Oh boy...
Um, first of all, I'd like to say... 'Hi guys!' Ahehehe!
Secondly, I'd like to apologise for this really (super, incredibly) delayed update. The truth was I had most of this chapter written down ages ago, and the outline readied waaaay before that. It was just around the last bit of this chapter that I had a real difficulty putting into words. So many ideas just kept flowing it was so hard to pick the ones that would mesh.
It took me a whole month just to write the last bit of this chapter, although I think it still came out kinda sloppy and lazy. I assure you I didn't do it half-assed though, even if it may seem that way when compared to the beginning. (I really need a beta, despite this story being only a few more chapters away from coming to an end.)
I think I've put all that I wanted to put in this chapter, so I can only hope that I did it right.
That said, I hope you guys enjoy.
(I shouldn't really say enjoy, but I hope you errr... like? this update)
--
Chapter 28
It's A Small World, After All
To a normal person, the multitude of people surrounding the match court at this very moment was more than sufficient to cause anyone to crack. To be under the scrutiny of hundreds of watchful pairs of eyes, all expectant and waiting to see what you're next action would be; pure mental torture. Add the fact that you are but one more point from triumph or failure; from winning or losing the final match and, voila, the recipe for an instant panic attack.
But it seemed as though none of these things were enough to faze the two young girls, who refused to let their eyes stray from the speedy shuttlecock that flew from end to end as they both battled for the one, final point. This was, by far, the longest rally in the whole tournament, and being the final-point only augmented the eternal wait. Both desired to win, overlooking the possibility of failure. It seemed it would be a battle of patience and endurance.
Smash.
The audience held their breaths. It seemed one's patience was already starting to waver.
The girl, who has now been put to defense, quick-wittedly returned the shot with a cross-court net.
Suspenseful gasps rippled among the spectators. Suddenly the tide has turned.
After having caught the opponent off-guard, the prolonged rally progressively started to look in favor of the less hasty of the two, the raven-haired one; the one who precisely calculated every shot within the mere seconds before its execution. The speed at which she was reacting showcased the vast effort and dedication she had put into sharpening her senses up to the point of hypersensitivity.
However, despite being highly sensitized, the burning of her lungs and the aching of her muscles barely even registered. All that was present was the shuttle, an opponent, and her dream; nothing else.
Suddenly her movements became faster, more aggressive. Remembering her goal was like being doused with adrenalin; the motivation fueled her to work harder.
Another smash.
It was either the shuttle got slower, or she was moving faster. Either way, she was more than prepared when it came. She stretched her arm out and got her racquet head just behind the shuttle. Before it could make contact, she rotated her wrist back, delaying the shot.
Deception.
Only the subtle, crisp sound of the strings making contact with the rubber end of the feathered object was heard. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent the shuttle soaring, high and fast over to her opponent's backhand corner. The girl on the opposite court was caught off-guard, the flick guised well by the motion of one preparing for a net shot. She barely managed to catch the shot. She put all her weight onto her dominant foot, while all her power focused into what would be her final shot.
The opponent could only watch as the raven extended her legs, soaring in the air. Her lithe form seemed to float if only for a fraction of a second. With one, fluid movement, she smashed the shuttle to the ground, leaving only the sound upon impact to show for the explosiveness of the shot.
Everything was still and silent until the umpire's final call.
"Game. Match won by Hasegawa, 19-21, 21-19, 30-29."
In an instant, thunderous applause rumbled through the entire stadium. Rexy-sensei quickly got on his feet to deliver a standing ovation, hollering words of praise as he did. The relief he felt after the raven emerged victor failed to go unnoticed.
"That's favouritism, sensei." Shoji deadpanned, his arms crossed and an eyebrow arched.
"Eh?" said the dumbfounded coach. The rest of his team laughed out heartily, all aware of his slight preference of one over the rest of them. They didn't mind too much since she was also given twice the amount of punishments.
The runner-up walked over to the net, shaking the umpire's hand and giving him her thanks before turning to the victor, who had nothing but a vacant expression on her face. A smirk began to form on her face.
"Hey, if you're going to greet me with a face like that then I'll never be able to accept defeat." She called, snapping the dazed girl out of her reverie.
Realization instantly occupied Reiko's blank face, and she approached the net with her face still looking half-dazed. She couldn't explain why victory seemed so ordinary, why she felt an unquenchable dissatisfaction. Was that it? She asked herself. Victory definitely felt more difficult to attain just moments ago. The expression on her face failed to escape sharp, watchful eyes.
Putting on a sheepish smile, she walked over to the net, rubbed the back of her head before extending a hand to her once opponent. "Thanks for the match, Yui-senpai."
The older girl smiled and shook her pale hand firmly. "You played well, Reiko." She commended, giving her teammate a congratulatory pat on the back with her racquet.
The raven thanked the umpire before walking over to where her coach and other teammates were. As she made her trip, she was showered with praises from those who witnessed the epic match.
Rexy-sensei quickly cleared his throat as his two girls approached. She gave the older of the two a pat on the shoulder. "Well played, Yui." He remarked, earning a 'thanks' before he looked over to the seemingly puffed-out, raven-haired girl, who busied herself with gathering her items.
The coach walked over and cleared his throat. "Right, Rei. Good job. You still need to work on that follow-through after backhand clears. Go stretch and cool down." He instructed. He looked over his shoulder to where the runner-up stood before saying, "You go stretch too, Yui." With that, he left his team to have their fun.
"Wah! The day Reiko takes Yui's crown has finally come!" said Mariko with watery eyes. "I didn't think it would happen so soon! It's too early!" She wailed, pretending to cry on Ansei's thick, broad shoulders.
Reiko rolled her eyes at the older girl's antics. She rummaged through her sports bag and fished her phone out. She pressed down on a button for a few seconds before the screen came to life. She instantly broke a sweat upon what greeted her on the screen.
47 Unread Messages
Her jaw nearly dismounted upon seeing the torrent of messages in her inbox. She'd neglected her phone throughout the entire week, only remembering to charge it last night when she saw her charger in the process of looking for a fresh pair of underwear. She skimmed through the first 10 messages, noticing each one was fairly the same as the others; expressions of encouragement from her classmates and friends. She felt her eyes start to well and she began sniffing, touched by their support. Overwhelmed by the mass of messages that mostly had the same content; she decided to only read those that were from the most significant people in her life, not that her other classmates weren't important. This was a huge mistake on her part, as these messages impelled her mood to fluctuate at a rate that could've given any normal person a spasm. Some of the like were;
Message from: Mom (Monday)
"Hi dear. How is Fujisawa?
Reiko cringed upon reading just the first line.
I went in your room to clean up and saw that your bag of toiletries was left on the bed. I hope you at least thought of buying deodorant from there.
Reiko could feel the heat emanate from her face, even when she was the only person who was reading the message. Maybe she should've skipped the older messages. (a/n: Reiko's reading the text messages from the bottom: oldest, up: the newest)
You're a big girl now. Don't go running around without antiperspirant because you won't always smell fresh. Good luck with the tournament dear. Love you. Oh, did you pack enough underwear?"
End of Message
She cringed, and grimaced, and wrinkled her nose, as though reading the message had been a torturously humiliating ordeal. After mumbling a string of incoherent words that revolved around "geez", "stupid", and "always treating me like a kid", the raven-haired girl continued to the next message.
Message from: Haruto Chiharu (Monday)
"Hey woman! Y didn't u tell us u had a 2rney on this wk?! We're supposed to b friends, u knw? Meh, I'll 4give u, but since we're not there, u betta do sum serious azz kickin on r behalf. XD And take lotsa pics of any hot guys. I want a full report wen u get bak, so u betta b ready! Oh! Nd Yumi, Eiji and Oishi say hi!"
End of Message
Reiko's eyes were filled with horror, obviously disturbed by the idea of surveying the area for good looking males, and by her friend's ability to spell. She shook her head disapprovingly, let out a sigh, before moving on to the next message, but not without muttering a few words that dallied along the lines of, "baka", "pervert", and "adulterer".
Reiko was a little taken back by the next message, or rather, by receiving a message from an unexpected person. Her fingers clumsily fumbled on the keypad as she opened it.
Message from: Tezuka Kunimitsu (Wednesday)
Hasegawa, yudan sezu ni ikou.
End of Message
She let out a silent chuckle. It was a bit of a relief to know that in spite of all the troublesome events, Tezuka Kunimitsu would always be the Tezuka Kunimitsu; cool, calm, collected. Not to mention concise. Unknown to her, sending the ostensibly simple message took the bespectacled lad two restless nights and a voice that nagged at the back of his head.
Finally she was left with four, all of which she left out as they came from the one sender. Most people only sent her one to wish her luck. At the most, a person sent two; this person sent one message for each day of the week through to Thursday. She had purposefully skipped them whilst going through the torrent, unsure whether she should read them or not. She took in a deep breath, deciding on the former, and anxiously bit on her lower lip, dreading what the message had in store. She could hear her heart pound in her head as the screen loaded.
Message from: Fuji Syuusuke (Monday)
:)
End of Message
Lost, Reiko found her head slowly angle to the side. Her brows furrowed together as she waited for the next one to open.
Message from; Fuji Syuusuke (Tuesday)
:)
End of message
Now, the raven's nose crinkled and creases appeared on her once smooth forehead in utter confusion. She found that the Wednesday and Thursday messages were also the same. Her mouth mechanically fell open and a nonplused "Hah?" escaped her lips.
She was about to put her phone down and begin her stretching, when it suddenly vibrated in her hand.
You have 1 New Message
She arched one brow upon learning it was from the same person that sent her cryptic messages. Sure she got they were smileys, but she couldn't help but wonder if they stood for something else? She also assumed that the new message would be the same as his other ones. Luckily she opened it to double check.
Message from: Fuji Syuusuke (Friday)
Are celebrations called for? I'm confident you did well.
A faint blush tainted her cheeks.
I didn't tell you eariler as it might affect your game, but I've told Tezuka about Sunday.
Eyes bulging out of their sockets, Reiko instantly exploded. "HE DID WHAT?!" She roared. The faint pink now turned into a glowing red that spread like an epidemic on her face. Attracting unwanted attention, she tried to calm herself a bit. She read the rest of the message whilst still fuming.
Other than that, you didn't miss much. I trust you didn't do things of Haruto-san's suggestion. Eiji said you "need" to buy him some shirasu(1) to compensate for not informing him about your competition. I took care of the history test, but I wish you luck for the mountainous pile of homework you have to do. Have a great day! :)
Also, I miss you.
In a flash, her anger was discarded and the shade of beet crimson was now due to something entirely different. Again she heard her erratic heart beat, her stomach churned, and she nibbled on her lower lip as the last line lingered in her head.
Noticing that the 'End of Message' line wasn't in sight, she pressed the key with the arrow pointing downward only to find that there was more to the message.
The week went by slowly without anyone to torment. But I guess this makes up for that. :)
End of Message
She had the strongest urge to rip something into shreds, and so quickly put her phone down before it fell victim to an untamed violence. She breathed in and out, in and out, until her heart rate became more stable. Through gritted teeth, she cursed the sender of the infuriating message, grumbling words such as "two-faced", "sadist", and "snivelling weasel". She decided to vent her anger out by stretching and doing more than the required amount of sit-ups and push-ups a normal "cool down" demanded.
A few minutes of silent stretching and…
"Gah! Stupid smileys!" She growled as the 'smileys' in the text messages suddenly began to resemble the sender.
--
Reiko usually never had any trouble sleeping in the car. Her teammates even said she had the gift to 'sleep at will'. But now that the tournament was over, she realized that there were a vast amount of things she needed to seriously think about and that she didn't know where to begin. She deliberated on each one for a few moments, but found they were more exhausting than her entire week. Finally she felt the onset of fatigue. She placed her travel pillow against the window and leaned her head against it. Her eyes had only been closed for a few moments when an extremely excited Mariko shrieked and shook her shoulders until she was conscious again.
"Rei, Rei! Look!" The supposedly more mature girl called. The raven groggily opened her eyes and allowed her gaze to trace where her teammate pointed. She found her finger was directed to an elevated chunk of land in the distance.
Reiko arched a brow.
"It's Mount Fuji! You really can see it here on a clear day!" She gaped. She quickly swiped her digital camera from her bag and took photos of the majestic body of land.
"ACK!" The raven groused, calling the attention of everyone inside the mini-bus. Curious pairs of eyes focused at her in silence.
The hushed atmosphere abruptly came to an end when a subdued snickering was heard. Everyone followed the sound, and saw a dumbstruck Ryoutarou sitting next to a shaking Nicholas.
"Ha. Ha ha. Ha." They heard as they watched the teen clutch his stomach.
A few seconds later and…
"AHHH! REXY-SENSEI! NICK IS HAVING A SEIZURE!" Ryoutarou screamed in panic.
The pale, raven-haired girl rolled her amber eyes in annoyance before muffling a frustrated grunt with her pillow. It was going to be a loooong drive home.
--
It was around five in the afternoon when the mini-bus pulled over the Hasegawa driveway. Getting off, she took her bags from the boot and thanked her coach and Nicholas' father for driving and for taking care of them that whole week. She bid everyone still inside the bus "goodbye" and they congratulated her on her victory once more in return.
"Thanks. See you guys at training." She said, waving her hand before Mr. Petroni (a.k.a. Nicholas' dad) reversed the bus out of the driveway and into the main street.
She let out a huff before slinging the two large bags on each shoulder. She put one bag down and rummaged the other for her house keys.
"Tadaima." She called out upon entering the front door, only to find that there was no one at home. It was late in the afternoon, and she took it that her father was still at work, and her mother must have gone to the nearby grocers and took Krypto along for the walk.
She dropped her bags on the floor, went to the kitchen and washed her hands before searching the pantry for something to snack on. She ended up taking a box of cereals and a large packet of M&M's. She put a hefty amount of both into a bowl before pouring the milk she'd taken from the fridge. She sat herself down on one of the dining chairs before digging into the assorted mix.
She found herself staring into space as she mechanically chewed on her food. The kitchen clock ticked loudly and it sounded like she could hear her munching echo throughout the entire house. It had never been that quiet, and the unbearable silence engendered a weird feeling in the pits of her stomach. She lazily surveyed her surroundings, silently asking herself if the house had always been that big and dark. Suddenly she felt cold, and could only pin down the unpleasant feeling as 'homesickness'.
"Heh," she snorted, dismissing the thought. How can one be homesick if they were already at home?
She dumped her bowl on the sink before lugging herself up to her bedroom. She quickly went to the bathroom to remove her contact lenses before plopping down on the well-made bed. She buried her face onto a pillow, only to turn it sideward when her air supply ran thin.
Lying on her stomach, she quietly observed the room. It was unusually clean; the floor was free of clutter and the only pile she found was a neat stack of books and papers on the desk. It was then that her eyes narrowed on a metallic blue paper bag laced with curled grey and silver ribbons. Pushing herself off, she zeroed in on the object and grasped it before taking it with her to the bed. She put on the pair of glasses that rested on the bedside table before reading the attached card.
Although only a 'Congratulations!' was written on it, she recognized the legible penmanship anywhere. She carefully undid the ribbons and gasped upon seeing what was inside the bag. Her bright, ochre eyes stared into the plush toy's large, beady, black ones. It was a panda; a very round, very adorable looking panda about the size of her forearm. She gave in to the urge of squeezing the stuffed item with all her strength. Thereafter she buried her face into its soft belly, registering the faint, familiar scent akin to that of the giver. Somehow, the simple object made her forget about her worries, even by a little bit. She stared at it for a few more minutes, suddenly feeling inclined to dye her dog black and white and overfeed it.
Placing her glasses back on the side table, she lay down on the bed with the cuddly item in her arms.
--
"Thank you for helping me with Krypto and the groceries, Syuusuke-kun. For some reason, that dog is being especially playful today." Mrs. Hasegawa said while opening the door with her keys.
The tennis prodigy flashed the woman a warm smile. "You're very welcome, Hasegawa-san. Krypto doesn't seem so difficult to handle now, though?" The boy said, giving the dog that obediently sat by his side a loving pat.
"Yes. It's quite clear he likes you. Also, feel free to call me Hiromi." The middle-aged lady said as she let both the teen and the hound inside the house. They quickly noticed the two bags on the ground, and the gleaming trophy on the coffee table.
"My, it looks like Reiko did well." She smiled a proud, motherly smile, before leading the way into the kitchen. She didn't fail to notice the content and proud smile that also lingered on the young man's face.
"You can put the bags down on the table, Syuusuke-kun. I'll take care of it later."
"Hai." Fuji replied, doing as he was told.
The middle-aged woman made her way to the living room and motioned the teen to follow her. Fuji's brows raised in question but did as instructed nevertheless.
"Reiko?" Mrs. Hasegawa called, leading the way up the stairs now.
They walked down the long hallway before stopping in front of the door right at the end. Mrs. Hasegawa knocked softly and called again. "Rei?" Hearing no reply, she twisted the knob and opened the door slightly.
The two smiled upon sight of the sleeping figure on the bed. She looked so childlike; innocent and peaceful. Fuji grinned subtly when he saw the stuffed animal in the slumbering girl's arms.
"The poor dear must be exhausted." Mrs. Hasegawa said, before leaving her daughter to rest. She closed the door before ushering the lad down the stairs this time.
"Would you like some cake, Syuusuke-kun?" She asked.
"Oh, that's okay Hiromi-san," the boy declined politely. "Actually, a few friends and I went out to eat before we ran into each other."
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Hasegawa insisted.
The boy gave her another nod before she let it go. "I guess I better be off. I promised Onee-san I would be back before six," he said.
Mrs. Hasegawa smiled. "You're a good boy. Syuusuke-kun." She acclaimed as she led him to the front door. The tennis prodigy bowed politely before stepping out. "Thank you again, Syuusuke-kun, for everything."
From the way she said her thanks, it didn't seem like the older woman was referring to his helping with the groceries. Fuji decided to brush off his trivial suspicion and smiled again.
--
Slowly, Reiko opened her eyes, blinking a few times while simultaneously stretching her arms to the side. She blindly tapped her hand on the side table, her hands feeling for her spectacles' familiar shape. Once they were under her grasp, she carefully picked it up and put it on her face. She then reached out the side table once more, this time to grab her clock.
It was six in the morning. She'd slept for almost 13 hours. She swung her legs to the side and planted her feet on the carpeted floor before lethargically propping herself up. A loud yawn escaped her lips as she made her way to the bathroom. She stretched her arms a few more times before washing her face and brushing her teeth.
She made her way back into the bedroom and settled on the swivelling chair. Spinning herself around and around, she thought of how she was going to kill time. She abruptly stopped spinning upon feeling dizzy and coincidentally ended up facing the overwhelming stack of books and papers on her desk. She puffed her cheeks feeling slightly annoyed at the sight that greeted her so early in the morning. Huffing, she grudgingly decided to start her school work.
Oddly, it was as if the ticking of her clock was being amplified. Tick (tick). Tock (tock). Each 'tick' ticked twice. Each 'tock' tocked twice, as though the walls surrounding her suddenly became hollow. As the orange light from dawn slipped through a tiny slit between the curtains, she heard the same unbearable silence, felt the same emptiness as she did yesterday, when the orange light from dusk slipped through the tiny slit between the curtains. Today was yesterday, yesterday is today.
She read the same sentence on the open English textbook seven times. Not a single word sunk in.
Letting a frustrated grunt out, she slammed the hardbound cover of the textbook shut before grabbing a change of clothes from her closet. She was wearing a fresh pair of contact lenses and a compression suit upon coming out of the bathroom. She went over to her closet once more to grab a pair of socks, running shoes and a slightly oversized track jacket which she wore over the form-fitting suit.
Quietly she headed down the stairs, grabbing her keys on her way out of the house. It'd been raining all week; summer was rapidly transitioning to fall. It was darker now; the streetlights which were usually turned off at that hour now dimly lit the empty streets. Suddenly, despite the thermals she had on, she felt herself shiver from the early morning chill. She zipped her jacket all the way up, turning the collar into a turtleneck to shield her from the cold.
She was in the middle of stretching her legs out when headlights from a familiar red car parking at her neighbour's house blinded her eyes. She decided to jog over to greet Fuji Yumiko 'good morning' and see what she was up to at such an early hour, and was slightly surprised to find the tennis prodigy step out of the car with her.
Wide sapphire eyes quickly turned into upturned slits.
"We're up quite early, ne Reiko-chi?" The fair-haired boy greeted, almost chuckling upon seeing the said girl's reaction to his casual reference to her name.
Cheeks flushed and eyes twitching, Reiko managed to force a smile on her face. "I could say the same to you." She muttered, nearly forgetting what she came over for. She abruptly turned to face the older woman and bowed her head down stiffly. "Actually, I just came over to say good morning to Yumiko-san." She revealed.
The brown-haired woman smiled. "That's quite thoughtful of you, Reiko-san. Are you going for a run?" She inquired. The raven confirmed with another stiff nod.
"It's still quite dark for a run, don't you think?" The tennis-prodigy pressed, keeping the underhanded grin well in place.
"There are streetlights all over the neighbourhood." She retorted.
"Yes, and so are... 'creeps'." The tennis prodigy added, struggling to find a suitable yet less critical word for, well those who lurked in the wee hours of the morning doing malicious, criminal acts.
Reiko's already pale face drained further in colour while her mind quickly displayed paranoid scenarios of possible run-ins with said people.
Seeing the girl's immediate silence, the tennis prodigy felt content knowing he'd gotten his point across. "So, please wait patiently while I change." He said, fighting the grin that pulled at the corners of his lips.
"Hah?" Said a slack jawed, dumbfounded Reiko. The raven only noticed the semi-formal, slacks and vest-over-business-shirt attire her ('long-lost') childhood friend was sporting when he entered the house. She eyed the thick brown envelope he carried with him inside suspiciously.
Yumiko could only smile. "Please excuse him. I'm sure you've noticed that my brother takes pleasure in acting unconventionally." She said, clearing the air of silence.
"Unconventional is an understatement." Reiko muttered.
"But I hope you understand," Yumiko continued, calling the attention of the raven once more. "This is just how he looks after those he cares most about."
Instantly, the cold dissipated upon hearing the statement that made the raven grow feverishly warm. Abashed, she kept her gaze on the feet which she shuffled restlessly on the ground.
"Would you like to wait inside, Reiko-san?" Yumiko asked, opening the front door to usher the younger girl in.
Reiko could only blink, still slightly taken by the earlier statement. "T-that's okay. I wouldn't want to have to get accustomed to the cold all over again." She stammered, declining as politely as she could.
"Are you sure?" The older woman insisted.
The raven gave her a nod. "Yes. I'm fine. You should also go inside before you get cold, Yumiko-san." She said.
The eldest of the Fuji siblings smiled again. "Alright. Have a good run. And please don't start without Syuusuke. Remember, unconventional." The woman reminded, winking as she left a shuddering Reiko.
As soon as Yumiko was inside, the raven-haired girl let out a heavy sigh. "Seriously, what is that Fuji (knowing that there are so many different types Fuji's) thinking?" She sat on the porch's steps and spun her keys around her index finger while waiting.
--
The tennis prodigy had just put on an orange, hooded sweat shirt when a knock on his door was heard.
"Come in." He permitted.
"Wouldn't you like to rest first, Syuusuke? You were up all night." Yumiko asked, almost entreatingly.
The younger Fuji smiled. "I'm fine, Onee-san. I don't feel tired at all." He reassured, but the genuine expression on his face wasn't enough to purge the worry on his sister's face.
Fuji Yumiko stared at the brown envelope on her brother's desk grimly. The other immediately sensed his sister's apprehension, as though her thoughts resonated in his mind.
"He promised. Not until that time." He said, fishing a sports watch from a drawer in his closet. "There's no harm in giving him a little 'incentive' to keep his word."
He made sure the watch was securely strapped to his wrist before walking over to his desk to pick up the envelope. Heading over to where the woman stood, he handed her the item.
"Saa... I'm sorry to bother you with this, Senior Vice President of Marketing-san." He said, a playful grin occupying his face.
Yumiko smiled as she took the envelope off his brother's hands. "I'll review it before I finalize the presentation, future President-san." She said.
"Please do. Thank you very much for your help," said the tennis prodigy as he closed the door behind him. The two headed down the stairs surrounded by a chipper atmosphere.
"Saa... I guess I'll be back for breakfast. See you later, Onee-san."
"Have a good run, Syuusuke." She bade.
--
The underhanded grin was impossible to resist as Fuji spotted a jaded Reiko sitting on their steps. Her head was perched on the hand attached to the arm that rested on her bent leg while she twirled and twirled her house keys around her extended index finger.
He silently closed the door behind him and sneakily positioned himself behind the unsuspecting girl. He crouched down until his face was levelled with the small area of skin that her turtleneck failed to cover and blew. The keys fell to the ground as Reiko's entire body instantaneously turned rigid. She quickly jolted up, her hands covering the violated spot on her neck protectively, and turned around to find a chuckling Fuji.
Then abruptly the laughter stopped and bright, blue eyes were suddenly exposed. Before she could wake the entire neighbourhood up with a scream, he spoke.
"You seem very enthusiastic, ne?" He teased before giving the raven a very quick pat on the head.
Again, Reiko was dumbstruck. Before she could mutter a quick 'What the hell?', Fuji had already sprinted off. Staggering on her feet, she hastily made a dash to catch up.
"Seriously, after making me wait for you..." Reiko grumbled, finally catching up. "Ungrateful ba—"
She was instantly rendered speechless when the tennis prodigy took hold of her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. A blush suddenly warmed her cold cheeks.
// How can his hands still be so warm despite the cold? //
She opened her mouth to protest but was cut off once again.
"Saa... Seems like I've been captured," said Fuji. He looked over to his running partner with an enigmatic smile on his face. "I definitely can't run away now."
She felt her heart twist. Seeing the satisfaction on the tennis prodigy's face was like having a bullet pierce her heart. She suddenly remembered the promise she made with herself, and instantly she was overcome by guilt.
"Fuji," she called, her strides abruptly coming to a stop. "I..." She kept her gaze on the hand entwined with hers, mind deep in thought.
// Tell him, Rei. You have to. Tell him now. // She ordered herself.
"What's wrong?" The tennis prodigy asked. The Cheshire grin on his face had been completely wiped off and was now replaced by furrowed brows and questioning blue eyes. He gave her hand a light squeeze, imploring her to continue. The simple action stirred her out of her thoughts. The moment she looked up to meet his gaze, all words were immediately forgotten.
It was that look again. It frightened her how the one look could generate so many different responses she had no control over. Again she felt strangely feverish; her thoughts were now in a jumbled mess and the only thing she could hear was the drumming in her head. She could only feel the pounding of her heart; it always raced upon each time she caught glimpse of those sapphire eyes.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
Reiko felt herself jump upon the untimely chiming of the object on her wrist. The tennis prodigy eyed the watch curiously as the startled girl raised it to her face. Amber eyes widened in horror while azure eyes turned into upturned slits after both pairs read what was on the screen.
'200 bpm' blinked on the small screen of the black watch with the built-in heart-rate monitor.
Slowly,hesitantly, the raven raised her gaze, only to find a smirking Fuji with a hand under his chin.
"My..." He started, almost sneering at the now mortified girl.
Face brightly flushed, she shook her head in denial. "It's from the running!" She yelled before sprinting off to hide her embarrassment.
The tennis prodigy let out a chuckle. "Saa, so she says," he whispered before following suit.
--
"See you later." The lady in the reception desk bade cheerily as the tall, bespectacled boy made his way out of the sports centre's sliding doors.
Tezuka gave a nod, acknowledging the lady, pulled the strap of the sports bag that hung on his shoulder, before fully exiting the complex.
The stoic boy rotated his left shoulder repeatedly while making his way to the nearby train station. All the while his mind was preoccupied with the words and images of the brochure Ryuzaki-sensei had given him the previous week.
"Ara..." A voice said, causing the bespectacled teen to turn around. Before him stood a stranger who looked so vaguely familiar. His salt and pepper hair gave a good indication of the man's age, and the tennis bag hanging on the old man's shoulder immediately caught the boy's attention.
"You play tennis, boy?" The old man asked; a foreboding grin plastered on his slightly wrinkled face.
"Yes," Tezuka replied in his usual monotone. Inwardly he tried to recall where he may have seen the man before. He was never the type to forget a face, and so the teen was bothered when he couldn't put a finger on the man's identity.
Subtly, he observed the man. For a person of his age, the man had a prominently good posture. He could see the well-toned yet uneven muscles on his forearms, the subtle disproportion of his right from his left was sufficient evidence to assume he was a very experienced tennis player. His skin was unusually pale though, which was unusual to most tennis players.
The stranger strode towards him, adjusting the pair of spectacles that rested on his face by its stem. The simple gesture allowed Tezuka to catch a glimpse of man's eyes, and he almost said 'Hasegawa' out loud upon sight of his bright amber eyes.
"Heh..." The stranger eyed him from head to toe, while a hand rested under his chin, evidently examining him. "You think you can spare this old geezer a game or two?"
Tezuka kept silent for a moment. Although the stranger's light complexion made him appear fragile, the boy knew he was a much more formidable than he looked.
"I don't mind." The placid boy replied. He needed a good hit anyway. An hour and half with three ball machines still left him unsatisfied.
The man's face brightened. "Will you lead the way then? I'm afraid I'm not from around here so I have no idea where the nearest court is," he informed.
"Of course," the bespectacled boy agreed. He turned and started towards a different direction while the old man towed behind him.
"So, which university do you play for, boy?" The man asked, trying to make small talk as they trudged to their destination.
Tezuka felt his eye twitch upon hearing the question. Fighting to keep his face straight and voice even, he said "None. I am a still in middle school."
Surprised, the stranger replied to the revelation with a wheezy laugh. "You're joking? Why on earth would a middle school student have such a serious expression?" The man asked as he struggled to contain his laughter.
Tezuka merely pushed his glasses up by its bridge, keeping silent. Thankfully the nearest tennis courts were only a couple more minutes away.
The impassive boy held back a sigh of relief when they finally reached their destination. "We're here." He announced.
The man stopped his laughter and straightened himself up before observing the surroundings. The court was located under the overpass where the trains ran; the red, clay grounds enclosed by tall wire fences. He smirked as he routinely tapped his foot on the court's surface. // He's a smarty, eh? // He thought, knowing that the boy had purposely brought him to a clay court so that his rickety, old bones won't suffer from impact too much.
Each pulled a racquet and two tennis balls out before placing their bags down on a bench. Tezuka walked over to the other side of the net while the old man approached it.
"Rough or smooth?" The man asked.
"Smooth." Tezuka called and unsurprisingly ended up getting the serve. He took a ball out of his pocket and dribbled it with his racquet as he made his way behind the service line. He waited for his opponent to finish stretching his arms before he caught the ball with his left hand.
He tossed the ball up, leaned back on his right knee while pulling his right arm back and was about to make contact with the tennis ball when—
"WAIT!" The old man suddenly called.
The bespectacled boy caught the ball in the air with his left hand before eyeing the old man on the other side questioningly.
With a hand on his waist and the head of his racquet pointed towards the stoic boy, the old man said, "Who are you trying to fool boy? Play me properly." He ordered.
Although his face was blank, Tezuka inwardly wondered how the stranger knew he was left-handed before they even began to play.
As if reading his mind, the old man smirked. "The grip on your racquet is obviously done for left-handers." He told him, making the boy eye the handle of his racquet.
He had definitely underestimated his opponent. Resisting a smile, Tezuka instead settled on pushing the bridge of his glasses up. His emotionless face masked the excitement he felt inside perfectly.
"I apologize." He said before holding the racquet with his left hand. This time, he dribbled the ball with his right hand, making the stranger smile contently before returning behind the baseline.
--
"Ho?" The old man didn't hide his surprise upon learning how capable a tennis player his opponent was. Sure he expected him to be good, he would've never asked for a hit otherwise. However, he didn't expect him, the middle school student, to be playing at such a high calibre. At his young age, he could actually be beating some of the pros out there.
The old man quickly returned the ball back to the boy's backhand side, but arched a brow when the lad took only two steps before effortlessly returning it. This time, it was Tezuka's turn to give it to his backhand.
The salt and pepper haired man dashed agilely to the other side, making contact with the ball just in time. His trained eyes immediately noticed that the ball was still spinning even when it was in contact with his racquet. // This move, eh? What a lazy fellow. // He smirked again, before sending the shot to the opposite corner of the court. He was not surprised when the ball suddenly curved into the bespectacled boy's hit zone.
Tezuka only needed one step this time, as the ball automatically sailed towards his direction. Although the ball went exactly where he wanted it to be, the tennis captain was slightly taken by the power of the old man's return. It was enough to make him take a step back. Thinking quickly, he hit the ball straight while trying to put as much spin on it as he possibly can. He was intent on making his opponent run.
The old man grinned. Yes, the boy could be great. If...
Grinning widely, the old man twirled the racquet in his palm. Rather than the gut of his racquet, it was the frame that made perfect contact with the ball.
"There you go. See if that comes back to you." He said, the haughty smirk still in place as he watched the ball fly straight, its spin completely nullified.
And just like that, the old stranger had sealed the Tezuka zone. Although surprised, the stoic boy still managed to make a quick run to catch and return the ball to the other side. Again he was taken aback when the stranger approached the net and caught the ball with his hand as it flew in mid-air.
"Okay, okay. That should be enough for today. Consider it your win." The stranger declared gaily. Too gaily in fact, that Tezuka arched a brow in question.
"Why?" The teen asked, thoroughly perplexed by the strangers actions.
" 'Why', he says." The old man muttered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He then curled his index finger to motion the boy to come closer. Once Tezuka was nearer, the old man raised his racquet and used its head to poke the boy's shoulder.
"Hurts , don't it?"
The bespectacled boy merely kept silent.
"Che, this is why I say we're slowly using our youth. You younguns these days take everything too seriously." The man lectured. He took his racquet into his other hand so that he could extend his right one to the boy.
"What's your name boy?" The man asked.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu." The boy answered, bowing before taking the man's outstretched hand.
"Pleased, to meet you Tezuka Kunimitsu-kun. Ishikawa Kenji." The old man said before giving the hand in his clasp a firm shake.
"Ishikawa?" The bespectacled boy repeated, his eyes wider by a few millimetres upon realization.
The old man let out his trademark wheezy laugh. This boy was certainly different. "What? No asking for my autograph. I was waiting for your jaw to drop. Honestly, it's like I didn't even win those four slams." The old man teased.
Tezuka merely cleared his throat. "It's an honour to make your acquaintance."
The old legend raised a brow. So it seems the boy was born on the wrong era.
Shaking it off, the man said, "Say, Tezuka Kunimitsu-kun, do you know what turns greatness into failure?" to which the boy responded with the shaking of his head.
"Changing the spelling." Ishikawa Kenji revealed, to which Tezuka Kunimitsu reacted with a blank stare. Were those crickets he heard chirping in broad daylight?
The salt and pepper haired man arched a brow. "It was a joke, boy. Has anyone ever told you to lighten up?" He asked.
So many names instantly came up in the impassive boy's mind that he decided to remain silent instead.
"Ah, never mind. What was I saying?" The old man said whilst snapping his fingers. "Ah, yes. The difference," he recalled.
The old man took the pair of spectacles off his face and wiped the lenses clean with the bottom of his shirt. Amber eyes pierced through impassive hazel ones.
"One. Bad. Decision." The old man revealed. He raised his spectacles up in the air to inspect if it was cleaned thoroughly before putting it back on.
"You are a rare piece of talent, Tezuka Kunimitsu-kun. One that comes perhaps once every ten years..." The tennis great continued as he walked over to the bench to put his racquet back inside his bag.
"You, boy, are privileged to even have a choice. There are some who aren't even lucky enough to be granted that opportunity," The old man closed the zipper of his bag before turning around to face the young lad once again. "You definitely have the capacity to be great. That much I can vouch for. So I sincerely hope you don't start making bad decisions before you're even up there."
The gravity of the man's stare, it was crushing, yet at the same time, Tezuka Kunimitsu could sense something beneath the man's grave, ochre eyes. At the bottom of the amber pools something resembled a sorrowful solemnity.
"You said there are those who have been denied the chance to choose. What do you mean by that?" The placid boy asked.
The salt and pepper haired man picked his bag up from the bench and slid his arms under the straps. He put a hand in his pocket and fished a piece of paper out.
"Well, there are also those who possess the drive, and the talent; those who have all the qualities to become great, but would always be bound to being just short of extraordinary by circumstances they cannot control."
"Those that I like to call the 'Tragic Case'." There was a certain darkness to the man's words despite having that crinkled smile plastered on his face. The tennis legend stretched his arm towards the boy to hand him the piece of paper. "I'm supposed to be visiting my daughter today you see, but I'm afraid I don't know my way around this town'a yours."
The man scratched the back of his head before producing a sheepish grin. "Maybe, you can show this geezer the way and in exchange I'll tell you a story that might answer your question better?" He asked.
Tezuka walked back to where his bag was, put his racquet in before picking it up and slinging it on his shoulders. He went back to where the man stood before taking the piece of paper from his hands.
Now knowing the man's identity, he was definitely certain it was their first personal encounter. He could therefore not explain the déjà vu he felt after reading the address on the strip. Perhaps it was because...
"A friend of mine lives on this street. It isn't that far a walk. About 20 minutes at the most," said the boy, pushing his glasses up by the bridge before pocketing the piece of paper. Inwardly he contemplated on whether he knew the address or not. Not one to assume without sufficient evidence, he decided he'd find out soon enough.
"After you then," the former tennis great said.
--
"I guess I should start from the very beginning." The old man said as he towed behind the silent boy.
"See, I had two pupils a while back..."
Upon the opening statement of the story, the tennis captain already had a brow arched.
"What? Just because I was a pro doesn't mean I pursued coaching as a career. If you should know, I was very selective in choosing the people I teach. I search for the diamonds in the rough... like you. Even when my closest friends ask, if to my eyes they don't shine, I turn 'em down, flat out."
The bespectacled boy nodded his head, turning a corner while the old man went off-tangent.
"Ah, that's not important. Anyway, as I was saying... So these two pupils of mine. They were prodigies I tell ya! Both had amazing insight; grasped everything in one go; lightning fast reflexes, everything. You could tell they were born naturally gifted!" He recalled.
His enthusiasm quickly vanished when a small frown appeared on the seasoned man's face. "Pity though. Only one of them was truly passionate about the sport."
One brow on the stoic boy's face arched. "Then why did your other pupil even take up the sport if he wasn't in the first place?" He asked.
The old man smiled. "To make me happy I guess. See, this other one, she's my granddaughter." He revealed, smiling sentimentally.
"Ever since she was a baby, I knew, you know? So as soon as she could hold a racket I insisted on teaching her. She easily agreed of course, she's a good kid."
"I thought, "In time it'll come". I showed her every trick in my arsenal; anything and everything I thought would inspire her. But I never saw that sparkle in her eyes."
"A few years later I took on another pupil. He possessed the same level of athleticism and intellect. And in his eyes I found the passion I so wished my grandchild's would reflect."
The two turned right around another corner, both paying very little attention to their surroundings; the young lad engrossed in the story that the old man was very occupied in telling.
"I guess you could say his drive was contagious. More precisely, it was the trigger. It didn't take long until my granddaughter realized tennis really just wasn't the right sport for her. Soon she decided to look for something she too could be as passionate about."
"Can't say I wasn't a little disappointed. But at the same time I felt a bit proud. My only grandchild, at such a young age she knew she was made for something else."
"She tried out so many things after that, other sports, music. She was good at all of them, since she was a quick learner. Oh, she was never good with arts though, she's really terrible with drawing."
The bespectacled boy cleared his throat, subtly reminding the older man he had a story to finish.
"Ah, sorry. Where was I? Ah, yes."
"So she tried all sorts of things, and finally one morning she calls me and tells me she's found it. It was another sport, in a way it's similar to tennis. I couldn't be happier. It was something I could support and help her with."
"I did some research about it and helped her with training her fitness and overall athleticism. She got a real coach and a few months later she was joining tournaments and bringing trophies home."
"Everyone thought the same thing: She will be great." The man said with a reminiscent smile.
He pushed his glasses up and a brief moment later the smile was gone.
"I don't really like getting into details about this, so I guess I'll skip to the important part."
The bespectacled boy nodded in acquiescence.
"Well, she was just training one day and, oddly, she was missing every single shot. It was like her timing had severely been thrown off. Before that, her parents also got calls from her teachers saying they thought she was struggling a lot in school lately, which was strange since she's one of them good students."
"So obviously both her parents and I did a little investigating and we never expected the problem to be so... well... severe."
Tezuka's brows furrowed in confusion upon seeing the old man stop to turn and face him.
"You boy, are lucky." The man said, pointing his index to the Tezuka's shoulder. "That injury... Easily curable if you act on it now."
The man tore his gaze away from the younger man as he looked up at the morning sky.
"No wonder she was so bad at drawing..." He muttered softly, as though he was talking to himself.
The old man let out a heavy sigh before looking the teen in the eye once more.
"My granddaughter, my precious gem..."
He paused, massaging the area between his furrowed brows.
"She's going blind."
--
"Reiko-chi, won't you wait up?" The tennis prodigy pleaded teasingly as he ran behind said girl.
Face still flushed—not from the exercise—Reiko shut her eyes tightly and shook her head before increasing her pace, intent on running away from the embarrassment.
"Mou, would it make you feel better if I tell you that you make me feel the same way?" The brown-haired boy continued. The chuckle at the end of his sentence was impossible even for a ninety year old missing a hearing aid to miss.
"AH! SHUT IT!" She screamed, thoroughly embarrassed. Blushing harder the raven decided to kick into fifth gear and burst into a sprint. Looking ahead, she found she was approaching the intersection of the main road and was relieved to find the pedestrian light was green. At least some form of technology was working in her favour.
"Reiko." Fuji's warning voice called from behind.
Not paying him any attention the raven decided to push on. Just as she put a foot on the road she felt a strong hand grip her wrist while an arm wrapped itself around her upper torso, pulling her back and trapping her in place.
A split second later a bus zoomed past, just missing the foot she had on the road by, well, a foot.
She could feel his heart pounding on her back, the heat from his breath as he breathed heavily behind her.
"Strike two." The tennis prodigy muttered between broken breaths. "Are you sure you were taught how to cross the road properly?"
Wide-eyed and mouth ajar, Reiko stammered. "I-it was green!" She protested pointing to the traffic light. And as if on cue, the ticker on the pedestrian light clicked just as it turned the to spoken color.
Suddenly she seemed lost, her face severely confused.
"Yes, now it's green." Fuji said. He turned the partially stiff Reiko around so that she was facing him. "Are you okay? I'm sure that gave you quite a shock."
She nodded hastily as she delivered an unconvincing "yes". She took in a deep breath before looking up to face the brown-haired boy. "All good," she told him.
Fuji gave her half a smile as he brushed the raven locks that fell on her flushed face behind her ears. "Would you like to head back now? We can walk this time." He suggested, extending his hand to hers.
"Y-yeah." She replied, still looking partially distraught. She took the hand he offered and held onto it as they silently walked back home.
After a few minutes had gone, the raven went back to normal and the silence was interrupted by a faint chuckle. The raven looked blankly to her side and found the brown-haired boy with a hand on his mouth, obviously trying to subdue his quiet laughter.
"What?" The clueless Reiko asked, squeezing his hand a tad tighter.
Fuji merely tilted his head to the side and grinned wider.
"What is it?" She asked again, irritated.
"I'd rather not say." The tennis prodigy replied mischievously.
Reiko stopped in her tracks, her face now visibly annoyed. "Seriously, if you don't tell me I'm going to beat it out of you." She threatened.
"With one hand?" The tennis prodigy questioned, finally raising the hand which she still held.
Her cheeks were suddenly red again and immediately she withdrew her hold. Both embarrassed and annoyed, she stalked off grumbling curses.
Fuji immediately caught up and took her hand again. "Saa. That's why I said I would rather not tell you. I knew you would misunderstand and react this way."
She opened her mouth to protest but he had cut her off before she could speak.
"I wasn't laughing to tease or make fun of you, Reiko." He began, all traces of playfulness in his face gone. "To be honest, I am very happy. Even though you were only doing it subconsciously, I am very glad that you're comfortable with holding my hand, with being so close. I guess I was so overwhelmed by happiness I ended up laughing." He confessed rather forwardly, making the raven's already flushed face turn a deeper shade of red.
The words he said, they tickled her ears, yet at the same time...
// I promised, I wouldn't disappoint. Not myself. Not anyone. //
A small frown formed on the raven's lips and she hid it by looking down. "I wish you wouldn't be this easily pleased, because that would mean you would also be so easily disappointed." She mumbled faintly.
// I should really tell him. //
Finally she looked up, her grip on his hand much tighter and the look on her face now different. Her amber eyes were sombre yet obscure.
"I—"
"Reiko?" A voice suddenly interrupted, causing both teens to turn around. The two were surprised to find who it was that called on the raven's name.
"Ojii-san?!" The raven exclaimed in disbelief.
"Ara! Fuji-kun?"
"Kenji-sensei?"
" 'Ojii-san'?" A baritone voice interrupted. Tezuka Kunimitsu's face was definitely a few expressions short of stoic, verging more on being shocked. Yes, cool, calm and collected; shock-proof Tezuka has totally been destroyed.
"Tezuka-san?"
"Tezuka?"
Both the raven and the tennis prodigy chorused.
"You know him?" The seasoned tennis veteran asked. It was impossible to miss the horrified expression on the old man's face when three teens nodded in confirmation.
The old man slapped his head.
"Oh boy."
--
XXXXXXXX
Author's Notes:
Ahahah... What have I done? I guess we'll see in the next chapter. (Though it really shouldn't come as that big a shock, since I've actually put very (very) sutble hints early on... Or maybe they were only obvious to me since I was the one giving them... eheh!)
Would also just like you all to know, this isn't just some random spontaneous idea I thought of while working on this chapter. This was actually part of the story plan I made before I even published the first chapter. What I had trouble the most is trying to 'ease' it into the story. There's just sooo much to tell that I sometimes feel I'll turn it into a drag. Anyway...
Spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes or any mistake [;p] in general, please don't hesitate to notify me.
Lastly, shout-outs to all the anonymous reviewers...
yappi666- Well, here you go. I hope... well I could only hope after this update...
Love in Snow- I'm not sure if I've replied to your review since I think I sent out my review replies (via PM system) before I got yours? Anyway, thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I'm not sure if you still like it after now so I'll stick to past tense. Ehehe! Thanks.
Death-Key- Thanks, same goes... I'm glad you 'liked' it... hoping you still do. 'Cherry Juice'? Never heard of it. I'll have to look it up since I've made Fuji and Tezuka seem like characters from that manga.
fanfic addict anonymous XP- I'm reaaaaaaally sorry for the super delayed reply. I'm glad you didn't find the orange too 'un-orange- like. Ahaha! I did actually draw the chibi pics of her and Fuji. I took them down because I posted a 'new and improved' drawing of Rei and in that one it was the 'old' version. I may put it back up along with some other stuff I drew when I was procrastinating for my exams a month ago. I hope you still like this story after what I've 'done' to it. Ahehehe! See ya in the next chap! I hope.
angelazabini- Um, I guess this explains why 'tough Rei' is MIA right now... Thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope (crosses fingers) you like this update.
I'd also like to thank all those people who PMd me asking me to update. It kind of reminded me that there are still some people who are interested in this story despite the many blunders I've probably put it in it.
So there you go guys. If it's not too selfish, I'd like to ask you all to please keep an open mind and not judge the story based solely on this chapter. Thanks! :)
