Disclaimer: I don't own Chihaya. That's actually a good thing.

Chapter Summary: Taichi calls up Arata to break the news. In which Taichi has his doubts and Arata talks.

A/N: italics - actual quotes from manga chapter 105. Consider this a spoiler warning. It's only three sentences though.

Taichi called Arata up two weeks after the Meijin Match.

"Taichi! It's good to hear from ya'… Yes, I'm free this Saturday. Meijin duties don't start until next month...12pm? Sure… How about that café near Bubaigawara stop?...Great, I'll see you there… Will Chihaya be joining us?…No?...All right, just the two of us then."

Taichi found himself fidgeting in one of the café seats an hour before the actual meeting time. He was on his fourth cup of tea, trying without success to calm his nerves, dreading the upcoming conversation.

Lost in thoughts, Taichi startled when someone slid into the chair opposite of him. Arata looked a bit flushed, his hair wind-swept, cheeks and nose red from the winter cold. However, the guy looked as collected as ever, sending him a warm smile while loosening the scarf around his neck. Taichi did a double take…was that a Snowmaru pattern on his scarf?

After the initial greeting Taichi had to excuse himself to use the restroom. He stayed there staring at his reflection in the mirror. He took a deep breath - he didn't understand why he was so nervous – and exhaled. There really was nothing to be nervous about. Taichi ruffled his hair in annoyance foregoing the calming breathing exercises.

It was just Arata.

He chuckled humorlessly.

Just Arata. Up until now his self-proclaimed rival in everything that mattered and his best friend.

No biggie.

During the time Taichi was in the restroom, Arata had ordered for them two cups of black coffee. His coat was now unbuttoned, his scarf hanging over the back of the chair. He didn't comment on why Taichi took so long to come back. They sat there making small talks and Taichi felt himself marginally relaxing when suddenly Arata put down his cup on the table.

"So…what did you want to talk about?"

Taichi blinked and wet his lips. He took a sip of his coffee, the bitter liquid refusing to go down his throat easily. He cleared his throat. Multiple times. Arata only quirked an eyebrow.

There was only one way to do this, Taichi thought.

"I'm going out with Chihaya."

Arata blinked and briefly averted his eyes before looking back at Taichi. He smiled, "Congratulations."

Taichi felt a flash of annoyance at Arata's nonchalant behavior. He clenched his hand around the coffee cup staying silent. What the heck? Congratulations?

Arata took a sip from his own cup gazing out of the window.

"Is that all you have to say?" Taichi finally asked through gritted teeth.

Arata stayed silent still not looking at Taichi. Taichi downed the rest of his coffee in one go. He slammed his cup down getting an annoyed glare from a passing-by waitress.

"Taichi, remember back in high school, during the Yoshino Society Tournament…" Arata finally spoke up, his eyes glazed over a bit. "We decided that Chihaya didn't belong to either of us."

Taichi nodded not sure where this conversation was going.

"Somehow I always thought Chihaya belonged to you..."

"What are you even saying, stupid. To me…To me Chihaya belongs to the both of us".

"Chihaya doesn't belong to anyone."

Taichi thought a bit annoyed. "You were the one who arbitrarily decided it."

The thing is, Taichi took those words to heart. Chihaya didn't belong to anyone. Arata's voice brought him back to the present.

"Even though I might have truly believed it at the time…Deep down, I still thought that she belonged with you."

Taichi looked down at the table, a black coffee spot catching his attention. If he squinted at it the right way it kinda looked like Daddy Bear… Taichi sighed shaking his head. Why was Arata dredging up that old conversation?

Arata's voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Chihaya confessed to me in high school."

Taichi's eyes widened in shock.

"After the time I won the Meijin match and she lost her Queen match against Shinobu."

Taichi finally looked up at Arata.

"I turned her down," Arata said calmly finishing his coffee.

This was the first time he ever heard about this… Taichi suddenly felt cold. Did this change anything? It's been three years since then. Why now? Why then? Why didn't Chihaya tell him about this? Hell, why didn't Arata tell him about this before?

"Why?"

Arata was playing with his now empty cup of coffee.

Taichi added. "I thought you used to like her?"

Wasn't this the whole reason why they had that conversation about belonging and not belonging or what not? Wasn't Chihaya the reason why Arata came back to Tokyo?

Arata stopped fidgeting with his cup. "See Taichi, you thought I liked her. And I did. Definitely as a friend. Maybe even more than that, in the one way that really counts."

"Then why?" Taichi asked again desperately. Chihaya told him...she told Taichi that she loved him. Did it change anything now that Taichi knew she had said the same words to Arata before?

Arata looked straight into Taichi's eyes.

"I didn't want to lose our friendship. The friendship the three of us had… "

Taichi suddenly felt furious. He shot out of his seat pulling Arata up by the collar of his shirt. He hissed through his teeth.

"Are you a fucking moron? That was the only reason? The only reason why you turned her down, make her cry?"

Taichi remembered now. There was a time after the Meijin and Queen Tournament in high school when Chihaya wasn't acting like her usual self. The Mizusawa team members all chucked it up to her loss against Wakamiya Shinobu and decided to leave Chihaya be for now. Which didn't mean they didn't worry. Her behavior was quiet erratic. She would suddenly start crying as certain poems were read and lose in practice matches that she really shouldn't. He would observe her working twice as hard yet become worse and worse as time went on. Taichi never realized that her broken state might have been caused by Arata all along.

"Answer me!"

Arata's eyes flashed in anger. "What did you expect me to do, Taichi? Maybe it was a selfish and arbitrary decision on my side but I really took all our feelings into consideration! I wasn't worrying about myself or Chihaya, Taichi. We would have stayed friends no matter what. It's you who wouldn't have been able to take it like an adult, opting to run away like a coward!"

Taichi deflated letting go of Arata's collar. He slumped back into his chair.

Was he really that transparent? He knew it too deep down that he wouldn't have been able to take it if the two of them got together. Knowing himself he'd have ran away, away from everything, from karuta, from Arata, and even further from Chihaya… But -

"I don't need your fucking pity," Taichi said in a resigned tone.

"It wasn't pity. It was…foresight?" Arata sighed adjusting his neck collar. "Think it over Taichi but don't over think. Don't think that you are hurting me when you are with her, don't doubt your own decision and most importantly don't doubt Chihaya's feelings for you. They are definitely there and they are real."

Arata picked up his scarf and grabbed the check from their table.

"Besides, feelings can change… I know that." Arata sent him a final smile, probably to show he wasn't going to hold any grudges and left to pay for their drinks. Taichi didn't stop him. However, he followed him with his eyes only now noticing something.

Without doubt, Wakamiya Shinobu was standing outside in the chilly weather, a Snowmaru hat covering her hair. She was dressed quiet normally, in a simple coat and a girly, frilly dress. She turned around when Arata came out of the café. Taichi was sure he caught her eye for a brief moment, before she went back to looking at Arata. Surprisingly, a genuine smile was on her lips. They both stood there for a few moments, probably talking, before walking away, Wakamiya Shinobu's hand in Arata's.

Taichi wasn't sure what to think or feel. Feelings can change, can't they?

Taichi always knew that Chihaya lo…liked Arata. After Arata's return, he came to believe the feelings were mutual. However, over the three years they were all together…nothing happened between the other two leaving Taichi with mixed feelings.

On one hand it was like the old times. The three of them playing karuta together, going to classes together. It was ridiculous how similar it was to the times before Arata left. Surreal even. On the other hand, Taichi kept expecting to show up at the karuta club just to find out that Arata and Chihaya started going out.

And then, BAM! Only two weeks ago Chihaya confessed her feelings to him. Yes, to him - to Mashima Taichi, and not Wataya Arata! He was still reeling in shock from the turn of events, not sure how it was possible that the story of their childhood love triangle, using Hanano-san's words not his, ended with him and Chihaya becoming a couple.

His phone rang breaking him out of his thoughts. He flipped it open, staring for a brief moment at the picture of him and Chihaya, before pressing the green button.

"Taichi! Wanna meet up?"

He looked out of the window.

"Sure. Did you want to practice karuta?"

The other side went silent for a while.

"Chihaya?"

"Well….I was thinking if you would like to do something else instead?" Her voice sounded hesitant and Taichi's eyes widened a bit. He didn't expect that.

"Uhm, sure. How about we meet up first and decide later where to go?"

"Sounds good! 1pm the usual place?"

"Yeah, I'll see you."

Taichi sat there staring at his phone after Chihaya hung up. He wondered if he will ever get used to the idea that Chihaya…was his.

He put the cell phone back in his pocket shrugging on his coat.

No, scratch that. No matter what Arata said, he still believed that Chihaya couldn't belong to anybody.

On his way out he nodded to the head waitresses who in turn bowed back. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck, tucking his glove-less hands inside the coat pockets.

Chihaya belonged to herself. She belonged with karuta…

He shivered a bit at the cold thinking,

It's him who will always belong to her…

As he started walking towards the station, Taichi grinned.

… and he wouldn't have it any other way.

A/N: Hmmm I don't know about this chapter. There will be two separate chapters from Arata's and Chihaya's point of view. Arata's decision might make more sense by the time we're done with this fic.

If you see any mistakes feel free to point them out. My grammar is acceptable at best.

e.d. 9/19/2013 I wasn't going anywhere with the way the next chapter was set up. So I scraped the draft, trading team dynamics development for Arata's side of the story.

Next up: In their last year of high school Arata and Chihaya go on to challenge the reigning Meijin and Queen. Arata makes a decision.