Disclaimer: I may have tweaked a little bit on the character profiles. But, hey, this is fictional… with a mix of some Tennis no Ohjisama facts… And I don't own POT characters :D

000

Chapter 4: Nanako and Tezuka

Nanako turned as ghastly white as ever could be. She could feel her heart going ballistic-explaining why the necklace that reached down her chest shook. Secretly, the girl glanced to her left to clarify if TEZUKA KUNIMITSU really was sitting next to her.

And yes, no doubt, it was.

'Gawd, am I supposed to consider this a blessing or a curse? If I get another heart attack in this plane because I'm sitting next to THIS GUY, it's on you!' Meino cursed within her thoughts.

"Ah, excuse me…" Tezuka called; snapping Nanako out of her mental suicide. "By any chance, do you know Echizen Ryoma?"

"H-he's my cousin…" Nanako barely replied; trying to ease out the tension that could be evidently heard from her voice. "Why do you ask?"

'Yeah, why'd I ask?' Tezuka thought. He very well knew about Nanako's relationship with Ryoma. In fact, he also knew Nanako's favorite burger station, her favorite color, her blood type… Heck, could he be the stalker?

"Please don't think of me as some sort of con artist or whatnot…" he said. "I just noticed your resemblance to him… You see, we're tennis teammates in Seigaku; so yeah, I know your cousin."

'Alright Nanako… It's time to tell him the truth… This is the moment you've been waiting for, so get yourself into a good start with him!'

"I know that you know about my cousin," Nanako paused to look for any reaction from the man; finding none, she continued. "And I know that you're Tezuka Kunimitsu, the captain of Seigaku tennis club. This may sound funny, and a little bit weird, but I used to—"

"I know all about it." Tezuka said, on the contrary to what Nanako thought. "Meino Nanako isn't it? I know you've been tailing around me ever since my freshman year. It's about time you told me about it."

"Y-you knew?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"And during all those times I hid from you, you—"

"Yes, I knew that you were hiding quite foolishly behind my back…"

"Even after I…"

"Even after you graduated."

"So you knew about me all the time and never told me about it?!" Nanako exclaimed superlatively, calling other passengers' attention up. "Why you arrogant high schooler?! You---"

"Now don't start with that." Tezuka curled his lips to a devious smile. "I know very well that I'm older than you."

"Hmph." Meino looked away from Tezuka and focused her attention on the window to her right. "You think you're all that."

"Everyone, please fasten your seatbelts; the plane will be taking off in a moment." The English stewardess called out. "I repeat: Everyone, please fasten your seatbelts; the plane will be taking off in a moment."

And a while later, the plane started flying; allowing Tezuka to resume his conversation with Nanako.

"So why are you going out of the country?" he dared question. "I don't want to assume that you're going this far just to stalk me."

"I was NOT stalking you!" she said defensively, and faced Tezuka again. "I was… merely watching your games! That's all! And me going to the same country as you and sitting beside you is not my idea FYI!"

"I was just kidding." Kunimitsu grinned at the frustrated woman. "Does it have to do with something about why you haven't been 'merely watching' my practices lately?"

It seemed that there was a sudden transition in Tezuka's mood; therefore making Nanako a lot more tongue-tied and uncomfortable to answer his question.

'He acts just about as irritating as Ryoma when it comes to interrogations.' Meino told herself.

"It's none of your business." Nanako replied wryly. "I just want to make it clear to you that I'm not going to Germany because you're going there too."

"Is your reason that grave that I can't know?" Tezuka continued to pry. "You're sick, aren't you?"

Nanako sweat dropped. 'T-this guy's good…'

"How would you know?"

"So you ARE sick." Tezuka concluded. "How sick are you? What kind of sickness do you have?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?!" Nanako uttered loudly while figuring out a diversion for Tezuka not to know about her disease. "Setting that aside, how come you're going to Germany? Are YOU stalking ME?"

"Not in your most desperate dreams woman." Tezuka muttered childlishly- and out of character-ish-ly- as he laid back on his seat. "If I tell you my reason, will you tell me yours?"

"You don't need to know why, you're not the stalker. So shoot."

"I'm not falling for that." Tezuka replied. "Just for curiosity's sake… Don't worry, I don't blab."

"What makes you think that I'll tell someone I've met for barely thirty minutes why I need to go to Germany?" Nanako questioned. "I don't think that's appropriate."

"Barely know? I beg to disagree." Tezuka scoffed. "You've been stalking me for three years and I knew about it all the time. In any case, that means that we've both known each other for three years- more or less. You still think not?"

"T-That's different!" Nanako disagreed greatly. "Well anyways, I'm not telling you, and you don't need to tell about yours either. Anyways, why acknowledge my situation? I'm just a stalker to you, aren't I?"

"That didn't come from me."

000

"Man, it seems kina empty without buchou around." Horio commented while doing the fifty forehand swings all freshmen was tasked to do. "I wouldn't want to be the first to say this, but even the regulars are starting to get really lazy ever since Tezuka buchou left."

"Horio, don't say such." Kachiro remarked. "Oishi-senpai's already having a hard time without you adding to the pressure."

"All right! Everyone gather up!" Coach Ryuzaki called for everyone to assemble themselves at the empty tennis court where she was.

Once the team members settled down, Oishi began, saying: "I know that all of us are in the downside after Tezuka left to get his arm treated. However this cannot mean that we can be more lax with our trainings because that will only show our dependence to him. So starting now, I'd like everyone to---"

"Oishi-senpai is talking too much…" Echizen thought.

000

It had been more than one painstaking hour for Nanako since they boarded the plane. She stared purposely at the window to avoid awkward glances at Tezuka, who now slept quietly beside her.

'He has long eyelashes.' Nanako observed, still awkwardly glancing from moment to moment. 'And a slightly smoother skin than the average guys…'

'Could he be gay?! Nah, a gay person wouldn't cross his legs as manly as this guy does… And a gay wouldn't stand keeping his hair so tousled too.' She added.

"Would you like anything madam?" the English stewardess who announced to them a while ago now stood beside Nanako and Tezuka's aisle, pushing a small food cart along with her. It could, however, be noticeable, that her only intention of being there was to look closely at Tezuka as he slept.

Nanako waved 'no' to the stewardess who still locked her sight to Kunimitsu. "No thanks. You may leave now."

And the irritated stewardess finally left Tezuka alone.

'That stewardess! If I didn't know better, I'd say that she's a perfect candidate for Tezuka's mom! And there she is, hitting on him while he's aslee—ahh!"

The plane shook for a moment; letting Tezuka's head fall onto Nanako's shoulder.

Meino's pulse seemed to have gone ten times faster that she thought she was going to have a cardiac arrest. She looked at Kunimitsu to see if he had awoken from the short turbulence, but it seemed that the man had not noticed at all.

'A-alright Nanako… Calm yourself down… It's just Tezuka Kunimitsu who's resting his head on you… Not the prime minister of Japan or something…'

The girl could feel her cheeks go flaming hot-which she tried to cover just in case Kunimitsu wakes up.

'Tezuka… He's so warm…'

"Mmm?" Kunimitsu uttered silently. "Where are we?"

"We're still…." Nanako's mind went blank "Over the Pacific Ocean… I guess… Did… Did you get a nice sleep?"

"Fair enough…" The sleepy buchou answered. "By any chance, did you move my head onto your shoulder?"

"O-o-of course not!" Nanako exclaimed frantically. "The plane just shook, then your head fell! That's all!"

"Hmph." Tezuka mumbled, and slept again; not bothering to raise his head from its position on Nanako's shoulder.

000

AN: sorry for the late update, I had to enjoy the holidays…:D

Sorry for the typo (if there are :D) Reviews will be very much appreciated.