Chapter Sixteen: Unspoken and Unrequited

Disclaimer: I still don't own Prince of Tennis. -sigh-

Author's Note: Here's chapter sixteen! 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/ Ryoma hits flamers in the face with his Twist Serve. Lol.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading the story, and special thanks to my reviewers, as always! You're all wonderful. I hope you're enjoying the fic, and let me know what you all think of chapter sixteen!

You never know what you have until someone else steals it away.

You never know what you leave behind until it disappears for good.

I forgot what you meant to me.

Now it is only my loss.

…

Momo held his breath as he turned the doorknob, glancing behind him as he did so. Sure enough, the only two occupants of the apartment hadn't heard the noise.

The Golden Pair was asleep, on opposite sides of the couch, with the kitten curled up in the space between them. Momo couldn't resist a quick smile at the sight.

I think they're even breathing in sync.

Well, they're the Golden Pair, after all.

Silently, he tiptoed out into the hallway and carefully closed the door behind him. Then and only then did he let out his breath, with a quick sigh, and turn around to start walking down the hall…

"What do you think you're doing?"

The sudden inquiry made Momo's heart leap right out of his chest. Sure enough, there was the gruff voice's owner, standing in front of him with his arms crossed and a glare in those snakelike eyes.

"Oh, it's you," Momo breathed in surprise. "Dammit, Viper, you scared me!"

Kaidoh just hissed, eyebrows raised.

"Idiot."

"Oh, shut up," Momo said, walking right past his rival with little more than a shrug. But he found himself stuck when Kaidoh grabbed onto his arm so hard it hurt, making it effectively impossible for him to walk away.

"I asked you a question, you idiot," Kaidoh snarled, eyes glinting. Momo tried to yank his arm free, but his former teammate only tightened his grip.

"What do you want from me, Viper?" Momo just rolled his violet eyes, unintimidated.

"Answer me. What do you think you're doing?" Kaidoh repeated, getting angrier by the minute.

"I'm leaving," was Momo's brief reply. He tried to escape from his rival's grip once more, with similar success. "Will you let me go already?"

"Why should I?" growled Kaidoh, tightening his grip so much that Momo flinched. "So you can go and do something stupid again?"

"What are you talking about, Viper?" Momo actually looked confused, and he held still long enough to stare straight at his former teammate.

"What do you think I'm talking about, you moron?" hissed Kaidoh. "You're up to something. Do you think I'm blind? I know you well enough to see that much. I don't know what you're thinking, but you're in way over your head, you imbecile."

There was a pause as Momo stood completely still, silent. And then an almost dark grin appeared on his mouth.

"Oh---? Am I?" he taunted, practically smirking. "I'm in way over my head, huh? Is that right, Viper? Really, I had no idea."

Kaidoh just glared at that smug expression, completely furious.

"Yes, you are," he said at last, in a low tone. "You're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble, you idiot. You're messing around where you're not wanted, and you…"

"Someone has to," Momo interrupted coldly, wrenching his arm away from Kaidoh's hand with a quick motion. Just like that, he started walking away, but Kaidoh followed him.

"What are you talking about?" Kaidoh demanded, right behind his rival. "Just what are you trying to prove, you moron?"

Momo whirled around and stared right into Kaidoh's face, leaning forward with a completely serious expression.

"I'm not proving something. I'm fixing it. Now, is this any of your business, Viper?"

Those violet eyes were glaring right into Kaidoh's, with a certain light that the snakelike teenager hadn't seen in them for some time. And so it was really out of habit that he choked down his frustration and looked away.

"No, it isn't."

Momo stared at him for a moment longer and then replied coolly, "I didn't think so. Now stay out of it."

With that, Momo turned away again, walking down the hallway and turning into the stairwell, out of Kaidoh's line of vision.

For a minute, Kaidoh just stood there, staring in the direction that Momo had left. And then he hissed in frustration.

"That idiot. Trying to take the weight of the whole damn world on his shoulders," mumbled Kaidoh, eyes glued to the floor. He tried to ignore the stinging feeling that was growing in his chest.

Doesn't he know I'm worried about him?

Momoshiro, you moron.

- - - - - - - - -

Ryoma knocked on the hotel room door for the twentieth time before he finally decided that no one was in there.

That's odd.

He stared for one more moment at the silent door before shaking his head and walking away. In between sneezing, he tried to decide where to look next. He thought about checking the lobby, but he hadn't noticed either of his former teammates there when he had first entered the hotel. And it wasn't even close to dinner time yet, so the odds were even lower that they were in the restaurant on floor three…

Just before he entered the elevator, he had a burst of inspiration.

As he walked inside the tiny chamber, he pressed the button for the topmost floor.

When the elevator had stopped, he quickly walked out into the hall and up the small stairway to the rooftop. Glancing around somewhat nervously, with scattered memories of the previous night, he scanned the garden for any sign of his former teammates.

He didn't see anyone there, but the garden had plenty of twists and turns, so he began to wander around. He sniffled, noticing with a shudder that it was rather cool outside for summer, probably because of the previous night's rain.

Why am I here, anyway? It's not like I'd even know what to say to them…

It's just… I need to understand something…

He sighed to himself, hugging his arms to his chest in an attempt to get warm. He glanced at the trees around him, watching as their branches rustled in the breeze. And then he began to head toward the fountain, the place where everything had fallen apart the night before…

Ryoma turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe his eyes.

There, sitting on the side of the fountain, was Tezuka Kunimitsu, taking Fuji Shusuke into his arms and kissing him passionately.

Ryoma watched for a moment, completely stunned, before he even thought to be embarrassed. And then, almost before he knew what he was doing, he rushed to hide, slipping behind a tall hedge just out of sight.

He didn't know why he was so shocked, or why he couldn't tear himself away from that spot. But all the same, he found himself listening carefully to the words that the two were speaking…

"You aren't listening to me, Tezuka," came that hauntingly beautiful voice, sounding distinctly frustrated.

"How can I, when you insist on putting it like that?" the deeper voice replied, equally annoyed.

"You know why I can't stand this, when you're always---"

But the beautiful voice stopped in mid-sentence, presumably silenced by another pair of lips, rather than with words.

Ryoma winced, feeling strangely uncomfortable knowing that he was listening to what was apparently a lover's quarrel, not to mention an off-and-on makeout session.

And then suddenly, it hit him.

Echizen Ryoma sank to his knees, sitting on the pavement with something like horror gleaming in his golden eyes.

That was it.

That was the missing piece.

…

"I heard a rumor a few months ago that even his parents don't know exactly where he is…"

"The truth is, they're not the same people you knew. Not anymore."

"Fuji-senpai didn't leave because of a girl."

"Tezuka doesn't play tennis anymore."

…

That was it. That was why.

Tezuka had left because of Fuji. And Fuji had left because of Tezuka.

That was it. Ryoma was sure of it.

When everything had fallen apart, these had been the two who had fallen the farthest. Hadn't Fuji himself said so?

…

"It's an awfully long way to fall, isn't it? Especially for those of us standing the closest to the sky!"

…

And when they had fallen, they had fallen together.

Were they in love? Ryoma didn't know a thing about that… But they were certainly kissing, they were certainly wrapped up in one another's embrace, they were certainly…

They were…

They…

Ryoma blinked rapidly, trying to expel the stinging feeling from his eyes. There was that feeling again, that pain in his chest…

Why? Why should it hurt him that Tezuka and Fuji were actually… they were actually…

Oh, God…

… Why does it hurt this much?

Ryoma shook his head, trying to ignore it, trying not to hear the murmuring voices as they hovered in the air above him. He tried to think, tried to sort his thoughts about this missing piece, because either way it didn't answer everything…

… No, it didn't answer everything. It couldn't.

It didn't answer why Tezuka no longer played tennis.

It didn't answer why Fuji had quit, either.

And it didn't answer for the guilt in Tezuka's eyes, or the madness lingering in Fuji's mind.

But this was it.

This was why Oishi said that whenever Tezuka came to visit, Fuji would follow him. This was why Tezuka could be rendered completely helpless with one piercing look from the tensai's blue eyes. This was why Fuji lashed out at anyone who got too close to Tezuka, and with particular ferocity.

The former captain and tensai of Seigaku were tangled together like a knarled thread, and there was no conceivable way that the two could be set free from eachother.

…

Why? Was it love? Or maybe something more sinister?

Of course Ryoma didn't know. But now he could see every element that had led to this point. His own departure from Japan five years ago, and Tezuka's subsequent entanglement with Fuji…

That was what had made Tezuka Kunimistu, Seigaku's pillar, crumble into pieces.

Ryoma was sure of it.

… But just how badly had that pillar crumbled?

Was Tezuka really unable to play tennis anymore? Was there really something wrong with his arm? … What had happened to it?

…

All the questions that were screaming through Ryoma's head began to jumble together in a confusing blur, and the tennis star was left only with that distinct pain in his chest, that ugly reality that was too difficult to ignore.

That pain… Why was it so painful to think about? Why was he in pain, thinking of how Tezuka had fallen apart?

This wasn't just simple disappointment, of having been let down by someone he admired. No, this was something else, something that shocked even him. But in this moment, he could no longer avoid the thought, a thought he had ignored for who knew how long.

… Had he loved Tezuka?

He couldn't quite say. He felt very strongly for him. He always had. This was the man, after all, that had completely changed his life. Before he had met the pillar of Seigaku, Ryoma had harbored no ambitions to be a pro, no desire to improve in tennis beyond the motive to beat his own father. This was the man who had been his goal, his ideal…

And to know that his ideal had crumbled into pieces and was now kissing Fuji Shusuke, the genius who had been the only other person to intrigue Ryoma as Tezuka had…

… He couldn't tell which part hurt him the most.

Was it the feeling of being forgotten, of somehow being left behind by two people he had respected so deeply?

Had he loved Tezuka? Had he maybe even loved Fuji?

Had he---?

If he hadn't, then what was this sharp pain that filled him when he watched the two embrace?

…

Ryoma buried his head in his arms and tried to keep from sniffling. Whatever his feelings, he certainly didn't want the couple to realize that he was there…

"Achoo!"

It was out before he even felt it coming, and his hand clamped over his mouth in horror. Had they heard him---?

"What was that?"

Sure enough, the beautiful voice sounded startled, and there was a quick pause before the deeper voice asked, "What was what?"

"I thought I heard someone sneeze," said Fuji's voice, apparently suspicious.

Ryoma's heart was pounding. He scrambled to his feet, hearing the sudden sound of footsteps approaching the hedge. He ducked behind a tree trunk and held his breath.

There was a pause, as the footsteps ceased.

"What are you looking for, exactly?" said Tezuka, sounding almost exasperated.

"I thought it came from over here," Fuji explained briefly, a bit puzzled.

"Well, no one's there," Tezuka sighed in response. "Do you want to leave?"

"Maybe we should," was Fuji's final reply, coupled once again with the sound of slowly retreating footsteps.

After a full minute had passed without Ryoma hearing anything more, the tennis star finally relaxed and began to breathe normally again. He peered out from behind the tree, and sure enough, no one was there. Slowly, he made his way toward the hedge and looked around the corner, but no one was by the fountain either.

Without really thinking about it, Ryoma walked out onto the path and up to the fountain, staring out over the rippling water. He tried to process what he had just learned, and found it decidedly impossible.

In fact, it was starting to give him a headache.

He glanced at the clear water, and then bent over and splashed some of it onto his face. It smelled faintly of chlorine, but it didn't sting his eyes as much as he would have expected. In fact, it was strangely pleasant to feel the cool water dripping down his forehead, easing the faint throbbing.

Suddenly, he gasped in surprise.

He'd just noticed that his wasn't the only reflection in the water.

He whirled around, exclaiming, "Momo-senpai! You scared me!"

It was, in fact, the power player who had walked up behind him, completely unnoticed. Momo just laughed, flashing Ryoma one of his usual carefree grins.

"Sorry about that, Echizen. You were so lost in thought that you didn't even hear me."

"What are you doing all the way up here?" Ryoma asked, looking completely bewildered. "I thought you had the world's worst hangover."

Momo chuckled at that, surpressing another grin, and then he shrugged. "I did. And what about you? I thought you were sick with a cold."

"I am," was Ryoma's equally informative reply. He looked somewhat suspiciously at his former teammate, trying to read those violet eyes and failing completely. "But I'm staying at this hotel anyway. And as for you…?"

Momo shrugged again and simply answered, "I was looking for you. Why didn't you come back to the apartment? Wasn't Eiji-senpai going to pick you up from Taka-san's place?"

"I never called him," Ryoma responded, very quietly. He looked back toward the fountain, gazing at the winged statue in complete silence. Momo watched the tennis star for a moment with a rather strange look in his eyes. But the expression was gone before Ryoma could notice it.

"You know, if you have something to ask him, then you should just ask him already," Momo said suddenly, attracting the younger man's attention.

"What do you mean?" Ryoma frowned, looking confused.

"I mean, about Tezuka-buchou. If you want to ask him something, then just ask him," was Momo's simple explanation, as he turned away from Ryoma and wandered toward the ledge.

"It's not that easy, Momo-senpai," Ryoma protested, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened to even wonder how Momo knew exactly who was on his mind. He followed in the power player's footsteps, trying to keep up with him.

"Maybe not, but you still should ask him," Momo bluntly replied, leaning against the ledge and staring at the city below. "It's not like you'll be able to stop wondering about it until you do."

"Maybe not," Ryoma agreed after a moment, repressing a sigh.

Why couldn't he stop wondering about it, anyway? It wasn't like it was any of his business, not really…

"You could always give him a call," Momo said very lightly.

"What?" Ryoma had just barely caught what the older man had said, and even with that, he didn't understand the statement.

"It's what Fuji-senpai would do, isn't it?" Momo added, in a tone Ryoma had never heard him use before. "If you want to make sure he's alone, give Tezuka-buchou a call. Tell him to meet you somewhere."

Ryoma thought about this for a moment.

"You think I should call him?" the tennis star repeated, looking as though he needed this confirmed.

But Momo just shrugged. "I don't know. Should you?"

Ryoma repeated the question, looking up at his former teammate. "I don't know. Should I?"

Those golden eyes stared into Momo's purple ones, and somewhere above their heads, the wind picked up for a moment. The faint sound of traffic flew by on the breeze, and Ryoma shivered slightly.

Suddenly, Momo's odd tone vanished, and he smiled again, just like always.

"Well, either way, we should get you inside. You shouldn't be running around on a day like this. Can I take you back to the apartment? I stole Eiji-senpai's car, so you won't have to walk."

Ryoma smirked a little at that. "He's going to be mad at you."

"Aw, Eiji-senpai's always mad at me," Momo replied with a grin. "Come on, you should come back for awhile. Let Eiji-senpai spoil you. He's good at it."

Ryoma shook his head, sighing again. "When did Eiji-senpai become the group nurse?"

"Since Oishi-senpai gave him a reason to accept the position," chuckled Momo, gesturing toward the exit. "Come on, let's go. I'll bring you back to the hotel later."

"Okay," Ryoma agreed, following his former teammate to the door. And in forgetting, for the moment, what he had just discovered… The tennis star forgot to be surprised that the pain in his heart had lessened.

- - - - - - - -

Eiji slowly opened his eyes, and was shocked to discover that it was already late in the afternoon. What in the world---? How long had he been sleeping?

He sprang up from the couch and scurried over to the answering machine, frantically checking for any new messages. But to his surprise, there weren't any.

That's weird… Why didn't Ochibi call? Isn't he done at Taka's yet?

He looked at the answering machine in confusion for a moment, but then he shrugged off the question and walked back, more slowly this time, toward the living room.

He sat back down on his end of the sofa, drawing his feet up onto the cushion and sitting cross-legged on the couch. Glancing over next to him, he couldn't resist a smile at the sight of Oishi and the cat next to each other, both fast asleep.

Gently, Eiji picked up the sleepy kitten and carried her over to her basket, giving her a small pat on the head before returning to the couch. He sat right next to Oishi this time, watching his former doubles partner breathe steadily in his sleep.

Oishi sure is sleeping a lot. I hope he's okay…

Eiji leaned forward a little, looking very carefully at Oishi's face. He still didn't like the pale color of those cheeks, but he decided that Oishi looked better than he had yesterday, and that thought comforted him.

Oishi… What made you get so sick like this? Why weren't you taking care of yourself?

The redhead frowned, with a mournful look in his deep blue eyes.

"Stupid," he whispered softly, leaning a little closer to that sleeping face. "If something happened to you… Don't you know that I would never stop crying?"

To Eiji's surprise, the former vice captain stirred in his sleep, and Eiji found himself blushing, for reasons he couldn't really explain, as those dull green eyes slowly opened.

"Ah… Eiji?" Oishi murmured, sounding faintly confused. "What time is it?"

"Um… it's five o'clock," Eiji answered, almost too quickly. He couldn't help being annoyed with his own nervousness.

Ughh… what's wrong with me? It's just Oishi, after all.

"Where is everyone?" Oishi wondered quietly, looking around at the darkening apartment.

"Huh?" Eiji was surprised too. He hadn't even noticed that no one else was there. "That's weird. Momo should still be here…"

The redhead got up again from the couch and walked over to the hallway, peeking around the corner. But, sure enough, no one was in the bedroom, and the bathroom was empty too.

"I guess he went out," Eiji said, more to himself than anything else. "But that's really weird. I thought he had a hangover."

"Is Echizen back at the hotel?" came Oishi's voice, interrupting Eiji's thoughts. Eiji sighed and walked back into the living room again.

"I don't know," he replied, sitting back down on the opposite end of the couch. "He never called me. I guess he's still with Taka-san."

There was a long pause, and Eiji was distinctly aware of the awkward feeling in that silence. Suddenly, the space between the two of them felt like it was a mile wide.

And Eiji was extremely aware of the fact that he didn't like it one bit.

"Uh… so… do you want me to make you something for dinner?" he spoke up, trying to sound quite cheerful. But with one glance at Oishi's expression, he knew he'd failed.

"Eiji."

The former vice captain said it so seriously that it sent a slight chill down Eiji's spine.

"Um… yes?" the redhead managed, swallowing hard and trying not to look away from Oishi's gaze.

"I think we need to talk," Oishi said, very calmly, still staring straight into those deep blue eyes.

"About what?" Eiji couldn't resist a nervous laugh, and he turned away.

It was then that two arms embraced him from behind, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Oishi---?" he whispered, almost under his breath. It was an unfamiliar gesture, something that Oishi had never done before. Eiji had never known what it was like to feel those arms firmly locked around his body…

… He had never known this feeling, but it blew him away.

In that moment, he could sense it. He could sense, for the first time, that there was something between them that had never been there before. Or, rather, he had never noticed it before.

What was it? Was it Oishi? Or was it him?

"Eiji, I'm sorry," that kind voice whispered in his ear. It was trembling slightly, with the emotion behind his words. "I'm sorry for everything that happened. I never meant to hurt you."

Eiji swallowed, trying to choke back the tears. But even though he felt as if his heart had melted into wax, some of the old hurt couldn't help rising into his throat and coming out, in a single question.

"Then why did you hurt me, Oishi?" he asked, almost desperately. He wished he could see his former partner's face… but then, he didn't want Oishi to let go, either…

"I was afraid, Eiji," came the honest answer, very quietly. "There was something I was afraid to tell you. I should have told you before I left… but I… I just couldn't."

Eiji listened carefully, to every emphatic syllable, trying to decipher the emotion behind that reply. But he was so caught up in the sheer force of that emotion, that he was overwhelmed. What was this feeling that was resonating, in every word that Oishi spoke, in the firm embrace of those arms as they held Eiji against his chest?

"What is it, Oishi?" Eiji whispered, eyes wide in surprise.

But there was no answer for a full minute, as the former vice captain simply held his doubles partner close, hiding his face behind Eiji's head. It seemed as though he was about to say something, but he stopped himself and took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you soon, Eiji. I promise," Oishi finally replied, as calmly as he could. "I just… I can't quite say it. Not yet."

Eiji nodded slowly, wishing that his heart would stop beating so hard. And then, just as suddenly as they had embraced him, those arms relinquished their hold. Eiji was free again.

Yes, he was free again… But he felt strangely empty.

Shaking the thought from his mind, Eiji got up from the couch, hoping that Oishi couldn't see that he was blushing. It was just too bizarre, after all, and he didn't want Oishi to ask what was wrong, when he didn't even know himself…

"Well, I'll go make something to eat now, okay?" he said suddenly, managing to sound actually cheerful.

"Okay. Thank you," said that ever-kind voice. Eiji couldn't see it, but those green eyes were even kinder than the former vice captain's words. If the redhead had tried to look, he would have seen the love that was hiding in those eyes. But he didn't look, and so, for the moment, the emotion in those eyes went unnoticed.

Eiji disappeared around the corner into the kitchen, with Oishi watching his every step. The former vice captain was startled out of his reverie, however, by a familiar meow.

"Oh, it's you again," Oishi said, glancing at the cat, which was sitting by his feet. He leaned over and picked up the snow white kitten, holding it to his chest just like he had the day before.

He looked into its clear eyes and couldn't resist a smile. And he whispered in its ear, "Do you think he already knows about me, kitty?"

The cat just purred, nuzzling up against his shirt affectionately.

"Well, maybe," he replied with a slight laugh. "But either way, I have to tell him, don't I?"

And Oishi began stroking the kitten's white fur, getting lost in his own thoughts.

- - - - - - - -

Ryoma wondered for the thousandth time in his life why chicken soup always tasted the best when you were sick.

It was true, that much he knew for sure. And at the moment, that was what he was doing. He was sitting at Momo and Eiji's extremely messy kitchen table and eating chicken soup. Apparently it was the only convenient thing Eiji had in the cupboard… Or maybe Eiji, too, was firmly sold on its healing properties and had decided that the abundance of ill people in the apartment dictated its use as the main course.

Whatever the case, Ryoma couldn't think of anything he'd rather be eating at the moment. He was still sniffling, and the tissue box hadn't left his side since he'd re-entered the apartment. His head felt so stuffed up that he couldn't think straight.

But he wondered if maybe this was for the best, since it had finally slowed down the frantic train of thought that hadn't left his mind since he had heard the truth about Fuji.

Fuji-senpai…

Of course, at the mere thought of the tensai, the former captain crowded into Ryoma's mind as well, as did the image of the two embracing by the fountain, and before long he had forgotten what he'd been thinking about again.

"Is the soup okay, Ochibi?" Eiji asked as he came back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's good, Eiji-senpai," was the prompt reply, punctuated by another sneeze. Eiji just shook his head.

"You're really sick, aren't you? And what were you doing all afternoon? You better not have been running around in this weather!"

Momo glanced up from his own bowl then, giving Ryoma a wink before saying, "Don't worry, Eiji-senpai. I went to pick him up."

"Well, I'm glad you did, but you weren't supposed to be out and about either." Eiji sighed and rolled his eyes. "Not that you ever listen to me, of course."

"Sorry, Eiji-senpai," Momo said as apologetically as he could, even though his eyes were twinkling with a kind of repressed merriment. Ryoma couldn't resist sharing a conspiratorial grin with his former teammate. It almost felt like old times, when they had picked on Eiji-senpai frequently and forced him to pick up the check at restaurants…

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," was Eiji's annoyed response as he left the room again.

"Don't worry, Echizen, I'll cover for you," Momo assured the tennis star, returning to his soup with a chuckle.

"Thanks, Momo-senpai," was Ryoma's response before they both lapsed into silence again.

It felt weird, in a way, to be sitting there like that at Eiji and Momo's kitchen table. Ryoma had almost forgotten that he was actually supposed to be in California, not in Japan with his friends. And yet, even so, he was in Japan, eating chicken soup with a friend he hadn't seen for five years.

And in the silence of that moment, he suddenly felt like he remembered why he had come back. This was why. For this feeling, this feeling as though he'd come home again.

It had been painful to come back, but suddenly, Ryoma realized that he didn't regret it.

No, he didn't regret it…

Ryoma had already started sipping from his spoon again when he jumped in surprise. Momo's foot had brushed against his leg underneath the table. He glanced up at his senpai, but Momo was flipping through a magazine and didn't notice Ryoma's temporary discomfort, so the tennis star just shrugged it off and went back to his soup.

That is, he shrugged it off until Momo's foot brushed against his leg again, rubbing up and down slightly against his ankle.

Ryoma wasn't quite sure why, but he couldn't help cringing. It felt strange, and it was making him distinctly uncomfortable.

"Err… Momo-senpai?"

"Yeah, Echizen?" Momo glanced up from the article he was reading, his violet eyes meeting Ryoma's candidly.

"Ah… umm…" Somehow, Ryoma didn't know what to say. He felt himself draw his foot away from Momo's, almost unconsciously.

"Oh, was that your foot?" Momo questioned with sudden comprehension. "Oops. My bad."

There was a pause. Ryoma felt like he was thinking in slow motion, so confused were his thoughts, and his left eyebrow began to twitch.

"Momo-senpai," he managed, completely bewildered. "What did you think it was?"

Momo looked up again and shrugged. "I dunno… I thought it was a table leg. But then you moved, so…"

He just shrugged again and looked at Ryoma for a moment. The tennis star was trying to regain his composure, distinctly aware of how trivial his discomfort had been and attempting to forget about it.

"Why? Does it bug you?" Momo asked after a second, a distinctly mischievous expression in his eyes.

"Of course it bugs me. Wouldn't it bug you?" Ryoma replied, somewhat annoyed.

"This really bugs you?" prodded Momo, still grinning, as he stretched out his leg and rubbed his foot against Ryoma's yet again, this time obviously intending to bother the tennis star.

Ryoma glared, unamused by the joke, and stepped hard on his senpai's foot.

"Ow!" Momo winced in pain. "Hey, I was just kidding, Echizen!"

"Mada mada dane." And Ryoma picked up his spoon and continued eating his soup.

…

A few hours went by before Ryoma really noticed that it was getting late. The four current occupants of the apartment were sitting in the living room, watching some random news show, when Ryoma glanced at his watch and realized it was past ten o'clock.

"I should get going," he said at last, removing the cat from his lap, as he stood up from the floor.

"Okay, Ochibi. I'll get the door for you," Eiji replied, getting up from the couch and walking with him down the hall.

"I'll return the clothes tomorrow, okay?" Ryoma added as Eiji opened the door, glancing at his borrowed attire. Eiji nodded amiably. "Sure thing. Your clothes will be dry by then, too."

"Okay. See you later, Eiji-senpai."

And with that, Ryoma walked out the door, shutting it behind him. No sooner had he done so than he whipped his cell phone out of his back pocket and quickly dialed a number.

…

"If you want to make sure he's alone, give Tezuka-buchou a call. Tell him to meet you somewhere."

…

Ryoma held his breath, waiting for someone to pick up the phone on the other line.

"Hello?"

There was that familiar deep voice on the other end.

"Hi, Buchou. It's me," Ryoma managed, swallowing hard. He hadn't expected the pain to return to his chest at the sound of that voice… But he tried to ignore it.

"Echizen? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," replied Ryoma as calmly as he could, even though his heart was skipping every other beat. "Buchou, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it, Echizen?"

"Can we talk tomorrow? Alone?"

There was a pause on the other line. Ryoma waited for a response, tense with anticipation.

"When?"

Only one word, but Ryoma could tell it meant yes. And so he gathered his thoughts as quickly as he could.

"Tomorrow morning. At the overpass a block from the hotel."

"I'll be there."

The other line went dead after the brief reply, and Ryoma found himself trying to catch his breath, staring at his cell phone.

So that's it.

Tomorrow morning.

- end of chapter sixteen -

A/N: Whew! I finally beat out the writer's block and managed to finish chapter sixteen! I hope you all enjoyed it. It was a bit difficult to finally complete this one, but I'm pretty happy with it. Plus, we've gotten further in the plot, right? And that's always good, lol.

Well… I'm sure I'm forgetting something I should be saying in this author's note. But my brain's a bit fried right now and I can't think of it, so… I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks to everyone who's still reading! XD

Oh, and I'm very sorry this chapter took so long to post. I'll do my best to be quicker with the next one. Sorry in advance for leaving you all hanging! XD I'll try my hardest!

In the meantime, thanks for all your continued support, and please let me know what you thought of chapter sixteen!

As always, the FAQ is posted in my profile, and feel free to e-mail me any questions.

Coming Up Next: The biggest secret of the past is finally revealed, the secret about the pillar himself. Is Ryoma ready for the ugly truth? Or is this truth too much for him to handle?