Chapter 12

Reasons, Beginning, and Acquiescence

The fact that two 3rd year regulars were injured was something that dampened the mood of most tennis club members… the fact that it was both Tezuka-buchou, and Oishi-fukubuchou was enough to dampen the school. It wasn't a matter of school popularity, or even of being sad about them; it was more like a feeling of worry settled over, and no one knew how to dispel it, so it ended up transforming into sadness.

At least, most people felt like that.

Arai had been training a lot, enthused by the possibility that someone else might take a regular spot if both injured players were to miss the next match. He and his closest friends were chipper than usual.

The regulars understood, and stood quiet. It wasn't so much as they didn't care. It was an unlikely opportunity to play in this year's regular squad, mostly because since the last year the top 8 had been quite established, and with Echizen, this year they were overcrowded. Momo was a regular again, in place of Oishi… for now. But the Tezuka spot was free and clear if the buchou couldn't play. Alex wasn't taking the news of Arai's ambition too well.

"… and he chooses to boast that maybe he could be a better addition than Tezuka! That arrogant prick! If I could I would wring his neck!" Alex ended quiet emphatically.

"Saa… you really don't like Arai" Syusuke said smiling.

"He is being a jerk! Instead of fighting harder to get into the regulars, he takes up his chance when the top players are injured!" Alex said, and then looked to Eiji for confirmation.

"Nya, Alex-chan, you are half right" he said, and when Alex turned a murderous stare at him he added. "Ne, Alex-chan, he is just taking a good and probably one of a time opportunity"

"Based on statistics of current tennis club members. There isn't any way that a regular spot could be filled this year, by anyone, other than the top 9 players. Ranking matches are a little uneven when it comes to skill, and so players like Arai who have talent, usually face two stronger players, that usually form part of the regular team" Inui said. "With the current 3rd year regulars in the club, Arai's chances of making the team are less that 20%"

"Alex you have to remember that some of the other members of the tennis club graduate the school without ever being regulars." Syusuke said. "Arai is taking a chance and trying to accomplish a dream that otherwise might be fruitless."

Alex was about to protest that when something happened. A freshman member of the tennis club opened the door to the classroom we were in, and ran over to us.

"Senpai-tachi, Big News!" he said, and breathed as if he had run all the way here. "Kachiro was upset at Arai, and ended up challenging him to a match, and now they are playing to see who gets to stay in the tennis club!"

"I'll find Oishi" Inui said standing up and leaving, the freshmen right behind him.

"Should we go?" Eiji asked.

"Saa… I think we do" Syusuke said standing up, and then to Alex. "You should come too"

We got there in time to see Arai win his fifth straight game, but we all noted that he seemed tired, worn out. But at the same time, we also noted that Kachiro, though having a hard time, was getting used to the pace of Arai, slowly, but he was getting there.

"Ne, he is doing well against Arai" Eiji said.

"Senpai-tachi!" Horio exclaimed beside us.

"Don't just stand there! Stop this!" Katsuo said.

"Don't worry about it, it'll be ok" Syusuke said looking at the game. When the freshmen duo, and the girls looked on confused, he added. "Just watch"

Arai served, and Kachiro managed to get his return wide, making Arai run for it. It was then when he tripped, and Kachiro got the point.

"Stop this!" Oishi's voice boomed in the court. "Arai, I did not give you permission for a match. I learned from others that this match determines who stays in the club, this isn't something senpai's should do" he said pointedly to Arai.

"I'm sorry" Arai mumbled.

"20 laps for everyone!" Oishi said.

"Oishi, that would be a lot on Arai at the moment." Inui added, and Oishi nodded. "Take off the weights Arai. Two bars are too much for you right now, you also need to work on your stamina."

At that moment Kachiro walked up to Arai and immediately bowed. "Arai-senpai! I'm Sorry" he said, and then added. "Arai-senpai is working hard, and I called him a coward"

Arai took off his weights, and joined his two buddies in the run, Kachiro catching up to them. It was a nice sight to see them bonding.

Alex watched all of this happening and stood quiet, waiting until the laps were done and Syusuke walked over to her.

"I'm sorry I bit your head off about this" she said. "I didn't know"

"I know… I didn't know about the weights, but I did know Arai didn't mean anything about wanting Tezuka's spot. If anything, his desire to get stronger was inspired by Tezuka himself" Syusuke said, in that deep voice. I looked up to find him open eyed looking at me.

"Syusuke…" Alex started, but they were inevitably interrupted by Eiji's crushing hug.

"Nya Alex-chan! See, Arai is not that bad!" he said smiling.

"I know that now" Alex said, allowing herself to be distracted. "I'm sorry about earlier"

"Ne, it's fine!" Eiji said. "Guess what?"

Both Syusuke and Alex looked on, waiting for the answer.

"Oishi asked Kaho on a date!" Eiji said, quite loudly.

"Eiji!" Oishi said, as he had been walking towards us at the moment. "Can't you keep that to yourself?"

"Nya Oishi, I'm just happy that you finally asked her out… you'd been dancing circles around it for a while!" Eiji said smiling.

"I wonder why Kaho hasn't told me anything…" Alex mused.

"Because I asked her ten seconds before Eiji interrupted after eavesdropping, and then Inui came to tell me about all this" Oishi said. "She's probably looking for you now"

Oishi was right, Kaho told her the minute she found Alex. She was really happy for her. Alex knew she liked Oishi, but was hesitant out of shyness, and that he liked her too, but when it came to girls, he was quite shy himself.

Alex went home after they talked, and once in the safety of her room, she was left to think of her own crush, and how impossible it seemed that anything would come off it. Alex was happy for Kaho, she really was, but she was also jealous of her happiness.

The next few days didn't change much. School, Tennis, the restaurant, the café, math tutoring, hanging out; it was their little routine, until it wasn't. It was a Tuesday when at tutoring, Syusuke told Alex he had to meet the regulars for a team meeting. It was quite early, because they hadn't had practice that day, so she thought it was weird, mostly because they usually had the meetings right after practice, but Alex let it go.

The next day… the next day was monumental.

It begun like any normal day, but there was something weird the moment Alex got to school. First, the regulars were acting a little off. Second, Syusuke wasn't at class, and from the chatter, neither was Tezuka. She was distracted to say the least, so after first period she went to the roof to clear her head. What Alex found there surprised her.

"… I get back from Germany, I will be completely healed, and able to play whomever I want" Tezuka finished what he was saying.

"Whomever?" Syusuke asked, his eyes opening in genuine surprise.

Tezuka nodded.

"I look forward to it" Syusuke said, his smile back in place.

It was then when they noticed her. Alex was there standing in front of a closing door. They didn't say anything, in fact, Tezuka kind of smirked (Alex wasn't really sure if he did or didn't, it just seemed like it), but Syusuke was downright… weird. He seemed bothered that she was there, or so that was the feeling Alex picked up.

"You are going to Germany?" Alex asked Tezuka.

"Hai" he said and then continued. "I'm going to get my shoulder fixed up"

There wasn't really anything she could or couldn't say, so she just smiled lightly and added. "I'm going to miss you"

"I think you'll be just fine" Tezuka said, smirking (or not) again, he then nodded, opened the door and left.

Alex and Syusuke were left there, alone, and apparently uncomfortable with each other. They didn't say anything for a few minutes before Alex finally decided to ask.

"Are you ok?" she asked, walking over and standing in front of Syusuke.

"He'll be ok, there is no use to worry about it" Syusuke said using his fake smile, yet again.

"But you still worry."

"He is a good friend"

"I know" Alex said and taking a step closer. "I worry about you too"

"Don't. I'm fine" he said keeping up the smile.

"You are a good friend. I worry" Alex said with a little smirk, and then. "Besides, people only say fine, when they don't want to own up to what they are actually feeling"

"Saa… you got me pegged." He said, and then a little more seriously. "I am worried, but it's not only about Tezuka…"

"Something bad?"

"No, or I hope it's not"

"Syusuke?"

"See, Tezuka made me realize that I was wrong about something before, and that I have to own up to that too"

"Now I'm confused"

"Like you said, fine isn't a feeling." He said, and then after a pause. "I finally accepted feelings that I usually turned away from"

"Still confused over here"

"Alex… recently I started feeling different about-" he started, and as the fates probably intended he was interrupted by a bell signaling the next class had begun. Syusuke looked at the door, and then back at Alex, his smile in place. "Saa… we have class. This isn't something I can sum up in a few minutes… let's go"

"Syusuke?"

"I'm ok, I promise" he said, and taking my hand, he moved forward towards the door. "We have classes, let's go"

It wasn't something Alex wanted to be left unsaid, but at the same time, she knew she didn't have a choice. Something was up with him, and he was trying to tell her, but let's face it: school was not the place.

Classes went on like normal, even when there were several things looming over them. After tennis practice, the regulars, Kaho, and Alex got a text from Oishi to meet at the park near the school.

"We are going on a hike!" he announced to a stunned group.

"A hike? Like a mountain and stuff?" Kaho said out loud.

"More like a hill, and to see the sunrise" he said happily.

"When?" Inui asked.

"If we leave now, we can make it for tomorrow morning" he said and looked around.

It took a few minutes but soon everyone was convinced to go; and after a few parental calls, they were all on a train headed for the coast. Give or take a few hours later, the entire group was standing on a hill top, looking to the east, and waiting for it to come up.

You always hear sunrises and sunsets described as the most beautiful of things, and sometimes, hearsay it completely true.

It isn't so much about the sun itself. That is pretty awesome and all, but its more about how everything seems to appear out of darkness, how the light just uncovers everything in front of you. And the colors, the colors are pretty cool too. This sunrise was something else. They felt it then, and I am sure they will feel it every time they remember it, sometimes it takes light to make the darkness fall back.

After a few minutes and a small photo shoot, they all began to walk back down the mountain en route to the train station at different paces. Alex and Syusuke lingered in the back a little.

"Alex… I need to tell you something, something that I think is important for you to know" Syusuke said, and when Alex looked at him, found no trace of a smile in his face.

"Ok"

"Remember what I started telling you this morning?"

"That you were feeling different about something"

"Someone"

"Someone? As in a person, someone?"

"Yes, a person. A girl. See, I've known her for a while, and I think it's become more than friends for us"

For someone who was trying to get rid of a crush, Alex felt the hurt deeply. She clamped down, she held those feelings at bay, but there was a weight against her heart that felt painful. It was someone he already knew, not her, it couldn't be her. They were amazing friends, but they had only known each other for a few months. Alex just didn't think it could be her.

"I see" she said, her arms instinctively going around herself, as if protecting from a blow. "Have you told her?"

"Not in so many words" he said, and there was a hint of something in his tone, but Alex just didn't feel like figuring it out.

"You should…" Alex said, and before he could say anything else, she added. "I need to talk to Tezuka, I forgot something important he needs to know"

Alex walked ahead and didn't even look back to see if Syusuke would stop her. She didn't have the strength to keep it all in anymore.

They had fallen a little behind and by the time Alex caught up with Tezuka, and everyone else, it was time to board. Alex nudged Tezuka a moment as they were getting in the train.

"I need to talk to you… in private" she said softly.

"Let's go on the other car" he whispered back.

As they moved ahead, the others asked where they were headed, and Tezuka said they wanted to see the other carts, and stuff. No one else felt like going. They moved to the next compartment and sat down. They were alone.

"Are you ok?" Tezuka asked carefully.

"You were wrong" Alex said, and felt again that weight, pushing against her heart.

"About?"

"He doesn't like me" the dread made itself known, it had always been there, of thinking he never would like her back. "He likes someone else." The pain of knowing it would never be her. "And I'm sure it's not me." As all the feelings of pain and sadness increased, Alex felt tears roll down her face, and tremors wrack her body. It really wasn't a crush.