---Hyotei, after class, Inui Sadaharu---

He was sneaking around on Hyotei campus when he saw the one person he didn't expect, sitting with his hand pressed to his forehead, his face looking down into his lap--

---Hyotei, an hour before, Eiji---

Eiji was packing up his stuff and was humming to himself, flipping through the numbers on his cell. He was trying to find his house phone to see if his dad had left any messages. He picked up his duffell bag as the number dialed. No anser, just the machine. Eiji dialed the five to hear the messages on the phone. Instead of his dad's voice, he heard the soft rasping of someone being choked to death, as if the speaker was dying right there.

The phone slid out of Eiji's hands as the beep signaled the end of the message. His green eyes went wide and he quickly dialed his house again, pressed five and heard the same sound. He was frightened by this sound, pretty much to the brink of death scared. His insides turned and he ran for the bathroom.

He was puking up his breakfast and his lunch. His face was covered in sweat, sweat that began to drip off his face and down to the toilet, making him puke up what was left.

At the sink, he tried to calm himself. That wasn't his dad, that wasn't real, that was a figure of imagination. He washed out his mouth and rinsed off his hands. He composed himself again and went back outside, picking up his stuff and sitting by the courts as his club continued to train on the new routine he'd set up.

---Present---

"Eiji!"

At the sound of his name being called, Eiji slowly turned his head and an evil smile creased his lips. "Trying to sneak in, are we, Sadaharu-chan?" His voice was a little scarier than what Inui was used to, and he backed up a step. "What's wrong? Do I scare you? Good! Your not supposed to be on this campus!" Eiji stood up, his eyes glistening with anger. "You want to collect data on your opponents, fine! But do it where I can't see you! Or, in a place I can't hear you!"

Inui didn't know what else to do, so he took off, running out of sight. That face, those angry eyes, that evil snarl, that face wasn't Eiji's at all, it wasn't even human! Inui caught his breath and finally was able to look back around the corner at Eiji. The red-head was seated down again, hisbody back in the posture it had been in before. Inui watched as a tear fell off Eiji's nose and stained the dirt below.

"Eiji, you poor thing," Inui said, his voice a whisper on the wind. "You don't want to be there, but we can't help you from this distance. Let us help you, Eiji, and we'll make you feel better."

---Seiyuu, after practice, Oishi---

He was feeling great when he walked into the club room, but he wasn't completely ok. Oishi's hands found Mei and he feltthe breaking point in his heart as he looked at the red fur and the dark green eyes that so reminded him of his old doubles partner. He was in love with Eiji, not just friends. The last week anyone had seen Eiji, he was crushing on the other boy.

His mind whizzed around Eiji for a moment before he realized he was slumped on the ground and Tezuka and Fuji were standing over him, a look of shock and fear on their faces. They were reaching down to help him up when he dropped the fuzzy, red bear again. Time seemed to stand still for the trio as they watched it hit the ground and they all remembered Eiji's bright smiles andthe melody of his laughter.

Fuji suddenly began to cry, his tears splashing to the ground and echoing around them. He hid his face in Oishi's shoulder, his whole body shaking with all the sobs escaping him.Tezuka knelt down and picked up the bear and felt his own tears wanting to flow free, but the dam that held them there was on the verge of bursting. He looked over his shoulder at Oishi and Fuji as they settled to the ground again, watching him.

"Eiji..."

---Hyotei, Kikumaru---

Eiji sneezed as he was washing his hands off in the restroom. He looked up at his reflection once more and his eyes widened. He was deffinatly seeing things.

He was back in his first year, blood was splattered along the walls, shards of glass was spread all over the ground, the furinture of the house was destroyed...