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Date Started: 170803

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Confessions
by
Jennifier D.









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To love, is to show the greatest courage of all.

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03:


Bounce... Serve.

He stared at the boy sitting on the bench across the court, and watched as the tennis ball struck the fence on the left side of his head, stirring strands of his fine brown hair. The other continued smiling despite the hit that was made to miss.

Bounce... Serve.

Another hit, closer this time, grazing past his ear before bouncing off the net to roll away from him. The smile never wavered, and the tensai put his water bottle away to pick up his racket, ready to continue with their match.

Bounce... Serve again.

Fuji caught the ball this time, opening his eyes to stare at the boy standing on the court opposite his.

'Hn.'

If Ryoma had been surprised by what the older boy did, he showed no signs of it. To their extreme left stood Tezuka, separated from them by a metal fencing barrier. His gaze on both boys was calm; there was no way to tell if he was watching Ryoma or watching Fuji more. He seemed to be fine with the idea of leaving the two boys to their own game, but he had been invited today after all.

Thus he would stay on and watch, and that was only for giving them his evaluation later.

"What are you waiting for, Fuji-senpai?"

Boy wonder was irritated. Their match was drawing to a close and he appeared to be on the losing end. The unpredictable moves Fuji had pulled, sometimes serious, sometimes flippant, confused the younger boy. He wanted to keep track of the older boy, wanted to defeat him, actually, but it seemed as though the time wasn't right yet.

Fuji only smiled, sweet. "Saa."

The tensai served. Ryoma kept his gaze on the ball, his body motion vision helping him keep track of the ball, right until the point where it appeared to disappear and reappear somewhere behind boy wonder. The younger boy looked faintly surprised for a moment before titling his head to one side, thinking about the technical details of that move.

He had seen Fuji execute his disappearing serve before, but experiencing it was a totally different issue. It was fast-- much faster than he had thought, and he wasn't able to intercept it in time. The same thing had been happening for the past few practice matches the both of them had. But Ryoma was confident that he would find some way to stop the tensai from using that serve on him each time. It should be returnable.

But if Fuji get to keep his service match for this round, Ryoma could be considered finished.

Up until two games back, Fuji had refused to use his disappearing serve on Ryoma. This had frustrated the younger boy to no end, since he had a habit of breaking his opponents´ moves. He liked doing that, and when Fuji denied him the chance of doing so, he began to get progressively aggravated. When the tensai finally decided to pull the move on him, Ryoma's inability to return the serve had only made the situation worse, not better.

What Ryoma had done before they continued their match again wasn't an act of violence, though. Fuji and Ryoma had been playing against each other regularly since the older boy's final term in junior high started, and now the both of them were already into their spring break. They had been communicating with each other enough to know which buttons to push when they wanted to annoy and Ryoma was doing exactly that.

But Fuji also seemed intent on making Ryoma lose his cool that day.

After Fuji served his fifth ace, the younger boy stalked off to his racket bag, still trying to think of a way to counter that serve. There must be a way to return it. If his twist serve could be returned... something like Fuji's adapted disappearing serve should be returnable. It was an adaptation of another serve, the basic techniques were the same, technically speaking, it should be possible to return...

Tezuka's voice, though low, was clear. "Don't let Fuji's moves get to you, Echizen. You have played against him long enough to know that."

Ryoma didn't say anything. Tezuka watched him from behind the fence, his gaze impassionate. Fuji had already started for his side of the court, his racket bag slung over a shoulder. When he closed in on Ryoma, the younger boy had to step back a little to gaze up at his senpai.

It actually irked boy wonder constantly to figure out all of his senpai tachi were taller than him. He had a growth spurt last summer, and even so, it didn't manage to bring him to the height he desired. The worse thing was-- even Fuji had grown taller with that summer vacation. Fuji used to be the smallest of the third year regulars, but his physique had matured into something that was tall, graceful and adult-like.

Boy wonder seemed to have a lot to be annoyed about of late.

Once their short spring break ended, Tezuka and Fuji would be moving on to high school. He would be left behind in junior high, playing against uninteresting people. Of course, there were always Momoshirou and Kaidoh around, but...

"Saa Echizen," Fuji's voice was obscenely cheerful. "Let's have dinner together?"

"Maa ne." Ryoma shrugged, then turn to glance at Tezuka. The older boy only nodded.

He suspected that there was actually something going on between Fuji and Tezuka. Something he wasn't very sure of, something he couldn't put a finger on, and boy wonder had the faintest inkling that it might not involve tennis at all. Contrary to common belief, Ryoma happened to notice things outside of tennis too. Just not... much.

Since he actually hung around Tezuka and Fuji long enough despite their clashing schedules and examinations to know their habits, more or less... he was beginning to get the idea that things between Tezuka and Fuji were not as simple as they looked. There seemed to be something, and yet, at the same time, there seemed to be nothing.

Usually, Ryoma couldn't be bothered with such things, but it was beginning to get him curious because every time he had a match with Tezuka, Fuji would turn up. After a while, Ryoma thought he would save Fuji the trouble and invited them both for his practice matches. This way, neither of them would need a reason to turn up suddenly. (Not that Fuji ever offered one to begin with.)

"Ahh... what do you want to eat?"

Ryoma shrugged, then turned to stare at Tezuka. There was no reply. Fuji appeared to give a small smile before suggesting a place, and all of them headed for it.

If Tezuka or Ryoma had felt bad about letting Fuji talk half the time, they certainly showed no signs of it. All three would have eaten in silence had Fuji not spoken. Although the way the fair-haired boy would talk about almost anything got a little annoying at times, Ryoma found the tensai's presence strangely comforting.

After their meal, all three of them wandered downtown a little more before Fuji excused himself. Ryoma continued walking home with Tezuka in silence, the both of them understanding the fact that there was nothing that needed to be said between them.

"Echizen," Tezuka's voice was like a soft, low caress when he spoke.

Ryoma looked up, a questioning look on his face.

"What do you think of today's match?"

Boy wonder shrugged. "He's a very strong player. But I'll become stronger than him."

Tezuka was quiet.

The younger boy suddenly spoke up. "Buchou, why did you suddenly ask me that?"

"No particular reason." The bespectacled boy glanced over, calm. "Fuji won't be joining the tennis club in high school."

"Oh," there was a pause. "But he'll still be playing tennis, right?"

Tezuka seemed to feel that there wasn't a need to reply Ryoma's question and the both of them continued their way home in amicable silence.


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Oishi glanced over to where Kikumaru had his chin propped in his hand and an extremely concentrated look on his face. There was a small furrow between his brows, and he jabbed at his textbook almost viciously with a pen when the sensei read out loud from hers, scribbling notes down occasionally.

The former fuku-buchou smiled.

The Golden Pair were accepted into the school team the moment they entered Seigaku Senior High. So were Tezuka and Inui. Kawamura had announced his decision to quit tennis after junior high and kept true to his promise. The surprising part was Fuji, as he had decided to join the photography club instead.

Nobody was expecting that... nobody except Tezuka, possibly.

Kikumaru stayed upset over the tensai's decision for several days. He only calmed down somewhat after Fuji came and spoke to him about his decision. The truth was-- nobody was happy with Fuji's decision. It was sudden, and it came as a bad shock to every single person who expected the tensai to continue playing tennis.

Oishi managed to speak to Tezuka, and the answer the former buchou gave was simple.

'It's his decision.'

Oishi trusted his opinion. It was true. This was Fuji's choice after all, whether he wanted to continue playing tennis or not. None of them could assume that just because he played tennis in junior high, he would do so in high school too. The tensai was actually extremely calm about his decision, and he took in everything the others said with nothing except an understanding smile.

It must have been quite painful to deal with so many people's anger.

The mild-manner boy glanced over again, and noted his doubles partner nodding off, the pen he held slowly slipping out of his loose grasp. He smiled, gentle.

Kikumaru had never been very good at studying to begin with. It was only after multiple revision sessions with Oishi and Fuji both that he managed to scrap past his examinations and qualify for their affiliated high school. Of course, his tennis record helped him too, but if he had done too badly for his examinations, he would be barred from ascension all the same.

Their brief spring vacation was a relatively uninteresting one, with everyone taking a well-deserved break from school before they started studying again in a new environment. Oishi was unable to say whether both Kikumaru and he had come to any conclusion regarding Fuji's love interest that holiday, and they were still observing. Oishi didn't know why, but he had this faint idea that Tezuka might actually know who that person was.

Usually, Oishi would worry about such things, and he worried about them unnecessarily... but he had to admit that watching Kikumaru get insistently curious about Fuji's love interest did put a damper on things for him. He had known Kikumaru for years... they were doubles partners for almost as long, and nobody was able to deny the fact that they were very compatible.

But Oishi didn't think about themselves in that manner often, and as touchy as Kikumaru had been, he wasn't that kind of boy either. Furthermore, there was that unspoken agreement between them. They agreed not to get girlfriends, because girlfriends would only distract them from tennis and from each other. Girlfriends would make them want to understand each other less, and that could do a lot of damage to their co-ordination.

Maybe those were only excuses the both of them created for themselves to avoid facing the truth.

Because neither of them wanted to get around to confessing.

It was embarrassing. Both of them knew it. They were boys after all, and confessing their feelings to each other had seemed... strange. Even without the unsaid confession between them, they already knew how the other felt about themselves and sometimes, Oishi thought that it would be enough.

He had never been jealous of Fuji.

It wouldn't be a good time to start now, and Kikumaru would probably call him an idiot for worrying over such things. It wasn't because Oishi wanted to worry about them, but he honestly couldn't help it. He knew he should trust Kikumaru when he said they were inseparable. But the faintest tinges of doubt had dug its claws into his heart and strengthened its hold on him.

Maybe a talk between the both of them was due. In fact, maybe that talk had been long overdue and both were trying to avoid talking about it. Because each time they raised this issue, they would start talking about where they were going to develop, and neither was ready to go there yet.

Kikumaru was playful, hyperactive and cheerful; he wanted to experience everything in life before settling down eventually. Oishi on the other hand was wary; he wasn't sure if everything would still be fine for them after they got together.

They might know each other well now, but what would happen if they found problems with each other after they started dating? Kikumaru was too important to him... he couldn't afford to lose the other in this manner.

But he would still talk about it. Because it was needed.

Oishi glanced over again, smiling when he saw that Kikumaru had already fallen asleep and was snoring softly on top of his opened textbook, mouth agape.

He would chase all the doubts in his own heart away. He would tell Kikumaru of his true feelings, and all his doubts. He was sure that the other would understand.

Because Kikumaru Eiji always understood what he wanted to say.

Even when he said nothing at all.


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It was two weeks into their new school term and Momoshirou noted with some amusement that the Golden Pair had headed nowhere with their research on Fuji's love life. He knew Kikumaru had a tendency to be pretty single-minded once he set his sights on something, but he wasn't expecting Oishi to follow his partner's crazy antics. Usually, the latter would be the level-headed one.

He could more or less guess the reason behind why neither of them was successful. The two of them were pitting against Fuji, after all. That had been one of the reasons why he declined to help in the first place.

Momoshirou thought he was still too young to die. Under the hands of Fuji, too. Although Fuji didn't mind Kikumaru and Oishi meddling in his affairs, it didn't mean he wouldn't mind Momoshirou doing the same. He wasn't Oishi, someone whom nobody could take offence at and he certainly wasn't Kikumaru, Fuji's good friend.

He was just Momoshirou Takeshi, a (recently promoted) third year student of Seigaku Junior High.

Echizen Ryoma was a different issue, of course, but the younger boy had been an exception to many, many things ever since he entered their school. Sometimes, Momoshirou was almost jealous of him, but he knew that boy wonder managed to do all the things he did only because he had the ability to do so.

And that wasn't important. Not at the moment, anyway.

Most people would guess that Fuji was interested in some girl from their school. The common procedure was to pity the poor target. Everyone knew Fuji usually got what he wanted... eventually. As much as Momoshirou disliked thinking of things in this manner, he wasn't exactly 100% sure of the fact that Fuji was actually interested in a girl.

His senpai was known to do things the unorthodox way. For all they knew, Fuji might be interested in a boy-okay, brain re-route!

The Dunk Smash specialist shuddered. He really, really didn't want to go THERE.

At the moment, Ryoma seemed to know what was going on. He didn't exactly say that, but the way he would stare at Fuji now and then probably said a lot. Furthermore, Fuji, Ryoma and Tezuka seemed almost joined at the hip with the way the three of them were constantly together. Granted, they were only playing tennis, but there seemed to be something peculiar going on.

He recalled spotting them at the school courts the other day. Ryoma was playing against Fuji while Tezuka simply watched. He wasn't sure if the buchou was watching Ryoma or Fuji, because it had looked like he was watching them both. After the match was over, Tezuka spoke to Ryoma, but Momoshirou was sure that it had been about tennis again. Their former buchou hardly talked about anything else.

"Momo-senpai," Momoshirou glanced over to where Ryoma was giving him a suspicious look. "Are you alright?"

"Eh?"

"You've been staring at your lunch for the past ten minutes without eating." Boy wonder paused. "If you don't want it, I can help you finish it, of course."

Before Momoshirou could open his mouth, Ryoma snatched one of his bread buns and started eating it.

"Echizen!"

"Arigatou."

The older boy glowered at his kouhai.

"Che."

When it came to dealing with Ryoma, that was always the problem. The younger boy was _shameless_ about stealing food. He probably learnt it from Momoshirou himself, but that wasn't a good enough reason for him to steal his senpai's lunch! And that runt got away with eating Fuji's bento every-

Momoshirou paused. Then did a brief mental calculation.

For the past few times they lunched together with Fuji, Kikumaru, Oishi and Tezuka in their last school year, Ryoma ended up eating Fuji's bento each time. Although the tensai had offered it to all of them, Ryoma always managed to get his hands on it first. In fact, Fuji seemed to hand it over to Ryoma each time.

Aha.

The third year student was sensing something suspicious going on. Kikumaru did say that Fuji was staring at the courts when he talked about the 'love of his life' right? But the courts were only occupied by the first and second year students after their third school term started, so...

Momoshirou eyed the younger boy beside him suspiciously.

As much as he didn't want to, his brain was already hovering around the thought: 'Fuji-senpai seems to like boys.' It was a haunch. He would admit to the fact that he wasn't as sharp as some other members of their team, but he certainly wasn't slow and he could put one and one together to get a two.

He was getting a very big two at the moment.

Momoshirou leaned closer to Ryoma with a half-sneaky, half-suspicious look. "Ne Echizen."

"Hm?" The younger boy looked up from his food, curious.

Pause. Boy wonder continued eating, watching his senpai with a pair of large and innocent (seeming) eyes.

"Do you think Fuji-senpai is interested in you?"

Ryoma choked.


to be continued...

Date Completed: 180803
Date Revised: 050903