Hunting for the Right Guy

Chapter 4: Conflict

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back. I'm crossing my fingers under the table for more reviews. I love reading them. Here's Chapter 4! Please do enjoy. You might notice how least the development between Tezuka and Yui's relationship is but that would be resolved on the next few chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tezuka. However, if anyone would ever attempt to steal Kibum (of Super Junior) away from me, prepare yourself for a bloody World War III. /smirks/

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Law school has become hectic these past few days and for Tezuka, it was internal torture. With dozens of policies he had to revise and go through for the company, he hasn't had enough time to go through his school work. Right after he'd gone back from work, he'd go straight to the university and suffer hell.

Sleep had also become out of his grasp. He'd go back to his apartment so late at night, cook meals for the superfluous Yui who did nothing else but to annoy him, and then, as soon as his back hits the futon, he was already snoring.

Yui has become a habit. In the morning, she'd come greet him with a smile, and a charred heavy breakfast she prepared especially for him. Without any other choice, he'd have to slap his forehead in dismay and resort to the oatmeal and cereals that were stocked on his cabinet.

And when he goes back home, she would come greet him with another one of her smiles and an, "Okaerinasai, Mitsu-chan!"

He never bothered to tell her his name. She figured it out herself by snatching one of his textbooks out of the table and wrenching it open to find his name etched on the flyleaf of the book. Since then, she called him Mitsu-chan, as if he was a fetish dog waiting to be petted. It was ridiculous, yet he didn't mind. He was too busy to even care.

It must have been countless times had he tried to push her out of his apartment building with no luck. She always finds her way back to his room and stay there. And after a couple of more attempts that barely even worked out, he gave up, thinking she'd make her way out of his life on her own. Although he had to admit that he even considered reporting her to the police. Tezuka would never kick up a fuss to throw a girl out, knowing that it isn't even safe outside. God, how would it kill his conscience little by little! He's an aspirant lawyer and he'd always stand for justice. Though this time, he subconsciously didn't consider his own rights.

"Aren't you scared that I might pounce on you?" Tezuka had asked once as he sat on table behind a pile of law books. He thumbed over the page and looked up momentarily to see her nudging on a piece of cake she brought home that afternoon. "I'm a man after all."

"No. You're not that kind of guy. You'd rather be an uke than a seme."

He suppressed a sigh and went back on the article he was reading. Whatever an uke or a seme meant, he didn't want to know. Talking to her would drive him up to the wall of complete nonsense. It helps him to unwind sometimes, but mostly, it pisses him off. She was exhilaratingly good at that.

In those few weeks they been living together, they never got along so well. They never even bothered to know each other pretty well. Although a piece of information had leaked out of her lips when she drowned herself with sake one night (Tezuka came back from work, half of his apartment almost trashed out and a slurring Yui greeted him with foul breath lingering on her air). She went on about her oh-so-tragic love life and how stupid she had become to almost marry a homosexual, and how weak she had been to have let 'him' go away to leave her alone.

Whoever that homosexual or that guy who left her alone was, he didn't want to know. He slumped beside her, filled the glass with the rice wine and chugged it all down. Next morning, they woke up; cursing with a severe hang-over and Tezuka had to skip work.

They were polar opposites. He was a perfectionist, obsessive compulsive and never bothered with women. She was unorganized, gripped on romance (that she even told him he was a hopeless homosexual and has never indulged himself with girls in spite of his age), and a complete annoyance to Kunumitsu Tezuka's peaceful life. He had to admit that he would never have a peace of mind as he had before she entered his life. Fuji thinks so too.

But even so, Yui had somehow become a part of his life. She was an adorable kitten, and maybe, just maybe, he might consider keeping her for a while.

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Tezuka paced his whole apartment building. It was getting so late and Yui has not come back. He convinced himself that it was because of the money that he wanted to see her with the groceries intact, but his panic and uneasiness proved otherwise. He tried to phone her twice but he was merely greeted by the stupid voicemail.

It could have been the first time Tezuka sat by himself while worrying over a girl.

Then, with a sudden outburst, Yui had almost knocked the door of his apartment down as she ran to his arms, her tears bursting in an endless stream. She was so loud, yet he couldn't help but to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders and whisper incoherent words on her ear.

Suddenly, the groceries weren't as important as this fragile, little girl anymore and he stood there, quite still so she could lean on to him as her tears poured out, further drenching the front of his shirt.

"It's all right, Yui. Stop with the crying."

Who would have thought he would come this soft?

He never found out the reason why she suddenly burst into tears that night. He knew he had to leave it to her and quit with the prying. They weren't married anyway. Hell, they weren't even dating in the first place and he knew he didn't have the justice to meddle on her private matters.

He had his own life. She had hers. And these lives were miles apart that they wouldn't possibly meet. He wasn't so stupid to not even know that.

-+-

She sat there with him, on the swing of the park where they used to hang out on when they were younger. It must have been years, must have been forever, or so it seemed, since they last sat beside each other, as silence dropped by and enveloped them both. He was trying to struggle to speak to her, yet his voice refused to comply. He knew he was at fault here, and she wouldn't have turned her back on him if he wasn't so cruel. He knew it was his mistake and hoped it wasn't too late to turn it all back and start to where they left off.

It wasn't a very hard request, right?

Yui never would have held any such grudge on him. She was the only guy she had fallen head over heels with, and when he left, it tore her completely apart that it was almost too hard to stand again. Not until Satoshi came to help her up and became her pillar that she managed to walk on and hold her head up.

But then, after those years they been apart, here they were again. Two beating hearts that time brought further apart. Ryuuji had to grit his teeth and cross his fingers under the table as he set this date so he could explain to her what had happened. So she could finally understand that it was all for her own good. Or was it merely a selfish wish? He knew she would refuse; the pain he brought her would be a reason enough to do so. But as though it was by chance, she agreed.

Unsurprisingly, it could have been impossible. Yui was never that kind of girl who would face her fears, because she'd rather run away. She was never that strong.

"Yui," Ryuuji spoke first, attempting to break the awkward silence that wrapped them both. "I've been cruel. I'm sorry."

Words could never be enough to apologize, though. He knew that. But for Yui, a mere apology would be enough. Now that she knew that with one look on those grey eyes, she'd give in so easily. She was weak.

Three more meetings later, as they got along pretty well, they've decided to make things work out. They were still in love, after all and he would never hate to admit that. Ryuji would openly kiss her forehead and whisper to her how much he liked to see that smile of hers that he missed seeing for years now.

And when he showed her that ring, she had no second thoughts and said yes. That smile on his face and the happiness she was feeling when he would be around was an assurance enough that everything would be all right.

-+-

Tezuka had to admit he hated Taxation. Of all the subjects he's currently taking in law school, he knew he loathed Taxation the most. It was downright hateful and infuriating.

But even so, it was something he had to accept--something that should be within his grasp. Reason why he was burning the midnight oil with a mug of hot black coffee (with no sugar and cream--Yui's specialty) in the process.

Yui sat across the table with the usual goofy grin on her face. Somehow, right after that unforgettable night he'd seen her break down, she had gotten better, and more cheery than before that it has become much more disturbing. She'd come greet him a louder, "Okaeri, Mitsu-chan!" that he almost swore he heard his neighbors whisper behind his back. He didn't mind though. He wouldn't give a damn as long as he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Tezuka," she spoke in a calm manner, her smile not to seemingly vanish off her face.

"What?" He didn't bother to look up.

"We're best friends, right?"

Tezuka blinked, as his hand stopped midway, which was about to scribble down a couple of notes on his text book, and jerked his head up to look at her. "Excuse me?"

"You were the only one who saw me break down like that. Not even Arisu had. Thank you."

He didn't know what drove him to feel quite embarrassed to what she had just said. He turned his head away to hide his blush and coughed loudly that it almost sounded fake and tried to go back to his previous work. He tried to push his thoughts away but they merely budged their way back to his mind that he couldn't concentrate anymore.

"Besides," she pressed on while further making more damage. "Even though you didn't know the reason why I was crying, you lend me your arm and listened to my tantrums and it made me feel that I'm not at all alone. And because of that, running away has not become an option anymore. Thank you."

Tezuka was caught off guard when she leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his forehead and if it was even possible, he blushed further red. How could a girl openly speak those words anyway? It was ridiculous and stupid, yet as Yui made her way back to her room, his heart swelled quite comfortably and happiness managed to make its way back to him.

Preview:

Tezuka would never admit he was on a date with this particular girl he was holding hands with right now, even though the crowd that they passed by thought otherwise. They passed on a particular ice cream parlor and Yui dragged him in with her usual giddy demeanor. He wouldn't admit it, but no matter how much he would fake a grimace for Yui to see and convince her that they'd rather go home, it always ends up into an unexplainable expression that made him look like his stomach is in extreme agony.

They sat on the far end of the shop, as he enjoyed the privacy their corner provided. She was nibbling on her ice cream thoughtfully and he quite enjoyed the scene.

Suddenly, she spoke that it made him look up. "If I left, would you miss me?"

Tezuka blinked and for a moment, he found it hard to answer her question. There wasn't anything uneventful that happened on Yui's brief stay on his life that he could merely call those moments trivial. Those things weren't something romantic, nor intimate. He couldn't even classify it as friendship nor the like. But as he looked back and reflected on those moments they've spent together, no matter how trivial they seemed to be, he could never find himself living without her.

But he would never always admit that. That was always a problem with Kunumitsu Tezuka. He was never honest with his feelings. It might also be the reason why he quit tennis in the first place.

"No, I wouldn't miss you."

Yui frowned in response, and was seemed to be taken aback. She was right. Their relationship was merely something trifling after all. In a matter of a few weeks, she was getting married to the only man she ever loved, and that's Ryuuji. It was foolish of her to even consider falling in love with Kunumitsu Tezuka.

"Then, I'll be leaving soon. I'm getting married."

The clatter of his spoon against the wooden table wasn't missed but Yui, with a last smile, pushed her chair back and stood up to leave the shop. And Tezuka sat there, with a mouth hanging wide open, regretting the words he just spoke.

Lies were merely words to cover up a feeling. They were always never meant what they literally have to mean.

Notes about the Preview: Did I just make it sound like Yui is cheating on his fiancé? Well, forgive me then. That wasn't what the preview meant. They were friends and isn't it something friends would do when saying goodbye? Reviews are welcomed! I love reviews, people!