"Clack, clack, clack"

Summary: A very short drabble about the sound of geta- how it reminds Shiraishi of Ashita.

Author's Note: This idea is really random and I think this is another of the stories in chapters that is probably better being labelled as a drabble instead of a one shot.

Completed: May 7-8

The figurine of the princess with her very long hair would start to twirl whenever someone wind the key on the platform she stood on, and at the same time a tune would be played out in the very distinguish tone that was only made by a musical box.

It was a very suitable birthday gift to a young girl from her boyfriend, especially when she always wanted such a trinket. The trouble was that it could no longer be given to her, as he no longer had that title.

Shiraishi sighed as he carefully put it back into the semi-elaborate box that came with it, but this did not conceal the music completely. It was now very soft and faint, but nonetheless it was still there.

"Hey!"

"Oh, Chitose." Shiraishi greeted his team mate in a very friendly fashion, no longer adding a "Kun" at the end of the other's last name. "When did you get here?"

"Just then."

Chitose had to question his decision because it was quite hard to ask someone why they disliked you when it seemed that they did not.

He was never the type of guy who would lose his sleep over someone not liking him, but he would still like to get this sorted out. Unlike his classes, he actually planned to go to the tennis club at a very regular basis.

It was not as if his new buchou has been deliberately rude but he has the impression that Shiraishi was not exactly happy to see him due to the way the other reacted whenever he saw him. Although this was improving.

"Well, I need to talk to you." He began.

"Is this something to do with Zaizen?" Shiraishi immediately, referring to Zaizen's comment after Chitose had a match with Shiraishi the other day. "He is just like that with everyone. It is not just you."

"He does need to change his attitude but no, it is not that. Well…it is you."

"I am really sorry." Shiraishi said simply after the explanation. "It is not you, Chitose, it is that."

"That?" Following the direction that Shiraishi pointed at, Chitose found himself starting at the geta that he almost always wore instead of normal sneakers.

"My ex-girlfriend wears geta whenever she is not in her uniform or her training outfit." Shiraishi began, his voice quite sad. "So whenever I hear the sound of geta it used to be her coming to find me, or meeting up with me."

Chitose then understood the reason of Shiraishi's behaviour: the other was not happy to see him because he was hoping to see someone else, and his presence meant Shiraishi's disappointment.

"Our break up was not a good one at all." Shiraishi continued, "So it is highly unlikely that she would come to talk to me, but I must still hope for the opposite as I continue to associate the sound of geta with her."

"I think you are getting better though." Chitose commented out as he watched Shiraishi standing up and putting the box into the furthest corner of his locker.

"Because I am starting to understand what my actions result in. Soon I won't even need to turn around to proof to myself that it will not be her."

"Is that meant to be for her?"

"Yes, I brought it before the start of this school year. It is her birthday today and I thought that I would still give this to her. I planned to shove this in her hand before running all the way to the tennis club but I lost all my resolution when I discovered that she is absent."

"So you aren't giving it to her then?"

"It's all in the past." This was followed by a loud slam of the locker's door. "I'll get over it soon."

Breaking up turned out to be much harder then what he had initially thought. He knew that she would be very upset and he did prepare himself for that, but he was not ready for the fact that she would only talk to him when she had to.

Even though this shouldn't be surprising, it still hurt.

He desired to come to terms with the present by accepting the past, but he felt that Ashita decided to reject the past completely due to the way her present crumbled.

That was why he was afraid of handing this gift to her.

Technically, this present was something from the past as he brought it when they were still together, but giving it to her now suggests that they were not only bound by the past. If she accepted, then it would mean something.

"I am not ready yet." He muttered to himself when he watched Chitose leave, hearing that familiar sound again.

Author's Note: I can't remember how exactly I got this idea, it just suddenly came. Well, Chitose wears geta and in my story Ashita does too (since she wears a yukata all the time) so I just got the idea for this story.

Truth be told, I am not sure how much I actually trusts 40.5 (I mean, Konomo-sensei is the sort of person to say "Feel free to add that Ishida Tetsu has an older brother in 10.5 since I didn't mention him." And considering Shitenhouji's training…them winning the kansai regional and being in the semi final twice in a row has got to be the biggest miracle, especially when it happened more then once.)

To an extent I have been disregarding 40.5 stuff, in my story Shiraishi's an only child but he actually (according to 40.5) has an elder and younger sister. Of course, Kenya being the fukubuchou...

On the other hand I do use stuff from 40.5, the whole thing about a girl whose hair smell like shampoo, and this is another case- apparently Chitose's rate of attendance of class is very very low.