A/N: hey guys! I'm just curious on how you respond to a very unusual pairing…the tallest + the shortest in all Pot characters. I'm pertaining to Ryoma and Choutarou. Heheheh…just curious. Oh yeah… Ryoma's an OOC here… well only with Choutarou. To add, Ryo and Chou will not play/sing in every single chapter. There will be chapters when he/they are just listening to the radio or singing in the karaoke. It's quite clumsy to have them play all the time. It's not very convenient.

Disclaimer: the usual…

P.S.: "" for dialogs, '' for thoughts, italics for flashbacks and italics are for the song lyrics. Oh! And () for text msgs and (()) for IM's. English conversations are in bold. And the scenes from the video tape will be in italics.

And once again, thanks to my loyal reviewers! I wouldn't be here without you! (sobs!).

IMPORTANT NOTE! : THIS CHAPTER IS NOT A SONG FIC. DUE TO WRITER'S BLOCK, THE AUTHOR DOESN'T HAVE A SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER! (kidding!) THE SONGS WILL RESUME NEXT CHAPTER.

AND YEAH…THERE WILL BE A SMALL ANGELIC LAYER CROSSOVER…NOTHING RELEVANT. AND YEAH, I DON'T OWN IT AS WELL.

PPS (or something): I'M NOT MYSELF FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS CHAPTER TURNED OUT. IF IT DIDN'T SATISFY YOU, GOMEN NASAI MINNA-SAN! I'LL TRY HARDER NEXT TIME.

potpotpotpotpotpotpotpot

Kirihara found a strange SMS the next morning.

new number: I'll meet up with you and Yuuta at Shoujou-houin General Hospital by 9

Kirihara's narrowed. 'Now who is this? There's no one aside from Ryoma, Yuuta and I—'he's mouth was left hanging when realization dawned on him.

'Baka Echizen, making me worry for the entire week!' he thought as he haphazardly put on his clothes.

potpotpot

"Are you sure it's safe to allow him to go outside?" Rinko asked her husband as they watched Nanako's car disappeared.

"Don't worry." Nanjiroh smiled at her. "Akaya-kun and Yuuta-kun will take very good care of him.

"Hmp!" Rinko elbowed him.

"Ouch!!! What was that for?" he called after his wife who was getting inside their house.

"That is for negligence of your son's welfare."

potpotpotpotpotpotpotpot

Yuuta was not surprised when he met up with Kirihara in the hospital's lobby.

"He's really unpredictable." Yuuta mumbled as they rushed into the cancer ward.

"Just so like Echizen…" Kirihara added. They came to the nurse's station. "Is Ryoma Echizen inside?"

"Oh not anymore." The nurse replied. "He left 10 minutes ago."

Yuuta groaned inwardly. "Do you know where he went?"

The nurse's face lightened up. "Oh yeah. I left when PT gym paged him. If I'm not mistaken, he's up there as of this moment."

"PT gym…what floor is that?" Kirihara asked.

"It's in the west wing, ground floor."

potpotpot

"Give me two more minutes of ball catching, Misaki…" golden orbs stared at the tired girl by the ABP (automated ball puncher). "After this, we're done for the day."

"Hai, Ryo-nii-sempai."

"ECHIZEN!!!!!!"

Ryoma turned around only to see his friends slumped by the door. "Did you run all the way from home just to get here?" he scoffed. "Wow, I feel so loved."

Kirihara glared at him and hit his head when the freshman was of an arm's reach. "Baka! Is that how you greet your senpai-tachi who has been worried about you for the entire week?!"

Yuuta mimicked what he did on the poor freshman. "Yeah…that's so insensitive of you."

"Itai…" Ryoma rubbed the sore part of his head.

"Uhh…sumimasen…" the girl whispered which got the attention of the boys. "Please don't hurt Ryo-nii-sempai."

Kirihara and Yuuta were shocked. They stared at Ryoma then to the girl.

"Oh how rude of me…" Ryoma slapped his forehead. "This is Misaki Suzuhara, Dr. I-chan's step daughter." The girl smiled at them. "I'm helping in her rehabilitation so don't think otherwise."

"Yoroshiku!"

"Yoroshiku!"

"Ano Ryo-nii-senpai, I'll be finishing up with the ABP." With this, the girl left them.

"Rehabilitation? Why?" Kirihara asked Ryoma.

"Remember the deal I stroke up with Dr. I-chan to get through with your Buchou's surgery?" Ryoma stared at them. "This is it."

"Why? What happened to her?" Yuuta frowned as he watched the girl struggle to catch the balls. 'She seems a bit slow…'

"She's predisposed to have multiple sclerosis like her mother." Ryoma frowned. "And since we still do not have any cure for the disease yet, we're doing preventive and palliative measures to help her to at least overcome the symptoms."

Kirihara sympathized with Yuuta. "But she doesn't seem sick when we saw her in RJ last Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" Ryoma look up to them questioningly.

Their faces sobered up when the memories of the past week dawned on them. "Oh yeah…Dr. I-chan's family went to RJ with us unfortunately being there."

"And Dr. I-chan already told everyone about your participation to help Yukimura-san's surgery." Yuuta finished for his friend.

"Oh crap…" Ryoma spat.

"Ne, Ryoma…"

"What is it?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the girl has slow reflexes…" Kirihara pointed out when Misaki struggled with her lateral steps.

"Wrong…"

"Then what is it?" Yuuta asked.

"She doesn't have muscle movement reflexes in her limbs at all."

potpotpotpotpotpotpotpot

They went to Ryoma's house after the session. Ryoma did this to show off his new and improved skills and to keep his senpais away from Misaki.

'Their obvious pity to the girl could damage the sanctity of the whole program.' Ryoma mused as they rested after the intense two-against-one game. And who else won? Of course it's Ryoma.

"I...never imagined…you'd improve that fast…" Yuuta panted as they slumped against the big sakura tree.

"Now…you're unbeatable…what kind of…a vacation…did you have?" Kirihara glared at him as he took in gulps of air.

Ryoma frowned. "I'm feeling glum today." He collapsed on the bench.

"Hey, tell us!" Yuuta shook him.

"Tell you what?" Ryoma asked.

"Tell us how you became this fast, this strong…" Kirihara grimaced. "…this good."

Ryoma studied the fierce look on his senpais' faces. Of course they're friends but this doesn't exclude the fact that they are still rivals.

"I'll tell you…" Ryoma pouted. "…in one condition."

"What is it?"

"My aunts said that I need indulgence to get over my depression…" Kirihara saw a flash of mischief in his eyes. "…I want triple Mt. Fuji sundae fudge right now."

potpotpotpotpotpotpotpot

Monday: most of the tennis players are already in their meeting place which is Hyotei Gakuen's parking lot. The coaches were in an immediate meeting so most of the kids are taking their time to wander around and probably enjoy their past time: gossiping.

"Oh that is just too bad." Kajimoto muttered when he heard the news of the Echizen-Ohtori break-up.

"Whatever could've happened?" Saeki added.

"Guys, I don't think it's nice to talk about other people's demise." Oishi said, who was not that far from the group.

"Maybe Echizen-kun cheated on Ohtori-kun or vise versa." Wakato muttered out loud just to rile up people, coz that's who he is. "Yeah…that could be it!!! How intriguing!" Tezuka, unable to control his emotions, came towards them with a deadly glint in his eyes.

"Would you just shut up?!" Tezuka gritted his teeth, not even caring if Fuji is just standing nearby.

"Mitsu, what's going on here?" Fuji asked worriedly.

Atobe who was standing not far away from the group joined as well. "Yeah Tezuka-kun…tell us what's going on." He sneered at the Seigaku's captain.

"It's too early to start up a fight Tezuka." Yukimura told him. "As you have said, this is not an appropriate behavior for a captain."

Tezuka's hands are shaking. 'This is all Ohtori's fault!' he caught glance of the boy and all went red. "Just stop talking about Ryoma!"

"What's going on here?" Sanada joined the crowd and soon the rest of the players gathered around them.

Tezuka was at a loss. Not only that he has lost all his reserve but no one is also there to cover up for him. The only this he could think of right now is…

"This is your entire fault Ohtori." The bespectacled captain turned to the tall Hyotei sophomore.

"And why is that Tezuka?" Shishido came to Ohtori's rescue, seeing that the sophomore was still shocked at the captain's outburst.

"Mitsu, could you please tell me what is going on?!" they could almost swear that they heard Fuji groan. The tensai's eyes are wide open now and it's creeping everyone one.

Silence reined for a few seconds when…

"I guess it is partly Ohtori-kun's fault." They turned to see who spoke and realized it was Hiyoshi.

Ohtori was aghast. "My fault? I don't remember hurting him in any possible way, Hiyoshi." The good-natured Ohtori was gone. "What in heaven's name made you say that?!"

Everyone's attention was centered on the alleged future Hyotei captain. A mixture of guilt and sadness was seen in his eyes.

"It happened during the Hyotei party." Hiyoshi started. "Even though he made me swear to never tell anyone, I just couldn't stay silent anymore. To tell you honestly, it is not entirely his fault. Other people can be counted in for what happened."

"Can you spit it out already?!" Tezuka cried.

Atobe's eyes narrowed as he stared down the sophomore. 'So it seems like Hiyoshi found out about the plan…hmmm….what to do?'

Ohtori stared at the boy anxiously. 'What could I've done?! I don't know! I don't remember anything!'

"Go on and be done with it." Sanada glared at the boy, his migraine is starting to build up due to the situation.

"Echizen saw what happened in the balcony."

"WHAT?!" Ohtori almost fainted. 'Oh god…oh god…how could I've ever forget?!'

Atobe chose the time to gently drift away from the crowd. The revelation will have a very, very bad outcome for him.

"What are you talking about?" Tezuka gazed menacingly at Ohtori.

Shishido was at a loss. 'I have to protect him. I need to protect him but I know, by doing something will aggravate the situation I got us in.' he scanned the crowd for Atobe but he was nowhere to be found. 'Damn you Atobe! This is not part of the plan!'

"That night, I know something was off starting from Atobe-buchou's strange behavior, to the call Echizen received and to your disappearance." Hiyoshi turned to face Ohtori. "I saw Shishido-senpai pulled you out of the ballroom so I followed you. I got hold of Echizen and I lead him to the balcony. He came just in time when Shishido-senpai confessed to you and kissed you."

His revelation caused mayhem among the group of kids.

"But I pushed him away after two seconds or so!!!" Ohtori cried, wanting to get his point across the enraged tennis players.

"But those few seconds decided the fate of your relationship." Hiyoshi told him.

"But I was in shock—"Ohtori replied but was cut off when a fist landed directly on his jaw, making him stagger backwards. Before he could even recover Tezuka already grabbed his shirt.

"TEZUKA!!!"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO HURT HIM!!!" Tezuka yelled as he shook the sophomore a bit. "YOU PROMISED NOT TO HURT HIM!!!" he was about to land another punch on the boy but Ohtori was able to evade and land a punch of his own on Tezuka's gut.

"How dare you talk to me like that after what you've done to him?!" Ohtori cried, murder shining in his eyes. This made everybody freeze on the spot, even Fuji who was restraining the bespectacled boy. "At least I can say that it wasn't my intention to cheat on him like what you did. For your information, I rejected Shishido-san's confession after the kiss. Unlike you…"

"Unlike you? What is he talking about Kunimitsu?" Fuji turned to his boyfriend, looking confused and frustrated.

Ohtori wipe away the blood the trickled down his lips. "Oh you don't know yet Fuji-san?" he glared at Tezuka. 'I don't care if everyone finds out. How dare you compare me to yourself!?' "You didn't know that before you and Tezuka got together he was with Ryoma?"

"What?!" it wasn't only Fuji who cried out. The tensai glanced at his boyfriend and felt his heart fell unto his gut when he saw the guilt on Tezuka's eyes.

"They broke up when Ryoma saw you and Tezuka making out in the clubroom the day Momoshiro rejoined your club." He felt a pang to guilt and pity when he saw the hurt and the betrayal took its toll on Fuji. He then turned to Tezuka who was equally perturbed about his revelation. "It was you who broke him so bad so you do not have any right to compare what happened to me and Ryoma to what you have done."

Tezuka was speechless. He looked at Fuji and felt like he was slapped ten times upon seeing the betrayed look on his boyfriend's eyes. He tried to reach out to him but the tensai jerked his hand away. He then turned back his attention to the Hyotei sophomore.

"Fine…I do not have an excuse for what had happened between us but let me tell you that you are nothing more than a copy…an imagery of Ryoma's true love." Tezuka could almost taste the bile in his words. "It is Carlos who owns him from the start. Do you really think that he loved you for who you really are? You are nothing but an epitome of the person whom he promised to love for the rest of his life!!"

The statement rocked not only Ohtori's world but also the rest of the tennis players.

"Carlos? You mean O'chibi's missing best friend?" Eiji dared to ask.

"You and I are just the same Ohtori." Tezuka wiped away one rebellious tear that trickled down his cheek. "We dared to love someone whom will never be completely ours." He then turned Yukimura. "Not even you. No one can completely own him."

Shishido hit rock bottom upon hearing Tezuka's last statement. "We dared to love someone whom will never be completely ours." He bit his lip as he watched the tears well up in Ohtori's beautiful hazel eyes. 'How could I've been so stupid?! If I did love him, I should've let him go! What have I done?'

Atobe chose that moment to reappear. "Hey plebeians, you better stop that. The meeting is done and the coaches are on their way." With this, the kids started to disperse.

"No." Ohtori muttered.

Tezuka's head snapped up. "What did you say?"

"I said no. we're not the same." Determination flashed in his eyes. "I'm not you. My love for him is not as shallow as yours. Who cares if someone had him before I did? That someone is gone now. It's Carlos's fault that he let go of Ryoma. Unlike you, I have great faith in my love for him." and with this he walked away. The kids gaped at him as he walked on, admiring him for what he has done.

His last statement made Atobe feel like crap of course. Not only that his plan failed but Ohtori's last words felt like daggers in his heart.

"What's going on here?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked as soon as they reached the buses.

"Nothing." The kids replied.

"Hey look!!! Echizen just arrived with Kirihara and Yuuta Fuji!!!!" Momo cried and pretty soon the trio emerged.

"Echizen!!!!" a lot of people tried to get to him immediately but it was Ryuzaki-sensei who got to the poor kid first.

"Are you alright now?" concern oozed out of every word she said.

"Am fine abuella." Ryoma replied, getting annoyed. "No reason to fuss on me now."

Kirihara and Yuuta just shook their head and took Ryoma's luggage to store it away. As they tore away from the crowd, they saw Tezuka, Fuji and Ohtori still rooted on the spot.

"You better stay away from him for now." Kirihara eyed them menacingly.

potpotpot

No matter how Ohtori wanted to be with Ryoma, he couldn't do anything since Yuuta and Kirihara are guarding over him like hawks. 'You don't know how much I want to grab you and keep you close to me…to never let you go once I've had my arms around you.'

"Nya O'chibi what happened to all the baby fat?!?!?!" Eiji wailed as he pinched Ryoma's cheeks.

"Itai!!!" Ryoma cried out.

"Kikumaru-senpai, please stop that." Yuuta told the acrobat off.

Ryoma shook his head and caught glance of Ohtori who was seated beside Yukimura. His eyes narrowed when he saw the bruise that's forming on his ex-boyfriend's jaw. 'Now what could have happened? Did he get into a fight?' his eyes scanned the bus and saw Fuji and Tezuka apart for the first time. The tensai was seated by the window beside Kawamura while Tezuka was seated up front with the coaches. He could see the tensai's shoulders shook as if he's crying. 'I don't understand what's going on.'

potpot

"Surely Echizen looked like he lost a lot of weight." Yanagi studied the freshman. "And he looks tired." He muttered to Sanada.

"Maybe it's post-break up depression." Sanada replied. "It looks like he took the break up badly."

"I really don't think buchou should join this mess." Yagyuu muttered. "There's too much controversy surrounding that boy." He gestured to Ryoma.

"But I think that is the main reason why buchou is attracted to him." Jackal said.

"But it's wrong!" Marui whispered in outrage. "Echizen's for Ohtori and vice versa."

"If what Tezuka had said earlier is true, then that is not the case Marui." Niou told him.

Sanada just shook his head. 'Echizen Ryoma…why do you have to be so mysterious?'

potpot

Yukimura glanced at the boy beside him. He chose to sit with his rival because his consciousness was slapped into full wakefulness when he proved just how much Ohtori loves Ryoma.

"I'm impressed by what you said earlier." Yukimura muttered.

Ohtori broke away form his trance as he blinked a coupled of times, trying to understand the Rikkai buchou.

"You're feelings for him are profound…" Yukimura smiled at him. "…but the situation doesn't merit you advantage for that." This made the boy frown. "I like Echizen and I'm willing and interested in exploring the possibilities of us being together…"

"Ano…Yukimura-san…"

"…but rest assured that I won't resolve to dirty tricks like what Atobe did. I have no intention of backing out either, Ohtori-kun." Yukimura's face sobered up. "All is fair in love and in war."

It took a couple of seconds before Ohtori could react. "I perfectly know that Yukimura-san but please be warned…" determination flashed in his eyes. "I'm not giving him up so easily."

potpot

Atobe was caught in a world of his own. He kept on replaying Ohtori's words in his head. 'Hmmm…maybe I overdid it a little.' He mused as he glanced at Ryoma. 'I don't understand what I'm feeling for you anymore. You made me cause so much trouble. '

'I think it's time that I let go of these feelings that I have for you, Choutarou. In my hopes to love you and make you happy, I ended up hurting you in the end.' Shishido wiped away the solitary tear that escaped his eyes. 'I think now's the time to right the wrong.'

potpot

"Why such gloomy faces, young ones?" Banji turned to the tennis players. " hmmm…it seems like you've been experiencing tough times….hmmmm" he scanned their melancholic faces then smiled when he saw Ryoma. "Ne, Echizen-kun…"

Ryoma looked up only to see Banji's smiling face. "Nandayo Banji-sensei?"

"Do you know the nine hardest times of one's life?"

Everybody looked intently at the freshman. "Yes I do."

"Can you share it to everyone?"

"Fine." Ryoma sighed. "One is, being questioned when you yourself don't understand."

"Correct." Banji smiled. "Listen carefully boys. Next?"

"Pretending to be innocent of what you know about."

"Hey…yeah. That one is true." They heard Momo commented.

"Next?"

"Trying to forget something you know you never will." Ryoma bit his lips as an image of Carlos flashed in his mind.

"Next?"

"Admitting you were wrong after you've been so insisted that you were right."

Shishido and Atobe bit their lip in guilt as the words suck in.

"Ok…next?"

"Debating with yourself." Ryoma felt another tug in his heart. 'Guilty.'

"Yeah…that one is hard to do especially when you're deciding to forgo an amazing prank or not." Niou added, making some of the students chuckle.

"Next?"

"Trying to understand when you just can't."

Ohtori nodded involuntarily.

"Good…then?"

Ryoma suck in some air. "Realizing that you have been tricked after you've given your whole trust." With this, more tears spilled form Fuji's eyes as he cried silently. Tezuka looked at his soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend, guilt almost eating him up.

"And last but not the least…?" Banji smiled at him.

"Ano…' Ryoma trailed off as he caught Ohtori's eyes. "…parting and letting go of someone you have loved all your life."

Silence filled the bus.

"And your point old man?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked upon seeing the depressed faces of the kids.

"The point is, despite those harsh times, you must go back to the basics…enjoy the simple things in life until you're strong enough to face the tough world." Banji smiled at them. "First, be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference. Next, when playing games with children, let them win."

Ryuzaki-smiled. "When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go." She stood up and stood beside the Yamabuki coach. "Then wave at children on a school bus."

"Keep a notepad and pencil on you bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 am." Hanamura-sensei added. "And look at people in the eye."

"Then compliment the mean when you're a guest in someone's house." Banji settled his gaze on O'chibi. "And most of all, believe that life is fair even if it's hard. You're kids after all. You shouldn't go and start making things complicated for yourselves. That's what adults do." with this, he sat back down.

Ryoma smiled sadly. 'yeah right…as if I had the power to go back in time and make things less complicated than it is…' he stole one last glance on Ohtori before settling between his friend. 'I love you Chou-chou. That's the only simple thing left in me.'

potpotpotpotpotpotpotpot

A/N: finally...! I had a lot of trouble doing this chapter. I can't even decide if this is going to be a song fic or not….whew!!!! Anyway…more angst and confrontations in the next chapters….

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND MAKE ME HAPPY!!!!!!!

And hell yah, Atobe's feeling guilty right now.