When the mask falls it shatters.
Summary: When Fuji Syuusuke's mask breaks everyone realizes too late. Implied TezRyo and AtoFuji, unrequited TezuFuji. Open ended.
Rating: T
Yuuta climbed up the stairs towards his room. It's already late and most of the inhabitants of the house had fallen asleep. "I have to stop staying up late" he muttered to himself as he walked pass his brothers room.
"I hate you..."
Yuuta stopped and looked at the door where the soft voice came from.
"Aniki?"
Curiosity got the better of him as he knocked on the door and entered. His eyes went in shock. Fuji Syuusuke laid on the floor his hand clutching a bloody wrist.
"ANIKI!" Yuuta scrambled towards his brother and kneeled before him. "What the hell do you think your doing?!" he asked, panic evident in his voice.
He then saw a razor about a foot from his older brother. 'Damn it...' he cursed mentally. He stood up to call on their older sister when he felt a hand reach up to his wrist "No...don't..." Yuuta's eyes widened once more. Since when did his brother plead?! He sat down again and reached into his brothers emergency cabinet pulling out a few bandages and hurriedly wrapped them around the older one's wrist. Syuusuke was quiet all throughout the process which unnerved Yuuta even more.
"It's him again, isn't it?" he asked softly while helping his brother to lean on him.
"No it's not"
"You can't lie to me..."
"I know..."
Yuuta glared at the razor and noticed something beneath it. That something was smeared in blood as well, that something was a small rectangular object. That something...
Was the picture of Kunimitsu Tezuka.
"I had a chance you know..." Syuusuke started. Sadness etched in his voice as tears threaten to come down. "I had a chance... but I wasted it... now... now it's all too late..."
Too late indeed, Yuuta knew what his brother was talking about, the rumor already got to St. Rudolph.
The rumor that Kunimitsu Tezuka is with Ryoma Echizen.
"I'm so tired of this..." Syuusuke muttered. Yuuta held his brother in an attempt to comfort him, he had seen his brother so many times on the verge of breaking and now that he did Yuuta didn't know what to do.
"Yuuta?"
"What?"
"May I remove my mask?" The question came as a plea rather than a request. Yuuta closed his eyes and sighed. He knows that his brother was not asking for permission but assurance.
"Go ahead..."
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"Mizuki-san, I want to play singles one" Mizuki turned around to stare at Yuuta, his hand which was busy twirling his soft hair now lay on his side unmoving.
"Whatever for, Yuuta-kun?"
"I want to see for myself the results"
"Result of what?"
"The result of my brother taking off his mask"
At that point Mizuki understood what Yuuta was meaning to say, he knew what was going on as well, after all.
So Yuuta will play Singles one.
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"Game set and Match, Echizen of Seigaku, six games to love (6-0)." Arai, who was the referee for this practice game announced. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and called out the next players. "Players of singles two please enter the court. For Seigaku: Fuji Syuusuke. For St. Rudolph-- " Arai stared in shock at the paper realizing what was happening.
For the past two battles St Rudolph followed their line up for regional tournament and Seigaku did as well, actually Seigaku's whole line-up didn't change, but as singles three came the change in the line-up was seen but the rest just dismissed it, thinking that Yuuta wanted to challenge his brother and Mizuki wanted to face Tezuka. With Seigaku leading two games to one, everybody expected that Seigaku has it in the bag anyway.
"For St. Rudolph...Mizuki Hajime." All eyes turned to the court. Everyone was thinking. "What the hell?! Is St. Rudolph thinking of suicide?!"
"What's going on, Hajime?" Fuji asked as he stood in the service area.
Fuji Syuusuke to serve!
"I should be asking you the same question, Fuji-kun"
"What do you mean?"
(St. Rudolph)15 -0 (Seigaku)
"You should know well what I mean..."
"I don't... enlighten me"
"Kunimitsu Tezuka..."
30-0
"What about him?"
"You mean what about you..."
"You're not making sense"
"Let me finish"
"Go ahead"
"What about him and Echizen?"
40-0
"How much do you know?"
"Enough to make me come charging here at late notice."
Game St. Rudolph Mizuki, change court!
"Come charging here?"
"..."
"I don't need your help." Tsubame Gaishi
0-15
"I'm not here to help"
"Then why?"
"I want to see the reason..."
"what reason?"
"The reason why your so broken"
Game set and match, St. Rudolph Mizuki. Seigaku default.
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The Seigaku regulars stared at Fuji as he walked from the court, eyes covered by his hair, racket lying useless on the court. Mizuki walked out as well and looked at Yuuta. "The ball's in your court, Yuuta-kun... Good luck"
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Singles one, Seigaku: Kunimitsu Tezuka vs. St. Rudolph: Fuji Yuuta
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
(St. Rudolph) 0-15 (Seigaku)
"You really are stubborn aren't you, Kunimitsu Tezuka?"
"What do you mean?"
"Stubborn to the point of ignorance the way I see it."
15 all
"Get to the point..." Tezuka-zone activated
"Tell me the truth..."
"We are in a match. Personal problems are not to be bought out in a match"
"This is the only time you can talk"
"I refuse"
"Fine. But it will cause the destruction of your team"
15-30
"Start talking"
"I knew that would get your attention."
"..."
"What do you think about my brother?"
"I see no conne--"
"Just answer, damn it" Twist spin shot
15-40
"Fuji Syuusuke..."
"That's right..."
"Is my rival..."
"That's it?!"
30-40
"What do you want to hear?"
"How much do you know him?
"I don't know him at all..."
40 all
"You lie..."
"I don't"
"Alright then... how about Echizen?"
Game St. Rudolph. Change court!
"What are you getting at?"
"Tell the truth, teme..."
"Echizen... is a special player."
"and outside tennis?"
0-15
"I refuse to answer that question"
"I'm not forcing you anyway."
"..."
"What happened to my brother?"
"Fuji? Nothing... he seems perfectly fine"
"Bullshit!"
0-30
"..."
"You are so stubborn..."
"..."
"So stupid..."
"..."
"and so goddamned blind!"
0-40
"talk to me, Yuuta. What's wrong"
"Aniki..."
"..."
"Aniki is broken and its all your fault!!!"
Game St. Rudolph! Change court!
"If he was I would have noticed..."
"..."
"but his mask prevents me from doing so"
"what mask?"
"you know what I mean"
"The only mask I know is the one that shattered two days ago."
"Wha--"
"Fuji Syuusuke isn't hiding anything from anyone anymore."
0-15
"That's not true"
"Why don't you see for yourself..."
"..."
"Oh I forgot... your blind to the feelings of others besides Echizen."
"Leave Ryoma out of this."
0-30
"So it's true"
"..."
"I figured as much..."
0-40
"YUUTA!" Yuuta spun around to meet his brother's eyes. Tezuka looked as well only to be stunned at the sight of the tensai with tears on his eyes. "Enough..." he whispered as he turned around and ran.
Yuuta looked at Tezuka in rage...
"Game set and match... Kunimitsu Tezuka, Seigaku" he turned around "congratulations." And walked away.
Game set and match. Fuji Yuuta, little brother.
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Fuji ran out of the courts, passing various people murmuring. "Fuji-senpai!" he heard Echizen, Kaidoh and Momo call out. "Fuji!" Inui, Eiji and Oishi... but he kept running not wanting to stop for anyone or anything until he felt a hand pull his wrist stopping him completely.
He didn't even argue as he was guided towards a luxury car and ushered inside. "Syuusuke-san" he looked up at the person who called him. "Atobe..." His tears fell freely from his eyes, his body begun to shake violently as he cried. Atobe sat beside him embracing him and silently comforting him. The door opposite them opened revealing a very surprised and worried Fuji Yuuta. "Aniki.." Atobe motioned him to enter and sit beside his sobbing brother. "Yuuta-kun, do you have his bags?"
"I grabbed it when I had the chance" he said motioning to the two bags he was holding. "His racket is in here too..."
"Good. I don't think it's proper for him to stay here any longer."
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Syuusuke woke up and noticed it was almost dusk. He had fallen asleep while crying.
"So that's what you're planning?"
"It would be a waste to not ask, at least."
"I hate to admit it but I agree..."
"..."
Syuusuke followed the two talking voices, turning around he saw Atobe and Yuuta talking to each other on what seemed like two couches. "Aniki..." Yuuta looked at him in concern.
"Where are we Yuuta?"
Atobe smiled at him. Noticing the absence of the Tensai's usual mask of smiles. "You're in my place. Yuuta called your sister already."
"I see..."
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"SEIGAKU! FIGHT!"
The tennis club stated their daily exercises, everything looked normal, but if you would observe them closely you would see that they were all avoiding the eyes of their captain and a certain freshman, and if you looked a little closer you would see them looking for someone.
"Ohayo... sorry I'm late..."
Everyone stopped to look at the origin of the voice. Fuji Syuusuke, dressed in his school uniform approached the court.
"Fuji. Your late. Why are you still in your uniform? Go ahead and change then do twenty laps around the courts." Tezuka Ordered
Fuji arrived without his mask, And he had no intention of putting it back on. Letting everyone present to see the blank expression on his face as he shook his head.
"That won't be necessary, Tezuka-san" all of them, including Tezuka himself, was surprised as Fuji addressed Tezuka, it was a first that he called him Tezuka-san. It was as if he and Tezuka just met yesterday.
Fuji handed a small envelope to Tezuka
"What is this?"
"My resignation letter."
"I'm not letting you resign"
"That will cause the fall of the club, then" everybody was taken by surprise again at the uncharacteristic edge in the tensai's voice
"Then I'm taking you out of the regulars"
"I won't be attending this club anymore. Can't you get that through your head?!"
"Fuji..."
"No more Tezuka... no more... I've had enough of this... I'm leaving..." Fuji took out his regulars jacket and threw it to the ground he turned wordlessly around after and walked away without turning back because he feared that if he did his tears would start falling once more.
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"I'm home" Fuji announced as he entered the house. He had been in a very bad mood for the rest of the day, evading all the other regulars who seemed to be determined to get him to change his mind.
He entered the living room and was greeted by Yuuta and Atobe Keigo...
"What are you doing here?"
Atobe stood and handed him an envelope. "Here"
"And this is?"
Atobe smirked
"Transfer papers to Hyoutei."
Owari?
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Bloody Samurai: Tell me what you think and I might make an official ending... or better yet various endings. I'm open to suggestions or request on a specific ending. Feel free to tell me through reviews. Thank you for reading.
By the way in case some don't know open ended means your free to imagine a possible ending