Disclaimer: PoT does not belong to me.

Italics mostly refer to thoughts.

The afternoon sun shone brightly down at the streets of Tokyo. Tezuka strode casually down the streets towards the library, ignoring the dreamy glances of girls whom he passed. Though used to it, he could not fathom why they would turn beetroot red and start pointing excitedly at him. Women are a strange species, his grandfather used to tell him. Tezuka couldn't agree more.

He turned on his heel, out of the busy streets and skyscrapers to face a park. The clean white-washed walls of the library occasionally came into view from between the gaps in the trees. One moment you could see the walls quite clearly; the next moment they would dart behind their green shields and disappear from view. Armed with a few novels that he had borrowed a week ago, he made a beeline for the book deposit where he could return them. The cool crisp wind played with the strands of his hair as he walked through the automatic glass doors.

"Ah, Tezuka-kun! It's nice to see you here again," a voice piped up cheerfully beside him. Tezuka stopped in his tracks and turned to nod politely at the woman who had spoken; the head librarian was a plump lady with a rosy face. She peered at the books in his hand through her thick-rimmed spectacles carefully balanced on the bridge of the nose.

"You're here to return them?" she questioned, before heaving a sigh. "I would really miss your help around here, especially since the holidays are coming and students would be borrowing more books than ever. First it was Takuya, then Rae, and now you are leaving too! I need to recruit more youngsters to help in shelving…" Her voice dropped to a soft mutter as she shook her head and pushed the graying strands of hair behind her ears.

"Are you forgetting about me Hoshiya-san?" A voice whined.

"Oh no I haven't, Abe! I'm just losing too many young ones. Besides, you're not as efficient as Rae or Takuya was. Get back to work, mister!" The head librarian rapped out.

Grumbling under his breath about favouritism, Abe grudgingly pushed the trolley piled high with books towards the Children's section. After acknowledging Abe's presence with a curt nod, Tezuka lightly reminded the chubby lady that he would only be gone for a few months and that Rae would be back as well.

"Really? That's good! I miss that girl; she's an interesting one," the head librarian laughed gaily. "Now run along sonny, go return those books!" Tezuka's gaze followed the short woman as she marched towards the Children's section. When she disappeared behind one of the tall bookshelves, he turned towards the book deposit.

"An interesting one," he repeated those words in his head. Indeed she was. The impressions she left were deep, though not always favourable. The first time he had seen her in the library, she had reminded him at least sixteen times within a time frame of two hours that the Literature book he was handling was very old and very fragile. She reminded him so many times that Tezuka was almost sure that the pages would crumble between his fingers if he just added a little more pressure. Not to mention that she had accused him of murder. He was only placing a heavy book teeming with silverfish back into its rightful place right at the top of the bookshelf. The book had slipped out of his hands, and crash landed right in front of her, narrowly missing her nose. It was not his fault that she was there; it was coincidental.

Pushing the last book into the chute, he turned around and started to plod his way home. He still had a lot of packing to do. Two days was not a lot of time when he had a pile of assignments to complete before he left.

Tezuka remembered the airport. The hustle and bustle had not decreased in any way. It was not too long ago, when he had sent someone off on her way. This time, he was not the one sending off, but the one being sent off to begin a new journey.

"We'll miss you nya!" Eiji bounced happily, one arm around Oishi's shoulders.

"I saw on the news that there are a lot of pickpockets in Germany recently, so keep a careful watch on your money Tezuka. Did you remember to bring all those daily necessities? And water? And enough clothes?" Oishi continued on and on, fussing about Tezuka despite knowing that he was one of the most reliable Regulars around. Tezuka however, did not stop Oishi, for he knew that was how Oishi showed concern and care for a friend. I would not be able to hear this for the next few months.

"Take pretty pictures for me, I heard that the architecture there is beautiful." Fuji smiled sadly, for a great leader and companion was leaving.

"Where is Echizen?" Kawamura inquired meekly.

"Momo-chan and Kaidoh isn't here either nya!" Eiji pouted unhappily. "Where are they? They were supposed to be here an hour ago! Now Tezuka's going to board the plane and they can't say their goodbyes to him!"

"Erm…perhaps they are neck-deep in training," Oishi coughed nervously. He was most probably the cause of their absence; he had compared them with Tezuka right under their noses, and they would most likely be furiously training to improve. "Shouldn't you be entering the gates now Tezuka?"

"Hn." With a curt nod, Tezuka bent his knees to pick up his hand luggage. With a bow, he responded in a low baritone, "Don't let your guard down."

The third-years laughed heartily. When will we hear him say this again?

The Regulars watched his plane take off from behind the large glass panes, a determined look on each and every face.

We won't let you down.

"Ah!" Eiji exclaimed. The other Regulars turned to him confusedly.

"We forgot to ask him about his girlfriend nya!"

At the other end of the globe, Rae was in inner turmoil. Fighting a war with your mind was tough. She was so distraught that she swore that there was a tiny voice in her head crooning, "Just give in, just give in!"

"Who cares what x and y is!" Rae huffed in annoyance, throwing her hands up in defeat. She slammed the exercise book shut and threw her pencil into the pencil holder.

I need him to teach me.But he isn't here.

Rae was annoyed that Tezuka wasn't here to tutor her. They were on two ends of the globe, her mind reminded her. But her emotions took over as she was filled with immense feelings of helplessness and loneliness. Rae was feeling quite anxious; she had not received an email from him about his trip to Germany yet. She had only received the news through Yuna, and threw a tantrum by not replying his email two weeks ago. There was no direct contact from Tezuka since; Rae was getting worried. She had told herself constantly that Tezuka would never betray her unless he was crazy, demented and had a death wish. However, discouraging scenes kept streaming in from her over-active imagination. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind, Rae picked up the tattered envelope on the table.

I might see him again.

Opening it for the umpteenth time, she fingered the plane ticket with much satisfaction. She put back the plane ticket carefully, afraid to make even the smallest crease on it. That little piece of paper would take her to the next destination where the Second Qualifier of the EU tournament was to be held.

Germany.

fin.

Notes:

This follows the anime, where Tezuka goes to Germany for treatment.

Abe is just some random guy.

Egoism is in the blood of all students in Hyotei.

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