A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfic, and my favorite character happened to be Atobe-and I felt unsure of doing Atobexanother Kanon character cuz I was afraid of too much OOC going on. So I might do something like that later-waaay later. Please excuse me if I make any mistakes, and feel free to leave constructive criticism-these will help me greatly as a new writer! Thank you!
Disclaimer: Obsession won't grant me the right to own Prince of Tennis, which sucks. A lot. Besides, I don't have the genius mind to create such an anime. I do not own POT. If I did, Fuji and Ryoma would be a pair, and so would Yukimura and Kirihara.
Adjustments: I don't know too much about Japanese schools, so I'm just going to say that Hyotei Gakuen's winter break lasts three months (like my school) and starts on December 1st. Also, they'll be graduating around May-sorry if I got things a bit twisted in here...please go along with me! Ehehehe...
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Hyotei Gakuen's esteemed chairman was...eccentric to say the least. He hopped around from classroom to classroom, wrinkled eyes shining kindly and excitedly. He kept a miniature minigolf set in his office, his desk was a pile of unasnwered requests, and his secretaries were maidens in distress. But this was taking things too far-community service?! During their break?!
Only commoner schools did such. How could Hyotei be subjected to such an activity?
Atobe wished to know.
And how was he assigned to a hospital?!
And for this complaint, Atobe chose to ignore the fact that the entire class was elected to be assigned to the Mitori Hospital.
So as a result, all thirty-four third years stood in the spacious office of the prosperous hospital's central office, where its head manager, Satori Hideo, sat.
The dimly lit room reminded Atobe greatly of his father's study-along with its size, and its choice in colors: warm, brown shades.
"We're very honored to have you all here. Some of you will be assisting patients, there to fetch them water-" here Atobe grew a horrified look on his prominent face, "or to simply keep them company-among other things."
Many of the students shifted their feet uncomfortably; all of them were from rich families, and had never done something of the sort.
"But not to worry-the patients shouldn't prove to be too much of a trouble. Like you, they are from a wealthy heritage, and will have many things in common with you, so I believe that you should get along fine. You will be here six days a week, starting from 9: 00 AM to 3:00 PM, for the duration of your break. If you follow my secretary, Ms. Shirley, you will be assigned to a patient. Good day-and once again, thank you."
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Atobe glared sharply at the back of the nurse in front of him, as if narrowing his eyes at the pink cotton fabric would keep him from entering the designated room.
He was in a foul mood; atop the fact that he was even participating in such a lowly chore, all of the staff members refused to talk about his designated patient. When he pulled out the name from a drawing game, the nurse holding the box gasped. Hah.
He looked down at the piece of paper once more.
Hiromi Meiko.
He looked up when the walk abruptly stopped.
"All of the information you'll need is on this paper," the nurse said as she handed him two sheets of paper stapled together. "Remember-at all costs, keep her from singing, yelling, or straining her voice. And don't anger her too much. And...well, that's all I can tell you-good luck. And be careful."
The nurse gently opened the door with a great heave, and hurried away.
Confused by all the strange behavior, Atobe frowned-but nevertheless, he went inside the room.
The sight that greeted him was a sleeping girl, lying on the bed's neatly made covers.
Reluctantly, he made his way to the red cushioned chair in the corner, and began to read the first page.
'Name: Hiromi Meiko
D.O.B.: 5/27/93
Age: 15
Height: 5' 5"/65 inches
Weight: 98 lbs
Eye: Gray
Allergies: Honey
Ethnicity: Japanese
Date of Admission: November 17, 2007'
The rest of the paper was just her schedule and nonsense. Why didn't it say why she was sick if this was a hospital?
Besides, what was this? Character stats?
Atobe scoffed.
"BOO!"
Grunting in surprise, Atobe ungracefully fell of his seat, gaping.
Giggles filled the room shortly after.
The girl whom was sleeping a moment before was now fully awake, sitting on the bed and clenching her stomach as she laughed. Atobe realized that she'd probably woken up while he was reading the paper.
The girl's blonde hair shook uncontrollably as she laughed, and she threw her head back.
"You're so funny! Wah-you should've seen your expression."
"Che."
Atobe irritably got off the floor, flicking a piece of dust off his shoulder. He ran a slender hand through his hair, and shook his head slightly.
"Ore-sama refuses to take such rude behavior from someone like you," he declared, narrowing his eyes at the girl.
"Hah?" the girl giggled some more. "Saa...'Ore-sama,' ne?"
Atobe's eyes narrowed, nearly into slits.
"We're going to have so much fun together, ne?"
"In your dreams," he hissed back.
-
It was now time for lunch; that meant that the students got a break from their tiring patients and got to eat lunch in the 'horrendous cublicle they call a cafeteria.' At least according to Atobe.
Gakuto grinned wolfishly through his bite of salad.
"I got this cute little kid named Kaito-he's such a great little guy-and he loves my hair!"
Oshitari rolled his eyes and smirked.
"You like anyone who compliments you, Gakuto."
"Shut up."
"I got this old man named Midori or something. Weird old geezer," Shishido groused.
Choutarou laughed gently, consolingly.
"It'll be alright, senpai. I got a boy who's also 14-his name's Chito, and he's pretty nice."
"I was assigned to this really pretty lady named Miako! She has really stylish red hair and likes to play games with me, like 20 Questions! I really, reaaally like her!" Jiroh bounced around, excited.
"Too bad Kabaji and Hiyoshi are on family trips-they'd have loved this!"
"Jiroh, I don't think you're thinking straight."
"Hey! Ah-Atobe, you still didn't tell us who you got!"
Atobe raised an eyebrow, eyes flat with annoyance. He turned his attention back to his coke.
"You don't want to know."
"Looks like Atobe got some old man who tried to nab at 'im," Gakuto snickered.
"Gakuto," Oshitari warned.
"What?"
"Be careful-seems like Atobe's in a bad mood."
"Che."
"Come on, tell us!" Jiroh smiled expectantly.
"Here. Ore-sama does not wish to talk about such a disruptive person," Atobe insisted, and slapped down the small packet he received earlier onto the table.
Each of the students had received one regarding their patient, and the packets had a picture of the patient on the back.
Eagerly, Gakuto flipped the paper over-and gaped along with the rest of the regulars when he saw the picture.
"Atobe-what are you so unhappy about?! You got a friggin' girl-and she's not too shabby, either!" Gakuto exclaimed, eyes growing wide.
"Lucky-Atobe, wanna trade?" Jiroh offered.
He leaned in across the table, nearly spilling the glass of water in front of him.
Steadying the cup, Shishido growled, "Hey, watch it!"
Jiroh blatantly ignored him.
"Pleaaase?" Jiroh begged.
"I thought you liked your patient," Shishido mused, a smirk forming on his face.
"I do! But a girl my age is so much better than someone who's twenty-five years old! Geez," Jiroh continued to whine.
"Ore-sama shall trade, if you wish to so badly," Atobe relented-however, everyone knew that he was trading for his own benefits.
"Absolutely not!"
Startled, the regulars looked up to see a fuming doctor, whose glasses were drooping slightly down the length of his sharp nose.
"Do you think that these patients are just toys, to be messed around with and traded?!"
"Your spitting on Ore-sama's face. Ore-sama orders you to refrain from doing so," Atobe replied coolly. He had once more donned a pair of flat, disinterested eyes, and he raised his eyebrows in a perfect arch.
"I heard that some incorrigible brat was assigned to take care of Meiko-kun-I guess I heard correctly."
Atobe frowned.
"Incorrigible brat?! How dare you-"
"Meiko-kun is a very sincere girl-and you shouldn't think so badly of her!"
"Oh? If she isn't so bad, then why won't any of the other staff talk about her?"
"Because its taboo-argh, why am I even telling you this? In any case-trading patients is not allowed, period. You will continue to be her caretaker for the designated time, and there's no way around it!"
With a huff, the doctor swiftly turned around and stalked out of the room.
With a distorted look, Atobe turned back around.
"What the hell was that all about?"
A chuckle caused the boys' heads to snap around once more.
In front of them stood a doctor-a female this time-who cluched a clipboard in one hand. Her short, wavy brown hair had a few tousled locks that framed her face, and her slender legs were shown beneath her short, stiff skirt.
"Gomen ne. Mito-sensei's being a bit of a bother, isn't he?"
"Eh?"
The doctor sighed.
"You can call me Misaki-sensei. That man who lashed out at you was Mito-sensei, and I apologize for his behavior. Its just that he's a bit more attached to Meiko than most in this hospital. And the taboo thing-we don't talk about people who are about to die soon-its just a stupid thing that arose around five years ago, but I guess the staff still believes in it. And your name was...Atobe-kun, was it?"
Atobe nodded once.
"Well, Atobe-kun. Seeing as Mito-sensei and I are just about the only ones in the hospital who don't believe in the taboo, and Mito-sensei is furious at you, I guess I'll tell you what you probably want to know about Meiko. But...only because you're her caretaker, okay? Here-why don't you take a walk with me?"
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Atobe gave a quick glance around the garden that was a part of the hospital's generous activity centers, made for the patients.
With an exasperated flick of his hair, the young heir turned his attention back to the smiling doctor, who sat on a marble bench.
"Well? What are you going to tell me?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Ore-sama is not that interested in that girl; rather, Ore-sama is more disgusted at her than anything."
"Is that so? Hmm...then I'll tell you a few things first."
"Hmph."
-
The next day, Atobe once more found himself sitting in the red chair, looking into a pair of gray orbs.
"Ne, ne-wanna go play in the garden?"
As he opened his mouth to say 'no,' his mind drifted back to the conversation the other day.
Misaki-sensei smiled sadly and looked downwards.
"Meiko-chan...is really sick."
Atobe snorted; obviously, seeing as she was in the hospital!
"And really miserable."
"She didn't look miserable."
"She loves to sing...her life is devoted to that sole thing. But she has a tumor in her throat-so she can never sing again."
Atobe finally showed signs of interest; listening to the story, he realized that the girl might love singing as much as he loved tennis. And if that were the case...
"That tumor will start to spread soon. The longest time she has to live will probably be two months or so."
Atobe's eyes dilated.
"However, there's a surgery that can cure it-"
"Then why doesn't she go through with it?"
"Because there's a chance that the surgery will damage her vocal cords-and that will result in an impossibility for her to sing."
"So? Either way, she can't sing."
The comely doctor sighed again.
"The thing is...Meiko-chan doesn't want a life without music. 'If I have to live without singing...I'd rather not live at all. At least before I die, I can still sing and not kill myself. Ne?' Is what she said."
"Fine," Atobe agreed.
His eyes gave a flash of sympathy before resuming its haughty gaze.