Ep. 10: Letting Go

===

He spent the entire lunch break shooting hoops in the gym. He didn't really feel like being around her these past few days. He knew he didn't have a right to be jealous but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Hey sweetheart whats up?" Tari smiled walking toward him jumping into his arms.

"Eh nothing's up." Aoshi said disposing of him on the gym's wooden floor.

"You've been avoiding us this entire week."

"I'm just not hungry lately." He said continuing his shooting.

"You should have told her." Tari said standing up and turning around.

"I can't." He said stopping. "I'll lose her."

"Would you rather just pretend you didn't love her?"

"We are free to do what we wish or love in the way we want to."

"So you throw love away?" Tari said looking at him. "Throw your chance away?"

"That's all it is anyway. A chance." He said picking up the basketball.

"You say that as if it's insignificant. You take for granted these things that for you seem trivial." he said turning his back on him. " You're lucky you even get a chance. What about me huh? People like me aren't even given a chance." He said walking out of the gym.

===

"Tomoe." Chou called from across the table. She looked up at him a worried look on her face. "Never mind it."

She smiled. She knew he was talking about Aoshi. He has been distant to them for the past couple of days and she was worried. Never had she seen him like this, she wanted to talk to him but there never seemed to be time. After class she had the auction to plan and he had practice, they reached the quarter finals of their area and practice were now more grueling,

She felt bad. She didn't want to see Aoshi like this.

"Hey groupies!" Tari smiled sitting down at the table. "Where's my jello?" he said looking around the table.

"So anyway I was thinking about cutting practice today." Chou began talking to the group. "My legs are so frigging tired!"

"Chou? Chou? Chou? Have you seen my jello? Huh? Huh?" Tari said pulling on his sleeve.

"I mean normally I wouldn't complain but my school work is suffering! I'm too tired to study after class!"

"Chou? Where's my jello?"

"So Tomoe how's you're auction going?" he asked.

"Everyone's just so busy." Tomoe answered distracted.

"Jello?"

"Yeah Sou you're busy with the play too huh? With this one also." He pointed to Tari.

"CHOU WHERE'S MY JELLO?" Tari screeched into his ears. Chou brought it out from under the table his right ear suddenly unable to detect any sounds.

"When is the play Sou?" Chou asked cleaning his ear with his pinky.

"Next week." Soujiro said looking up from his stage designs.

"You guys aren't gonna come are you?" Tari asked putting on his sad puppy dog eyes.

"You kidding I'm not gonna miss this for the world!" Chou hooted slapping his knee.

"Oh you suck Chou! Totally suck! You know how nervous I am and"

"Guys I better go ahead." Tomoe said getting up and walking back to the room.

"Did you talk to him?" Chou asked when Tomoe had already left.

"Yeah." Tari said suddenly serious.

"What's he gonna do?" Soujiro asked.

"I don't know yet."

"I don't know what brought this on, but if Tomoe was interested in another guy then it's not her fault." Chou said setting his food aside.

"Yeah Aoshi never made a move." Tari said looking where Tomoe used to sit.

"Think Tomoe knows?" Chou asked.

"People tend to notice things. I mean they have known each other for quite a while she should know when he's starting to act wonky. Otherwise she'd really be daft." Tari said.

"Wonky? That's not even a word! " Chou grimaced hitting Tari on the shoulder. While he retaliated by slapping him on the side of his head.

"You think it was right that we meddled?" Soujiro asked unsure stopping the two from hurting each other further.

"You could be the smartest guy in the world but if you let love pass you by then you're a damn fool." Tari said shoving the last spoonful of jello into his mouth.

"But what if it just hurts the both of them?"

"Everybody gets hurt Soujiro." Chou said leaning back in his chair. "Would you rather have loved and lost or not have loved at all?"

"Man you're opening line rocked but that cliché just stank!" Tari said hitting Chou's hair with his spoon. "Let's go before you start belting out another one."

"I'd rather have loved." Soujiro whispered watching his friends walk out of the cafeteria.

===

Tanada and Sano still weren't talking and the class suffered because of it. Despite of himself Kenshin missed the usual banter, it kept the class interesting. Now looking at his students, most of them in the danger of falling right into the aisles, he wished he could have his smart alecks back.

His eyes drifted to Misao. She looked miserable as well. His mind shifted to that afternoon in Chem lab where he had paired the three up. Boy Kenshin can you ever pick 'em!

"Ok class since you have a vow of silence I won't bore you any further." The class held their breath collectively, were they going to get a free period? "Let's do problems!" the class groaned.

===

"Why haven't you told him it was a lie!" Misao hissed when she finally got Sano alone.

"Coz he'd never believe me. He'll think I'm lying!"

"What kind of a friend are you?" she spat out, looking over at the courtyard. They were having PE and he pulled Sano into the bushes to talk to him. She was keeping a look out since she didn't want the scandal to get worse.

"Give it a few days it'll die down."

"What about Shiro?" she asked his name seemed alien to her once again.

"Shiro will get over it." he said walking away.

"Come back here I'm not finished!" she called after him. She froze, Sano was already talking to some girls. She crept to the back of the garden so, as they wouldn't seem to have been together.

===

Sano had been putting on the charm for the two girls that came up to him. When the freshman class suddenly filed out of the building for their own PE period. Sano caught sight of Tsubame. He wanted to wave at her but she looked away, suddenly he saw Yahiko looking at him, then he turned his back on him.

"Geez why is this love thing so hard!" he yelled walking back to the gym forgetting he was talking to the girls.

===

"Tsubame?" Yahiko asked as they lined up for softball.

"Yeah?" Tsubame was surprised, he doesn't usually use her name. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something. But he just shook his head and walked over to the guys.

===

"What's wrong with the guys?" Kaoru asked Enishi as they walked to the shower room.

"Don't you know?" Enishi said exasperated.

"I mean why haven't they made up yet?" she said rolling her eyes at him.

"I don't really know. Who cares?" he said handing her back her gym bag.

"You think Misao might"

"Don't be silly. It takes more than a girl to get between those two." He said waving goodbye as he headed toward the guy's locker room.

Kaoru smiled at her boyfriend. If he said it was going to be ok then it would be. He always seemed to make things all better. And he took care of all of them, not just her. She just wished he would act around her the way he did Tomoe. He was like a little puppy when she was around always asking for her attention. Always demanding her to love him.

She wanted to see that Enishi too. She was tired of the cool laid back one that can sometimes be so cold.

===

The steam rose up form the common showers. It was gross and unhygienic but for those who didn't want to stay in line or those very assured of their body it was a fast alternative to the cubicles.

Of course varsity players always used the common showers, either from tradition or sheer arrogance.

Sano knew Shiro better than anybody. For others him not telling the truth to Shiro was cruel but that was just Shiro's way. He had to get used to the idea first, then if he wanted to talk he would go to you. If he had talked to him right away Shiro would have alienated himself from his best friend even more.

A soap slid over to where he was standing and he looked beside him and saw Shiro with a towel ready to whip his behind.

"Pick it up bitch." He smiled.

===

The final bell had rung and Mr. Himura had just dismissed his class. Everyone had almost gone but Enishi lingered a while at the bulletin board on the south steps. He looked up and saw his sister run up to Mr. Himura just as he was leaving the class room and give him a couple of papers.

A couple of words passed between the two of them and she smiled. His heart froze. Suddenly he wanted to tear Mr. Himura's head from his neck. His murderous thoughts however were disrupted as he saw Aoshi standing on the north steps looking over sadly at the two also. Aoshi saw him and nodded before continuing down the steps.

===

"Yahiko" she started as he started packing his bag. School was already out and he had to make it to practice. He looked up at her. "Do you uhm" she didn't know how to say it.

"Make it quick Kitano I have to make it to practice."

"Do you like me?" she blurted out closing her eyes and turning red.

"Yeah sure you're my best friend." He answered exasperated at what she was asking him.

"No I mean like me like me." she said turning even redder.

"Are you crazy? What gave you that idea!" Yahiko said his mouth dropping.

"Well" she didn't know how to explain. It sounded better saying it in her head, now it just seemed ridiculous.

"We're pals right?" Yahiko uttered suddenly uncomfortable. "I mean do you like me?"

"Well no not particularly. Other then you know as a best friend." She said relieved.

Yahiko grinned. "Wow so I'm you're best friend huh!"

"Yeah but it doesn't mean I'll let you copy my tests ok!" she smiled grateful all the awkwardness had gone.

"But that's what best friends are for!" he called after her.

"No it's not!" she turned back at him. They were standing in the corridor, this was where they usually parted. Yahiko the south stair case then down to the gym. Tsubame to the north stair case then up to student council room. "Ok, guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey Tsubame" Yahiko started unsure. She turned to look at him. "If he hurts you I'll kill him." he said embarrassed.

She smiled at her best friend.

===

Misao watched as the drama club rehearsed. He watched as Soujiro took control of the stage. He was director, lights manager as well as the lead. It was his show. When he was onstage he commanded your attention, as if everything else melted away except for you and him. Well that was what it was like for Misao anyway.

"Hey Misao." Soujiro smiled going over to her. "Like it?"

"Yeah it seems great so far!" she smiled lighting up. "Uhm where's the leading lady?"

"Oh Tari isn't here yet." He said absently. She looked at him as if expecting it was a joke. "I'm not kidding he's the lead!"

"It's a girl role right?" she asked.

"Yep, we're doing it like No Theater."

"So that's why I don't see a lot of girls."

"That and the fact that they're angry at us for giving Tari the lead."

"I'm sure its gonna be great." She smiled at him.

"Thanks. I just wish Tari would get here so we can run through the lines before dress rehearsal." He said looking at his watch.

"Hey I gotta go. Tomoe might need help." She said leaving.

"You know Misao" Soujiro started. "You've been going to my rehearsals since junior high. I'm gonna miss you when I leave." He smiled sadly.

Misao could have died then and there and not have cared. It did not matter that all she was to him was a fan, he noticed her, he remembered her and he was going to miss her. That was all that mattered to her.

===

"You know it's not true." Sano told Shiro as they walked to the gym.

"Yeah I know." he said sullenly.

"So why are you still sulking?" he said dribbling a basketball between his legs.

"I think I really like her Sano." He said seriously.

"Oh I'm gonna be sick." Sano fainted.

"Get up you jerk!" Shiro laughed kicking his feet.

"So what's your problem then? I don't think you have any competition." Sano said still reeling from his best friend's confession.

Shiro looked over at the auditorium. Misao just left it and Soujiro was walking beside her laughing.

"That's the problem." Shiro pointed towards them.

Everyone in the class knew Misao was head over heels in love with Soujiro. They teased her endlessly about it. The cruelest thing was that they all knew she didn't have a chance.

===

"Ok that's it for today. Go hit the showers." Coach Makoto finished another two-hour torture session.

"Good job guys." Kenshin smiled. The team gave him a high fives while others stayed to chat with him a little. He looked over at Aoshi, he was more distant than ever and he couldn't get the feeling that he was avoiding him for some reason. His eyes shifted and caught Enishi's face, it had on an 'I'll gut you and shove it down you're throat' look that made him shiver.

Geez what is happening to the guys? First Sano and Tanada now these guys.

===

"You know its gross." Yahiko said sitting in the front of Tari's car. They were on their way home from practice.

"What are you talking about?" Sano asked innocently. They had left Tari since he still had dress rehearsal. "You mean Tari and this play?"

"I mean you." Yahiko said coldly. Sano felt a pang of guilt and it made him feel worse about the feelings he just started to have for Tsubame.

"Just don't hurt her."

===

Enishi was always the last one to leave the lockers. He took extra long baths and took his time massaging his leg and arm muscles. He liked the steam and solitude of an empty shower room.

He stopped. There was somebody else in the room. Aoshi sat in front of his locker already dressed looking at something.

"I didn't know you were still in here." he greeted his senior. Aoshi hid whatever it was he was looking at and slammed his locker door shut.

"Yukishiro." Aoshi nodded as he passed him by on the way to the door. Enishi blocked his way, wanting a confrontation. He knew Aoshi was in love with his sister. He knew it the moment he scored a winning shot last year and he headed straight for her. He knew then that he felt something more for Tomoe other than friendship. At first he gagged at the idea. Aoshi had been around them since grade school. He was always hanging around the house; he was like an older brother to Enishi. But that didn't mean he wanted him for her oneechan.

The two men stared at one another, neither wanting to give way. Finally Aoshi sighed.

"I would never hurt her you know. If ever she chooses someone else I'd let her go." He said walking away.

===

notes:

currently untitled is the title of this fic

I am not familiar with the school system of Japan so here's what I used grades 6-8 is junior high and 9-12 is high school. Sorry for the confusion. Besides this isn't really set in Japan. Its in this alternate universe where Japan, USA and the Philippines sorta blend into each other.