Chapter 2: Zanarkand Abes vs. Besaid Aurochs

Two days passed by quickly and I was on my way to picking up Lenne for our "date". I reached the door, knocked, and Lenne popped out, gorgeous as ever.

"So you ready?" I asked.

"Yes. Let's get going." From the looks of things, she was extremely hyped up about seeing her very first game and I didn't blame her. After what I had said about it, she probably thought it was the greatest thing since spheres.

We reached the stadium via my "underground." In other words, we went to the back of the stadium and in through the locker room. I made sure no one saw me in there so I could get past easily and get Lenne to her seat. This was also done for another purpose… and I'll get to that shortly. She sat down and stared at the center of the stadium where I'd soon be playing.

"I'm gonna go… get us some food, ok?" I lied. I just wanted it to be a shock when the home team came out and I'd show up when the name Tidus was called.

I went to the locker room and changed into gear. A few of my friends came up to me and acted out that door incident from three nights ago after the concert.

"Haha, very funny. C'mon guys, leave me alone." The guys just stood there and recited the broken speech I made to Lenne that day. I knew they wouldn't let this go. "C'mon, cut it out! We got a game to win. Let's go."

We all headed out as the announcer began to shout out the names of the team. I, of course, was called out last. I came prancing out and yelled out to my teammates what I shout out to them every single game…

"So, what's our goal?"

The entire crowd along with my teammates answered with the same response I've heard a thousand times over. "VICTORY!"

That was our tradition. It was what we did every single game. I looked over to Lenne. She saw me and her look was priceless. Her eyes stared, her mouth was wide open, and her hands were to the sides of her face. I quickly put my finger up to my mouth to tell her not to give away my identity, winked at her, and went to play some blitzball.

The entire game was not really that amazing. The Aurochs, though a great team indeed, was nowhere near as good as the Abes. I decided to finish off the match with my father's patented Jecht Shot. It wasn't what I routinely did, but to put a bright point to a mediocre game, it was my pleasure. I put my head under the ball, popped it and myself up and out of the water, spun around, and kicked the sucker hard. The ball smacked right into the side of the orb of water that we played in and our score went up as the timer went to zero. That shot was never blocked. No one could figure out a way to prevent me from scoring when I used that move. However, I only did it to impress the fans. It would be lame if I did it all the time. Tonight, I did it for Lenne. It was her first game after all. I had to show her something special. When I headed back to the locker, I smirked again in Lenne's direction. Apparently, some girl in front of her thought I was doing it to her and she swooned all over me. I blushed a little at the thought and went to change.

In the locker room, the guys said a bunch of sly victor remarks that we'd all grown accustomed to over years of never losing. Most of this would be coming from two mouths, but at the better games, sometimes I'd join in. In any case, after I was back in my civvies, I went out to where Lenne was sitting.

The crowd was gone, proof that this was far from a spectacle of a match. Lenne had not been spotted due to such an immediate exit. Normally, the lights come back on five minutes after a game has ended, those five minutes used for autograph signing, victory cheers, et cetera. When the game isn't eventful, the crowd disperses.

"So, Tidus, huh?" She interrogated.

"I can explain." I put my hands up and playfully made a smirk, one that someone who was caught doing something wrong would tend to make. She giggled at my stunt and we made our way out the front door.

As I said, the people had departed. It was safe to leave through the front door. We got to her house and sat on her doorstep. "So, are you Tidus or Shuyin?" She began.

"I'm Shuyin. I just call myself Tidus so that people won't be able to find out where I live and bug me." I explained my entire life story to her. How I started playing blitzball, when I joined the Abes, what my life was like being a sports star, and finally, we got up to my dad. "My father's name was Jecht. He was the greatest blitzball player anyone had ever seen until I came along. That shot I made to win the game back there was his shot. Back then, he dominated the sport and no one could even hope to beat him. Unfortunately, that fact made him very cocky. He'd always gloat about how great he was and that really got on my nerves. I mean he definitely was the best, but his attitude was one of the worst. I promised myself that if I ever became that good, I wouldn't act like he did."

"Where is your father now?" She asked, wanting to dig into my past some more.

"He's dead. It's been around a decade since he drowned. See, he was off practicing blitz in the sea one day and a tidal wave came up, something I guess he just wasn't prepared for. I don't really know what exactly happened because he didn't tell us where he was going. Then again, the man never tells us anything other than that he's the best… Anyway, I heard news of his death from some sailor who just happened to see him get hit by the wave. He also told me that they never found his body and that was fine by me, but only me. When word got out of this fact, many people who'd been his adoring fans over the years wouldn't believe it and said that he had to be alive somewhere since no one had found his body."

"Do you believe that that might be true?" She asked me, a solemn look in her eyes. She wouldn't have been like this if she'd known Jecht herself.

"Nah. I don't believe those people and that silly idea. My old man is gone, lost to the sea, and I don't really care. Everybody knew I didn't really like my father and it wasn't like I ever tried to hide it. In all the interviews I've gone through, they've asked me what my relationship to him was and I've always told them that I didn't care for the guy. I just can't respect someone who acts like such a conceited jerk all the time." I looked down at my feet, remembering past events, and Lenne knew to stop asking me about him.

"So, how's life as a famous songstress?" I said, trying to start up the conversation again. Leaving the mood as is wouldn't have been gentlemanly of me.

"Oh, I love what I do. It's just great to sing and dance. I feel so happy when I perform." Her eyes lit up as she thought about her career.

"Is it really that great? I mean singing and dancing can get tiring can't it?"

That got her to open up. She told me all the wonderful emotions you get from singing and just being on that stage and how you make people more tranquil by alleviating all their stress through gentle melodies or boost their confidence with stronger tones. "The power of rhythmic words", she called it.

"Singing can do all that?" I was a bit skeptical, of course.

"If you don't believe me, then how about I hold a private concert for you right now?"

She grabbed my hands and dragged me into her house. Then, she plopped me down on one of her couches, took out a microphone from a small cabinet next to her karaoke and started to sing. One song after another gave me the emotions of joy, sorrow, strength, and the like. Her voice was so soothing and silky when she wanted it to be. It could be made hard and fierce if she willed it. Whatever she sang would be whatever I would feel. It was magical…

"So, now do you get it?"

She walked up to me after she had finished, likely, just about every song she had ever written. I didn't respond. Instead, I simply got up from my seat, put one arm around her waist, and kissed her. She was shocked at first, but soon relaxed herself in my arms. After a while, although it seemed like a lifetime could have passed, I broke the kiss to gaze at her beautiful face. She was the one. I knew she was the one. I knew because her singing melted the barrier I'd sealed my heart away in. With my father being such a jerk, and then that incident, I never really could open up to anyone. I hid my feelings away from the world as a way to cope with my losses. I had told this girl my entire life story. I had listened to her entire life story. Usually, I'd never stick around for conversations like that. I'd say something stupid and just leave. She was different...

"Shuyin?" Lenne questioned, looking at me funny since I was kinda staring at her while I thought those things.

"Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking." I said, letting her go.

"Are you okay?" She asked me noticing my mind was elsewhere.

"Yea, I'm fine. You sing really well." I said changing the subject.

"Thank you. You're sure you're okay?" She asked, still feeling that something was on my mind.

"Of course. Anyway, it's getting late. I should probably go." I wasn't ready to admit my feelings to her. Besides, it was only the second date and the first one wasn't exactly eventful.

"Okay. Wanna come over tomorrow? We can talk some more. I enjoy these conversations."

"Sure, I'd love to." I said while moving towards the door.

"Goodnight, Lenne." I said softly before heading out and going home.

Could this really have happened? Was…was I falling in love?