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

CHAPTER 39: Into the Starry Night

"Yoke no osewa da. (It's none of your business.)" Ryoma told her.

"Ryouko-chan, can we talk to you for a second?" Mami said in a loud voice.

Ryoma's golden-bronze eyes widened. He immediately turned to the other direction and hurriedly went away.

"What is it?" Ryouko asked as she went out of the room. Mami and Miyako were looking at Ryoma's back as he disappeared down the corridor. Ryouko followed their eyes and looked at the direction where they were looking.

"What are you guys staring at?" She asked them.

"Nandemonai. (Nothing.)" Miyako answered.

"What do you want to tell me?" Ryouko asked.

"We're just thinking... uh..." Miyako stuttered as she searched for something to say.

"Can we tag along again tonight for the study group?" Mami finished for her friend.

Ryouko smirked. "Even if I tell you 'no', you'll still go anyway, so why bother asking for my permission?" She answered.

Mami and Miyako faked a laugh, relieved that Ryouko didn't notice anything unusual.

Ryouko switched her bag to her other hand. "We'll meet up in front of the school gates in an hour. Don't be late." She told them.

"Okay." Mami replied in English.

"See you later." Miyako said and waved goodbye to Ryouko.

"Echizen-kun acted very weirdly, don't you think?" Mami whispered near her friend's ear.

"Yeah." Miyako answered.

They looked questioningly at each other.

~~~

An hour later

The freshmen and the Seigaku regular members gathered again in front of the school. This time, the girls were there waiting with them. Osakada Tomoka and Ayase Mami were shooting sparks out of their eyes at each other as their trusty best friends took their arms as if preventing them from going at each other's throats.

"It's another fun night at Hime-chan's mansion." Kikumaru said as he moved side to side animatedly.

"We are not there to play, you know. Be a bit more serious, Eiji." Oishi said.

"Don't be such a killjoy." Kikumaru told his partner and pouted.

"Eiji's right. We should also enjoy as we work. After all, Ryouko won't want us to have a bad time in her house." Fuji commented.

The others looked at Fuji. "What?" He asked as they noticed their stares.

"You seem different." Inui told him.

Fuji merely smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

A minute later, the bus came. They greeted Licht and went inside the vehicle with no delay.

"Where's Ryouko-san?" Ritsu asked the butler.

"She's taking care of the preparations. Yesterday was a bit sudden and we weren't able to show the best that the Fujioka manor can give." Licht answered.

"I hope she didn't prepare anything overboard. It makes us apologetic." Fuji commented.

Licht smiled. "Ojou-sama made it as homely as possible. Please don't worry." He replied.

With that, Licht revved the vehicle and they were off to the Fujioka mansion.

The gates automatically opened to let them though. When they entered the premise, they saw more than a dozen apron-clad employees setting tables and chairs at the grounds. It seemed like they were making preparations for a garden party.