Unexpected Confession

By Rurippe

Disclaimer : I do not own Prince of Tennis and its characters

"Tezuka-senpai!"

Tezuka shifted his gaze from the tennis court where the regular were practising when a familiar voice called him. He saw a pigtail brown hair girl coming toward him with determined written on her face. He noticed her best friend was tagging along behind her with worried and concerned expression etched on her face. He wondered what the loud and cheerful first year wanted from him. She'd rarely spoken to him before.

"Ne Tezuka-senpai," Tomoka started when she was standing a few steps away from him. She was fidgeted when Tezuka turned his body facing her. Her determination was crumpled a little bit under his gaze but Tomoka tossed away all cowardice thought from her head. She had decided it was now or never and reminded herself that this might be her only chance.

"I like you, senpai! And I want to be your girlfriend." Tomoka said loud enough that everyone in the court could hear. "Do you mind to be my boyfriend?"

Not only Tezuka but all Seigaku tennis members who stood nearby them were surprised. They gaped in disbelief of what they'd just heard and witnessed. Did they hear right? Osakada Tomoka, the self-proclaimed of Echizen Ryoma's fan club president, best friend of the couch's granddaughter, and the loud and over enthusiastically first year, has just confessed her feeling to their stoic and strict captain tennis, Tezuka Kunimitsu?

Kachiro and Katsuo dropped all the tennis balls they had picked and Fuji didn't even bother to return the ball Ryoma shot toward him. Now their attention was no longer to their practise but to the two figures that stood outside the tennis court. The regular members completely abandoned their own match practise.

It was no wonder anymore for everyone if there were a crowd of girls gathered around the tennis court shrieking Tezuka's name when school rank tournament or a few girls bluntly staring at him or trying to gain his attention at the street or other places. They were all his fan girls. But this? This is Osakada Tomoka we were speaking now.

She wasn't even Tezuka's fan girl, in fact she's Ryoma's. Though, she also seemed to admire Fuji and Kikumaru. And as far as they remembered Tomoka and Tezuka rarely speak to each other. But then again Tezuka wasn't a talk active person in the first place. Then how come Tomoka declared her feeling to him even asked him to be his boyfriend?

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It was during the spring school rank tournament Tomoka met him for the first time. She was waiting for Ryoma-sama's next match after defeated Inui-senpai while half listening to Horio's rattle.

"Sasuga Tezuka-bucho!" (As expected, Tezuka-bucho!) One of the second year tennis member commented from the other court.

'Ng? Tezuka-bucho?' Tomoka was curious. She had heard of him of course but never seen the person before. He was quite famous among her female classmates. So out of curiosity she walked to the other court where many people gathered around it.

Tomoka halted midway when she heard the gate to the court was being opened. She could hear other girls, most of them were above her year, yelling his name. Tomoka saw two figures were walking out of the court. Both of them were wearing Seigaku regular jersey. The raven haired boy with a friendly face was talking animatedly with his friend. Tomoka knew him as one of the student council member, Oishi-senpai.

Tomoka shifted her gaze upon the boy who walked next to Oishi. He was tall and lean. He wore glasses and has keen eyes. His light brown hair was shining under the sunlight. He looked serious and very calmed making him looks older than his actual age and he was also good looking. There was something about the way he carried himself that made Tomoka couldn't help but held her breath. Tomoka almost sure she could feel her cheeks burning by the sight of him.

'So he's the one they called wonder my classmates like him. He was cool and handsome.' Tomoka thought.

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno's voice startled her, snapping her from her train of thought.

Tomoka turned around slightly. "Sakuno, nanda?"

"Soro soro Ryoma-kun no shisai hajimeru yo." (Ryoma-kun's match is about to begin.) Sakuno said looking concern at her.

Tomoka almost slapped her own forehead for forgetting her reason coming to the school tennis court in the first place. She came to cheer on Ryoma-sama with Sakuno. She sneaked a glance toward the stoic captain before took Sakuno's hand and dragged her best friend to the court D.

Later that afternoon, Tomoka was walking to the school entrance gate passing the now empty tennis court. The school rank tournament has ended and she was very happy that Ryoma-sama became a Regular. She was hoping to find Ryoma-sama so that she could congratulate him being a Regular. Now that she found no one, she felt slightly dejected.

She looked at the tennis court once more and that's when she saw a tournament notice board behind a desk. She stared at it curiously for a moment before she walked toward the desk. She studied the tournament block. She found Ryoma-sama's name on it. Then she quickly searched his name.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu…" Tomoka whispered his name when she found it in A block tournament. Suddenly she felt her heart beat faster when she realized she had said his name rather loud. She feared someone might hear her. She relaxed when she glance around and found no one.

Tomoka stared at his name for the last time before she continued her journey to the entrance gate. By only saying his name had made her heart beat faster and her cheeks flushed. She didn't know why but she felt somewhat excited.

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"Ne Sakuno, let's find the book sensei have us to read." Tomoka asked her best friend after the last period ended.

"Gomen Tomo-chan! But it's my time to clean the class today." Sakuno reasoned.

"Ah I forget about it. I guess I have to find it alone." Tomoka said completely forgot today was the time for Sakuno and her other classmates to clean their class. "Well, I will borrow it for you as well."

"Arigatou, Tomo-chan!" Sakuno said gratefully.

So that's the reason why Tomoka has been walking between the bookshelves at the library alone. She was looking for the book her Japanese teacher had assigned her class to read and review. Tomoka searched through the bookshelves in front of her.

"Ah, found it!" She cried happily when she found the book she'd been looking for was on the top shelf, ignoring the look other students gave her for making a loud noise.

Tomoka tiptoed trying to reach the book but failed miserably. She tried again by putting one hand at the edge of the shelf to help her pushing her body up meaning to reach the book but could only touch the bottom of the book. She couldn't pull the book out from its place.

When she tried to reach the book once again by tiptoeing with one foot, a large hand pulled out the book from the shelf. Tomoka was startled. She turned around and only met with someone's chest. She looked up and gaped in surprise when her eyes met with Tezuka's.

"Here." Tezuka handed the book to her after watching her struggling to reach it for a while.

"Ah, arigatou senpai!" Tomoka took the book out from his hand.

Tezuka nodded his head and began to walk back to his desk but halted when Tomoka timidly asked him. "Ano… Tezuka-senpai. Could you help me get the same book once again?"

"It's for Sakuno. I promise to borrow it for her as well." Tomoka explained when she caught a questioning gaze in his eyes.

Without saying anything Tezuka got the same book for her once again and Tomoka saying her thanks once again when she took the book from him. Tomoka stared at his retreating figure for a moment. She could hear her heart thumped loudly and she swore she felt her cheeks burning when their hand touched. And that was the first time Tomoka speaks to him.

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The first time Tomoka felt jealous was when she relayed a message to him from Ryuzaki-sensei. That day together with her classmate, Tomoka handed their class's homework book to their biology teacher. She was about to go out from the teacher's room when Sakuno's grandmother called her name.

"Tomoka, can you help me pass a message for Tezuka?" Ryuzaki Sumire asked her. "I'm sure you know him."

Tomoka nodded her head confirming Ryuzaki-sensei's assumption. She didn't know why she felt like suffocating in her chest when she heard his name. Tomoka stood anxiously waiting for Ryuzaki-sensei to continue.

"Please tell Tezuka to meet me here after school before practise."

"Hai, sensei!" Tomoka said.

"Ma arigatou ne, Tomoka!" Ryuzaki-sensei said gratefully unaware of the girl's anxiety of the task she had asked her to do.

When she was outside the teacher's room, she let out a breath she didn't even realized she'd been holding. Her heart was still beating faster. She jolted in surprise when the bell rang through out the school corridor, a sign of the end of the fourth period and time for lunch break.

Tomoka debated with herself whether she seek Tezuka first or have lunch with Sakuno and her classmate first. She then decided the later after she remembered she had promised Sakuno and the other for having lunch together.

"Osakada! What took you so long?" Hoshino, one of her classmates, asked her. "Renji-kun back ten minutes ago."

"Sakuno's grandmother asked my help. So I was being held back for a minute." Tomoka explained.

"Obaa-chan?" Sakuno asked.

"Ng." Tomoka nodded. She sat next to her best friend and opened her bento. "Itadakimasu!"

"What Ryuzaki-sensei wants you to do?" Minami asked her this time.

"She wants me to pass her message for Tezuka-senpai. That's all." Tomoka answered her question after she chewed down her food. She tried hardest not to look fidgeting when she said his name.

"Tezuka-senpai?" chorused Hoshino, Minami and Yoshida together.

"Ng." Tomoka nodded. "Nanda?" She asked slightly confused.

"That cool, handsome and famous tennis captain Tezuka-senpai?" Hoshino asked with sparkling eyes.

"Yes. That Tezuka-senpai." Tomoka said deadpanned.

"Kyaa! You're so lucky Osakada!" They shrieked loudly and beamed at her. Then they talked about Tezuka for the rest of their break time completely made Tomoka felt even more anxious with the time passing. She didn't know why she felt more reluctant to see him now after her classmates decided to discuss about him.

"Ne Tomo-chan, shouldn't you go looking for Tezuka-senpai?" Sakuno reminded her when she noticed that 15 minutes later the break was ended.

Tomoka almost screamed when she saw at the clock and realized that Sakuno was indeed right. She dashed out of the classroom and made her way to the third floor where the third year class room were.

She was out of her breath when she finally arrived at the third year. Suddenly she realized something important that made her slump on the floor. She didn't know what class Tezuka-senpai go.

"Mou, why didn't I ask Sakuno or Ryoma-sama first before I ran all the way here?" Tomoka moaning at her own stupidity, completely ignoring the weird look people sent toward her.

"Ano sa... daijoubu desuka?" (Are you okay?)

Tomoka knew that voice somewhere. She looked up and saw a third year tennis regular member bent down in front of her. "Fuji-senpai!"

"What are you doing here, Osakada-san?" Fuji asked at the frown girl in front of him.

"Ne Fuji-senpai, can you tell me what class Tezuka-senpai is?" Tomoka asked hopefully.

"Hm? Naze?" Fuji asked her slightly curious at to why Tomoka was suddenly asking about Tezuka out of nowhere.

"Ryuzaki-sensei asked me to pass a message for him." Tomoka explained.

"Well, in that case you can tell him now." Fuji said noticing Tezuka, Oishi and Kikumaru were walking toward their direction.

"Eh?" Tomoka tilted her head little bit confused. She noticed Fuji gaze over her shoulder. Following his gaze Tomoka saw the three other regular members were walking toward them before turning back her attention to a smiling Fuji.

"Fuji, what are you doing?" Kikumaru asked his classmate when they finally arrived and stood right behind Tomoka.

"I'm helping a damsel in distress." Fuji said while offering his hand to help Tomoka stand up which Tomoka gladly took.

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Fuji-senpai." Tomoka frowned.

"Ma, you looked like one before." Fuji commented.

"So what are you doing here, Osakada-san?" Oishi asked her. It was rare to see a first year in this side of corridor.

Tomoka remembering why she was there started fidgeting which she tried so hard to hide. Thankfully no one noticed it. She turned her attention to the stoic tennis captain who stood in front of her. "Ano Tezuka-senpai, Ryu..."

"Tezuka-kun!" A loud voice cut Tomoka off while speaking. They all turned their attention toward the long raven hair girl approaching them. As if being cut off was not enough, Tomoka was slightly being pushed aside by the new coming girl. She would've fallen if not for Fuji who stood next to her so her body crushed into him instead.

"Tezuka-kun, everyone was waiting for you. Come on!"

Tomoka was irritated. She glared at the girl who was her senior. She was about to give her a piece of her mind but when she saw the girl was holding Tezuka's hand and dragging him away from the group, all words died on her throat. She felt warm leaving her body and her heart was slightly hurt at the sight of them. Tomoka could only stare at both of them. She felt like her body being numb.

"Matte yo Tezuka." (Wait, Tezuka) Fuji called his friend, snapping Tomoka from her trance. "Osakada-san..."

"Ne Fuji-senpai, thanks for helping me." Tomoka said cutting off Fuji's words. "Please tell Tezuka-senpai Ryuzaki-sensei wants him to meet her before practise today." With that said Tomoka walked away from the group who stared at her in surprise by her sudden change attitude. She was completely ignoring the fact that Tezuka was still in an earshot and could hear her. All she wanted was going back to her class and away from him.

"What's with her?" Tomoka could hear Kikumaru asked the other when he thought she couldn't hear them.

"Sa ne..." Fuji shrugged though he had a guess why.

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"Hoi Osakada, please pass the soy sauce over here!" Momoshiro yelled through the crowd.

The regular tennis members, the trio ichinen and their faithful cheerleaders were not at Kawamura Sushi Shop. They were celebrating their victory against Yamabuki Junior High School and became the champion of Tokyo Tournament.

"Mou Momoshiro-senpai, why don't you get it yourself?" Tomoka complained but still did as he asked.

Tomoka walked to the Sushi bar and when she reached it, she took the bottle of soy sauce at the same time someone else did. Tomoka looked up and was surprise when she met with Tezuka's eyes. She felt some kind of jolt in her stomach then she quickly drew her hand letting her senior have the bottle.

"Here." Tezuka handed the bottle to her instead.

Tomoka felt like she was being drawn into the past when she stared at his offering hand. She remembered the day the same hand handing her a book in the library. She completely forgot how happy she was that day after their little encounter.

After the incident at the third floor corridor she devoted all her attention to Ryoma-sama. She denied all the strange feelings she felt every time she caught a glimpse of his figure. She'd tried harder not to acknowledge his presence. But with such small gesture Tezuka managed to destroy the wall she had built. Suddenly sadness crept its way to her heart when Tomoka realized she had fall for him no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

Tomoka took the bottle from his hand. Their eyes met for a brief moment when their hand touched. She could feel the same sensation she felt back in the library.

"Arigatou, senpai." She mumbled quietly before turning around and walked away.

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"Aah Osakada was surely looking for trouble!" Horio said.

"Osakada-san was very determined and brave ne…" Fuji said slightly proud and amused at his junior.

"The probability Tezuka will accept her love confession is 0%." Inui said holding his notebook and pen ready to add another data about his team mates and rival.

"Nyaa! It's such a pity Tezuka will reject her. She's pretty and full of energy." Kikumaru said with a sad tone.

"Fssshhh!"

Time seemed frozen with every second passed. Everyone held their breath waiting what their strict captain would say. However, they seemed to have a similar thought. They were surprise one of their faithful cheerleaders confessing her love to their captain and even asked him to be her boyfriend when no one dare to do that. At least not right to his face even less in front of many people. Other girl usually confessed their feeling through a letter or even if someone brave enough to tell him directly they would definitely not saying it in front of many people like this. So it was such a pity that Tezuka would reject her.

"Alright."

Once the word came out from Tezuka's mouth, everyone gasped in disbelief. Did they have a hearing trouble today? If they were surprised by Tomoka's love confession before, now Tezuka surprised them even more. Who would've thought that their stoic, strict and somewhat withdrawn captain Tezuka Kunimitsu would accept the loud, bossy and cheerful first year Osakada Tomoka to be his girlfriend?

If the other were surprise, Tomoka was didn't believe in what she heard. Her eyes went wide and her jaw was drop when Tezuka agreed to be her boyfriend. She just stood there gaping at her now boyfriend who stared at her with amusement in his eyes. Tezuka thought her shocking and disbelief expression was kind of cute.

He was right then, assuming she wasn't expecting to be accepted by him. Despite her determine face when she asked him, Tezuka could also see a resignation in her eyes. Like she'd already known she would be rejected and all was only a wishful thinking. But only her determination and needed to let out her feeling was what made her continue on.

"Wh.. what?" Tomoka asked when she finally found her voice.

"Nyaa! Tomo-chan, sugoi!" Kikumaru was suddenly gave her a bear hug from behind.

"Ah young love! Young Love!" Momoshiro said while giggling happily like a girl.

"Heh, not bad Osakada." Ryoma amused.

"Yokatta ne, Tomo-chan!" Sakuno said, happy for her best friend.

"Kikumaru, let her go." Tezuka said rescuing Tomoka from his death grip when he noticed her struggling to breathe. It was then Tezuka noticed everyone was not practising anymore.

"Everyone run 20 laps for not focus on your training!" Tezuka yelled. Everyone groaned and Horio was blaming Tomoka for confessing her feeling in the middle of practise.

END

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