Breaking the Facade
Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. I would love to though. Wanta give me the rights?
Summary: "Because," he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice, "tennis is no longer a part of my life." (AU-ish)
Notes: No coupling at the moment. Fuji is slightly depressed, I don't know if this is AU, or not. To be safe, I'll say it is. And if his family situation is different, well, then it's called a creative license.
He rested his head on his knees, for once, letting the ever-present smile slip from his face. He quietly began to sob, yet not allowing anyone to hear his anguish. He may have been one of the best players at school, he may be one of the smartest, he may be one of the kindest, he may be one of the handsomest boys in school, but he still wasn't the best person out there.
In fact, he was the worst.
He manipulated people, he used them, he toyed with people, he lied to them, and he smiled at them when he wished to frown down upon them. That's all he was, a lie. Nothing else, just a lie, that's all his life had been a terribly true lie.
His mother and father didn't care enough about him to say anything more than 'Good job!' when he did well. To be fair, his parents didn't care about any of their children. All they were, were heirs to the family corporation, and as the eldest male in the family, Fuji would soon be in charge.
The rest of his high school days would soon be filled with meeting his father's top acquaintances in the business world, his college years would be filled with a business college degree, and then he would intern at the family company, and soon afterward would become president and would bring a large sum into the company income. Then his father would find a beautiful woman his age when he reached a good marriageable age and they would marry, and the sad cycle would continue to his children. It was a story that he had been told for as long as he could remember. A story with no happy ending in sight.
His story.
Fuji just kept shuttering and sobbing silently. He had never allowed anyone else to see through his mask; he could not allow weakness' to affect him the business world (as his father had put it to the six year old at the time). So he constructed a smiling facade to cover up his hatred, his anger, and his sorrow, everything beside happiness.
That was what his father had wanted, wasn't it? A son who excelled in business to make him even richer. Though, Yuuta was better in business than the tensai. He was a natural at it, and could, with ease, take over the business world if he put his mind to it.
His cries subsided, and he took a deep breath. It was time to end his little 'pleasure venture' as his father had called it. Business was about to take up his life, a life he had come to love, a life filled with tennis. Tennis would have to go.
He sighed and stood up. He picked up the box next to him, and moved over to his shelf that proudly held all his tennis trophies and various pictures from different tournaments. He took each trophy and replayed the memories of each victory that had helped him to become the tensai no tennis at Seigaku Junior High and High School. He carefully wrapped up each trophy, something that he would forever carry in his heart, and placed them in the box. As each trophy went into the box, so did his memories and emotions.
Also, he a piece of himself went into that box.
Never to return.
When he finished his trophies, he began to put his tennis pictures in there. A picture of the Seigaku regulars was one of the first that he picked up. That was back when life was so much simpler than it was today. Tennis, school, photography, and friends were his life, not business. Fuji shook his head before taking up the last picture. It was a picture of Tezuka, zoomed in, capturing the fierce determination to continue despite his injury. It was that determination that Fuji wished that he had toward his fierce hatred of business. But still he gave in.
Quickly, he wrapped up the picture and carefully placed it in the box. He went and gathered another box and took it into his closet and placed all his tennis clothing in the box. When he finished with that he looked around his room for the last item to go into the boxes.
It was laid out on his futon, and he picked it up.
His tennis racket.
With the familiar weight in his hand, he gave it a tiny swing. A warm feeling spread throughout his body. He eyed his tennis racket sadly before wrapping it up and placing it in the box.
He closed the boxes up and stared at them. He whole life only in two boxes, the most important two boxes to him in the whole world. He sighed and replaced the very familiar facade of happiness. He glanced around his room as he picked up the two boxes. His room was so...empty.
Perfect.
Because that's all he was anymore, empty.
He walked out to the tennis courts of Seigaku High School for the last time. Now, he was to end it all. As soon as he finished his 'mission', he would get on a plane and fly to New York, where his father was waiting to place him in the care of special tutors for business.
Just what he always wanted.
His feet walked the familiar path to where the Seigaku regulars were already practicing before school. He could tell that Tezuka was irritated, whether from Momo and Ryoma's 'fight' or something else; he didn't not know. But one thing ran through his mind.
This is going to be fun.
He opened the wired door that led him into tennis courts. He watched as every regular's eyes turned to him, taking in his attire, lack of racquet and the bag in his hands. His smiling facade was in place, but inside he was trembling. He didn't want to do this, but it was his duty as a Fuji family member. For one selfish moment, he wished that Yuuta could take his place as head of the Fuji family instead. Shaking himself mentally, he prepared for the task at hand. While they had all reached high school, the old Seigaku regulars had become the regulars for high school.
Tezuka had an eyebrow lifted as he stared expectantly, awaiting a reason for his attire, when just yesterday he had been playing on the court and joking with them. Oishi watched him from worried eyes that expressed his 'mother hen' nature for his dear friends in the tennis club, or at the moment Fuji. Eiji had stopped joking around with Kawamura to watch the scene with unrestrained curiosity, along with Kawamura. Ryoma and Mom stopped their fight and watched with suspicion as Fuji walked up to Tezuka and Oishi. Karou stood aside with Inui both watching intently to see the outcome of what looked like would soon become a war zone.
"You're late," Tezuka simply said in a way of greeting.
Fuji smiled up at his dear friend, some things never changed. "Gomen ne, Tezuka, but some important matters have come to my attention, requiring me to fulfill them this morning."
The two top singles players for Seigaku stared at each other, as though trying to get the other to ask the question or explain what everyone wanted to know. What was going on?
"Did someone die?" Oishi exclaimed and shortly there after blushed at the rudeness of his question.
It feels like it. Was Fuji's furious thought, but he allowed his fake grin to widen. "No, but thank you for your concern, Oishi-san." The formality for the old friend/vice president of the club shocked everyone. Fuji mentally sighed at the hurt that he could feel welling off Oishi. It may be hurting Oishi, but damnit it hurt him worse to lie so thoroughly as he was about to do to his dearest of companions and friends.
But you have always lied to them. A nasty little voice in his head said.
Shut up! He mentally screamed.
Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity.
Too late.
He snorted and saw the confusion in all his friends' eyes and felt his smile falter for a moment. Then again it was was like a diamond. Pretty, yet impossible to break. He took pity upon them and gave them an explanation finally. "I have come to return my Seigaku starters jacket. I no longer have any need for it." He handed the bag to Tezuka, who automatically placed his hand around the straps of the bag, even though he was in shock, well, as much shock he could show. Fuji could feel the heavy gazes of every regular staring at him in disbelief, dearly hoping it was a joke.
"This isn't funny," Tezuka ground out, suddenly angry at the tensai.
"No, it isn't." Fuji agreed. Internally, his heart was slowly cracking. Stop me, he mentally pleaded with Tezuka. Stop me from making the stupidest mistake in my life.
"I officially quit the Tennis Club at Seigaku." Fuji stated the words everyone was dreading. Still, a gasp escaped each regular's lips except Tezuka. He only seemed to get angrier.
"And why," Tezuka growled, "are you 'quitting'." He spit out the last word like it was a dirty taste in his mouth. His right hand had taken Fuji's left wrist in a hurting grip. Fuji had to hold back a wince, and instead his grin widened.
"Because," Fuji said with an air as if everyone should understand. "Tennis was merely a fleeting passion in life that I had. I'm beyond it now." He waved his free hand around.
"Tennis was a dream, and my dream did as all dreams do. It faded."
Liar. That voice was back. Your dream burns even brighter now than it did before. You are such a liar Fuji Shusuke.
I know that. He mentally hissed. How could I miss it! I want to realize my goal and defeat buchou, but I cannot fail my family.
Then, the voice sounded suddenly tired, you have lost everything.
Tezuka let go of Fuji's wrist all of a sudden. "Leave then. You are no longer a Seigaku regular. And if you walk out that door, then you are to never to come near us again. If you leave, then stay away. Far away, we don't need you to distract us."
There were immediate protests from the other regulars, but they were all silenced by a single glance from Tezuka. As captain, this was his domain, not theirs. All eyes turned to Fuji who, to their surprise let out a short laugh. "I should have known you might say something like that." Humor tinted his voice and everyone perked up, maybe this was an elaborate prank.
"As you wish, Tezuka-sama." Fuji said as he bowed to his ex-captain and turned around and began to walk away from the tennis courts, his friends, his life, and himself. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. Gomen ne, minna-chan. Onegai, please forgive me one day. Onegai let me see you again some time in the future.
Ryoma, who had stayed silent the whole time, called out, "What is the real reason, Shusuke-kun? Why are you really leaving?"
That struck a chord in Fuji. He paused for a moment and allowed his fingers to wrap around the fence. "Because," he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice, "tennis is no longer a part of my life."
So then, he left, and every regular was speechless at the words that they had never thought to hear ever come out of the beloved tensai of Seigaku left the tennis courts , never to return.
Ever.
He walked up to the car that was awaiting for him and opened the passenger seat door and sat down. "How are you?" Yumiko worriedly asked.
He closed the door and put his seat belt on before answering. "As good as someone who has just left his life behind."
Yumiko nodded and began to drive away from Seigaku High School.
And his entire life.
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Started at - 8:05 pm (5-20-05)
Finished at - 11:28 pm (5-20 -05)
Author Notes - I've been sucked in. I swear, I did not want to write this put Mr., Plot Dog decided that since I was re-writing SG, I should drabble a bit, and here is the drabble. If anything, this will be a five parter, tops.
SG is coming along. Slowly but surely. I'm sorry I took a break on it, but it just wasn't following, and the next chapter is gunna look forced. :bows to the ground: Gomen ne!
And for any PoT fans who read this. It's not the greatest or most original idea that has sprung into my head, but Fuji has grabbed my attention when I recently delved into PoT. He can always smile and be happy. How is that? Though, it seems that I have brought out his 'darker' side.
This is shorter than I would normally write, but it just seemed like a natural place to end at. Now I'm off to bed. I still have 3 days left before school is over with and I need to have sleep in order to study.