Some of you may have noticed that I recently changed the rating from K+ to T. The reason is really simple, Akaya has burst onto the scene and we all know Akaya swears – a lot so yups. The change in rating is inevitable but it won't affect the story at all. Once again, many thanks to Xrucious, kate1243, vivvy09, Woopa, Lura Elsworth, pastelskies, sleepymode and angelg7022 for reviewing. It's really delightful to read what you guys have to say to me (:

To pastelskies: Well… He does like her, just not in the romantic sense yet. I'm glad this story was worthwhile.

P.S. Very special thanks to Xrucious whom I had been constantly whining to for patiently listening to all my blabbering and complaints. She's sort of like my beta in all but name and official procedures -grins- This chapter is dedicated to you.

*Updated 9/8/13* Gosh this is turning into a habit I'm so terribly sorry that I'm always tweaking with my writing after I've uploaded it... It's not necessary for you to reread it but I do feel that the chapter is better after I've done some editing so if you're willing to... Do give it a second shot. (:

Some background information on schooling in Japan: School year typically begins in April, so Yukimura's birthday, which falls on the 5th of March, essentially lies within the last school term of their first year.

This was written during (possibly, my final break) a 4 and a half day holiday.

Higher than the Wind

Final Term and Akaya

There was only one day, one holiday and one event out of the entire year which could put a crack on Yukimura's perfect, ever-smiling mask. This dreadful day fell in February, and it involved lots of roses, chocolates and perfumed pastel pink envelopes – yes, Yukimura's least favorite event of the year had always been, and he believed would always be Valentine's Day. He simply didn't understand the purpose of celebrating such a day at all. If you loved a person, just confess to him or her – why wait till Valentine's Day to declare your feelings? It just didn't make any sense to Yukimura. So like what he had been doing since he first realized the significance of February the 14th, Yukimura declined all the chocolates offered to him by hopeful, starry-eyed girls with carefully worded rejections only because he had an image to uphold. At times, Yukimura hated being a public figure, but more often than this resentment, he relished the feel of being – and knowing that he was above his peers. It was a tad superficial, but very fulfilling.

By the time Yukimura reached class, he had already lost count of the number of girls he had dismissed, and this is merely the inception, Yukimura thought dryly. For the love of Pete, how was he going to keep this up for the rest of the day?

"Morning, Yanagi," Yukimura greeted Tsugi briefly before he plopped down on his seat, already feeling weary even though school had yet to begin.

"Morning, Yukimura," Tsugi returned the greeting, "I didn't expect you to enter the class empty-handed." She commented upon catching sight of his bare hands.

"Instead of accepting their chocolates when I know I won't be able to return their feelings, it might be better for everyone if I rejected them all," Yukimura replied disinterestedly, clearly showing his indifference towards the whole concept of Valentine's Day.

Tsugi was surprised by Yukimura's appreciable display of his distaste, and Yukimura noted with mild irritation that he neglected to conceal his thoughts in front of Tsugi. The disintegration of the layers of barricade he put up around himself, when and how did it start? He pondered on it, and he supposed that one possible reason why he subconsciously felt comfortable sharing an inkling of his real thoughts with her was because he knew that she wouldn't judge him for his duplicity. While yes Yukimura knew his team wouldn't even come close to passing judgment on him, it was a totally different case with them. His team saw him as their captain, the team's pillar of support, they would never judge him because they revered him and because of that, Yukimura felt more compelled than ever to uphold his image as the 'Child of God' when he was with them. It was also because of this very reason that Yukimura even began to feel uptight around his best friend Sanada, but that was all in the past. The little issue with Sanada had been resolved, and their bond had become stronger than before.

It was around that time he came to know Tsugi, which marked the start of a refreshing friendship. It wasn't her calm attitude and the fact that she saw him as Yukimura Seiichi which differentiated her from the crowd; Yukimura wasn't narcissistic enough to believe that there wasn't a single unconverted soul in the school that wasn't his diehard fan. If he squirmed, Yukimura was sure that he'd be able to pick out a few rare ones whom had evaded his charm. It was really a combination of many factors and several lucky chances that made him willing to embrace this rather unusual friendship.

At that time, he wanted someone; anyone who wasn't from his team, and she was conveniently there. If he had to describe how they became friends, Yukimura could sum up the entire recount using one word – fate. She was the right person at the right time, it was as simple as that. However, Yukimura could feel that this relationship was slowly heading towards a direction he had never foreseen. Never had he expected anyone to penetrate the barriers around him, much less make him let his guard down. It simply wasn't something he was used to.

Yukimura held back a frown, and rested his chin on a fist. He enjoyed being in control of everything around him, and this, he decided, certainly wasn't what he liked.

"Ah, I see…" Tsugi managed a feeble smile even though she was entrapped in a dilemma. She peered at the small blue gift box amidst a few other similar-sized boxes emblazoned with flamboyant colors scattered around in her bag. Just like all other girls of her age, Tsugi had prepared friendship chocolates for her friends on this special occasion. However, after hearing from Yukimura, she was a little hesitant to pass Yukimura's share to him. It was rather obvious that her blue-haired friend didn't enjoy receiving chocolates at all, and Tsugi wasn't sure if he'd accept hers even though she'd swear that there was really not a speck of romance involved.

She glanced over at Yukimura. His head was supported upon a fist and his eyes were shut. A serene expression adorned his face and his messy blue hair shimmered in the sunlight. The sheer beauty of this picturesque scene stole her breath away from her.

Was there really not?

~x~

Geishi doubled over with laughter when she heard about Tsugi's dilemma at lunch.

"Unzip your bag, take out the chocolates and give it to him. It's as simple as counting 1 2 3. Seriously, Tsugi, what's so difficult about that? Like you said these are just friendship chocolates and you are friend with Yukimura-san no? I'm sure he would accept it. Unless… There's a deeper meaning to these chocolates?" Geishi stated it like it was the most obvious thing in the whole universe, her last sentence tinged with a dab of amusement.

"No! But Geishi, he doesn't seem like the type to enjoy receiving Valentine's Day presents of any form…" A visible red hue appeared on Tsugi's cheeks upon Geishi's light teasing but luckily for Tsugi, her best friend was more than a little dense. Why was it that she would always become jumpy and hesitant when it came to matters pertaining to Yukimura?

"Although I don't get your logic, but just try, okay? After all, you're friends with him and you went through all the troubles of preparing this for him too. It'd be a waste if you didn't give it to him," Geishi picked up the little blue box and held it between her fingers. She already received a similar orange-colored box from Tsugi, much like all their other friends. This little blue box was the last of the lot.

"You're right, Geishi. I should at least try," Tsugi thought over Geishi's advice for a moment, and she slowly nodded her head. What was she being paranoid about? If he didn't want her chocolates, then so be it right? ... Right?

If that was true, then what was this mystical melancholy hanging over her heart?

~x~

Things were always easier said than done. Tsugi tried to find a chance to pass the chocolates to Yukimura – she really did, but somehow fate didn't seem to be on her side for this.

First, she saw him towards the end of lunch, but in a blink of an eye he was whisked away by a legion of his fan girls which magically appeared out of nowhere and that was the end of her first attempt to give her chocolates to Yukimura. That's alright, she told herself. She had Geography with him afterwards. She could slip it to him then.

But Yukimura entered the classroom late and throughout the whole lesson, he was busy texting someone and Tsugi didn't feel like she should impose on him. So she said to herself, nevermind, there's a free period next. She'd definitely give the chocolates to him during their common free period, she could only hope.

Unfortunately, as soon as the bell sounded, Yukimura was called upon by Renji to settle some issues with regard to the tennis club's budget and Tsugi could only watch in dismay as he left because she didn't share the last two periods of the day with Yukimura.

So it was already the end of the day, and Tsugi was still holding on to the little blue box. While she didn't make the box (the boxes were commercial products. Both her origami and handicraft skills were illustrative of her dismal art ability), the chocolates were handmade and she put a lot of effort into them. She'd hate for her efforts to go down to the drain. Tsugi bit her lower lip, warm green eyes downcast with disappointment, and she let out a small sigh. Perhaps she could give it to him tomorrow? It would seem less suspicious too…

"Aren't you heading home, Yanagi?" An alluring voice crisp as spring which Tsugi was only too familiar with suddenly rang in the vacant classroom.

"I was just about to leave. Why aren't you on your way home yet, Yukimura?" Tsugi turned around and saw the blue-haired teen standing by the exit of the classroom, her eyes brightened a little when she saw him but they were soon shaded by nervousness again. Just give it to him! She scolded herself lightly in her mind. What was so difficult about handing out some friendship chocolates?

"I came back to retrieve something. Is that for someone?" Yukimura's eyes flickered inconspicuously when he saw the tiny blue box in her hands, he hadn't expected her to be an advocate of the event he detested. There was very subtle displeasure in his tone – but what for?

"Well…" Tsugi swallowed in her throat and —here goes nothing— she blurted out abruptly in a clumsy manner, "it's actually for you."

Dear god, please just collect her soul now. She had officially embarrassed herself in front of Yukimura Seiichi. Tsugi flinched upon feeling the precipitous silence in the classroom, and she decided that maintaining eye contact with the desk was all of a sudden a matter of utmost importance.

"For me?" Yukimura repeated the words slowly as if he was still digesting her words, an unreadable look in those deep blue pools.

"Y-yeah, it's friendship chocolates. I gave Geishi, Renji and a couple other people some too," Tsugi smiled lightly even though her nervous fits were twisting up her intestines and killing her inside.

"Friendship chocolates," Yukimura nodded, voice laced with quaint amusement and a strange feeling rising in his chest. Tsugi certainly wasn't the first girl to proclaim that in front of him, but it felt different when it came from her. He had always found girls who try to make themselves appear 'different' in front of him by declaring that they were merely passing out friendship chocolates nothing short of amusing. Friendship? Please pardon him but — it was highly likely that the most amount of exchange he had with them was two lines about class assignments. If that was enough to be considered 'friends', then their definition of the word 'friendship' was either too shallow or they didn't share the same dictionary as him. Friends, in Yukimura's definition, were people like Sanada, Renji, his team... and Tsugi.

He daintily ambled towards Tsugi, steps small and pace idle. With each step he took, Tsugi felt her heart sink a little. Was this the end of their friendship? Would he think of her as the same as all the rest of his fan girls?

Tsugi felt as though time stood still for a moment when Yukimura stood next to her, her heart was racing in her chest. She felt like a criminal who was found guilty of charge and was now awaiting her sentence, and both her judge and prosecutor were Yukimura Seiichi. Each and every action of Yukimura appeared deliberately and painfully slow to her. It was torturous for Tsugi who felt like a criminal awaiting her impending and unavoidable fate with her neck already on the noose.

Yukimura seemed to be unaware of Tsugi's inner conflicts. Almost lazily, he reached out his hand and clasped over the little blue box, his delicate fingers inevitably brushed against Tsugi's smaller hand in the process and sent small jolts of electricity through her veins. Gently, he held the box firmly between his fingers and he took the box from her, offering a small yet wonderfully brilliant smile which his fan girls would have died to witness for themselves in exchange.

"Thank you, Yanagi. I do appreciate it," His words were soft but unusually loud in Tsugi's ears, because he was standing so close to her. Tsugi's heartbeat went even wilder if it was possible, and the cat got her tongue. Upon seeing her ridiculous reaction, Yukimura laughed, his voice served as the much needed bridge between her daze and reality for Tsugi. She looked down at her empty hands, and it all of a sudden registered in her mind that Yukimura had taken the chocolates from her.

He really accepted her chocolates! Tsugi's lips curled into a huge, bright smile that was quite different from usual. At that moment, a flurry of images flashed through Yukimura's mind, each displaying a different form of Tsugi's smiles: the small, ladylike smile which always adorned her face (and which, he noted, was so similar to yet so different from his own mask); the exasperated smile she showed when someone did something not to her liking; the cheeky, light-hearted grin when she was holding a racquet; the nervous, awkward smile she displayed exclusively around Sanada and finally the newest and far by his favorite — this huge, almost childish smile free of worries and so lively, like there was not a thing that could bother her in this world.

He never knew that she could put on a smile like that. Yukimura's own smile widened a little. He liked that he was the first one to draw out this side of Tsugi, it was oddly fulfilling and gave him a sense of accomplishment. He glanced at the little blue box which was now his and neither party noticed it but Yukimura's eyes were softening. What was once glacier ice had melted to a warm sky blue.

And that was the first chocolate Yukimura Seiichi had ever accepted on February the 14th since second grade.

~x~

"So what are you giving Yukimura-san on his birthday, Tsugi?" Geishi was lolling on Tsugi's bed when the question suddenly popped up in her mind.

The date was 4th of March, and it was a late Sunday afternoon.

Tsugi, who was working on her Mathematics homework, paused momentarily. She turned around and hesitantly looked at Geishi, her lips parted and out came a sentence which made Geishi sit up straight and gawk at her in disbelief.

"…Umm, when is his birthday?"

"Good lord grievances, please tell me that you're joking. You don't even know when is his birthday?" Geishi was one of the few rare ones who trusted Tsugi when she said that she and Yukimura weren't in an intimate relationship, but even so she couldn't believe that Tsugi wasn't even informed of Yukimura's birthday!

Tsugi's face reddened and she chewed on her lips. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but in the end she just looked back at Geishi through meek green eyes. Geishi was defeated.

"…Okay, if that's the case then you should stop doing your homework and get changed. We're going out," Geishi sighed and put her feet to the ground. A playful glint crossed her eyes and she continued in a singsong voice, "I'll be nice and tell you straight: Yukimura-san's birthday falls on the 5th of March and yes, it is to-mor-row."

Each and every syllable of Geishi's final word rolled off her tongue slowly and made Tsugi's eyes wider than before. Geishi would never openly admit that she was enjoying every moment of it. She loved Tsugi to bits, but what were friends for if they were not for teasing?

~x~

Tsugi and Geishi never made it to the mall. It all began with an impromptu decision of Geishi when they saw a certain gray-haired trickster on the streets with a delicate-looking high school senior by his side. They appeared to share an intimate relationship and that, Tsugi supposed, awakened the gossip monster in Geishi. However, Tsugi somehow thought that there was a perhaps more malicious than excited gleam in Geishi's lilac-colored eyes, and Tsugi felt that she knew why.

Nio, oh Nio the ingenious swindler who found delight in building up his fame as the infamous trickster of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku off-court, with his petty pranks and often antagonizing flippant remarks had certainly earned himself a place in the black list of a sizable fraction of Rikkai Dai's population. The Kendo club, with a population of nearly two hundred members which made it one of the largest clubs in Rikkai Dai, had bore the brunt of most of Nio's pranks. Geishi used to take on a neutral stand, but when one of Nio's pranks reached herself, Geishi decided that she too, should begin campaigning against that cunning and painfully annoying gray-haired trickster.

So when Geishi saw Nio shopping with a high school girl, she knew a high opportunity had risen for her to get her hand on payback materials for that time, and she'd kill herself if she allowed this chance to slip by because opportunities like this didn't come by often. Nio must have been a ninja in his previous life – nobody had ever caught him red-handed or even found as much as a scrape of evidence of his wrongdoings even though everyone knew he was at fault for all the mishaps in Rikkai Dai.

She could understand where Geishi was coming from but pray tell, Tsugi peered bemusedly at the whole bunch of boys who appeared to be strolling idly behind them but in fact their eyes were ever-so-frequently sweeping over Nio, how did they end up spying on Nio with almost half of the boys tennis team? Weren't Geishi and she shopping for Yukimura's birthday present?

"Is there anything I can help you with, Yanagi-san?" Yagyuu suddenly asked in his silky voice which had charmed a considerable number of girls across all levels. In contrast to his doubles partner's nasty reputation, Yagyuu was very popular with both genders.

"Not really, I was just thinking," Tsugi shook her head at the fair-skinned boy. The purple-haired bespectacled 'Gentleman' had appeared out of nowhere minutes after they began their stalking operation. It was hard to not doubt that Yagyuu had been doing some stalking of Nio on his own.

"They are about to enter a café," Renji reported dutifully. After their encounter with Yagyuu, the threesome bumped into Renji and Sanada who were purchasing some equipment. Despite the capped youth's obvious unwillingness, Renji managed to convince Sanada to come along and the two of them joined the three on their mission to unravel the mystery behind Nio and his girlfriend. So with that, the five-man team to embark on this ambitious journey debuted.

"Renji-kun and Yanagi-san can enter first; we'll follow shortly," If they all entered at once, the big group was bound to cause a ruckus and Nio who was sly like history's greatest conspirator was definitely going to be alerted.

Renji nodded and picked up his pace, and Tsugi, though still feeling a little lost, followed suit.

Renji looked around and easily spotted Nio. With his rather unusual dust-colored hair, the trickster appeared incongruous amongst the youthful masses.

Quietly, Renji led Tsugi to a table situated in the corner which could accommodate six people just fine and sat down with his cousin. The other three soon walked in and inconspicuously made their way towards the same table.

"Ah! Where is Nio?" Geishi exclaimed quietly, unable to find even a speck of gray after they had settled down.

Nio was gone.

Renji quirked an eyebrow, he was still sitting there a moment ago, how could he possibly disappear in a mere few minutes?

"Since his date is still in her seat, Nio would probably return soon," Renji briefly assessed the situation and concluded.

"Perhaps he went to the toilet," Tsugi suggested upon seeing that Geishi was getting a little too agitated. Was what Nio did really that unforgivable? Tsugi's curiosity was piqued.

"Can I have your order please?" A waiter came up to them and smiled kindly.

"A cup of Earl Grey without sugar please," Renji nodded.

"A vanilla milkshake, if you'd please," Tsugi glanced through the menu and decided on the most conventional item on the menu.

"I want your signature peach and banana yoghurt mix!" Geishi didn't notice it previously, but this was one of the most popular cafes around Rikkai Dai Fuzoku! She had heard about their in house specialty and apparently it tasted super good.

Sanada and Yagyuu weren't interested in any particular drinks on the menu and conveniently ordered the same drink as Renji.

"Alright, your drinks will be coming right up," The waiter penned down their orders and quickly navigated his way to another table.

While they were awaiting Nio's return, another waiter appeared shortly after the first had left.

"Here are your drinks," The voice of the second waiter was a bit muffled, probably new at his work, Geishi predicted.

A specialty of this café was that they used opaque, solid-color cups made of a special material instead of tall glasses. Customers could scribble on the cups with the markers provided which sort of made hanging out here more interesting than other places.

Renji picked up his cup with an elegant grip, and a familiar scent assaulted his nostril. It wasn't a pungent smell, but the aftermath of consuming this sweet-smelling liquid was much more severe than what its scent suggested.

"Everyone, don't drink it!" Renji stood up abruptly, but it was too late. Except for Renji himself, the rest have all sipped their drinks.

The four of them looked puzzled until they saw the waiter pull off his hair – which was in fact a wig – to reveal a familiar head of soft gray hair and the maniacal laughter of Nio filled their eardrums.

"Alert aren't we, Renji? Stalking isn't something a gentleman should do, Yagyuu-kun. And Sanada-fukubuchou, I wouldn't have expected you to be the kind… much less you, Tsugi-chan and friend. This experience should teach you people a thing or two about privacy, puri," Nio clucked his tongue and drawled in a provocative tone. During a recent trip to Tokyo, he happened to bump into a boy who had an interesting-looking drink in his bottle and being the trickster he was, of course Nio borrowed some of the unknown liquid without the boy's knowledge.

… They have underestimated Nio, Renji thought grimly. Of course the renowned swindler would notice that he was being followed – he wouldn't be Nio if he didn't. If Nio was such an easy target, his address wouldn't be one of Rikkai Dai's greatest mysteries up till today. Nio's counter-surveillance skills were at a level where if the Tokyo police force came to know about it they would cry and beg him to join them.

What was going on here? Tsugi was getting a dizzy spell. The world was spinning before her and she couldn't even make out who was sitting opposite of her anymore—

—and before they knew, the four victims of the latest Inui juice had been knocked out cold.

"… Nio, I don't know how you got your hand on Inui's drinks but Seiichi won't be too happy about this."

Nio paused momentarily before he waved it off, he emitted a sound which sounded like a snort and he spoke in a pretentious high-pitched voice, "I've gotten used to it, it doesn't matter what Yukimura-buchou does. Besides, I have Yagyuu-kun with me. Since you're still standing, Renji, I'll leave this situation in your hands while I'll exit with my sister. Take that piece of information as payment for your hard work," With that, Nio gave a throaty laughter and turned back to the mysterious high school girl – now identified as Nio's elder sister.

Renji could feel his brows twitching. He finally understood what Seiichi meant when he said that Nio was the most troublesome person on the team – both in the court and off the court.

Taking a deep breath, Renji pulled out his mobile phone and dialed Yukimura's number.

"Hello, Yukimura Seiichi speaking," Yukimura's cool voice came from the other side of the line. Renji stayed quiet as he was still organizing his thoughts, and alas, he spoke.

"Seiichi, can you make your way down to the Maku Café near school? We ran into some problems here."

There was a momentary pause on Yukimura's side. Renji could hear a chair being pushed out and the creaky sound of a wardrobe being opened.

"What happened and who's involved?" Yukimura inquired, piecing together a casual outfit as he held his phone to his ear.

"We were busted while following Nio, and Nio got his revenge. The rest are unconscious," Renji glanced over at the curious eyes of some of the other customers. Clearly the commotion over here had attracted the attention of some nosy people.

"… Could you elaborate a little more on the 'we'?" Yukimura was more appalled than worried that Renji actually made another attempt to stalk Nio. Renji never learns, does he? Sometimes, Renji's obsession with perfecting his data really goes over the edge.

"Genichirou, Hiroshi, Tsugi and Tatsubaya Geishi who's also from your class," Renji replied.

"Your cousin and Tatsubaya? How did they get involved in this?" Yukimura massaged his forehead.

"As a matter of fact, Seiichi, they have been the one to start it all," Renji clarified.

"Must have been Tatsubaya's idea. Expect me in about 20 minutes," Yukimura sighed and grabbed his keys, they couldn't even leave him in peace on a Sunday evening. Why was he cursed with such a troublesome bunch of boys?

"I'll be waiting."

"See you there."

"See you," with that, Renji hanged up.

One third of an hour later, Yukimura arrived at the café and his entrance immediately drew the attention of most if not all of the female customers who blushed upon seeing him. He seemed like he was oblivious to the effect he had on people – and Renji knew that it was true. Seiichi simply didn't care enough about such frivolous things to bother himself with them. Yukimura presented himself with a gentle demeanor, but the few who had the privilege of peering into Yukimura knew that this was his mask, a brilliantly crafted façade so that whichever angle the camera was pointed at him from, the 'Child of God' would always appear perfect both in picture and in person.

Then what was the real Yukimura like? This would naturally be the next question people would ask. The truth, Renji suspected, was that nobody knew what Yukimura Seiichi was truly like. Maybe Sanada had an idea or two but Renji felt that even Sanada wouldn't be able to comprehend Yukimura at times. He was an enigma.

"I would ask you what had happened in here, but getting them out of here seems to be a more crucial affair. Nio has overdone it this time; he even pulled this kind of pranks on girls?" Yukimura frowned when he saw the people sprawled on the table. When he laid his eyes on Tsugi, there was a mild yet heavy feeling in his chest that he couldn't fathom why but was quite distinctly different from what he felt when he saw Sanada. Before he managed to analyze the foreign feeling though, Renji spoke again.

"From an objective stand, Nio does have the right to defend his privacy, but I agree with you: he has gone overboard with Tsugi and Tatsubaya," Renji nodded his head.

"You'll take Yanagi and Tatsubaya home, I presume? Surely you'd have an extra room where you could house the best friend of your cousin," Yukimura smiled; a subtle, but not less dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'll settle things with Nio tomorrow."

Renji suddenly felt pity for Nio. When'd he learn to stop antagonizing Yukimura? Haven't Nio understood that getting into Yukimura's bad book was akin to securing a one-way ticket to hell? But even so... Renji wouldn't intervene. Nio definitely needed to be taught a lesson.

~x~

When Tsugi regained consciousness, it was a little past 11 at night. Her head felt like it was about to explode, and her parched throat wasn't helping to relieve the pain at all. When her clouded mind cleared up a little, she flung herself out of bed.

Shoot, it's already 11!?

"You've woke up, Tsugi," Renji had left his door open so that he'd be able to see Tsugi when she came about.

"Thanks for bringing me home, Renji," Tsugi smiled at her cousin.

"It's what I should do. Why do you look like you're in a hurry?"

"—ah, it's nothing, really," Tsugi shook her head. What should she do? The mall is already closed and it's Yukimura's birthday tomorrow too! What about Geishi? Is she safe? All the questions bombarding her mind left her feeling a little giddy.

Renji scrutinized Tsugi through closed eyes. Even though he couldn't see her (he couldn't… right?), he could feel her anxiety. "Tatsubaya already left, if that's what's on your mind."

"That's a huge relief," Tsugi nodded, the relief from knowing her best friend was safe chilled her a little. "I'll just take a shower first."

Renji waited until she walked into the shower before he turned back into his room. He keyed in some input data on his laptop and the quaint smile on his face enlarged when he saw the results of the analysis. He picked up his phone and sent out a message.

After her shower, Tsugi saw a new message on her phone. It was sent just minutes ago.

I hope you're alright! If all means fail, bake a cake.

From: Tatsubaya Geishi

Tsugi put her phone down and seriously contemplated her options. With the mall closed and given the late hour, she'd have little choice but to work with what she had. Aunt Machi baked a lot, so baking ingredients were always available in the kitchen. Besides, she had been a frequent assistant to Aunt Machi in the kitchen and her baking skills had improved tremendously under the guidance of her aunt. But wasn't baking a cake too clichéd? And how was she going to explain to the rest of the family about her impromptu decision to bake at an ungodly hour in the middle of the night? No, Tsugi decided, it just wasn't going to work out.

No, that's plain weird.

From: Yanagi Asaitsugi

Half a minute after the message was sent, Tsugi's phone vibrated again.

Wake up earlier if you're worried about your family! If they ask about it, just admit that it's for a friend's birthday.

From: Tatsubaya Geishi

… Could she really do that? But then again, what options did she have left? Her artistic ability was inexistent, so making a card or even doing a handicraft of any sort was out of the picture and there was simply nothing she could use as a gift at the moment.

To do or not to do? That was the question.

After considering for a long while, Tsugi pursed her lips and gave in.

Alright.

From: Yanagi Asaitsugi

~x~

The least Yukimura could say when he received his birthday present from Tsugi was that he was very much surprised. While the cake was a little plain – it was a sponge cake with white icing – what really mattered was the thought put into it.

"I'm terribly sorry, Yukimura. I'd have gotten you something else but things happened and I well…" Tsugi smiled sheepishly. Her heartbeat speeded up a little, but she was in much better control of herself than Valentine's Day.

"I'm perfectly fine with this, your present is delightful," Yukimura assured her, eyes observing the cake closely and a smile on his face, "you're the home-oriented type hmm? This cake turned out really well," he remarked as a soft, foreign warm feeling crept into a corner of his heart. He had a rough idea of what it was now, but he made no attempt to resist it.

"I'm relieved to hear that," Tsugi smiled, her forest-green eyes sparkled with jubilance. Yukimura looked at Tsugi, her eyes queerly reminded him of his plants but that wasn't a bad thing because Yukimura realized that he had developed an interest in her. He wouldn't exactly call it a crush, but he did feel a sort of attraction towards this girl.

He wasn't sure how far this attraction would go, but he'd let nature take its course so he wouldn't mind giving in to the natural impulse he felt at times, for example now.

"There's hair on your face, Yanagi," Yukimura lifted a hand and helped Tsugi to tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear, successfully staining her cheeks with red. His smile grew.

(Mischievous little devil, I'd say.)

As long as he was in control of the situation, he'd be just fine.

~x~

The full bloom of the sakura trees within the school compound symbolized the beginning of a fresh new school year. Tsugi, along with the 'Big Three', was walking along the corridors when a commotion near the school gates caught their attention. The four stopped in their steps and turned their attention to the onyx-haired freshman who just jumped onto the top of the school gates. Tsugi peered curiously at the young boy and his next action made her giggle uncontrollably.

"Starting today, I'll be a first year at Rikkai Dai Fuzoku! At this school, I'll join the number one tennis club in the nation… and become number one myself!" His loud declaration certainly humored three people out of the four. Tsugi, Yukimura and Renji exchanged amused looks upon hearing his dramatic display and while Sanada appeared indifferent, everyone noticed that his palms twitched a little.

"It seems that your club is going to have an interesting intake," Tsugi remarked lightly. Seeing this freshman made her wonder what her own juniors will be like; will they be as adorable as this freshman?

"It's not yet confirmed whether he will be a part of our club," Sanada retorted, arms folded and an affronted frown on his face. He stared down at the boy and carefully noted his appearance in his mind; he'd definitely remember to discipline this freshman when he comes down to the courts today.

"Either way, today will be interesting, right Sanada?" Yukimura's eyes followed the freshman who quickly climbed down from the top of the gates after he was chided by the security guard. Perhaps with that boy around, the club would be more lively. But before that... He'd have to be tamed. Yukimura's smile became a little more elusive.

"Tch," Sanada scowled. He could only hope that that first year wouldn't bring about too much troubles, else it would just be more works for him.

Renji was deep within his own thoughts as he scrutinized the boy. He looked rather familiar, but just where had he seen him before? Hmm... Oh.

Ah. It was him. A small smile not less intimidating than Yukimura's surfaced on Renji's face when it all clicked. Just like what Tsugi said, he would be an interesting addition to the club and perhaps the team.


It was after much deliberation that I allowed their relationship to pick up a little pace. I'm feeling insecure now so I'd appreciate it if you let me know whether this chapter was okay or I should edit it... Thanks. :)