PURIIIII~~~~! This story is feauting Fuji Syusuke! Again, I don't own anything, and it belongs to the wonderful Kondo Takeshi-sensei. BOW DOWN TO HIS AWESOMENESS!!!! By the way, this story is clearly for your own entertainment:)
Yoshida Ayame looked at the outcome of Rikkaidai and Seigaku's tennis game and it didn't look good for Seigaku. Not one bit. Of course they obtained one win with Inui's data tennis, but still, Rikkaidai only had one more game until they won the Kanto Tournament Finals.
"Ayame," Ayame turned around and met eyes with the next player who was going to play Rikkaidai, also the tensai of Seigaku, Fuji Syusuke. "Everyone from the team knows you; you are welcome to watch from the sidelines."
Ayame giggled softly but regained her posture as she stared at the now-empty tennis courts, "I know, but I didn't want to intrude during Inui-kun's game." Fuji guided her down the steps, closer to where the other team members were.
Inui was seated on the bleachers, taking a sip out of his water bottle; at least, Ayame thought it was his water bottle, but actually, it was his favourite vegetable juice, which everyone, besides Fuji, thought was disgusting.
"Congratulations on gaining one win, Seigaku," Ayame said in a very soft tone, but everyone heard her; the boys turned to face Ayame, giving her a smile of thanks. Ryuzaki-sensei grinned at Ayame, "Thank you, but," She looked over at the tensai beside her, "Fuji, we can't be careless now. Win another game for Seigaku!"
Fuji stepped over to his tennis bag and picked up a racquet; he looked over at Ayame who just gave him a small, heart-warming smile, "Don't worry, I will." He started walking off to the courts, his blue eyes opened.
But before he went off to the tennis court, Ayame grabbed his wrist, stopping him from moving any further, "I'll be waiting here, and I'll be watching your game. But please… be careful out there…" She looked over at Echizen Ryoma's knees, which were heavily bruised by Fuji's next opponent, "Please don't do anything careless. Rikkaidai's ace player, Kirihara Akaya, will do anything to win." Fuji closed his eyes, and gave her his innocent smile, "You don't have to worry about me, Ayame." And he walked off to the courts.
"Yoshida-senpai," The voice behind her was from Momoshiro Takeshi, an eighth grader, "Fuji-senpai is stronger than-" Ryoma interrupted his sentence, "No. Kirihara is way stronger than Fuji-senpai." Everyone gasped at the seventh grader's sentence, but he simply ignored their sounds and sipped his Ponta.
"Fuji…" Ayame took a glance at the two players who were now shaking hands.
"Well, so your Seigaku's tensai," Kirihara smirked, as he slung his racquet over his shoulder, looking high and mighty, "I'm gonna defeat you."
Fuji opened his eyes, giving Kirihara a solid cold glare, "We'll just have to find out now, won't we?"
Before Kirihara could answer, Fuji already took his place on the other side of the court. Kirihara just glared at him. But regained his posture by smirking, "Heh. I'll hafta defeat ya in less than thirteen minutes if I wanna have the shortest game in this tournament."
Everyone gasped but Fuji just looked back at him, "If you want to finish this in thirteen minutes, then I'll gladly help," He paused, "But that doesn't mean you'll win."
"Heh, so that's how it's gonna be." Kirihara took his place, but like Fuji, he was near the baseline.
"Seigaku's Fuji Syusuke to serve."
Fuji twisted the ball and swung his racquet hard, sending it towards Kirihara. Before Kirihara could hit the ball, it zoomed right past him. "Fifteen-Love."
"That's it! Fuji-senpai's disappearing serve!" Everyone cheered, as Fuji sent another serve towards Kirihara.
As the game went on, Ayame noticed Fuji wasn't backing down. His movements, his play, they were all so different. It actually seemed like he wanted to win and she remembered what Yumiko, Fuji's sister, said during dinner when Ayame stayed over.
-------Flashback-------
"It's nice of you to join us, Ayame-chan." Yumiko said, as she and Fuji's mother washed a few dirty pans from the kitchen. Ayame was helping them out by bringing the dishes to the dining room. She was finally staying over at Fuji's for dinner.
"N- No, thank you for inviting me for dinner, Yumiko-san…" Of course, Ayame was nervous about meeting his family. Yuuta, Fuji's younger brother, was supposed to coming back home for dinner, too.
"You don't have to be so formal around us, Ayame-chan." Fuji's mother, Yoshiko, said as she turned off the tap to the sink, and handed the last pan to Yumiko to dry. Yumiko nodded in agreement. Both of them looked so pretty and young.
"Oh… I couldn't do that Yoshiko-san…" It was already hard enough for Ayame to say their first names, but actually drop the formality? No way. Ayame walked into the room with Yumiko and Yoshiko. She saw Fuji's father, Fuji, and another boy who sat across from him.
Once Yumiko and Yoshiko sat down, Ayame noticed there was an empty spot right next to Fuji. Reluctantly, she took her seat beside him, and blushed slightly. Fuji, who noticed this, smiled at her, and said, "Ayame, I'd like you to meet my brother, Fuji Yuuta." He looked over to the boy next to him. The boy had short brown hair and had a scar on the top right-side of his forehead.
"Oh. I'm Yoshida Ayame." Ayame sent a smile towards Yuuta and he just gave her a weak smile. "You don't go to Seishun Gakuen, Yuuta?"
Yuuta shook his head, "I go to St. Rudolph. I don't often come back home to eat, but Yumiko invited me today. She said she was making her raspberry pie."
"Oh?" Ayame looked over at Fuji, who just remained smiling. "Didn't Seigaku play against St. Rudolph?" Fuji nodded. Ayame smiled, "I'm sorry you lost to Seigaku. I'm also sorry I wasn't able to attend during that match." She paused, "Will you participating in the Kanto tournament?"
"No." Yuuta's response was blunt and rude, but Ayame didn't mind, even though she swore she saw Fuji send a glare towards Yuuta. "I see. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you in any way."
Yuuta, who seemed to be shocked at Ayame's statement, turned a bit red and said, "N- No. It wasn't anything you said." He started eating his dinner a little bit quicker.
A laugh escaped out of Ayame's mouth. She looked at how calm everyone was at the dinner table. Ayame was about to eat her dinner when Yumiko said, "So, Ayame-chan, do you play tennis?"
Everyone turned their attention to Ayame, who just stared at Yumiko, a bit flustered, "Erm… no… Fuji's… Fuji's taught me a bit, though…"
"She helps out when I have practices. When there's a tournament, she usually comes and watches, unless she has to teach. Isn't that right, Ayame?" Fuji turned to Ayame, whose face was now beet red, waiting for her response.
"Y- Yes…"
Fuji's dad looked at the young girl. "Oh? You teach? At such a young age?"
Ayame nodded, a little bit too excited. "Yes, I teach a dance class up at the studio. It's not that far from the park where Fuji plays, so I take the kids there when they're tired of dancing."
"Ayame works so she can owe the debt to her sister. Her parents both died when she entered Seishun, so her sister's been taking care of her up until now." Fuji said, as he looked over to see Ayame's expression; however, she just remained smiling.
"Is that so?" Fuji's dad looked impressed, but you don't often see a fourteen-year-old girl teach.
Everything went silent after. Ayame ate her dinner, while looking at Fuji. He was so elegant, even when eating. It was just the way he… looked. So peaceful. There was no way Fuji was ever going to like a typical, normal person like her, right? After all, she was so different from him. She was clumsy and stuttered with her words. She couldn't even call him his first name, for goodness sake! How immature was that?!
"So, Ayame-san," Yumiko started, grasping Ayame's attention, "What do you think of Syusuke's playing style?"
Ayame didn't have to think to answer this question. The answer was obvious. "He plays…" But yet, she couldn't help but stare at Fuji when she stated how he played, "He plays gracefully… I especially love his triple counters." But, she couldn't actually tell his family members that she loved watching him play just to see him concentrate so well in something he loves to do. It'd be embarrassing for her, but not to mention Fuji. Telling his entire family that she loved watching their son play because of a certain… look he had on every time he played?
"So you've never seen him play seriously?" Yumiko had a certain tone in her voice that confused Ayame even more. What did she mean by play 'seriously'? Didn't Fuji always play his best? As a response, Ayame shook her head.
"Syusuke doesn't really play seriously when-" Yumiko was cut off by Fuji, "Nee-san, it's not important right now."
"But I'd really like to know," Ayame said, staring at Fuji deeply.
"Sorry, Ayame. It's just not important now," Fuji shook his head slightly, giving everyone the feeling that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He gave Ayame one of his beautiful smiles, "Don't worry about it. I already try my hardest when I play."
Even when Fuji said that, Ayame felt that it was a lie. Like he didn't want her to know. What was with Fuji? What was so bad about knowing the truth? About how he played? But she still dismissed the fact, "O- Okay…"
-------
A knock sounded on Yumiko's door, "Come in. It's unlocked."you happy."
"Um… Yumiko-san…?" Ayame peered into Yumiko's room; it was really neat. Plain and simple, but it had a nice cozy feeling.
"Ah, Ayame-chan, sit down." Yumiko got up from her seat, and gave Ayame a small push in order for her to actually step into the room, and close the door.
Ayame took a seat on the edge of the bed, while Yumiko sat down on the chair across from Ayame. "I'm sorry my room's messy." Ayame's eyes widened with shock. This was messy?!
"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" Yumiko crossed her legs, patiently waiting for Ayame's question. Even at home, she was so poised.
"Um… about what you said… this evening… about Fuji… I mean… during dinner… I-" Ayame stumbled over her words, over and over again. She wasn't used to talking to her friend's siblings. Hell. She wasn't even used to talking to her friends! She was just too shy, that was all.
"Ah… you mean what I meant about Syusuke's style play, hm?" Yumiko asked, leaning back on her chair. The smile she had on was just like Fuji's: kind and angelic.
"Syusuke's play is phenomenal; as I'm sure you've heard. He's known as the tensai at Seishun, am I correct?" Silently, Ayame nodded her head. "He… He never plays seriously, unless someone makes him play his best…"
"Makes him? What do you mean?"
"Syusuke will only play seriously when someone he loves or cares about gets injured because of tennis. And if it's caused by the person he's playing. Do you… understand?" Yumiko questioned, looking at Ayame.
"Now I do…" The expression Ayame had on was upset, in a way. Fuji never told her this. Nor had she ever seen him play like that. When will she be able to see him play his best? "Why… Why didn't he tell me about that, though?"
"It's not really something he wants people to know, Ayame-chan." Yumiko stated, placing her hand on Ayame's shoulder, "He's usually calm. It's quite difficult to make him play hard. He just enjoys playing it, because it makes
"M- Me?" Ayame squeaked, confusion in her voice.
"Ayame-chan, Syusuke really cares about you. He'll never let you get hurt, especially if it's because of him." As Yumiko's mouth opened to speak, a knock sounded on her door once again.
"Hai?" Yumiko answered, opening the door. There, stood in the entrance, was Fuji.
"Ayame, I should walk you home now. It's getting late."
"Ah." Ayame looked at her watch, realizing that the time was close to eleven. "You're right!" She shot up from the bed, and walked towards the door, bowing to Yumiko, "Thank you, Yumiko-san. I appreciate you for telling me… how to bake a raspberry pie." Ayame was about to thank her for telling her about Fuji's tennis play, but she quickly thought of a different idea because Fuji would've gotten angry at Yumiko for telling Ayame the truth about his play. She'll just have to wait until Fuji told her himself.
"It's late. Ayame-chan, Syusuke, why don't I give you a ride?"
"Is that okay with you, Ayame?" Fuji asked. As a response, Ayame nodded her head. "Thanks, Nee-san."
Yumiko got out her jacket, grabbed her car keys, and gave the pair a tiny push out of her room, closing the door after. "Let's go now. Ayame-chan's late in getting home."
On the ride home, Ayame couldn't help but think about what Yumiko said. Was it really that bad to see Fuji play his full potential? A worried expression appeared on Ayame's face, as she looked out the window. But if she ever saw him play seriously with another player, would he be okay? Would he know stay out of trouble… without getting injured in any way?
-------End of Flashback-------
"Love-15!" The chair judge yelled, snapping Ayame out of her daze. She looked out at the courts, and noticed that Kirihara was on his knees; Fuji stood straight, glaring at Kirihara.
"F- Fuji…"
"Yay! He scored a point!!" The freshmen trio shouted. Soon, Seigaku's tennis team hollered, cheering Fuji on.
"Fuji… Be careful…" Ayame held her hands close to her chest, watching Fuji's every move as he walked off towards the baseline, getting ready for his second serve.
A smile began to curve on the edge of Fuji's lips, as he looked towards Ayame, I'm only playing this game for you, Ayame… You're… You're the reason I still play tennis. Because every time, you try to make it to my games. Thank you.
As Fuji tossed the ball in the air, in the corner of his eye, he saw Kirihara's face. His eyes were beet-red. The minute Fuji's racquet hit the ball, Kirihara was already receiving it. His speed's increased!
"Ayame-chan," A familiar voice called out from behind her. Ayame turned around, and saw Yumiko, arms crossed, "How is Syusuke doing?"
"H- His playing style… It's different…" Is it because of Kirihara? Because of what he did to Ryoma?
"Love-30!" Everyone focused back on the game, and realized Fuji had just scored a point with one of his triple counters.
After a few more rallies, Fuji won the first game. The score was now 1-Love – Fuji's lead.
-------
Ayame tried to focus on the game, but it just didn't seem right. Kirihara was just no match for Fuji, but it seemed all too weird. Fuji was just… so different that she couldn't speak. Was this what she wanted to see? Fuji's real style play? It was so… direct. The game was now 3-Love – Still Fuji's lead.
"Damn. You're harder than I thought, Tensai-san." Kirihara said, in a mocking voice.
Fuji stayed silent. But looked over at Ayame, and saw Yumiko behind her as well. Yumiko's face was worried, but Ayame's facial expression… just seemed upset. The game continued, with Fuji serving once again.
What was I thinking back then? When I invited Ayame to come to this game… I knew she would've come anyway, but still… maybe I should've warned her… I knew I was going to play my best at this game. After all… Kirihara-
"You're open!" Kirihara yelled, aiming a ball directly at Fuji's knees. Sure enough, Fuji wasn't able to dodge it, earning him a huge scratch on his right knee. The spot was beet-red, close enough to match the colour of blood.
"Fuji!" Ayame was about to rush out onto the courts when everyone stopped her. Ryuzaki-sensei stared at her, "Ayame-san… leave it to me." She walked off onto the courts, helping Fuji up, "Will you be able to con-"
"I'm fine. Please continue to the match."
"Fuji…" It didn't have to end up like that. Fuji could've dodged it. It was his own fault, and with Ayame here to watch him, he wasn't about to default and cause Seigaku to lose the Kanto Tournament Finals.
"Heh… I'm glad you didn't quit. I'm not finished yet." Kirihara waited for Fuji's serve, but as soon as he served it, Fuji was quickly hit again on the same knee, exactly on the same spot. The area of the injury was bloody. Slowly, Fuji got up.
"Syusuke…"
Quickly, Kirihara won one game, with Fuji gaining more injuries on that one knee.
-------
"3-2! Game to Kirihara of Rikkaidai!"
"IKE! FUJI-SENPAI!!" Cheers erupted from the sidelines, but Ayame couldn't help but not cheer for him. Why should he continue? He was just going to end up damaging his knees! She didn't want that. She didn't want to encourage him to continue!
"Ayame…" Fuji was the only one who realized her silence. He knew why she was so upset. Why she wasn't cheering for him.
As Fuji continued to look at Ayame with a concerned face, Kirihara smirked, "Heh… I know your weakness now, Tensai-san."
Fuji served the ball, but a strong pain shot up from his leg. He closed one eye in pain, but tried to dismiss the fact that his right knee was soon a goner.
"Heh… too bad you can't save your little girlfriend, Tensai-san. Well… too bad you actually showed me your weakness!!!" Instead of aiming for Fuji or the court he was on, Kirihara directly looked at the worried blonde-haired girl. Quickly, he swung his racquet back and hit the ball with so much power; it swiftly went directly at Ayame's left cheek.
Ayame, who didn't notice the ball, suffered the attack, and flew backwards, earning a huge bruise on her cheek. The bruise was just as deep as Fuji's injury on his knee.
"Ayame/Yoshida-senpai!!" The regulars yelled, crowding around her. Ryuzaki-sensei stood up from her seat and went to the sidelines, checking out the injured girl. Yumiko helped Ayame up, "Ayame-chan, are you okay?"
"Y- Yeah…" Ayame winced once Yumiko touched the sore spot on her cheek.
"Ayame!!" Fuji ran over to the sidelines, and everyone cleared the way so he could see the injury Kirihara caused. "A- Ayame…" The girl was nearly in tears as Yumiko looked at the spot. She was really in pain.
"Ahh… gomen, gomen… I was going to hit the side of the court, but my grip slipped, and I accidentally aimed for this girl's cheek instead… gomen~" Kirihara said, smiling cheekily, not sounding apologetic at all.
Fuji glared at Kirihara. "Really?" His bangs shadowed his eyes as he walked off to the courts, not before looking back at Ayame, who just stared at him with those scared eyes of hers.
"Fuji! You're not really going to continue, are you?" Ayame choked. It was so hard for her to speak. The left side of her mouth was numb. Did Kirihara really hit her that hard?!
Fuji, who didn't answer Ayame's question, just walked off onto the courts, I'm sorry, Ayame… but… this is something I have to do now!
-------
"3-5! Game to Kirihara of Rikkaidai!"
"N- No way… It's like Fuji-senpai has just stopped playing entirely… He's not even trying…" One of the freshmen, Horio, exclaimed, completely confused.
"Syusuke…" Yumiko looked over her shoulder, facing the game. Fuji was just standing there, looking at the ground. After worrying about Fuji, she turned her attention to Ayame, who was seated on the bleachers, also looking at the ground, tears on the edges of her eyes. "Are you alright, Ayame-chan? Do I need to take you to the hospital?"
"N- No… I'll stay and watch Fuji's game…" Ayame peered over Yumiko's shoulder, and found that Fuji was losing the game, badly. Fuji… He needs my support… I can't be worried about him… Ayame pushed back her worries and stood up, walking to where the other regulars were.
"Ayame-chan?" Yumiko questioned, following her.
"Yoshida-senpai, are you alright?!" Momoshiro asked, looking at Ayame's wound. Without speaking, she just nodded. "Thank goodness. Fuji-senpai really needs our support now! Let's cheer for him!"
Finally, a small smile appeared on her face, "You're right… Momo-kun…" As Ayame tightened her grip on the gate surrounding the court, she yelled, "Fuji! You can beat him!"
"Damn it! She's okay now?!" Kirihara glared out towards Ayame, but she didn't back down from his glare. Instead, it gave her motivation to cheer for him more.
"Fuji, do your best!" While cheering for Fuji more, it gave her more courage to say something more. Something that she's wanted to say for a long time, "I'll still be waiting here when you win, F- Syusuke!!"
Fuji looked out to the sidelines, and saw Ayame, giving him her best smile. At last, he finally heard her call his name. When she said his name, it sounded beautiful; it was like she was singing. Thank you… Ayame…
-------
"40-Love!"
"Yeah! We can win this, Fuji-senpai!!!!" The freshmen trio yelled, as more hollers erupted from Seigaku's tennis team. The game was one point off from Fuji winning his match with Kirihara of Rikkaidai.
"Fuji!!! Beat that guy!!"
"Syusuke! I know you can win this!!" Ayame yelled. Her cute, angelic smile still plastered on her face, giving Fuji the courage to win this match.
"Game and match: Fuji of Seigaku!!!"
Hollers sounded from the crowds as Fuji and Kirihara walked up to the net, shaking hands. But before their hands even touched, Kirihara fainted.
"Kirihara!!" His team-mates yelled, but Fuji just smiled to them, "He's alright. He's just sleeping, that's all."
After handing Kirihara to his team-mates, Fuji walked off to Seigaku's tennis team, where they all hugged and surrounded him, except a certain girl, who Fuji wanted to see the most.
"Where's Ayame?" Fuji asked, as everyone led him over to the bleachers. He looked over and over, but found no one in particular.
"I don't know… she just disappeared," Kikumaru Eiji said, but the face he had on obviously told Fuji that he knew where she was.
A soft laugh sounded behind Fuji, "Congratulations, Tensai-san." A wet towel appeared on top of Fuji's head and a water bottle rested on his shoulder. Then, the person he'd wanted to see since the minute she said his name, showed up in front of him, smiling.
"Thank you."
Ayame shook her head, as she sat down beside Fuji, holding his hand. "Syusuke… thank you for playing that game… for me." At that point, Ayame sent a sign to the Seigaku tennis team, telling them to bug off. They scattered away, all wandering in different directions.
"I just wanted to get Kirihara back for hurting you, that's all."
"T- That's it...?" Disappointment was in Ayame's voice. After all, she thought he'd play that well just because he cared about her. Because he... he loved her.
"Ayame, is there something wrong?" Fuji asked, placing his water bottle on the bleacher, and stroked Ayame's right cheek.
"N- No..." Of course something was wrong. Ayame misinterpreted his match. She actually thought he played it because he loved her. A soft laugh escaped out of her mouth, "How stupid am I..."
"Eh?" The tone in Fuji's voice definitely told Ayame that she just said that out loud.
"Uh..." She looked over at Fuji, her face beet-red, "Syusuke... don't laugh at me... Please don't..."
In a swift movement, Fuji grabbed her hand, squeezing it slightly, "Ayame, I'll never laugh at you. Don't be afraid. You can tell me anything."
"Syusuke," Here I go... Ayame took a deep breath, shifting her body so she directly faced Fuji, "I love you. You're fantastic. It's just... every time I saw you play tennis... it just sent shocks down my spine. Good shocks, not bad ones, might I tell you." Ayame was now blabbing on, but Fuji just continued to listen, so she continued, "I may not be pretty, smart, and hell... I'm not even graceful. You're the complete opposite as me, so I know you'll never like me back." Slowly, she stood up from her seat, letting go of Fuji's hand, "Sorry to waste your time."
Before Ayame could take one small step, Fuji pulled her back, settling her down on his lap, "No. You didn't waste your time. Don't worry. But you're wrong." He paused, looking deep into Ayame's eyes with those dazzling blue eyes, "I love you so much. I played that game for you, but I only won because YOU gave me the courage, just by cheering me on. I was determined to win this game, for you."
"S- Syusuke..."
"I'm also glad you've started to call me by my first name," He leaned closer to Ayame, "It sounds beautiful when you say it."
Ayame giggled slightly, "Really?"
"Yeah." Fuji cupped his hands around Ayame's fragile face, carefully examining the now bandaged-up wound. "Even with that bandage, you look gorgeous."
"Perhaps both of us should go to the hospital and check out our wounds, ne?" Ayame questioned, tilting her head slightly, as she and Fuji linked hands, staring into each other's eyes. Silence passed by.
"I'll go, with you, but after I see Echizen's match. Is that okay?"
"Aren't you hurting??" Ayame asked, concerned. Her grip with Fuji's hand tightened.
"I'm not hurting. Now that you're with me." But as soon as Ayame touched his injured knee softly, he winced, jerking back a little bit. Ayame smiled slightly, "Not hurting, huh? Maybe this'll help ease the pain." And with that, Ayame leaned forward, her lips touching Fuji's.
The moment lasted for what seemed like an eternity, until a coughing sound was heard. The two of them broke the kiss, and stared at the entire Seigaku tennis team; smirks appeared on their lips. "Smooth, Yoshida-senpai, Fuji-senpai," Momoshiro said, crossing his arms.
"Very smooth," The freshmen trio chorused, while Fuji and Ayame looked back at each other, somewhat smiling.
"Did it help?" Ayame asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. Fuji nodded, "Yeah, but I bet you're still in pain."
Smirking, Ayame nodded, as Fuji leaned forward, kissing the top part of her lips, then kissed her fully on the lips. "I love you," Fuji mumbled, breaking the kiss for a slight second, then resumed the kiss.
"Ooh!" Everyone chorused, watching the couple closely.
Ayame and Fuji broke away from each other, glaring at the staring audience, "Do you mind?" They both asked in unison, giving off this strange, scary aura. Quickly, the tennis crew left once again.
"Now, where were we?" Fuji asked, staring at Ayame, a smile creeping on his lips.
"Let me remind you," Ayame brought her right arm to Fuji's left side, and kissed him passionately. Fuji wrapped his arms around Ayame's waist, and kissed her.
You were determined to beat Kirihara for me, making you the winner, but I am definitely the winner, because now I have you. Smiling, Ayame closed her eyes, as the new couple continued to kiss.
The tennis members were watching from the sidelines, while Yumiko smiled and said, "Syusuke, you're finally happy."
"He's happy? I'm sure Ayame-san is feeling the same way," Oishi said, as he looked over at the couple.
"Yep."
