Kyandi: Alright! I'm back! I bet I made all of you frustrated with the last chapter.
Hikari: And the long wait for a new chapter.
Kyandi: It wasn't that long of a wait.
Hikari: But you did it on purpose.
Kyandi:…So I hope you all enjoy!
Hikari: See she didn't even deny that she made you all wait on purpose.
Kyandi: Can we move on?
Hikari: No.
Kyandi: Too bad! Please enjoy and review!
Hikari: Kyandi-sama does not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter 21 Truth of a Siren
Tezuka and Haruhi spent the rest of the morning searching for the girl but it was clear that she was long gone from Japan. It was also clear that none of her brothers, save Haruhi, even knew she was gone, which meant that none of them knew where she could have been.
Tezuka though had a good idea on who just might know where she had gone. And in his opinion it was worth the trip and the headache he was sure to get. He just hoped he could get the person to talk though Haruhi said it wouldn't be too hard.
"As long as you persist and don't break eye contact he's pretty each to break. I'm sure he knows. When I talked to him earlier he was too quick to avoid any talk of Hikari." Haruhi told Tezuka over the phone. "And if he doesn't tell me?" Tezuka asked.
"Just figure out if he knows anything. If he does then I can track her through him. Won't be too hard. He's not very good at covering his tracks. Not where sneaking around is concerned." Haruhi replied. Tezuka nodded before saying his farewells to Haruhi and hanging up.
He looked up at the gates before him. Beyond them rose the building of Hyotei Academy. There he would find Hikari's favorite cousin and number one best friend, Ohtori Chotarou. The only problem was getting the boy to tell him everything, if anything he knew about the girl's disappearance.
Tezuka, after stopping to ask a random student where the tennis club was, found Ohtori and his teammates gathered on one of their courts. When he started down the stairs to the court all eyes turned to him. Atobe smirked as he looked up at Tezuka.
"What brings you here, Tezuka? Problems with the missus?" Oshitari asked jokingly. Tezuka ignored that as he continued down the stairs. "I need to speak to Ohtori." Tezuka said. All eyes turned to Ohtori who instantly seemed nervous and jittery.
"What do you want with Chotarou!?" Shishido asked instantly defensive of his Doubles partner. Tezuka didn't say a word but just stared at Ohtori who fidgeted. "Its alright Shishido-san." Ohtori told him. "But Chotarou!" Ohtori gave the older boy a smile. Shishido looked at that younger boy before stepping aside. "If your sure." Shishido said.
Ohtori nodded before walking over to Tezuka. Tezuka stared him down for a moment, briefly meeting the younger boy's eyes before Ohtori looked away. "Where is she, Ohtori?" Tezuka asked. Ohtori fidgeted even more. "I-I don't know what your talking about." he replied.
Tezuka crossed his arms as he looked at the boy. "I know you know where she went." he said. "Who? Hikari?" Ohtori asked in fake innocence. "Did she leave?" he asked. It was painfully clear that he was trying and failing to fake innocence.
"I know you aren't telling me what you know. Higarashi tells you everything." Tezuka replied. Ohtori looked away from Tezuka and rubbed his neck. "Look all I know is she called me last night upset." Ohtori told him. "Something about a lying cheater? I don't know, it was really hard to understand her when she was crying." Ohtori added.
Tezuka looked at him in surprise. Hikari had been crying last night? Wait a second…lying cheater? What was that about. Did she think he had lied to her about something? Or cheated on her? He didn't think he had lied to her about anything and he was certain he hadn't done anything close to the latter.
"What else?" Tezuka asked. Ohtori knew something. He just didn't want to admit it. Ohtori jittered around doing everything but wring his hands together. "Well…I may have suggested she leave the cheater." he said.
Tezuka stared at Ohtori who instantly stumbled over himself to explain. "I was half asleep! She called me at like four this morning. I totally forgot she was living with you!" Ohtori told him quickly. "And I didn't think she'd honestly take it seriously." he added.
Tezuka's mind was going in every direction. So Hikari really had been angry with him. To top it off it was her cousin that suggested she just up and leave him. "Do you know where she could have gone?" Tezuka asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose to try to keep his cool.
Ohtori rubbed his neck. "Well….I can only think of three places she could have possibly gone to. But…" Ohtori cut off. Tezuka eyed him very closely. "But what, Ohtori?" he asked. Ohtori cleared his throat before he spoke.
"But none of them are even in Japan." he said. Tezuka heaved a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose harder. "Where?" he asked. "Um. Well there's her old house in Russia. Hisoka kept it after they moved here. There's her mother's old home in Greece as well. And lastly is the old apartment she and Haruhi lived in when they lived in England." Ohtori told him.
Tezuka got addresses before thanking Ohtori for his help. When he turned to leave though Ohtori stopped him. "I'm really sorry, Tezuka-san. I really didn't mean to put anything like that in her head. Really I didn't." Ohtori told him.
Tezuka could tell with one look at that the other boy really was truly sorry and honestly hadn't meant to cause any trouble. "I know." Tezuka told him. "Thank you for your help. I will find her and bring her home." Tezuka promised before leaving. Now he just had to call Haruhi and explain to him what he found out.
Hopefully the two together could find Hikari and get her back before her brothers noticed she was missing. When he called though Haruhi was busy and told him to meet him somewhere where they could talk. Tezuka agreed and set out to meet him.
-0-0-0-0-
When Haruhi showed up at the little café he had suggested to Tezuka, he was dragging Shunsuke behind him. The twenty year old man looked absolutely livid and was basically stomping towards the table where Tezuka sat.
When he reached the table he slammed his hands down on it as he glared at Tezuka. "Alright you bastard, what did you do to her!?" Shunsuke growled. "What did you do to make my sister leave!?" he added. Tezuka leaned to the side to look at Haruhi who gave him an apologetic look.
"Sorry Tezuka-san, but he over heard me making plans to book the company plane for our use. I had to tell him." Haruhi told him. Tezuka nodded. He understood. "Answer me, you four eyed bastard! What in the world did you do to her and who do you think you are trying to make my little brother keep it from me!?" Shunsuke growled.
Tezuka looked up at him as Haruhi rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what I did." Tezuka replied honestly. Shunsuke opened his mouth to retort but Haruhi cut him off. "He's telling you the truth Shu. He has no idea why Hikari was upset. Chotarou didn't even really know and you know how he and Hikari are." Haruhi told Shunsuke.
Shunsuke looked at his little brother before standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest. He dropped to sit in the chair across from Tezuka. "Tell me everything the two of you did yesterday." he demanded as Haruhi took a seat too.
Tezuka told him everything the two did, even telling him how they had run into Meza. At that Shunsuke stopped him. "Wait…who's Meza?" Shunsuke asked. Tezuka adjusted his glasses. "My ex-girlfriend." Tezuka replied.
The two brothers stared at Tezuka making the younger boy wonder what he had said to make them look at him like he was crazy. "What is it?" Tezuka asked the two. "You honestly don't see it?" Haruhi asked. Tezuka's eyebrows shot down in confusion. "Oh gods!" Shunsuke slapped a hand to his face before dropping his head to the table top.
Haruhi looked at his brother who was muttering baka under his breath over and over. Haruhi turned to look at Tezuka shaking his head at his brother's immaturity. "Allow me to explain." Haruhi told Tezuka. "Yes please do, because the bastard doesn't seem to realize the can of worms he's opened." Shunsuke snapped.
"Shunsuke! Stop being so rude. Hikari would be ashamed to hear you." Haruhi told his brother effectively silencing the older male. Haruhi turned to Tezuka again. "You see, Hikari…well she can be a very jealous person. She doesn't like competition where her love life is concerned." Haruhi told him.
"'Doesn't like' is an understatement. She hates it." Shunsuke said. Tezuka watched the two. "I think, when Hikari met Meza-chan and saw how comfortable the two of you were together, she got jealous. Felt like you didn't need or want her around. She can become very insecure like that." Haruhi told him.
Insecure? That didn't sound like Hikari. The Hikari Tezuka had known for six years was always confident. In fact she radiated confidence. Or maybe that was more of her Higarashi pride and demeanor and less actual confidence.
"The point is that it wasn't really your fault but more along the lines of her own feelings." Haruhi told him. Tezuka looked at him confused. Her own feelings? Shunsuke looked up at the confused look on Tezuka's face. "Oh gods! He doesn't get it!" Shunsuke growled.
"The baka! Doesn't see what's right in front of his face." Shunsuke added. "Now, now, Shu-nii, lets not be too harsh. He is still young." Haruhi told his brother with a smile. Shunsuke looked at his brother. "You're one to talk. You're only a year older then him, Haruhi." Shunsuke remarked but Haruhi ignored him. Instead Haruhi turned to Tezuka who was staring at the two brothers. "You honestly haven't figured it out yet? Even after all the times she's lost her temper with you?" Haruhi asked.
Tezuka frowned. Of course Hikari had lost her temper with him. She had lost her temper with him over countless things all during the six years they had known each other. So what? What was so different about that?
"He doesn't get it." Haruhi said with a sheepish smile on his face while Shunsuke face palmed himself. "Think Tezuka-kun. Hikari doesn't lose her temper with just anyone. If I'm correct your one of the few people she will really lose her temper around." Haruhi told him. "And the reason is…" Haruhi trailed off as if leaving Tezuka to finish the sentence.
Tezuka didn't have an answer. Was it because he really did annoy and frustrate her that much? Well she had told him once before that he frustrated her so much that she wanted to slap him. So that could be it but he had a feeling that that wasn't the case.
"ARGH!" Shunsuke yanked his sunglasses off his head and ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. "Just tell him Haruhi! So we can get on with this and find our baby sister!" Shunsuke snapped at his brother. "Really Shu-nii its not our pl-" Shunsuke cut Haruhi off and looked at Tezuka.
"Since you won't tell him, I will." Shunsuke said. "Listen up, you four eyed bastard, I don't know when and I don't know why for, but my little sister is in love with you." Shunsuke snapped. Haruhi let out a sigh as he rubbed his neck.
Tezuka couldn't help but stare at the two. Hikari….loved him? She honestly loved him? But…when? Haruhi looked at Tezuka who was staring at the two with a stunned look on his face. "Apparently Shu-nii couldn't let Hikari get around to telling you herself. Though Hikari can be very stubborn about these things. I doubt she'd even get around to saying it." Haruhi told him.
Tezuka looked at him. Though there was a smile on Haruhi's face his expression was perfectly serious. As was the angry sort of expression on Shunsuke's face. "The question now, Tezuka-kun, is whether you plan to do something about it or not." Haruhi said.
Tezuka had already decided he wasn't going to let her walk out of his life like that. No. It was more then that. He couldn't let her. He couldn't live without her there. Without being able to see her face, no matter the expression, and without being able to hear and touch her.
Tezuka adjusted his glasses. "We best get going if we want to bring her back before your brothers find out." he said getting to his feet. Haruhi smiled while Shunsuke snorted. "About time, baka." Shunsuke said getting to his feet.
Tezuka, when next he saw her, was going to Hikari how he felt. He was going to make sure she knew, without a doubt in the world, that he loved her more then anything else. Even more then tennis.
END
Kyandi: Hehe, it takes the sweet brother and the nosy brother to tell Tezuka how she feels.
Hikari: Yes because Shunsuke can't keep his nose out of other people's business.
Shunsuke: You're my baby sister. I don't have to mind my own business!
Kyandi & Hikari: Yes you do.
Shunsuke: Whatever. He knows now, so boo on you.
Kyandi: Immature as always.
Shunsuke: HEY!
Hikari: Please ignore my brother.
Kyandi: Yes do! For now enjoy and review and I'll have the next chapter up when I get some reviews!
Hikari & Kyandi: Bye!