Secrets, Socials, and Seigaku

Chapter 31

My eyes fell onto Inui’s person and automatically met his gleaming glasses. He looked rather composed as he stood across from me. “Do you have a plan?” I asked calmly, subconsciously already knowing the answer.

The corners of his mouth twitched up a bit. “Do you think I would go into this tournament unprepared?” He asked, completely ignoring my question.

I didn’t bother pushing him any further about it. My mood lifted. “I guess I’ll leave it to you then?” I said smirking.

He pushed his glasses further up his nose as he replied with over-brimming confidence. “I’ll take care of everything. I won’t allow Seigaku to lose here.” He said surely.

I smiled and motioned for him to follow me back to the courts. “Then shall we make our way back to the team then? It’d be kind of pointless to make that plan if you’re not even there to put it into action.” I mocked slightly. 

He looked over and quirked a dark brow in my direction at my remark before bringing out his little black book. Without missing a beat he started writing, what I can only assume to be information, into that book his, not even bothering to glance my way. It would always be a mystery to me how he managed to be so obsessed with data. His body seemed to know what it had to do because next he started walking towards the courts, not once did his eyes leave that book of his though.

 My eyes followed his retreating figure and swept the back of his head. I took the time to notice his short, dark, indigo hair that blew lightly with the breeze. It was then for the first time I actually took the time to wonder what he would look like without those glasses on. I hadn’t really ever thought of it before seeing as it was none of my concern at the time, but still…

“Are you planning on coming or not?” He called back, not even bothering to turn around or, from as far as I could see, stop writing in his book.

I felt a slight blush cover my cheeks, hoping he didn’t notice me observing him. “I’m coming.” I replied quickly and made a beeline for him. I smiled at my own little joke. He was quite the modern day Kakashi, now he has me all curious as to what his face looks like.

We walked through the mazes of courts trying to find our team. It was almost like trying to find a needle in a toothpick stack. You would think that with their uniforms being the biggest fashion crisis since weight shoes after labor day we would be able to find them. The bright red, white, and blue uniforms should have led me striaght ot them. But you should’ve seen some of the other uniforms that teams had to wear!  All I can say is that I was happy to be wearing red, white, and blue rather than some of those other horrible colors. What was with schools in Japan? I thought they were supposed to have an amazing fashion sense. After trailing behind Inui for awhile we managed to find the team. Technically he knew where it was, so he didn’t manage anything, but you get the picture.

“Oy, Inui where did you go? You completely missed our match!” Kikumaru whined, but then he saw me behind him.

His childish smile seemed matched his face perfectly as he ran forward without warning and tackled me into a hug. “Clair bear!” Kikumaru cooed out.

I stiffened momentarily recalling Mizuki using that name before. “Kikumaru please come up with a different nick name or just call me Clair like every other normal person does.” I said bluntly.

His blue eyes watered a bit and looked like they would overflow. I quickly pushed him off as to not get any of the water works on my new tennis uniform. Of course though, Kikumaru only looked at this as if I didn’t want him near me. “Nice job, Clair.” Said a mocking voice from behind.

 Momo walked right beside me a shot me a sadistic grin. “You made Kikumaru cry. Tezuka won’t be to happy 'bout this.” He said unable to contain a smile. “Wonder what he’ll do to you…”He trailed off leaving me to pick up where he was going with this. 

“Kikumaru!” I dove to the ground in front of him. “What I was trying to say was that–um, well-–you’re just, so creative! Yeah, creative!” I said spastically trying to make his tears go away before Tezuka walked over.

“W-what do you mean?” He said pouting like a three year-old child. 

“Well, you see.“ I said pausing. I heard chuckles coming form Momo behind me, like he got sadistic pleasure from watching me get out of trouble, which he probably did. I took a deep breath and calmed my thoughts. You are a witty girl Clair, think! Or else Mr. Captain will–I cut myself off not even wanting to think about it.

“Kikumaru,” I started again. “Everyone uses Clair bear," Nobody does. "I just thought that since you were a…special friend you would like to call me something that not everyone knows me by.” I said delicately, and watching his face to see if I made him upset at all.

He pondered this a second before sitting criss-cross-apple sauce (as he would probably call it) and looking up at me through eyes that I thought for sure would belong to a child at that point. “Really?” He asked.

I quickly smiled as genuinely as I could. “Of course, you're very dear to me Eiji.” I added for special effect.

His eyes widened and he jumped up to strangle me–hug me–once again. He pulled away looking as good as new. “Okay, then!” He saluted. “I’ll come up with something soo amazing it will blow your mind Clair!” I sighed in relief at not only him calling me by my given name, but also because I knew now I wouldn’t get in trouble.

Momo carefully approached me from behind and whispered over my shoulder as I looked at Kikumaru’s distancing figure. “Nice save.” He said jokingly.

I glared at his violet eyes in return. He put his hands up in defense. “Hey, it’s not my fault you made my senior cry is it?” He asked, but you could clearly tell he was holding back his humor.

A low growl erupted from my chest, which just made him bite his lip more and stop his laughing. “It’s not.” I said clearly still pissed. “But I’m almost confident that every time I get in trouble you have something to do with it.” I told him honestly, well, honestly pissed anyway.

He quickly hid his smile and put on his best innocent face by blinking those rare violet eyes at me. “Clair bear, that’s not very nice.” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like taking my tennis racket and throwing it right at his–

My eyes grew wide and I froze completely. I felt a cold chill travel down my spine and shudder my whole body. My blood ran colder than ice, not good.  Momo smiled a couple seconds thinking that I was still messing around, but after not hearing an angry remark from me he quit his innocent look. “Clair?” He said, waving a hand in front of my face. No response. “Hello~” he tried again, shaking me a bit this time, but too no avail.

 His eyebrows pinched together in concern. “Hey, I get it. Don’t mess around anymore. Point taken, now stop it, you're starting to freak me out.” He said losing his bravery by the second. I watched as worry seeped into his eyes, darkening that once playfully beautiful violet into a murky purple.

“Momo.” I breathed.

His eyes slowly went back to normal and he put a hand over his heart. “Jeez, Clair! You scared the crap out of me!” He said playfully. He pushed me like a friend he hadn’t seen in years. 

“Momo.” I repeated again firmly. 

“Yeah?” he looked into my eyes and knew something was really wrong.

“What?” he asked, a bit more serious now. 

“Did we finish playing our first competitors already?” I was still as I waited for an answer.

Momo just looked at me confused. “Yeah, Captain was mad that you weren’t there, as well as Coach Ryuzaki, but we beat them, so there’s nothing to worry about.” He replied plainly not really seeing what the problem was. 

“So I’m definitely gonna play next right?” 

“Yeah.”

“Against St. Ruldolph?”

 "Yeah."

“Then there’s a problem.” I added. 

“What?”

 We went on like this because there was really no emotion that could describe the tension lying beneath this conversation. 

”No racket.” I told him bluntly.