If anyone is still reading this, here's Chapter 25 of Battle of the Tensais.
Update: Sorry! I haven't written in soooo long that I accidentally changed the format in this chapter. In case anyone is wondering, the words enclosed like // this // indicate character thoughts. I'll fix it up the next time I find time!
Chapter 25
A Taste of Failure
--
Sitting under the old maple tree on her grandfather's backyard, the little girl enviously watched the neighbourhood kids play tag from afar. Sighing, she shifted her gaze to the clay court ahead. It was currently occupied by a raven-haired man, a small boy around her age, and a hundred or so scattered balls. Crossing her legs in an Indian sit, she rested her elbow on her lap before perching her head on her hand, letting out another bored sigh as she resumed to watching her Oji-san hit more tennis balls to the little boy.
"That's it. Try to put a little skip in your step before charging for the ball." The raven-haired man instructed before demonstrating the split-step himself.
The little boy nodded before accurately mirroring the older man.
"Very nice." The little girl's grandfather complimented before continuing to hit tennis balls to each side of the court. "That way, it's easier for you to change directions."
Bored, the little girl stood and grabbed the tennis ball and racquet that rested on the grass. She walked a few steps to the paved footpath before dribbling the ball on the cement ground with her racquet. She only took her eyes away from the bouncing ball when a loud ringing from a distance called her attention.
"Ah! There's a phone call." The old man said, refraining from hitting anymore tennis balls to the other side. "Let's take a break shall we?"
"Reiko, don't wander off too far. It'll be your turn soon." The old man said before fully disappearing inside the house. The little girl merely nodded, too engrossed in bouncing the bright yellow ball with her racquet.
"Ne, ne… Why aren't you playing with the other kids?"
Startled, the bouncing ball hit the frame of the girl's racquet, causing it to bounce off to another direction. Following the ball's path, she found it stop by a shoe before being picked up by a small hand. Shyly, she kept her gaze low, watching the stranger's feet as they drew closer. Seeing the outstretched hand in front of her, the little girl slowly looked up, facing the vibrantly smiling boy who eyed her with curious expectation.
"The other kids don't like me…"
"Why?" The boy continued to prod, letting the little girl take the ball from his possession.
"They say I look scary (1)." She answered.
"Scary?" The boy repeated, putting a hand under his chin as he seemed deep in thought. "Ne, I think you heard them wrong. I think you're cute (2)." He told her. Despite his innocent years, there was an unusual certainty accompanying his statement warranting childlike genuineness.
Thinking she had misheard, the little raven asked. "Cute?"
"Hai! Like a panda!"
"Panda? Nani?"
"Eh? Don't you know what a panda is?" The boy asked disbelievingly. Embarrassed, the little girl looked down on her toes and fiddled with her fingers.
"Eto…" The boy put a hand under his chin, again deep in thought. Snapping his fingers at an idea, he said "A panda is a bear, but the colour is black and white. Like your skin and your hair."
The boy now tapped on his chin as he thought of more ways to explain. He then pointed to the little girl's face, his finger mere inches away from her eyes.
"They have dark circles under their eyes, like you."
Being naturally pale in colour, the bluish tint of the veins under the little girl's skin seemed more visible when compared to most, giving her a sickly, almost ghostly image.
The boy grabbed the girl's arm and raised it until it was high as his shoulder. "And they're fat." He said, pointing to the arm he was holding.
"It's not nice to call people fat." Offended, the little girl withdrew her hand.
The little boy let out a chuckle. "Gomen, gomen." He apologized in between fits.
"I like pandas." The boy said, putting his hands behind his back as he watched the girl resume her dribbling the ball with the racquet.
"Your name is Reiko, ne?"
The little girl nodded.
"Saa… Would you like to play, Reiko-chin?"
Little Reiko abruptly stopped her dribbling. So many times she'd wished for someone to ask her that very question, that, now someone has, she could only point to herself with a puzzled look strewn all over her pallid face and confirm. "Me?"
"Who else?"
The young raven put the ball and racquet down immediately, an overwhelming joy quenching the long drought of loneliness.
Finding a smile, she asked. "What do you want to play?"
--
"Anou... Ji-chan said not to go too far..." A shy voice mumbled.
"Saa... We're almost there. It isn't far at all." A boyish voice reassured.
The boy with honey brown hair and the pale, raven-haired girl turned round another corner in their game of adventure. Now and again, the little girl would look behind her to see if her grandfather's house was still in view. Finding her surroundings unfamiliar, the little girl abruptly came to a stop.
"I can't see ji-chan's house anymore..." The little girl said, shoulders quivering, voice trembling.
The little boy abruptly stopped in his tracks, brows furrowing as he turned to around to find his companion in tears.
Curious, he asked "Why are you crying?"
"We're lost." The little girl answered, allowing the tears from her misty amber eyes to finally fall.
The fair-haired boy smiled. He took a towel from his backpack and offered it to the girl. "Ne, don't cry anymore." He coaxed but to no avail. He squatted down to level himself with his playmate and with his free hand, patted the little girl's head.
Unaccustomed to the gesture, the younger Reiko looked up in surprise, only to find herself even more stunned by the most striking pair of eyes she'd ever seen. Azure eyes so intense yet gentle brought the calm to her troubled heart. With the towel he wiped away her tears, with his smile he purged her worries.
An outstretched hand
"Saa... Let's go, Reiko-chin."
Hesitation
"Don't worry. I'll take you home. I'll protect you. I promise."
Confusion
"Why?"
"Because silly," As the smile on the boy's face grew, so did its genuineness. "You're my tomodachi."
The corners of the little girl's lips tugged upwards upon sight of the boy's contagious smile. Gladly, she took his hand, placing her trust in his in exchange for what he offered.
Friendship
The two children retraced their steps to the tennis coach's house hand in hand in comfortable silence. Entering the opened backyard fence, they decided to play another game whilst waiting for the girl's grandfather to finish with his phone call. They were about to play a game of hide and seek when the smooth humming of a car engine caught the boy's attention. Seeing a familiar vehicle park by the driveway, the little boy quickly ran to gather his bag and his racquet.
"Gomen ne, Reiko-chin. I have to go now. My otou-san is taking me to his office today and he doesn't like waiting." He bade her before rushing towards the parked car.
"Anou..." The little girl mumbled coyly.
The boy turned his back around to face the girl once more. "We'll play again next time, ne?" He asked.
The young raven could only nod her head silently. Watching her new acquaintance drift further and further away, she suddenly remembered a thought that sent her small legs running after him.
"Wait!" She called. In her haste, the raven-haired girl didn't notice that her shoelace had come undone. She plummeted to the ground with a loud thud.
The little boy stopped in his tracks. Turning around he found his playmate lying flat on the concrete pavement. He quickly ran up to her, put his bag down and rummaged through his items.
"Here." He said, presenting a band-aid.
The girl sat up and took his what he offered wordlessly. Instead of tears, the girl asked "Anou... We're friends ne?" She kept her head low as she put the plaster strip on her grazed knee.
The little boy smiled. "Of course!" He bent down to level himself with her, offering her his hand once again.
"Then is it okay if I ask you your name?" She asked meekly. Once more she took his hand, though this time there seemed to be something different, the hand she took seemed larger, stronger.
"Sure. But you have to promise never to forget." A different voice said.
Confused, the little girl nodded before finally looking up. She was surprised to find a familiar face staring gently at her with his effervescent smile.
"Syuusuke."
--
"Syuusuke?"
With a sudden jolt from the revelation, Reiko snapped her eyes wide open. Finally, she was awake.
Sitting upright, she shook her head a few times before her eyes focused on the bedroom window, the vividness of her dream leaving her partly disoriented with reality.
She buried her face in her palm as she mentally put the puzzle pieces together. What first started as Inui's mere speculation grew into something more plausible. And now, remembering her dream, there was almost a certainty.
She remembered her first day in Seigaku; the untraceable feeling of familiarity after having bumped into him. Their trip to Yasukuni; the first time she'd seen his real smile—a trigger to memories that have since been haunting her sleep. She remembered when everything began feeling right; the day she'd acknowledged him as a friend, rather than her nemesis.
How could she have forgotten her first friend? The one who pulled her out of her shell, the one whose strength gave her confidence, the one whose passion inspired her to find what she loved.
Everything made perfect sense now, and yet slowly she began to feel frustration.
// Does he still remember me? //
// How could I forget? //
She was distracted from the various thoughts when she heard a creak from outside her bedroom. A flurry of images flooded her mind and her hand instinctively reached for her forehead, an unusual warmth suddenly enveloping her. Without consent, her legs moved on their own, running her down the flight of stairs and charging outside the front door.
She could feel the blood rush to her head, hear the erratic beating of her heart in her ears. For a moment, it felt like her mind had lost control over her body as she saw him with his back turned and walking away from her. Again.
She couldn't will herself to do anything else except-
"WAIT!"
It was as though her voice had a mysterious command over his senses. Fuji stopped in his tracks, torn between opposing desires. When finally he decided to take another step forward, a tug on his shirt kept him in place.
He turned around and was surprised to see her clutching the bottom of his shirt. Her piercing amber eyes stared intently at his face, at the beginning uncertain but grew more confident by the second, as though each line on his face was a piece of evidence to her private investigation.
"It's you, isn't it? I remember now," her eyes never left his face.
Fuji opened his mouth, but then found that his words would not come out. All hope of being able to pull away was lost now that she remembered.
"That's what all this is about, isn't it? Why you've been acting weird. You knew, didn't you?" Amber sought cerulean for answers.
He'd allowed her to come too close, let his mask slip. And now it grew useless, he could no longer hide behind it. He took a deep breath, preparing himself. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked through gritted teeth, annoyed.
"Did I have to?" It was his turn to go on the offensive. "I was just a random kid. Why does it matter so much?"
"How dare you?" Her shoulders shook in anger now, outraged by his statement. "How dare you belittle something I treasure dearly? You're more than that!" She didn't bother keeping her voice even anymore.
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way," He told her calmly, coldly. He stared into her questioning eyes, a final memory before he allowed his heart to turn cold "Because we can't be friends."
Reiko felt her mouth drop, stunned. Earlier she felt an unexplainable contentment in learning that it was indeed he who was the childhood friend she'd been trying to find all this time. Perhaps it was because the once void in her heart had now been filled. They'd been getting along well recently, and so she did not expect the new-found satisfaction to be so short-lived.
"Why?" She muttered.
To keep silent was all he could do so his mask could stay intact. Anything more would have broken him completely.
"Look, if you're offended that I didn't remember sooner then I'm sorry," she said. "I'll make it up to you, whatever you want." Her voice was almost pleading now.
"That's not it."
She looked at him, confused. "Then what is it? Whatever it is, I'm sure we could work it out. Right?"
He closed his eyes and sighed once more. He was tired. "I don't want to."
His sharp stare pierced right through her heart. "What?" was all she managed to say.
"I don't want to be your friend, Hasegawa. I'm sorry."
He turned around, carting his legs toward his house. He'd thought he'd feel much better after everything was over and done with. He never expected the pain to be heavier than any burden already on his shoulders. Now there was a burden on his heart.
The way he'd looked at her, the way he'd meant every word, she could only watch, numb and paralysed as he walked away from her.
--
Mr. Hasegawa discreetly watched with concern as his daughter popped her spoon—which had just failed to scoop the single, soggy piece of cereal left in her bowl—inside her mouth mechanically. When he saw his daughter chew despite having nothing in her mouth, the middle-aged man finally put his newspaper down and cleared his throat.
"Reiko, are you feeling alright?"
The raven-haired girl gulped the milk down slowly before absentmindedly looking across the table. "Yeah. Why?" She answered half-heartedly.
"Really now?" Mr. Hasegawa said skeptically, raising a brow in disbelief.
Reiko shrugged her shoulders as she mentally fished for an excuse. "Just nervous. I don't know." She said before picking her bowl up and dumping it on the sink.
"Nervous?" The middle-aged man reiterated. Brushing his suspicion off, he accepted his daughter's excuse and went back to his breakfast.
Heading straight to the living room, Reiko slung her racquet bag on her shoulders. In a daze, she unlocked the front door and made her exit.
--
"Mou, what's wrong with everyone today?" Chiharu griped, tensing upon the grim aura surrounding their entire tennis team. "Oishi's not here yet and apparently so is Rei." She continued, eyeing the said girl who was presently caught up in her own bubble.
At least she wasn't too far in a daze. Upon hearing her name, the raven perked her head up in response. "Huh?" She said, dumbfounded.
Chiharu almost slapped herself in frustration. "Nothing. How about you go back to 'Reiko Land' and I'll call you when your match is on?" She said sourly.
Remembering the events of the previous night, Ayumi quickly understood what it was that bothered her raven-haired friend. She let out a breath before stepping in. "Alright, that's enough Chiharu. I'm sure the team doesn't need any more negativity. Why don't you wait for Oishi by the gates?" She suggested, ushering her friend towards the direction of the entrance.
Meanwhile, careful eyes remained fixed on the perplexed figure sitting on the bench. Taking notice of her body language; chin resting heavily on the palm of her hand, eyes focused intently into space and feet restlessly tapping on the floor, concern settled on Tezuka's usually placid face. Finally he made his way to the distressed maiden and clearing his throat he called on her attention before finally taking the vacant seat next to her.
"Hasegawa." His baritone voice began. He need not say anymore as he his eyes did most of the talking.
Slowly, Reiko looked up, only to have her defences crushed by the weight of Tezuka's stare. Not being able to withstand, she quickly lowered her gaze to her feet, keeping silent as she contemplated what to say.
Usually patient, the tennis captain felt unusually irked by the silence. He pushed the bridge of his glasses up, closed his eyes, before speaking. "What's—"
"Attention. To all teams who have not yet registered, please proceed to the registration desk and do so now. Again, to all teams who have not submitted their registration forms, please proceed to the registration desk and do so now. Matches will begin in twenty minutes. Thank you."
Interrupted, Tezuka looked up to find his teammates' attentions focused on him. He knew very well there was a problem he needed to resolve. Subtly he let out a sigh, being the captain was what he had to be right now, being Tezuka Kunimitsu would have to come later.
"Later after the games," he began, rising from his seat. "We'll talk. Please come find me."
"A-ah" she stammered. Reiko could very well guess what the stoic lad wanted to discuss with her, and a wave of panic swept her internally. She could hear her blood pounding in her head as she dreaded what was to come.
"Reiko," Ayumi interrupted, taking the said girl back to reality. "We have to get to the court now." She reminded, inclining her head to the direction of the girls' tennis courts. The raven sighed heavily, picked up her bag and followed her friend to the said venue.
Meanwhile, vigilant sapphire eyes kept watch until the raven had faded into the distance.
"Fuji?" Kawamura called, eyes curious as he stared at his rooted teammate. The said boy merely smiled before proceeding to head to where the rest of his teammates were, leaving the power player even more confounded.
--Later that day--
Spinning tremendously over the net, the ball then curved up and out of sight before landing just on the baseline and bouncing perfectly into Fuji's hand. All were still and silent, awestruck as they gaped at the brown haired boy, who seemed more like a magician on the court after having executed feats no one could even begin to imagine.
"I see, Hakugei." The data collector declared.
"Inui, you know of this?" A nearly bowled over Oishi asked.
"Nope, I just thought it was a cool name." Inui replied before jotting it down on his trusty green notebook.
After the initial shock, the Seigaku bench quickly jumped on their feet, elated with the nearing victory their ever-so-reliable Fuji-senpai was to bring.
"Echizen. Get your racquet."
Surprised at the unusual command at first, Echizen soon cracked a knowing grin as he understood what it was his captain sought from him. An enthusiastic "Hai" then followed before the freshman obediently got his tennis racquet and followed in tow.
"Game and match. Seigaku six games to one."
Amidst everyone's celebration, one person was able to trace the tensai's dissatisfaction.
--
Walking over to the bench, Kaita Keiko bowed her head in gratitude, willingly taking congratulatory pats on the back from her teammates. While clapping, Ayumi approached her raven-haired teammate who seemed to be in a daze while she too applauded the gentle giant for her win.
"Alright Reiko, the last match is up to you now." Ayumi said, pulling Reiko out of her tranced state. "Give us a good finale okay?" The rest of the Varsity members eyed their 'trump card' expectantly.
Her lips formed half a smile before giving them a firm nod. Gripping her racquet tightly, Reiko walked into court with her heart racing. This was it, her first official tennis match. Ironically, this match had to also decide the fate of their team, if they would proceed to the next round or not.
// Alright Rei, concentrate. This is the real thing now. // She told herself, urging her brain to think only of tennis and nothing else. Yet the more she sought to forget, the more she remembered.
"Heads or tails?" The umpire asked, interrupting her mental monologue.
"Tails." A high-pitched, nasal voice said. Only then did Reiko get a good look at her opponent. On the other side of the net stood a scrawny-looking girl with pasty skin and pig tails. She towered over her by a head and the yellow Rikkaidai uniform she wore looked a few sizes too big. For a moment, the raven was dumbfounded.
She whisked her head whilst inwardly reprimanding herself. // What does Rexy-sensei always tell you? Never underestimate the opponent. //
"Tails." The umpire announced after inspecting the coin she had tossed a few moments ago. Handing a couple of balls to the smaller player, the umpire proceeded to her bench to start the match. "This is a one-set match, Rikkaidai Fuzouku to serve. Love all, play."
Reiko watched as her opponent clumsily dribbled the bright yellow tennis ball behind her service line. As soon as her opponent's bony arm tossed the ball in the air, the raven bent her knees slightly and kept on her toes, anticipating the serve.
"Eh?" A large bead of sweat trickled down the back of her head as soon as she saw the ball float high up in the air and land a few feet before the net.
"Fault! Love all!"
Ayumi, Chiharu and Kaita could only react the same way. Across to the opponents' side, the Rikkaidai bench all seemed to have turned pale.
"Damn it. We should've prepared for a tie-break." A girl clad in yellow cursed under her breath.
On the court, Reiko heaved a sigh of relief. // At least God is cutting me some slack! //
--
As they both headed back to the match court, Tezuka suddenly came to a stop, causing the freshman tennis ace to wonder. Seeing his captain's distant gaze, he followed it curiously before landing right on target.
A smug smirk suddenly formed on Echizen's usually impassive face. "Hm? Someone catch your eye, buchou?" He asked haughtily.
Unfazed, Tezuka pushed his glasses up by the bridge and resumed walking despite a part of him that did not want to.
"Did you analyse Fuji's match well?" He asked, as though he was the least bit interested.
"Of course." Echizen replied confidently. A memory suddenly tugged on the corners of the young boy's mind, causing his expression to change. "Usually you two are a little hard to read. Since you and Fuji-senpai hardly ever reveal your true skills," he trailed.
Tezuka waited for him to finish patiently, although he already knew where the freshman was getting at.
"And yet, Fuji-senpai pulled the big guns out at the start of the match."
Tezuka was perhaps the only other person to somehow understand what went on inside the tensai's head. "Mada mada, huh?" He murmured, loud enough for the rookie to hear.
Realizing his captain's unwillingness to share what he knew, Echizen shrugged before shoving his hands in his pocket. "For you it's more like Yudan Sezu ni Ikou right?" The freshman teased.
--
"Aniki"
Hearing the familiar voice, Fuji looked to the bleachers and found his brother among the crowd, concern strewn all over his face, rarely the expression that occupied it.
"Yuta?" He called inquisitively, one brow arched as he questioned the look his brother was giving him.
"I should be the one to make that face" was the younger one's reply. Pointing his index towards a secluded shed, Yuta motioned his brother to follow.
Reaching the place he'd spotted, the dark-haired boy crossed his arms before eyeing his brother sternly. "So aniki, what's going on?"
The question took the tennis prodigy by surprise for a moment, before the comprehending smile appeared on his face.
"Saa, I guess no one knows one better than their family, right?"
--
The rest of the Varsity's mouths hung wide open as they watched the remainder of the game in shock. Everything had been going smoothly. Reiko was but one game away from bringing the team victory and yet the sudden turn of events left everyone perplexed. It was not that their opponent started playing well, it was quite the contrary, Reiko's game had suddenly dropped the ante, big time. What was she trying to do? Was she trying to be nice and wanted to spare her opponent one game? No, her teammates were sure Reiko knew that losing a game on purpose would be insulting rather than generous. So why was she missing every single shot?
Reiko watched as the ball soared high over the net once again, another give away. Getting into position, Reiko raised her tennis racquet overhead, arcing her back slightly as she got ready to smash.
// No! Not again! // She exclaimed mentally. She instantly knew she'd executed the shot wrong straight after her racquet had made contact with the ball.
Everyone in the Seigaku bench cringed as they watched the ball fly way over the fence and almost knock a passer-by out.
"Game, Rikkaidai. One game to five."
"Jeez! What's wrong with Reiko? Her timing is all wrong it's like she's a beginner all over again!" Chiharu whined while her teammates could only shrug, also thinking the same thing.
"Well, it's her service game now. Hopefully she'll end it here." Kaita's deep voice prayed.
// Oh please, not now. // Reiko pleaded as she dribbled the ball behind the service line. // Just one more match. //
Catching the ball in her hand, she tossed it high up in the air. With her legs she propelled herself to catch the ball at its highest point, focusing all her power into her racquet arm. The moment she made contact with the ball, again she knew something was off.
Once more, the ball flew high above the fence. People had already stopped passing by from all the balls that threatened to hit them.
"Fault! Love all!" The umpire declared, inwardly horrified by the level of performance the two players on her court were displaying.
// No good, smashes and overhead shots don't come naturally. I have to feel my way through the end of this match. // She thought, thinking of another way to get her serves in. // The only way I'd get anything in is if I hit them underhand, but that would make it a giveaway. // She could feel the frustration building up inside her as she desperately sought for a way out of her pinch.
She shut her eyes tightly as she tried to bottle the frustration. // Why did everything have to happen now? // She griped inwardly, thinking of all the things that crashed down on her simultaneously. Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she found an answer in the midst of her misery.
// That's it! // She rejoiced inwardly before catching the ball in her hand. She pulled her racquet arm back for an underhanded serve while her other hand spun the ball before letting it drop.
Seeing the ball disappear and reappear, everyone was instantly caught in a different kind of shock.
"F-fifteen, love!" The umpire declared, staggered.
The raven closed her eyes and smiled bitterly in silent thanks. // Damn it. I owe you for this and so much more. //
--
Fuji Yuta couldn't help letting out a scoff. "You know what's funny? People call you a tensai even though you're the dumbest person I know." He said bluntly, a cynical smile forming on his lips. "And what I kills is that I can't even get past the shadow of an idiot like you."
Guilty, sapphire eyes sought forgiveness. "Yuta—"
"Don't even go there. I didn't call you here for an apology." He snapped, silencing the older Fuji. "You know what I hate about you? You never even bother to try. I'd like to think you were a coward, but I know you're not. You had the guts to bargain for time, right? And then you just go around wasting it, so I guess you're really just an idiot."
The fair-haired boy could only remain silent.
"You're game today was different. Why?"
It was evident in the tennis prodigy's eyes that he was taken aback by his brother's question. "I don't think I follow, Yuta."
"Right off the start, you played seriously. You tried. Why?" The younger repeated.
"I—" Not knowing what to say next, Syuusuke paused to think. "Taka—"
"Crap." Yuta cut off. "Whatever it was you were about to say, we both know it's not the reason." How long was his brother going to play in denial? Feeling his patience for it run out, he turned around and focused on the nearest court, where the most anticipated match of the day was being played.
"You're not fooling anyone but yourself, aniki. So why don't you spare yourself the lie. Why did you try?"
Fuji Syusuke thought hard to find the answer, sought the truth amidst the lies. When finally he understood, it was as if his eyes had been pried open to see what it was he failed to see.
"Because I wanted to. I wanted to try."
Yuta turned to face his brother once more, his arms crossing across his chest. "But you're not satisfied?" He questioned, almost smirking as he saw a new fire blaze in his brother's eyes, the fire he had lit.
"No. I'm not." As he finally faced the truth, Fuji Syuusuke felt the weight of his burdens suddenly disappear.
"Why not?" Yuta continued to press.
The tennis prodigy exhaled heavily. "Because I haven't tried hard enough." Fuji Syuusuke looked up to face his brother, his lips breaking into a smile.
"Yuta?" He called.
"Hm?" It was the younger's turn to look clueless.
"Since when did you get to be so smart?"
The boy with the cross shaped scar grinned smugly. "I think it runs in the family."
--
"Seigaku, six games to one!" The umpire finally declared, causing all the Varsity members to jump for joy.
"We're through!" Ayumi and Chiharu chorused while Kaita applauded the approaching Reiko.
"You gave us all a scare back there." Chiharu teased.
Reiko could only flash her teammates a faint smile. The happy atmosphere quickly dissipated when they saw the raven take nearly stumble to take a seat whilst rubbing her temples.
"Is anything wrong, Hasegawa-san?" The girls' captain asked worriedly.
"Um, yeah. I think I have a migraine." Reiko heistantly admitted.
"No wonder you kept missing those shots!" Chiharu exclaimed. "Are you alright? Do you wanna go to the hospital?" She asked, then noticing that her friend was indeed paler than usual.
"That's okay. I can take myself."
"As if we'd let you go by yourself." Ayumi contradicted.
"No really, I'm fine to go there by myself. It's just a headache." Seeing the unconvinced looks on her teammate's faces, she continued to reason. "I was able to finish my match right? Besides, the Regulars need all the support they can get right? You saw Hyotei's cheering squad, there's like two hundred of them!" She almost smiled upon seeing their expressions waver.
"Are you sure?" The gentle giant asked again.
"Of course I'm sure. I think they should be almost done by now too. So you can just come by when they finish."
"Hm..." The three deliberated.
"Well, alright." Chiharu approved hesitantly. "But leave us your stuff so we can be sure you'll wait."
Reiko let out a sigh. "All right." She quickly packed her things and took her phone and wallet out before handing them her bag. "Keep me updated alright?" She requested, raising her phone to indicate what she meant. She went on her way as soon as her teammates gave her acquiescent nods.
// Oh well. At least I wouldn't have to confront Tezuka-san today. // Reiko thought as she made her way to the hospital. Taking her phone out, she slid it open and dialled home.
"Hello mom?" She spoke into the receiver after hearing someone pick up. "Yeah, we're through to the next round. Listen, I'm just calling to let you know I'll be giving Okita-sensei a visit today."
There was a long silence on the other line before Mrs. Hasegawa spoke again.
"I'm okay, just a bit of a headache. You don't have to come... Yup, I'll see you when I get home. Bye."
Placing the phone inside her pocket, Reiko looked at the building before her and let out a sigh before entering. She made her way through the familiar lobby until she finally reached the reception desk. A friendly looking lady greeted her through the other side of the glass.
"Hello. How may I help you?"
"Hi, is Doctor Okita in today?" Reiko inquired, leaning on the marble counter.
The lady typed the name on the keyboard and kept silent until something came up on the monitor. "Yes, he's in. Do you have an appointment?"
"Um, no, but I'm a regular patient. Do you think it would be possible to book an appointment with him today?"
The lady looked at the monitor once again before turning her attention back to Reiko. "Well you're in luck, his 2 o'clock just cancelled so he's free right now. I'll ring his line to let him know you're coming. May I have the name please?"
"Oh, Hasegawa Reiko."
"One moment, Hasegawa-san."
The amber-eyed girl merely nodded as she patiently waited for the receptionist to finish her call.
Putting the phone down, the receptionist called on Reiko once more. "Hasegawa-san? Okita-san will see you now."
"Thank you. Fourth or fifth floor?" She asked.
"Fourth" said the lady. Reiko bowed in gratitude before proceeding to the elevators.
--
DING!
Stepping out of the elevator, Reiko read the sign on the wall to make sure she was on the right floor.
"4. Opthalmology Ward" The sign read. She turned left and walked down the hospital corridor until she reached the room she was looking for.
"Okita Y. MD" was the name written on the door. Knocking three times, she heard a familiar voice tell her to come in and with another deep sigh, she entered.
--
The trio arrived at the boys' courts and found Echizen in a match against a boy with light-brown hair, who seemed to have an annoying penchant for the word Gekokujou. Making their way down the steps, Kaita, Chiharu and Ayumi approached the rest of the Seigaku tennis team.
Seeing the person she'd been longing to see, Chiharu quickly made her way and gave her boyfriend a tap on the back.
The Seigaku vice captain turned around and hatched a smile upon the face the greeted him.
"How's your wrist?" The hazel-eyed girl asked, squeezing into the space between Inui and Oishi.
"Better." The fukubuchou replied.
"AH! You're done!" Kikumaru squawked after finally noticing the Varsity's presence. "How did you you go? How did you go? How did you go?" He asked, obviously both curious and excited.
Ayumi gave the redhead a thumbs-up. "We're through. How about you guys?"
"Nyaaa! That's not fair! We still have to play a tie-break! And ochibi is taking his time playing with Hyotei!" Kikumaru whined.
"Tie-break? Really?" The gentle giant asked, then answered by nods from the regulars. "Hmm... I thought Tezuka-san would've finished it off for you guys." An ominous atmosphere suddenly enveloped them after they heard the gentle giant's innocent remark.
Oblivious to the events, Chiharu continued to prod. "Speaking of Tezuka-san. I don't see him anywhere." The hazel-eyed girl looked around the bleachers and truly enough, the acclaimed tennis captain was nowhere to be found.
"Tezuka's... Tezuka injured his shoulder during his match against Atobe." Oishi said grimly. "He went to the hospital straight after his match to get it checked out."
Thankfully, the unbearable silence was broken by the tensai who had emerged from nowhere. "Speaking of missing people..."
Remembering the events of the previous night, everyone eyed the tennis prodigy oddly, confused by his sudden mood swings. Understanding the reason behind the peculiar stares, Fuji merely shrugged and continued with his own investigation.
"The Varsity seems to be a member short as well." He said, eyeing the familiar tennis bag Kaita was carrying.
"Err..." Chiharu began, unsure about giving the honey-haired boy information after last night.
"Reiko is in the hospital as well. She wasn't feeling too well after her match." Ayumi continued, deciphering the genuine concern the tennis prodigy tried to hide.
The smile on the tensai's face quickly vaporized and once again, everyone saw the solemn Fuji they came across that morning. Without another word, the tennis prodigy picked up his tennis bag and left.
Inui adjusted his glasses before silently jotting his observations down on his notebook.
"ARGH! Who does that Fuji Syuusuke think he is?! After what he did to Rei last night! The nerve!" She continued to rage, unknowingly squeezing on her boyfriend's injured wrist.
"Maa. No one really understands why Fuji does things the way he does." Oishi said, trying hard to pacify his seething girlfriend while simultaneously trying to stop his tears. "Mou Chiharu, maybe you'd like to take it easy on my wrist?"
The hazel-eyed girl instantly let go, a furious blush staining her cheeks. "Oops! Sorry!" She apologised. "It's just, the way he treated Rei-chan last night was so infuriating! Who gave him the right!" She fumed, her blood suddenly starting to boil once more. Oishi quickly put his hands in his pocket, afraid that he'd be permanently handicapped.
--
"Tsk tsk. Hasegawa Reiko, you've been very naughty." Okita-sensei's mellow voice reprimanded as he pulled away from the biomicroscope. Despite the salt and pepper hair that deceived people of his age, Okita Yuujin was a handsome man in his early forties.
The raven could only chuckle guiltily.
"And contact lenses! You've just given me a lot to work on young lady." He continued as he finished jotting down his observations on a sheet of paper. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh before handing a copy of the sheet to the amber-eyed girl.
"Give this to mom and dad and tell them that I'd like you three to come and see me again tomorrow morning. Be here at 9 so we have plenty of time."
"Hai." Reiko complied obediently before hopping off the exam chair. "Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, sensei."
"You're my number one customer after all." The middle-aged man joked. "Be good okay? Wear your glasses and eat your vegetables."
Reiko grimaced upon hearing the second part but nodded her head anyway. "See you tomorrow." She bade, bowing down before taking her leave.
--
Reiko folded the paper four times before putting it inside her pocket. She took her phone out to check for messages and wasn't surprised when she found none. // The boys must still be playing. // She thought as she watched the numbers on top of the elevator door descend.
DING
Looking up from her phone, the raven-haired girl was stunned to find the elevator door reveal an all too familiar face.
"Tezuka-san?" Her cheeks were suddenly warm upon sight of him.
"Hasegawa."
The atmosphere tensed as the two continued to stare at each other silently. The bell rung once more as a warning and Tezuka got on the lift before its doors could come to a close.
"A-anou..." Reiko began, wanting to break the awkward silence between them.
"Are you all right?" Tezuka inquired, his placid face cracking with concern.
"H-hai. I got a migraine after my match, nothing serious. How about you? What brings you here?" She asked, still unable to get rid of her apprehension.
"I injured my shoulder during my match with Atobe." He answered monotonously.
Reiko's face instantly broke with worry. "Are you okay? Does it hurt? That cheap bas—"
"It wasn't Atobe's fault. I chose to be reckless." He interrupted before the raven could further jump into conclusions.
Immediately, she was silenced. "Oh."
"I'm going to get it examined right now." Just then, the elevator bell rung and the door opened to the third floor.
"I see. I guess I'll see you later then ne?" Reiko said rather evasively.
Tezuka stepped out of the elevator but kept his hold on the 'open' button. Staring into the raven's amber eyes he asked,
"Will you accompany me if it's not too much of a bother?"
Taken aback by his unexpected request, Reiko could only nod in response.
The two walked down the corridor before stopping outside room 305. The door was closed and so Tezuka knocked for a few times.
"Come in." A voice called from inside.
A middle-aged man swivelled his chair a hundred and eighty degrees to face the two teens that entered the room.
"Please take a seat." He instructed, motioning to the two seats in front of his desk. Reiko willingly obliged while Tezuka put his tennis bag down before proceeding to do as he was told.
"Tezuka-san?" The physician asked turning his attention to the bespectacled boy.
"Hai." The tennis captain confirmed.
"What seems to be the problem?" The older man asked.
"I strained my shoulder during a tennis match and I would like to get it examined."
"I see." The doctor stood up from his seat and motioned the bespectacled boy to sit on the small bed across the room.
"Do you mind taking your shirt off so I can have a look at the shoulder?"
Reiko's pulse started to race upon hearing the physician's question. Tezuka merely nodded as he did what was asked. Seeing the stoic boy start taking off his shirt, Reiko couldn't decide on whether she should look away or not. By the time she made her decision, Tezuka had already taken his shirt off, exposing the perfectly toned physique that made the Reiko's usually pale cheeks turn red.
"Hm... Can you indicate where the pain is coming from, and whether it is a dull pain or sharp pain?"
"I feel a sharp pain mostly around the left deltoid area." The doctor slightly raised his brows, impressed by his patient's anatomical knowledge.
"Well, there is no bruising or swelling so we can rule out a shoulder fracture. It looks like you may have a torn rotator cuff." The doctor speculated before tinkering with a bulky machine stationed beside the small bed. "I'll call a sonographer so we can take an ultra sound, I'll be back in a few minutes." He said, leaving an extremely flushed Reiko and a seemingly preoccupied Tezuka.
An unbearable silence enveloped them once more, and Reiko could only sigh as she prepared herself for a confrontation. // I guess I might as well get it over with. //
"Anou, Tezuka-san," Reiko started, trying to break the silence once more. "This morning you said you wanted to talk?"
"Aa." He replied, pulling his gaze away from the window and to the girl that sat on the other side of the room.
There was something about his stare that made her nervous. She could feel a hard lump form in her throat as she struggled to speak. "W-what is it that you want to talk to me about?" She asked shakily.
For a moment Tezuka remained silent before patting the empty space beside him, the uncharacteristic gesture giving the raven a good shock. Nevertheless, she found herself sitting beside him on the small hospital bed, her heart pounding madly in her chest.
"About last night," The bespectacled boy began. "I'll be honest with you..."
Reiko kept her head low, eyes tightly shut as she expected the worst.
"I was never known to be a talker," he paused to gather every ounce of confidence he could find within him. "But I do get straight to the point. So I'll try to make this clear without using many words and I truly hope you understand."
--
Reaching the hospital, Fuji abruptly stopped in his tracks as soon as he realized he had no idea where to start looking. His sharp azure eyes scanned the lobby methodically and yet found no face familiar.
// Should I just call her? // The tensai was starting to run out of ideas when his gaze finally landed on the marble reception desk.
// I guess it's worth a shot. // He told himself, taking his phone out of his bag before approaching the counter.
A woman in her mid-twenties greeted the tennis prodigy with a friendly smile. "Hi. How may I help you?" She asked.
Putting on his practiced smile, Fuji leaned on the counter and raised his phone so the receptionist could see. "Hello. I'm looking for a friend who came here earlier to get checked up. She left her phone in a hurry and I'm here to give it back." He said.
After seeing the tennis bag on the fair-haired boy's shoulders, the receptionist recognised the uniform he was sporting. "Ah yes! You're friend is in the outpatients ward. Level three, room 305. Turn right out of the elevator. It's the room at the end of the corridor." She told him.
The tennis prodigy was slightly surprised at how easily his plan worked. // She must've recognised the uniform. // He thought. Nevertheless, he thanked the receptionist for giving him directions before heading for the lift.
"Thank you very much."
The receptionist gave him another smile. "No worries. Good luck finding your friend." She bade.
The tennis prodigy had long gone before something suddenly occurred to the receptionist. "Wait a minute!" She exclaimed. "Did he say 'she'?"
--
The sapphire-eyed boy was in deep thought as he walked down the corridor. He owed her quite an explanation and an even bigger apology, and he wondered where he should begin. He decided to shrug his thoughts away, realizing that stressing on it too much wouldn't help in any way. He would tell her the truth and leave nothing a secret.
When finally he reached the end of the corridor, he was a little surprised to find that the door had been left slightly open. He heard voices speaking from inside, and easily he identified them. What he saw immediately put the strain back on his heart, the pain more excruciating for this time he was unprepared.
--
Reiko's amber eyes snapped wide open in surprise as she found herself locked in the ice prince's tight embrace.
--
The life in his eyes gone, his heart torn into shreds, there was nothing left save for the numbing sensation.
"So this is failure."
--
XXXXXXXX
Author's Notes:
Hi guys!
I just wanna apologise to all the people who follow (or used to) this fic! I'm sorry for taking aaaages to update! I've been very busy with a lot of stuff and am sad to say that my schedule isn't any better now, so please do not expect regular updates!
I just really had the urge to post Chapter 25 and if I haven't been sick, I might have not been able to post it!
To all those who are still following this, and especially to my reviewers, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You're overwhelming feedback was my motivation to write again. That said, I would also like to apologise if you think the chapter got sloppy in the middle. I know I promised a chapter worth the wait, and I apologise now if this did not live up to your expectations.
Anyway, I hope everything made sense. Hope you all review because they really do inspire me to write better!
Just some of 'footnotes':
1. Scary is kowai in Japanese, which could be misheard (although I think I'm the only idiot to do this) as
2. Cute, which is Kawaii in Japanese.
3. I forgot to note this, but for those wondering, the suffix '-chin' is a mispronounced variation of '-chan' sterotypically attributed to children (Thanks for the definition Wikipedia!)
So I said earlier I'll get back to the shout-outs. I had a bit of time so I decided to do em now!
BloodNinja555- Well I'm glad you enjoyed this one! I'll try my best to update quickly!
ErzaScarlet14- thank you! hope you're still reading even though I've taken so long to post this chapter!
bookworm182- no guarantees but i hope my ending will leave you satisfied.
Kiri-123- lol! I'm sorry, that was mean. Well I updated, and I hope you enjoyed it. Don't worry, I take flames pretty well, so even if you were (i know you weren't) i'd still take it nicely.
zeratheliger- wow, i'm reaaaally really flattered that you found a renewed interest in this story. I know when I lose interest I hardly ever go back. So i really appreciate it!
Crookshank- thanks for the support!
arirido - LOL! hope you liked this chapter, despite it still being pretty depressing... I didn't intend for it to be a cliffie this time, but somehow people think it is? guess everyone wants to know what happens next? including me, coz I haven't written the next chapter yet!
animeninja13- i know! LOL! surprisingly it didn't take long for me to decide on a song to make him sing! hope you liked this one although it doesn't have as many laughs.
Rin-chii- If you're still reading (I hope). Thank you very much for that review. Had a blast reading it! Well, the running in circles is about to end. i think. i hope. I really pray i don't come up with another plot twister.. or i'll never be able to finish this story!
fujilovesme- thank you! well, I guess you know now. Hope you haven't pummeled his face yet. too pretty! kidding! xzlioness- i'm glad u enjoyed it since I had a ball writing it.
Riku- thanks for ur support!
ani-sand- i'm glad u found it hilarious, I'll try to update as quickly as i can! thanks!
Otakugal- yes, apparently *Reiko remembered... but Fuji's being fickle, not wanting to be friends, and then getting a reality check and then suddenly running back... geniuses are confusing...
I-Eat-My-Vegetables- oh no! i hope i didn't make u cry in this one since he's still sad here! but crying would mean i did a good job. so i don't really know what to hope for.. I'm still loving the user name by the way!
Hikaru-Star- yes she did, but there's a twist... pam pam paaaaaaaam....
unknown player- forehead! LOLZ! i updated! and i'm glad u loved it! I'm also REAAAALLY REALLLY flattered after having read ur review for this chapter. I suddenly felt motivated about physics! ahahaha! weird.
mitchy- that's funny coz i could hear it in my head too! i hope ur still reading this after the uber long update time!
demonsadist- wow! thank you! my ears (figuratively speaking) are really big right now, reading ur reviews. I'm really glad u guys are enjoying the work I make. and I really hope u haven't given up on this story!
xANIMExObsessedx- well according to Yuta... really dumb! ahaha! 'crack his caveman image' ROFLs! LOL!
purplestylus- oh wow! ur probably about the only person who hasn't shipped FujiRei... But who knows, even I don't! Charmane- lolz! Reiko does... Just that she forgot her childhood friend's name... i'm still thinking if i should further explain the whole childhood friend/acquaintance thing because I feel like I haven't made it clear enough.
Lia- thank you, thank you and thank you! Yes! i do remember you, you reviewed before with this name and reviewed my other story as well! see, I remember everyone who reviews coz I thank em personally. I like to spread the love... lolz! anyways! i'm glad u enjoyed it.. and although i've been saying this a lot, i should probably be as thin as paper by now, but I really am flattered that you like this fic so much! thank you for the support!