by MorphailEffect
Oshitari's impulse was to take Tezuka out for fastfood. Mukahi had liked fastfood, especially enjoyed how fastfood joints encouraged laughter and fun conversation. But when he set his foot in A Hamburger [1], he realized Tezuka wasn't following him.
He looked back and found Tezuka standing well outside the door, hands in his pockets.
"What? You don't like fastfood?" Who in the world doesn't like fastfood? Oshitari asked himself incredulously.
"I like to keep my system clean," Tezuka replied in monotone. "Let's get something healthier."
"Aah...alright." With any luck, Oshitari told himself, the food they were getting was going to be as bland as Tezuka's voice when he said that. Still, he shrugged and let himself be led away from the establishment.
Tezuka chose a traditional Japanese restaurant that was small, quiet, and remarkably clean. A look at the menu told Oshitari that the price of the food was also worth how much the attendants were being paid to keep the place grime-free. It was like a replay of their mountainside vacation: they were in a pricey place, ogled and fawned over. The repeat performance made Oshitari uncomfortable.
"They have good unacha [2] here," Tezuka started to say. "What are you having?"
Oshitari was about to tell Tezuka to order ahead, when he heard a happy shout from nearby:
"Hei hei Tezuka-san! See, Ooishi? I told you it was him! I could spot him a mile away, nya!"
Oshitari chuckled dryly. "Yare yare," [3] he sighed. Would the two of them never be able to eat out in peace?
"Yes, but keep your voice down, Eiji. please! We're drawing attention," a softer, calmer voice answered. Two familiar figures were coming to their table.
Kikumaru Eiji's bright grin was the first thing Oshitari fixed his gaze on. He didn't think he had ever seen it so sparkly. "Ha~i, and we know how much Tezuka hates -- are?" [4]
Are, indeed. The taller boy smirked in answer to the redhead's horrified look. He took a moment to miss Mukahi, and ponder how interesting the situation would be if he were present.
Kikumaru's companion, the subdued former vice-captain of the Seigaku regulars, Ooishi Shuichirou, didn't seem too thrilled, either. "O...Oshitari Yuushi ka," he stammered.
"Yeah, Hyoutei's genius," Oshitari supplied with a wry smile. "This was unexpected, Ooishi-san..."
"I'll say." Ooishi looked to Tezuka for an explanation.
"What are you two doing here?" was all that Tezuka said. He didn't sound friendly...though it wasn't like anyone expected him to be.
Kikumaru scratched his cheek with the tip of his index finger. He wasn't sure how to proceed with the hearty greeting he had in mind, in the presence of an old adversary. "We were making the rounds!" he said with watered-down cheerfulness. "We do this every year, remember? And you were the first on the list, as always!"
"The list?" Oshitari asked the newcomers.
"Aa," Tezuka answered before the newcomers could ignore him. "Ooishi and Kikumaru have a ritual at the start of every school year. They 'make the rounds' ...which is to say, they check up on each ex-Seigaku tennis club regular, in the order described in their list." He cleared his throat. "I forgot about it this year."
"...You...forgot?! I can't believe you!" Kikumaru gasped. He was more himself now. "We called you at your apartment early this morning to remind you, but there was no answer! You were out of the house early, I guess? Then we tried calling you at your cell phone all day, but you weren't answering either..."
Tezuka blinked and started to reach for his bag, in which was his cell phone. But he remembered, "Ah. I set it to block all calls. I didn't want to be disturbed."
"Warui nya, Tezuka! Hido~i!" [5] Kikumaru was whining in an exaggerated manner that would have annoyed Mukahi thoroughly if he were around. "Let me at him. I'll wring his little neck," Oshitari could almost hear his doubles partner saying through his teeth beside him, where he always used to be.
Oshitari smiled fondly at the illusion. But he's endearing in a way, isn't he, Gakuto...
"Go easy, Eiji," Ooishi started to say, his cool brown eyes fixed on Oshitari. "We must have interrupted something important. We shouldn't impose ourselves on anyone."
"...Mou." Kikumaru pouted, hands on his hips. He looked resigned, yet more cheerful than before. "Ah well. At least we've seen that our old Buchou's doing well, ne? We can do our catching up later, or something..."
"Right," Ooishi said gently. Then he turned to Tezuka with his characteristically open smile. "We just came from your school. We inquired after you with some members of the tennis club, but everyone said you'd just left. We were heading home, but Eiji thought he spotted you walking and we kind of...stalked you."
"Only for a little while," Kikumaru defended with much spirit. "It was really good luck I can recognize the back of your head, nya!"
"I see," Tezuka said, his voice neutral. "Very well. It's getting late, and you two are a long way from home. You'd better get going. Ooishi," he said with a nod, "I'll call you."
Ooishi nodded back. "I'll expect your call." Then a more-formal-than-necessary bow to Oshitari. "Please excuse us for interrupting."
The note of resentment there did not escape Oshitari. He wasn't sure if anything he could say would make it go away -- or if he even wanted it to go away -- so he simply inclined his head in answer.
"See ya, Buchou-san!" Kikumaru singsang. Oshitari watched Seigaku's former Golden Pair depart. He noted the way Ooishi lay his hand on Kikumaru's back as the latter walked ahead through the exit. It was the most innocent, the most natural thing in the world, and it hit him with a sudden pang of nostalgia...
But he shook himself free from it. The heavy atmosphere had lifted, with the Golden Pair's disappearance. The momentary distraction might have been what he and Tezuka needed to feel at ease and finally start a casual conversation.
Indeed, Tezuka seemed more relaxed. And was even on the verge of smiling when he turned back to Oshitari. He had appreciated the little visit from his old club members, even if he would never say it outloud.
He never needed to say anything outloud to Oshitari, even when they were children. Oshitari was a master at reading body language, little things that indicated mood changes. It came to him instinctively. Tezuka just managed to confuse him, he supposed, when he made his warm body correspond to the cold things his lips said...
Oshitari leaned forward on the table and asked, "So they still call you 'Buchou-san'?"
Tezuka placidly sipped his tea. "Sometimes I think they're afraid I'll make them run laps if they don't."
******************************
Ooishi and Kikumaru walked to the nearest train station silently. They were a good two blocks away from the restaurant before Ooishi said quietly, "Naa. Eiji..."
"Nani?"
"...Do you think we should tell anyone else?"
Kikumaru braked and raised his voice. "Huh? What are you talking about? Why shouldn't we tell anyone else?"
Ooishi stopped walking. Sweatdropped. "Well...that is..."
"THAT Hyoutei regular socializes with OUR Buchou, and it's not something that would interest the other Seigaku regulars?!"
"Former Seigaku regulars, Eiji," Ooishi corrected. "We're not even attending the same high school anymore. Did you notice that Oshitari-kun was wearing the same uniform as Tezuka?"
"So what? He's still an old Hyoutei regular! We have to safeguard our former Buchou's welfare at all cost!"
"...Okay, I don't get your logic," Ooishi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What's certain is, we'll come across as real busybodies if we spread news about Tezuka's...private business..."
Ooishi had momentarily forgotten that secrets were taboo to Kikumaru. Oops. "Private business?" Kikumaru repeated, miffed.
The redheaded boy lived in a house full of relatives, all of whom knew who was going out with whom, what exactly they did, and why. He considered everyone else's life an open book -- and if it wasn't, corrective measures had to be undertaken, for the good of all.
"What private business could OUR Buchou have with an old Hyoutei regular?" Kikumaru huffed. "If they're not doing anything bad, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right...? So we wouldn't be finding out anything we shouldn't, right...?"
"Well..." Somehow, he had a point. Ooishi sighed. "Alright, but...Tezuka says he's going to call me. Don't you think we should wait until then? He might want to volunteer the information -- "
"Oo~i~shi~!" Kikumaru wailed plaintively. "What do you think he'll tell us? He'll tell us to mind our own business, that's what!! And if that Hyoutei regular ends up doing HARM to Tezuka-buchou...?" Kikumaru folded his arms across his chest. "I don't like that guy. Always looks like he's up to no good."
To be honest, Ooishi didn't trust Oshitari either. And couldn't for the life of him understand why Tezuka consented to have dinner alone with the guy. As far as he knew, Tezuka only willingly took his meals in the company of people he trusted. Otherwise he 1) ate alone, or 2) ate at home. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something important was going on where he couldn't see it. His buried leader's instincts were kicking in.
"But...we can't just go about talking to people about it. That's risky. We're not gossips, Eiji!"
Eiji grinned. He winked playfully at Ooishi, a mischievous gleam in his open eye.
"Then we'll have to drop hints to someone who's expected to make a big deal of it," he began. "So...who among us is a gossip AND a good data-gatherer?"
They both knew only one person who fulfilled all the above criteria.
******************************
Mukahi put down the phone feeling numb. Still no answer.
The first time he tried calling Oshitari's apartment was when he was walking home from school. He dialed Oshitari's apartment's number on his cell phone, and waited until the persistent ringing at the other end turned back into a dialtone. Alright, he told himself then: it was early. Maybe he was still out.
The second time was after dinner with his family. He tried to connect to Oshitari's cell phone this time: still no answer.
At the third time, he tried to call Oshitari at his apartment again, using the family's landline. It was shortly after dinner, but there was still no answer. He could have tried contacting him at his cell phone again...but Mukahi didn't think he was up to not being answered a fourth time.
His hand was shaking when he put down the phone. When he realized that it was, he glowered down at his hand until the trembling vanished.
He shouldn't be reacting this way.
They never had the sort of relationship that would call for this sort of...jealousy. There was no other word for the feeling. But used to be, no one could come between them and it never had to be said.
That changed whenever Oshitari said Tezuka's name, which was rarely, and never expected. Mukahi had always known that. But he never thought it would ever mean anything.
Had he been wrong all this time?
If he doesn't call tonight... Mukahi told himself, as he stood by the silent phone, clenching a fist at his side, if he doesn't...I'll know.
******************************
Tezuka's "apartment" was actually his own condo, as could perhaps be expected. Being the only child, he was somewhat spoiled by his family, who could afford the best creature comforts.
Not that Tezuka himself was materialistic. Oshitari guessed that the inside was as spartan as he remembered little Kuni's room to have been. But it didn't look like he would have the chance to confirm his guess.
The two young men stood outside, by the low gate. Tezuka turned to Oshitari with an expectant, slightly impatient look.
"Hmm...still too early to be indoors." Oshitari feigned innocence. "Why don't you invite me inside? Let's kill an hour or two."
Tezuka closed his eyes briefly: something he did instead of rolling his eyes. "No," he simply said.
No one was around. The street was empty and the houses were separated by thick walls and wide yards. Utter privacy. Oshitari decided he liked this neighborhood.
Then he planted one hand against the wall beside Tezuka. He drew his body closer to Tezuka's until the other boy was forced to step back against the wall.
"You are heartless," he said into Tezuka's eyes.
Tezuka only held his gaze, his aura daring him to do something more dangerous. Oshitari would have kissed him then, if only he wasn't conscious of the fact that they were both wearing glasses.
There had to be a way to go about it without taking off their glasses. The damn things were just too cumbersome.
He could forget the idea, then, and step away. But he wasn't likely to do that with Tezuka -- no, Kuni. His Kuni. Was standing this close to him again. One kiss. Oshitari wasn't going to take it farther than that. He made up his mind.
BANG.
The sound didn't come from far away. It was the sound a cat pouncing onto a tin lid would have made.
But Oshitari jerked back as if he heard a gunshot.
What the -- Why did I -- ?
As he steadied his own heartbeat, Tezuka stepped away from the wall. His eyes did not leave Oshitari's all the while. "See you tomorrow," he said tersely. And with complete calm opened the gate, went through, and locked it behind him.
...
Oshitari lingered, sorting out what had just happened.
Meanwhile he remembered he had not checked his cell phone for messages all day. He should have at least remembered to store it in his pocket, not in his bag.
He pulled himself up rigidly when he saw the display.
One missed call.
(to be continued)
******************************
1 - AFAIK, "A Hamburger" is the name of the fastfood joint often shown in the anime. It has the McDonalds color scheme, only there's a big "A" where the "M" should be ^^
2 - A friend translates this to "marinated eel"...officially known as Tezuka's favorite food. I wonder if it tastes good...
3 - "Oh well, as always..."
4 - An expression of surprise. Some variants: "Ara!" and "Oro!"
5 - "That's bad, Tezuka! You're mean~!"