Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 18: The Fujioka Clan

"I better tell Grandfather to tighten the security on the internet." Ryouko said, typing up a text message on her phone. She pressed 'send' and turned to Mizuki.

"So what you really wanted from me isn't my so-called 'talents' but my family's money..." Ryouko said, smirking.

"No... You're really talented. The money's only a bonus advantage." Mizuki answered.

"That's too bad for you then... The Fujiokas do not operate that way..." Ryouko said with an amused smile.

"What way?" Mizuki asked.

"Excluding the expansions with the different families through marriage, the Fujioka is a big enough and successful enough clan. We were strong enough on our own. And that was obtained through observing and following the Fujioka principles. The children of the Fujioka aren't given allowances greater than your average student. If you're in elementary, then you're given the allowance of an average japanese elementary student. If you're in junior high, then you'll be given the allowance of an average japanese junior high student. The same goes for those in high school and college. Money is meant to be earned for you to have the right to spend. The Fujiokas were trained since young how to value money, earn money and maintain money. Excellence, intelligence, discipline, control. The family doesn't give us money, they give us the knowledge needed to earn money ourselves. That's how the Fujioka got that powerful. 'Give a person a fish and he eats today. Teach a person how to fish and he eats forever.' That's the Fujioka's way of educating their offsprings." Ryouko told them.

"Wah... How strict." Gakuto commented.

"Not really... It can be quite enjoyable." Ryouko told him. "But I do have money of my own. Those that I earned myself." She said, remembering something.

"Money of your own?" Hanamura said questioningly.

"Our toy factory was just starting back then... About seven years ago I think... My Dad took me to a manufacturer's meeting. They were discussing designs of stuffed animal plushies when I carelessly let myself say that the designs were ugly." Ryouko said with her fingers on her lips, reminiscing.

"Bet they didn't like that." Gakuto said with a laugh.

"They didn't, but I was six. How will you pick a fight with a six-year-old? But then they said I was too young to understand what they were talking about. I said they're stupid to say that. Who else can understand the makings of a child's taste but a child like me? That was what I told them. Then they went quiet and listened to my suggestions. They went out that year, the plushies I designed. Archie Ram, Carrol Hen, Pepper Bear and Peter Rabbit." Ryouko told them.

"You designed Pepper Bear? I love Pepper Bear! I had one when I was seven!" Gakuto exclaimed.

"My sister won't let go of that ram stuffed animal. It's still in her room even though she's already in high school." Kajimoto said.

"I got a Carrol Hen for my younger sister before. It was tough to get it." Oishi said.

"I had Peter Rabbit once. A girl gave it to me as a present during the third grade. It was popular back then." Hiroshi commented.

"But they halted the mass production of those series, right?" Oshitari asked Ryouko.

Ryouko nodded. "But we still produce high-quality ones as a limited collection. Pretty expensive and only ten of each kind in the world. It sold out last month." She said. "And 30% of the sales of those stuffed plushies went to my bank account since my sixth birthday. 'You sow what you reap.' I may be a child back then but the designs were mine. Of course I had a share with the money it got." She said.

"So you do have money." Mizuki exclaimed.

"I don't use it. It will sit in that bank account unless I find it necessary to withdraw it." Ryouko said.

"Is that why you have so many coupons? So you won't have to use up your allowance?" Shinji asked.

"Who doesn't love free stuff? Us teenagers without proper jobs should learn how to spend wisely." Ryouko replied matter-of-factly. "I buy my own tennis things unless of course, I do someone in the family a favor and they buy it for me. You've seen my cousin Ichidou. He's perhaps the best money schemer among our age. He can make money out of thin air."

Ryouko looked at them one last time and smirked before going away.

"Who said you can stop? I'm not seeing those laps! Go run five more!" Ryouko yelled at the freshmen.

"Getting cooler and cooler every minute... Maybe we can also try to recruit her for our team, Atobe-san..." Gakuto commented.

Atobe smirked in response. "Bet my old man will like that... (Note that Atobe used 'Oyaji' for the 'old man', indicating his father.)" He thought.

"Good luck with that... As you've seen, she's stubborn as a rock." Inui said before going away.

"We have to practice so we'll go now. See you later, Yuuta." Syusuke told his little brother.

"Just to make sure again, Shinji... She wasn't your girlfriend?" Ishida asked.

"She's not. How did you come up with that idea?" Shinji asked.

"Well back then when you exited the omurice specialty shop, the person on the counter said that you have a pretty girlfriend and you said 'yes'. We clearly heard you." Sakurai told him.

"I just said 'yes'. It didn't mean anything." Shinji replied.

"If she were just asking for directions, why did you accompany her everywhere?" Ishida asked.

"Ryouko was kind enough to share some of her coupons in gratitude for showing her the places she was looking for..." Shinji answered.

"Ryouko? Wait. You're on the first name basis???" Sakurai exclaimed.

"She said she didn't want to be called Fujioka. You heard earlier right?" Shinji said blankly.

"At least use '-san' after her name then." An said.

"I don't think she'll mind though." Shinji said as he looked at Ryouko.

"She shared her coupons with you. She won't mind. It's similar to a lion letting you take a bite out of a deer it caught. Ryouko is simple like that." Ryoma commented as he passed by them on his way to the drinking fountain.

"How would you know that, Echizen-kun?" An asked, curious.

"Just because." Ryoma answered.

"Wait." Kamio said as a thought sunk in in his head. Echizen called her... Ryouko...

An and Kamio looked at each other. "First name basis?" They said together.