Author's note: I do NOT own Prince of Tennis nor (sadly) any of its characters.
I am also in the process of writing another fic entitled "Reawakening" which also features Tezuka x Sakuno. I have NOT abandoned that. It's just that the idea for this has been swimming in my head and i just need to write it to get it out of my system before I focus on that one. Minor OOC's for this, but I hope it works.
Tezuka Kuniharu is highly amused.
His son Kunimitsu arrived from his training camp earlier than expected the night before, saying that he has decided to continue training to become a pro tennis player in Germany at the soonest possible time. Kuniharu and his wife had expected it already, though their son had not expressed it outright, as the married couple have already made the necessary preparations for their son. He already asked his company to assign him to the Berlin office, where housing for his family would also be taken care of as part of the relocation package. In the meantime, his younger sister would move to the house in Tokyo to tend to his father Kunikazu's needs. All he needed was Kunimitsu's decision, and he knew his son would choose tennis. There was no reason not to support Kunimitsu. He has been a model son, hardly disobedient, kept his grades up, and truly cared for the family. Everyone in the household agreed that moving to Germany is what's best at this time.
As a show of support, Kuniharu had taken the day off from work to complete arrangements for his family's move: phone calls to the Berlin office, booking flights for his family, and now accompanying Kunimitsu in making arrangements for school. Due to special circumstances, Kunimitsu was allowed to complete his course requirements from Germany, and he was given the rest of his homework and course guides to take with him.
What had amused Kuniharu was that his affectionate son, who usually smiles at home, is quite the antisocial emotionless boy in school. What had increased his amusement was that his son seems to have a large female fanbase as they were greeted by squeals left and right.
However, being a Tezuka, even Kuniharu managed to hide his amusement well. He made a mental note to tease Kunimitsu about it later. After their business in the school's main building, the pair made their way to the tennis courts, where the club room was. Kunimitsu needed to clear his locker there, too.
Kuniharu heard the familiar sound of solo tennis practice. Apparently, Kunimitsu heard it too, as he turned his head slightly to the direction of where the sound came from.
Kunimitsu sighed.
Kuniharu's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Out of curiosity, he turned to see what Kunimitsu was looking at.
It was a girl.
An aburn-haired girl with long pigtail braids practicing tennis on her own. Her form's not great, but Kuniharu can tell that she's trying. Obviously younger than his son. Probably a freshman. She also looks familiar, somehow.
Kunimitsu looked away and started walking to the club room. Kuniharu just followed him, noticing that the pigtailed girl was oblivious to their presence the entire time. Apparently, she wasn't part of his son's fan club.
"You seem to be very popular in school, Kunimitsu," the older man said to his son once they entered the club room with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
The fifteen-year old had been expecting that and instantly regretted accepting his father's offer to accompany him to school. "Well, that's certainly one thing I won't miss when I'm gone," Tezuka Kunimitsu said, clearing his gym locker of the last of his personal effects and headed to the desk.
His father chuckled, "But I'm pretty sure you will be missing someone, right? With all the girls falling over you back there and all, you can just take your pick. I wonder what your mother will think of that."
Tezuka didn't have much patience when his father was in this mood. He threw the older man a stubborn look before resuming writing his instructions to Oishi and Kaidoh.
The smile on Tezuka Kuniharu's face widened, "Oi, oi! Don't have to look at me like that, boy. Besides, I have a feeling your special someone's not a part of your fan club anyway."
Tezuka resumed his writing while his father looks around the club room. His father did just hit the nail in the head, after all. Not that he really has a special someone. Tezuka Kunimitsu himself hasn't even sorted out how he feels towards the girl.
It's all just so new, whatever it is he's feeling.
She's different, for reasons he can't pinpoint either.
Tennis, he knows. With tennis, his goals are clear.
With her, it's not.
It's not like he doesn't want to figure things out. Tezuka knows it's not the right time to do so. It'd be unfair. Besides, Ryuzaki Sakuno's just too young to think of things now. To ask her to "figure things out" with him at this stage of his feelings would be a recipe for disaster. He's leaving for Germany. Tonight. It's just not fair. She might not be thinking about such things to begin with.
Or at least not with him.
"Ryuzaki," he heard his father say, snapping Tezuka out of his thoughts.
How did he know? Tezuka wondered. "I'm sorry, Otou-san?"
"Ryuzaki Sumire," Tezuka Kuniharu replied. "Your coach? We should invite her and her family for dinner, before we leave for Germany. Don't you think so?"