Title: Twenty Things About Seigaku (1/9)
Rating: Gen
Characters: Tezuka Kunimitsu
Summary: Twenty things about Seigaku from Tezuka's point of view.
Notes: Written as part of that 20 things craze last year. This fic is dedicated to Lynn,
the one who got me into writing again through her constant poking.
Thanks for reminding me how much I missed it. First posted on LJ on October 15, 2005.
Twenty things about Seigaku from Tezuka's point of view:
1. Tezuka believes asking Oishi to be fukubuchou was the single best decision he ever made in his entire life.
2.Tezuka knows that he can always count on Oishi to come through for him, no matter what happens. This is why he let himself go so far in that fateful Singles 1 match with Atobe.
3. Tezuka knows Fuji actually doesn't have the stomach for Inui's juices. Fuji likes the impression he gives the rest of the club when he gulps it all down, and Tezuka knows that Fuji is strong-willed enough to drink the juice normally without any adverse outward reactions. Tezuka knows this because he caught Fuji throwing up in the showers after drinking Inui juice, a full half hour after Fuji had smiled, drank an entire cup of Inui's latest vile-looking concoction, and declared it tasty. No one else was around, as Oishi had handed the clubhouse keys to Tezuka because he had to go with Eiji to the dentist, and Tezuka still had some paperwork left to do. After Tezuka helped Fuji clean up, neither of them spoke about the incident. But from then on Tezuka somehow manages to field everyone else after another of the juice incidents, allowing Fuji a chance to slip away to recover elsewhere in peace. Fuji is always back within three minutes, and no one else seems to have caught on yet.
4. Tezuka also knows Fuji is still planning further revenge on Inui for that Aozu incident. He doesn't want to think any further about that if he can help it.
5.Tezuka actually finds Inui's data-collecting creepy, especially because Inui is constantly watching Tezuka. Sometimes Tezuka wonders if Inui is truly writing down data about Tezuka, or sketching images of Tezuka naked. Tezuka wonders if Inui is aware that Tezuka has these thoughts. He doesn't think about Inui that way, but he wonders if Inui may in fact be harbouring a crush on him.
6. Inui is the reason why Tezuka always seems uptight at school. Tezuka can't let himself go or relax because Inui is always nearby, watching him. Tezuka sometimes wonders if he would have gotten a reputation for having the personality of burnt toast if Inui had not gone to Seigaku.
7. Kikumaru is the only third-year regular that can annoy Tezuka, who considers himself pretty easy-going (no one ever said Tezuka had an absolute understanding of himself). Does Kikumaru have to be so loud?
8. However, Tezuka can't help but admire Kikumaru's ability to smile all the time. For that alone, he respects Kikumaru (most of the time, even when he's being loud).
9. Kawamura accidentally hit Tezuka with his racket in first year. No one else was around except Fuji, who only chuckled as Tezuka glared at Kawamura. That was the first time Kawamura's "burning mode" had subsided without someone taking the racket out of Kawamura's hands first.
10. Tezuka wishes Kawamura's father would stop thinking he was a teacher. He's been going to Kawamura Sushi since first year, and Kawamura-san has undoubtedly seen him in the same uniform as Taka and Fuji (and Oishi and Eiji and Inui) more than once. Tezuka sometimes catches the twinkle in Kawamura Sr's eye, and wonders if Kawamura-san isn't just saying it at his expense.
11. Tezuka doesn't know how he will encourage Momoshiro's eye for strategy, though he spotted it as soon as he saw the younger player playing on the street courts. Luckily for Tezuka, he doesn't have to take on a mentor role after all, as Momoshiro seems to be developing it just fine by himself.
12. Tezuka has sometimes caught himself wondering where all those burgers go. Then Momoshiro does a Dunk Smash, and Tezuka instead wonders how much power is in Seigaku's trickster. Being able to jump that high after eating twenty pounds of burger is no mean feat.
13. Tezuka inwardly wonders if Kaidoh has more tenacity than Tezuka himself. He appreciates how hard Kaidoh works, and heartily approves of his attitude--even if he doesn't tell Kaidoh so.
14. Sometimes, Tezuka wants to say "Psssh" too. He wishes he could get away with it, but he suspects that his credibility would instantly crumble completely and irrepairably.
15. Tezuka regretted hitting Echizen as soon as he had slapped him, but pride kept him from apologizing. This was actually the real reason he asked Sakaki-kantoku and Hanamura-sensei to let him tell Echizen he would be part of the Jr Senbatsu team.
16. Tezuka knows how much Echizen hero-worships him, and was actually avoiding a match with Echizen once he saw how vastly improved Echizen's tennis skills were. Tezuka used to fear that once Echizen beat him at tennis, he would lose all his respect for his buchou. He felt guilty for doubting his youngest Regular in this way, though, and eventually managed to overcome it. Thankfully, Echizen has proven to be made of better stuff than that. To this day, Echizen still calls him buchou with that bit of reverence in his voice.
17. After finding out that Ryuuzaki was Echizen Nanjiroh's coach in Jr High, Tezuka decides he will never go pro. Tezuka is still convincing himself that the major reason for that decision is because he prefers law.
18. Tezuka will never forget seeing Ryuuzaki in that tight outfit at Atobe's "festival". He still gets nightmares about it.
19.Secretly, Tezuka likes that silly "S-E-I-G-A-K-U can say!" cheer Ryuuzaki's daughter came up with during the matches with Jyousei (Fuji somehow managed to tape it). He's slightly disappointed that they haven't used that cheer again.
20.Tezuka doubts Horio will ever make it into Regulars at Seigaku, both in middle school and later in high school. He sees a spark of potential in Katsuo and Kachirou, though, and secretly harbours hopes that the two will turn out to be as outstanding a doubles pair as the Golden Pair are now.