Second chapter! Hope you enjoy it, supremekikay24-san, Fujiyuki-san, tightpans-san and my lovely guests-san! Have a nice day!
"Eri-chan, Ohayou!" Fuji called the hospital's receptionist.
"Syuu! Ohayou! What are you doing here this early morning?" she smiled at him. "Is there an emergency call now? I'll tell the ER doctors, they'll be stand by rightaway." she used to Fuji's presence at the hospital.
"No. There's no emergency situation now or so I know. It's not my shift yet. I'm visiting someone this time."
"I see. Who do you want to meet?" her hands hovered on the keyboard.
"Tezuka. Tezuka Kunimitsu. Where is his room?"
"Oh, that athlete. He is at the eighth floor, the private floor, the farthes room on the right side." she said without using the database since the athlete was someone famous.
"Got it. Thank you, Eri-chan!"
"Wait, Syuu-kun! I need you to fill this guest form before visiting him. Don't forget that you have only an hour in each visit." a form was transferred to Fuji, she waited him to fill the form.
"An hour?"
"Actually the visitors can visit more than that but he is still weak. He has to rest more because he is more exhausted than we thought before." Fuji handed the form.
"I see.. Well, I won't be long. Thanks." He smiled at the brown haired girl.
"Let's go out and drink when we are free, okay? Don't forget to bring your friend, the tall man with the black spiked hair, ne?"
"You mean Momo?" Fuji asked.
"Yes! Can you?" her green eyes blinked in anticipation.
"Sure. I'll let you know our schedule." He waved at her and walked to the elevator.
His cousin didn't say anything about the athlete's health and condition so he didn't know how bad was his injury. Would he be sleeping at this moment? Or was he awake?
He felt his feet filled with tons of steel. He didn't want to go there. Should he go home and say that he already visited the athlete? No, Sei-chan would be mad at him and that would cause another disaster.
He walked into the elevator. There were a nurse and a kid on a wheelchair next to him. Fuji then kneeled next to the boy. "Hey there, what's your name? I'm Fuji Syusuke."
"Keiichi." He answered in a small voice. His right arm was bandaged and put on a sling. There were some bruises on his face, his lips was chapped.
Fuji already knew his name actually since he was the one who called the ambulance to pick up the boy when he was found by his neighbor. "I see. What a beautiful name. I have an extra candy here, would you mind to take it for me?" He smiled at the smaller kid.
The kid looked at the nurse and she smiled warmly to him, giving him an agreement. "Thank you, sir."
"You are welcome." He caressed his little head carefully.
Fuji then took the report behind the wheelchair before the nurse realized it. "Sir! You can't do that! It's—"
Fuji placed his finger on his lips and glanced at the kid. He didn't want to attract the boy's attention. He read the report quickly, he had used to read these kinds of reports for a long time. When he called the ambulance from his office, he knew only his address and condition -badly injured-.
His blood boiled each time he found a new information about the kid's injuries. He had fracture at his arm, a small concussion on his head and bruises all around his body.
"Father?" He asked in the sign language. It was always the nearest person who did abuse the kids.
She signed "an uncle".
"I see." He thanked the nurse and replaced the report into its place.
The elevator pinged, he waved good bye to the kid and nurse. He wished for his genius brain to help him this time.
###
"It's easy. He is a quiet person. You just need to ask how his day, about his exercise or match. He doesn't talk that much." Sei-chan said.
"What if he got suspicious about me? I don't know anything about him. You expect me to answer it by lucky guess?"
"Don't be silly. Here, I wrote down some informations about him. I hope it will be useful." He gave Fuji a white folded paper.
"How convenient. Did you write it before you come here?"
"I wrote it last night, actually." He pointed at the paper.
"So sure that I will accept your order." He said with sarcasm.
"Well, you can't deny me, can you?" Sei-chan giggled.
"Just to remember, I have my own personal life, too. I can't stay with him 24/7."
"I know it. You just need to visit him regularly, it won't disturb your rescuing-the-world's schedule." He rolled his eyes.
"Just so you know." Fuji replied.
###
He read again the paper his cousin gave him the day before. He snorted, that's really helpful, Sei-chan. It was really some informations about the athlete. He found only five points on the paper. He could find more from the internet. He tucked the paper away and made sure the basket filled with fruits, was okay.
"Excuse me." He opened the white door with Tezuka's name attached on it because when he knocked, no one was responding.
It was actually a luxurious private room. The athlete didn't share room with anyone else. It was painted in white with a medium sized receiving room, separated from the patient's room. He saw this kind of private room only from movie or drama. A big window was placed on the farthes wall from the door. The view was so great. The room was filled with the sunlight. The sofa and furniture were so luxurious too, he didn't dare to touch them, afraid that he would damage them.
He knocked on another door which he was sure that it was the real room of the patient, three times. How many times does Sei-chan usually knock?, he wondered. Did he do it right? He never paid any attention to the small details. He hoped he didn't do it wrong.
A faint voice gave him permission to enter.
This room was not so different from the previous one. It was painted in white minus the sofa and luxurious furniture. There were a bed and two cupboards, instead. There was a big window too not far from the bed. Two small chairs were placed next to the cupboard. The room were filled with many basket of fruits and flowers, in any kind of shapes and size. He looked at his basket and didn't know if he should give it to the athlete or not.
He found the one he sought, though. He sat on his bed with infusion on his left hand, the head of the bed was set upright so he could lean on it. He was a man in his mid twenty and the photo on the newspaper didn't catch his handsomeness and his greatness. I can take a better photo, he thought. There was something attracted him to this man.
The athlete's hair was brown and his eyes were covered by bandage, they put it around his head to keep it attached. He wore the hospital's clothes yet he could see a fine form of body and muscle behind it.
Sei-chan, what a lucky witch you are.
"Who is there?" He asked when Fuji didn't say anything for a long time.
Even his voice was sexy too. Okay, he needed to find a curse for his cousin, now. How could he find a perfect creature like this as boyfriend and another amazing man as a childhood friend?
"Are you one of the girls?" the bed ridden man asked in a cold tone.
Fuji swallowed his chuckle, the athlete thought he was one of his fangirls. They must be some hysterical and desperate fangirls if the infamous man asked something like this.
"Is there someone here? Or it's just my imagination?" He asked again.
"It's me, Yukimura." Fuji answered finally.
"Yukimura?"
"Hai."
"Why are you here?" his voice sounded colder than before.
"I am your boyfriend, aren't I? It's my pleasure to stay beside you." He chuckled and tried to mask his nervousness. Do they hit their lowest point in their relationship? He thought.
"Hn.." He nodded and turned his head toward the window.
Didn't know what to do, Fuji took one of the chair and sat next to the man. "I bring you fruits. I don't know if you need them after seeing the parcels here." He said in a happy tone.
"Put it anywhere you want."
"Sure." Fuji placed the basket next to the big flowers arrangement from Atobe's Corp.
First point, ask about his condition. "How are you today?"
He sighed and answered, "Fine."
Oookay.
What does Sei-chan usually talk to this man? What should I say to him? Weather? He can't even see it now. Tennis? But I know so little about tennis. Fuji thought by himself. He opened his mouth to talk but then canceled it, afraid that he would make mistakes.
Fuji looked at his watch, he still had another forty-five minutes to go. The athlete suddenly put his hand on his own temple. Fuji was on alert immediately.
"Does it hurt somewhere or do you need anything?"
"Aa.. It will pass soon. Don't worry."
"Have you told the doctor about it? Did they check on it already?"
"Why do you care?" He snapped.
"Of course I care. You are important." At least for your parents, your boyfriend and your fans, he thought.
He pinched his temple for moments and then answered in a flat tone. "They said it caused by the bump. They had CT scanned it, nothing wrong. Enough?"
"That's good." Fuji relaxed. He didn't know much about tennis but he did know that Tezuka was the tennis icon and he still had so many things to achieve.
"I hope you get well soon. Please tell me what to do if by chance you need something. I want to help you." This was came from his own heart. He truly hoped that this man got better soon and conquered the world.
"Hn.. You don't have to stay here. I don't need any accompany."
"I have free time so it's better to spend it with you, ne?"
Tezuka mumbled something under his breath but Fuji didn't catch it. They stayed in silence until the door was knocked. Fuji stood and opened the door.
A fan gave him a big flower arrangement for Tezuka. "I deceived the reception to come here, I want to give this to Tezuka-sama!"
"Thank you."
"Please, let me come in and greet him." she said in a excited voice.
"I'm sorry but he is resting now. His condition isn't bad but he needs his rest, ne? When he wake up I'll tell him about your gift." He smiled at her.
She looked so disappointed. "It's so sad but okay, I understand. I hope he can get better soon. Thank you very much, Manager-san."
He didn't try to correct her. "You are welcome. Thank you for your gift." He closed the door after the girl walked away.
"Who was it?"
"One of your fangirls. She gave you a big flower arrangement. I think you can open a flower shop with these flowers when you are discharged later." He grinned. "Say, don't you think that you need a bodyguard to keep you safe? I'm worried about your safety and your health. You can keep your fangirls and reporters at bay if you have a bodyguard."
Tezuka ignored him. He laid on his bed pressed the bed's button, his bed suddenly got lower and stopped when the owner got the best position. "I'm sorry but I need to rest."
Fuji stood next to him and nodded. "I see. My visiting time is over too. Sleep tight."
There was no answer from the athlete. His bandaged eyes didn't give any hints whether he was fast asleep or just simply ignored him.
Fuji had to restraint his need to slam the door. He wanted to punch on the elevator's button too but he didn't so he sighed, instead.
What a cold fish. He didn't only ignore him and snapped at him but also chase him away with his cold words. He was truly the soul mate of Yukimura Seiichi. They were two orgres. Evil. Cold-blooded men.
You mustn't judge the book from its cover.
He cursed all the way to the office. He even find a resentment toward the the tennis shop near the station.
Sei-chan, what kind of relationship did you actually have?
What happened between those two? Did they fight and his cousin's boyfriend still sulking at him? Did Sei-chan expect him to repair their damaged relationship, too? He is not a volunteer let alone a martyr. He doesn't want to be their clown, dancing around them and giving them a great attraction. Or is this their own kind of relationship? Really? A cold like-a-cold-war relationship? Or are they tsundere? There are too many things which confuse him. Sei-chan has to explain it. His paper didn't say anything.
Unfortunately, the phone was directed to the voice-mail because the owner was too busy with his childhood's friend.
###
The Emergency Hotline Center was busy as usual. Before the lunch hour arrived he already received eight calls, three were cardiac arrest reports from the neighborhood, two were the households accident, two were about small traffic accidents near there and last was suspicious person, who was reported as a robber, fortunately nobody was hurt. It was quite tiring but he was happy that every report was handled quickly.
The most worrying report was the last one. The robber hadn't been captured yet and he hoped nobody met the robber. He didn't want to hear another victim to be found. Hearing the robbering incident always brought back his traumatic experience. An experience which he shoved to the darkest side of his memory and he truly hoped that it would never resurfaced anymore. He touched back of his left ear, a long thin scarwhich almost unseen unless someone paid attention, stretched from side of his head to behind his ear was the evidence of it. He used his chin length hair to hide it. He could still feel the hurt and hotness of his blood, how everyone asked him what happened that day and how he tried to pretend that nothing serious happened that time. He felt a small panic attack rose and his breathing became shallow, he endured the nauseous feeling which also appeared.
"Fuji-kun, it's your turn to take a break. I'll take care of this section." a middle aged woman with pixie hair cut hair called him.
He was startled but also grateful that someone distracted his panic attack. He quickly answered, "Oh, it's the lunch time already? Maa.. I don't realize it." He stretched out and sighed.
"Yes, they have a curry rice on the menu today."
"I hope there is a wasabi flavored curry." Fuji stood.
"Doubt it. Here, I have an extra free lunch coupon. Buy another plate, you are too thin for a young lad." she gave him a small coupon.
"Maa.. It's no need, Tanaka-san. I appreciate it, though. Thank you." He blocked her hand.
"What are you saying? It's a rare occasion to meet a young genius lad like you to work at this tiring and depressing world. I hope you can find a better place to work after your graduation this spring." she patted his shoulder.
"It's not! I like working here, I really do. I want to help people with my ability." He answered confidently.
"Hai, hai. Now, take this coupon or I won't hand over this desk to you later." she put the coupon on Fuji's hand, he surrendered at last.
"That's low, Tanaka-san. I won't take it if it isn't from you. Thank you for the meal."
"I take it as a praise. Now, shooo.. Go. Enjoy your meal."
The cafeteria was full as usual but fortunately he could find a place to eat. He used the coupon to get a curry set with an extra spicy sauce, the cook especially made it for him.
He ate while chatting with his colleagues from other department. They shared new informations about the missing people, the incident around there or even new gossips.
"Move it, Mamushi!" a loud voice stopped their conversation. The most hot blooded fire fighter, Momoshiro Takeshi's voice was heard and that meant his rival was near.
True to be told, a man with green bandana rebutted, "Ffssshhuuu.. It's you who should move away!"
They shoved each other with amusing gestures which could only be seen on TV. They took the tray in the same time and walked head to head to vacant seats, which located in front of Fuji.
"Good afternoon, you two." Fuji chuckled.
"Fuji-senpai! It has been a long time!"
"It's just last week we met him, you moron! Ffssshhuuu... Good afternoon, Fuji-senpai."
"What? So what anyway? I'm just saying it, you Baka Mamushi!"
"Maa.. Maa.. You shouldn't fight each other, you are disturbing people you know?" He whispered the last part.
"I'm sorry, Fuji-senpai." Momoshiro answered with a sheepish grin.
"I'm sorry, fshuuuu.." He nodded to Fuji.
"So, where were you going, Kaidoh?"
"There was a fire alarm but when we arrived it was a false alarm." the bandana man answered then adding pepper to his curry.
"Isn't that bad? I hope they don't do that, it's dangerous when we thought it was a false alarm yet it actually a true one." Fuji frowned.
"Aaa... Don't mind. Don't mind. It happens a lot. We are trained to be ready anytime." He bit down his third hamburger.
"I heard there was a robbering incident this morning." Kaidoh asked.
"Mmm.. It was at the twentieth block."
"It's the unsafe zone here, right? Don't they have policemen to patrol around there?"
"Of course they have, you stupid peach! That area is too wide to patrol around!"
"I'm just saying it, Baka Mamushi!"
Then they started another round of bickering. Fuji sighed, there were things which just never changed.
###
That night Fuji spent four hours at the tennis training center. Trying his swing and service, he tried to understand how Tezuka felt when he played this game. Half way through the training he remembered what happened in the hospital and how his cousin's boyfriend treated him, he felt frustrated. Moreover, Sei-chan didn't pick up his phone, all day long. Adding the stressful day of work made him hoped that it was Tezuka's and his cousin's face instead of the wall when he hit the ball to.
On the bench near Fuji's place there was Fuji's jacket. Next to the jacket was a white paper written by his cousin.
Tezuka's information:
1. He is quiet person.
2. He like tennis most.
3. Don't ask anything unnecessary.
4. He didn't like sweet.
5. Just sit and talk about tennis if you don't know what to say.
At the end of the note there was a small smile emoticon drawn.
Okay. That's it. I'm sorry if I don't post my story qquickly, I write as fast as snail so please forgive me and be patient. I'll post it regularly! Don't worry! Review, anyone?