A/N: I'm guessing the cliffhanger sucked so… Read on. -iirse
Disclaimer: Original names, characters and places don't belong to me. I don't own anything except the general ridiculous plot-less plot and OC(s), if any. Yadablah.
As Fate Wills It
Chapter 24 – Love, Love, Love
Reiko could scarcely believe the words her ex-boyfriend flung at her, along with the ball he served. Luckily for her, the disbelief quickly melted into rage that propelled her to the ball, sending it back across the net as she bitterly countered. "Checking to see if your attempt to hurt me worked?"
"Considering how blatant the two of you are, I didn't have to check." Yukimura spat, his return flying to her at high speed. She hadn't denied it.
The Princess rolled her eyes, and took her place in the center of the baseline after slamming back the ball. "Your data's still mada mada."
"So it was all a farce, wasn't it." The blunette's words were more of a quietly dangerous statement than a question. So my suspicions were right: our relationship was nothing but a sham. She was dating that blonde all along.
His ball smoothly entered her range with the aid of the technique she and Ryoga had bastardized from their father. Reiko sent it back wordlessly. He's admitting that he was using me all along, then.
Yukimura's next choice of technique only seemed to confirm it, as Sanada's Ka smashed into her court. It was the same technique that had rendered Tezuka Zone useless and to Reiko, it was nothing but damning evidence.
"30 – all!"
"I'm not foolish enough to trust someone twice. I don't care to be used, Yukimura Seiichi." Echizen-Takeuchi Reiko's voice was as cold as Atobe's Ice World as she let his Assassin's Serve slide past her.
Once.
And then again.
"Game, Yukimura, 2 games all!"
Watching the game on court spiral out of control, Tezuka felt understanding finally strike him. In his last match, what he had said about loyalty and Rikkaidai had been underhand, but he had never expected Echizen to be unable to return that rather easy ball.
To his understanding, Atobe was captain of Hyotei and he allowed himself to associate with Rikkaidai outside of competition as well. Hyotei would hardly see Echizen's relationship with Yukimura as harming his team. Especially not when Echizen was his cousin.
No, those words were said to bruise, not to cut.
But it had stabbed Echizen deeper than expected, seeing how Atobe had intervened and forced his cousin and player to forfeit the match.
Tezuka understood now. His words then had merely reminded Hyotei's Princess (she was no longer Seigaku's, after all) of the effects of putting trust into a rival team, the way she had when she had gotten involved with Yukimura. He hadn't been aware that they had fallen out till this match, though. Seigaku's usual fount of information, otherwise known as Inui, had been deficient in reporting this fact.
The brunette's eyes automatically sought out the figure of the bespectacled data player as he thought of it, only to find him with Rikkaidai's Yanagi.
What had Atobe said again?
"Inui just easily gave Rei's phone number to Yanagi. In the pro circuits, someone who gives one piece of information is liable to give more. This might not be in those circuits, but nonetheless..."
Yanagi and Inui had been in constant contact. Surely something like this would have come to light during their conversations. After all, Reiko and Yukimura had been viewed as the next power couple of the high school circuit, their match long anticipated, should it ever come to pass. Especially since Reiko wasn't in Seigaku anymore, telling Inui things about a common rival should be no issue for Yanagi…
"Tezuka?" Oishi questioned, wondering what was with the look on his captain's face. It was a look normally associated with deep consideration – lineup decisions and their ilk. But there weren't any more matches left to arrange. Oishi wondered just what his captain was thinking of then.
Seigaku's captain blinked the glaze that had covered his eyes while sunk in thought. "Let Inui know I'd like to speak to him later, please, Oishi."
"You're one to talk of using, Echizen Reiko." Yukimura finally replied, when he attempted (and failed) to return her Samurai Serve for a second time, a game or two later. Insisting on having the last word had seemed childish at the 2-game mark, but her words had only festered in his mind, and Yukimura could hold it in no longer.
"30 – Love!"
She merely arched a delicate brow at him. "Oh?"
On the stands, Atobe would have smirked if the atmosphere wasn't so tense. Her Takeuchi blood was showing, definitely. "Mmhm." Yukimura made a sound of self-agreement as he once again failed in returning the serve. It seemed like Reiko would be clinging to her service game then. "You're simply using your family and money to cover up what you've done."
"40 – Love!"
Reiko's serve for match point whizzed past Yukimura mercilessly. "I have nothing to cover up. If I truly wanted to use money and family, Yukimura," She spat out his family name. "You won't be standing here today. You won't even be in Rikkaidai. You won't be able to afford it."
It was so quiet you could hear the birds chirping outside the stadium. Uneasily, the referee declared. "Game, Echizen, 5 games to 4!"
He paled as she moved easily to receiving position, continuing. "Consider it a mercy that you're playing now. Though I'm not sure you will after our game, of course." Reiko smirked.
I can't lose to him. Never again.
"You only know to flaunt, Echizen." He retaliated. Inwardly, Reiko winced – he hadn't called her by surname alone since early on in her return to Japan. "Make what lies you want, but on this court, I know the truth."
Incensed by his implication, the greenette smashed the ball he served to her to the net. It dropped over, divided into quarters from the pure power that she had put behind it. "Don't make yourself out to be such a martyr, Yukimura Seiichi, when you were the one to cheat."
Atobe had, upon hearing his cousin's words, automatically scanned the crowd of spectators for the cause of all this trouble. Yukimura was startled. He hid it well, but it was glaringly obvious enough to Atobe – Rikkadai's captain didn't remember a thing. His eyes met Sanada's damningly.
To his surprise, the Emperor didn't return it with any defiant stare. Sanada merely inclined his head in acceptance of Atobe's censure.
He had been thinking after his match with Hyotei's diva after all.
Of course he knew what he wanted. He wanted Yukimura to see him, not Echizen. Never Echizen.
But he'd had years to do something about his feelings, after all. Since middle school till now, he had taken no action. If he were honest with himself, Sanada would admit that he feared the outcome. The chances of Seiichi accepting him were slim. The chances that Seiichi wouldn't let it affect their friendship were only marginally better.
The most likely thing to happen was the destruction of their friendship.
And as they said, "something's better than nothing."
It was fear of regretting his actions that had held him back all these years. And it was a very real fear. Words, once spoken, couldn't be taken back. Actions, once executed, couldn't be undone.
The latter was something that he'd discovered after his drunken escapade. What he did while drunk… It wasn't something he would have done, if he hadn't been inebriated. There was a reason why alcohol was called liquid courage, it would seem. But in the aftermath… Seeing Seiichi so miserable over Echizen… It had ate at Sanada and the Emperor found himself regretting it more and more as the days went by. The guilt, especially, had been terrible.
Atobe wasn't in much position to pass objective judgment, but his censure, Sanada could accept in this case, because he understood the heir's sentiments.
He hated to admit it, but Atobe was likely to be right.
Regret now over what he'd done was too late. But it wasn't too late for prevention of worse, was it?
With Reiko's open declaration that Yukimura had cheated on her came the rising noise from the crowd of spectators that had gathered to watch Nationals Finals. They had been the best of the circuit in middle school once, and now they faced off again. Add that to the fact that people knew that they had been dating, and the scandal of Reiko leaving Seigaku for Hyotei… It generated a lot of buzz.
But to Yukimura, all this sounds were nothing beyond white noise.
He had… cheated?
Was Reiko high on something?
He managed to win another game in his daze of shock, but Reiko snagged another two and was declared winner. "Game, set and match, Hyotei's Echizen, 7 games to 5! Hyotei wins, 3 matches to 2!"
Strangely enough, the tournament grounds were silent as they met at the net. Both had match formalities too ingrained into them to forgo it.
Or at least that was the case for Yukimura.
In Reiko's mind, she only decided to go through with the customary handshake because the last time she had forgone it, her conscience had made her seek out Yukimura after the match. And she certainly didn't want to do it again.
But Yukimura didn't want to let go of her hand. "What did you mean by I cheated on you?"
"What?" She stared at him. "Don't play dumb with me."
He only griped harder. "I'm not, Echizen. Reiko. I'm serious here."
"What did you mean that I rebounded on you then?" She shot back, finally freeing her hand and rubbing it. Geez, his grip was strong for someone who looked that gentle. But then again, she should know better, considering who her brother-in-law was…
Yukimura blinked at her. "You mean you're not dating that Smith guy?"
To both their surprise, Reiko actually laughed. "Are you serious? Kevin's like oyaji's third son. He's simply just another Kei or another anuie. And I'm his best friend."
"I'm your best friend, you mean, Ray!" The blonde yelled over from where he was, having heard that. "Hime-sama, don't you want your shower?"
"Coming!" She called back, turning to address Yukimura one last time. "I don't know where you get your ideas from, but Kevin isn't my boyfriend. At least I'm not the one making false accusations. Have a good life, Yukimura."
He stared after her. Reiko sounded so certain when she said she wasn't making false accusations… Something just wasn't right. As though his body moved without consulting his mind, he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Can we talk? Properly? Something's not right."
Reiko was quiet for a long moment, uneasily studying her ex-boyfriend. Somehow, she wanted to know if he was telling the truth. Slowly, she nodded.
"Rei?" Rubbing her hair absently with a fluffy white towel, Reiko turned to see her cousin. What was with people and calling her lately? Kevin, Yukimura… And now her cousin. She honestly just wanted to get the whole talk over with and then go home and sleep. Put him out of her mind, out of her life for good.
Apparently, her annoyance showed, as Atobe held up his hands in the universal gesture for surrender. It might have had to do with the fact that she was glaring right at him. "I just wanted to remind you that we're having a celebratory party over at our place. Nothing majorly big; I'm not breaking out the alcohol since it's too early to get around otou-sama and okaa-sama."
She yawned. "I know. It was part of the 'reward' for winning Nationals, wasn't it?" Yes, they had bribed their team. As though winning wasn't enough for the proud Hyotei members.
"I just wanted to let you know that I extended the invitation to the other major players of the year." Atobe braced himself for the explosion, adding. "Seigaku and Rikkaidai included."
And in three… Two… One…
"Are you mad?" Reiko demanded, picking her jaw up from the ground. "Seigaku, fine. But Rikkaidai?"
Her cousin stared at her, his expression blank. "You agreed to talk with Yukimura, did you not?" She nodded. "So what's the problem? I know an olive branch when I see one. Just talk to him over at our place."
"It's a need for the truth." Reiko replied quietly. "And I asked also for you, Kei."
Atobe instantly ceased. It was rare that his cousin express concern for him so bluntly. "I'm fine, Rei. I thought about it after that match. Denial's not the only river in Egypt, but Confession isn't the only road available for one to tread."
"So?" She succinctly demanded a conclusion from him.
"So, I'm letting things be. Atobes don't pine on hopeless things." The diva ruffled her hair. "I'll be fine. Now, let's go, chibi."
Scowling, she reached up to pull at his hair, threatening. "Don't make me shave this off again, Kei!"
Outside, Inui approached Tezuka after parting ways with Yanagi. "Oishi said you wished to speak with me, Tezuka?"
"Aa." Seigaku's captain affirmed. "I understand the season is over, but this still has to be said."
The data master looked at Tezuka curiously. "What has to be said, Tezuka?"
"For as long as you're still a part of Seigaku's tennis team, Inui, I expect you to keep your guard up." The brunette answered, giving him the near exact same words he'd once given Reiko. "In all areas, regardless of who the person is to you, Inui."
As he left the surprised Inui and walked off, Tezuka felt the slightest bit lighter. Yes, he hadn't been exactly fair to Reiko in the past, and this was late in the coming but at least he had done what he could to amend his accidental double standards.
Funny enough, despite their intention to talk, Yukimura and Reiko found themselves at different ends of the room at all times. When they got close, some trouble from either team would erupt and that was it.
For Reiko, it had first been Shitenhouji's Kintarou dragging her off to compete in eating burgers. He had to content himself with a burger match since he was refused a tennis one. Momoshiro had joined in for a second round and Reiko had wandered off.
But at that point, Yukimura was making sure the Trouble Trio weren't killing each other because Akaya had unintentionally really pissed Niou off, and even the Gentleman was having difficulty reining in his boyfriend.
By the time he had settled that, Reiko was fielding Mukahi and Shishido's argument over who had a better run this Nationals, despite the fact that they both had been playing in Doubles (and thus, had to take their partners into consideration as well) and Hyotei had been playing substandard and scraping through all the way to the end.
They had scarcely managed to finally meet at the buffet table, where Reiko helped herself to some onigiri when Kikumaru flailed over, going on about how they needed help because Kaidoh and Momoshiro were about to kill each other. Again.
Thankfully for them both, Reiko was saved from having to intervene again.
Salvation came in three forms: Niou (who had finally stopped trying to wreak havoc with Marui and Kirihara), Fuji and Oshitari.
"We'll take over from here, Echizen-chan." Oshitari assured her. "It can't be as bad as Kenya and I or Gakuto and Shishido."
Reiko and Fuji exchanged a look. Oshitari wasn't from Seigaku at any point. What did he know, really? The Seigaku sophomores could get that bad, and get worse. "They can't stand against me, puri."
"You'd just join in the fun, 'Haru-chan." Reiko deadpanned. "And Oshitari, you'll get distracted by your cousin and start arguing with him and drag my cousin into it."
"Just go, Reiko." Fuji interjected. "We can handle this."
The siblings stared at each other, a long unspoken conversation going on, until Reiko gave in. She turned to Yukimura. "Lead the way then."
Just as she was about to follow the blunette, Fuji grabbed her wrist much like how Yukimura had done on court. "I forgot to tell you, Rei-chan. Tezuka gave Inui the same talking to that he gave you."
"So Kei did something, hm?" She looked up and coincidentally met Tezuka's eyes. Instead of scorn, she inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement of his actions before turning. "I'll talk to you later, Syuu-nii."
Strangely enough, though Reiko had told Yukimura to lead the way, she had been the one to decide where they would talk once she'd caught up. They ended up in one of Atobe-Takeuchi's many parlors – this one a personal favorite of Reiko's due to its less formal feel.
The seats were less lush, the carvings less ornate. It leaned more towards the minimalist modern home rather than the traditional old world opulence, and amidst the pictures scattered around were some that held more embarrassing stories rather than those of the perfect children.
It even had a beanbag, which she seated herself on.
Atobe swore that it was because of the beanbag that Reiko loved the room so much. It was so rarely used for entertaining that Ryoko had suggesting turning it into a study or relax room for her favorite and only niece since she liked it so much, but Reiko had refused – her suite already had those things anyway.
She would have used her suite, except that she wasn't too sure how she would like the truth.
If it was bad, she didn't want its memories associated with her suite. She might have to change rooms then, and not rooming beside Kei was annoying. She couldn't steal his shirts whenever she wanted to.
"Shoot." She simply said.
Yukimura started. He'd been studying the room that he'd been led into. "Shoot?"
Reiko rolled her eyes. "You wanted to talk, right? So talk." She explained as though she were speaking to a 2-year-old child.
"Why the note, the disappearance… Everything?" He tried to phrase it, but suddenly, the words were so difficult to find for all that they had been racing around his head since before the Kantou tournament... Since she left, actually. "Where did it all go wrong?"
Hysterical laughter bubbled up in her throat. "Are you asking me this? For real?" Reiko managed to say. Once she calmed down slightly, she spoke fairly levelly. "You cheated on me, Yukimura. That's enough reason for any girl to break up with a guy, isn't it? Then there was also the fact the more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed that you were just dating me to try and break my spirit and by that Hyotei's - since after, Hyotei is your hardest opponent this Nationals."
"I never cheated on you!" He protested, latching on to the first thing she said. The second, well, he had accused her of the same thing. He would deal with that later, Yukimura decided.
Reiko smiled sadly. "I thought you would try to deny it. I guess I'll have to thank Jiroh-senpai then." She walked over to a bookshelf, pulling out a well-worn copy of (insert book name here?). From within its pages, she extracted an envelope which she handed to him.
Yukimura frowned. The name written on the envelope wasn't in Japanese script but in English, but he could read it well enough: Takeuchi Reiko. Reiko'd never used her mother's maiden name before, to his knowledge.
As though sensing his confusion, the girl in question explained. "When ojii-sama named me heiress, my name was legally changed to Echizen-Takeuchi Reiko. The use of my mother's maiden name was a reminder of who I was after middle school." Because it was during middle school that they'd first interact and left a lasting impression on one another.
Reiko left those words unsaid, but Yukimura heard them all the same. Uneasy, he opened the envelope to reveal the plain glossy photo paper. Scrawled hastily across it, also in English that was far more refined that Akaya's chicken scratching, was a simple message:
I have no doubt this would pain you, but you deserve the truth.
It was signed equally simply 'AJ.'
From what Reiko said, Yukimura guessed that meant that the letter came from Akutagawa Jiroh. He flipped the sheet over and the image jumped out at him, shocking him beyond words.
"Guilt got your tongue?" Reiko asked sardonically after he'd lapsed into silence for too long.
Yukimura finally found his voice when prompted, it seemed. "Did you get it checked for doctoring?"
"You're suggesting that Jiroh did this? Are you kidding?" She started, incredulously. "If you must know, yes I did. I refused to believe what my own eyes saw. I thought it was the alcohol messing with my mind until I saw the photograph. Then I had the photograph checked. It's never been edited. Ever. I'm not that stupid, Yukimura Seiichi!"
Yukimura could only look between the upset Reiko and the photograph in his hands. He and Sanada? That was just absurd. "I swear on my life, on my sister's life, on everything I hold dear, that I've no recollection of this happening." He solemnly stated. "The last thing I remember was watching you go get water. The next thing I know, I was waking up in a guest room and reading your pittance of a letter."
The vow stopped Reiko from launching into another tirade. "Photos don't lie. That's one thing I learnt from Syuu-nii. People do, but photos don't."
"I'd swear that I'm not lying, but you won't believe me, would you?" He asked rhetorically.
Reiko was silent. This was a stalemate. She couldn't simply just allow herself to believe Yukimura like that. Yet he would not admit... It was like playing with a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces refused to fit.
Unless... Yukimura winced as he glanced at the photo again.
Reiko was adamant that Jiroh hadn't orchestrated anything. In all honesty, Yukimura agreed - the blonde had nothing to gain from it. Hyotei's Regulars viewed Reiko as one of their own. They wouldn't create a nefarious plot just to break them up. In fact, most of them enjoyed teasing their captain's cousin about it.
If neither of them knew what had happened, and Jiroh knew nothing, that left one person.
Sanada.
"Do you think...?" Reiko's tentatively voiced half-question drew his attention.
When Yukimura looked at her, he could tell she had drawn the same conclusion. "No one else would know what has happened that night, right? You saw what you saw. I remember what I remember. You say that what Jiroh saw collaborates with what you saw. The only person who would know is Sanada."
"But if he did, he wouldn't say anything of it." The Princess pointed out, her tone still uncertain. "You're friends. No matter what has come to pass, he'd still want to retain that friendship. If you do ask him, he'll know that it's up to him to say what he will - everything is hanging on that then."
It was true that Sanada had a stake in this.
"And it makes me think of what Akaya said before." Reiko added hesitantly. "He said that Sanada was always glaring at me and it was jealousy. He always said it, has said it more than once. You don't like it, and Akaya knew, so he'd tell me when you weren't around. Or message me."
She took a deep breath before admitting. "I've managed to turn fast enough to see it myself before. It's the look of jealousy that I've seen too many girls give me because Kei's my cousin, because I'm close to Oshitari..."
"Finally!" Atobe exclaimed as he entered the room. "Took you two long enough."
Reiko started to her feet in surprise, before she strode over to her cousin, punching him in the shoulder. "What the hell, Kei?"
"I'm not here to interrupt your little lovers' spat for long, chibi." Atobe blithely replied. "I just came to drop off the security discs I just retrieved. Yes, Rei, we have security discs down there. We just don't activate them. I'd forgotten that I had them activated that night because we were technically having an event."
"And Keisuke-jii-san's rules are that when we have an event, the cameras are turned on." Reiko completed the explanation for him, feeling rather stupid that she hadn't thought of it something like a month ago.
Her cousin ruffled her hair. "Don't feel so bad, chibi. I was reminded by a particular someone. I nearly forgot to instruct security to turn on the cameras for today as it is. It took a while to find the discs for the night in question, then the cameras in question and then the exact time, and then copying them out. Enjoy the show?"
She punched him again.
"And I was so kind as to retrieve your portable player for you too..." Atobe sighed melodramatically, handing over the sleek piece of technology. "Don't stay too long, chibi. Niou, Oshitari and Fuji can control their troublemaking urges to keep the peace for only so long, after all."
He departed, but Princess and Demigod were already staring at each other. This was their moment of truth.
Slowly, Reiko opened her player and slid the disc in.
The timestamp blares 3:00 AM in neon red.
Reiko stands up from where she was sitting with Seiichi. "I'm going to get some water to stave off hangovers. The maids should be coming down to show you to your rooms soon."
"Mm." Seiichi's eyes were drooping slightly. "Go ahead."
The Princess smiled quietly at her boyfriend before walking off-screen. You could see the slight spring in her step, even though she meandered slightly - a sure sign that she was under the influence of alcohol.
Within moments, Yukimura's eyes closed.
Then Sanada walked onscreen. His stride wasn't quite stable. If one were to compare it to Reiko's, she would have been certified sober. In fact, some would have thought that he would have collapsed on the ground even before he made it to Yukimura's side.
But he managed to get there before collapsing to his knees.
And then, he kissed him. His friend, captain, whatever.
The timestamp was 3:13 AM.
The camera blanked out before the timestamp blinks again – 3:11 AM.
This time, it's of Reiko exiting the kitchenette. She's holding 2 glasses of water. When she gets to the end of the corridor, she stops.
The glasses slip from her hands and shatter piercingly on the ground, but she doesn't seem to notice as she just walks off-screen once more.
The timestamp was 3:14 AM.
"I think I'm going to kill him." Yukimura finally said.
He'd been in shock after watching it, Reiko noticed. She had looked away. Seeing it once, and then again as photographic evidence, was enough. She didn't quite know what to say herself.
Her rage had drained from her like her blood would have if one were to slit her jugular.
Yukimura had shock and rage to carry him through on the emotional front, but Reiko didn't. She didn't quite know what to say. What to feel.
"Reiko?" He asked uncertainly, having just registered that she had been strangely silent since Atobe had left the room.
She didn't hear him. Or maybe she did. Whatever the case, he didn't manage to shake her from her thoughts. Reiko was too lost in her own world.
She'd already determined what exactly she would do after this conversation with Yukimura for she had been so certain of his guilt. She had intended to return to the professional circuits, finish high school via correspondent course and attain a degree the same way. She'd stay in the circuits until she got wind he was planning on entering. Then she'd take up her role as Takeuchi heiress.
It'd be precisely as she had outlined to Kevin.
Her family would have protested, but they would have understood that she needed to play tennis because it was her life, but she could no longer do it on Japanese soil with memories of Yukimura all around her.
Now… She was at a loss. The carpet whipped out from under her feet, so to speak. She was floundering in quicksand. And the whole host of other clichés that one could think of. Seiichi had been innocent of what she'd thought of him, and she was innocent of what he'd thought of her.
In effect, it was all a huge misunderstanding caused by one Sanada Genichirou who had been too drunk to control himself after being hung up over Yukimura for too long.
Reiko wondered why she hadn't seen it earlier. It had been so clear in middle school, and then all the instances that Akaya had pointed out. Kami-sama, Akaya had been right all along. He'd been warning her indirectly all along whether he meant to or not, and everyone had just dismissed his observations, attributing it to his overactive imagination.
"I swear I'm going to kill him." Yukimura muttered as he shook Reiko again. And the fact that it was Seiichi and he was swearing and threatening to kill was enough to snap her back into reality. He had never slipped into a particularly murderous mood in front of her before. Gently sadistic, perhaps. Threateningly so, definitely. But not murderous.
Kei would never be able to live with himself.
It was that thought that forced Reiko to think about it more sensibly, and try to see things with more objectivity than her (ex?) boyfriend was managing at the moment. "Seiichi, calm down."
In the future, Yukimura would say that it was the fact that she actually elected to voluntarily use his first name that stilled him, not the fact that he was completely whipped.
But for now, he did calm down. Sort of. "You're not upset?"
"I have to be insane not to be upset, but someone has to be mature here!" She shot back. "Sit down. Turn down the killer intent. No, I haven't been watching too much Naruto with Kevin to block you out of my head."
The last bit was enough to make him smile. Just slightly, but enough. And it calmed him a little.
He sat. "Alright. We'll be rational teenagers then. I want to kill him."
Reiko sighed. It had been too much to hope, apparently. "For what? Crushing on you since middle school?" She demanded. Oh, if that were the case, Sanada would have to kill Kei then. And then she would really have to destroy Sanada… That would be fun. But wait, Sanada would be too dead to kill Kei. Damn.
"Middle school?" Yukimura spluttered.
His ex-girlfriend blinked at him. "Mada mada… You didn't know? Think about it. It's obvious the fact that Kev dyes his hair with peroxide." Regardless of the fact that I don't have proof for that, she added to herself mentally. She returned her mind to the conversation at hand. "So you want to kill him for crushing on you. Wow. Why not kill the girls in your fan club then? Misaki-senpai did mention once that you had a huge one."
"You know why I want to kill him, Reiko." Yukimura ground out. The girl in question arched an eyebrow, silently daring him. "For that…" He gestured at the player, unable to put it to words.
"Then I guess I should kill you too." She drawled a la Oshitari. "After all, you should have fought him off, not just let him do as he will and create all that trouble…"
Again, the blunette spluttered. "I passed out!"
"And why?" She retorted.
"Because we were drunk, damn it!" He swore. Reiko didn't want to admit it, but making him swear was rather fun. Seeing him shed that peaceable mien was just… Fun. And the results were rather satisfying to the eye, of course. Not that she'd ever admit it. "You know that we were tipsy, drunk, inebriated! That's why you went to get the water. I pass out easily when under the influence." He admitted.
Reiko sighed. She wanted to play devil's advocate, not darling little angel. But really, blood was blood. And Kei didn't need any more on his plate. He wanted to get over Sanada (and that was one thing that she and Misaki both definitely approved of) but that wasn't going to happen if this nonsense was blown up all over the place.
And who knew who might slip up and what might slip out?
"Exactly, Seiichi." She sighed again. "'We were drunk. Think about it. He's kept quiet about this for years. He's never done anything."
Yukimura scoffed. "With his kind of family? I'm not surprised."
Reiko privately agreed, having met some of them at various gatherings. They were straight-laced, serious, conservative individuals. "He's raised to have control. Only inebriated did he lose that control and slip up enough to have done such a thing." She paused, letting her words sink in before delivering the words that would shut and lock her door to revenge and throw away the key.
"Let it go, Seii. I have."
Standing by the grand stair, flanked by Misaki and Jiroh (both who felt the same satisfaction but elected to be less flamboyant about it), Atobe smirked. He did feel amazingly pleased with himself considering how Reiko had returned to the room with Yukimura's arm around her waist, quiet smile painting her features.
Rikkaidai's captain had done nothing to Sanada, to Atobe's surprise, and he voiced the thought to Misaki, who laughed at him. Jiroh had to chuckle along at Atobe's lack of insight.
"Honestly, Keigo. Do you think Reiko-chan will let Yukimura-san do something like that? Blood is blood, after all." The Nakamura heiress had pointed out.
Regardless, Sanada could tell that he owed the fact that he was still alive to someone. The silent thanks he'd sent Reiko's way had been coolly accepted. She couldn't do anything besides that unless she wanted to say exactly why she did it. And what was told in confidence in Hyotei stayed in confidence.
As he heard his cousin's laugh chime, Atobe smiled, sending a curt nod in Sanada's direction for the tip-off the other had given.
Reiko was happy, that was all that mattered.
Or at least it was, till Fuji Yuuta barreled into the room. "Reiko! I need help with English homework! Now! No, I'm not asking aniki!"
"Mou, why so cruel, Yuuta." Fuji (Syuusuke) teased, mocking a wounded heart to his younger brother's embarrassment.
Still, Atobe thought, it was nice to see that some things never changed.
A/N: So we've come to the end. It's rather rushed, I suppose but I only meant to write to the end of the season and that was it. To digress, it almost wasn't the end, because Reiko almost ran away when faced with the truth. But it would have either been too repetitive or going into the whole cliché x number of years later thing that gets really old.
So, here we are. I hope I managed to tie up the loose ends nicely. Epilogue will be up next week, so I guess see you one last time next week? (: -iirse