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

CHAPTER 120: Hotaru... Good boy, bad boy?

Amidst the shades and tinctures inside the corridor on the second level of the Fujioka mansion, a shadow could be seen lurking through like a phantasm of the night. It stopped in front of a door, placing a hand onto the doorknob.

"Is she sleeping already?" the boy thought as he turned the knob clockwise and opened a gap through the door, making a shaft of dim light enter the room. He smiled. Licht is still the best housekeeper. Seeing that the door didn't even cry out a single creak is the best evidence that even oiling hinges is being done on regular basis.

Tiptoeing in the darkness, he let himself inside and gently closed the door. The boy is dressed in his bedclothes, a pair of blue and white striped pajamas made of genuine cotton, and his head of fluffy cream-white hair is freshly towel-dried. He thought he should quickly sleep to avoid jetlag but he just couldn't settle down without seeing Ryouko's face before retiring for the night. Whilst venturing to her room, he figured... why not just sleep on her bed while he's at it? Just looking at her face isn't enough.

He spotted the old-fashioned bed with high posts and crept towards it like a kitten. Kneeling by the side, he peered at the face of the sleeping girl and smiled. The dim lights and shadows from outside the window danced on her delicate features.

Handsome even in slumber, beauty shaming the moon hanging in the skies, she is truly worthy of all the admiration that she had been getting from the people in her vicinity. But such beauty may also be an object of envy. With Fujioka Ryouko, one can either like her or hate her. Whilst there are plenty who does end up loving her, those who dislike her are not sparse in number. He really worried about that at times... so much that he would rather wish for her to be like Rapunzel in her tower, not allowed to roam around the vile people that may hurt her.

On such a note, he may admit that he understood the actions and decisions of the Elders regarding her. Also... if she was to be locked up like he was; his mouth twisted to a tight line; well there's no problem with that. They can always keep each other company.

Quietly, he stood, climbed on the side of the bed and slipped himself ever so softly under the covers. Only when he had settled himself comfortably without making her stir that he smiled a triumphant grin. "Infiltration successful," he told himself as if accomplishing a grand mission.

He tossed to the side to face her. "Hello, dear cousin. I'm back. You'll get the scare of your life tomorrow seeing me here. I really look forward to that," he whispered, mischief evident in his low voice.

Suddenly, the most surprising thing happened. Ryouko's eyelids quivered and her eyebrows furrowed. For a moment, he was afraid that he had woken her. But instead of opening her eyes, she reached her arm forward and grabbed him around the torso. Her hand closed over at the fabric of the shirt at his back. She snuggled close and moved around to make herself comfortable, slipping her other arm underneath to hug him with both arms.

Fujioka Hotaru froze like a statue with an expression as if struck by lightning. Is she mistaking him for a pillow? Well that's not a surprise because he's as soft and fluffy as a pillow from head to toe but for Ryouko to be this vulnerable in her sleep, it's really unusual.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be able to slip onto her bed without her waking up at the softest swish of the sheets, and then he'd be thrown out of her room instantly. At least that was what happened everytime during his past attempts... He figured that she's too tired out that caused her to sleep like the undead.

He smiled. "Well, isn't this jolly? I'd be an idiot if I don't take advantage of this rare situation," he thought and attempted to hug her back, but his hands stopped short when she suddenly opened her mouth to sleep-talk.