Disclaimer: The Prince of Tennis does not belong to me.

She opened her eyes. She blinked. She sat up on her bed and turned to face the calendar.

17th September.

What a nice day, she thought to herself.

Slipping into her bedroom slippers, she walked to her desk and lifted a picture frame. Inside was her smiling sweetly, and another teenager with deep brown eyes and a straight face. Gazing at it lovingly, she smiled sadly.

It's been three months since I left Japan

Three months since I last saw him.

It's been a year since I first celebrated my birthday with him

I wonder if he even remembers now.

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"Hirose wins, 6-2!"

Panting heavily, she stumbled up to shake the hand of her opponent. Walking back to the bench, her coach stared sternly at her.

"What were you doing out there? If you had not concentrated at the last minute, you would have lost! What's wrong with you today?"

Paying no attention to what he had said, she picked up her bag and left the courts. Furious shouts of "Hirose Rae!" sounded so distant to her.

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Back in the privacy of her own room, she buried her face in her hands.

How could I be so careless

How could I let him affect me

He wouldn't be happy to see me like this ……

Would he even bother?

Her mobile flashed brightly in the darkness, causing her to jump in surprise. Picking it up gingerly, a thought flashed in her mind. Could it be him?

She pressed a button. 'Tezuka Kunimitsu' came up on the screen. Her heart skipped a beat. She picked up the call. He remembers?

"Good evening Rae."

"Hello Tezuka."

"Congratulations on getting into the finals of the under-18 category in the national tournament. Don't let your guard down. "

"Oh …… thank you. I will, don't worry." Her heart sank. That's it?

"Tezuka?"

"Hn."

"Isn't it my birthday today?"

Silence.

"Isn't it tomorrow?" Tezuka slowly questioned.

And it dawned upon her. Japan was one day slower! She smiled to herself. So he hasn't forgotten ……

"Rae?"

"Nothing!" Glancing at her watch, she quickly continued, "Shouldn't you be on your way to school now? Hurry, or else you'll be late!"

"Hn. Goodbye then."

"Goodbye!"

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Across the globe, Tezuka put down the phone.

"What's with the slight redness on your cheeks Tezuka?" A serene voice sounded close to his ear.

Startled, Tezuka flinched slightly. Readjusting his spectacles, he addressed the owner of the voice.

"Fuji."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Grinning widely, Fuji half-skipped back to class.

Tezuka closed his eyes and frowned. He was not going to have a peaceful tennis practice today.

fin.

Notes:

Time difference changed to fit this story.

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