Part Four: When bracelets change lives

The air was crisp and cold. The sin was shining brightly at nine in the morning. The birds were chirping songs of gaiety and Tezuka just breathed everything in.

It had been three weeks since Germany had welcomed him. Three weeks since he had said goodbye to all his loved ones back in Japan. Three weeks since he said goodbye to Fuji and left him in Saeki's hands.

Three weeks and, even if he would never admit it out loud, he missed having the whole team around.

He missed Kikumaru's constant chattering. He missed Momoshiro's loud voice. He mussed the sound of Inui's pen scribbling down new data. He missed Kawamura's burning mode. He missed Kaidoh's trademark 'fushuu'. He missed Oishi's smile. He missed the fire in Echizen's eyes. And most of all, he missed Fuji.

Just Fuji being Fuji.

But there were things he needed to sacrifice in order to achieve his goals.

Perhaps, another e-mail wouldn't be too much of a show of emotion?

"Good Morning, Mr. Tezuka," greeted the girl in the reception as he walked inside the rehab center.

He tipped his head sideward, recognizing her and yet not noting her name. "Good Morning."

The girl smiled. "Did you have a good run?"

"Yes." The girl looked like she wanted to have a conversation. He wasn't the talking type – didn't they know that by now? "Now if you will please excuse me..."

"Oh and by the way, Mr. Tezuka. You have a visitor in your room. He said he was an old friend of yours."

Tezuka blinked. A visitor? Here in Germany? But the team still has a lot of games to play before the end of the Kantou Taikai...

"Mr. Tezuka?"

The buchou gave a little smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The girl smiled to herself. It was good to know that one of their youngest patients had friends. Sometimes, Tezuka just looked too lonely.

Could it be that they came without telling me? No. The receptionist said that I have a 'visitor'. So that means it would only be one. Then... who could it be?

The door to his room was still closed. Chocolate eyes widened the moment he opened the door and saw who his visitor was.

"Yo, Tezuka! Hisashiburi!"

A familiar smile. A familiar voice.

"Saeki?"

The grin widened. "In the flesh! How've you been?"

Tezuka blinked for the second time that hour. Of all people, he did not expect his rival to be standing near the window of his room – the sunlight pouring from it, making Saeki's hair glow as he was an angel. It was a plus factor that Saeki was wearing a white long sleeved turtleneck. An angel indeed...

Wait...

Did he just refer to his rival as an angel?

"Tezuka? Daijoubu ka?"

Confused earth eyes met concerned blue ones. He almost jumped. Had he been too absorbed with his thoughts to realize that Saeki was already in front of him?

"Sorry. I'm ok." He crossed the room and offered a seat to his visitor.

"Thanks," Saeki said. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing in Germany, ne?"

"Aa," Tezuka answered, sitting on his bed.

"My sister's getting married to this German guy. The wedding's within the week and I thought I'd come and visit you." A laugh. "Fuji wanted so much to come and visit you but he couldn't leave the team since he's practically the ace now. But, he did ask me to give you this."

The buchou eyed the small package given to him. It was a slim rectangular one and Tezuka thought that it was might've been a book. He wanted to open it right away but he wanted privacy and he couldn't get that while Saeki was around.

The fukubuchou saw the hesitation and laughed. "Go on and open it, Tezuka. Our tensai specifically told me to report back your reaction the moment I get home."

Tezuka smiled softly. A reaction from me? But only his keen eyes could see what little reaction escapes from me. Does he trust Saeki that much to see only what he could? And does he really want to know it that much?

Saeki remembered laughing when Fuji told him to report Tezuka's reaction. The guy doesn't react to anything, he argued. But Fuji had been persistent and said that Tezuka would and that he would just have to watch closely. For there will be some kind of emotion in those eyes, in his lips, no matter how small it may be. It was a hard job, really, but when did he ever get to say 'no' to the tensai?

He watched Tezuka closely, the way he observed his opponents on court. The buchou gingerly took off the wrapper as if wanting to preserve it later. It was a shock to both of them to see a box and not a book. Saeki had been expecting a book, too. But they weren't quite ready for what was inside.

Tezuka's eyes widened as picked up the bracelet residing inside the box. It was a silver chain, simple and yet elegant. He could not say anything or think of anything to say. He just sat there and held the chain in his hand, eyes suddenly a little damp.

Saeki could not believe his eyes. He could distinctly remember that Fuji had given him the same bracelet a month before his family moved to Tokyo. The same bracelet he still wore and was now wearing on his left wrist under his long sleeves. There were no words, he remembered, when Fuji gave him the box. He just smiled as if the smile was something that explained everything. And yet, years after, he still could not understand.

He looked at Tezuka's face and watched the small signs of emotion finally showing. The buchou was trying to keep his tears from falling, the emotion evoked by the happiness of what was presented in front of him. And yet, there was something in that smile that told Saeki that it wasn't al happiness.

It was as if Tezuka understood what had Fuji meant.

The smile never left Tezuka's lips as he closed the clasp of the bracelet and stared at it while it dangled from his left wrist. He then turned to a silent Saeki.

"Have you seen Germany?"

Saeki blinked. "Uh, no. Why?"

"Why don't we have an early lunch and I'll give you a tour?"

Saeki plopped on the make shift bed that his Oneesan made for him in her apartment. He was exhausted, to say the least. He and Tezuka had been touring a part of Germany the whole day. They went to various museums, parks and ate in a restaurant that served very delicious dishes. Never did it cross his mind that the Seigaku buchou was someone who could keep you company even through his silence.

He yawned. He should postpone thinking for tomorrow, he thought. Now was a good time to shut his eyes and get some sleep.

Suddenly, the cell phone rang. Reaching for the bedside table, he read the number flashing on the screen and quickly recognized it. It was a call from Japan.

"Fuji, it's eleven in the evening here. I'm tired. Couldn't this wait?"

There was a chuckle on the other line. A chuckle that Fuji was known for. "Gomen ne, Sae. I'm just itching to know what happened. And I was calling your phone earlier but I think it was on silent mode that's why you couldn't hear it."

Saeki rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Perhaps it was when Tezuka and I were at one of the museums we visited. Gomen."

"Oh?" He could hear the curiosity in that voice. And yet, there was something else. "You toured Germany with Tezuka?"

"Aa."

"Sou..."

Suddenly, there was a tension between them – something he couldn't understand where it originated. "Anyway, he loved the gift."

"Really?" The tension was gone; Fuji's voice was full of anticipation once more. "he loved it? How did you know?"

He snorted. "he had tears in his eyes, Fuji. Tell me he didn't love it."

Saeki swore he almost saw the tensai smiling. He was jealous that Tezuka was evoking such reactions from his childhood friend. And yet, he noted, it wasn't as much as he expected to feel.

"Saa... I'll hang up then. Get some sleep, Ko-chan," Fuji said, using his old nickname.

A smile escaped his lips. "Will do, Syu. Ja."

And then the connection was cut.

He put down the phone on the same spot and stretched. It was no time for pondering. It was time for his much needed sleep. But just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone rang again.

"K'so." He got up and looked at the flashing phone. He did not recognize the number. Perhaps it was someone from Rokkaku using the school's landline?

"Kojiroh desu."

"Saeki."

Sleep was suddenly thrown out the window. "T-Tezuka?"

"Did I disturb you or something?"

How did he know my number? "No. Not at all. Is there something you want?"

"There's something I'd want to show you tomorrow. Can you possibly at the rehab center at three?"

"Three in the afternoon?"

"Morning actually."

"Huh?" It was a strange request, he thought. But maybe it was something that could only be seen at the wee hours of the morning. "Ah, ok. See you then."

It was like de ja vu. He could hear a smile from the other line. "See you then."

He stared at the phone for a few second after the connection had been cut. Everything was getting a bit weird, he thought. Sighing, he closed his phone – not caring who the hell called him – and snuggled for good night's sleep. It was about time he rested. He had a date to keep at three in the morning.

Wait. Did he just say 'date'?

Saeki arrived on time and he wasn't surprised when he saw the buchou already standing outside the center. Tezuka still had the same expression he had yesterday: happy.

"Yo!"

"Ohayou," the buchou replied, tipping his head sideward, a small smile on his face.

He almost wanted to glance at the bracelet on his left and check if it was emanating some kind of power, too. He could almost guarantee that Tezuka's did.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Saeki never knew that his rival was the let's-surprise-someone type. "Ok."

And that was the end of their conversation until they arrived at some cliff an hour and a half after. The cliff, Saeki noted, was almost the same one where he met Tezuka before the latter flew to Germany. Yet, there were no buildings – only a field and a river that he was sure would glisten the moment the sun touched it. He glanced at his companion.

"You know this place quite well."

"My trainer brought me here one time."

Tezuka glanced at the watch he wore on his right hand. "Three minutes."

"Three minutes?" This was confusing Saeki.

The buchou, however, offered no explanation. Instead, he just nodded and continued yo watch the scenery in front of them. Grudgingly, Saeki decided he would just wait for three minutes and see what would happen.

Cerulean eyes widened three minutes after. The sun was slowly beginning to rise in the horizon, bathing everything with its warm glow. So this was what 'three minutes' was all about, he thought. A beautiful sunrise.

"Gorgeous isn't it?" Tezuka said, finally speaking again. "I thought you might wan to see a German sunrise. Though I know it won't make too much a difference from a Japanese sunrise."

Saeki blinked. How could he have know that I loved sunrises?

Then suddenly, it came crashing down on him. The day before Tezuka's flight...

He remembered?

Tsuzuku...

To all those who are waiting for Ryoma... your wait might come to an end much faster than you think...