Act 4:  An Invitation (Distant bond)

"I heard that Atobe-san and his gang are going to the campus tomorrow to practice tennis at the court. They're expecting us to join them," Fuji informed Tezuka as they walked towards the direction of their houses.

"...How did you know about this?" Tezuka's slanted eyes flickered over to the shorter man swiftly before resting on a cherry blossom tree a few distances ahead of them.

"Atobe-san gave me a call this morning."

"He called you? He has your phone number?"

Fuji nodded in reply. "Probably from his friends."

Tezuka turned his attention to the ground and was silent for a fleeting moment. "You're going?"

Fuji blessed the captain of their team with a sunny grin. "Of course. I wouldn't want to miss a chance of having a tennis match with them."

"Yeah. But still, you should at least take a day off. It'll be exhausting."

"That's a bit unusual for a person like you to say."

"Why is that so?" Tezuka tried to keep the tone of his voice from hardening at the boy's comment.

"Well…because I figured you're the always-on-the-go type of person." Another warm smile. It was almost as sweet as sex, but Tezuka refused to acknowledge the fact further.

"I'm not the type of person you think I am," Tezuka answered coldly. "A tennis player needs his rest too."

"Yeah…Tezuka really is an understanding person."

Understanding? Tezuka thought inwardly to himself. This guy says the weirdest things…

"My house's just around the block. I'll see you then."

"Aa."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Will you be going to the campus tomorrow? We could have a double match with them…" Fuji suggested.

Tezuka closed his eyes with unrelenting aloofness, and shrugged disinterestedly. "Most possibly not."

"Oh…" Fuji seemed crestfallen for a brief second, but quickly recovered. "Never mind. Hope you have a nice day, Tezuka."

"Mn. Same to you." Tezuka waited and watched as Fuji nodded politely to him before disappearing at a corner of the road. The captain continued to regard the path the other man took for a while, shaking his head slightly. That Fuji is too outgoing for words, he thought, and resumed his walk towards his own house. Definitely a little too outgoing…But that doesn't concern me at all.

~ ~ ~

"You don't look too good, Momo-senpai. Anything wrong?" Echizen inquired, unable to repress his curiosity any longer. 

That jerked Momoshiro out of his personal thoughts. "Huh? No, I'm fine, Echizen." He increased the pace of his cycling, and Echizen shrugged after a while, when he was positive Momoshiro wasn't going to say anything else. 

A long uncomfortable silence hung in the air between them for a few minutes. At last, Momoshiro broke it.

"You having some plans for this weekend?"

"Well… Ryuzaki asked me out just now. We're supposed to meet at the cinema this Sunday for a movie or something, if I'm not mistaken."

Momoshiro smiled to himself, although oblivious to Echizen, for he was behind him, and said, "*She* asked *you* out? Not the other way round?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Forget it."

"Okay. …Momo-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm having a little trouble with algebra- I mean, school work, and…I was wondering if you could teach me…"

"Sure. When do you want me to tutor you?"

"Monday's a public holiday. I'm free on that day."

"No problem. I'll be over at six."

"Thanks, Momo-san."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing."

"…You know I hate being called that, Echizen."

"I know."

~ ~ ~

The convenient store was mildly packed with people when Oishi and Kikumaru arrived.

"Aww, man! And it's still five forty in the evening!" Kikumaru wailed as they entered the shop.

"Eiji, quit bickering and just take whatever tidbits you want quickly. The queue line's getting longer."

"Right, give me a minute, Oishi."

With that, he squeezed through the crowd of people, tripped over someone's shoe, and nearly fell flat on his face if it weren't for Oishi, who grabbed him just in time from behind.

"That was scary. Thanks, Oishi." Kikumaru balanced himself once more.

"Be careful, will you?"

"Mmm hmm…oh, look! My favorite custard pies!" Kikumaru reached over and took three of them. At that moment, he felt a fat lady hit his body lightly.

"Sorry, young man. I lost my balance." Saying that, she steadied herself with a hand on his chest.

"It's alright, ma'am." Kikumaru grinned at her before concentrating on the food on the racks again.

After buying, Oishi and Kikumaru exited the shop, and the latter chattered excitedly about the things he'd bought, when Oishi cut in all of a sudden.

"Eiji, that fat woman molested you."

"And you know, I found the chocola- what?!" Kikumaru's head snapped to look at his friend.

"She did."

"Wha- No, she just lost her balance and happened to hit me, that's all."

"You sure?"

"Positive. …Um…well, at least, I think so."

Oishi smacked his own forehead and sighed. "Never mind."

~ ~ ~

"Kaoru, your bath's ready!" Kaidou's mother called out to him from downstairs.

"Just a minute," he replied, and descended down the stairs to the shower.

As he was undressing, the phone rang, and he heard his mother cry out, "Your phone, Kaoru."

"Who the heck is it?"

"He claims to be Sadaharu Inui."

"WHAT?!" Kaidou accidentally dropped the towel he was holding around his naked form from his shock, hastily picked it up, and wrapped it around his waist again. Irritation began to burn in his loins as he answered the call.

"What the hell do you want?!"

"Kaidou, am I disturbing you at the moment?"

"You goddamn well are!"

"Listen, I know you hate me right now, but Tezuka asked me to inform you that tomorrow, Atobe and his friends are going to the campus for a match. Fuji's gonna be there as well."

"What's that got to do with me?"

"They're invitin' us to play tennis with 'em."

"…Fine. Thanks for telling me. Is that all?"

"I love you."

  .  .  .  .

Slamming the phone down, Kaidou said angrily, "Mother, would you do me a favor and disconnect our phone line just for the night? I think I'll feel better tomorrow."

* * *