"Why do you always wear that?" Shishido asked curiously, pointing to the necklace Choutaro was wearing.
"Ah…this? It's…special to me…" Choutaro replied while playing with the cross pendant. "It was given to me by my best friend…"
"Aahh…who? The one whom I always see with you?" Shishido asked, interested.
"Iie…she already passed away…" Choutaro replied, a hurt smile on his face. "At least that's what I've heard, but I don't believe it…" Choutaro trailed. "I feel like she's just here so I always wear this, just in case she can't recognize me anymore. At least I hope she would recognize this necklace." Choutaro sighed. "I will only remove this only if I see her again or…if I can finally accept that she's gone…just like what they all say…" Shishido just nodded.
"Minna! 20 laps around the court for warm-up!" Atobe called.
…oOo…
Shishido sighed. He has been thinking about that conversation he had with Choutaro. Somehow he found it interesting; he never thought that a very cheerful person like him was carrying a big burden with him. For some reason, Choutaro's sad face kept on replaying on his mind like a broken record. He can't help but be worried about his kouhai. He never saw that extreme emotion before not even the instance when they spent too much time perfecting his scud serve, not even after those failures. Somehow though, those times were different than this. Shishido sighed again. He shouldn't even have opened that topic in the first place anyway. Who was he anyway? Just a senpai.
'A bad senpai…' Shishido thought.
Choutaro had been a good kouhai ever since. He was even willing to give up his spot just for his Shishido-san. But what did Shishido do to return that? Nothing. Well maybe except for the extra effort to help him with his scud serve. But then again, that was different. It was for the benefit of the team not just for Choutaro.
'I know I'll help him look for his best friend.' Shishido thought, though he's never gonna say a thing about it. Of course he had a reputation to protect. He didn't want other people to ever see this sweet side of him. Maybe that's why he was known as the cold and the most distant in the whole of the tennis club.
Shishido looked at the clock. Damn, he was dozing off again. 'That was already the fourth time this week!' Shishido thought. 'Oh shit! My homework!'
…oOo…
"Achoo!" Choutaro sneezed as he rubbed his nose. 'Seems like I have a cold.' Choutaro thought. He went to his dresser to change his clothes but stopped as he saw his reflection on the mirror. He looked at himself but what caught his attention is the black lace around his neck. 'Sho-chan, where are you?' Choutaro thought as he mindlessly played with the pendant. Suddenly Choutaro remembered how his senpai's face became worried and bothered. Well it really doesn't show that much but CHoutaro knew that it was what it meant. They weren't partners for nothing after all. 'Oh no, I worried Shishido-san more, I know he's already stressed, being a graduating high school student and I just have to bug him with my own depression.' Choutaro thought. 'I know, I'll help him in doing his homework tomorrow, and maybe the day after that, and the day after that…." Choutaro thought being as sweet and caring as ever. 'and I'll bring a cake! I know he likes it he just didn't want people to know he liked sweets.' Choutaro smiled.