Chapter Ten: Turn Around Again
Disclaimer: I still don't own Prince of Tennis. … Darn.
Author's Note: Here's chapter ten! Finally! XD Remember, the complete Author's Note for this fic is posted in chapter one. But here are the warnings, summarized for your convenience: May contain spoilers/ shonen-ai/ not-shonen-ai/ please review/Tomoka shrieks at flamers. Lol.
Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! (And JB, wow. O.O That was so deep… And, of course, chibiukyou, you know I love you. Many thanks to Fubaki Sakura, by the way, who has also been such a sweet reviewer and even left a note on Japanese cat names which answered a question I had… And Ishka and BluAyu and… gaahhh! You're ALL wonderful! XD Again, thanks so much!) Well, on the with the fic! Let me know what you think of chapter ten!
I remember the last time we were together.
We stood there, shaking hands, on the brink of twilight…
I can still see the tears shining in your eyes…
I still wonder why it was you cried back then.
…
Tezuka stared out the tiny airplane window, but he couldn't see a thing. It was completely dark outside, in those thin hours just before dawn as the plane chased down the sun, flying closer and closer to Japan…
He shuddered slightly. The thought of getting ever closer to that island was starting to unnerve him. He hadn't been back there for over a year, and some part of him had intended to never return. Especially since his parents had been so disapproving of his decision to leave. He couldn't stand to let them down like that, but he just couldn't stay on that cruel, heartless island any longer…
Oh, God.
I'm starting to sound like Fuji.
At that thought, he couldn't resist glancing over at the two people seated next to him. Both of his companions appeared to be sleeping, but he had a nagging suspicion that neither of them actually were.
He let his eyes settle on Fuji for a moment, who was sitting in the seat nearest the aisle, the farthest away from Tezuka. The former captain wondered why Fuji hadn't insisted upon sitting next to him… He would have expected that, based on everything the tensai had done for the past fourteen months… But he hadn't. He hadn't even said a thing about it.
For what felt like the thousandth time, Tezuka couldn't help staring at Fuji while he slept. It was true, what all the socialites in Paris said about Fuji… He was absolutely beautiful. He had a perfect face, with delicate features. Tezuka didn't know a thing about aesthetics, but even he wasn't so blind that he couldn't see that. And yet, as angelic as Fuji Shusuke could look when he was sleeping, Tezuka never felt like Fuji was an angel lately. Rather, sometimes he got the distinct feeling the tensai was anything but that…
He stopping staring at Fuji and turned to Oishi, who was right next to him. His friend looked unusually pale in the dim lighting, he thought. After a moment, Tezuka nudged him softly and whispered, "Oishi."
The former vice captain didn't even flinch as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Yeah, Tezuka?" He smiled a little, but his voice sounded distant to Tezuka's ears.
"Are you alright?" Tezuka couldn't help frowning. Really, his friend didn't look well. He wondered if it was nerves… that would have been so like Oishi, especially given the circumstances…
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine," Oishi assured him, smiling a bit wider and sitting up straight. But Tezuka couldn't help noticing the way he tried to wrap his jacket closer around his body.
"Are you cold?" he asked quietly, seriously. He glanced up at the air-conditioning vents above the seat, but they were already closed.
Oishi just laughed a little, almost too lightly. "Yeah, it's funny… I can't seem to get warm. I'm okay, though."
Silently, Tezuka gripped Oishi's hand, which had been lying on the armrest. He was surprised at how cold the former vice captain's fingers were.
"Your hand feels like ice," he remarked, looking right at Oishi.
"I'm fine," Oishi insisted again. He glanced at the window, which still showed nothing but black. "What were you thinking about?"
There was a pause, and Oishi looked at Tezuka, eyes softening.
"Were you thinking about Echizen?" he added, almost under his breath. He felt like he shouldn't say something like that too loud, at least not when Fuji might very well be listening, but he couldn't help asking it all the same.
Tezuka was silent for a moment, looking at a loss as to what to say.
"I don't know," he answered finally, almost wearily.
He stared out the window for the thousandth time, wondering if it had really been Ryoma he'd seen in that strange reflection in the airport terminal. He was started to wonder if he was losing his grip on reality … After all, here he was, going back to Japan, of all the crazy things, something that he'd all but sworn he would never do…
"Tezuka, whatever happens…" Oishi trailed off as he caught Tezuka's attention again. He paused for a moment, but then he grabbed Tezuka's hand and looked straight into the former captain's eyes, very solemnly.
"Whatever happens when we get there, I'm here for you, okay?"
Tezuka nodded, slowly. He looked at Oishi's fingers, the way they wrapped around his own, and he couldn't help thinking of another night that his friend had been there for him…
On that one night, that awful night that had been covered in blood…
"Oishi…" But he couldn't finish what he wanted to say. Not when he couldn't stop thinking about that.
But, of course, Oishi understood. Like he always did, Tezuka thought to himself. It was true. Oishi was always there for him. Even now, when his friend just gave him a sympathetic squeeze with his hand, and then let go, sinking back into his own chair with a quiet sigh.
But, somehow, hearing that sigh… Tezuka couldn't leave it at that.
"Oishi," he said again, hesitantly. His friend looked back at him almost quizzically. "You know… well…"
He paused, trying to find the right words, while Oishi waited patiently.
"I want to be here for you too. This time around," he murmured finally. "I mean… what you did for me back then…"
"… Was what anyone would have done," Oishi finished for him, smiling again. "But thank you, Tezuka. I appreciate it."
In the long silence that followed, Tezuka watched his friend slowly close his eyes and drift off again. And he couldn't help wondering for the thousandth time what would await them both when the plane finally touched down on solid ground.
Tezuka's attention had drifted back to the tiny window, and so he didn't notice when two shockingly blue eyes opened without a sound and continued to stare right at him.
- - - - - - - -
Inui was awake very early, almost before dawn, but he wasn't a bit surprised to see that his roommate had already left their hotel room beforehand. There was a 99 percent chance that Kaidoh had gotten out of bed at 4:45 in the morning, probably to go use the hotel exercise equipment in place of his usual training menu.
That was so like Kaidoh, of course. Inui knew how much he hated to break up his daily routine, which was why he normally hated taking vacations of any kind.
"Not this time, though," Inui murmured, smiling a bit to himself. "You wanted to come this time, didn't you? For Echizen's sake."
At that, Inui couldn't help interrupting his own train of thought with a frown.
Echizen… I don't know what's in store for you here…
He absentmindedly pushed his glasses upward, staring out the large hotel room window. The faintest glow of the color of dawn was still visible in the sky, even though the sun had been up for a good twenty minutes.
But it would have been better if you'd stayed in America.
Walking over to his black travel bag, he zipped open the main compartment and began rummaging around among all his possessions. For what felt like the hundredth time since he'd started to wonder when a certain plane would be getting in, he opened a notebook with a worn cover and began flipping through the pages. It was no good, though. All the data he'd attempted to take in high school had become, for the most part, largely unreliable… especially when it came to those three…
"There's just no consistent pattern," he murmured to himself. "It's not that there's no cause to be found behind it. It's just that…"
He paused for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts.
"It's just that data can't help you predict the heart, after all," he finished at last, almost wryly, as though the shortcomings of his own information seemed ironic to him.
Inui slid the notebook back inside his travel bag, and no sooner had he done so than the hotel telephone began to ring.
"Hello?" He picked up the phone calmly.
"Hey, Inui-senpai. This is Momo."
"Oh, hello, Momoshiro," Inui replied, glancing toward the door, where he could hear the knob being turned. Sure enough, Kaidoh came through the doorway and looked surprised to see his roommate on the phone. Inui couldn't resist a slight smile at that.
"There's something I wanted to tell you."
"Alright, Momoshiro, go ahead," Inui replied, even though he chuckled inwardly at the way Kaidoh bristled at the sound of that particular name.
"They're coming."
At those words, Inui became completely serious, and even Kaidoh noticed the change.
"When?" was all he said in reply, almost grimly, as he glanced meaningfully at his roommate.
"Tonight. Be at the lobby of the Imperial at around seven. I'll make sure everyone is there."
"Everyone?" Inui was somewhat confused. "Momoshiro, why exactly---"
But he was interrupted.
"It's time for a reunion, don't you think? See you there, Inui-senpai."
With that, the person on the other line hung up, and Inui was left to stare for a moment at the receiver.
"What did the idiot say?" Kaidoh inquired gruffly, with a note of curiosity in his voice.
"He said that they're coming," Inui explained, somewhat hesitantly. "They'll be here tonight…"
"What is it, senpai?" Kaidoh came up alongside Inui and looked him in the eye. He'd never seen his roommate look so perplexed before.
Inui was silent for a moment longer as he hung up the telephone.
"I think Momoshiro is planning something," he said finally.
Kaidoh frowned, hissing with something like disgust.
"Of course he is. That idiot…"
For a moment, they both grew silent and looked outside the window, watching as the last hint of color melted away from the pale blue sky. It was almost as though they could see, far off in the distance, that plane that was soon going to reunite them all, for better or for worse. And at the moment, they both couldn't help feeling like it very well might be for worse.
- - - - - - - -
Ryoma reached over and turned the shower knob all the way back to the top position, brushing the warm water out of his eyes as the steady flow slowed to a hesitant trickle. Somewhat carelessly, he reached near his head and pulled the towel off the rod, rubbing the white terrycloth across his bare arms and down his chest.
As he was drying himself off, he couldn't help wondering for the thousandth time what it was that Momo was planning.
His senpai had called him in the morning, mentioning offhandedly that he and Eiji would be waiting for him in the hotel lobby around seven o'clock. Ryoma had attempted to ask him what exactly they would be doing after they met up in the lobby, but Momo had skated around the question and said cheerfully that he couldn't wait to see him then.
Thinking back on it now, Ryoma shook his head, almost annoyed.
That Momo-senpai… he's been acting so weird… nothing like he used to act at all…
The teenage tennis star frowned as he stepped out of the shower, drying his feet on the mat. He was starting to wonder if his senpais were anything like the friends he had left behind five years ago. After all, one thing kept leading to another, and by this point Ryoma had heard so many strange things that he felt like nothing could shock him anymore.
Well, maybe that's good… Maybe all the secrets are over with now.
He absently slid a close-fitting white tank top over his head, pulling it down his chest, and reached for a pair of jeans.
He hoped that it was over with, truthfully. He hadn't wanted his return to be a long list of painful discoveries and hidden secrets. He just wanted to see his friends again.
And he had really wanted that.
The truth was, Ryoma had missed his friends dearly while he was away. He was a star athlete, but fame wasn't conducive to making friends, especially not with his tight training schedule. And other than his old friends at Seigaku, very few people ever understood that his outwardly cold personality wasn't meant to be offensive. It was just a part of who he was, and he didn't know how to change it.
Still getting dressed, Ryoma grabbed a dark overshirt and slid his arms into it.
Maybe that was why he couldn't help looking at the past with a sense of wistful longing. He knew that it wasn't like him at all to feel that way, to miss people, to care. But he did care. He had missed them. That was why he had come back, even though part of him had been afraid and had held back for five years.
Of course, there had been consequences that had come with waiting so long to return. Now things were very different from his fond memories. And he was starting to feel that the people he had missed so much were no longer the people he had left behind.
Glancing halfheartedly at the steamy mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair, flicking a thousand tiny drops of water every which way as he did so. He decided his hair would look alright once it dried, and so he stopped messing with it. He didn't know where he was going tonight, but he figured it wasn't going to be any place special. It was probably just Momo and Eiji wanting to hang out again, after all.
Well, no matter what's changed, they're still them. And I still missed them.
Taking a deep breath, Ryoma twisted on the doorknob and let the cold air rush into the bathroom. Walking into the bedroom, he glanced outside the window, surprised to see that it was already sunset.
It was sunset back then too, wasn't it?
Ryoma couldn't help remembering the evening when he had left Japan for good. He'd shaken hands with the man who had inspired him, and then he'd boarded a plane for America. He hadn't looked back. He hadn't planned to return, either… except that he promised that he would, and, well, he had to keep that promise. No matter what.
Taking a few steps toward the window, even though he knew it was late, Ryoma couldn't help getting lost in his own memories. He allowed himself to get lost in them, remembering every little detail…
From the day he literally ran into Momo on his first day of school…
… to the first time he was forced to drink that toxic waste called Inui Juice…
… to the first confrontation with Tezuka on the tennis court…
… to the time they all climbed that mountain at midnight to watch the sun come up…
… to the week they spent together at tennis camp before the Rikkai match…
… to the trip to Germany where they delivered the championship medal to Tezuka personally…
…
Germany.
Was that really where Tezuka was now? It still didn't make sense to Ryoma, unless Tezuka had gone there to play tennis. But no one seemed to think that was why he had disappeared. It didn't make any sense at all.
What had gone wrong?
With a small sigh, Ryoma shook himself out of his own reverie and glanced at the digital clock. It was already past seven, but he didn't feel particularly rushed. After all, it was just Momo and Eiji, probably already waiting for him so they could go eat or something. Still, he grabbed his wallet and checked to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. And with that done, he pocketed his room key and headed out the door.
All the way down to the lobby, Ryoma could feel his mind still wandering. Somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about the way things used to be… Which, really, wasn't like him at all, but something about that sunset had reminded him…
He walked out toward the lobby and glanced around, expecting to see Momo and Eiji waving frantically at him and telling him to "Hurry up, Echizen!" But, with so many people in the bustling room, he didn't recognize anyone for a moment…
When he finally did recognize someone, his heart stopped beating.
He blinked, once, then twice. He was sure he was seeing things. But he wasn't. He couldn't be. Because even though he recognized that man, he had never seen him before. Not looking like that.
He couldn't move; his feet felt like they were nailed to the floor. And the small crowd of people he was staring at didn't notice him then. It was something Ryoma was grateful for later, because he couldn't even imagine, in that moment, what his face must have been saying for all the world to see.
But it was true. It really was him. No, it was them. It was all three of the people in that photo on Eiji's shelf, and even though they had certainly looked older in the picture, they looked still older to Ryoma now. And Oishi looked even more worried than he had in the photograph… And Fuji looked even more beautiful than he had in the photograph…
And Tezuka…
Tezuka looked… he looked… the photograph had been…
Oh, God.
Buchou.
He felt his legs start to move, even though he tried to stop, and he walked straight up to them. He heard someone call out to them, and realized a moment later it had been his own voice speaking.
"Oishi-senpai, Fuji-senpai… Buchou… is it really---?"
He had recovered from the shock of first seeing them, or rather he realized that he must have, because a fresh wave of it came over him when all three of them looked straight at him.
And Fuji's eyes were so blue and Oishi's eyes were so dull and Tezuka's eyes were so shattered that he just couldn't say another word…
"Echizen," was all Tezuka said. And even though it was a statement and not a question, he looked just as surprised as if he hadn't recognized the boy at all.
Ryoma didn't respond, instead just staring into those amber-colored eyes as though time itself had stopped.
"Is that really you, Echizen?" came Oishi's pleasant voice into his ears, even though his eyes were still fixed on Tezuka.
"Of course it's Echizen, Oishi-senpai!" It was Momo's more boisterous voice, and the grip of two hands on his shoulders, that shook Ryoma back into reality. "Didn't you recognize him?"
Momo nudged Ryoma again and gave the tennis star a smile, which somehow made Ryoma feel as though the room was clearer and that the earth was spinning normally again. He turned his attention back to the three newcomers and was able to meet their eyes more calmly this time, even though he was sure his heart was still skipping every other beat.
"I recognized him right away. He looks just like his photo ads," said the most melodic voice that Ryoma had ever heard, coupled with an approving glance from the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Ryoma almost couldn't believe this new Fuji could possibly be human. He looked more like a living doll, or a work of art come to life.
"But he's gotten so tall," Oishi pointed out amiably, laughing a little. "I guess I should have expected it, though."
Oishi seemed fairly recognizable to Ryoma, except that something in him was nagging at him, whispering in his ear that Oishi didn't look well, that he looked like he'd been sick for a long time. But no one had said anything about Oishi being sick… Had they?
Tezuka didn't say anything, but Ryoma couldn't help giving him another quick glance as well. He knew that Tezuka didn't look all that different from his memory. Or, at least, he shouldn't have. But, again, as with the photograph, he was distinctly aware that there was something about him, something in his eyes that had never been there before…
And that thing changed everything else, until Ryoma hardly knew who that man was anymore.
… What was it?
"He has grown, hasn't he? I think he's taller than you now, Fuji-senpai," Momo was observing casually, as he turned to the tensai.
"Oh, well, I don't doubt that," Fuji replied, with an absolutely heavenly laugh. "Most people are taller than I am, after all."
"Not everyone, Fujiko-chan!" Eiji protested, coming up alongside his friend. He was smiling, but Ryoma got the distinct impression that the redhead seemed uncomfortable. "And anyway, I'm not that much taller than you either…"
"Ah, but you're Eiji," protested Fuji gently, drawing the redhead's face to his own and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And that's all there is to it. How are you? You don't call me nearly enough, you know."
Eiji laughed, almost nervously, Ryoma thought. "Oh, I'm doing fine, Fuji. College is kind of busy, though, and I sort of lose track of everything…"
"Ah, now that I understand completely. I'm always terribly behind on all my assignments, I'm afraid," Fuji responded cheerfully. He turned back toward the group in general. "How about the rest of you? What have you been up to? It's been so long, you know."
"It has been a long time," Inui replied seriously, even tensely. "But things here have been business as usual for the most part, as I'm sure we'd all agree."
At that, all four of the other former Seigaku regulars who had remained in Japan nodded.
"Of course," Inui continued, almost hesitantly. "I'm sure we couldn't say the same for you three. What have you been up to?"
There was a pause, and the silence felt uncomfortable to Ryoma at least.
"Ah, well, I know Oishi is getting along quite well at Oxford," Fuji answered at last, with that never-changing smile. "I hear he's the pride of his professors and studies day in and day out."
"What about you, Fuji?" Oishi protested quietly, trying to change the subject. "You're the talk of Paris, with all your photography projects…"
"Oh, they're only trifles, really," Fuji interrupted, waving away the compliment. "It's just a little hobby of mine. I'm certainly no genius, not at all."
"That's not what they say about you, though," Tezuka remarked. Everyone seemed rather surprised to hear Tezuka argue that particular point, Ryoma thought, and he, too, was caught off guard by the tone of voice the former captain had used…
"Well, perhaps not," and Fuji just shrugged and changed the subject again, still smiling. "Oh, Momo, since everyone's here now, I wanted to ask… Had you planned anything for tonight?"
"Oh, not for tonight," Momo responded lightly. "I thought you three might be tired after the flight."
"I suppose you're right about that," agreed Fuji, glancing at Oishi and then Tezuka. "But we should all go out to lunch tomorrow, in that case. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."
"You're right, of course, Fuji-senpai," Momo nodded agreeably. "I'll take care of it. You three should take it easy until then."
"In that case," Inui interrupted in his usual calm voice. "Kaidoh and I will be going. We'll see you all tomorrow."
The others nodded, and the two broke off from the group and began to walk toward the door.
"What do you think, senpai?" Kaidoh hissed under his breath as they left.
"It's not good," Inui answered cryptically, in a low tone. "They're even worse than last time. I don't know what they've been doing, but… It can't have been good."
Back in the small crowd, Taka was starting to look uncomfortable as well. "I think I should go too. Sorry about that, you guys… but I really need to be helping out at home."
"That's alright, Taka-san," Momo answered for them all, with a friendly wave. "You go on home. I'll give you a call in the morning."
"Um, I'll be waiting in the car. Okay, Momo?" Eiji nudged his roommate anxiously, trying to catch his attention. Momo nodded again, whispering under his breath, "Alright. Go ahead."
"So," he said in a much louder voice to the four that were remaining. "Can Echizen and I help you guys with anything before I go? The bags, maybe?"
Without glancing at Tezuka or Oishi, Fuji answered for them all, "That would be nice. Why don't you two help me carry the bags to our floor while Tezuka and Oishi check in and get the keys?"
"Sure thing," Momo promptly replied. He looked at Ryoma. "Is that okay with you, Echizen?"
"Uh, sure," Ryoma agreed, even though he wasn't quite sure how he'd just gotten volunteered to play bellboy. Momo took the heavy bags himself, but he gestured to a few of the others. "You can grab those, okay, Echizen?"
"Okay." And Echizen leaned over to pick up a large duffel bag and a black leather travel case, following Momo and Fuji toward the elevator.
So that was it. That was the reunion.
Outwardly, Ryoma felt almost cheated. After all, it had only lasted a moment, and nothing had even been said that had been meaningful. He didn't know what he expected, but that hadn't been it. And yet…
In that moment…
In that moment, when all nine of them had stood together, as one unit again, Ryoma had felt something. Something inevitable. Something was going to happen now, now that they were together again. He didn't know what it was, but whatever it turned out to be…
… He was going to be ready. For their sake. For his friends. He was going to find out for himself what had gone wrong five years ago. He was sure of that.
Because something had certainly gone wrong. He could see that now. No, he felt it, with every word the three newcomers had spoken. With every nonchalant gesture, with every polite smile, every last little syllable that had been uttered, one word screamed in his head…
FAKE!
Whatever had just passed between them all had only been a feigned kind of friendliness. He knew that was the truth, beyond the shadow of a doubt. He had seen the discomfort of the situation reflected clearly in the eyes of those who had stayed behind. But even if these newcomers were the best pretenders Ryoma had yet seen, he was sure that they too were only hiding behind an act…
And before he went back to America, Ryoma was going to find out the truth behind that act.
Fuji glanced back at the teenage tennis star, watching for a moment as the boy thought to himself. And then the tensai turned back to Momo with his eyes open, smiling rather knowingly.
"He grew up quite nicely, didn't he?"
Momo's smile was equally ironic, as his eyes stared right back into Fuji's, unintimidated.
"I didn't think you'd notice. You aren't going to try something, are you, Fuji-senpai?" he inquired almost darkly.
"I had thought of it," Fuji admitted, his voice dangerously casual, his eyes daring Momo to object. "And if I do try something?"
"I'll stop you," was Momo's simple answer, but he meant every word, as the tensai knew all too well.
"Alright then." Fuji's wry smile widened into a grin. "You're on, Momoshiro. Tomorrow night, we'll see if you can stop me."
"Tomorrow night?" Momo repeated, suddenly caught off guard. "What in the world are you saying--?"
"Oh, no, nothing like that," Fuji said, laughing. "But I'll make a deal with you then to leave him alone. If you succeed, that is."
"I'll succeed," Momo answered simply, pushing the button for the elevator.
"Succeed at what, Momo-senpai?" Ryoma suddenly interrupted, looking very confused. He had only heard Momo's reply to Fuji, and it had seemed very out of the blue to him.
"Ah, nothing, Echizen. Oh, here's the elevator," Fuji observed cheerfully, his dark expression completely gone. "Would you press the button for the third floor, please?"
Ryoma complied, but he couldn't help glancing at Momo after he had done so, trying to read his senpai's expression. But there was nothing there that told him anything of what had passed between the two a moment earlier.
Back at the front desk, Tezuka and Oishi were waiting for the hostess to find the room keys.
"Are you alright, Oishi?" Tezuka was asking quietly as he watched his friend rub his forehead.
Oishi nodded weakly, replying, "Yeah, I'm alright. I just have the worst headache…"
"Did you see him?" Tezuka inquired hesitantly, in a low tone.
Oishi nodded, his eyes softening even as he cringed with the throbbing pain around his forehead. "I saw him."
"You're going to have to speak to him eventually, you know," Tezuka couldn't help observing. Oishi nodded again, more slowly this time.
"I know… That's why I have a headache."
The hostess returned and handed Tezuka an envelope, and the pair headed for the elevators, just as Fuji and Momo and Ryoma had only five minutes earlier.
As they waited, Oishi spoke up suddenly. "You didn't say anything to Echizen."
Tezuka was silent for a moment, and then he sighed, almost imperceptibly.
"I know. I couldn't, not there. I just…"
He let his words trail off into nothing. And then he turned and looked straight at Oishi, with a solemn expression.
"Well, everything will be alright."
Oishi smiled at that, and nodded again.
"Right. Everything will be alright."
-end of chapter ten-
A/N: Gaaahhhh, I'm sorry this chapter was over two days late! My bad, my bad! XD I was distracted by several things this weekend and it took me awhile to get it right. And I know… Even with that, nothing really happened in this chapter. Well, that was on purpose, because I really wanted the reunion to be a stand-alone moment rather than an exposition-fest… But it's okay if you're mad at me for that! I promise I'll make up for it in the next chapter, which I'll have up asap! (Hopefully by Wednesday, but I can't promise for sure…) In any case, I'm sure you can tell that things are pretty much coming to a climax here, since the biggest secrets are the only things left to be told…
At least I was able to do one thing: reveal exactly why Ryoma returned to Japan when he did. It's probably no surprise to anyone by this point, but it was worthy of an explanation, in my humble opinion. Since, as Ryoma would say, it's not like him to "care" so much. :)
Well, despite the fact that this chapter was very inconclusive, I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten! I'll do my best to have the next one up very soon!
Coming Up Next: The Regulars have been reunited, but what awaits them when they confront their fears and say the things that have been left unsaid for so many years? Ryoma is about to find out.