Chapter 29
The next morning that Friday, the rumor of the perverted student council president and peeping tom tensai had spread throughout the school like wildfire, much to both boys' chagrin.
"Ne, I heard that Tezuka-san walked in on the girls while they were changing!" a girl told her friend excitedly.
"Really? No way! Where?"
"The girls' tennis clubhouse."
"Hey, did you guys here? Fuji-senpai actually spied on the girls' tennis team when they were changing!"
"I heard the girls were in their underwear!"
"Ne, are you sure? Tezuka Kaichou actually purposely stormed into the girl's locker room?"
"But he's such a well-disciplined and good student, he would never do that, would he?"
"Fuji actually saw my friend when she was in her bra only! And he smiled!"
"CREEPY!"
"I knew someone on that tennis team who told me that Tezuka-san was drooling!"
"Hentai! Hentai!"
"I never knew Tezuka-senpai had such a perverted side to him!"
Oishi gave a deep sigh as he looked up and watched his best friend whose head was lying against the table, arms dangling lifelessly on both sides of his desk.
"Tezuka, are you okay?" he asked.
"Aa," Tezuka muttered against the surface, still not looking up.
Oishi shook his head. Obviously, the model student was completely in dismay by the rumors that have been flying around all morning long. It was bad enough dealing with some of the whisperings amongst the non-regulars in the tennis club at practice early this morning, but upon class starting when the majority of the students have arrived at school, the rumor had worsened. Oishi wondered how Fuji was dealing with it all during this break time, but knowing the tensai, he was probably handling it much better than the bespectacled boy currently slumped over his desk at the very moment.
"Tezuka, I'm sure it'll all blow over after this weekend," Oishi reassured him with a smile.
"Aa," Tezuka responded unenthusiastically.
Oishi sighed again and slumped over his desk himself.
Meanwhile, Fuji was scratching the side of his head and chuckling nervously at all the rumors that have been flying around the school. As he walked through the school hallways with Kikumaru, he caught several students eyeing him oddly and a couple of girls who even blushed before running away.
"Ne, Fujiko, you're okay with all this?" Kikumaru asked curiously.
"I'm slightly embarrassed of course. But I find it even more amusing to hear about the 'perverted' student council president," Fuji laughed. He could only imagine Tezuka's reaction to all of this, knowing the boy.
Suddenly, he stopped in his steps.
Kikumaru turned around with a puzzled look. "Ne, Fuji, what's wrong?" He noticed his best friend seemed to be thinking about something, holding up his hands and looking at them.
Fuji closed his eyes and remembered the feel of Tezuka's face within his embrace, and the flushed tones on those cheeks. And of course, Tezuka's deep brown eyes gazing dazedly up at him. Oh, how he wished he could hold that face again. How he wished he could kiss him.
"Fuji?"
Fuji blinked and saw a pair of large eyes looking up at him, blinking inquiringly.
"Gomen, Eiji. I was just zoning out," Fuji smiled. His eyes flickered as he caught sight of a couple more girls giggling and blushing before scattering.
He sighed. It was going to be a long day.
During second break, Tezuka groaned as people continued to whisper around him, with a group of first year girls pointing at him and giggling. This was one of the worst days of his life. Of all things, why did he have to be the one to open that door at the worst possible time?
"Ne, there's the perverted student council president," Tezuka heard a second year girl whisper.
"Really? Who knew Tezuka-san would do such a thing," another student gossiped.
Tezuka dropped his head into his hand and shook his head. This was beyond annoying and embarrassing.
"Oi, Buchou!"
Tezuka looked up to see Momoshiro waving at him as he walked through the halls with Takashi.
"Or, should I say, perverted Buchou?" Momoshiro grinned teasingly.
"Momoshiro, 50 laps at practice on Monday."
"EH?!" the second year dropped his mouth in disbelief as his captain passed right by him and the power player, a grumpy look on his face.
Tezuka sighed. He regretted leaving the classroom for this second morning break, and he wondered if he was crazy for putting himself in the line of fire of various stares and questioning glances from students around him. Not to mention watching female students avoid him whenever he walked by.
As though things couldn't get any worse.
Suddenly, he noticed the young first year granddaughter of his coach walking towards his direction in the hallway. With the same serious politeness, he slightly nodded his head in a greeting, only to watch in dismay the young girl blush a furious beat of red and quickly turn back around to run away.
This was seriously one of the worst days of his life.
As Fuji rounded a corner, he was met with surprise as he ran into the tall, bespectacled boy.
"Gomen, Tezuka," Fuji apologized.
"It's okay," Tezuka said in the same stoic voice.
Fuji chuckled. "Ne, how do you feel about this whole rumor about the perverted buchou and peeping tensai?"
"I'm obviously not amused," Tezuka responded dryly, slightly irritated yet cheeks blushing pink with embarrassment at the whole fiasco as well.
Fuji laughed again. "Ne, Tezuka, you're really cute."
"Cute?" Tezuka blinked, finding the description of him unfitting and strange.
Fuji smiled. "What's wrong? You don't think 'cute' is the right word?" he looked up at the tall bespectacled boy teasingly.
"No," Tezuka responded plainly.
Fuji laughed again before giving an apologetic smile. "By the way, I'm sorry for leaving early yesterday. I hope putting the supplies away by yourself wasn't too much of a trouble."
"Don't worry. It wasn't any trouble."
The tensai blinked. He leaned in, looking up closer.
Tezuka saw those blue eyes close in on him, and his ears began to turn red. "F-Fuji, what are you doing?"
"Ne, Tezuka," Fuji frowned. "Have you gotten…skinnier?"
Tezuka blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Nevermind," he looked down before gazing back up and raising his eyebrows. "Ne, have you been sleeping? You have really heavy dark circles under your eyes."
Tezuka raised his head and looked away. "I'm fine." And then, he found himself holding his hand up to his mouth, trying to suppress a yawn.
Fuji blinked before chuckling. "You're still sleepy, I see." And then, he looked up at the bespectacled boy with playful eyes. "Isn't it time for you to wake up, Tezuka Kunimitsu?"
Tezuka blinked and stared back with a puzzled expression, an eyebrow raised rather confoundedly.
Fuji blinked back at this strange expression. "What?"
Suddenly, there was a muffled ring tone blaring that shook the two boys, and Fuji quickly rummaged through his pant pocket to pull out the cell phone.
Tezuka narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. "Fuji, you're not supposed to use cell phones during school!" he scolded. But the tensai ignored his warnings and answered the call.
"Fuji, it's me."
"Saeki!" Fuji voiced over the phone, not noticing the tall boy behind him tense up.
There were some short words exchanged and a brief conversation before Fuji hung up and sighed.
"What did he want?"
Fuji nearly jumped out of his skin, turning his head up in surprise at the tall bespectacled boy. "T-Tezuka!" He stuttered, forgetting that the serious boy was still there. "I thought you went back to your classroom already."
"What did he want?" Tezuka repeated coolly.
Fuji tugged a finger at his own shirt collar, slightly fidgeting with an uneasy smile as he averted his eyes to the side. "Well, Saeki is going to come meet with me here after school today since he doesn't have afternoon practice today either. Now that Nee-san's in Osaka and no one's home, he didn't want me to eat dinner alone."
"I see," Tezuka merely responded calmly before turning around to walk away.
Fuji's eyes widened, suddenly remembering Tezuka's question to him yesterday. "Tezuka!"
"What is it?" Tezuka asked, temporarily halting in his steps, his face calm and serious.
"Well, I mean, even though no one's home…Saeki and I won't…you know…we're not going to do anything…of that sorts…" Fuji found his voice trailing off as his confidence decreased. "We're just going to…um, play tennis…"
Tezuka turned away. "It's not my business."
Fuji winced at those cold, harsh words, and he looked up to see the back of his friend. "T-Tezuka!"
"I said, it's not my business what you decide to do." And with those words said, Tezuka walked away, leaving the tensai gaping before frowning with a rather hurtful face.
Tezuka stormed through the halls, completely forgetting about the various stares from the students around him regarding the matter yesterday. He was extremely irritated. Why is Fuji always talking to Saeki on the phone? It was extremely irresponsible to talk on the phone during break time when the school rules clearly stated no cell phone usage during school hours. He made a mental note to give Fuji a lecture about it after school today.
He stopped in his tracks.
Well, that won't work, because Fuji will be meeting with his friend.
Tezuka clenched his fist before shaking himself back to his senses.
What was he thinking? Why did it matter to him what Fuji does with his free time? Like he said, it was none of his business.
Dropping the matter, Tezuka continued walking back towards his classroom before the end of break when he suddenly heard a loud rumbling noise from a room he had just passed by in the hall. As students scattered in the halls away from the door where white smoke was seeping through, Tezuka quickly ran towards the area and swung the door open.
"Oi, is anyone hurt?" he inquired immediately, anxious. Instead, he received a couple of coughs back in return before seeing the tallest regular appear before him out of the cloud of smoke, his hand waving the smoke away.
"Gomen, Tezuka, my newest concoction had an unexpected reaction," Inui coughed again.
Tezuka coughed as well as the smoke cleared. "What were you working on this time?" his throat itched, and his eyes slightly watered from the unpleasant air quality.
"That's a secret," Inui grinned mischievously with a finger to his lips.
Tezuka saw the glass pitcher of green liquid sitting on the table next to all the chemistry lab's test tubes. "Inui, just because the student council agreed to let you use this lab doesn't mean you can destroy it."
"Don't worry, I am careful," Inui reassured him.
For some reason, Tezuka didn't feel confident about that answer. Sighing, he turned around to get ready to go back to class like he originally intended.
"Tezuka."
Tezuka faced the data collector. "What is it, Inui?"
Inui observed him calmly. "You have been losing weight still."
"I am fine."
"You haven't slept well last night either."
"I said I am fine." His voice began to sound strained as he gave a look of irritation.
"Was it because you finally got a taste of the sight of the young ladies on the girls' tennis team?" he grinned amusingly. "That's very interesting data."
Tezuka blushed and narrowed his eyes furiously, back turned on the data collector. "I'm leaving!" He took another step towards the door.
There was another loud rumbling from behind and Tezuka whirled around just in time to see a test tube shatter. "I-Inui!" he immediately ran back.
"I'm fine," Inui responded calmly, staring at the broken shards of glass before him and the green liquid oozing down the sink on the right. "Although I now have to clean up this mess."
Tezuka sighed and grabbed some paper towels at another table before helping his teammate clean up the mess. As he threw the dirtied towels in the trash can, he heard Inui say, "These flasks are very fragile."
"Or maybe you're too careless," Tezuka tossed another dirtied paper towel into the trash.
"True. But it's fun running these experiments, don't you think? Especially with all the secrecy behind it?"
Tezuka's hand paused on the table, paper towel still in his palm. "What do you mean?"
"Aa, I enjoy gathering data," Inui smiled, grabbing another flask with green liquid and dumping it into another in purple color. "I analyze things. Test things. Mix things around until I get the results I want so that I can obtain more data." He took a small wooden stick and stirred the mixture. "That's what scientists do, right? Mash up various components together in order to produce what we are looking for and document the results."
"I see," Tezuka responded dryly, continuing to clean up the leftover mess on the table.
"But of course, some would criticize what we do. All these experiments," Inui rambled on. "Because unfortunately, there are scientists that lack the morals with what they do."
"Aa, so I've heard," Tezuka said impatiently, not interested in hearing a repeat of his own science class as he threw the last of the dirtied paper towels away.
"But, it's interesting, is it not?" Inui leaned over and took the green purple liquid tube and poured it into another flask filled with an orange substance. "Putting in certain components can produce devastating results, like what happened with that other flask you were cleaning up." He looked closely and gently shook the glass in his hand. "These flasks are so fragile. They can break at any moment, and all depending on what the person puts in it."
"I don't quite get you, Inui," Tezuka said, starting to get annoyed.
"These flasks remind me of humans," Inui continued, ignoring the impatient tone in Tezuka's voice. "You add in one type of ingredient, it could bubble up and overflow. You add in another and it could just not react at all. And then you add another type of component and it explodes, breaking the flask like the last one."
"And your point is…"
"Humans are like that, no?"
Tezuka blinked at this strange remark.
Inui took a flask and set it on a clip handle. "You add in happiness, and it overflows with bubbles, like the human emotion. And then you add in sadness and it turns a shade of lifeless, depressing blue, falling still." He took another flask of dark green liquid and poured it into the flask of purple and orange mix while Tezuka watched him, secretly curious. "You add in jealousy and…" he gently tapped the flask, sending droplets into the purple and orange flask. Suddenly, there was a small rumbling noise and the flask crackled before breaking into shards of glass. "It becomes too much and shatters."
Tezuka raised an eyebrow.
"That's how scientists work," Inui remarked, taking some paper towels as well and cleaning up the mess. "We control everything that happens behind closed doors. Adding this and adding that to see what comes up. To see if what we want will happen. Yet, no one sees any of that when they only see the final results at the end."
Tezuka furrowed his eyebrows, not sure where this was going.
"We keep experimenting and adding in more things just to get the results we want, despite the damages it can cause," Inui explained as he held up a new test tube and began carefully pouring the green liquid into it. "It's interesting, isn't it? All this time there's someone controlling all of this, putting various substances in it, and yet no one even knows it." He swirled the flask delicately between his two fingers. "It makes me wonder if we are just like these flasks, being tested on and fed various components by someone unknown until one of us crackles and shatters into pieces." He set the flask back down in the test tube holder. "Happiness. Joy. Sadness. Jealousy." He stood straight up. "They're all components of the human emotion. What if someone was acting like a scientist, adding various ingredients and mixing things up for their own entertainment to try to get the results they want? Like a fun little experiment?"
Tezuka didn't respond at first, slightly confused by the whole, strange, puzzling analogy. Finally deciding that he really needed to head back to class before he was late, he said, "Inui, break is almost over. I will talk to you later."
He turned around, ready to leave, when he heard Inui say, "Humans are quite ignorant, are they not?"
Tezuka paused in his steps and turned back around.
Inui continued. "Who would know what I put in these test tubes? No one would know if I never said anything. I can mix the components in someone else's drink and even they wouldn't necessarily know, as long as the liquid is hidden, as long as it is not visible to the naked eye." He took another test tube. "But humans work the same way. Being fed various information, rumors, gossip, yet they don't actually see the person who is doing it all. They don't actually see the components they are being fed." He opened up his data book and scribbled in it. "Aren't we just like these flasks? So fragile and delicate, and not knowing who's manipulating us?"
"I rather not think of myself as a test tube," Tezuka responded bluntly. "And I find a flaw in your reasoning and logic."
"Oh? How so?" Inui glanced up, curious.
"Even when a scientist feeds the test tube various substances and components, he will not always get the results he wants. Rather, the results he will obtain is highly unpredictable and volatile." He gazed at the shattered glass. "Take that flask for instance. You were experimenting and aiming for a specific reaction, yet, the result you received was unexpected. Rather, it exploded in front of you, something you had not anticipated at first."
Inui adjusted his glasses, allowing Tezuka to continue.
"So, even if a human is fed various components, whether it's gossip, joy, sadness, jealousy, or fear, the person feeding it can not always expect to receive the reaction he expects. The mixtures can produce completely random results."
"Interesting explanation, Tezuka. I applaud you for speaking more so than usual," Inui smiled.
"Aa, and another thing."
Inui blinked, curious.
"Humans are not test tubes," Tezuka stated. "Unlike experiments, humans have the ability to determine how they want to react."
There was brief pause that fell between the two boys, and Inui slowly pushed up his glasses, quite amused with this response. "Then let me ask you this, Tezuka," he grinned. "How do you intend to react?"
Tezuka blinked. "I'm not quite sure what you're asking."
Inui took a step forward. "How are you going to react to it all?" he adjusted his glasses. "What will you choose to do?"
Tezuka dropped his mouth slightly, now really confused by such ambiguous questions.
Inui adjusted his glasses. "There's a 75 percent chance that you're avoiding my question."
This time, Tezuka narrowed his eyes, annoyed. What was that supposed to mean?
"About Fu-"
"Enough." Tezuka immediately cut him off with cool eyes, and he turned on his feet to head out.
Inui went back to the table, flipping through his data book and scanning his jotted notes. "It's true that humans have the ability to control how they react," he turned a page. "However, in that case, that's only if they choose to become aware of it." He closed his data book shut. "Sometimes there's a person pulling all the strings behind closed curtains, and no one would ever know."
At those vague words, Tezuka paused once more and turned his head to glance over his shoulder. But by then, the data collector was busy working on his experiments, eyes glued to the various test tubes in front.
Thus, Inui, devoting his focus to his experiments at hand, did not bother to turn around when he heard the footsteps of the Seigaku captain walk out the door.
Lunch finally arrived, and Tezuka was still quite baffled by the odd conversation with the intelligent data collector. If anything, it left him with even more of a headache, even though his head felt fine. Strolling through the halls during lunch, Tezuka received more strange stares from the students, especially from the females, and overheard snippets of their gossip.
"There's Tezuka-senpai! Shhh! Be careful when you change before basketball practice today. Maybe he'll walk in on you too!"
"Ne, I wouldn't mind!"
"Hehehehehe."
Tezuka groaned at the annoying giggles and bashful glances. He was very glad that it would be the weekend tomorrow.
"And I can't believe Fuji was peeping in on the girls too!"
At the sound of the tensai's name, Tezuka stopped in his tracks, surprising the students around him, who quickly scattered away, afraid that they had incited him with their remarks of the accident yesterday.
But Tezuka wasn't angry. Rather, he had a nostalgic and gloomy look in his eyes. He held up his hands and touched both sides of his face, remembering the feel of Fuji's gentle hands and soft cheeks. Shivering, he quickly shook himself awake and continued walking.
Saeki is going to come meet with me after school…
Tezuka picked up the pace.
Now that Nee-san's in Osaka and no one's home…
He gritted his teeth and turned a corner rather sharply, heading down another path.
…he didn't want me to eat dinner alone.
Tezuka suddenly found himself losing his composure, and he stopped in the middle of the hallway. Students gave him curious glances as they watched the bespectacled boy with his head down, dejected. Suddenly, Tezuka threw his fist outwards to punch the wall hard on his left, hearing the few students around him jump up in fright before quickly trickling away.
Chest heaving, Tezuka calmed down and looked up in surprise at his left fist up against the wall, shaking. And then, feeling the small pain beginning to seep through his knuckles, Tezuka slowly leaned his forehead against the wall, steadying his breathing. His heart pounding, he saw Fuji gazing at him with those enchanting blue eyes. He felt that hot breath brushing his cheeks as Fuji's nose nuzzled his face teasingly. He felt that hand run through his locks of hair and comb through so gently…
Tezuka frowned against the wall. How much longer can he go on like this? He didn't know himself. He suddenly felt like he was on the brink of breaking down. Wasn't he fine just moments before?
What is it that you want, Tezuka Kunimitsu?
Oishi's angry voice ranged loudly in his ear.
"I don't know anymore," Tezuka said out loud to himself in a raspy voice. He swallowed, pushing himself away from the wall rather tiredly. His palm flew to his forehead as he tired to stand up straight. And then, he walked through the now empty hall with unsteady steps, heading in the familiar route towards the school rooftop.
Meanwhile, Oishi walked through the grassy lawn outside with his doubles partner, Kikumaru.
"So you really rejected her?" Oishi asked.
"Hm, I told her that I'm sorry, but I'm not interested," Kikumaru replied.
"But, I thought you said she was cute."
"She is, but," Kikumaru sighed. "I don't know. I'm puzzled myself. I just don't find myself that attracted to her, despite how happy I was to receive a confession."
"Oh, I see," Oishi said, secretly smiling. "Hey, Eiji, do you want to go out tomorrow? I need to buy new grip tape for my racket."
"Hm, that sounds fun. Nya!" Kikumaru grinned widely.
Oishi chuckled. And then, his eyes caught through the school windows the sight of his best friend walking through the halls rather aimlessly.
"Ne, Tezuka looked tired during practice this morning," Kikumaru noted in concern.
"Ah, as expected," Oishi said with a frown, worried himself. And it wasn't really only regarding all the rumors flying around that he was concerned with. Rather, he's come to notice that Tezuka was continuing to deteriorate before their very eyes.
"How long do you think Tezuka will hold out?" Kikumaru asked. "He's walking around like a zombie."
"I know," Oishi sighed. "But there's nothing much we can do now, Eiji. It's up to him with what he wants to do."
The hallways felt strangely lonely with the hollow echoes of footsteps bouncing off the walls as Tezuka strolled on through, slightly staggering and unable to walk straight. He realized the lack of sleep from last night was finally catching up to him, putting his mind out of focus. It would be nice to take a nap.
Reaching the staircase, he traveled up two floors until he reached the final flight of stairs. He seemed to be making a lot of rounds up to the rooftop, more so than in the past, he noted. Sighing, he tiredly walked up the last few steps and took a deep breath before opening the door to the fresh, crisp air.
And much to his surprise, he found the young first year regular lying in the middle of the ground of the rooftop, legs crossed and hands behind his head.
Tezuka blinked, not expecting to find the boy here.
Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Echizen cracked an eye open and slowly sat up, gazing at his captain rather sleepily. "Oh, Buchou. I didn't know you come up here too," he yawned.
"I've only been coming up here recently," Tezuka said flatly, closing the door behind him and walking towards the boy before stopping a couple feet away.
Echizen smirked and cocked his head to the side. "Did you come up here to think about Fuji-senpai?"
Tezuka narrowed his eyes. "Echizen," he said warningly.
"Hai hai," Echizen waved his hand off lazily, slowly getting up onto his feet. "I'm finished with my nap anyway. The roof is yours." He bent over to pick up his school bag and headed for the door.
"Gomen, I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's fine," Echizen yawned, walking past the tall, serious boy who stood between him and the door.
He stopped briefly in his footsteps. "You know, you've gotten skinnier, and you look worst off than before."
Tezuka furrowed his eyebrows and turned around in irritation. "Echizen! 40 laps next week!"
"Hai," Echizen yawned once more, covering his mouth tiredly and stretching his arms up high into the air. "This is boring anyway." He took a couple more steps forward before reaching the door. "You really should take better care of yourself."
Tezuka ignored the comment, ready to go near the gated fence to watch the view.
And then, the young first year turned back around, and said, "By the way."
The bespectacled boy raised his head. "What is it, Echizen?"
Echizen smirked. "Isn't it time for you to wake up, Buchou?"
Tezuka blinked.
"Don't get weak on me now, because," the first year pointed his finger challengingly at him with large, determined green eyes, "I still have to beat you at tennis."
And with that said, the first year waved his hand and left the rooftop, closing the door behind him, and leaving the bespectacled boy blinking to himself, befuddled.
A brief silence ensued.
"Wake…up…?" Tezuka slowly mouthed to himself, furrowing his eyebrows before deep brown eyes slowly widened.
Why can't you guys just open your eyes and see for once what is in front of you?!!
Fuji becomes really interested in things easily, things that excite him.
Just like this.
Without any forewarning…he leaves.
I've already left you alone. Doesn't that make you happy?
Tezuka grabbed his head and groaned, his mind suddenly swirling in turmoil and chaos as he felt something throbbing deep down inside.
AREN'T YOU JUST AVOIDING THE TRUTH?!
I love you.
It makes me wonder if we are just like these flasks, being tested on and fed various components by someone unknown until one of us crackles and shatters into pieces.
You were not happy with me.
But, saa, he really does have such a scary habit. One day he becomes intensely infatuated with something, and the next he tosses it aside like a useless toy.
Do you have that much confidence in me, too?
Tezuka squinted his eyes, gritting his teeth as the throbbing became harder and harder inside of his head.
Then let me ask you this, Tezuka. How do you intend to react?
Did you come up here to think about Fuji-senpai?
Tezuka Kunimitsu, I ask you, what is it that you want?!
"I don't know!" Tezuka shouted, eyes shut tightly.
You know, someone once told me to just be honest with myself.
Tezuka gasped, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
Isn't it about time you listened to your own advice?
There was a pause, and his eyes grew wider as a realization slowly dawned on him.
Sometimes there's a person pulling all the strings behind closed curtains, and no one would ever know.
He saw the young first year with large green eyes pointing at him with a smirk on his face.
Isn't it time for you to wake up, Buchou?
Tezuka's deep brown orbs shook, and he raised his head.
The pain had gone away, and he could see the road before him. He slowly dropped his hands by his side and stared straight ahead. Everything fell quiet as the voices vanished into the background, and the hazelnut-haired tensai stood at the other end of the road, smiling at him with enchanting, clear blue eyes. There was a long silence before he watched Fuji give a light-hearted chuckle, and say,
Isn't it time for you to wake up, Tezuka Kunimitsu?
And the image vanished.
The air was calm and steady on the rooftop of the school building that noontime as white clouds continued to pass by slowly in the blue sky above. There was the sound of students running around excitedly down below, joining friends and finishing up their lunches as they prepared to play games out on the grassy field. A few student council members strolled through the hallways to run some errands inside the school buildings, while some of the regulars on the tennis team gathered for lunch underneath a tree near the courtyard.
Isn't it time for you to wake up, Tezuka Kunimitsu?
Up on the rooftop, Tezuka raised his head and clenched his hands into tight fists as his eyes flashed with passion and determination.
"Saeki."
