Another fic after a long writer's block *sigh* Still, I think I should update Seishun Moon but… I don't know, my humor sense has yet to come back to me.

Anyway, enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is mine! *get prisoned*

Hard Trap

Chapter 1

Tap. Tap.

I spin around in my chair once the pitter-patter of gentle rain reaches my ears. I can see shy raindrops falling from the sky through ceiling-high windows. Cool breeze plays with leafs and branches; coaxes them to dance along the music of nature. Even in the prison of my apartment room, I can taste the fresh smell of wet greeneries.

Soft sound of drizzle soon transforms into hissing of heavy downpour, but in some ways the raging rainstorm still carries a touch of softness within. My vision is blurred by aquamarine curtain of rainfalls, but my brown orbs are somehow capable of piercing through. And behind thick layers of descending drops, I can see a fading picture of us. From old, old time.

It was raining when everything started.

And in the rain, everything ended.

---oOo---

7 years ago

"I didn't do it! Please believe me! I never did such thing!"

It occurred one cloudy day on the school court, right after our tennis practice ended. I frowned. It was uncharacteristic of Kikumaru to plea so helplessly while in front of him, Oishi was looking away in dismay.

Everyone knew that the Golden Pair were inseparable. They could form Sync inside and outside the court, as double team and lovers. If anything, I could say they quarreled less than I and Fuji did.

"As much as I don't want to believe it, the news has started to spread. If it weren't the truth, I don't think she would dare to say it out loud. It brings her a bad name as well," Oishi replied bitterly, refusing to look at his boyfriend. Kikumaru's big blue eyes glazed at the words.

"And you believe her over me? Shuichiroh! You're impossible!"

I didn't understand the matter, but it was obviously bad. I approached them not really knowing what to say and I noticed that our team's resident genius had reached them before I did.

"Saa, what a quarrel we have here… Eiji? Are you crying?"

Cerulean blue eyes snapped open upon seeing the glistening tears marring Kikumaru's face. Kikumaru immediately turned around at Fuji's voice and started tugging at his best friend's sleeve.

"Fuji, Oishi doesn't believe me! I really did nothing to Higaya!"

"Oishi," Fuji's tone turned serious as his gaze met Oishi's. "I was with Eiji when this so-called incident happened. It was nothing really. I arrived just in time to see Higaya-san trying to seduce Eiji at the rooftop and he didn't do whatever thing Higaya-san said he did."

"But, Higaya-san told everyone… It can't be that she lied to all people… It brings her no good…" Oishi argued hesitantly.

"I also don't understand why she has to do that, but it's certainly for some reason. Come to think of it, even if 'that' really happened, why should she brag? Like she is proud about it," Fuji reasoned with unmistakable contempt in his silky voice.

"What on earth is happening here?" I didn't really think it was my place to interfere, but the club members had been dismissed and sending them off the court was part of my responsibility.

"It's nothing really, Tezuka," Fuji was the one who answered since Kikumaru choked at his attempt to reply and Oishi seemed too upset to emit a word. Though Fuji made light of it, I could see helplessness swam in the depth of his blue eyes. "We're going home."

With that, Fuji gently ushered Kikumaru away from the frozen vice captain. When they walked past me, I heard Fuji whispered just enough for me to hear, "We talk about it later."

I felt a headache coming, but it was not the time to care about that. Using my position as Oishi's best friend, I briefly patted the second-in-command's shoulder and spoke in a low voice, "Oishi, whatever problem you have, keep your head. Don't let your guard down."

It was uncharacteristic of me to give advice without knowing what the problem was, but at least it entered Oishi's thick skull and he finally broke free from his trance.

"Thank you, Tezuka…" Oishi whispered almost inaudibly as he walked past me to get to the clubhouse. Left alone in the middle of the court, I let out a sigh.

Rain was soon falling in steady drops.

It was only the beginning.

---oOo---

The next day, I finally knew what the 'incident' was. In fact, everyone in Seishun High School did. A girl—namely Higaya Ai and was actually in the same class with me—had disseminated with much tears and dramatic wails that Kikumaru had done an attempt to harass her.

It was ridiculous that there were people who believed her. Just one look at Kikumaru and everyone could say such thing would never cross his mind. However, whispers in class, along the corridor, and even at the court were inevitable. The following weeks were hard for Kikumaru. The usually bouncy redhead gradually became an introvert.

Quite fortunately, the regulars seemed to be able to see the truth.

But the only one who never acted the same anymore was none other than the other part of Golden Pair, Oishi Shuichiroh.

I remembered that I once told him to keep his head, but if I thought he bought it, well, I was wrong. It was out of my expectation, since I believed if such problem occurred to Kikumaru, Oishi would be the one who defended him till the last drop of his blood.

This slowly but surely affected their playing as well. In the following tournament, Golden Pair suffered a miserable loss from a not-so-strong double team from Heijo Gakuen, an unseeded school. I doubted we could forget how triumphant their opponents' smirks were.

"Kunimitsu," Fuji said when he approached me one day. For the first time in many years, I saw my lover look very troubled. He must be very concerned about his best friend's well-being. "About Eiji and Oishi…"

"Something has to be done," I responded.

"Yes," Fuji agreed solemnly. "I'm worried about Eiji. With all the pressures from other students, moreover from Oishi, I'm afraid he will fall sick."

I comforted him and promised I would try to help mending Golden Pair's broken relationship. As much as I was reluctant to meddle in other people's business, something really had to be done.

But things were proven easier spoken than done. I often tried to speak some senses into Oishi's head, but was to no avail. Meanwhile, Kikumaru's mental state got worse and worse each day.

---oOo---

"You will work in pair! Tezuka Kunimitsu, you will work with… Aonosora Naomi!"

A girl with long black hair and extremely red lips stood up and walked to me in a suppressed excited manner. She was Aonosora Naomi, one of those so-called popular girls who happened to be Higaya Ai's best friend.

"What a pleasure to work with you, Tezuka-sama!" was her greeting.

"My pleasure as well," I replied politely. She seemed to swoon.

The teacher assigned us quite a complicated project. Not that it was very difficult, but it took us a lot of time. We even didn't manage to finish it at school.

"Do you wish we finish it at one of our houses, Tezuka-kun?" Aonosora asked.

There was no other choice, so I agreed. "Hn. Let's do it at my house."

I informed Fuji that I couldn't walk him home and he seemed to understand. Together, I and Aonosora set off to my house.

Once we stepped inside, my mother greeted us with unveiled surprise written on her face. I guessed it was because I never brought a girl home before.

"We have to work on some project, Kaa-san," I informed her. She nodded vigorously with a bright smile.

I settled on working in living room. My mother showered us with every snack and beverage available. For some reason, she kept peeking at us once every five minutes. When the clock struck seven, I announced that we were done for the day.

"We can continue tomorrow. The deadline is next week, after all," I said.

"Kunimitsu!" My mother emerged from her room. "It's late. You have to send Aonosora-chan home."

Aonosora and my mother exchanged some polite words before I walked my classmate home. Once we had arrived in front of her house, she asked, "Tezuka-kun, could we work on the project at your house again tomorrow?"

"If necessary," I answered curtly. The truth was that I didn't quite entertain the thought. One day passed and I already missed walking my tensai home.

But somehow Aonosora and I never managed to finish our project at school and she became a frequent guest at my house. My mother seemed to fancy meeting her and they became close. They often had some talk after we were done for the day. My mother even invited her for some tea at the weekend.

It seemed so natural that I never thought it was a bad omen.

Until the rain fell.

---oOo---

Yes. It was raining once again.

Seigaku had been deserted of students. The final bell rang about 30 minutes ago, but I was still there to do some work from student council. I just finished it and now was strolling down the corridor that would lead me to Fuji's class.

That day there was no Aonosora to come to my home. Our project had yet to be done, but Aonosora said she had some business with another friend. Since the deadline wasn't that near, I let her. Beside, I really missed walking Fuji home.

I turned at the intersection and caught a view of my lover in his class through the windows, and he was not alone. I frowned. No one was supposed to be there at that time. Other students had fled away as soon as the bell rang, before the rain fell heavier.

From my position, I couldn't decipher what they were saying. It seemed like Fuji was quarrelling with a black-haired girl whose back was facing me. My forehead creased deeper. I already deemed it strange that Fuji didn't come to my class and waited for me there.

I looked at my watch. Really, who would be staying here until this hour? Once I looked up to the window again, the girl suddenly drooped. I quickly resumed my steps until I arrived at the door. Guided by the muffled noises inside, I opened it. The sight that greeted me made my blood freeze and boil at the same time.

The girl—Aonosora Naomi—was sobbing incessantly on the floor. Fuji looked up and shock was written all over his face at the sight of me. His blue eyes widened almost comically that I would have been amused should the situation allowed.

"Te-Tezuka-kun!" Aonosora looked up from her position on the floor. She eyed me with wide teary eyes. "He-help me!"

"What's exactly happening here?" I asked harshly. My eyes trailed from Aonosora to the cerulean eyes of my lover's. "Fuji, what--?"

Before Fuji could even emit a word, Aonosora cut in, "H-he hit me!"

"Liar!" Fuji shouted in rage. "You threw yourself onto the floor once you saw Kunimitsu!"

"Just because you're jealous of me, it doesn't mean you can do that!" Aonosora yelled back.

"Like hell I did!" Fuji spat. I never saw him that emotional before. He eyed Aonosora with full resentment.

"You did!" Aonosora replied tearfully. "Tezuka-kun, listen. I was looking for my friend when he called me. He ushered me into this deserted class, and then… he began to swear into my face, saying that I shouldn't be so close to you… and… he hit me… hard…" She broke into sobs once more.

"WHAT MADE-UP STORY IS THAT?!" Fuji shouted with all his might. His face was red with rage. "Aren't you the one who said all those words about my having to leave Kunimitsu?!"

I was so confused. I didn't know whom to believe. The next thing I knew Aonosora threw herself into my arms, buried her face into my shoulder, and cried her eyes out.

"Fuji," I managed my voice to be steady. "I saw her collapse earlier."

Fuji shot me a disbelieving look. "Yeah, she threw herself onto the floor!"

"By God, why should I do that?!" Aonosora said between her tears.

"Because you saw Kunimitsu and you want to accuse me!"

"Fuji," I cut in. He fell silent, except for the sound of his harsh breathing from all the shouting. "Her back was facing me. There was no way she could see me coming."

"Kunimitsu… Tezuka," Fuji's forehead creased deeply. The plethora of emotions in his eyes was intricately indecipherable. "You believe her over me?"

His voice rang in the eerie silence that engulfed us. Time seemed to stop flowing then. Me and Aonosora in my arms, and not six feet away, Fuji stood firm on his own, eyes disbelieving.

Honestly, I didn't know what to answer, so I kept silent. I could see anger, disappointment, and deep down, hurt in his clear blue eyes.

Without another word, he brushed past me and walked away into the harsh rain. He kept his head slightly low, but I swore I saw glimpse of sparkling crystal liquid flow down his face.

Pain gripped my heart, but I only stood rigidly there. Like a heartless statue.

In my arms, Aonosora's sobs died down.

---oOo---

A/N: Ahm, this is supposed to be a one-shot, but I figure it's a little bit too long, so I break it into two chapters.

Don't hate Aonosora too much now, because you have all time in the world to hate her after the next chapter.

I'll be very glad if you review! Thank you for reading ;)