"Dinner?" Fuji asked Zakuro, who was talking to him on the phone.
"Hai. You see, I never really had the right time to thank you for the miracle, Fuji-sempai."
"Miracle?" he wondered before realizing what she meant..."Oh...that.."
"Right."
Fuji thought for a while and smiled at the idea that crossed his mind. Cruel but worth it, and if everything would go the way he imagined it to be, it`ll turn out to be a very promising risk. Perfect.
"I have a better idea."
"Eh?"
"You want to thank me, right?"
"H-hai.."
"Then I think I know a better way to do that."Fuji said with delight.
Zakuro frowned in suspicion.
Of course she knew of Fuji`s reputation of being a man who loves `playing` with others. She just doesn`t like the thought that she might be his `next` victim in line. The mere thought of it brought a shiver down her spine.
"So...what exactly is `that` better way you`re talking about?"
There was silence from the other line
Zakuro frowned. Great,. Lately, she`d been doing a lot of frowning!
She traced a finger on her forehead and tried to sense the wrinkles that her `frequent` frowning has caused her face.
"Ne, Fuji-sempai...still there?"
More silence...and Zakuro`s now starting to get impatient.
"Fuji-sempai.."
"Quit being a regular." he casually said. His tone told Zakuro that he wouldn`t be giving any explanations for it. Fuji wanted her to take it as it is.
The line completely fell silent for a couple of seconds. Zakuro was staring on space, unable to recognize what she just heard. She tried to listen for clues that Fuji was just joking but the guy`s silence clearly told her that there were none. Fuji`s just there. Listening. Waiting. And the more she processed what the guy told her, the more she could feel how her phone is slowly breaking with the tightness of her grip.
"Why." She finally asked.
"I`ll tell you after I get what I need."
"Everything other than this."
"It`s going to be alright, Zakuro-chan. But I need you to trust me."
Even if she couldn`t see Fuji, she could picture out how his face was adored with `that`smile.
"So..do we have a deal?" he asked.
Zakuro sighed.
"No. Definitely we don`t."she responded."...but I`ll do what you want just to pay you back. Happy now?"
Without waiting for any response, Zakuro turned her phone off, and threw it on her bed. Great. Now she`s up to giving up her regular spot just for an annoying subject. Oh how she hated Mathematics.
Coach Ryuzaki eyed Zakuro with confusion and worry after hearing her decision of quitting tennis. Even if the younger gal gave her one valid reason, she still wasn`t convinced about it.
"Did the doctor really say you can`t play anymore." Ryuzaki asked her for the third time that day.
"Coach...I told you. I can play. The thing is, the doctor wouldn`t allow me anymore."
"I need papers."
Zakuro rolled her eyes. Is it really that hard to quit a club in Seigaku? Fine. She knew why it was very hard for coach Ryuzaki to let her go. Almost impossible in fact. Their team was up for the regionals, and losing her on the regulars line-up would practically ruin the momentum they`ve established during the prefecturals. That was when they decently wiped out the front-liners of the self-proclaimed champions, Hyotei Gakuen. An utterly complete winning streak which earned them a standing ovation from the the audience. Atobe`s shocked and disbelieving face upon hearing the crowd`s applause, which were obviously not meant for their school`s women`s tennis team, still brought a proud smile on Zakuro`s face.
`Serves you right.` she remembered herself thinking at that moment.
She disgraced Atobe`s vocal claim as Tezuka`s rival. For her, Tezuka`s always been incomparable. But of course it`s her love for their captain that gave her that personal bias. Not that she cared at all.
"I have to confer with Fumito and Tezuka about this. Right now, I don`t think it`s a decision that I am solely responsible for. There has to be a more convenient - "
"Ryuzaki-sensei.." Zakuro interrupted, now trying to make it visible that her decision was the first priority and not somebody else`s.
"I`m quitting. I`m really sorry, but I made up my mind. Please understand."
Coach Ryuzaki just shook her head. She still can`t believe the sudden turn of events. With the anxiety drawn on her face, Zakuro was sure that this was one thing their coach has never been prepared to handle. She mentally condemned Fuji for being so inconsiderate. Honestly, Zakuro doesn`t have much aversion to giving up her regular spot, which is exactly why she easily gave in to Fuji`s request. After all, she could always play tennis whenever she liked it. The only difference would be the fact that she wouldn`t be doing it within the campus. That`s not a big issue for her.
Zakuro Amane is different from the rest of the regulars. Really different. She sometimes thought of herself as the Gin Akutsu, girl version, of Seigaku, with a whole different taste of uniqueness. Like Gin, she doesn`t play tennis for the benefit of the whole team. But unlike him, whose motivation was to face and defeat strong opponents, Zakuro settled on a more precious one - Kunimitsu Tezuka.
`He`s`the very reason why she learned tennis, why she played it, even if Zakuro`s favorite was basketball, which she excells most since she was 5.
Right now, she really doesn`t care what sport it was, because even if Tezuka went for soccer, rugby,chess,golf,or swimming, she knew it wouldn`t make any difference. Tezuka would still be excellent, and she would always be willing to learn a new sport.
She paused and reviewed her thoughts.
`Oh no. Definitely not swimming.` she said to herself. `He`s hot enough with his shirts on. How much more..."
She got too busy with her own thoughts, that she forgot the presence of Ryuzaki-sensei, who was now looking at her with a raised brow. At first Zakuro did not understand. Not until it hit her.
She was blushing.
"What is it?" Ryuzaki asked.
"N-nothing...I have to go."
Zakuro hurried away, and hoped that she didn`t look that weird in front of their coach. Well it seems like blushing has been a habit of hers every time things involve Tezuka. She slammed herself on the nearest bench she saw and breathed deeply. Good. She wouldn`t talk to anybody now. Not to Fuji, not to Aya...not to everone.
`Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.`she told herself again and again like some sort of a mantra.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on the bench`s leanboard. Perhaps the hardest part of not being a regular anymore is the fact that she wouldn`t be able to see Tezuka as much as she likes without looking suspicious. Ugh.
"Ne, Kunimitsu Tezuka...Why is it so hard to forget you?"she asked loudly in disappointment and desperation.
How she wished Yuka wouldn`t make a big fuss out of this. She really doesn`t like her, and it was just recently that she found out why.
She felt a bit of insecurity to her captain.
For Zakuro, Yuka`s a goddess. Her trim figure, her glinting pair of green eyes that radiated intelligence, her long silky scarlet hair, and feminine voice shrouded with authority. Yuka`s not just beautiful. She was talented, and excellent, and very...`captain-like`.
Yuka was like...Tezuka`s perfect match.
Zakuro knocked her head. Now`s definitely not the perfect time to condemn yourself for not being as good as somebody else. She may not be anymore a regular player, but it doesn`t mean she lost everything that she has now. Like popularity perhaps.
`Well, tennis is not the only thing that`s making me popular, is it?` she thought.
"What do you think you`re doing?"came Yuka`s voice.
Zakuro averted her gaze to their captain who was standing in front of her; eyes narrowed into slits, and hands clasped into fists. For a second, she thought Yuka`s `gonna` punch her - which was, of course, quite reasonable.
"Don`t make me repeat myself, Amane.."Yuka warned.
Zakuro grimaced. Why does she always feel Yuka`s superiority?
"Fine. I just quit tennis."
"Without informing me?"
The younger gal nodded.
"Obviously."
Yuka gave out a sharp sigh, and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"I just hope you don`t regret this. Because even if you do, I`ll make sure you`re not getting any second chances."
Zakuro giggled in amusement.
"Is that a threat?"
"Not at all."
"Ok. Now captain if this is really a bother to you, why don`t you try negotiating to Fuji-sempai? I`m sure you`ll gonna get through it."
"Sure. Tezuka and I will take care of that...`together`.." Yuka replied with a smirk, adding emphasis on the last word.
This time, Zakuro took it seriously . If Yuka was trying to pick up a fight, then she just made the right move.
"See you around." Yuka said before walking away.
Few blocks away from the scene, a smiling tennis tensai brought out his phone, and started to type in a message. Everything went well just like what he expected. He pressed the sent button and looked back at Zakuro.
"Zakuro-chan no kawaii.."
The younger gal read the message displayed on her phone screen, and had sworn that she`s now very ready to kill the sender.
"Fuji Syusuke ne..."she muttered.
