Summary: She's a professional assassin, the finest assassin in the Agency. And her next target was Seigaku's tennis prodigy. He was standing right there. The plan for his execution was on schedule. She never hesitated when it came to her mission. But, why was she starting to hesitate now? And why does someone seem to know her so well if she's been in the Agency since she was six years old? (FujiOC)

Genre: Romance/Suspense/Angst

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its episodes that I reference into the story.

Claimer: Agent A.D.(the main OC/Kokiyua Kana), Sae-chan, the manager, Deidare, Shika, Mr. Slinger and the workers of the Agency. This assassination plot is my own idea along with the title.

Warning: Characters may be OOC, but I will try my best to make them stay in character. I'm not the makers of Prince of Tennis (Though I wish I was), so the characterization of the characters YOU ALL KNOW AND LOVE... ARE NOT EXACTLY WRITTEN THE WAY YOU'RE USED TO simply because they're written in the way that it would fit the story. Sorry, I'm not perfect. OC may seem like a Mary-sue! Cliché moments! xP

An Innocent Face

by Aikoflutist247

Chapter Five
Phase Three

Never pretend a love which you do not actually feel,
for love is not ours to command.
- Alan Watts

The chime of the exit door was heard, and the two remaining servers of the afternoon shift of Aiko Genmu shouted in unison, "Thank you, come again!"

"When does this place close, senpai?" Ryoma asked, looking toward Fuji. The brunette merely shrugged at him, noticing the reducing population of customers in the restaurant. There was only one other table being occupied at the moment, almost done with their orders.

"Hey new girl! Sae-chan! I'm leaving now!" A red-headed server declared, removing her apron and hanging it behind the corner, gathering her bags and walking out the door.

Kana turned around from the chef window, waving to her co-worker, "Thanks for your help today!"

"Yeah, yeah," the girl responded, waving a hand dismissively with a grin. "Don't forget to close up!"

Kawamura watched the redhead leave as another group of customers left the restaurant. "It looks like they're closing soon..."

"Should we leave, too?" Eiji asked uncertainly, staring at the last table being used, the couple eating a dessert, signaling they would be leaving soon. Looking to the counter with the register, only Kana and another woman were working, clearing the counter and returning dishes to the back. One could only assume one chef was working at the moment.

"No, we already ordered. We'll just eat fast and leave," Momoshiro suggested, grinning as he leaned back against his chair with crossed arms.

The red-head upperclassman stared at Momoshiro's confidence with disbelief, "But didn't you order a lot, Momo?"

Momoshiro, not understanding, raised an eyebrow, "So?"

"Dinner is served!" A familiar voice announced behind them.

The group turned around to find Kana and the only other server carrying a tray in each hand, balancing them as they headed toward their table. They placed the three trays of dishes and the last tray of drinks on the nearby table, distributing the dishes amongst the boys and refilling any empty drinks. When everyone was satisfied, Kana began to take her trays. Suddenly she heard a cry of her name, and she turned to find a crying Momoshiro.

"Where's my food, senpai?"

"I'll be right back, Momo," Kana laughed. "You ordered so much, I have to make two trips."

She was right.

Momoshiro grinned in glee as Kana approached balancing a tray on a hand on shoulder while in her other hand, was a portable mini-folding table. The other server behind her was carrying another tray.

"And this," laying out the trays and table next to Momoshiro, Kana declared, "is for the power-man. Please enjoy, and call me if you need anything or want to order dessert – which I'm sure you will. You're practically the last customers of the day."

"When do you close, Kokiyua-san?" Kawamura asked politely, turning toward his server.

"We close in about an hour – so don't worry, you have time. My co-workers reassured me that people rarely come around this time, so if you do need anything, just call me."

The boys thanked their server, satisfied with the service and food, leaving Kana to smile satisfyingly as she walked back toward the counter.

Her co-worker grinned at her tired sigh, "Working hard? You got a table that can eat!"

"Sae-chan, I never expected this on my second day, but it's fun," Kana admitted, grinning.

Looking down at her watch, the mischievous glint Kana held moments ago sparkled in her eye.

5:15PM.

Let Phase 3 commence.

Catching Sae's golden eyes, the two both nodded at each other before the blue-haired woman took off her apron, hanging it on a hook behind her and grabbed her purse under the counter. "I'll take my leave then, seeing as you can handle your friends."

"Sure, no problem."

"Good job today."

Kana nodded, smiling at the woman.

The two waved at each other before Kana turned to the chef window, seeing the chef's restaurant suddenly taking his leave after receiving a phone-call.

She sighed, continuing to clean the counter and rearrange the receipts around the register. She had only received this job a few days ago, waiting for the perfect time to turn in an application and get an immediate request for an interview. Being the punctual girl that she was, she had been ready on demand when the manager had called her for an interview on the same day. She got the job immediately thanks to her attitude, personality, and references. So far, the job had proven very useful to her, allowing her time see how people interact with one another and how they behave in different environments. Within her two days of working, she had witnessed a break up between a couple, an argument between family members, jealousy between tables, and angry complaints being shouted at one another. It was absolutely fascinating.

The chime bell of the entrance rang, bringing Kana out of her pensive stupor and turning her attention to the restaurant door.

"Welcome to Aiko Genmu!" A tall and burly man was standing at the door, an annoyed expression noticed by the new waitress. "I'll be with you in just a moment!"

"Hurry up, girly – I'm hungry!" He shouted back rudely, crossing his arms impatiently.

Kana narrowed her eyes irritatingly as she abandoned cleaning the counter and approached the podium, gathering a menu in her hand and making sure her receipt book was in her apron pocket. Well, not all customers acted the same, that's for sure. When she looked up at the man, he saw him take a long elevator stare at her before revealing a perverse smirk.

She could do nothing but return the disturbing expression with a fake welcoming smile, "Right this way, sir."

The moment she turned around, she heard heavy footsteps behind her. She could feel her body being indirectly touched with unworthy and disgusting eyes, gliding over her behind many times and down her exposed legs. At one point, she heard him snicker under his breath and grunt in satisfaction causing her to roll her eyes aggravatingly, seeing a nearby unavailable table across the restaurant from her other customers.

Eiji saw her approaching form, immediately starting to wave at her.

She merely smiled at the redhead as she passed by their tables, "I'll be with you in a moment, Eiji-san."

Keeping a forced smile, she glanced toward Fuji, who was staring up at her with his own perpetual smile. She had been keeping eye contact with such an intensity, feeling her lips soften from its fake smile to a warm smile, subconsciously slowing her pace as she passed by.

A shove brought her out of her momentary gaze, stumbling over her feet. "Come on, girly; I'd like to be in my seat, ready to order."

She took a moment to get her balance, the menus that were being held in her arms were now pressed tightly against her chest, clutching them in her hands embarrassingly and seething with vexation.

The tennis regulars sat there in shock, Momoshiro instantly was on his feet, "You bastard-! You don't go off pushing girls like that!"

"Momo," Kana softly called, straightening her uniform, her eyes cast away, "it's alright.. Follow me, sir."

As if to spite the boys, the burly man shoved the girl hurriedly, causing her to stumble over her steps but quickly regain her balance, quickening her pace.

Momoshiro growled under his breath, watching the man follow his senpai around to a table. Eiji slowly called out his name, causing the second year to sit back in his seat, grumbling about weaklings and manners.

The redhead of the Golden Pair team turned to his best friend, finding his eyes still following after the blonde waitress, who was leading the man to an available table within their view.

"What's wrong, Fuji?" Oishi asked, staring at his brunette friend.

Fuji's eyebrows were furrowed together, staring past Oishi.

A familiar voice gave a loud yelp before lowly responding uncomfortably, "Sir, this is quite unnecessary."

All the boys turned around to the commotion, each pair of eyes widened in surprise or narrowed in anger.

The obnoxious guy had somehow pulled Kana into his lap, forcing her to recommend different dishes to him, despite her verbal protests. He had his right arm wrapped tightly around her right arm and waist, leaving her left arm free to point to different pictures on the menu. One could see the obvious frustration displayed on her face, her violet orbs filled with anger, disgust, and loathing.

"Come on, missy. Just tell me about a few things you've got here."

Kana gritted her teeth, "Sir, I really insist you simply look through the menu yourself-"

"Listen here, missy." The man started, grabbing Kana's chin and forcibly making her turn to him, the surprised fear etched into her eyes contrasting with his intimidating and fearless ones, "It's either you do what I say and I pay triple the price, or I call your manager and raise a ruckus." He leaned in closer toward her, almost challenging her to resist, "Who do you think he'll believe: a loyal customer who's always right or the new waitress who doesn't understand the meaning of service and compensation?"

Kana's violet eyes narrowed dangerously at the man, one who was clearly underestimating her skill and prowess in the arts of stealth and kill. He merely smirked at her cold expression, "You're a cute and smart girl – I think you know what's the best option for you." She didn't flinch physically, but her eyes hardened with an intense loathing when the sturdy male leaned forward, taking a whiff of her scented hair, smirking under his alcoholic breath, "That cold stare you're giving me is only turning me on. Makes me want to show you exactly how I will tame you."

Through gritted teeth and hands balled in fists, Momoshiro growled through his teeth. "That bastard..."

Fuji's eyes revealed its true blue color, narrowing down angrily at the man. His eyes turned toward the counter before catching sight of a small red light on an electronic device nailed to the top of the wall, its lenses toward the victim of the scene. His eyes were followed by Inui who slowly continued to write in his book, pushing his glasses up his nose in the process.

"Oishi," Eiji called out, shaking the buzz-cut haired boy's shoulders, "we need to do something!"

Writing in his notebook, Inui looked up at his tennis-mates before announcing, "He could be charged of sexual harassment, but we'd have to wait for Kokiyua-san's call. If she's not seen outright protesting against him, the man can refute with nonverbal consent."

The boys stared nervously at Kana, who continued to glare at the man she sat upon. Completely ignoring her cold stare, the man grinned wildly, his eyes lowering to her red polo uniform. He moved the hand that was holding her chin toward her apron around her waist. Touching her leg, he slowly ran his hand along her thigh.

Kana did nothing at the touch, perpetually glaring at him, hoping to burn his eyes with the intensity of her stare.

The moment the burly man's hand lowered to her inner thigh, rubbing much to high, Momoshiro, Eiji and Kawamura had stood up abruptly, but before they could even blink, Kana had grabbed a hold of the man's wrist and twisted his arm over, quickly maneuvering herself off of him and pressing her free hand against his head on the table.

The boys' eyes widened in shock at Kana's actions, her violet orbs still narrowed into a loathing glare. "Sir, if you had seen the sign on the wall in front of the entrance, as an employee, I have the right to refuse to service anyone." Pressing harder against his head, ignoring his muffled death threats, she continued with a deep voice, "You, sir, have overstayed your welcome here. You will be officially banned from his food establishment. Please leave with what little civility you contain."

Slowly releasing him from her hold, she began to walk away toward Fuji's table, catching his surprised look and smirking at her triumph.

Fuji suddenly had a new respect for her. He returned her smile as she headed for their table – who knew the new girl would be able to handle a man three times her size? She held her chip up, wanting to show the remaining customers within the restaurant that she knew exactly how to handle herself – when she knew it was coming.

A strong, rough hand cleaved to Kana's wrist, instantly pulling her back from taking another step. A shriek resonated around the room as the blonde waitress fell to the floor.

"You're going to pay for this, girl," the man growled. He got up from his seat, gritting his teeth at the wide-eyed girl, forgetting about the boys in the restaurant.

Grabbing a nearby utensil, a fork was in Kana's hand and she threw it at his head. It him square in the head; taking the moment of distraction, Kana was on her feet, and she attempted to put space between them. But the man recovered quickly and grabbed her form, her wrist in his hand, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Ngh-! Let go of me!" Kana screamed, attempting to rip his arm from her.

Momoshiro, Eiji, and Kawamura were behind the man. Before they had completely tore him away from Kana, he had somehow ripped off her apron, her skit hanging weakly off her hip. The moment his hands let her go, Fuji appeared infront of her with open and secure arms.

Kana stumbled forward, surprised at Fuji's gesture. For a split-second, it was as if she didn't know what to do. Was she suppose to fall into his arms or was she supposed to stand on her own? Noting her confusion, the tensai took her in his arms, guiding her away from the burly man, who was trying to escape from the three tennis regulars' hold. Both Momoshiro and Kawamura had pushed him on his back, pressing his head against the floor, holding down his wrists. Eiji was sitting on his back, securing the guys' legs.

"Need any help, senpai-tachi?" Ryoma asked from his seat, sipping the liquid of his drink through a white straw nonchalantly.

Eiji turned around in his seat, grinning from eat to eat and giving his kouhai the grin and wink, "We got him!"

Getting off his mobile, Oishi approached Fuji holding Kana close to him, her hands pressed on his chest as if steadying herself. "I just called the authorities – they'll be here soon."

"Thank you, Oishi." Fuji responded when Kana didn't say anything.

Oishi nodded back, concluding Kana wanted her space to breathe, and he returned to the four boys to the ground.

When everyone was a good distance away, Fuji looked down at the girl in his arms.

He had wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her consciously close to him. She wasn't used to his kind of warmth and security; she wasn't prepared for the swirl of conflicting emotions within the bowels of her stomach. She was pressed against Fuji so closely, the smell of soba wafted around her nostrils. She felt her petite hands grab some of his shirt unconsciously, clutching tightly within her hands. His response made more emotions arise within her; his hold around her tightened, pressing her even closer to his body. Kana had looked up at the brunette, completely confused. He was simply smiling down her with that reassuring smile that she had never seen, and she felt her heart suddenly quicken and her stomach become light.

"I'll take care of everything, Kokiyua-san," he said comfortingly, placing his hand on her head, laying in on the space between his neck and shoulder.

Ryoma opened one eye from his laid-back position at his table when he heard Inui write in his notebook more, commenting to himself. "Fuji focuses more on the victim than the assaulter. Probability that it has to do more with the victim being Kokiyua-san is 65%."

"What's the reason for the remainig 35%, Inui-senpai?"

His pencil was still flying across the pages as he answered, "The assaulter didn't need any attention from him."

"Hmm..." Ryoma continued to sip at his drink, raising an eye toward the so-called 'victim' in Fuji's arms.

She had just handled herself against the man who clearly can lift her up easily, but the moment her back was turned, she couldn't retaliate or fight back. Why had she let him go in the first place? If she were to call for the police to come, she could've asked any of them to do it. Logically, it would have made sense to keep the guy down while waiting for the authorities to come. Ryoma shook his head – it would take only common sense to understand that the guy was bad news.

"Alright Kokiyua, he's in the police car now, and the Officer just took the surveillance tape for evidence."

Aiko Genmu's manager smiled reassuringly at Kana, who in turn nodded and smiled back. Kana stood behind the counter, clutching her wrist as Seigaku's tennis regulars were sitting on the bar stools, having moved their food to the counter instead. Everything was cleaned up and the police didn't take long to get to the restaurant. The burly man had given up, allowing the police to handcuff him and take him to the police car. Kana had put on her school uniform skirt instead, seeing as her work uniform skirt was inappropriate to wear – she'd have to get it sewn up. Though the red and green clashed, the manager allowed her to, considering what happened to cause that skirt to be unusable.

"I still can't believe Sae left early. I'm going to have to talk to her – leaving a new employee by herself to close up." The manager shook his head, standing in casual clothes, having rushed to the scene.

Everyone looked toward the glass windows, watching the burly man sitting in the police car, being lectured by one of the police before the door closed on him and the police vehicle drove away. The remaining police waved the restaurant off before leaving toward the station downtown.

"Why would Deidare do this to you? He's been a loyal customer here for the past year."

"I was fine, buchou. I wasn't alone – my friends were here."

The manager nodded toward them, "Thank you again for helping. I'll you have this meal on the house for your heroic deeds."

All the boys grinned, "Thank you!"

Momoshiro nudged Eiji, "Now you don't have to pay, senpai."

The redhead turned to his kouhai in shock, "You were going to make me pay for you, Momo!" A sheepish grin was his only response. "But you ordered a lot!"

Kana laughed, grabbing one of Momoshiro's empty plates and returning it to the sink, "Don't worry, Eiji. Everything's free now. But the chef is gone-"

"Shika left too? Aye." The manager shook his head with a disappointed expression.

Kana felt a sweatdrop form, "I think he had a family emergency... he just left all of a sudden."

The manager still shook his head, taking out his cell phone and getting ready to leave. "Well, the store's officially closed. I'll leave you with your friends. I hope nothing else happens tonight."

Kana nodded reassuringly, waving her manager off.

The time of merriment and victory started as the tennis regulars laughed and joked, enjoying their meals and their time with Kana. They all had their fun, forgetting what had just happened, and Kana was confused by it all. She never really socialized with any of the assassins or the staff members of the agency. Why did she feel relaxed and happy? This wasn't fake... but she had to stay focused.

Momoshiro cracked another teasing joke toward Eiji.

But it was hard when they kept trying to make her laugh.

This was the first time when she could listen to the boys without having to try finding any hidden motives. When she thought about it, this mission really only had her stand around and wait for the time to come. It was all new for her because she was experiencing new events, new emotions, new territories of the human civilization. This was a time when she didn't have be weary of anything happening to her, had to be cautious of her surroundings, had to be discrete of her actions. Even though she didn't fully understand half the jokes that were being said between the boys and toward her, she laughed along and blushed when it seemed appropriate. Despite the few times when she completely didn't understand what she was supposed to do or say, her curiosity and naivety only seemed to make the boys laugh, which made her more peculiar of these males.

When the boys got up, finishing their meals and drinks, they told the blonde waitress that they were taking their leave. The faintest hints of a frown were shown before covered up by a bright smile.

"Bye guys! Thanks for coming today – come again soon." Kana exclaimed, waving them away as she picked up their completely clean plates into the sink.

Realizing that she was now completely alone, and the room became quiet, a sudden feeling washed over – a feeling she did not know or how to describe. A feeling of sadness? A feeling of regret? A feeling of longing?

She didn't know.

Turning back to grab another stack of glass cups, she saw Fuji still in his seat at the counter. The unknown feeling instantly disappeared, and she felt herself smiling at the sight of the brunette. "What are you still doing here, Fuji-san?"

The brunette tensai leaned on a head, smiling at the waitress. "I think after today's events, you're in need of a proper escort home."

Kana laughed lightly, wiping down the counter clean, "I handled myself pretty well earlier before you guys came in."

"Makes me wonder how exactly you would've handled yourself when he pulled at your apron."

She stuck his tongue out at him. What was the point of the gesture? Kana had seen girls do it at school when they seemed embarrassed or wanted to prove a point. Was this the appropriate time to use it?

"Okay, you've proven your point. But it could've been worse."

"How so?"

The blonde paused for a moment, finding the right words to say next. "All of this could've happened without you guys being here. I shudder to think of what could've happened," she said. Silence fell upon the two, Kana washing the cloth she had been using, getting ready to wash the dishes. Getting no response from the boy, she said aloud with a smile, "I'm glad you guys were here though. I'm actually surprised you came."

"I've gotten used to walking you home; coming to the restaurant was just for fun," Fuji responded, grinning at the woman.

"Well, these dishes are going to take awhile," the blonde felt herself saying, wanting to hear his response.

"I can wait."

The walk was silent between Fuji and Kana.

Was she supposed to talk first or wait for him?

Was she supposed to ask him to leave or let him walk her home?

Was she supposed to invite him into her home or wait for another time?

What was she supposed to do?

Her condo finally came into view and the two stood in front of it with a moment of silence.

Fuji had his hands in his pocket, his smile still evident on his face as he turned to Kana. She had a look of complacency and confusion on her face, her eyes spilling with conflicting emotions he couldn't really identify, and his smile widened. What was she thinking about?

"You're home."

Kana nodded, looking up at Fuji. "Thank you for walking me home."

"No need to thank me. I like walking you home."

Kana nodded. Was she supposed to do something now?

An awkward silence fell between them again, and Fuji stared at Kana, thinking she had something to say.

Finally, a thought struck the blonde. Didn't the agency show her a video of what a girl did when the boy saved her life?

Kana stood on her toes, placing her lips softly on Fuji's left cheek before retreating. Having never done this before, she pondered over if she was suppose to do what she just did, if she had done it right, if it was an appropriate event to occur. Feeling her cheeks heat up suddenly, she touched her cheek, wondering what was going on before looking back at Fuji.

His eyes were slightly open, seemingly in surprise, before his smile widened and he turned around. "I'll see you, Kokiyua-san. Stay safe."

Kana stared after him, not understanding.

Wasn't he suppose to kiss her?

Wasn't he suppose to mention the kiss in any way?

Wasn't he suppose to hug her?

Was she suppose to run after him and confront him?

Was the cheek kiss too early?

So many questions swirled around her, and she felt herself fill with anxiety.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and her frown was evident as she stared at Fuji's retreating back.

Could what she have done effect the mission? The kiss wasn't a part of today's plan for the mission, but she felt it was necessary.

Slowly walking back toward her condo, she closed the door and typed in a code. Removing her blonde wig and allowing her black hair to fall on her shoulders. She sat on the living room couch, letting her wig fall on the end table, and she leaned against the couch in thought.

Her target was completely unpredictable.

She was going to have a difficult time performing follow-ups on the mission.

Fuji Shusuke's probability of having a crush on Kokiyua Kana?

68%.

Kokiyua Kana's probability of having a crush on Fuji Shusuke?

48%.

Agent Angel of Death's probability of having a crush on her target?

Error.

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been SO long since I last updated, but I really had no idea what to write for phase 3, and at one point, I gave up entirely. Make this the jealous phase? Have someone rob her? I really didn't know. And it was even hard to write this chapter! I found it so hard to figure out how Fuji would react or how Kana should feel or whatever! It's tough. I didn't understand how difficult this would be when I first thought of an assassin idea, but I'm getting the hang of it. I've written out outlines for future chapters as well. So...

Well, even if I did write outlines, don't expect a chapter any time soon! Sorry for those who want speedy chapters, I just can't write quick enough! Especially with college application deadlines coming around. Oh, what has this world come to! Hope you guys can be patient - but I'm not giving up on this story! Please bear with me and the time lapses! Sorry once again!