Chapter 4
~Jealousy and Stares~
Tezuka's POV
I and everyone else – except Fuji – were so surprised to see Echizen up-and-about in practice Tuesday afternoon. I and the rest of the regulars watched as he and Fuji play a friendly match, none of their special moves involved.
Echizen must have noticed our presence for he ignored Fuji's serve and ran to us instead.
"Buchou," he breathed out with the same tone of reverence he always has every time he talks to me.
Momoshiro and Kikumaru pouted, probably holding a grudge on their o-chibi for suddenly disappearing shortly after the Nationals.
"Oy, Echizen!" Momoshiro took off the freshman's cap and messed his hair. "Where have you been? You went chasing girls in New York, didn't you?"
Echizen laughed with a like-hell-I-would-do-thatstare at his senpai.
"O-chibi!" Kikumaru wrapped his arms around Echizen's neck and shoulders. "We would only forgive you if you brought us something nice."
With that, Echizen escaped from his senpais grasps and took a large paper bag from the benches. He pulled out white boxes carefully tied around with thin silver ribbons – Echizen's favorite color according to Fuji. I wonder why he knows though.
He first handed boxes to the rest of the tennis club members – freshmen, juniors, and seniors – then to us Regulars the next.
"Open it." He smiled with a hint of a child's innocence, a very rare thing for this bratty little kid who will be the next pillar of Seigaku to do.
We all opened our boxes at the same time and found a necklace with a small 3-D version of the Eiffel Tower for a pendant. Engraved on one side of it is the word "SEIGAKU".
The tennis court is suddenly filled with "Arigato, Echizen!" or "I love this, O-chibi!"
"Thank you, Echizen," I told him, putting on the necklace around my neck. "Why the Eiffel Tower?"
"Actually, I was supposedto go to New York but then, I changed my mind and went to Paris instead to visit a friend."
Ah.
"Echizen," Kawamura called. "You forgot to give Fuji's."
I looked at Fuji. I was supposed to feel pity for him when I saw that his smile didn't even falter, instead he smiled even more.
"Fuji?" We chorused.
"I've already got mine last night." He reached inside his shirt and pulled a necklace the same as what we have received from Echizen. "I actually helped Ryoma in wrapping."
Last night?
Inui asked my unspoken question. "Last night?"
Fuji nodded. "He went to our house straight from the airport. We were chatting happily and then he ended up sleeping for the night."
"Yumiko-san told me to stay 'cause it's already late," Echizen added. "I couldn't do anything, that woman's too persistent."
Then he and Fuji laughed.
Oh, I forgot. He and Fuji are actually childhood friends.
For some reason, I felt irritated knowing the fact that Echizen got to spend the night with Fuji. Inside my pockets, I balled my hands into fists.
Echizen must have felt my distress for he looked at me questioningly. But, after a minute, he smiled mischievously.
"Buchou," he said with the same mischievous tone as that smile on his face. "You look a little frustrated."
Fuji hurried to my side and worriedly asked, "What's wrong, Tezuka?"
"Nothing," I said in my usual authoritative voice. "Now, everyone, run 10 laps around the courts then you can have free matches as well as the non-regulars."
"Hai!" Everyone chorused, starting on their laps.
Fuji didn't move an inch. He just watched the rest of the team ran happily together, a smile on his face.
"Fuji." I said his name in almost a whisper.
He looked up at me for a second or so then ran to catch up to the others.
I closed my eyes tight and stuck my fists in my pockets, stopping myself from reaching out to him.
Fuji's POV
"Fuji."
The sound of my name escaping from his lips made me shudder and almost lose the smile I've hardly put up for everyone. His voice is the most beautiful I've ever heard; deep, serious, and authoritative yet gentle.
I looked up at him for a second or so then I ran towards the others. In that very short amount of time, I swear I saw my face reflected in his eyes.
Why? Why am I in your eyes, Tezuka? Do you know how I hate it when you're doing that? Because every time you look at me that way, the more I fall for you and falling for you is one of the least things that I should do.
"Fuji-senpai?"
I was awoken from my reverie and found Momo running the same pace as I was. I can't believe I was caught off-guard again.
"Ah. Sorry." I smiled at him.
"I noticed, you've been spacing out a lot these past few days, Senpai."
"Really?" I asked as normal as possible.
To my biggest relief, Ryoma caught up with us and distracted his friend.
"Momo-senpai, are you gonna treat me to burgers this afternoon?"
I felt a great wave of gratitude for my best friend and reminded myself that I should give him a gift some time.
I immediately escaped to the finish line and gulped down the contents of the paper cup Sumire-cha…Ah! Ryuzaki-sensei offered me.
"You seem to be in such a distress, Fuji." She commented watching the rest of the tennis team finishing the laps and entering the courts. "Can't hold it in any longer?"
"Sensei…" I looked at her. I know what she meant. She knows about my feelings for Tezuka as well as my biggest secret. The school authorities and faculties know about me being a girl. Ryuzaki-sensei always tries to keep me away from "boys only" matters like showering together or changing in the clubroom.
"It's already our final year here and yet, I can't control my feelings." I told her in a low voice, sitting on the bench beside her.
"You know, Fuji, I think if you explain your situation to him, he would understand."
"No, he won't." I smiled. A smile that's probably a reassurance for myself. "He'll never forgive me. He's someone who'll only stick to what is right. And everything I did was wrong."
"But, it isn't your fault." There is a hint of exasperation in her voice, creases on her forehead turning visible. She really is like my maternal grandmother. "You didn't choose to have Lucifer for a grandmother."
"Know what, Sensei? You, Oneechan, and Ryoma talk the same way." I chuckled at her. "You all hold a grudge against Obaasan."
"I bet anyone who knows what she did to you would talk the same."
I laughed, thinking if my friends would really talk that way if they find out. If.
From afar, I caught Tezuka looking at me. I waved at him and smiled. He almost jumped in surprise and immediately looked away. Ryoma stood behind him, probably aware of what had happened, barely noticing his senpais questions as he laughed at his buchou teasingly.
