Tennis no Ouji-sama © Konomi Takeshi, Shuheisha, Inc.


- Act XIII -
[ Confession]


She shouldn't feel like this.

She kept telling herself that but the rush of blood throughout her body made her react the otherwise. Especially when he got as close as he did at that moment. The moment his face moved closer to her, her world fell into a deafening silence.

She couldn't even hear her own heartbeat.

The sensation was too much that Hikari felt like losing her sanity and was about to close her eyes…

When a glimpse of terror dragged her back to reality.

There they were, the judges of all sanity walking gallantly into her direction like the Gods who were ready to punish the followers who failed them (Was that thunder she was seeing in the background?). The deafening silence broke into turmoil when she saw the great Tezuka Kunimitsu, or better known as her brother, coming side by side with none other than Sanada Genichirō.

Of all the people in the world, she wondered why it had to be those two…

Both of them would live long, she was certain of it. Because she just talked about them a few seconds ago and here they were.

She wanted to escape to the other side but it would be too obvious because her brother would recognise her immediately, so she used the man before her to cover her. It was stated in the movie that people felt most uncomfortable seeing a couple making out.

It must be the most abhorrent sight for them.

Unfortunately for her, they stayed on the very spot.

Not because they were looking at them but because they met someone they know.

"Tezuka-san, Sanada-san! Good afternoon!" the white-haired kind looking man said to them with a bow. "Did you just watch the orchestra too?"

"Ōtori and Shishido from Hyotei, isn't it?" her brother mimicked his gesture. "No. We came from that court." He pointed to the court across the street.

"Good afternoon," Genichirō curtly replied.

"Yo." The man that tied his hair in a ponytail beside him greeted with a raised hand. "Fancy seeing you two walking together like this."

"Yeah, but even with only you two here…" The white-haired man scratched the side of his face. "The atmosphere here is kind of… overwhelming, isn't it?" Hikari didn't really catch what they were talking about, but the atmosphere was indeed the kind that made her feel so small and incapable.

"Now that you mention it… It feels like we have another strong presence around?" The man with the ponytail looked around before shrugging."Never mind that. Did you two just have a match or what?" Hikari could feel the man before her tense as if he was interested in the topic. His hands were gripping the bench tighter.

"We were planning for a practice match. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that because of certain circumstances."

Genichirō sighed. "You should tell your sister to be more careful. How could she run around wearing a different pair of shoes! What a slack off!" Hikari almost yelped in panic. Her brother had planned to have a match with Genichirō and he wasn't able to do that because she took one of his shoes.

"I've told you I'm okay having a practice match with my jogging shoes," her brother said.

"And facing you not in your prime condition?! That's unacceptable!"Genichirō then took his phone. "Where is she anyway? Why she didn't pick up the phone?"

"She left it at home. My mother said she was in a hurry this morning." Hikari wanted to cry upon realising why her phone was so silent that day. She bit her bottom lip and slightly tilted her head to see the two.

"What a slack off! What if something happened along the way!?"Genichirō barked.

"She let her guard down too much." Her brother's glasses were dangerously glowing, at least it looked that way for her.

"You're too lenient with her, Tezuka!"

Too lenient?! How much she wanted to throw the bench at him for saying that.

"I know. I'll have a serious talk with her later."

Hikari muttered a silent prayer.

She was done…

She would be roasted once she got home.

May she rest in peace...

"That's lame. But can't be helped, right? Atobe must be thrilled if he knows you have a match. Can we watch your rescheduled match?"

"I don't think it'll be long until we have our official match. As long as you don't let your guard down. Seigaku will win this year." Hikari's eyes widened upon seeing how cool her brother was when he narrowed his gaze to emphasise his confidence.

"Don't be so certain, Tezuka." Genichirō crossed his arms in front of his chest. "This year will be another consecutive winning for Rikkai."

The atmosphere was growing thicker around her. Hikari looked around for the source and didn't see anyone but the man before her. It seemed that there was an invisible fire flaring around him. His eyes were glistening with desire as he smirked wider. Hands were trembling and Hikari glanced to her side when she heard something that was like a chant.

"H-hey, are you okay?" Hikari whispered.

"W-why do I hear the Hyotei chant? Where is it coming from?" The white-haired man looked past his shoulder. Surprisingly, it wasn't only her.

"This usually happens only when—" Hikari squeaked when the man with a ponytail was looking in her direction and ruffled his hair, shocking the man that they fell into a more intimate position. He quickly turned away upon seeing what she probably did with the man before him. "…M-maybe we're just imagining it."

"I have an errand to do. If you'll excuse me…" her brother nonchalantly said as he fixed his glasses. Hikari sighed in relief, knowing that her brother was about to leave the place. However, her heart stopped beating when he stopped right in front of her.

"Tezuka, what are you doing? Let's—" Hikari could feel the beads of sweat on the back of her neck when her brother put his hand on Genichirō's shoulder just to slightly pushed him from standing in between him and the man before her.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

"Get ready…" the man before her whispered.

"Eh? What are you—"

He snapped his finger and suddenly, a jet flew over them, followed by five smaller ones, and made a formation in the sky and let out a trail of pink clouds. The area suddenly became packed with people as the flying objects invited hundreds of pairs of eyes to see them. The moment her brother looked away, the man grabbed her hand and ran away with her, pushing their way through the sea of people.

Hikari tried her best to follow his phase but due to the difference in speed and steps, he slowed down for , she couldn't not be amazed by the floating bubbles that magically appeared in the area, resulting in children's cheering that warmed her heart. He looked back once to smile at her and Hikari returned his smile, laughing even.

They were running until she pulled his hand twice to tell him that she was running out of breath. Hikari panted and rested her hands on her knees, torn between laughing or catching her breath. The explosion of relief after getting out of the tight situation was exhilarating.

"That was close…" she said laughing.

"Did you saw someone you know?" he amusedly asked.

"Yeah. It'd be bad if they see me with you. Not because it's you—but rather because uhm… they wouldn't like me going out with a boy?" Hikari straightened her skirt and sat on the nearby bench.

"Like dating?"

"Yeah… No! I mean, we aren't dating! We're—"

"Dating," he simply said with a smirk."You and me—we're dating."

"W-w-what are you talking about?! That's not how a relationship works! We just met after all!" Something hot was spreading from the center of her nose to her ears.

"I'm not planning to remain a friend with you." He put both of his hands on the chair and trapped her in between. "I want more than that."

She must be looking ridiculous at that moment. Her mouth was hanging open and she couldn't even utter a word for a few minutes.

"Uh, is that a… confession?"

He glanced to the side at the moment then raised his brows before staring back at her. "Whatever you call it."

That was definitely not the kind of confession she ever dreamt of…

"So straightforward, so unashamed, and so bold…" She shook her head disbelievingly.

"Thank you." He smirked while placing his hand over his chest.

"I'm not praising you, Idiot! How could you say that bluntly?!" She slapped his shoulder. "I want to go home now! Let me take my things from your house. I have to return that shoe to my brother!" She was about to rose from her seat but he kept her.

"You haven't answered me."

"Was that supposed to be a question?! I didn't see the question mark!" she retorted.

"Usually, you'd tell me what do you think after I said that."

"Don't push your luck! Of course not! How do you expect me to be your girlfriend after knowing you for only a week!"

"That's too bad. Ore-sama will do better next time." He rose from his position and offered his hand to her, holding her hand when she gaped and didn't respond.

"N-next time?!" He definitely didn't look like a man who was just rejected. It was as if he had expected to be rejected in the first place and didn't plan to give up. He pulled her up from her seat and led their way.

"Not this time but next time will. Things weren't going according to my plan after all," he said as he swayed their entwined hands.

"Your plan?"

He nodded. "Not that it matters anymore. It's not your fault if you're disappointed," he said with a small smile.

Hikari lowered her gaze down to the road. Though she didn't know what he had planned for that day, it was obvious that he was disappointed with himself. He was someone who strived for perfection after all. When a cherry blossom petal fell on their hands, Hikari looked up and realised where they were. She then walked before him and made him raise an eyebrow at her.

"You know, Weirdo. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but… the kind of things that made you happy might not be the same as mine. If you don't mind, I want you to come with me somewhere…" She walked closer to him, "…before the clock strikes twelve."

He slightly widened his eyes for a moment before chortling. "Alright…" He put his arms around her. "Lead the way, Princess."

The court in his house was her secret place to dance.

However, she had another place she visited quite often.

They kept walking until they reached a cemented tall wall that was probably around sixmeters in height. There was a spot where veins and tree branches were growing around the wall and that was her ticket into the place. Climbing into the strongest tree branch, Hikari slightly tilted her head, signaling him to follow.

"Are you sure you want to climb before me?" he asked.

"What's the problem?"

"I can see everything down here." Hikari yelped when she realised she was dressed in his house, not wearing her tight pants.

"Don't even think about looking! Wait until I climb this thing!" she shouted, waiting until he covered his eyes with a burst of laughter. She resumed her way into the place. He came not long after and she was satisfied to see his expression.

Most of the walls were covered in greens due to lack of maintenance, from the stairs to the wall, even the angel statue in the middle of the pool. The starch of white and purple coming from the wildflowers was everywhere.

The plants in the garden were growing wildly, but they looked even more beautiful than the last time she was here. It probably was nothing compared to the garden he set back in Asakura mansion but this garden had its own definition of beauty.

"So, what do you think?"

It took him a while until he said, "You seem to have a natural location detector for places like this." He patted her head. Clearly, he was bewitched by the sight himself.

"Maybe?" She chuckled. "I found it almost as if it was calling me…" She took her shoes off and put her bag near it.

She went to the fountain and climbed onto its side, balancing herself by stretching her arms. When she found her balance, Hikari started to dance along the circular path around the fountain. Hikari almost slipped when she stepped on a dampened rock but a pair of calloused hands caught her in time. It turned out he stayed by her side all the time.

"Continue. I'll hold your hand," he said with a smile. The way he was holding her hand was gentle yet firm at the same time. Though he had a flawless appearance, the skin of his palms was rough, just like her brother's. It was like a slap that told her that she was making a lot of early judgments about him, without really knowing the kind of life he actually went through.

With a smile, Hikari expressed the whole things she felt for him that day through her dance. She didn't follow the sequence from the ballet roles she did in the past… She spun twice before jumping into the man who caught her by her waist with ease, while she was holding onto his shoulders.

"That was an outstanding performance," he remarked while holding her tighter.

"More than the orchestra?" She moved her hands and tangled them behind his back.

"Much more than that," he answered as he put her down, taking her hand, and kissed her knuckle.

She stretched her arms upwards before lying on top of the thick grass. "This is my kind of luxury, Weirdo. There's nothing better than becoming one with nature and dance along with it…"

Hikari turned her head to her left when she heard the grass rustling, seeing him laying beside her with eyes closed. She pondered if he actually had a proper skin treatment because his face was flawless. With eyes closed, he didn't look as intimidating as he did with both eyes opened. The mole below his right eye accentuated his charm.

She yelped when something snaked her waist and pulled her down until she rested on his chest.

"Has my charm finally got into you?" He put his other arm around her.

"D-don't be so full of yourself! Let go!" Hikari pushed his chest to get off from him but he held her tighter.

"Stay still and become one with nature. Let's stay like this, even for a moment…" Hikari couldn't not shudder when he started to comb her hair with his fingers, then took some strands of hair so he could kiss it. The beating of her heart became too much that her face was growing hotter the passing seconds. She moved her face lower and there she heard it…

The truest words he probably never let out due to his pride…

The heartbeat that was beating in the same rhythm as hers.

With a smile, Hikari chose to comply with him and rested her head on his chest.

Just so she could listen to it a little more…


AN: Miracle happens to me and I've continued the story up to chapter 20. XD The next update might not take too long but I think I'll have to write until a certain chapter to be certain with what I'm going to update.

How are you enjoying their date? I really enjoy the part where Sanada and Tezuka show up. Some people said that I'm good at characterising Sanada in the previous version so I hope I won't disappoint you again in this version. XD

Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Favorite, follow, and most importantly—review are gold for me! As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the story is also posted on Wattpad. Since the site allows me to post videos and images, I might be able to pamper your eyes there. Check my account in ReikaNanatsuki!

Thank you for reading and have a nice day!