It was quiet at the dinner table. Sakuno could hardly eat and fidgeted in her seat. It was unnerving, especially when Tezuka was around. Fuji noticed her small appetite and deftly put a piece of chicken into her bowl.
"Is my cooking that bad, Sakuno?" Fuji asked, pretending to sound hurt.
"Ano! No…I…"
"Fuji, stop teasing her." Tezuka said as he put his chopsticks down besides his bowl. Fuji chuckled.
"Well, I see dinner is done. I'll wash up then."
"Let me do it!" Sakuno exclaimed as she rose immediately. Somehow, she felt intimidated by Tezuka's presence. She cleared the table quickly and left for the kitchen. Fuji looked at her retreating figure.
"Are you done looking?"
"No." Came the honest reply.
"Fuji…"
"Saa, let's go for a walk. Sakuno, Tezuka and I will go get desert!" Tezuka nodded curtly and rose, walking out of the apartment.
The chilly autumn wind blew and the two men dug their hands deeper into the pockets of their coats. The leaves swirled around them as people scuttled around, wanting to escape into the warmth of their houses.
"Fuji."
"Hmm?"
"Are you really sure you want to do this?"
"I don't get what you mean." Tezuka stopped walking and looked at Fuji.
"You do know of Ryoma's relationship with Sakuno."
"And?"
"She'll only use you as her substitute." Fuji's eyes opened and his blue orbs gazed steadily at Tezuka.
"I don't mind, as long as she's happy. You do realize I am the only one who can offer her that currently."
"If you want her to be happy, return her to Ryoma."
"This is not some passing game, Tezuka."
"She was never yours." Tezuka walked on ahead of Fuji, crossing the road. Fuji stopped.
"Tezuka, I love her." Fuji said quietly. "She knows what she's doing."
As the cars drove past them, separating the two from each other, Tezuka gazed steadily into Fuji's eyes. The chilly wind blew again, yet the two of them continued to look at each other, unruffled.
Perhaps it was a deep understanding between the two which made words unnecessary, as it had been, is still and will be. Finally, Tezuka spoke, choosing his words carefully.
"If that is what will make you happy, then I will not object." And Fuji smiled. He crossed the road.
"Saa, I did promise Sakuno to get some desert. Let's go."
Ryoma groaned as he got up groggily to the shrill ringing of his handphone. He snapped it open.
"Ryoma!" His personal assistant screamed into the phone anxiously. "WHERE ARE YOU! ARE YOU AT HOME!" Ryoma held his head, trying to curse the throbbing headache away.
"Stop yelling."
"Where ARE you! You're supposed to play in the charity match TOMORROW and there's a press conference today and you're to meet…"
"Forget it. Cancel everything."
"WHAT?" Ryoma looked visibly annoyed.
"I said cancel everything." He sighed heavily, as if talking to a particularly stupid pupil.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT! THE SPONSORS, THE MEDIA!"
"Oh shut up."
"Where's Sakuno! She'll talk some sense into you!"
"DON'T MENTION HER!" Ryoma finally snapped and thundered into the handphone. He hung up immediately and threw the handphone across the room. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
Sakuno. Yeah right. She was gone. No more. Poof. Just like that.
And he still wanted her back.
With a renewed resolute, he got up. Glancing at the photograph which the two of them had taken a long time ago, he buttoned up his coat.
"Mada mada dane. I'll get you back."
Tezuka had stayed the night at Fuji's apartment as he was still suffering a little from jet lag. Fuji had brewed an extra strong brew the next morning so that he could recover.
Sakuno still felt uncomfortable with him around. A little guilty, perhaps? She was relived when Fuji kindly requested for her to go to the supermarket to get some groceries and went off immediately.
"Tezuka, I think she's scared of you." Fuji chuckled as he placed his coffee mug on the table, leaning back into the sofa. Tezuka did not look up from his newspaper and sipped his extra strong coffee slowly.
"Oh is it? Do I scare you then, Fuji?"
Fuji laughed. "Tezuka…Oh! Look at who's here." He reached for the trash tabloid which he had conveniently bought earlier. Fuji had to keep up with 'Who's in who's out' crowd. After all, he was a photographer. The headline screamed "EMPIRE BOSS AND HIS MANY AFFAIRS!" And smack right there was a huge picture of Keigo Atobe.
"Die." Fuji said simply and put his coffee mug over the man's face.
"That's not a very nice thing to do, Fuji." Tezuka said, still not looking up from his newspaper.
"You're still defending him?"
"No."
"Do you still love him?" Fuji asked. Tezuka paused and Fuji smiled. "I don't think so. You wouldn't have feelings for such a flippant, obnoxious creature." He said lightly and threw the section into the rubbish bin. "I'm going to take a bath." He declared and sauntered to the kitchen.
When Fuji was safely out of sight, Tezuka put down the Financial Times and took out the newspaper in the trash. He was still the same, although he seemed a little more haggard, he thought inwardly.
Tezuka stared at the picture and put the newspaper back to where it belonged.
In the trash.
Ryoma rang the doorbell and stood there. Finally, he had come to Fuji's apartment to settle things with Fuji.
"Echizhen?" The deep baritone voice which greeted him surprised him.
"Buchou?" The young man blinked again, wondering if he had come to the wrong place. Had it come to Tezuka's place by accident? Just then, Fuji's head popped out from behind Tezuka's shoulder.
"We hardly have visitors. Is that Yuuta?" Fuji said brightly before realizing it was Ryoma who was standing at the door.
"An unwelcome visitor I suppose." Ryoma said nonchantly.
"Sakuno's not in, if you're interested."
"I'm not here to see her. I'm looking for you." Fuji's eyes opened for that fraction of a second, a little surprised.
"How interesting."
"I want her back."
"Oh. What makes you think I'll give her back?" Fuji asked innocently.
"Fight me. Play a tennis match with me." Tezuka was getting a little tired of having to stand in between them.
"Stop it, the both of you." He commanded but both paid no heed.
"A match? That's very un-original Ryoma. I would have thought better from you."
"Winner gets her. Loser backs off. And of course, I'll win." He smirked.
"Ryoma, how stupid can you get. Don't be too cocky."
"Fuji, stop it. Ryoma, shut up. Let's discuss this civilly." Tezuka urged.
"Fuji-sempai, you don't get overconfident."
"Saa, pride comes before a fall."
"No matter what, I'll win her back." Ryoma stated firmly and just then, a huge gasp could be heard from behind. He turned only to see…a fuming Sakuno behind. Tezuka merely shook his head.
"What do you think I am, Echizhen Ryoma! Another PRIZE of yours!"
"Sakuno…I…"
"I am not some pretty silverware waiting to be displayed in your cabinet! And I thought that you would grow up a little!" She shoved him aside, stomping past Tezuka and Fuji. Fuji walked after her while Tezuka stood at the gate, facing Ryoma who looked a little shell-shocked.
"Well Echizhen, let's go for a walk." Tezuka said, sighing heavily before closing the door.
"I don't want to talk to you." Sakuno stated as she put the bags of groceries down on the counter.
"Sakuno, let me explain." Sakuno ignored Fuji and walked out of the kitchen, towards her room. "Sakuno…"
"Oh, just leave me alone! You want to win so much don't you? I should just make myself to be the top prize of some tennis tournament and watch you all fight in glee!" She said sacarstically.
"Yes I was wrong to goad him on but I didn't intend to…"
"I don't want to listen to you anymore." Before she could enter her room, a pair of strong arms had wrapped themselves around her waist. "What are you…"
"Could you just listen, for once? I didn't intend to fight with Ryoma because I respect you as a human, not some prize." His warm breath tickled her neck and Sakuno's heart pounded furiously.
"I won't hurt you. You have to trust me." Fuji said quietly. Sakuno's eyes brimmed with tears. Why was it so that when Fuji held her, she could not help but cry for her hurting heart?
Reviews are muchly appreciated! What will Tezuka tell Ryoma, now that he's given Fuji his blessings? What will Ryoma do? Who exactly does Sakuno want to be with?She can't possibly fall in love with Fuji right?And is there something going on between Tezuka and Atobe?Find out in the next chapter!