Summary: A childhood friend of Tezuka's comes back for a soccer tournament. They've always been close; now, with a limited amount of time, she has to tell Tezuka how she feels. But trouble gets in the way...not to mention her temper. TezxOC
Chapter 7
Yumi glanced up at the clock impatiently, between reading paragraphs of the English book they were given in class. It was a simple book, all said and done, so she wasn't overly concerned about reading it with the same intensity as everyone else in class.
"Going somewhere after school?" Fuji whispered from behind her, a few students able to hear but not the teacher up at the front.
Taking out a small slip of paper, Yumi used the inside of her desk as a cover to jot down her answer quickly on a piece of paper. She discreetly slipped that back to Fuji.
Got a date. Fuji read. So that was why Tezuka had refused going out for sushi with the team. He felt it safe to assume it was with Tezuka; Yumi interacted with other students, both male and female, and was growing popular with both. But it was highly unlikely she was dating anyone new to her, if what she said as her introduction to the class (the English part) was a clue at all.
The bell rang. Yumi grinned and immediately packed up, leaving out the door. Fuji and Eiji followed after throwing the slip of paper in the recycling bin. They turned down separate ways in the hallway, Yumi to leave school and Fuji and Eiji to spread the news about Tezuka's date to the other Regulars.
Little did they know that a few girls picked out the slip of paper from the recycling bin. They had heard Fuji ask if Yumi had plans, and were curious. When they read 'got a date', they immediately decided to see with whom. Maybe this boyfriend would keep Yumi away from their Tezuka!
Yumi made her way to her bike that was locked up, and unchained it for Ieris and Cari, who she had met in the hallway. "Alright, see you later! Tomorrow it'll be an outing for just us girls, promise!"
"Oh, don't worry about us." Cari said, smiling. "Go have fun."
"But you have a date with us tomorrow, don't you forget it." Ieris added, before climbing onto the bike. Cari stood in the back as usual and Ieris pedalled off.
"Ready to go?"
Yumi turned to smile at Tezuka. "Yup. Can we go to your house first, so I can change there? I have a set of clothes in my bag. And I haven't seen your grandparents in ages!"
"Of course. They've also wanted to see you again." Tezuka replied, taking the lead. "So how have things been?" He asked. Contrary to popular belief, he was both able and willing to strike up a conversation (when it was with the right person).
"Good, I guess." Yumi shrugged. "I've still managed to keep my marks up, at least, with all this travel going on. Some of the team's actually planning on coming with us to go pro. Like Ieris and Cari, and Jun if she can find a way to come, and the twins."
"You all are going professional? It's a high goal; good luck." Tezuka said. Then he brought up a topic that had been bothering him a bit. "You said Jun was the official captain, but I thought you were captain. It seemed that way, how you take charge of the situation and how the girls all respect you."
"Eh, has to do with how the team got started..." Yumi said, remembering back to when she first joined Red Hill. Seeing that Tezuka wanted an explanation, she said briefly "Jun is really interested in strategies, it doesn't matter for what. I saw her using her strategies for some board games at school once. And if the sports teams paid her, she'd come up with a strategy for them."
"She can apply strategy to anything, then? That's an impressive skill." Tezuka commented.
"Yeah, but there aren't any classes or teachers that really acknowledge it and let her apply her skills." Yumi said, frowning. "It was totally going to waste; so I basically asked her to join the soccer team." She laughed a bit. "Only she doesn't play soccer, so there was a small problem."
"That's why she's the official coach." Tezuka finished, realizing what the girls did. "She can easily give you strategies then, and you give her practice schedules and plans."
"Exactly. Oh, look at that, we're here already!" She pointed to Tezuka's house. "I can tell it's yours from your grandmother's gardens." Yumi said in answer to his unspoken question.
"Yumi, oh how long it's been!" Tezuka's grandmother said, hugging Yumi immediately upon her entering the kitchen. "My how you've grown! Such a lovely young lady!"
Yumi laughed. "Thanks. Mm, is that banana bread I smell? I missed your baking!"
"Oh dear, my husband just ate the last piece!" She said distraughtly. "Come by tomorrow and I'll have a cake freshly baked!" She promised.
"How has the family been, Yumi?" Tezuka's grandfather asked, also giving her a hug. "Your mother and father must be worried about you traveling so far!"
"Eh, they're ok with it. I send back souvenirs for them, and besides, they know I'll do anything for soccer!" Yumi smiled brightly.
"Even control that temper of yours?"
"Eheh..." Yumi laughed sheepishly. "I still need Kunimitsu's help with that..."
"Everyone has their faults." His grandfather said understandingly. "You came to change out of your uniform, am I right? Kunimitsu, go on and show her where the washroom is. I'm sure you two still want to hang out in town, so get going!"
"Yeah. This way, Yumi." Tezuka led the way out of the kitchen and down the hall, stopping at a door. "Here's the bathroom; I'm also going to change in my room, so I'll meet you out here."
Five minutes later they were making their way out the front door. Yumi was dressed in jeans and a light purple spaghetti strap shirt with a white sweater, while Tezuka had simply dressed in dark blue jeans with a black T-shirt, a brown jacket thrown over his shoulders. "So how did the team start?" Tezuka asked as they walked down the street.
"Well, I'm the one who started the team, basically. Back then the soccer team didn't even have a full team; with me joining they'd have to compete in school tournaments, so most of the girls quit. I put up lots of ads for anyone who loved soccer." Yumi was walking, talking, and looking all at once, taking in how much the neighbourhood had changed. She had even recognized her old house, before she moved away. "I started the practice schedules lighter and then worked the girls harder once I knew who was willing to stay. In the end the girls who stayed made enough for a team with a full bench, and so we were set. Oh hey, let's get some ice cream!"
They not only got ice cream, but hit various stores that Yumi recognized. "I remember that's where I got my watermelon lock." Yumi pointed out. "And you got me some dial locks."
"Yeah. A little further from here there used to be a forest area." Seeing Yumi nod to indicate she remembered the place, Tezuka continued. "They put in some street tennis courts."
"Street tennis, huh? Ever go?" Yumi asked curiously.
"Not really."
"Hey look, an arcade! Ever go there?" Yumi asked, pointing across the street.
"No." Tezuka answered.
"Want to make this the first time, then?" Yumi raised an eyebrow and smiled inquisitively.
"If you want to go in, then let's cross the street now while no cars are coming." Tezuka said, stepping off the sidewalk. Before he neared the other side of the street he could hear the loudness inside the arcade; it carried out of the door as someone left.
"Hey, DDR! Japanese version was always better than the US version." Yumi indicated the flashing system in the far end of the arcade. "There's quite a crowd there. Wonder why?" She mused.
"It doesn't look like a line; I think they're watching the person currently playing." Tezuka said, following her over.
"... ...Anyone else gonna challenge me?!" The boy on stage called out. "Come on, it doesn't matter what level we play on!"
Since no one was stepping up, Yumi pushed through the crowd. Stepping up on the platform, the boy turned to her with a smirk. "Alright! I knew there was someone left. Go on and place your money in, I've still got some credits going."
Yumi inserted some coins from her jean pocket and then looked back down to Tezuka, who had moved to the front. "Hold my sweater and bag for me, please?" She asked him. He nodded, so she shrugged both off and dropped them down to him.
"What level do you play at?" Her opponent asked, busy choosing the song. "I make it a habit to play on whatever level my opponent is."
Yumi smirked. "Challenger. Think you can handle it?"
"I'm the speed demon, of course I can!" He retorted. The levels were set and the dance began. As the first and only wall of arrows came streaming up, his feet moved incredibly fast to start a round of combos.
Tezuka looked to Yumi to see the same thing with her, and was amazed they didn't trip or anything. The song ended after a few minutes and everyone eagerly awaited the scores. A popped up on both screens, and looking at the points on the bottom of the screen, neither of them really won; Yumi had only a thousand more points.
"Wow, I've never had anyone match me before!" The boy commented, impressed.
"Really? I've been beaten before." Yumi remarked. "Cari, a friend of mine, gets AA. She owns at DDR; I swear she's a demon at it." She turned to step of the platform.
"Wait! I'm Kamio. What's your name?" The boy asked, holding out a hand.
Yumi looked back and grasped his hand in a cross between a shake and a high five. "Tsukiyama Yumi. Let's do this again sometime." She smiled and turned back to the crowd. "Alright Kunimitsu, I've had my fun!" Her back turned to Kamio, she didn't see his eyes widen as he saw who she was taking her stuff back from.
Leaving the arcade, Yumi stretched her arms over her head. "Well, we've gone to where I want to go, now how about you? Any place in particular you feel like going to?" She asked.
"I enjoy the park." Tezuka replied.
"Lead the way!" Yumi smiled. "Let me guess, you read there, right?"
"Yeah."
"The newspaper or a history book, right?"
"Yeah."
Yumi laughed. "Your tastes haven't changed at all!" Tezuka shot her a small glare, but it softened immediately when he heard her add quietly "I'm relieved." Her smile became a little smaller when she continued "I was scared that I wouldn't know you anymore. We've only been able to email each other, and make the occasional phone call..."
Tezuka placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We know each other too well for time to make much of an impact."
"I guess so. But you know, you haven't seen me play any soccer games with my girls!" Yumi realized. "Are you free this weekend?"
"Is that when the tournament is?" Tezuka asked.
"Yeah." Yumi smirked at something she knew that Tezuka didn't.
"So does that mean you're leaving after this weekend?" Tezuka asked, slightly disappointed. It didn't feel like he'd spent enough time with her at all.
"Oh no, I'm here for another two weeks." Yumi said, laughing lightly. "No worries, we've got plenty of time!"
"Two weeks? Is there another tournament?" Tezuka asked, confused. "That's very close together."
"The boys' division is first, and a week after is the girl's." Yumi grinned. Spying a bench, she sat down.
"You're playing in both?" Tezuka asked, surprised.
"You bet we are!" Yumi said, leaning back. She pursed her lips a bit and looked around.
"There's a vending machine nearby. I'll get us some drinks." Tezuka said immediately, standing.
Yumi leaned back with a small content smile. He can still read me so well. Things really haven't changed between us as much as I thought they would. Gazing around, her eye caught some movement and colour in the bushes that wasn't natural. It wouldn't be Ieris and Cari... She thought. Unfortunately there wasn't a rock nearby. She even double checked. Just as she was wondering if an acorn would be worth the trouble to get up, pick up, and throw, Tezuka came back. She caught the can he tossed her neatly and opened it, taking a long drink. "Ahh...grape." She smiled.
"I know it's always been your favourite flavour, so I thought that would be what you'd like best." Tezuka said, his own drink being simple water.
Leaning back with her drink, Yumi let the peace of the park wash over her. It was true that she talked freely, and Tezuka wasn't normally one for long conversations with someone. He also wasn't one for being with the same talking person all day. However, just like he had his talkative, open moments, Yumi had her reserved, silent moments. It was never awkward for them if neither person talked; instead, they relaxed.
"...Well, it's getting late. We should probably head back to our homes now." Yumi said finally, getting up.
"Yeah. I'll walk you home." Tezuka said, also standing. They made their way out of the park, Yumi also looking for a trash can to throw their drinks out.
... ... ...
"It doesn't look like they've noticed that they've being followed all day." Oishi commented in relief.
"Because we're being extra careful!" Eiji explained. "We don't want extra laps tomorrow!"
"So how'd you know about this date?" Momoshiro asked Fuji. "You never said."
"She told me she had one after school, so I figured it was with Tezuka since he didn't go for some sushi with us." Fuji explained.
"I didn't know Tezuka was so talkative." Kawamura said.
Inui kept scribbling in his notebook and muttering to himself. "... ...probability of it being due to Yumi includes...childhood factors...similar tastes...personality differences... ..."
"They stopped." Ryoma informed them, causing the team to hide behind some bushes in the park.
"And by the way, Kunimitsu..." They heard Yumi say quietly. They leaned forward, straining to hear her. An empty can fell out of the sky to hit Momoshiro on the head. Eiji and Kaidoh's hands on his mouth muffled his exclamation, but it was still audible. "I still say they're a bunch of idiots." They heard Yumi finish clearly.
"20 extra laps around the courts tomorrow!"
Well, they almost got away with it.
