Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Electronic Love ❯ Love Letter for the Prince ( Chapter 6 )

Love Letter from the Prince

The next morning, Oishi came to school even earlier than usual. At that hour, only few students had arrived at school. Some were morning persons, others were those in charge of some clubs like he used to be, and some were girls desperate enough to put their love letters into their crushes' shoe lockers. Of all categories Oishi could be classified to, Oishi fell to the last one.

Nervously, the mother of Seigaku tennis team glanced around him. After he was sure that the coast was clear, he drew out a letter and a red rose from his bag. Oishi looked around him again, and then finally opened the locker in front of him. It wasn't his own, of course. It was Fuji's. He made sure the rose was alright, put the letter on Fuji's shoes and the rose on top of it. With a relieved sigh, he closed the locker again carefully and quietly.

It wasn't this complicated with Eiji, Oishi recalled. It just took some coaxing and some privacy and suddenly he had the redhead as his boyfriend.

Last night, after Tezuka mentioned his plan, Oishi had argued with his captain. It was too bland, Oishi said. Tezuka couldn't just send a plain letter to Fuji. It was so unromantic. Tezuka had glared at him with a look that clearly said `why would I want to be romantic?' which Oishi simply smiled at.

“The first reason was, well, obviously your nickname. Prince Charming? C'mon Tezuka, it spells romantic. Second reason, you want Fuji to think it's not you at all and, well, honestly, you're not romantic.”

Oishi could believe he get so excited with the whole love letter thing. He considered this a payback for Fuji's help with Eiji. He knew that the redhead would probably keep his feeling to himself if not for Fuji. It's only fair now that he tried to improve Fuji's love life.

Of course there was a chance that Fuji might not love Tezuka at all. But if Oishi had been getting the right `vibes', then Fuji had a certain fondness to their captain. And just like Inui would probably say, there was an eighty seven percent chance that Fuji love Tezuka. Oishi was pretty confident about his opinion; after all, he wasn't called the mother of Seigaku tennis team for nothing.

Oishi grinned to himself, pleased for thinking about his mother's rose garden and for being able to help his best friend.

Now about that physic test….

*

Today there was no morning practice, so Fuji came later than usual. Despite feeling disappointed, he smiled and greeted everyone cheerfully. Prince Charming hadn't replied his message. Maybe he was having second thoughts. Fuji sighed softly. Now he was back to square one.

However his disappointment was elevated as he opened his locker and found the big surprise of the day. A letter was placed on top of his shoes with a red rose on top of it. He took the red rose first. It's still fresh and was probably picked this morning. Then he took the letter. On the envelope, printed neatly in a beautiful font, was his name.

Fuji's heart beat madly in his chest. It wasn't like he had never received love letters before. But this one was different from the rest he had got for all three years he was in Seigaku. Instead of pink and perfumed, it was plain white envelope. Instead of pretty handwriting, it was printed. Fuji could tell that it came from a male just looking at the envelope.

“Nya, Fujiko, what was that?” Eiji asked form behind him. “Wow! Fuji got a red rose, nya!”

Fuji smiled at his best friend. All around him people were staring at him in amusement. Some girls even had this starry-eyed expression on their faces. Fuji merely smiled to them all.

“There's a letter, too! Read it, nya!”

Fuji wasn't too thrilled with the idea of reading someone's love letters out loud in public. It would be too humiliating to bear especially by a male. He might be a sadist sometimes. But there is limit to everything. He would not humiliate this guy, whoever he was, in front of some of the population of the school. Fuji shook his head. “Not now, Eiji.”

“Eh? But I want to know, nya!” The redhead whined. “Ne, buchou, tell Fuji to show me the letter!”

Buchou? Fuji stilled for a second before turning. Behind him, now stood Tezuka. Fuji hadn't noticed him earlier because he just arrived. Despite the pain that still lingered in his heart, Fuji put his best smile that clearly say `now what are you going to do?'.

Tezuka looked at the letter Fuji was holding and the rose that peeked through his bag with an unreadable expression. Then the stoic boy redirected his gaze to Fuji. He seemed to search something in his face but Fuji didn't know what it was. All he knew was those hazel eyes on him. He realized that it wouldn't be easy to forget Tezuka. The scar was still too fresh and his feeling for Tezuka had rooted to deep. To forget Tezuka was not an easy task at all.

Eiji's whining brought Fuji back to earth. And he smiled slightly wider while waiting for his captain's response. He would not show his pain to anyone, especially Tezuka.

“Ohayou, Fuji, Eiji. You'll be late for class.”

Fuji's face brightened considerably as Eiji whined even louder. He smiled to Tezuka to show his gratitude and amusement that Tezuka was willing to play along with him this time and found Tezuka looking at him closely. Fuji's smile faltered slightly as he drowned in the hazel eyes. Fuji didn't know what to feel. There was that lightheaded feeling, happiness and affection that weren't uncommon every time he looked into Tezuka's eyes. But there were also pain, sadness and disappointment because he realized that Tezuka only cared for him as a teammate and rival. Not as a person and especially not as a man.

Swiftly, Fuji turned to Eiji. “You heard the buchou. Let's go, Eiji.” He beamed and dragged his friend to their class. Idly, he wondered if the light headache was actually from the coming tears and not Eiji's loud wail by his ear.

*

Later on, during lunch break, Eiji had again whined and asked Fuji to read the letter. Since Fuji was also curious, he relented but refused to read it out loud as Eiji had requested. The not was printed in a flawless white paper, too boyish and plain for a girl. Fuji's eyes opened when he read the first line of the letter.

Your bold words astound

And in my mind they resound

Surely you wouldn't doubt me

And my sincerity

So to prove you that I'm serious

I shall invite you to a rendezvous

As for the place, please wait and see

There'll be clues of the reservation just for you and me

This was from Prince Charming!

“Mou… I don't' understand.” Eiji said beside him. “Prince Charming? Does this mean it's…”

Fuji clamped his hand on Eiji's mouth gently with a smile. Thankfully no one was around them at that moment so no one heard Eiji's outburst just now. Eiji looked at him in confusion but quieted down. Fuji smiled at him gratefully and withdrew his hand. “Yes, it's from a he.” Fuji said quietly. “And you don't understand it because it's a reply for a note I sent him.”

Eiji's eyes widened. “Nani!” The redhead cried out in surprise. Then he seemed to remember Fuji's action earlier and hushed his voice. “Why didn't you tell me, Fujiko? And how did you do it? I think it's the first time I've ever seen this kind of letter in your locker. Ne, ne, tell me, Fujiko1”

“I communicate with him through the internet. Remember the site I told you a few days ago? He's a member there and just suddenly sent me a message asking me to be his lover. I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure at first.” Fuji explained at length.

“So now what happen? Eiji asked, bouncing on his seat in excitement.

“I agreed to give him a chance and now he wants to meet me.” Fuji said, unable to hide his own excitement as well though he showed it in a more silent way.

“That's wonderful!”

Fuji smiled and took the flower from his bag. The rose looked rather dry from the lack of air but to Fuji's eyes it still looked beautiful. He should put it in water as soon as he got home. “I'm surprised he reply this way. I have expected him to reply through the site again. I suspected that he's also in Seigaku but I never know he'd be as bold as to send me something like this.”

“Nya, Fuji, do you like him?” Eiji asked his friend. Fuji seemed happy about this whole thing. But the prodigy also looked slightly in doubt as if he weren't sure of his own action.

“I guess so. I haven't known him at al. But I think he's rather shy and serious.”

“Like Tezuka?”

Fuji's expression sobered at the mention of the name. “Yes. Just like Tezuka.”

Fuji remembered the way Tezuka looked at him that morning. Blank, with only slight trace of curiosity. He seemed rather uncomfortable, too. Perhaps he had also realized that the letter seemed to be from a guy and remembered his own relationship with Ryoma. But above all else, Tezuka didn't seem to care at all.

“Fujiko-chan…” Eiji said softly. “You like him, don't you? Tezuka-buchou, I mean.”

Realizing that there's no point in lying, Fuji nodded. “But I've given up on him. I decide to give this Prince Charming a chance.”

“He cared for you.”

“As a player, Eiji. As a rival. He doesn't care for me the way Oishi cares for you.”

Eiji flushed a bit but was determined to go on. “But if you like him and not the Prince Charming then…”

“Eiji.” Fuji interrupted his best friend not unkindly. “Tezuka will not like me that way. I know better than to force him to like me that way. I must forget about him and move on. This Prince Charming is probably the one for me.”

“Or probably not.” Eiji pointed out.

“Or probably not.” Fuji agreed. “But I won't know until I try, ne? I'll try to get to know him. I'll try to love him. If I can't then there'll be Prince Charming number two, ne?”

Eiji looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, and then he reread the letter. “This Prince Charming doesn't sound so bad. Ne, Fujiko, if you and he hit it then maybe we could double date! You and Prince Charming with me and Oishi!”

Fuji's chuckle joined Eiji's cheerful chipper as the redhead rant on. Perhaps today was not that bad a day, at all.

^_^