Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis and any of the characters. All of the characters belong to Takeshi Konomi Sensei except for the OCs.

Chapter 08

"But the previous company went bankrupt", explained Ryoma.

'Eh?'

"Oh, I'm currently working as a graphic designer".

'Eh?'

"I'm like a freelancer using my friend's connections".

'EHHH?'

"I can't stay as an in-laws forever", Ryoma said in the end as he exhale. Tezuka just stared at Ryoma with a shocked expression.

"Ryo-chan, what is 'in-law'?" asked Ren.

Ryoma bent down slightly and explained, "It's an adult who doesn't work and depends on others to take care of him. In another word, a leech".

"Leech-san?" asked Ren with question marks on his face.

"…Are you leaving?" asked Tezuka softly and Ryoma looked up. "Are you leaving? Ryoma".

"…Yeah. There's no reason for me why I should stay here right? I can't rattle you anymore since you discovered my identity. Although we used to be neighbour and good friends, we're not family. So we're pretty much strangers. Why should we live together?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both father and son were sitting on the sofa with a spaced out expression. Ren snapped out of it and asked, "Papa, isn't Ryo-chan coming back today?"

"Look that way", answered Tezuka as he looked down on his son. 'Ren…papa is shocked too. I really mistook him as a leech and was fully ready to take care of him', thought Tezuka as he remembered the day when Ryoma leaved.

"I got to attend a business meeting soon. See ya".

'He seems fully settled into the corporate life— first, need a reason for us to live together'.

"What if Ryo-chan never comes back…" said Ren as he rubbed his eyes

"Ren…" Ren looked up with teary eyes.

"I already like him as my friend. What can I do?" asked Ren as he started to cry. "Ren doesn't want Ryo-chan to be gone. Does Ryo-chan hate Ren now?"

Tezuka hugged the little boy before comforting him. "Don't cry. He said he's coming back tomorrow. He just left for work. Oh yeah, want to go somewhere with papa? Ren".

To be continued…

A/N: Reviews and more reviews!!!! I'm thirsty for reviews!!! Ja!!!

-Yuujirou-