Author's note
And I'm back already! Thank you for the reviews. I can't promise that I won't end this story but I can say that there might be some side stories to this one.
Chapter 48
Unspoken words
The next day when Yuki walked through the school gate her face was a bit red as her eyes simply stared into emptiness. She didn't sleep at all. Furthermore, she was so depressed that she didn't notice walking passed Atobe, who was trying to get rid of a girl who was awfully clingy. It seemed that that girl was his marriage interview.
The girl had the nerve to show herself in school. She had light brown hair and she was really pretty but the worst thing was that she showed a deep interest in Atobe; she had no intention of letting him go. Her name, Saito Izumi.
While annoyed at the brown haired girl, Atobe turned his attention to his love who walked passed them in a trance.
"Yuki?" he called out softly but the said teen just kept on walking.
The other boys around her exchanged glances and tried to comprehend what was wrong with her. Atobe started to get worried. When she noticed Atobe switching his attention to the redheaded girl and showing concern, Izumi felt neglected as she wrapped her arm around him.
"Atobe-kun, are you going to ask me out?" she asked with slight naiveté. Atobe felt violated by the brown haired girl as he pulled his arm out of her grasp.
"Get off of me. You're too close. I have classes to attend." he said ignorantly and walked away. The girl puffed her cheeks, folding her arms.
The Hyotei regulars exchanged glances. They didn't like what they saw. They'd rather prefer Yuki to be together with Atobe than seeing Saito Izumi clinging to their captain.
During the lessons Yuki started feeling worse. It should have been the worst headache that she ever had since the day she was born, was what she thought. Her vision also started to get blurry when finally she fell asleep during Greek.
"Yuki. Yuki? Yuki, wake up." said Atobe as he shook her gently by the shoulder. Yuki opened her eyes, slowly raising her head.
"Huh? Nani?" she asked. Hyotei's King stared at her for a split second, concern appearing on his handsome features.
"You fell asleep. Are you okay? You're face looks pale." he said. Yuki smiled weakly in return.
"Daijoubu. I guess I'm just hungry. It's lunch break, right?" she asked.
Atobe smirked softly and nodded. The Yuki got up from her seat, walking out of the classroom. Atobe followed her. They met up with Shishido, Mukahi, Oshitari and Ootori. The tennis players and Yuki sat at one table having lunch; however, the regulars constantly sent concerned glances towards Yuki because she wasn't acting like herself.
"Aihara-san, thanks for the book." said Oshitari handing her the book he gave to Atobe a few days ago, Atobe on the other hand forgot all about it when he stormed out of the clubroom the other day. Yuki glanced at the book, and then smiled softly.
"Don't mention it. Did you like it, Oshitari-san?" she asked.
The bespectacled tensai smiled widely. He was about to say something, when Izumi suddenly appeared at their table. Yuki switched her attention to her. For a split second she wondered who she was but Izumi's next action greatly angered Yuki - the girl sat next to Atobe too close for her liking!
"Atobe-kun, what do you like to eat?" the brown haired girl asked, staring intently at Atobe. Hyotei's tennis captain on the other hand frowned, looking away. He clearly disliked her.
As she watched the girl making advances at Atobe, Yuki's face turned to that of enlightenment, and then to that of depression because she figured that Izumi was his marriage interview. Yuki quickly turned back to Oshitari; she tried to ignore the girl who was overly close to her loved one.
"Oshitari-san, what did you think of the main character?" asked Yuki, switching the topic back to the book. Oshitari glanced at Atobe, then at Izumi and then at his teammates, who also started to figure out what was going on. They didn't like Izumi, that's for sure. Oshitari turned back to Yuki, grinning widely.
"I thought he was rather interesting at the beginning but then at the end he kind of disappointed me." he said. Yuki blinked.
"How so?" she asked, glancing at the brown haired girl, who was smiling happily at Atobe.
"I heard you play tennis. Can you teach me?" asked Izumi.
Atobe tried to be polite while he tried to get rid of her but she was just too clingy. A vein throbbed on Yuki's forehead as her nails sunk into the cover of the book. Oshitari noticed Yuki becoming angry. He signaled with his eyes to his teammates, so that they would help him get rid of the brown haired girl.
Yuki took a deep breath in an effort to calm down. She again turned back to Oshitari, this time with a rather meaningful and smile that was too happy. The tensai sweat dropped. He knew that smile meant nothing good.
"I think the character was rather daring-" started Yuki but stopped in mid sentence, when she noticed Izumi wrapping her arm around Atobe's. Yuki's eyes darkened as she took the book to throw at the girl's head.
"Let go. I need to make a call." said Atobe quickly rushing away before a tragedy could occur – apparently he noticed Yuki's behavior. Izumi wanted to follow him but Oshitari in between.
"Say, miss, what's your name?" he asked, sitting closer.
"Ne, do you like cakes? I like blueberry. What's your favorite?" asked Mukahi sitting in Atobe's spot, advancing closer to the brown haired girl. Yuki stared in surprise for a few seconds but then smirked to herself.
'You guys…' she thought. She watched the Hyotei tennis regulars keep the girl busy. Oshitari winked at Yuki. The redhead chuckled. She had to admit, she was jealous.
During the rest of the classes Yuki's health condition hadn't gotten any better. It was bad for her. She couldn't afford to get sick before the Nationals. She had hoped that this was a one day issue but then again, she was clearly aware of the source.
'Hn, I'm such a damn idiot. I clearly love him this much but still… Why can't I just say that I want him to stay with me?' thought Yuki, as she fell asleep again during class.
"Yuki. Yuki?" she heard a tender voice calling her name sweetly. The redhead moaned gently, with her head resting on her hands. She was asleep.
"Yuki. Yuki." again the same voice called to her with the same tenderness. Yuki felt sudden warmth on her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes. It was Atobe who called her. He smiled warmly at her.
"Keigo." said Yuki gently. She found it strange that she was feeling surprisingly well. She slowly raised her head as she gazed lovingly at the person in front of her. He returned the gaze.
"Yuki, you'll catch a cold." he said slowly.
Yuki's cheeks showed a slight shade of red, as she reached out to his necktie. She pulled him closer into a kiss. When the teens pulled away, Atobe smiled softly.
"Let's go home." he said. Yuki smiled widely and nodded.
The image suddenly dispersed. Yuki heard a strange ringing which sounded very familiar. It became all dark, and only then Yuki realized.
'Ah, it was just a dream.' she thought in regret.
Slowly, she opened her eyes to find that the last lesson had ended, and her classmates started to get up, preparing for club activities.
A deep frown formed on Yuki's face when she realized that she wasn't feeling any better. Her head felt like it would burst into pieces like a balloon. She slowly got up, walking out of the classroom to get some fresh air before her practice.
'I think I'll ask for a day off though.' she thought.
Meanwhile Atobe followed her because he was worried about her. He knew she wasn't feeling well.
"Why are you following me around? You should be hanging out with that girl and not me." said Yuki, stopping in her pace. Atobe stopped as well and sighed.
"It's not like I wanted her to be here." he said, turning his head away. Yuki spun around.
"Then why is she here then?" she asked. Atobe widened his eyes at her question. He then turned his gaze to the ground. He didn't want to answer.
Yuki stayed silent for a while as well because she knew he would not answer to that question. She knew all too well as to why Izumi was here.
Atobe then switched his gaze back to his love, concern written all over his face.
"Yuki, you should take a rest. You haven't been feeling well the whole day." he said.
The redheaded volleyball captain looked away. She knew he loved her. She was well aware of how much he loved her. Yuki noticed that he didn't like that girl being around him. Maybe, she should take this chance to tell him how she truly felt.
Just when Yuki opened her mouth the brown haired girl appeared out of nowhere, wrapping her arm around Atobe's yet again.
"Atobe-kun, when will your practice be over?" asked Izumi. Yuki's eyebrow throbbed violently at the sight of her.
"Could you, please, let go?" he asked politely, trying to get the brown haired girl off but the girl kept on holding his arm. Yuki glared at her, her eyes fixated on Izumi's hands, which were touching her Atobe. The girl came closer to his face. Yuki snapped.
"Don't touch him!" shouted Yuki, yanking her hands off of Atobe.
Yuki took Atobe's arm away from Izumi while pulling him protectively away from the girl. Hyotei's King stared at Yuki. The brown haired girl got infuriated while Yuki kept on glaring back at her.
"You!" barked the girl. "How dare you?"
"Can't you see that he's uncomfortable with you?" asked Yuki in a loud voice.
"Who the hell are you to tell me that?" she demanded.
"I happen to be his friend. And you! You don't even know each other well enough, that you dare touch him so affectionately!" growled Yuki. Atobe's heart fluttered. He finally witnessed the girl that he loved being jealous.
"Ha! Friend? So what? I will be his fiancée in the nearest future and you don't have the right to lecture me." said Izumi in an arrogant tone.
Yuki's eyes widened as she let go of Atobe's arm in a flash. She shot her eyes to the ground in an effort to hide her mixed emotions. She was currently angry, devastated, heartbroken and very sad.
"What? Surprised?" asked Izumi in a high pitched voice. It's not like Yuki didn't know, she just didn't want to hear it. It hurt her even more hearing it from that girl.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice against you." said the redheaded girl trying to control her voice; she was about to break out in tears. She hid her eyes behind her bangs turning her look away from Atobe. The Hyotei's King stared at her. He didn't know what to do or what to say. The brown haired girl leeched on his arm and started pulling him away.
"Let's go, Atobe-kun." she said. Atobe kept on staring at Yuki, as his body wouldn't listen to him, instead submitted to Izumi's actions.
Yuki's head suddenly shot up, catching a glimpse of the false image that her blurred vision showed her: Izumi pressing closer to Atobe, leaning closer to his face. Distress and pain written all over her face, Yuki's eyes swelled in tears; she didn't cry. She spun around to walk away.
Noticing Yuki's action, Atobe broke free from the brown haired girl's grasp. Within a few steps he stopped Yuki. The redheaded girl got even angrier. There was a misunderstanding between them.
"Let go!" she shouted, yanking her hand from his grasp. Atobe was caught by her anger.
"Yuki… What-" he didn't get to finish his question, when Yuki shouted back.
"What's wrong with you? First, you say you love me, then you bring that girl to school in front of me and then you don't even care about me one bit! If in just a few days you get things that are more important than me, if keeping her company is more important than spending some time with me, then go! Don't bother with me anymore!" shouted Yuki in fury, pain in her eyes.
Atobe froze in shock. He didn't know how to respond to her outburst. A few seconds of silence, with no response from Atobe, Yuki yet again spun around.
"Heeh, so, I can thank you for letting me have him." said Izumi in an arrogant tone.
Yuki's eyes widened again as she realized what she had done. She slowly turned around to see that the brown haired girl came closer to Atobe, bringing her lips closer to his face. Yuki's heart skipped a stinging beat; her eyes swelled in tears as she spun around and ran away from the scene.
Atobe finally regained his senses. He pushed Izumi away before she could kiss him. "Enough already! I will never have any interest in you!" he shouted at her as he chased after his one and true love.
Yuki ran aimlessly in tears. Her head was spinning because of the different emotions and thoughts that she had after the incident in front of her.
'It's always like this. Why couldn't he just do something? Just because I got angry doesn't mean you can't do anything in return.' she thought. Yuki placed her palm in front of her mouth.
'It's my fault. Because I was too late, he has more important things than me. He can't be with me anymore. She's more important now!' thought Yuki as she heard his voice calling for her.
"Yuki!" called out Atobe.
Yuki gasped when she heard his voice, she thought, 'That idiot! Why? Why did he have to go near her? Don't! Don't call my name!'
They made a turn near the volleyball hall. Atobe caught up. Grabbing her wrist, they came to a stop.
"Yuki!" he shouted. Just when they stopped, Yuki spun around, raising her right hand to slap him but it didn't make contact with his cheek. She stopped it only an inch away. Atobe widened his eyes. He stared at her because he thought she'd hit him.
Yuki looked back with teary eyes. Her hand started trembling as she pulled it away. Tears flowing from her eyes, she covered her face with her palms. She sobbed hysterically. Atobe reached out his hand towards her.
"Yuki." he said slowly. Yuki didn't look up, she just cried. Atobe didn't like it when she cried. He only wanted to see her smile.
"Yuki, please, don't cry." he said gently, moving closer to her. Yuki pushed away his hand.
"I'll cry if I want to." she retorted. Atobe made a sad face.
"Why would you want to cry? Is it because of what just happened?" he asked. Yuki shook her head.
"Then why?" he asked.
"I'm crying because I can't do anything about it. I'm crying because I'm angry at myself. I'm crying because of you!" she shouted. Atobe widened his eyes. "I'm crying… because I love you." she said again, looking at her hands. Atobe stared at her, then made a soft and depressing smile.
"Don't say it like that. It's like saying that loving me makes you sad. I don't want that." he said gently, placing his hands onto her shoulders. Sobbing into his shirt, Yuki hugged him tightly.
"Why? Why did you let her near you?" she asked. Atobe smirked lightly.
"What did you want me to do then?" he asked in return. Yuki raised her head.
"I don't know. Decline the marriage interview, push her away, don't let her touch you! What should I know? Just…" she rested her head against his chest. "Just don't let her near you. I don't want other girls touching you. I won't let them. You're mine." she said, sobbing a few times. Her last words made Atobe smile.
"That's called greediness, Yuki." he said in amusement. Yuki raised her head again.
"It's because I love you." she said, gazing into his eyes.
Atobe grinned softly. He wiped her tears away. Yuki pulled him closer and kissed him. She had kissed him quite a few times but this time she felt like it was better than before. She wrapped her arms around his neck but before she knew it, she felt weak, losing consciousness. Atobe felt her losing balance, falling backwards. He caught her.
"Yuki?" he put his palm onto her forehead. She had a high fever. It was because of the stress, because of what she had gone through the past few days. Atobe felt guilty, he then decided to take her to his place and have the doctors take care of her.
For a few days Yuki didn't wake up. After all, she didn't sleep for a couple of days and didn't eat well either. Atobe stayed by her side the whole time, holding her hand, watching her with great care.
Two days later…
Yuki slowly opened her eyes, recognizing the place. It was Atobe's house. As her eyes got used to the sunlight, she put her hand on her forehead. Her fever was gone and she was feeling fine. Just when she wanted to sit up, her eyes met Atobe's. He sat on the side of the bed, leaning closer to her face.
"Good morning, Yuki." he said slowly, smiling widely. The said teen blushed.
"G-Good morning." she said. Atobe smirked softly. Yuki sat up.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked. Yuki noticed his loving gaze; it caused her to blush again.
"Yes, a lot better." she said. Atobe placed his palm on her forehead.
"You're face is red. Maybe, you should rest for today." he said. Yuki stopped blushing and turned her look away.
"I'm fine, Keigo. Really…" said Yuki. Atobe took her chin, turning her face to him. He came closer to her lips.
"Then that's good." he said in a husky tone, wanting to kiss her but Yuki placed her fingers in front of his lips. She lowered her head.
"You shouldn't. We broke up." she said in a sad tone of voice. Atobe sighed, making a little distance.
"Do you think I will let go of you that easily after what you told me yesterday?" he asked.
Yuki raised her head. Her cheeks showed a shade of red again when he came closer to her face. She turned her head away again.
"Or didn't you mean those things you told me before you fainted?" he asked with a faint smirk. Yuki widened her eyes, turning her head towards him in a flash.
"No, it's not- I did mean it. I really do love you." she said shyly. Atobe smiled in satisfaction as he came closer to her face.
"Ooh… Then let's continue what you started before you fainted." he said.
Yuki gazed into his eyes. He took her chin again and pressed his lips to hers. It felt soft, better than any other times when he kissed her. It was because she admitted that she loved him that she enjoyed it.
He pulled away, smiling gently.
"Was it that hard to tell me?" he asked. Yuki chuckled softly. She then hugged him.
"What about your… marriage interview?" she asked hesitantly. Atobe brushed his hand through her hair.
"Don't worry. It's finished with." he said. Yuki suddenly pulled him away.
"Huh?" Yuki blinked in confusion. Atobe laughed softly.
"Well, obviously I rejected the current marriage proposal. I sent a message to my grandfather, saying that I decline any further marriage proposals because I have someone I love and that someone loves me." he said, a soft glow reflecting in his eyes.
"But you said that your grand-" she started but Atobe raised his hand to answer before she asked.
"Don't worry. The one sending that message is an eyewitness of your confession and he'll convince grandfather." said Atobe. Yuki then widened her eyes in realization.
"Eyewitness? Do you mean Furukawa-san?" she asked. Atobe nodded. "Then that means-"
"Hai. He saw everything." said Atobe with a wide grin. Yuki blushed, looking away. That stalker saw everything! He even saw her crying! Yuki felt a bit embarrassed. Atobe chuckled and got up. He walked to the door.
"Well, this should convince grandfather for a while. You should get ready, if you want to go to school, Yuki." he said. Yuki nodded. He was about to open the door, when Yuki got out of bed, rushing to him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. She just wanted to show her affection, and let him know that those weren't just mere words coming from her mouth. She pulled away.
"I love you, Keigo." she said, gazing into his eyes lovingly. The said teen smiled gently, kissing her forehead.
"I know. I love you too." he said, leaving right afterwards.
Yuki could finally breathe normally. She had finally said what she couldn't. She knew she loved him from the start but it felt like she had loved him a lot longer than that.
Yuki leaned with her back against the door and sighed in relief.
She thought, 'I don't know if I can return the same amount of love that he gives me but for now… I will show my affection by saying those words that he constantly repeated to me. I know now that I love him and these feelings… I can't just express them with words alone but still these words alone are so strong. They are not meant to be unspoken.'
Next Chapter
The Nationals are right at the doorstep. Sayaka has some secrets she's hiding…"I switched teams. That's what it means."
