to pull the smaller boy to his feet. "What happened?" he asked brusquely.
Gakuto brushed himself off, staring in the direction the girl had gone, a strange expression on his face. "I asked her to the Autumn Ball," he said, sounding more unsure than Oshitari had ever heard him.
Shishido burst into laughter. "How? By insulting her?"
The strange, vague look melted off Gakuto's face, replaced by sheer irritation. "Shut up, Shishido," he snapped, spinning to stare up at the taller boy. "It's not like you have the courage to ask anyone."
"Mukahi," Oshitari said, before Shishido could respond, "she has a date."
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Gakuto said angrily, and waved them off. "Forget it." He stalked across the courtyard toward the tennis courts.
The two watched him go, completely confused. "What was that all about?" Shishido asked in irritated incomprehension.
"I don't know," Oshitari said. "I know he's had a crush on her for the last couple of years, but she has a steady boyfriend. And he wouldn't ask her if he didn't think he had a chance." They started after the smaller redhead. "Something made him think he did."
"Find out what it was, and see if he just made a fool of himself for nothing," Shishido muttered.
Inside the clubroom, they found Mukahi already changed, racquet in hand, heading out the door. He glared at them as he brushed past them and stalked toward the courts.
"Ooh, fun," Shishido said sarcastically, opening his locker. "I'm glad you get to work with him."
"What is Mukahi in a snit about?" Atobe Keigo asked as he stepped in, eyes on the two of them, Kabaji right behind as always.
"He asked Watanabe Satome to the Autumn Ball," Oshitari said.
Shishido snorted softly. "So he says. But she had him by the collar, looking as if she'd like nothing better than to beat his face in. She threw him down and stormed off."
"She was crying, I'm almost sure," Oshitari added. "Gakuto knows she's got a boyfriend, so I don't know why he asked her."
Atobe just watched them for a moment, head tilted to the side. "That is perplexing," he said quietly. "Ore-sama will see if ore-sama can shed some light on the subject. Until then, perhaps you should leave him alone about it."
They both nodded, but Oshitari still caught Shishido's muttered "where's the fun in that?" and had to hide his answering grin.
* * *
Gakuto was halfway through his warm ups before the others arrived, and he ignored them, concentrating on calming down so the practice wasn't a complete waste.
To be honest, he didn't understand. He'd tried to be considerate when he'd asked Satome, because having a long-time boyfriend break up with you just before a formal dance was humiliating enough. The look on her face had surprised him when he'd explained why he'd asked her, and then she'd grabbed his shirt and demanded details. He didn't think she was the violent type, so that had startled him enough he hadn't thought to try to get himself free.
And to have Oshitari and Shishido come in on it at some point - soon enough that they didn't ask him why he was on the ground - had simply made it worse. Ohtori, at least, would have kept the secret. He could feel Atobe's eyes on him, and sighed. Not even Ohtori could have kept that fiasco from Atobe. When he straightened, Atobe was watching him, but he made no move to approach, or to call Gakuto over. The small redhead sighed in relief - at least he'd calmed down enough that Atobe wasn't going to berate him for being off - and waited for practice to start.
"What happened with Watanabe Satome?"
Gakuto started so badly he nearly dropped his bag, turning in frustration to glare at Atobe, who was walking behind him as he headed for the gates and home. "Nothing, obviously," he muttered. "And it's none of your business, anyway."
"Mukahi. What happened? Ore-sama heard she knocked you down."
He felt a blush stain his cheeks, and groaned. "I asked her a question. She thought it impertinent, demanded an explanation, and then left. Does the whole school know about that?"
"Considering Shishido saw most of it, it would not surprise ore-sama at all."
"Great." He turned to keep walking, head down so his red hair covered his blush.
"What was the question?"
Atobe wasn't going to let it go. "I asked her to the Autumn Ball with me." He was blushing harder; it had been a stupid thing to do, after all. He hoped it was dark enough that Atobe wouldn't see it.
"She has a boyfriend."
"Ihara Norihiro. So she informed me."
"What made you think she didn't?"
Gakuto sighed. "I heard him asking Hiramo Kahori to accompany him. I thought… Satome probably already has a dress, and it would be hard on her to get dumped just before the Autumn Ball, so I thought I'd try to…"
"Make her feel better." Atobe sounded vaguely impressed. "And what happened?"
"She told me she was going with him, and why would I think she wasn't?" It was more painful, the more he spoke. "When I explained I thought they'd broken up, she… grabbed my shirt and demanded an explanation." He stopped speaking for a moment, remembering how angry she'd looked. "So I told her what I'd heard. She looked… crushed. I… don't really blame her, for pushing me down," he added after a moment. "Instead of making it better, I think I just made it worse."
Atobe was quiet. "It was… unfortunate, yes," he said.
Gakuto snorted. "Well, at least someone got some fun out of it. I just wish it hadn't been at her expense." He hefted his bag on his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and turned the corner that led away from Atobe's way home.
* * *
Watanabe Satome walked home alone. She wasn't used to that; she hadn't walked home alone in a year. But she hadn't been able to find her boyfriend, Ihara Norihiro, after school - not that she'd looked very hard.
She liked Mukahi Gakuto; he was nice, if vulgar, and good company at the interminable company parties their fathers dragged them to. But the question he'd posed to her after school that day had startled her. And his reason for asking had infuriated her so much she'd knocked him down after he'd explained. He'd probably never forgive her for that.
He had to be lying - only she'd never heard that he lied at all. And the rumor mill that Hyotei was, she would have heard. She sighed, and hugged her books tighter to her chest. So, what if he was telling the truth?
If he was telling the truth, she didn't know what she'd do. Because he was right; she had her dress and everything bought, hanging in her room for the night of the dance. It was a big deal, the Autumn Ball, and she had so looked forward to it. Her mother had been excited, too, helping her pick things out, finding the perfect necklace and earrings…. She took a deep breath. She'd ask Norihiro tonight, and find out for sure.
He simply laughed at her question. "Satome-chan, where did you hear that ridiculous story?"
"Mukahi Gakuto asked if I'd go to the dance with him. He said he'd overheard you asking Kahori, or something."
"The runt on the tennis team Regulars?" he asked, and laughed again. "I've heard he plays jokes on people. He probably just thought it'd be funny, to tell you something like that."
Funny, she'd never heard that of Gakuto. "Oh," she said intelligently. "Okay." And he distracted her by asking about her day, apologized for not walking her home, and then got off the phone.
It was strange, though, she thought as she lay on her bed, phone in hand. Was it normal that she didn't believe her boyfriend? She hadn't noticed things being weird - aside from his not meeting her today to walk her home. Unfortunately, she hadn't asked Norihiro why he hadn't met her, and he hadn't volunteered. More unfortunately, she didn't know any of Mukahi's friends to ask if he did like to play tricks. And she really needed to apologize for treating him like that.
She wondered how he'd known where to catch her, as she spent the next day trying to find him. It didn't help that they were both so short as to be swallowed up by any reasonable crowd, either. Maybe she'd just call him and apologize over the phone - because she didn't really want to go to the tennis courts and try to say something to him in front of the whole 200-member club.
"You are Watanabe Satome, aren't you?"
She spun and stared up at the young man who looked down at her, glasses glinting in the sunlight. "Yes," she said slowly. "You are?"
"Oshitari Yuushi," he said. "A friend of Gakuto's."
She wasn't sure if she should she be relieved or horrified; she knew his name very well. "Ah. Could you tell me where I might be able to find him?" she asked carefully. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday."
He shifted on his feet, his gaze on her sharpening. "The best place to find him is at practice this afternoon."
She felt her face grow hot. "Uh, yeah. I was hoping to avoid that."
He smirked, and she rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I take it you know him well."
"Relatively," he said neutrally.
"Does he play jokes on people?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Does he play jokes on people? Mean ones?"
His gaze sharpened. "Why do you ask?"
"I was told he does," she said simply, "but I have never heard that about him. His language, yes. His ability on the courts, yes. His temper, most definitely. His friendship with you, yes, now that I have a face to go with the name. Nothing about lies, and nothing about jokes."
"Someone is spreading lies about Gakuto?" he asked, eyes narrowed, voice low.
"I was the only one told, as far as I know," she said quickly, eyes wide in the face of his displeasure, "and I have said nothing to anyone but you."
He nodded slowly, eyes piercing as he looked at her. "I will tell him you want to speak with him."
"Thank you." She watched him walk away, and took a deep breath. And she'd thought Norihiro was intimidating! She rather hoped she never had to speak to Atobe Keigo. She'd probably faint.
* * *
"She what?"
"She was looking for you." Oshitari pulled his uniform shirt off and glanced at his partner. "And then she asked me some very interesting questions."
"Like what?" Gakuto looked up from tying his shoes.
"If you liked to play jokes on people." Oshitari retrieved his tennis shirt and pulled it over his head.
"If I what?" He sat up, looking in confusion at Oshitari. "Why would she ask that?"
"Apparently, someone told her you play jokes on people." He fell silent, and Gakuto's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"She didn't say."
Gakuto sighed. "Of course not, but I can guess…." His eyes lit up. "You know," he said slyly, "I might be able to find out the truth."
"Hiramo will just lie to you."
He rolled his eyes, then sighed. "I know. It was a stupid idea. But I heard him ask her, and I heard her accept," he protested in frustration. "I just don't know why he'd want to do that to Watanabe."
"Because he's tired of her."
Gakuto's head jerked up to look at Shishido, who leaned against the wall. "He's tired of her?"
"She's not… spirited enough."
Oshitari snorted. "He obviously didn't see her yesterday."
Shishido was still laughing, in spite - or because - of Gakuto's glare, when Ohtori Choutarou walked in. "What's so funny?"
"Apparently, I am," Gakuto snapped, and left the clubhouse.
It amazed him, sometimes, how often people overlooked him, in spite of his red
hair, just because he was short. He was sitting against the fountain near the
end of the courtyard, basking in the sunlight - the day was chilly - and enjoying
a bit of peace.
"Are you sure she suspects nothing?" he heard Hiramo Kahori ask from the other side of the fountain, and suppressed a sigh. How did he get himself into these situations? He'd just found a nice, quiet place to eat lunch -
And was interrupted by the two people he really didn't want to hear right now.
"As long as that Mukahi keeps out of it. I told Satome he's… not to be trusted," Ihara Norihiro said, his smirk clear in his voice. "She'll stay away from him."
"Will he stay away from her?"
Ihara laughed, and there was a cruel note in it. "Probably. I heard that was an… altercation the other day, and he got the worst of it."
Hiramo laughed, and it was even crueler. "Good. I can't wait to see her face," she purred.
Gakuto decided then and there he'd spend the rest of his days at Hyotei Junior High eating lunch in his classroom. But he didn't leave until he was sure they were gone.
Got the worst of it, did he? Well… maybe so.
He was going back into the school when he heard his name. Turning, he stopped in surprise to see Watanabe Satome. "Yes?" he asked politely.
"I'm really sorry about the other day," she said, her face slightly pink. "It was uncalled for."
"I appreciate it," he said, wishing he could tell her what he'd just heard. He just didn't think she'd believe him. "Thank you. And I'm sorry if I…." He paused, trying to come up with the right word. "Distressed you. I didn't mean to."
She gave him a penetrating look, then nodded and slipped past him into the school. He waited until he was sure she was gone before sighing softly and following.
* * *
The next two weeks, Satome could not get it out of her head. She found herself watching Kahori any time she saw the other girl, trying to see any truth to what Gakuto had said. Not that she knew what she was looking for. But Kahori was the same as always to her: smug, flirty, and hateful.
Norihiro showed up for their Friday night date thirty minutes late. She spent those thirty minutes wondering where he was, what he was doing, and who he was doing it with. His excuse - that he'd been reading and had lost track of time - was believable, because she knew how much he liked to read. But he wasn't as… attentive as he'd been in the past, and it confused her.
Or was he?
She couldn't be sure! Her whole world was… shaken, had been since Gakuto had asked her to the dance last week. She wished she'd never met the boy, wished she'd never spoken to him at those company parties - never mind that if she hadn't, she would have embarrassed her father by falling asleep, she was so bored.
And the next week, she walked home by herself twice. Norihiro told her why - but she found, halfway home the first day, that she didn't believe him. The second day, the pok pok of balls against racquets lured her from her way home toward the tennis courts, and she settled down at the end of one of the risers (occupied by girls staring at the courts with hearts in their eyes) to watch. She'd never actually seen Gakuto play, although she knew he did; Norihiro was not interested in tennis. She didn't understand anything about the game except… well, nothing. She laughed at herself, and shouldered her bag to go.
"Hi. You've never been here before, have you."
She looked up and smiled. "Hi, Mukahi-san. No, I haven't. Norihiro said he had a test to make up, and I finally decided to investigate the strange sounds coming from this direction on my way home." Her cheeks flushed. "I realized I don't really understand enough, so I decided to just walk home."
He tilted his head, smiling. "I'm glad to see you, anyway. If I had time…."
"Mukahi!" an irate voice snapped, and he cringed.
"…I'd explain. See you around." He winked at her and returned to the court, where Atobe Keigo stood glaring at him - and, to her surprise, at her. She waited until their attention was elsewhere, and made herself scarce.
She got halfway home before she remember how Norihiro had bragged about acing the test he was supposed to be making up. Her heart sank.
He called just after dinner. "How was your math test?" she asked.
"I aced it. Oh… wait! I told you it was my math test? Satome-chan, I'm sorry, you must think so ill of me. It was my History test. And I think I did a little better. Well," he said depreciatingly, "hopefully a lot better."
"You'll have to tell me, when you get your score back."
After she hung up - and was that conversation a little short? - she leaned back in the chair at her desk, fighting tears, wondering why she still felt like he was lying to her. She tried to remember back before her conversation with Gakuto, and then stopped herself. It was stupid! Norihiro wouldn't lie to her!
She made herself calm down, stop thinking about it, because it was just stupid. She focused on her homework, refusing to think about Norihiro, Kahori, Gakuto, or the Autumn Ball.
The next Tuesday, she was getting ready for her date - she'd been looking forward to this concert for the last couple of months - and Norihiro called. "I can't go," he said, sounding crushed, when she picked up the phone.
"Why not?" She tried not to be disappointed, but she was, oh, so upset about this!
"Oh," he said, angry now, "my grandparents have asked us over tonight. You know how my family is," he added, and she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "I am sorry, Satome-chan. I know how disappointed you are."
"It's okay. I hope you have a nice night with your family." She hoped it didn't sound spiteful; it wasn't really his fault, after all. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."
She hung up, numb, and went to remove her make-up. And it was nearly bed-time before she wondered why he hadn't offered to let her have at least one of the tickets; if he couldn't go, why hadn't he let her go alone? So she watched him the next day, but he didn't seem tired or anything; he regaled her with stories of his grandparents, which had her laughing - but weren't they familiar? She sighed and shrugged it off. She didn't want to think about it any more.
Their Friday night date was cancelled, because the dance was Saturday night. Satome spent hours Saturday afternoon, making sure her make-up was right, her hair perfect, and everything else exact. Hyotei was not a school in which she could do anything less.
Her mind wandered, though, as she set the jeweled pins in her hair, remembering the first time she'd worn them, and how Norihiro had loved them, exclaiming over them in wonder. He'd given her the bracelet she wore tonight not long after that, she thought as she fastened it on her wrist. "To match the stars in your hair," he'd whispered into her ear when she'd opened it. She'd tried to wear it enough that he knew she loved it, without making it common.
She fastened the pearl necklace around her throat, put in the matching pearl drop earrings, and stepped back to look at herself. The dress was beautiful, a deep blue that she knew he loved. Everything looked good, she thought, and went into the front room.
She met her mother in the hall, and was gratified by the gasp and smile - and yes, tears in her mother's eyes - that greeted her. "It's okay?" she asked softly.
"You look beautiful," her mother said. "Your father is waiting with Norihiro and a camera."
Satome had to laugh. "Ah, yes. Father and the camera. They are inseparable, aren't they."
The camera was going before she'd even quite made it out of the hallway, and her father's smile as he took his pictures was well worth it. Norihiro smiled as well, but it was… dim, not as happy, not as… surprised? Something was definitely off, but she wasn't sure what it was. She wasn't sure she would have even noticed it if she had spoken to Gakuto two weeks ago - and as soon as she realized her thoughts, she shoved them out of her head, focusing instead on her date. "You look very handsome," she told him, and he practically preened, which he'd always done.
"Thanks. You look good, too."
She was so stunned, she managed to stammer a thanks, and then said nothing else as he led her out to the waiting car.
'Good?' she thought, settling in the seat as the chauffer shut the door, and went around to open it for him. 'All that work, and all I get is a 'you look good'?'
* * *
Gakuto felt like an idiot. He knew he stuck out - the only one there without a girl on his arm - but it would have been worse if he'd had, say, Yuushi's height. For once, being short had its perks.
But not a lot. Because he still had to find Satome; he was more certain than ever that this was going to happen. Atobe, at least, had taken him seriously, and the rest of the team was helping him keep an eye out for her. And it seemed he wasn't the only one; Kahori seemed to be watching just as avidly as he was, her date disinterested. So he knew he was going to be alone, too. Interesting.
Watanabe and Ihara walked in, and Gakuto felt his jaw want to drop open. He caught it barely in time, and knew he'd been seen when he heard Shishido snicker at him from a few feet away. Norihiro - how could he leave that incredibly beautiful creature on his arm? - helped Satome take off her wrap, and then led her onto the dance floor. He watched them, unable to take his eyes off of her, moving around the edge of the dancing couples to keep them in sight.
"You're being too obvious," Yuushi said suddenly, gripping his shoulder. "You're going to scare her."
"I know, but I can't…" he said helplessly.
His partner chuckled low. "I know. Calm down. If you scare her, this is never going to work."
Gakuto looked up at Yuushi. "Okay." He took a deep breath.
"Go get a drink," the taller boy ordered. "Trust me on this, okay? And maybe… maybe you should find Hiramo and shadow her for a while. Nothing will happen without her in the mix."
Gakuto blinked. "I should have thought of that."
Yuushi snorted. "You weren't thinking. Now go." He gave Gakuto a gentle push, letting him go and turning to his date. "I'm sorry. Shall we resume dancing?"
Gakuto felt his face flush, and he sighed. He started for the drink table, and found Hiramo there, talking with a bunch of her friends. Her date was not in sight, and he wondered if the boy had left already.
"Oh. There they are," one of the girls said, and the whole bunch of them straightened up, ignoring him as he reached past one of them to get a drink. On a second thought, he didn't take it after all, stepping out of the way as they scattered, leaving Hiramo alone.
This didn't look good at all.
She stood, watching the dance floor, and the look on her face was one he wanted to scrape off - preferably with Ohtori's Scud Serve, multiple times, if the kid could get some semblance of control. He knew who she was watching, and he steeled himself to look at Satome again. She was smiling, even more beautiful if possible, flushed from dancing as they walked off the dance floor. They stopped by a table on the other side of Hiramo from him, and he cursed his luck as Satome sat down.
And then Hiramo moved. Now concerned, Gakuto went after her, taking a longer way around so it wasn't obvious he was following her. So he missed the beginning of the conversation. Hiramo said something; Ihara nodded. As soon as he stepped away from Satome, though, she stood and must have said something because they both stopped. "It's not the dance," Hiramo said spitefully over her shoulder, talking in Gakuto's direction so he could hear her. "It's the company."
Satome flinched, stone still for an instant, then she went after them. Gakuto straightened his tie and followed. "Why are you dancing with her?" Satome demanded, still in control of her voice, loud enough that most people around her could hear. "I'm your girlfriend!"
And Ihara stopped, looked her up and down with disgust on his face, and then obviously dismissed her. "Not any more," he said casually, and shrugged. He turned back to Hiramo, offered her his arm again, and they danced away from her.
It only got worse - laughter broke out around them, and Gakuto recognized some of the girls as Hiramo's friends. Satome just stood there, staring at the floor. Gakuto took a deep breath and walked up to her, offering her his handkerchief. She looked up, startled, and took it automatically. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, just loud enough that she heard it under the laughter.
"Yes. Thank you," she said, with a laugh that sounded more like a sob.
Gakuto just took her in his arms and guided her away from the laughter, to where his teammates danced, so she could recover. "For what it's worth," he said softly, "I am sorry."
And somehow, she managed a smile.
As soon as the song was over, Yuushi's date excused herself and Satome, leading the other girl in the direction of the restrooms. Gakuto followed his partner toward the table they'd claimed, and collapsed in a chair. "I still might hit him," he said without heat.
Yuushi sat next to him. "It's a thought."
"Not a particularly good one," Gakuto said, thinking of all the reasons Atobe had given him not to beat Norihiro's face in - not the least of which was expulsion from the tennis club. "Tell Mariko thank you for me."
Yuushi snorted. "She's upset about it, too. I've never seen her so mad." He smiled at his partner. "It was well done, Gakuto."
He sighed and relaxed. "Thanks."
* * *
Satome followed Oshitari's date blindly, grateful that she had Gakuto's handkerchief to hang onto. She spoke only when the other girl asked where her purse was; luckily, the table was empty, and they were able to get it and her wrap without embarrassment. Then they were silent until they stood before a mirror in the lavish bathroom. "Do you have makeup with you?" the other girl asked.
Satome blinked, look a firm look at herself, and straightened up. "Yes. I'm sorry, you must think me an idiot."
"I think you're handling it pretty well, considering," the other girl said, freshening her own makeup as Satome repaired her eyes and reapplied lipstick. "And I'm glad someone had the presence of mind to get you out of there."
Satome sighed. "I'm surprised he did," she admitted. "I… didn't treat him well."
The other girl laughed. "Gakuto bounces back pretty well, and from what Yuushi said, you apologized. That made a world of difference, I'm sure."
"I hope his date isn't angry," Satome said. "She must be very understanding, to let him do that."
"Date?" the girl repeated, turning to look at her. "He didn't bring anyone tonight."
Satome felt her face flush. "Is he insane?" she blurted, and her blush deepened.
"Actually…." The girl grinned. "I've wondered about his sanity many times - and Yuushi 's for that matter. They make a very good double's team. But no, he's not insane. He… just wanted to help."
"He did. A lot."
"Good." She examined Satome's face, and nodded. "If you aren't so embarrassed that you think you want to leave, I suggest staying. Prove to them you aren't to be chased off by such a thing - and have more fun than you would have with Norihiro."
Satome stared at her, then grinned. "You might have a point," she said, even with the jolt her boyfriend - ex-boyfriend's - name gave her. "And… I can't exactly leave Gakuto without a date, when he so gallantly saved me when mine abandoned me."
"That's the spirit," the other girl said. "Ready?"
Satome nodded. "But for one thing. I don't think I caught your name."
The girl grinned. "I'm sorry! Yakuwa Mariko. Please, call me Mariko; it's easier."
"Then it's Satome," Satome said. "And thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, let's go have some fun."
Satome grinned and followed her.
She did have fun, too. She met all of Gakuto's friends from the tennis team, and even managed not to faint when she officially met Atobe Keigo. His gaze was not as… piercing when he approved of her (unlike the time she'd inadvertently interrupted the practice at the courts the week before), and he was a perfect gentleman. She still preferred Gakuto's company.
"Do you have a curfew?" her date - she could call him that, right? - asked when he returned to the table with drinks in his hands about an hour after he'd rescued her.
"Not as such," she said, taking the drink he offered and sipping. "But I do need to call my mother and inform her of any change in plans. Which is anything, at this point," she added with a grin. "Other than that, as long as she knows how to get in touch with me if my phone dies, I think she'll be okay. If it were a school night, it would be different…." She realized she was babbling and shut her mouth. "Sorry," she said after a moment.
He laughed. "You're nervous, aren't you."
"I babble like this on all my first dates. Well, the only two I've ever been on," she amended. "I figure if that doesn't scare him off, I'll be okay."
Gakuto smiled at her. "I don't scare off that easily." Then he tilted his head to the side. "Atobe has invited us all to his house for something to eat after the dance. Do you think you'll be able to come?"
She blinked nervously. "Well, actually… Let me call my mom, and find out." She excused herself and went to find a quiet corner to make her call.
In spite of the beginning of the night, the Autumn Ball was one of the best
experiences she'd ever had. It had been fun.
But on Monday, back at school, she crashed back to Earth. She hadn't been there five minutes before she heard whispers about how Norihiro had broken up with her. She fled the halls as quickly as she could, settling in her seat. Even there, the whispers followed, and she busied herself at her desk to hide how close she was to tears.
"You can't be hiding," a voice said, and she looked up in surprise.
"Shishido-san!" she blurted, and blushed as he gave her a reproving look. "Shishido-kun," she corrected herself. She really hadn't been sure how serious any of them had been Saturday night.
He smirked at her. "Mukahi is looking for you."
She blinked, surprised, and stood. "Where is he?"
He jerked his thumb toward the door. "Outside."
"Thank you." She left her books and noticed, as she walked toward the room, that the whispers had changed - from pity, to awe. Apparently, being on a familiar basis with the Tennis Team Regulars was something important.
Gakuto stood casually against the wall to the right of her doorway, and he straightened when she stepped into the chaos of the hallway. "I didn't believe Shishido when he said you were in his class," he said with a grin.
"I see," she said, more nervous than she wanted to admit.
He grew serious, and then ruined it by rolling his eyes at a comment from behind him, about the two of them talking. "I'd like to have lunch with you today. Will you meet me by the fountain in the back of the school?"
She paused for a moment, even more nervous, then realized she no longer had to worry about what Norihiro thought of her, and smiled. "I'd enjoy that."
"I'll see you there," he said, and with a smile, went to his class.
Returning to her own room, she found Shishido watching her, a smirk on his face, as she sat down again. Feeling brave, she lifted one eyebrow in question, and was somewhat surprised when he chuckled low and turned to the book open on his desk. Shaking her head but unable to stop smiling, Satome went back to her own preparations.
Lunch seemed to take forever to arrive. Finally, though, it did, and she tucked her books away in her desk before grabbing her lunch and heading out to the fountain. She was glad, this first day, to have someone to eat lunch with, and figured Mukahi was still playing white knight to her damsel in distress. But eventually, she was going to have to get over this alone, because she didn't want to use him and hurt him when she finally got over the hurt of what Norihiro had done.
"So, Mukahi-san," Kahori's familiar voice, coming from the other side of the fountain, stopped her thoughts. "How did you like your leftovers?"
Satome sighed. Kahori had won, and she was still trying to hurt Satome by attacking her friend?
"Leftovers?" she heard Gakuto reply, and there was something in his voice that she couldn't define. "I thought I got the better part of the deal for the evening."
Kahori laughed scornfully. "Hardly," she said, and Satome heard her start to walk away.
"Hiramo," Gakuto said suddenly, and he sounded serious. "How long until he tires of you and does something similar?"
She forced a laugh. "Never," she said, but not nearly as scornfully, and she didn't sound as sure of herself.
Her footsteps neared again, and Satome went the other way around the fountain, feeling suddenly lighter.
"Mukahi-kun," she said with a smile, and he looked up from where he sat, his back to the base of the fountain.
"Satome-chan. Thanks for coming."
"Thank you for inviting me." She sat next to him.
They ate in companionable silence for a while. "I wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening Saturday," she said. "I really enjoyed myself."
"I'm glad," he said, and turned to face her. "How are you feeling?"
"A little confused," she said after a moment. "Sad. It's strange, not to have Norihiro there, to not know what I'm going to do every day." She laughed nervously. "Unless that wasn't what you meant."
He shrugged. "It was an honest answer," he said.
She just smiled, and she wondered if he could see the sadness in it. "Thanks. And I appreciate you asking me to lunch today, too. It's… a little noisy in my classroom." Never mind that she hadn't had lunch by herself in so long, she no longer had anyone else to have lunch with.
"Whispers?" he asked with a short laugh. "I've had them, too." He grinned. "Just ignore them. Nothing they say will make any difference anyway."
She had to agree.
After school, Satome stood by her locker for a few moments before remembering
that Norihiro wasn't coming to get her. Muted laughter and whispers behind cupped
hands got her moving sluggishly toward the door and out.
The pok pok of tennis balls caught her attention again, and she wandered toward the courts. This time, instead of looking for Gakuto, she checked the people on the bleachers, watching. She scanned them quickly, then more slowly, hoping someone would spot her and wave her over before she found them and made a fool of herself asking if she could join them.
A waving hand caught her eye, and she smiled at Mariko as the other girl beckoned her over. Around her, Satome could see some of the other girls from Saturday night. She made her way over, and Mariko greeted her cheerfully. "I'm glad you came," she said.
"Thanks," Satome said.
It was a nice afternoon; to her surprise, the girls she sat with spent much of the time doing homework, helping each other. One girl - she'd been Shishido's date - made Mariko trade places with her when Satome admitted she'd finished her World History homework. "Please," she begged almost comically, "can you help me understand?"
"I can try," Satome said, and bent to the task cheerfully.
It turned out that none of them were going steady with any of their dates; it was a casual friendship between these "non-fangirl" fans and the Regulars. "We just like watching them play, try to support them at the tournaments, and stuff like that," Mariko explained one day. "As long as we don't… go insane," she said with a grin, "Atobe-buchou doesn't mind us here. Sometimes I think he likes us, that we stroke his ego without being too extreme." She laughed, and Satome laughed with her.
"He makes me nervous," Satome admitted. "But then, so did Oshitari the first time I met him. Not that he still doesn't," she added.
Mariko laughed again. "Yes," she said. "He is… not to be taken lightly." She sobered. "You impressed both him and Atobe - and Shishido, although he'll never admit it - when you apologized to Mukahi."
Satome flushed. "It was the right thing to do. None of it was really his fault."
The weeks passed in good company, including the occasional group dates, most of the time dutch. It was fun, getting to know the girls and the boys, learning about their interests outside of tennis. She was utterly stunned to find that Ohtori played violin - and obviously very well, from his position in the school orchestra. Satome had been surprised to see him during the school concert they attended one evening, dressed fairly formally just because they could.
"I didn't know he played," she said to Gakuto as they all waited for Ohtori to return. "It seems so… tame, after seeing that devastating serve of his."
Gakuto grinned. "It's a dichotomy that confuses all of us who know him," he said. "Violin suits his personality better than that serve, that's for sure."
A loud clearing of the throat made them both look up, and Satome stepped closer to Gakuto in reflex. Kahori and Norihiro stood there, dressed very well and looking far too pleased with themselves.
"Good evening," Gakuto said.
"Hello," Norihiro said, watching Satome.
She flushed slightly. "Did you enjoy the concert?" she asked.
"It was beautiful," Kahori gushed. "That violin solo was just… amazing."
"Ohtori is very good," Satome said. "He seems to be good at everything he does."
"And he's got to be ready by now," Gakuto said. "Shall we go find out?" He offered her his arm, and they swept past Norihiro and Kahori without a glance backwards. Satome followed where Gakuto lead, half expecting to feel something, but she was relieved when all she felt was… well, relief. "Are you okay?" Gakuto asked as he stopped before joining the rest of their group.
Satome smiled easily. "Yes," she said. "Thank you." His eyes searched her face, then he smiled back at her.
"Good."
She was okay, she realized as they joined the group, and Mariko nudged her with a knowing smirk and a wink. Gakuto had given her what Norihiro never could: a group of friends. He'd shared his life, his love of tennis, his teammates with her, and when she thought about it, Norihiro had shared nothing but his money.
Even if she and Gakuto never became an "item" (as Shishido put it), she had a good friend in him, and she was happy. What more could a girl ask for?
Translations:
ore-sama: Atobe often uses the royal "we"
when referring to himself (or so I assume) that's what it means.
buchou: captain
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