Author's Notes:
Surprised to see me update fast? If you are, I am too. I guess I wanted to make up for the three years that I had not updated my stories. Plus, I have been on the zone lately. I might as well take advantage of it. Lol. Anyway, I think little by little I would be able to update faster considering our school works and activities will be much lesser this semester. So, I'm crossing my fingers to that.
Going back to the story, I edited the first chapter. That was because some details that I had put in to the first chapter (which was written three years ago) did not match with the one I had written in the second chapter. Big thank you to the person who had written a review about this!
Enjoy this chapter, guys! Thank you to those who had read and reviewed. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
.xoxoxo.
Believe Me When I Say It's Real
Chapter 3
By Flair Do (then MindShrewed)
"Seishounen, dinner is ready!"
Echizen awoke from his slumber, thanks to his father's loud voice calling him. He stretched his whole body on the bed and reached for the clock on his bedside table. It was ten minutes past seven in the evening. He had fallen asleep with his uniform still on. He wasn't even that tired from practice, yet the minute his back touched the soft covers of his bed, sleep consumed him. Probably because of the things going through his head. He hurriedly got up from his bed, took a quick shower and changed into plain clothes.
Echizen was on his way downstairs when Karupin, his beloved cat, suddenly blocked his way and rubbed its body on his legs. He smiled and bent down to pet the blue-eyed beauty. Karupin purred. It was amazing how a simple gesture from Karupin could calm his nerves down.
"You hungry, Karupin? Wait for me here, and I'll go get you nums-nums." He smoothed Karupin's back with his hand and headed downstairs.
He propped himself into one of the seats, as her mother and Sonoko finished setting the table.
"About time you got down from your room. I've been calling so many times. Your mother refuses to start dinner without you." Nanjirouh, his pervert of a father, complained at him. He was reading a huge newspaper, but knowing the nature of his father, there was probably a pornographic magazine hidden in between those pages of the newspaper.
Echizen threw him a bored look. "I was sleeping, dad. As if mom could keep you from eating all the food here, knowing how greedy you are."
"Why, you little brat. Rinko, did you hear what this son of yours just said?" Nanjirouh, used to his son's indifference, pretended to be angry and put down his "reading" materials. Sonoko immediately snatched her uncle's bible and put it away where he would have hard time finding. But Echizen knew it was useless, his father had a load of those things hidden in the whole house.
"Now, now. It's not polite to fight in front of the dining table." The ever-good natured Rinko-san spoke, shutting the loud Nanjirouh up. "Now, let's eat."
.xoxoxo.
The whole time they were eating, Echizen was watching his mother. She looked tired. And sad. Her eyes were still slightly red and puffy, remnants of sorrow for their loss. Echizen understood how his mother felt. Just a week ago, her mother passed away. A sibling of hers from the United States told them the tragic news through the phone. Upon hearing it, Rinko broke down into tears. And all Echizen could do was to hug his mother – one of the few moments he let himself vulnerable. He figured his usual cold self would not make his mother feel any better. Nanjirouh was there too, and so was his aunt, Sonoko.
Lucy, his grandmother, had always been nice to them. He remembered visiting her weekly at her big house when they were still living in America. He remembered the cookies she'd baked for him. Recalled the gifts she had given him and Autumn, his favourite cousin during holiday seasons and their special occasions. He still knew the stories she had told them to put them to sleep whenever their parents were out. Looking at the superficial Echizen Ryoma, few would believe that he had experienced an enjoyable childhood. But the truth was that, he did. He had enjoyed all of his childhood experience. And Grandma Lucy held a very big part in making that happen.
They wanted to see his grandmother for the last time so his whole family decided that they fly to New York to attend her burial. Echizen witnessed her mother's love for his grandmother. Rinko took care of it all. She welcomed the mourning guests and friends. She'd stood by the coffin, looking at her mother's face as if she were memorizing every detail of it. She had never let him and his cousins do anything, and always assured that they were all going to be okay. How he wished he could do something to speed up his mother's healing process. Because even though he was cold and insensitive most of the time, that did not mean he loved his family any less.
Now they were back in Japan. They were living their lives the way they normally did before. He was left with no other option but to live his monotonous life here again. Even though he had missed so much in school and in tennis, he was grateful that they had gone back to America even if it was only for a short while. He hadn't admitted it, but he'd missed their life there. He missed his rowdy cousins and their buffoonery. With his beloved grandmother gone, not to mention the memory of his recent heartache caused by Tezuka constantly popping into head, he surely appreciated their company.
Ah, Tezuka. Just mentioning that name in his head made him lose his appetite. Rinko was watching him play with the food, but he didn't mind. It was a good thing his mother didn't ask him questions. She was never a pushover anyway; she knew that when Ryoma was ready to tell her things, he would. Plus, his dad was always the main attraction during dinner time anyway. He was dominating all the conversations.
"Oi, seishounen. Stop playing with the food. We buy them, ya' know. And money doesn't grow on trees." Nanjirouh scolded him.
Echizen stuck his tongue out at his and looked at Rinko, "Can I be excused, mom? I'm already full."
"Are you okay, honey? You barely touched your food." Her mother asked worriedly. She stood by and walked to his side.
"He's probably love sick because of a girl." Nanjirouh teasingly butt in.
"I'm not like you, Oyaji." Echizen shot back and turned to his mother, "I'm fine, 'Ka-san. Momo-senpai and I grabbed a bite earlier, so I filled up quickly." He assured her as he stood up from his chair. "Thank you for the meal." And he left.
"What's wrong with that kid?" Nanjirouh asked the two women.
.xoxoxo.
While leaving the dining room, Echizen faintly heard his father's last statement, but ignored it anyway. He went straight to the pantry to get his promised nums-nums for Karupin. After filling up Karupin's food container, he headed straight to his room.
He was not disappointed. Karupin was waiting for him by the door. And as soon as he entered, he was greeted by the cat's blue eyes that were shining with excitment. Echizen put the container and let Karupin feast over it. He caressed her white fur a little longer and laid his body on his waiting bed.
He stared at the ceiling. Why did he feel so drained when his body did not feel exhausted at all? His mind was the one that was tired. His mind kept wandering back to the night he confessed his feeling to Tezuka. He knew that the captain would not take it so easily. Echizen even thought the older boy might laugh at him for doing what he did. But he never expected Tezuka's reaction that night. It was just so subjective, the part which was unknown to Echizen because he had always seen Tezuka as a fair and subjective person. Yet he spoke as if having a guy confess to him was crime. There was spite in the way he uttered his words, a prejudice Echizen never thought a well-respected individual like Tezuka had.
And that hurt more than the rejection itself. Echizen couldn't help thinking if Tezuka's friendship had been tainted with Oishi when he found out that the vice captain was gay and was in love with their team mate. He wondered if it was still sincerity and not the 'for the sake of it' mentality he'd shown to Oishi. Amidst his thoughts, Karupin jumped onto his bed and settled herself beside him, obviously satisfied with his meal. He moved his head sideward to look at his cat when his eyes landed on the picture frame that was standing on the furniture beside him. He elevated his self with his left elbow and extended his right arm to reach the frame.
It was a photograph of all of the regulars. It was taken way back when they had trip to Germany to visit Tezuka, as well as to celebrate their success as they had emerged as champions during the Kantō Tournament. The picture was special to him in many ways. It was not because it was the first time he'd realized that he liked their captain, because it was way before that. He couldn't even remember when he started liking the guy. Maybe it was when he saw the captain watching him from a room at the second floor of the main building of their school. Maybe it was when they played their first ever match under the overpass. He didn't know; he was not sure. He didn't challenge his memory either. All he knew was that, one day he found himself attached to Tezuka.
The sad news was it had ended before it had even begun. But with the way Tezuka saw how wrong it was for two guys to be together, that 'something' was never there to begin with. Echizen reached out for the drawer, carefully so he didn't wake Karupin up and put the picture frame back to its place.
.xoxoxo.
It's official. Echizen was slowly becoming insomniac. For the wrong, pathetic reasons. He probably would've appreciated it if he were not able to sleep because he had been studying hard for a difficult exam. But no, sleep was not generous tonight because all he had been thinking about was Tezuka. Again. It's already past midnight.
Echizen sighed out of frustration.
His talk earlier with Tezuka only reminded him of his recent heartbreak. The clubroom: that was where it all took place. The confession, the bold move, the rejection. And Echizen was no masochist. He had every intention of leaving Tezuka there for he still was not ready to face him. But he didn't. Because that action would disrespect their captain. That would only make a sore loser out of him. And Echizen was no loser either.
So Echizen did what he does best: poker face. And show Tezuka his respect that he deserved. Respect that was never lost even after the senior hurt his feelings. Before their conversation had gone any further, Echizen had told the captain his point. That he was not the reason for his no-show. That it was only because of his grandma that he had to put school and tennis aside.
As Echizen shifted his positions on his bed, he recalled on the half-assed things he said to his captain and hoped to God, silently praying that he sounded convincing.
.xoxoxo.
To be continued...
.xoxoxo.
Don't give me the look, guys. Lol! Aren't we happy that I updated unusually fast? Let's better embrace it now because I will be away for a while again.
Tomorrow is my examination. Wish me luck guys.
Please Read and Review!
P.S. My birthday is fast approaching. I do accept appreciate gifts.
:coughs: BOOKS! :coughs:
Kidding aside, your appreciation and reviews are enough to make me happy on my special day. But still, I accept gifts. :P
