A/N : This is the third chapter for 10 Roses... Thank you for all who had reviewed this story, favorite and follow this story. Especially for the reviewers who keep my spirit up! Thank you very much! *bow*

Warning : light shounen-ai and so on... the same as before. Beware of grammatical errors! Feel free to tell me!

Oooh! On with the story!


Chapter 3

The Reason Why


Kaidoh would never consider Momoshiro as his best friend. They were rivals. Whatever Momo could do, Kaidoh could do it also. At least until that accident happened. Kaidoh was forced to watch as Momo's dream destroyed. They weren't best friend. They were rivals. But maybe that was why Kaidoh could understand how much it hurt. Kikumaru made sure that Momo was home safely before he left. Kaidoh decided to stay for awhile.

Momoshiro's mother looked happy as she saw Kaidoh and invited him over for dinner. But when she saw her son, the kind woman started to freak out.

"Takeshi! What happened?" she asked. "Oh my God… Look what happened to you! Are you involved in some fight at school? Who did this to you?"

"Kaa-chan… I'm okay. Stop fussing about it!" said Momo. He was blushing because of his mother reaction.

But it seemed like his mother didn't take it. She turned to Kaidoh. "Well, Kaoru-kun?"

Momo gave him a pleading look to stop Kaidoh from telling the whole story, but Kaidoh ignored him. He told her about what exactly happened and it caused much more complicated reaction.

"Kaa-chan, stop making a scene! It's not a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?! Listen, young man, I won't let anyone hurt my son in such way and get away unpunished!"

"Tezuka-senpai already gave them their punishments…"

"Not enough!"

"Kaa-chan…"

"I'll talk to your father…"

Before Momo could stop her, his mom already left. Momo threw a glare at Kaidoh which the boy answered with a hiss. The next time they knew, Momo's mom already dragged them to the hospital to get the bruises checked. The doctor okayed everything that there were no major injuries and he checked Momo's knee. The doctor said he shouldn't do too much walk and gave him a crutch to help him walked around so he wouldn't give too much burden on his foot. Momo groaned at the crutch but he accepted it nevertheless.

Kaidoh finally left almost at ten o'clock. Momo's mom never stopped thanking him no matter how many times Kaidoh said it was Tezuka-fukubuchou who saved Momo. So she made it her own goal to thank Tezuka personally (which stopped by Momo before he got more embarrassed).

"I'm sorry," said Kaidoh.

"What are you sorry for?" asked Momo as he stood on the front door before Kaidoh's leaving.

"Well, you were waiting for me at the tennis court…"

"Shut up, Mamushi. You just always take the blame, huh?" said Momo. "Don't try to act cool. It doesn't suit you. Doesn't suit you at all."

"Fshuuuuu…" Kaidoh hissed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mamushi."


The next time Momo appeared on the tennis court, he used his crutch with his camera in his hands. It was rather hard to control the focus and pushed the shutter with the crutch and all, so Momo decided to put away his crutch and stood there by putting all his weight on the other foot. From afar, he could see Kikumaru waved rather excited at him with a bright smile on his face. He waved back and beamed brightly.

"Momo! How's your leg?" Oishi appeared beside of him.

"It's nothing, really!" he said.

"Why are you still here?" asked Tezuka as he walked towards Momo. "You should rest or at least sit down somewhere. Standing there only make your leg worse."

"I'm fine," Momo mumbled.

"Nonsense!"

Suddenly, Tezuka stopped when he realized something. Why did he concern about this freshman well-being? Why it infuriated him to see how much this freshman carelessness about his own condition? And why he started to ask question to himself like this? Tezuka realized that recently he wasn't himself. Something had change, and Tezuka didn't even sure whether he liked it or not. He glanced at Fuji who gave him that weird look. Behind Fuji, there were Inui Sadaharu who was jotting something on his notebook and Kawamura Takashi who was quiet even though he held racket in his hand.

"I'm sorry. Go back to practice," said Tezuka. He turned around and got back to the court where he practiced with a senior.

Momo smiled as he shot with his camera. His finger moved to the shutter and…

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

He got the pictures he wanted.

When he printed all his photos, Momo realized something.

Most of the frames are the pictures of the one and only Vice-captain of tennis club; Tezuka Kunimitsu.

What on earth?!


When Momo sat on the bench next to the tennis court, he checked all the pictures he could take today. He was starting to feel like a fanboy of tennis club or something. All this time, he could see how much girls gathered around the court just to see the members play tennis. Especially the second-years like Fuji, Tezuka, Oishi or Kikumaru. They seemed like the most popular guy.

"Are you done for today?"

The question made Momo looked up. He saw Tezuka, still in his regulars' jersey stood beside his bench. He was a bit sweaty after the practice match he had done with Kikumaru. Momo only glanced slightly and mumbled his answer.

"Yeah."

"You always came at practice. Why don't you join the club?" asked Tezuka. "You play tennis?"

"I was. Not anymore."

"You stopped?"

"Well, things happened in the pass. Thank you for letting me watch the practice," said Momoshiro.

"Want to do some light practice?" asked Tezuka.

"With this?" Momo gestured at his crutch. "I don't think so."

"Figures," said Tezuka. "Is it still hurt?"

"Not really. Thanks for asking, Tezuka-senpai," answered Momo. "Isn't that ranking match will be held tomorrow? I heard from Kikumaru-senpai."

"Yes."

"Ah, well… Do your best, Fukubuchou!" said Momo with his usual bright smile.

"Of course."

With that, Tezuka left. Momo only smiled as once again he pulled up his camera and focused the lens. His finger moved to the shutter and… snap!

He got a picture of Tezuka's back.

Momo smiled.


"The reason why he stopped tennis?" Oishi repeated Tezuka's words. "What on earth… Why do you suddenly care about it?"

"Curious," said Tezuka.

"You are kidding me, right? There's no way it's just mere curiosity. You're starting to act out of character lately. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just… forget it. Sorry for bothering you…" before Oishi could say anything, Tezuka already left for his class.


Things just got weirder and weirder for Tezuka. Frustrated enough, he won all his matches with 6-0. He didn't dare to look away from the court, because out there, behind the fence, Momoshiro stood; ready with his camera. He could see Kikumaru exchanged joke with Momo and soon after, Oishi already joined them along with Kawamura. Fuji came up to him and smiled as usual.

"You really are something today, Tezuka," said Fuji. "Ara? That boy also came today?"

"There's 87,5% that the boy has certain effect on you… Hmm… this is a good data…" Inui as usual mumbled and wrote something in his notebook.

Tezuka ignored his friends. This was already too much without them adding oil to the fire. If only looks could kill, Inui would probably sprawl on the court with a pool of blood around him and his body was cut into pieces. If only looks could kill.

"Enough," said Tezuka. Even the stoic captain had turned into a bloody mess. He walked up to Kiyasu-buchou and talked to him. He needed something to get his mind off of a certain freshman. Tezuka felt the need to settle this matter. He was still wondering why Momo didn't join the tennis club. He looked healthy enough to play. His physique indicated that he used to train his body. Why he didn't continue tennis? Bored? If he bored, he would never come every day to watch the practice. Somehow, Tezuka got the feeling that Momoshiro still wanted to continue to play.

"Kaidoh, can I talk to you for a second?"

Tezuka stopped the freshman after Kaidoh gathered all his things. Kaidoh looked up at his senpai before nodded. Tezuka gestured him to sit on the bench while he stood, his back resting on the lockers. Kaidoh looked at him passively.

"How can I help you, Fukubuchou?" asked Kaidoh.

"Why did he stop to play?" Tezuka asked straight to the point.

"Who?" Kaidoh kept asking even though he had an idea about who they were talking about.

"Momoshiro."

"Why do you want to know?"

Why? Tezuka didn't even know the reason why. Why did he care? Pity? Certainly not. But then why? He kept asking himself the same question, and he never got the answer. Just a simple question of why.

"He always comes to our practice, never missing a day. He seemed fit as a tennis player, yet he didn't join our club. It doesn't seem like he got bored of it, because if he did, he wouldn't watch us practice. Then why?"

"You should ask him directly," said Kaidoh. There was something in his voice which alerted Tezuka. "It's not my place to tell you."

"But you know?"

"I—"

"You can tell him, Mamushi."

Suddenly the clubhouse door opened and Momoshiro stood by the doorstep. Tezuka and Kaidoh turned their heads towards him. "I'm sorry for barging in. I was waiting for Mamushi outside when I heard the conversation. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when I heard my name being mentioned, I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay. I should've talk to you directly anyway," said Tezuka. "Then why do you quit tennis?"

Kaidoh refused to look at Momo, and Momo just let out a small sigh and smiled as if nothing's wrong.

"Because I can't play it anymore. Not with this leg."


A/N : That's for today. Stay tune for the next chapter... Review can fueled up my muse!