Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 44: Fruit Tart Thief

Ryouko held the icing bag in front of her expertly. "It's done." She breathed.

"My gosh... These are the moments that I wish to keep in my memory forever..." Ichidou commented. He was standing by the kitchen door, watching Ryouko bake.

Ryouko undid the ribbon behind her to take the apron off. "Cut the theatrics." She said threateningly.

"Can't you be more like that? I love it when you cook. You turn so quiet and actually looks like a docile young lady." Her cousin told her, approaching the kitchen counter. He attempted to poke some of the icing on the cake and got a slapped hand for his trouble.

"Geez. Just a bit won't hurt." He said, nursing his hand.

"You're not a child to be poking out the icing on cakes. I've baked another one. It's in the refrigerator. Go and cut yourself a slice." She told him.

Ichidou grinned and did as he was told. "I'll eat half of it." He said.

"You're such a glutton." She told him.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who can finish a whole cake in one sitting." He retorted.

Ryouko called for Licht and asked him to wrap up the cakes. There were a lot, two round ones and two rectangular ones. She figured that she might as well give everyone a treat. It was convenient that they had two ovens with two layers each in the kitchen.

Now, all they need was to wait for the results to come out. Ryouko felt confident that all his boys will surface with victory. She felt excited about the inter-school tennis camp. "Ain't this a bit weird? I came here to further my own training and I end up being more excited for the training of some other people." She thought. Maybe it was true that she had the blood of a coach in her. Then again, she felt more alive when it was she who stood in the middle of the court. "Just watching is boring."

She took the hair tie from her hair which she used to pull it back from her face as she baked and ran her fingers through it, her eyes calmly closed.

She began to wrap Ryoma's fruit tart herself, placing it in a light, silver dish. "What's that?" Ichidou asked, holding a plate of cake. He saw the fruit tart and his eyes sparkled. "I love fruit tarts! How did you know that I'm craving for one?" He said, placed the plate down and was about to lay his hands on it.

Ryouko held it away from his reach. "This is not for you." She said.

"Why? Did you bake it for yourself?" Ichidou replied, not taking his eyes away from the pastry.

"Ryoma asked for it." She answered.

The sparkle in Ichidou's eyes died. "For Ryoma?" He echoed, irritated.

"Yep." She said and engulfed it inside a green wrapping paper, securing the end with a yellow ribbon.

"Aren't you being too submissive to that guy?" Ichidou commented.

"In what way?" She asked.

"Well, you always played along in all he wants to do." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It won't hurt if I do as he wished every once in a while. After all, he also goes along my schemes and stuff." She told him.

"Hmmph. You're so nice to him and you can't even lift a finger for me." Ichidou mumbled under his breath.

"You were saying?" Ryouko asked.

"Nandemonai. (Nothing.)" He said moodily and went away.

"What's gotten into him?" She said, looking at his back. She shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the matter.