A/N: This is my gift to those who demanded for a sequel. I'm glad I have you all washed up with emotions from the first one. This one is not as angsty as the first since most of you don't want to see Ryoma suffer anymore. Same…the emotion will ensure OCness. I hope you'll like this SEQUEL to How do I love thee? This one might be very familiar to you…since I'm guessing that some, if not most, cried when you saw the movie. Heck! I did. Please enjoy!!!!

I don't own POT…or the Bible. From that alone, you may now have a lot of idea. Hehehehe. There's no one I could thank for other than the GOD Himself. It's His words and He's the bomb now. The verse featured is from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Oh yeah I don't own POT nor the poem used in this.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE SEQUEL WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR INSTALLMENTS. I REALIZED IT'LL BE TOO LONG TO PURSUE A ONE-SHOT. PLEASE ENJOY!!!!!!!

"" for dialogs and '' for thoughts. The memories are italicizedand the poem will be underlined.

corinthiancorinthianconrinthian

It is not rude

Fuji woke up feeling lighter than usual. His visit with Ryoma yesterday made all the difference in his life right now. Being Iida Fuyuki wasn't so bad. He was able to talk to Ryoma with more ease than he could have if he revealed his true identity.

A slight buzz underneath his pillow made his snap back into reality. He reached underneath and took the mobile device out. His eyes widened a little. 50 messages. He received 50 messages in one day. His fingers got busy as he opened them one by one.

He couldn't help but suppress a smile while reading each message. Seemed like most of his tennis friends knew about his visit yesterday and sent messages to cheer him on. He painstakingly replied to each on of the messages, his heart swelling with happiness.

Last two messages; one came from Atobe and the other was from an unknown sender. He opened Atobe's message first. The moment he started reading, his smile faded.

'What was Atobe on?' He couldn't help but wonder why his friend would straightforwardly discourage him from seeing the blind prodigy. He scanned the message to the very end.

(You'll only hurt him again.)

He frowned at the statement. It's not that he's disappointed by Atobe's less-than-encouraging message. He just couldn't deny the bluntness of every word. He closed eyes and recalled that fateful conversation he had with his friend a year ago.

"I did love him Atobe."

The diva took a sip from his cup. "It was just unfortunate enough that you love Tezuka more than you loved the brat."

He sighed. 'He has all the right to say such things.' His fingers frantically typed once-more.

(Thank you for your message Keigo. I'll keep it in mind so that I won't forget. Thank you again.)

He stood up and paced across his room. He stared at the last unopened message. 'Who could this be?' He opened it at last and blinked twice

(Meet me by the public doubles' court for a game around 10. Fail to come and you'll never see Ryoma Echizen ever again.)

His heart raced. He glanced at the clock. 8:00 am. They do not have classes today so he's totally free. He was planning to visit Ryoma again but the message seemed to be very imposing. He took a couple of breaths before replying.

(I don't know who you are but I'll come. thank you for the chance you are giving me.)

Fuji stared into the clear sky with determination. "For Ryoma."

corinthiancorinthiancorinthian

It is not self-seeking

The brunette raced towards the public courts. He glanced at his watch, 9:30 am. He's not late but the steady sound of a bouncing tennis ball made his feet go faster.

He got closer and a figure standing in the middle of the court made him froze. The boy looked just like Ryoma...the hair, the care-free stance, only taller. With his back towards him however, made it difficult to see his face. He's even bouncing a tennis ball on his racket…so like Ryoma.

He swallowed hard as he slowly approached the boy. "Oyahou. Were you the one who sent me a message last night?" He could almost hear his pulse in his ears. The person didn't move until after a few seconds.

"So you are the one." The voice was deep and full. Fuji almost gaped when the person slowly turned around to face him. The tensai tightened his grip on his tennis bag. Before him stood an older version of Ryoma…difference was this man before him didn't have the innocent glow that has.

Ryoga raised his racket and rested it on his shoulders. He eyed the handsome brunette. 'Now I understand why he went crazy over you. But I will have none of it.'

"You were the one who destroyed my Chibisuke's life."

corinthian

Ryoma almost dropped the apple he's holding when he heard his father's news.

"P-pardon?" He blinked a couple of times, trying to make out his father's shadow.

"I said your brother is back. He just arrived yesterday." Nanjiroh replied. He sat down before his blind son. If only Ryoma could see him right now. He would laugh at how old his "old man" looked. Guilt and remorse took its toll on the once happy-go-lucky man. He wasn't able to forgive himself for what he said to his son a year ago.

Despite the fact the Ryoma forgave him almost instantly, right after he recovered from surgery, he couldn't bring himself to believe how easily the words came out of his son's lips. Words that he himself wasn't able to give to Ryoma when the boy silently begged for it just before he uttered his hateful words.

"Where is he right now?" That voice tore into his reverie. He looked up to gaze at his son's worried face once more.

"He'll be here later. He said that he just want to take care of something." He instantly noticed how Ryoma's eyes widened in shock.

"N-no."

"Why? What's wrong?" Nanjiroh asked. The boy groped for his hands and held it tight…so tight that it hurt.

"D-dad," Ryoma muttered in fear. "He's going after Syusuke. Dad, please stop him before…"

Nanjiroh cursed inwardly when he felt his son tremble.

"B-before he decides to hurt him."

corinthian

Fuji panted hard. He gripped his racket tight as he tried to regain his composure. He now had no doubts about him being Ryoma's brother. The young man was as good as the prodigy but he used his skill on Fuji not only to defeat him but to hurt him as well.

Fuji winced. He could only imagine how many bruises and cuts he's sporting now. He gave himself a mental shake. 'It's ok. I deserve this but I must not give up. This is not for me…'

Blue orbs looked up to a darker, angrier shade of gold.

"5 games to 2. I might have heard incorrectly but is it really true that you're the tensai of Seigaku?" Ryoma asked in spite. "Are you really this weak or is the guilt of knowing what happened to my brother finally started eating you up?" He poised to hit another twist serve.

Fuji took a couple of deep breaths. 'I cannot lose…' Ryoga hit the ball and Fuji was able to hit a return ace. He straightened up; finally ready to fight the man before him with everything he's got.

"I can understand your hatred, Echizen-san. Damn I can even feel that same hatred for myself now." Fuji wiped the sweat off his face. "It's ok. I'll take all of your hatred. I don't care if it'll break my bones or turn my muscles into mush."

"If it's one of the ways to earn your forgiveness, your trust and your brother's love once more, I'll take it."

"I'll embrace it wholeheartedly."

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It is not easily angered

By the time Nanjiroh was able to stop Ryoga, the game was already finished. He arrived only to discover the two boys, sitting on the concrete, panting. Seeing a darkening bruise on the brunette's cheeks, he knew he was too late.

"Ryoga."

The two looked up, wide-eyed at Nanjiroh.

"Oyaji." Ryoga muttered. He tried to stand up but his leg muscles don't have the strength anymore. Beating the crap out of Fuji Syusuke was not only physically tiring, but mentally and emotionally exhausting a well.

'He just stood there and took all of the blows.' He eyes the bruised-up brunette once more. He didn't even fight back.'

Fuji was frozen on the spot. First was Ryoma's brother…now it was Ryoma's dad. He closed his eyes and winced. 'Maybe God decided that I should get my maximum punishment now.' He opened them again upon hearing the older Echizen speak.

"Ryoma's down right mad at you right now." Nanjiroh helped his son up. "You better get your ass back to the facility before he decides to maul you will his blind rage."

Ryoga stared at his father. "You're kidding." He couldn't believe it when his father shook his head. "Unbelievable! How could he still want to protect this bastard!" Those eyes burned in hatred once more as they pinned Fuji to the ground.

"Ryoga…" Nanjiroh sighed.

"I will have none of it! Ryoma's life was destroyed because this asshole here left him when Ryoma needed him the most! His betrayal caused a far more devastating damage when—"

'Ouch!' Fuji inwardly flinched at the words directed at him.

"Ryoga enough!!!" Nanjiroh's voice boomed into the air. The two younger ones seemed to cower slightly at the presence of the older man.

Nanjiroh ground his teeth. "It wasn't all Fuji-kun's fault ok? It wasn't only him who pushed your brother over the edge!"

Fuji watched the oldest Echizen in awe. When Nanjiroh arrived, he was expecting that the man would continue where his son left off but watching him now, defending him of all people, to his enraged son made Fuji's heart swell in humility and gratitude.

"What?" Ryoga spat.

Nanjiroh sighed. It was all too much. "I'm sharing half of the responsibility regarding your brother's demise. The morning before the accident I said a lot of bad things to him and…a-and I disowned him."

Ryoga shook his head. Nanjiroh gently slapped his son's back. "Go now, Ryoga. Your brother is waiting for you."

Fuji watched in silence as Ryoga gathered his things up and left. He struggled to stand up but it seemed that Ryoga's beating robbed him of his strength.

'I deserve this.' He mournfully thought. He opened his eyes and stared at the hand held before him.

"E-Echizen-san!"

Nanjiroh smiled sadly at the brunette. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

Fuji choked up a sob that he's been fighting for a long time. He couldn't tell if it's the words that Nanjiroh used or the way he said those words made him crumble down. He grasped the hand firmly and held onto it.

With tears falling unabashed from his cerulean eyes, he clung to the older man as his muffled apologies echoed into the air.

"I'm sorry too. I'm really, really sorry."

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It keeps no record of wrongs

When Ryoga arrived, Ryoma knew. So the moment that his brother got inside his room, he immediately pounce don him.

"What did you do?!" Ryoma shook Ryoga violently. His strength didn't actually deteriorate with his eyesight. "What did you do to Syusuke?!" He panted. His chest was full of emotions that he could hardly breathe.

Ryoga gently pried his brother off him. "Ryoma…" He jerked when Ryoma's shoulders shook. His instinct made him drew the boy closer and held him to his chest. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself."

An indistinct whine came from the younger boy in his arms. Ryoga tightened his arms around the boy.

"You couldn't blame me, Chibusuke. You are like this because of him."

Ryoma leaned back and blindly groped for his brother's face. "It was a choice, Ryoga." His brother's grip on him loosened. Ryoma stepped back and fell on his bed. He placed his hand over his eyes, enjoying the darkness for a while.

"When I approached Syusuke, it was a choice I made. When we got together, it was a chance; a chance to explore the possibility of a relationship." Ryoma sighed. "When Tezuka came to his life, it was his chance and breaking up with me was his choice." He sat up, staring at his brother's shadowy figure.

Ryoga bit his lip. His brother was spurting wisdom again. "Ryoma…" He buried his face in his palms.

"When dad confronted me, it was his chance and saying those things to me was his choice." Ryoma wrapped his arms around himself, warding off the chill that his own words implored on him.

"The accident was a chance." Ryoma smiled wistfully at Ryoga. "And living my life like this, continue loving him in the dark is my choice, Onii-san."

Ryoga looked up to his brother in amazement. It was the first time Ryoma addressed him with that word. He couldn't explain the light feeling emerging from his insides.

"Don't you ever get mad at the world for being like this?" Ryoga asked. "Don't you even keep a grudge on those who wronged you? What about what Syusuke did to you? Have you forgotten about that?"

"I haven't forgotten. I merely thrive in the memories to remind me how much I love him."

"This is crazy." Ryoma let out a frustrated sigh.

Ryoma stood up and sat beside his brother. Grasping his hand tightly with his, Ryoma smiled more. "I don't keep grudges anymore, Onii-san. I don't own a record book in which I tabulate every pain and every mistake I did and what people did to me."

"I only keep grief in my heart; grief for all the things that went wrong that I could've corrected." He sighed once more and turned to the source of a brighter light, his window. "This sadness kept me holding onto those things and to those people."

"No, I'm not mad. I'm simply loving the world more through my grief."

corinthian

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

After dragging the tensai inside a drugstore and buying the things needed to patch him up, Nanjiroh took the boy back to the park.

"It's ok Echizen-san." Fuji muttered before Nanjiroh made him sit on a bench. "I can take care of it myself."

Nanjiroh remained silent as he started cleaning Fuji's wounds. The heard the brunette hissed in pain when he got to the cut on his lips.

"Does it hurt?" Nanjiroh asked.

Fuji met the man's gaze and nodded.

"Good." Nanjiroh continued cleaning/assaulting Fuji's lip. "Right after my wife learned about what I did to our son, she beat the crap out of me too and help me clean up afterwards." He sighed and went to check Fuji's scrapped knees.

"I'm sorry for what my son did to you."

Fuji shook his head. "It's ok Echizen-san. I deserve—"

"Fuji."

They turned around to see Atobe standing behind then, eyes directed at the tensai with full-blown loathing.

Fuji got his wits back and smiled at the diva. "Atobe."

"What happened to you?" the diva asked, taking a step closer to them. He eyed the bruised-up tensai and the man beside him.

Nanjiroh stopped whatever he's doing and watched the awaiting confrontation.

"Just having too much fun playing tennis." The tensai replied. He glanced at Nanjiroh. "Oh have you met Ryoma's dad? This is Echizen Nanjiroh." He glanced back at the diva. "Echizen-san, this is my friend, Atobe Keigo."

Atobe's expression changed when the man regarded him. "Echizen-san, I don't mean to offend but don't you realize that this boy destroyed your son's life?"

Fuji's smile faded and he dropped his gaze. 'As always…he hits the nail right on the head.'

Nanjiroh cleared his throat. "Yes I do." He replied. Atobe's anger is not directed at him but he could almost feel it seethe through his skin. 'I wonder how they became friends.' He glanced at Fuji. "But Jesus had forgiven almost every sinner for their sins for so many times and I do not think I have the right to deny this boy reprieve for I'm only human."

Atobe couldn't believe what he's hearing. "But he hurt your son to the extent that it almost took his life away." His voice was shaking now. He glanced back at Fuji who kept his eyes glued to the ground. "Will you still let him see your son after what he did?"

Nanjiroh took a deep breath. 'Every word must've been stinging his heart.' "That is a choice that only Ryoma can make."

Fuji bit his lip as his tried to keep the tears from welling up his eyes. Every word from Atobe was oozing with loathing…and of truth. 'Alas I just could get away from the fact that I did this to him.'

Atobe gritted his teeth. "Fine but I'm warning you Echizen-san. He might hurt your son again." With this, he walked away from the two; his pulse ranging in his ears.

'Why? Why are you able to forgive him after what he has done?!'

They sat quietly for a while, until Nanjiroh heard a soft sob from the brunette. He reached out and placed a hand on the tensai's shoulder.

"You ok?"

Fuji hastily brushed his tears away and looked up to meet Nanjiroh gaze. "I'm ok Echizen-san. It's just that…" He trailed off as a new batch of tears escaped his eyes.

Nanjiroh sighed and held the boy's knee once more. He continued cleaning the boy's wounds in silence, sobs echoing inside his head.

"It's the healing process that is the most crucial part of being wounded." Nanjiroh muttered. "It will be painful and you stand in apprehension, thinking whether it would heal perfectly or not."

Fuji brushed his tears away. "Echizen-san…"

"And it will tear your apart for you will always be cautious not to injure yourself again and yet you will be longing for the things that happened before you got hurt." Nanjiroh started dressing his wounds. Fuji waited for more of his words.

Nanjiroh sighed just as he finished patching the boy up. "You're a strong person, Fuji Syusuke. I am both proud and humbled by your perseverance to patch up the broken past."

"Thank you Echizen-san." Fuji said, pain no longer infesting his chest. It was replaced by lightness.

"Now I'm not done yet." Nanjiroh said. "Dr. Yoshizawa told me earlier that you came yesterday to visit Ryoma."

Fuji nodded." But I didn't have the courage to tell him that it was me." Apprehension flashed in his blue eyes. "I'm still scared of the circumstances once he finds out that it was me."

Nanjiroh sighed and looked off at a distance. "You have to find the guts that you need soon."

Fuji blinked. "Why is that so Echizen-san?"

Nanjiroh glanced back at the tensai. "There is a procedure available that can give him back his sense of sight, Fuji-kun. Dr. Yoshizawa told me this 3 months ago."

The tensai's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? Then what's the delay?"

Nanjiroh smiled sadly. "Ryoma refused." Fuji was crest-fallen. "He said that a life with colors will be worthless."

"But why?" Fuji protested. 'Why is he being so stubborn?!'

Nanjiroh gazed into those sapphire orbs once more. "Because of you."

"M-me?" Fuji gaped at the man.

"He said that a life with colors will be worthless without you."

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A/N: Hehehehehehehe…can't stop grinning.

Oh…the chance and choice thing? A priest told us that during our Capping Ceremony (Nurses' tradition). He said that our notion that only we can make our own destiny is wrong. He said that life is a series of chances given by God and choices that we make to live a live that is fitting for Him.

Two more to go!!!

PLEASE MAKE ME HAPPY AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!