Tezuka woke up promptly at 5:30 every morning, a time that Fuji considered too early to be coherent. After a quick shower, Tezuka would go jog around their apartment complex (his laps fixation hadn't worn off yet), and return in time to save the meal prepared by a sleepy and slightly disoriented Fuji. They would eat in a silence that had shifted from comfortable to awkward in the past few weeks before Tezuka left for work.
Tezuka worked as a part-time accountant in a prestigious bank. It was an odd choice for a person who once cherished dreams of being a professional tennis player, but Tezuka had no choice. A month before Tezuka's debut in the sports world, the doctors had given him an ultimatum-tennis or a functioning shoulder. So, Tezuka quietly apologized to his manager, and left the courts that he had worked so hard to reach. It wasn't an easy decision, but the doctor's diagnosis stilled his fingers whenever they itched for a tennis racket. Tezuka loved tennis, every exhilarating moment, but he silently let go of the only dream he had nurtured for many long years. He locked his longing somewhere deep inside of him until he could walk by a tennis court without feeling bitterness rise deep inside him.
Being an exceptional student, Tezuka was promptly accepted into the Tokyo University, where he graduated with honors in mathematics. Less than a year after his graduation, he was offered a part-time job in the Bank of Japan. Fuji had been the only person who hadn't congratulated him. Instead, he has wrapped his fingers around Tezuka's, and smiled sadly.
"Good morning!" Fuji beamed as he walked into Click. Immediately, a redhead blurred his way across the store and enveloped Fuji in a hug. "Fujiiiiiii!", Eiji wailed, "Yumi hid my toothpaste!" Fuji blinked, perplexed, before letting a smile stretch across his face, "Eiji, why did you bring your toothpaste to work?" The toothpaste stealer popped up from behind a shelf of cameras, and launched/embarked on a rather accurate impression of Eiji, "Toothpaste is very important, nya! It makes your teeth sparkle! And the shop had a limited edition of flavored toothpaste! If Eiji waited until after work, it would be all gone! So, he got up early to buy toothpaste, but then I stole it!"
Yumi sighed, and turned to face Amaya, "How does Eiji talk for so long without breathing?" Thoughtfully biting her lip, Amaya ventured, "Do you think he's a zombie? No, he's too happy to be one." "Prejudice!" Eiji accusingly pointed at Amaya, "Why can't zombies be happy? They don't have to be emotionless and creepy all the time!" Fuji cut in, "Maybe because they're the undead?" Eiji, momentarily stalled, tilted his head in confusion, "I thought that vampires were the undead, nya."
A tall boy wandered into the room, holding a list of merchandise. Fuji smiled, "Look, its Keichi. Why don't you go ask him, Eiji?" Eiji beamed at Fuji and complied. He skipped over to Kiyoshi, and repeated the question. Keichi blinked twice before giving an answer that caused Eiji to leap up in joy, "Hah, Amaya! Vampires are the undead!"
"Enter Tezuka Kunimitsu-sama!" a voice announced as Tezuka stepped into the brightly lit room, "Why are you so punctual?" Tezuka glanced briefly at the lanky boy before hanging up his coat, "I don't think Sachiko could last a minute longer with you." Sachiko laughed as she walked past Tezuka, her arms full with a three-step staircase, "That's true. Kiyoshi is far too enthusiastic to deal with all day." "I'm happy." Kiyoshi said grandly, "And happy people bring happiness to the miserable ones." "That, or headaches." Tezuka pointed out, stifling a beginning of a smile as Sachiko pulled a face behind Kiyoshi's back.
Cutting in, Sachiko pivoted to address Tezuka, "Speaking of headaches, and pain in general, we're getting a new patient today. It's a knee injury. I understand that she's a tennis player, so I assigned her to you, Kunimitsu." Tezuka nodded, "It's Wednesday, so she'll come now, right? I have Sawatada-san at 3:30, Higa-san at 4 and Yamamoto-san at 5." The chime of the doorbell broke up their conversation. Tezuka turned to greet hi s new patient, but stopped in his tracks. A tall girl with soft black eyes peering gently out of a porcelain face shook her hair free and smiled breathlessly at the trio of physical therapists, "Good afternoon. I'm Kimura Aiko. Apparently, someone named Tezuka Kunimitsu is supposed to be my trainer?"
Tezuka, at a loss for words, was saved from speaking by Sachiko. As she introduced them to each other, Tezuka fought to keep the slow flush from spreading across his face. He loved Wednesdays.
"Thank you for all your help, Fuji-san." Fuji smiled politely at the man in front of him, "It was my pleasure. Don't forget, we can print your pictures here." The customer picked up the bag and returned Fuji's smile, "I won't. You said that this camera has a one-year warranty, right" Nodding, Fuji answered, "Yes, but you won't really need it. This camera won't break unless you throw it down a cliff. It's quite sturdy." "I'll remember that", Fuji's customer laughed, "Goodbye."
Heaving a sigh as the shop cleared out, Fuji looked around. Keichi and Yumi were cleaning up, talking quietly. Eiji was straightening out a stack of merchandise that he has knocked down a couple minutes ago. Suddenly, Fuji's breath caught; stopped by the overpowering loneliness that was becoming all too familiar. He was surrounded by his friends, but at that moment, they felt too distant to be truly tangible. The intensity of his emotions was so great that he jumped slightly when Amaya walked up to him and lightly touched his shoulder, "Hi." Fuji quickly fixed a smile on his face, "Hi. Is everything cleaned up?" Glancing around, Amaya nodded, "Just about. Eiji's still missing though." Fuji started laughing, but stopped abruptly as his best friend tackled him from behind, "Fuji!! Oishi has to work late today!" Looking down at Fuji with limpid eyes, Eiji smiled winningly, "Will you eat dinner with me today, Fujiko?" Fuji hesitated, "I don't know, Eiji. Tezuka and I usually eat together." It was a white lie, but one he has to make for Eiji. Tezuka used to wait for him even if Fuji came home at 10. If Fuji insisted that Tezuka eat, he would just look at Fuji and tell him that the food was bland if he had to eat alone. Eiji pouted, "Please, Fuji? Tezuka won't miss you if you don't eat together just one day!"
Smiling sadly at the irony or his current situation, Fuji nodded, "Yes, he won't miss me. Let's go, Eiji."