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Notes: Okay, I tried to shorten things down a little. This chappie is about 7 pages long on my oversized screen computer. at Tahoma, font-size 10 The beginning may be a bit...narrative. But seriously, I tried to make it more interesting to read. And though I tried to cut things down a little, the "long" parts are quite important. Much of the chappie have thought words, in italics. Also, I decided not to do in the first person point of view of Fuji becuase it'll be a lot harder considering how I want the story to turn out. But most will be in Fuji's point of view.

I want to give credit to FallingSilver. Actually, I was planning already to write a story upon after Echizen left and I had the structure mainly in my head already, but FallingSilver did a great job at her story with the return of Echizen. It's something called inspiration lol.

But anyhow, I really hope you would enjoy this chappie. And I would also hope that you can try to endure yourself to reading long passages.

Oh, and in case you ask (but don't anyways), I do not own Prince of Tennis. If I did, I would seirously hit out with TezuFuji lol P


Chapter 2: A Dreadful Day

He waited at the porch as he always did, every morning, at the exact place, the exact step, the exact time. Winter was coming; the advent of it proved evident in the icy weather. A brown coat covered three layers of clothing and a white scarf bundled his neck, gloves heated the warmth of his hands that were carrying a bag. His tennis equipment hung over his shoulder.

Fuji looked at his watch. Maa, he thought. Tezuka is taking longer than usual today.

They've always walked together to the university at dawn. Of course, it was Fuji who insisted on coming to Tezuka's house at 7 in the morning, not that it posed to bother Tezuka, but he would often feel his chest tighten. Somehow, without intentionally knowing it, Tezuka always had the feeling that he was waiting for Fuji every morning as well.

However today, Fuji waited.

And Tezuka never showed up.

He knocked the door, rang the doorbell, and even called out for him. But there was no response nevertheless. A worried frown formed on Fuji's face, his blue eyes opened inquisitively.

Where is he? Fuji thought to himself. Did he go to school already? No, he couldn't have. He never takes off without me. Never…

Fuji squinted. Somehow, a new fear was uprising inside of him. Maybe he went to class already. Was I late?

For the first time, or so it seemed, Fuji walked alone.

It didn't occur to him that time, at that moment, that everyone was going to change. Everything he knew life the way it was. Everything, but even if he knew it, the outcome would still have been inevitable. All the things he had in the world, the things he cherished and valued and had held on to for so long. Everything…

Fuji was going to lose them all.


"Ne ne!"

Tezuka slightly turned his face, his eyes glaring at the girl standing behind him. Aki giggled and handed over a towel. "Ah, Tezuka-san. Here."

He hung the towel over his shoulders at the brink of his neck. "Arigatou."

She quietly giggled again, admiring the man from behind. With a happy glee, her legs cheerfully skipped out through the exist door. Unknown to her, even as she passed, a small light brown haired man was standing at the side.

He waited a little longer before calling out. "Aa, doing your morning practices before classes again are you?"

Tezuka stopped, his left hand clutching his racket and his right holding a yellow ball. Without turning, he answered with a simple. "Mm."

A couple more minutes passed. Fuji cringed, watching Tezuka rallying with the wall, the ball never stopping, the racket never letting a drop. Besides the collision of the wall and the tennis ball, the two remained silent in each other's presence. Eventually, Fuji took a few steps forward, his hands by his side, his face looking up in a kind of irritated expression.

"Where were you this morning?"

His voice seemed to ring like a stereo through both their ears. Tezuka lowered his racket, the ball slowly moving away from the wall until it ceased to roll on anymore.

"I came here early."

Fuji etched to the side. "You didn't tell me."

"I didn't have to."

He was silent. Feeing the sense that Fuji didn't bother to converse anymore, Tezuka picked up the ball and hit it again.

Fuji watched. Tezuka's motion, his movement, the arm going back, the legs bending at an angle, the eyes focused on the ball with intensity. No matter what, everything about Tezuka was tennis and everything to him was tennis as well. Even though middle school ended, and high school did also, everyone went his or her separate ways. So did Tezuka, but he sought out a university with a tennis court.

He crept up quietly next to Tezuka, a distance away just enough to not get hit. "Ah, working on your strokes again are you? You've already mastered it."

Tezuka did not hesitate. "Even if one masters the basics, practice is everything to make a good player."

"Why do you practice?"

Tezuka frowned. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why do you still practice? Why?"

It was sudden, clear, yet it confused Tezuka. He turned around. "It's my passion."

"I know it is," Fuji replied, his smile gradually fading.

Tezuka made a step toward his friend and looked down in observance. He could see the eyes, they were like metal, stunning like cold ice. And within all that mixture, there was a tingly feeling of sadness. "Are you all right?"

Fuji was taken aback. "Uh?"

"I asked if you were all right. You seem a little stressed today."

It was mentally challenging for Fuji. "I—" he found his voice trailing off.

Tezuka sighed. "I practice for improvement. No matter how great a person is at this sport, no matter how long he has played, how hard he has tried, how much effort he has put in, there is always room for him to do better. Or perhaps, there might always be someone who is better than he is." He brought his racket up front. "I practice tennis for this."

An uneasy silence filled the court.

Fuji stared at his friend. "You're going for the world, aren't you?"

Tezuka paused. "So you knew?"

But before Fuji could mouth a word, the bell rang. Nothing more was exchanged. Nothing that Fuji could possibly comprehend.


The day went on as it always did. Classes were attended, chats were made in the halls, tests and exams were taken, and the smile on Fuji's face remained untouched, pure and calm.

It was their last year at the university, the forth year to be exact. Fuji remembered those days back then, the time when everyone on the Seigaku team knew the seniors were leaving. It was a time to stay strong, especially for the juniors and a time to hold back the tears. Oishi and Eiji were going to separate schools, but they made sure to keep in touch from time to time. Inui had gone to a medical school, and in prior to his journey, he prepared some Inui's juice for supplementary tests. As for Kawamura, he decided to stay and manage the sushi store, so his days in academy would be part-time.

As for Tezuka that time, it seemed that he had the hardest time deciding. That is in exception to Fuji. A few weeks before the semester ended, Tezuka announced his final choice. And a little after that, Fuji declared his departure to the same school Tezuka was going to.

Fuji remembered the confusion around. Yes, even Tezuka looked quite surprised, and maybe a little puzzled at the same time.

FLASHBACK

"Eh? You're both attending the same school?" Eiji pointed at the two of them, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Fuji shrugged, a smile pasted on his face. "What a coincidence ne?"

"But, Fuji," Momo piped in. "You were accepted to so many other universities. And some of them even gave you full scholarships. Why would you choose this one?"

A grunt sounded from Kaidoh. "Baka."

Momo was on the verge of verbally attacking back when Oishi's voice abruptly halted him. "Stop it, Momoshiro!"

Fuji watched as the rest of the crowd began to unfold. After all, it was the end of the day and the light was starting to grow dim. Suddenly, he felt a firm hand placed upon his shoulder.

"Is there a reason?"

Fuji looked up at Tezuka and smiled. "Se-cr-et."

FLASHBACK END

It was always Fuji's doings. Fuji attending Tezuka's classes, Fuji coming to his house, Fuji clasping cold hands over his shoulder, Fuji dragging Tezuka along by the wrist, Fuji insisting to stay over on weekends, Fuji this and Fuji that.

And what about Tezuka?

Did he mind? No, he didn't, at least his facial expressions never said a thing. It was always the same, Fuji noticed. No smile, no laughter, no sadness, no anger, no nothing.

Of course, it was obvious that Fuji followed Tezuka on purpose. Yet all this time, Fuji wonders if Tezuka ever noticed why, if he ever took the time to care. And still, he was just as unsure about Tezuka as Tezuka was unsure about Fuji himself. It was like a burnt wire; once disconnected, it's dead.

And once it's dead, it's as if Fuji hoped for the impossible. And it was perhaps now that he would finally see why that was the case.


The court was empty, the locker room was dark, and the air smelled a mix of nature and sweat. Fuji stood at the doorway to the tennis courts, his clothes just as they were in the morning. And this time, there was no smile on his face either. Apparently, there was no one in sight. Not even Tezuka.

Fuji frowned. He isn't here.

No wait, that can't be right. He's always here. Always.

What was going on today?

For once, Fuji felt so alone. In the morning and now the afternoon. And during the day, he recapped that he did not see Tezuka where he normally sees him. It was like avoidance and it was hurting Fuji, weighing down his heart, and loading it like a burden that he could feel in his chest.

A custodian rounded the back of the nearest court, cleaning the floor and picking up the forgotten balls. Fuji walked over and waits for the man to look up.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't know there was still somebody here," the man laughed.

Fuji smiled, faking one easily. "Ah, gomen."

The man nodded. "If you play tennis, right now isn't the time. The courts are closed today already at 3-o-clock sharp. It doesn't normally close this early, only on weekdays."

"Ah, wakata," Fuji answered. "Demo, I'm looking for a friend right now. He comes here very often, in the mornings and in the afternoons. He's pretty tall, has dark brown wavy hair. He wears glasses and plays with his left hand. His name is Tezuka. Tezuka Kunimitsu."

The man scratched his head. "Ah, I think I've seen him around before. I don't work here in the mornings, but today, it seems that no one has entered the court yet. I did see him coming this way however, but I suppose he left pretty soon after that. Gomen nasai."

"Daijoubu. Arigatou gozaimasu," Fuji headed out the door. So he left after all.

The lump in his heart he could feel, was growing heavier and heavier. His footsteps were slow. His breath was tiring. His head looked down and the sun cast its shadow upon him.

At times, Fuji came to believe that that was just the buchou himself. True, he was not a former captain, but his command-like attitude never changed. It was just him, his personality and so, it didn't bother Fuji a bit. But other times, Fuji would just sit and wonder, alone in the dark, silent in the day, if this was actually true. If this was really Tezuka, the real him; or was it just because of Fuji's annoying presence.

He stopped and flushed the idea out of his head.

It was always like that, the thoughts were never evaluated, never resolved. Yet now, Fuji felt that he was thinking about this more.

Perhaps I'm too selfish, he thought. He never wanted me around.

He had probably stood there for quite a while already. Somehow, Fuji didn't realize where he was heading. His legs just carried him, his instincts guided him, his emotions overtook him, and somehow, that was all it took to walk to Tezuka's house. Fuji looked up.

How long had he been standing here?

The house looked the same. This was the only time that Tezuka decided something on his own without Fuji's interruption. And it was probably the first time Fuji felt himself gradually losing Tezuka bit by bit.

FLASHBACK

"I'll live here," he said.

Fuji stared at Tezuka, his eyes wide, the blue colors stinging his own heart. He clutched his bag tightly. "Uh?"

Tezuka turned sideways, eyeing Fuji with extreme thought. "I said I'll stay here for the time being that we're going to the university together."

"Mmm," Fuji muttered. "Demo, wouldn't it cost less to just buy one house? I mean, you'll be staying here for the whole time and I'll be in the dormitory. That's quite expensive, ne?"

There was a slight pause. "You can live in the dorms if you'd like," he had growled. "I have my own money."

FLASHBACK END

That house. It was quite lovely, Fuji must say. And right now, he's staring at it again and although he had just passed by in the morning, it seemed to him that he had never noticed the true luxury of it until now.

With merely a few seconds of hesitation, Fuji rang the doorbell.

The door soon opened. Tezuka stood at the doorway, as if somehow expecting Fuji the whole time. "Fuji."

He plastered a fake, but beautiful smile. "Tezuka ne! Ah, I was wondering where you were."

"Mm." Tezuka did not budge. "Why did you come here?"

There was silence. Fuji felt his own presence disappearing, felt his smile fading, felt that Tezuka was long gone, so far away, too late for Fuji to catch up. But he was right here, right in front of him and yet, Fuji couldn't feel him anymore, not like before, not like how it was.

Sensing the disturbance between the two, Tezuka felt ready to close the door. But Fuji snapped. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

He stopped, but did not turn. "The court closed early today."

"Mm, demo…"

"I didn't have to wait for you. You were late."

The words struck Fuji like a sword painlessly drawing blood from his chest. He tensed up, but kept himself standing controllably. Tezuka…

A few moments later, "May I come in?"

Tezuka remained motionless. Fuji took his chance, not signaling his usual patience wait, but directly just pushing Tezuka off to the side and entering the house. And again, Tezuka was neither shocked nor irritated. But Fuji couldn't tell anyways. He couldn't understand anything anymore.

The moment he came in, Fuji regretted it.

His eyes opened, widened in disbelief. His bag dropped. His body stiffened. A small oval formed at his mouth and somehow, he suddenly felt so weak. His legs trembled and his arms felt so heavy.

He was in the living room. The television was on.

And there on the screen, there was the boy. It was he.

It was Echizen.

"It's…him," Fuji whispered softly.

Tezuka closed the door. "Ah, that's right."

Fuji calmed and steadied himself, acknowledging his surroundings. "So he won the Grand Slam huh? Ne, that's pretty good. All the world tournaments, US Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. He definitely has improved. Sugoi, Echizen."

Tezuka sat down on the couch, holding the remote control in his left hand. He felt the couch shift as Fuji sat down right next to him. And although he figured that Fuji's move there was for attention, he didn't mind the silence either way.

But at last, Fuji could see the uneasiness in Tezuka's eyes. And somehow, it hurt Fuji as well.

"Echizen…"

Tezuka mumbled the words in the softest tone Fuji ever heard him say. But he could tell it was meant to be audible. Tezuka wanted to say something and he wanted Fuji to hear it.

He continued. "Echizen is coming back, today."

Fuji could almost feel himself collapse. It was as if the world had suddenly collided into him, as if the world was dying and the sky was falling.

So that was it. That explained everything.

Echizen. He is coming back. Today.

It probably didn't seem such a huge surprise. Somehow, Fuji had knew all along that Echizen was coming back. He said so himself when he left. There was no way he was going to leave for good.

But Fuji never expected him to come back so soon. Already, right now, he was going to return.

Feeling the need to say something, Fuji replied. "Ah, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Mm."

"Seven years? Mou, time flies." Then, his voice drastically softened into a low tone. "Tezuka, how did you know?"

Tezuka merely sighed. "He called me."

Eyes fluttered opened. "He-He called you? How did he get your number?"

"I told him. It was a while back."

"Why…didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

Fuji cringed. "That Echizen was coming back today."

Calm and expressionless as usual, Tezuka casually said, "You never asked."

"I…" Fuji stuttered. So, he really hasn't given up, has he? A sinister, deadly look shaped the seriousness upon his face, though he turned the other way from Tezuka. Almost immediately, he stood up and began walking away.

Tezuka…I never thought that…that you would…

"Fuji, where are you going?" With curiosity in his eyes, Tezuka stood up as well.

Fuji halted a few seconds. "I have to go now. I believe that I have forgotten something."

Tezuka frowned. "Fuji?" But his friend was already out the door.


It was a slow walk, but it was a thoughtful one as well.

After all this time, Fuji never thought that Tezuka would ever hold onto his hope, his old dreams. Fuji knew. He knew Tezuka's motives: to aim for the world. To join Echizen in the tennis tournaments.

Those dreams to Fuji, practically existed 7 years ago. And from then on, it was Fuji's goal to drag Tezuka out of these dreams.

But, he never realized. Fuji never did.

It has already been seven years. Couldn't Tezuka just get out of his mode now? Couldn't he stopped thinking about tennis and have something else he may want in life? Wasn't there anything else at the very least? Anything?

But apparently, it was only tennis in his life.

He couldn't keep Tezuka forever. They would part one day, go their separate ways. Perhaps that was true since the beginning.

So he practiced everyday, every morning, every afternoon, for today. How typical of him.

It was a wonder. All those signs, those hours of practice, and Fuji never noticed that he was failing. That Tezuka would never let it go.

No matter how hard I try. No matter what I did. I dragged him along. I followed him. I did everything for him, yet it was just a waste of time. He still wants to go.

He would hold on. Tezuka would hold on to those dreams from 7 years ago, the dreams for conquering the world.

And right then, Fuji knew. In restraint, he knows already. He will lose Tezuka.

He will lose him to Echizen.


Author's Notes: Ah, how was it? Please review! XD I'm half and half sure or not sure about what to do with this story so again, if it's not encouraged, I will stop here and leave the story unfinished. But if otherwise, then I'd happily write more