Love From Afar

Chapter One: Realized Feelings

"Hey Echizen! I've come to pick you up. You ready yet?" Momoroshiro shouted to the boy.

"Not quite but almost!" Echizen replied.

"You better hurry or else we will be late for the morning practice", Momoshiro complained.

"I'm ready now!" Echizen shouts while he runs out of the door.

It was like this everyday. It has become a habit where momo-sempai waits for Echizen to go to school together. Since He came to Japan to study, he realized he have changed a lot. Ryoma does not distance myself from people he does not know but try to socialize with them. Also, he realized that he could actually fall in love with someone either than tennis, Echizen was so surprised with myself. When Ryoma was born, his father had trained him tennis to make him a good tennis player. His father wanted me him fulfill his dream, which is to participate in Grand Slam. When he came to Japan, something triggered in his mind. When he was only six years old, Ryoma met a boy when he got lost. They talked about tennis and played in the park. They even promised each other we would be able to meet each other again. That boy seems to have similar aura and features as one of his sempai. The one closest that resembles the boy is Fuji-sempai. Since it is already 6:00, Ryoma rushes to put on his uniform before they are late for our morning practice.

Morning Practice

In the changing room, it is only Momo-sempai and I. Since Momo-sempai finished changing, he is waiting for me in the court. When I finished changing, I heard the doorknob turned. The one who appears in the room is Fuji-sempai. For some strange reason, my heartbeat starts racing and I feel heat on my cheeks. I wonder what is wrong with me. Before I can exit the changing room, Fuji-sempai starts to talk to me.

"Echizen, how are you today?" asked Fuji.

"I'mmm… fiiine!" stuttered Echizen.

"Is there something bothering you, if so you could always talk to me about it." said Fuji.

"No, why?" replies Echizen.

"Oh nothing, by the way do you want to try to play doubles with me as practice with Oishi and Eiji?" said Fuji.

"Sure, why not? I'll be heading to the courts then." answers Echizen walking out of the changing room clumsily.

"I'll be there in a second, just wait for me in one of the courts." shouted Fuji

I wonder what is wrong with me. Why do I feel so nervous and embarrassed in front of him when we were talking. I wonder if he finds out about my feelings for him. I wonder when I started having feelings for him. Anyways, I better start concentrating on what Buchou has to say or I might need to run 100 laps.

"Echizen, let's play in Court C!" said Fuji.

"Sure, any court would be fine." replies Echizen.

"Ne Echizen, do you have anyone you like?" asks Fuji.

Echizen choked on his saliva.

"Echizen, what's wrong?" asks Fuji.

"Nothing, I was just surprised that you asked.", replies Echizen wiping his mouth.

"You still haven't answered my question yet", said Fuji suspiciously.

"I do but he does not know.", answers Echizen shyly with a blush on his face.

"Aren't you surprise that the person I love is a he but not a she?" asks Echizen.

"Not really, since you don't look like you are fond of girls.", replies Fuji with a smile on his face.

"I see. How about you? Is the person you like a she or a he?" asks Echizen nervously.

"You curious? I better not leave you in the dark or else…." Said Fuji with a sly smile with his eyes open.

" He looks so cool and handsome with his eyes open. I wonder why he never opens them frequently." Echizen thinks to himself.

"Or else what?" asks Echizen nervously.

"Or else you would spend the whole day trying to figure out instead of concentrating in practices and in class.", said Fuji.

"Then tell me is it a he or a she?" asks Echizen.

"It's a he. Now that you know, we better start walking to Court A, Oishi and are waiting." , replies Fuji.

"Usu", replies Echizen.

After practice

Even if Fuji said that the person he likes is a he, Ryoma wonders who it is. Since he is in love with Fuji, he would hope that that person would be himself. As Echizen wonders off to wonderland, the teacher taps his desk to try to wake him up but he does not respond. He just sits there looking outside the window.