---Recreational Tennis Court, Eiji, a few days after he got out of the hospital---
Eiji was lying there on the bench, looking up into the endless abyss of blue above him. He had one arm slung across his forehead and the other dangling on the side of the bench, his shirt soaked with sweat. He kept pushing himself, even when he didn't have to, but he wanted to be better than Ryoma or Fuji, but he didn't want to leave Oishi behind.
He sat up and wondered if he'd ever imagined this about himself. He wondered if he'd ever imagined being someone so great with so little power on his own will, if he'd ever wanted to be more, if he'd ever wanted to grasp something that he just couldn't reach yet, or was it something he'd built up over the ages?
As he looked up to the skies he remembered...
---Seigaku Tennis Courts, Eiji, just after he and Oishi made up after their fight---
He had just been staring up at the sky when he bowed his head again.
He had snuk back onto the courts and was seated on a bench to the right of the courts. He was sweaty with the towel drapped over his head and was staring at the spot where the sweat was dripping.
"I wonder... I wonder if i'll be able to finally play singles some day? I don't know if I can stay here at Seigaku or go to Seiryuu with everyone else." He smiled. "Either way, I WANT TO BEAT YOU SOMEDAY ECHIZEN RYOMA!"
---Present, Eiji, walking home---
He smirked. Yup, he was going to beat Ryoma someday, but not today. He was flipping through his keys, trying to find his house key and unlocked the door, stepping in.
He set his bag on the side so he could change into bedroom slippers. He passed the phone and hit the answering machine's NEW button and listened to some person request his father's tending tallents or some woman requesting that the Kikumaru duo come to entertain her tennis friends. Just when Eiji was getting bored of it and about to press the button, he heard Tezuka's voice.
"Hey, Eiji! If you get this message, then please, come to Seiyuu tomorrow, and--" He was cut off.
"--COME ASAP!" Only to be replaced by Momo. "And please don't be--"
"--extremely late," It was Oishi.
"Or we will--" Taka began.
"--stalk you until you--" Fuji continued.
"--decide to come!" Yuta finished. Then he whispered, "Or my brother will stalk you until he die, hee hee."
Eiji stood there listening to them argue over the phone and smiled to himself. They were using Oishi's cell phone to call.
Kaidoh and Inui's voices broke Eiji's thoughts. "Come quickly tomorrow morning! We wish to see you again and give you a gift!"
Then, the whole team spoke, saying; "We miss you, Eiji-chan! Come and see us, please!" Then the beep that signaled the end of that message and the begining of the next, Oishi.
"Eiji-kun, I know that last message was lame, but please come, ok? It's really important."
That was the end of the messages.
Eiji stood there and kinda shook his head, his smile widening. He picked the phone up and dialed Oishi's cell and left a message and went running up the stairs and flung himself into his big teddybear with glee. He was uber happy and he couldn't stop himself from happily squealing in delight before snatching up some clean cloths and hopping in the shower.
---Kunimitsu residence, Tezuka's room, Tezuka---
He was trying to figure out a problem when his cell rang. He stared at it for a sec and saw it was Oishi.
"konichiwa?" He listened to scilence and was about to hang up when Oishi happily replied. "ja ne! nani, nani!"
"Eiji-kun! Eiji-kun said yes!" Oishi hung up before Tezuka could say anything.
Tezuka sighed and turned his phone off and dropped it beside his textbooks. He stared at it for a moment and then at his half-finished arithmatic problem and sighed. "Gee, Oishi sure seemed happy. Maybe... NOO!" Tezuka shook his head and took his glasses off before he fell back on the floor and stared up at the roof. "No way that..."
"Tezuka-chan! Phone!"
"Coming, haha!" He sighed and got up. "Why does she always want to yell! We do have an intercome, haha dearest." He picked the phone up. "Hello?"
---Fuji recidence, Shusuke's room, Yuta and Shusuke---
They had just finished their english papers when the phone rang. Fuji's haha answered the phone and told her sons it was for them and left.
"konichiwa, Shusuke-san speaking..."
---Oishi residence, Shuichi's room, Suichi---
He had just finished his History of the Arts essay when his chichi told him he had a phone call.
Oishi picked up the phone. "hai?"
---Sushi shop, Momoshiro, Takashi, Inui, Kaidoh---
Momo heard Kaidoh's phone ring. Everyone stared at him as he answered his phone.
"hai, Kaidoh Karou speaking."
---All the Seigaku Tennis Players---
"NANI!"
Eiji held the phone away from his ear. When they had stopped yelling "nani" at him, he brought the phone closer again. "hai, now." He smiled and listened to them whispering. "Eiji-chan, oujisama no baka!" He hung up and slipped on his shoes and humbled locked the door behind him. He was going to finally be part of their team again, be part of something bitter once more.
The velvet black sky twinkled with little stars as Eiji traced a shooting star and made a whish and prayed for the fallen soul as he took off for the tennis courts of the Seiyuu school, his laughter ringing through the air as he saw his old friends filing in from everywhere and surrounding him and playfully nudging him whilst they all laughed.
High above them, stars shot down, releasing souls that had been trapped for ages around this small contenent called Japan...
tada! all done! i will be putting up my own notes on someof the words i placed in here... but it'll be all akwardness, as i might need to have to rewrite my linnear notes for this fic all gloomy now and it's going to be a pretty long linnear note for it, wah... ANYHOW! leave me a review on whatcha think!