Chapter 10

When Tezuka opened his eyes he was faced with a stark white ceiling. Disoriented from sleep, he looked around and realized that he was still inside the infirmary. He closed his eyes in irritation. I can't believe I fell asleep in the middle of my session. He opened his eyes once more and turned his head looking for the other occupant of the room; hunched over a thick text was a blurry Reina. Right, I don't have my glasses on. Tezuka propped himself up and felt a weight fall off his chest. She had covered him up with a light blue blanket. As if feeling his stare, Reina looked up from her reading to see a heavy-eyed Tezuka sitting himself upright.

The corners of Reina's mouth lifted slightly. "Have a good nap Sleeping Beauty?"

"Ah." Tezuka's voice sounded groggy and rough. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What time is it?"

Reina looked down at her watch. "It's a quarter past 5. You've slept for about 45 minutes. You were sleeping so soundly that I left you alone for an extra fifteen minutes."

"Arigato but I am sorry that I fell asleep…we missed our appointment."

While cleaning up her work area, Reina answered, "It is fine Tezuka-san. Working with a tired patient would only be counterproductive. Besides, I am only here to make sure you do not lose the momentum you had going with your rehabilitation. You already know which exercises to do and how to do them. I will merely supervise and make one or two recommendations."

She finished organizing her station and took off the white lab coat, placing it on a hook nearby. "It's almost dinnertime. Shall we grab dinner?"

"Hai."

The two walked side by side towards the dining hall. Tezuka was wondering how to bring up the morning's episode without sounding too abrupt. He still wanted to apologize although Reina did not seem angry or embarrassed over the incident. If he had not been at the scene himself, Tezuka would have thought nothing out of the ordinary had occurred with Reina.

"Do you have time later in the evening Tezuka-san?" At the teen's startled expression, Reina quickly explained, "I would like to add rehabilitative sports massage to your treatment. Since we were not able to start it during our session, would it be possible to meet later on?"

The thought of spending after hours with Reina sent a tinge of excitement throughout his body. "I will be free after 8…"

"Great. I'll drop by your room after I finish rounds then."

8:00 PM, Tezuka's Room

Tezuka was anxious. So anxious that he was pacing up and down the length of his small room; Tezuka Kunimitsu did not pace. Even during tennis matches, despite nerves, his outer front revealed nothing but cool poise. He sat down with the rest of the tennis players for dinner but ate without tasting his food. The bickering between Momoshiro and Kamio, Atobe's boasting, and the general liveliness of the room (which usually would have given him migraines the size of Mount Fuji), did not serve as sufficient distraction. Following dinner he focused on conditioning the rest of his group in the weight room. At the back of his mind however, lurked unbidden images of soft skin, parted lips, and flashing golden eyes. So deep in thought, Tezuka almost jumped in surprise when a firm knock rapped at his door. After allowing a few seconds to compose himself he opened the door.

"Konbanwa Tezuka-san." Reina, still dressed in her earlier attire, was holding a white towel and what looked like a bottle of oil in one hand.

"Konbanwa. Please, come in." She shuffled in and Tezuka shut his door.

Reina looked around the bedroom, noting the single bed with neatly made sheets, a wooden desk scattered with paper, and a blue Seigaku tennis bag propped against one wall. Tezuka stood silently, staring at her with unmoving eyes. He was still dressed in his purple tracksuit.

I wonder if he brought anything else besides that purple tracksuit. It's a good color for him but it's so…ugh. I'm not here to criticize his wardrobe choices though.

"Tezuka-san, I'm going to need you to take off your jersey and whatever else you have on underneath. After that, please sit on this chair," said Reina, motioning to the wooden backed chair which accompanied the desk.

Tezuka's eyes widened a fraction but did as he was told. Unzipping his jersey, he placed it on his bed and after a moment's hesitation took off his white t-shirt. He awkwardly crossed his arms and sat down on the chair. Tezuka did not think himself a self-conscious person. He knew he was in good shape from tennis, and though he completely ignored the attentions of all his clamoring fan girls, from the amount of confessions and chocolates he received on Valentine's Day, he was aware that he was attractive to some. Being half naked in the presence of a beautiful female however, the only female he had ever found attractive for that matter, left the normally confidant captain feeling bashful.

Reina was in the same boat. Being several years older than the teen, she had her fair share of boyfriends, suitors, and the occasional friend (with benefits). She enjoyed a healthy sex life and was no stranger to naked men. So, why was she shamelessly ogling a fifteen year old's bare chest? Granted Tezuka was in great shape with well-defined pectorals and abdominal muscles, but she had been surrounded by equally fit or even better toned male athletes for most of her tennis career. I'm turning into a pervert with a proclivity for minors.

Pouring the massage oil onto the palm of her hand, Reina rubbed her hands together firmly to warm it up. She grasped Tezuka's left arm and lightly coated the entire limb from shoulder to wrist. He was stiff as a block of wood. This won't do.

As she bent his arm at the elbow to make a 90 degree angle, Reina asked, "So, how do you like Munich?"

The moment Reina touched his bare skin, Tezuka's entire body froze and his heart beat wildly against his chest. "It is a beautiful city. I enjoyed it very much…" He wanted to say more for there were various aspects of the German city that he admired.

Reina asked Tezuka to push lightly against her and to hold the stretch for 10 seconds. "It's a city with so many amazing sights. Japan too has some amazing architecture, but the sight of all those old buildings always takes my breath away."

"You have been to Germany?"

"Hai. Let's see," Reina thought aloud, "I've visited Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Weimar, and Heidelberg. I really enjoyed my stay in Heidelberg. It's one of the few German cities that were not destroyed during World War II so plenty of old world charms can be found throughout the streets."

Tezuka turned his head around to see Reina smiling in recollection. "Of course Munich has its share of wonderful scenes. Like the Englishcher Garten and Munich Residenz. Did you know that the palace was modeled after the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence?"

"The guidebook mentioned something of that nature…you must travel a lot," remarked Tezuka. Reina's massage and conversation was slowly helping him release the tension in his body. She grasped his wrist and began rotating the arm at the elbow in circular motions.

"I used to but sadly, not so much lately. Although I am a student of science, I'm also a huge history buff so I enjoy taking trips and learning about the region's past. Do you enjoy history Tezuka-san?"

The mention of his favorite subject in school prompted an immediate reply. "World History is my favorite class."

"It was one of mine as well back in high school."

With the discovery of a common interest, the two relaxed and began to genuinely enjoy each others' company. Nervousness from the close proximity dissipated as the night wore on. Reina and Tezuka learned that they both had similar tastes in movies, books, and music though Reina's tastes were more eclectic. She promised to introduce him to some new books and music that he might like. He in return would introduce her to some classic Japanese literature when Reina admitted to having not read much.

It was nearing 10 and Reina had finished the massage a while ago. She was now leaning against the desk while Tezuka was still seated in the chair. When she looked down at her watch, Reina exclaimed, "It's already 10. I am sorry for keeping you Tezuka-san. You must be tired."

Tezuka did not notice the time fly by and was astonished that they managed to talk for two hours. Well, he was more surprised at himself. He could not remember a time when he had conversed with another person for more than fifteen minutes at a time. Even at home, he hardly spoke more than a handful of sentences to his family. Reina gathered her belongings and was walked to the door.

"Sorry for overstaying my welcome, but I enjoyed our talk."

"Do not be sorry…I enjoyed our conversation too. And thank you for the sports massage."

"I'll drop by again tomorrow for another session," Reina said as she turned to go. "Oyasuminasai Tezuka-san."

"Oyasuminasai…ah, and I'm sorry about this morning." Tezuka felt his face heat up again.

Laughing Reina replied, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. The fault was mine anyways. Aoi informed me later about the bathroom situation. It was honest mistake. Don't beat yourself over it." With that, Reina jauntily waved and made her way back to her room.

The next day, Thursday late afternoon, Main Entrance

Reina really wanted to jump up and down in excitement. Her new (loaned) car arrived. The Service Associate was listing all the features of the car but Reina was too busy admiring the vehicle to properly pay attention. She did catch that the model was a BMW 6 Series 650i Cabriolet with Cinnamon Brown Nappa Leather Interior, and a Space Grey Metallic. Reina thanked the employee who got into another company car driven by a colleague and drove off. With keys in hand, she was sorely tempted to take the car for a spin but she resisted. It would be unprofessional of her to leave during working hours. Taking one last look the vehicle, Reina headed back inside for her next appointment.

My next session should be with…Atobe Keigo. I think he's the one Ryoma calls 'Monkey King.' Seems to be a bit of a diva…I'm pretty sure I've seen him somewhere though.