Chapter 3 - Fragile Hearts


When the Nationals came about that year, it wasn't much of a surprise when Hyoutei and Rikkai's high school divisions claimed the top two seeds in the entire Kanto region. Both teams had a very explosive and successful prefectural run and clashed at the finals of the regionals. Hyoutei pulled off their revenge plan against the original kings of the court for what happened during their joint exhibition match almost a year prior. Though they weren't inexperienced with losses, this particular one to Hyoutei was especially bitter—even more so than their losses to Seigaku back in middle school. Yukimura was in an especially sour mood, knowing that he could have won his Singles 1 match against the arrogant, pompous ass of a captain if it weren't for the cold he was coming down with at the time.

Now that the tournament was behind them, the only thing left to do was draw the seeding for the actual national tournament. Before the meeting was scheduled to happen, Yukimura took it as an opportunity to check out the competition for the year. There were some familiar faces he recognized from the U-17 camp, but he didn't recognize any of the others. This made a lot of sense, seeing as he was probably one of the very few first year captains out of all the schools present. Yanagi, on the other hand, was having a field day with all of the people he was seeing and the amount of data he was gathering just by looking at them.

"Thank you for bringing me along, Seiichi," the ecstatic data master said as he continued to scribble down notes without looking in the direction he was walking.

"My pleasure," he replied. "Don't get lost in the numbers, though."

Yanagi failed to hear his friend's warning as he began to wander off, leaving his captain alone.

Someone bumped into him from behind. "Ah, sorry! Didn't see you there."

Yukimura recognized the voice and accent and turned around. Standing before him was another former roommate of his: Shiraishi Kuranosuke.

"Yukimura! It's great to see you again," he said as he went in for a gentle hug. "Congratulations on making it to the Nationals."

"And to you as well," he thanked. He eyed the strange geometric tennis uniform jacket Shiraishi was draping over his regular summer school uniform. "What school did you end up going to?"

"Makinofuji Gakuin," he stated. "Byoudouin-san told me to come."

"I see. Was it just you from Shitenhouji, then?"

"Asides from Kenya, yeah. The others went to different schools since our middle school doesn't feed into a high school division like yours does."

"That must be a little disheartening," Yukimura lamented.

The new Makinofuji player shrugged nonchalantly. "That's just life. Not everyone can stay together forever, you know."

"Yes, that is true," he sighed.

"Say, are you free after this meeting?" Shiraishi asked, changing the subject. "There's this really cool exhibit on poisonous plants nearby and I have an extra ticket."

"That sounds lovely," Yukimura smiled. "I'll need to check with Renji to make sure he didn't have anything planned, but I have this strange feeling he'll be running off without me after the meeting."

"Great! Let's meet right at the entrance when this is all over." Shiraishi slapped the ticket into Yukimura's hand before running off. "Good luck with the draw!"

Yukimura smiled as he waved goodbye. Just as the sheepish Osaka native vanished from his view, Yanagi managed to reappear. He ran up to his aloof friend and grabbed him before he could run off. The two of them filed into the large lecture hall and took their seats near the center of the room. Slowly but surely, the other teams began to file in and take their seats as the organizers finished setting up a giant whiteboard with a blank tournament bracket on it. Once everyone settled in, the organizers began the draw, starting with the southernmost point of the country and working their way up north. Being in the middle of the country, it was going to be a while before Rikkai was summoned.


After what seemed like an eternity, the final bracket was decided. Rikkai's first round opponent was going to be Kyoto's Rakuzan High. Their potential path to the championship included a quarterfinal match against Seigaku's severely weaker team, semifinals against Okinawa's Hadena High with most of Higa's roster and a final either against Makinofuji or Hyoutei. Yanagi went off to begin crunching numbers on how everything would play out, forgetting to say 'goodbye' in the process. His spontaneous impulse made it easier for Yukimura to meet up with Shiraishi afterwards. The azure-haired boy walked out of the room and was immediately stopped by the man he was avoiding the entire time.

"See you at the finals, coward," Atobe taunted in a rather condescending tone.

Rather than humour him, Yukimura decided to go meet up with Shiraishi, who was staring at the both of them from a distance. "My date is here. If you would excuse me, Your Majesty."

"Ahn? A date? You?" Atobe was in disbelief as he watched Yukimura gracefully move towards the handsome Makinofuji player. "That nervous wreck? How interesting," he uttered under his breath.

"Is everything alright?" Shiraishi asked.

The strained cheery expression on Yukimura's face was easy to see through. "Don't worry about it, Shiraishi."

"If you say so," he reluctantly responded. "Shall we make haste?"

Yukimura nodded. "Lead the way."

The two teenage boys walked in comfortable silence to a local garden conservatory. Throughout their pleasant stroll, Shiraishi wore an uncertain expression as his calloused hand brushed up against Yukimura's. He debated internally whether it would be appropriate for him to just grab hold of it, but ultimately decided to keep his hand to himself. His companion was blissfully unaware of his internal strife as they made their way through the conservatory towards the exhibit hall.

"There's barely anyone here today," Yukimura remarked as he scanned the area. "Oh my, are those oleanders?"

The azure-haired boy gently grasped the wrist of his anxious friend and dragged him towards the dangerously pink flowers, which smelled strongly of agonizing death. The blush on Shiraishi's face matched in hue with the precarious petals as his heart beated erratically in his chest.

"P-perhaps you shouldn't get too close, Yukimura," he warned. "Oleanders can cause an adverse skin rash if you touch it without gloves on."

Yukimura giggled as he studied the intricate plant. "I learned that the hard way, but they sure are beautiful and worth the pain."

"Yeah... The deadlier the plant—"

"—the more fickle they are," the two said in unison before laughing.

"I really missed these conversations, Shiraishi. You were the only person I could talk to about anything," Yukimura lamented.

The worry on his face became more apparent than his anxiety. "Is something on your mind?"

"I suppose. I'm not sure you can help me, though, so I won't trouble you with it, Shiraishi."

Shiraishi pushed his inner worries to the side. "You know that's not true. I can at least listen. You might even feel better getting it off your chest."

Yukimura shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no pressure. Just know that I'm here for you—much like this oleander." He gently grasped Yukimura's cold, tender hands in his own, affirming his previous statements.

The boy smiled gently. "Thank you."

The two continued their leisure stroll through the hall, stopping to admire the various plants and learning more about how the toxins within them react with the mammalian body. The air around them was full of strange scents—from the hypnotizing allure of lily of the valleys to the crippling stench of Dracula's flower. They soon took refuge at a bench surrounded by the silent belladonnas to relax. Yukimura had finally built up the courage to ask his Osakan friend for advice on his complicated emotions.

"Shiraishi," he began, "have you ever been in love?"

"Yeah," was the response without hesitation. "A few times."

"I see..."

"Why do you ask?"

There was a brief moment of quiet. "Have you ever had your heart broken?"

"Plenty of times," he admitted shamelessly. "I have the worst luck with relationships."

"Really?" Yukimura was quite surprised by the revelation. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," he stretched out his shoulders after hunching over for a bit too long, "I've dated a few very shallow girls when I was at Shitenhouji. I was naive back then and got used by them, which stung, but I got over it. It's the one-sided attractions that hurt more."

Yukimura could empathize. "I'm assuming those girls weren't interested in you?"

Shiraishi gave him a confused look. "No, I was referring to Kenya and Senri."

That new tidbit of information was alarming. "You're bi?"

"I never told you? I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I can't keep track of who does and doesn't know at this point... You're not offended, are you?"

"N-no... Just... Very taken aback," Yukimura said as his voice trailed off. "But, Oshitari-san and Chitose-san?"

Shiraishi nodded. "I've always had a thing for Kenya since we became friends. I also never knew Senri could be so attractive either with his carefree attitude and all, but..." A little blush coloured his cheeks as he buried his face into his hands. "I confessed to both of them—not at the same time, but you know what I mean. It took weeks before Kenya could even look at me in the eyes and politely tell me he didn't swing that way. With Senri, he knew I was going to confess—thanks to his premonition—and turned me down before I even got the words out of my mouth!"

Yukimura couldn't hold back his laughter and began to wheeze. "I-I'm so sorry—for laughing," he said in between breaths. "I just find it hilarious picturing those two separate incidents. I don't mean to offend you."

The ashy blonde laughed as well. "It's alright. There aren't any hard feelings between myself and them, so we all tell that story for a much needed chuckle when our manzai acts don't work out."

"I'm glad that it ended on a positive note for you," the bemused boy said.

"Does a girl have your heart, Yukimura?" he asked, remembering what the original topic of the conversation was about.

"Not exactly."

"A boy, then? Or someone who is neither?"

"A boy," he admitted. "I've been rejected by him without him even knowing that I feel that way towards him."

"Ouch," Shiraishi winced. "You're not out yet, are you?"

He shook his head violently. "You are the first to really know," he lied.

He took his friend's hands and gave them a light squeeze. "I won't say anything to anyone."

"Thank you," was the meek reply. "Shiraishi, how did you get over it?"

"Heartbreak from girls? Ice cream and ab crunches. Being rejected by a straight guy? A good night's sleep and move on to someone else, I suppose." He sounded unsure of his answer, since he's never really thought about it.

"What do you mean by 'move on'?"

"Find someone else to like," he shrugged.

"What about you, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"May I like you instead?" Yukimura could feel himself recoil after asking that awkward question.

Shiraishi began to sweat excessively. "M-me?"

"Forget I said anything. It was stupid of me to ask you to do something ridiculous," he smiled in an attempt to mask how flustered he had become.

The two boys looked away from each other as their faces turned into even deeper shades of embarrassment. The awkward tension in the air caused the very few people around to skip looking at the belladonnas entirely.


Atobe was not in a great mood when he arrived home from the draw. It got even worse when his own mother insisted that he put on his best suit and head straight back out to meet with the Takayasu heiress. If he were any other normal teenager, he would've protested, run away from home or gotten arrested for a crime to avoid an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, being the heir to the Atobe fortune meant that he had to listen and do what he was told. His life was written in stone the moment his mother found out she was pregnant. Even if he was free to choose his own destiny, Atobe Keigo could not picture himself doing anything less than run a multi-billion dollar security conglomerate. As much as he loved playing tennis and the media attention he would get from it, the lifestyle wouldn't be enough for him.

Once he had arrived at their meeting spot in the middle of Ginza, Atobe couldn't help but be impressed by the Art Deco exterior of the Takayasu Medical Corporation's main office. He was not a fan of the style, but there was something unique about the Picasso-esque cubism that inspired much of the facade and embellishments. His time to admire the workmanship was short-lived as he was immediately whisked through the sterile lobby of the building towards the equally clean, mirror-lined elevator. The short ride up allowed him to fully check himself out in the mirrors one last time before presenting himself to whoever was awaiting him.

The doors opened up to an empty restaurant-like establishment, with the only people there being the maître'd and his potential marriage candidate dressed to the nines in something he had sworn he had seen during Paris Fashion Week months prior. Takayasu Akane was the definition of a modern yamato nadeshiko and fit the societal ideals of beauty. Her razor sharp black hair, long legs and deep chestnut brown eyes were her most defining features and she knew exactly how to exploit that to her advantage. The extremely deep cut in the neckline of the sleek charcoal grey sleeveless jumpsuit she donned accentuated her rather generous chest. Her large gold hoops and black stilettos with the red soles tied it all together. She was almost too beautiful to be a real person and out of Atobe Keigo's league, which was a feat in and of itself.

Something bothered him when they met at the omiai because she was nothing like how he remembered her to be. She was a lot more modest and not out to seduce every potential suitor at that event, but she was presenting herself as major eye candy for any straight male. He suspected that it was deliberate, but he had no idea why.

"I am glad you could make it, Atobe Keigo," the young girl greeted.

"Thank you for your generous invitation, Takayasu Akane," he responded. "You have impeccable taste for pairing the Pigalle with Givenchy."

Akane was clearly taken aback by the strange compliment, but recollected herself. "Thank you. You look very refined as well."

The two sat down in a private nook, away from the line of sight from the elevator. There were already two champagne flutes filled with what he suspects is just non-alcoholic sparkling wine awaiting them. He was going to take a sip until the girl stopped him and asked for them to be taken back.

Eyebrows were raised. "I was rather surprised that you wished to meet so soon after the omiai, Takayasu-san."

"Akane is fine," she corrected.

"Keigo, then."

She smiled radiantly. "I do not normally meet with potential suitors like this, but you have intrigued me greatly, Keigo-kun."

"Do tell," he gestured for her to continue.

One of the wait staff returned to the table with two wine glasses, a sealed bottle of wine and a decanter. They popped the cork and began to expertly pour the drink from the bottle into the decanter in a very fine, dark red thread. The liquid flowed into the decanter and evoked the image of a setting desert sun. Once finished, the wine glasses were filled with the tantalizing liquid and served to the two teens. Atobe picked up the glass and immediately caught the scent of the alcohol, as well as the light scent of a blooming lotus. Akane did not hesitate to drink the wine in front of him and savoured the delicate taste.

"Do try the 1999 Château Palmer, Keigo-kun. It is a wonderful drink worthy of the title of the Second Apostle," she said as she set down her glass. "Unless, you are afraid of the fact that neither you nor I are of legal drinking age in this country."

"Ahn? Do you take me for a coward, Takayasu Akane?"

"Of course not. I would not have asked for this to be brought out if I believed you were."

Atobe picked up the glass and studied the colour in the light. When his lips touched the delicate liquid, the only thing he could really taste was the bitter ethanol. It was the first time he had ever drank something alcoholic and he secretly cursed at himself for not understanding how to find and taste the subtleties of an expensive and refined drink.

Akane could easily tell he had no experience with this stuff. "You are rather interesting."

"How so?"

"When you first arrived, you commented on the choice of designers I chose for my clothing rather than stare at my breasts. The fact that you even knew what exact model of Louboutins I'm wearing is intriguing, considering I didn't even remember until you brought it up."

He tried to stifle his look of disgust for the drink. "Is that so?"

She picked up her glass again and took another sip. "You have never had your first drink until now and it is quite evident that you do not smell or taste the hints of truffle, tobacco, espresso and plum in it."

He was baffled by how blunt and observant she was. "Are you testing me?"

"If I said you passed with flying colours, would that make you less angry?"

He set down his glass and leaned forward. "What exactly are your intentions with this meeting, Takayasu Akane?"

She leaned back in her chair and continued to drink from her glass. "I am looking for someone to make a deal with, Atobe Keigo."

He was intrigued by the proposition. "A deal? Whatever for?"

"Marriage, of course. You and I are next in line to inherit our respective family's fortunes and have a duty to produce another heir to continue the line of succession." Akane finished her glass and set it down on the table. "I am not interested in being forced to marry a man whom I cannot possibly love, all for the sake of continuing this archaic tradition."

A smirk was forming on his lips. "Ahn? Is that so?"

"You and I are in quite similar positions."

Another staff member brought out two plates with porcini mushroom tartlets and set them on the table. Akane's glass was filled up again with the same wine from the decanter.

"So, you wish to propose a sham union between the two of us? I do not see how that will remedy our situation," Atobe pointed out.

"I am looking for someone who will allow me to be unfaithful," she stated plainly. "I do not and will never be able to love a man. It goes against everything I believe in."

The smirk turned into a more devious grin. "Ahn? Coincidentally, I, too, cannot and will not love a woman."

"So, you are gay," she said.

"And it appears you are as well," he realized. "Your proposition sounds very intriguing."

She raised her glass in front of him. "Shall we tell our parents, then?"

He picked up his glass and gently clinked it against her's. "To the future union of the Atobe and Takayasu lineages."

Atobe took another sip of the repulsive wine. After almost gagging on the taste of the ethanol, he understood the notes Akane was referencing. The drink tasted like the Mona Lisa, painted in the spring, smelling faintly of a second painting in the works, lingering with a coat of dust. He wasn't sure what she meant by it being the Second Apostle, however.


Yukimura and Shiraishi left the exhibit together and headed for the station together. They had yet to say anything to each other because they had no idea what to say. When they made it to the entrance of the station, Yukimura tugged on Shiraishi's sleeve, stopping him before he could go in.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault," he replied.

Silence. The screeching from the trains echoed up from the tunnels as the burnt out salarymen filed in and out of the station with efficiency.

"Thank you for today. It was fun."

Shiraishi nodded without saying anything.

Both of them wanted to run away from each other, but found that they couldn't move their feet. Frustrated, Shiraishi let out a groan as he scratched his head.

"I can't do this," he sighed. "Yukimura, I'm sorry, but there's a reason I invited you out."

The azure-eyed boy looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"The truth is..." He looked around and dragged the both of them into a more private area. "The truth is I wanted to ask you out... As more than friends."

"You mean like... As a boyfriend?"

His cheeks turned more red as he became more flustered. He could only nod, unable to speak on account of him being a mess.

Yukimura was quite shocked, but he was also equally curious. "I'm flattered, but..." His mind started drifting towards thoughts of Sanada, which only made his heart ache. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"You're still hurting because of your rejection, right?" Shiraishi asked.

He nodded as he fixed his gaze towards the ground.

The flustered boy gently reached over and tilted Yukimura's face up towards him. "I know it hurts right now, but let me be the one to dry your tears and mend your broken heart."

"S-Shiraishi..."

The two stared intently into each other's eyes, getting lost in the details of their irises. They hadn't noticed that their lips had moved closer together until they were only atoms apart from touching. A rude passerby bumped into Yukimura, closing the gap between them. Rather than jump back and apologize, both boys wrapped their arms around each other instead. The feeling was pleasant and sweet and neither of them wanted it to end. When they pulled away from each other, they were both embarrassed, but smiling.

"So, is that a 'yes' from you, then?" Shiraishi asked.

Yukimura nodded. "I am in your care."

The two walked into the station together, holding hands. No one batted an eye in their direction, since one of them looked way too feminine for their own good. Shiraishi's train back to the hotel his team was staying in came first, breaking up what otherwise would be a decent end to a rather tragic and awkward day.

"Text me when you get back," Yukimura said as he waved.

"Of course," he grinned.


Dinner at the Atobe estate that night was more lively than usual on account of the fact that his father and mother were eating at the same time as him for once. The servants were especially on edge about it, since these types of events usually ended with someone getting fired for the most minor of infractions. Everything had to be perfect for an insanely rich family of three, which was a tall order considering the three of them have very different definitions of 'perfect'. Regardless, the night started off with a deafening silence, save for the occasional clanking of silverware on china.

"I received another phone call from the Takayasus," his mother stated as she gracefully blotted at her ruby lips with a cloth napkin. "They would like to formally extend an offer for marriage."

Neither man at the table responded. Atobe Senior took a sip from his glass full of bourbon.

"I do not approve."

Atobe Junior slammed his cutlery down on the table. "Why, Mother? What do you possibly have against them?"

"I would not have been so opposed if it were not for the fact that the daughter insisted on attending medical school and becoming a doctor before settling down," she explained.

"So, her duty to marry and produce an heir is more important than her duty to inherit the Takayasu fortune?"

"There will be no need for our daughter-in-law to do such things. She is marrying into our family."

Atobe was baffled. "You never cease to amaze me with how ancient you are with your thinking, Mother."

"Why do you suddenly have interest in who you will be betrothed to, Keigo?" she asked. "You never once agreed to my previous choices, but now you have an opinion?"

"And, suddenly, you are now against a potential candidate because I agree to marry her?"

His father gently set his fork down and the two turned to address him. "Keigo, you will not speak to your mother in that tone."

His son scoffed.

The older man then turned to address his wife. "I will decide who is best."

The deafening, suffocating silence returned. Having lost his appetite halfway through the main course, the youngest one left the dining room and headed straight for his room. Everyone had escaped with their jobs intact that night—an ominous premonition for what's to come.


Much of that year's national tournament went by in the blink of an eye. It was not very memorable by any accounts up until the Final Four. As predicted, Rikkai found themselves facing off against Haneda High, which was now home to the former members of the Higa Middle School team. They were not much of a challenge for the former two-time middle school champions and Rikkai solidified their spot in the finals. Now, it was just a matter of figuring out whether they would be facing off against the new Makinofuji team or the old Hyoutei roster they had already crushed once before.

While the rest of his team were sleeping or lounging around on their day off, Yukimura opted to attend the other semifinal match to observe. It had been a good half year since he last saw Shiraishi play and he was curious to see if Atobe was the same as he always was. No matter who won, he would be the one to defeat the winner of this match in the finals in a week's time and claim the title once again. Yukimura was mainly using the match as an excuse to see his new significant other, whom he hadn't seen since the day of the draw.

He still wasn't sure what exactly their relationship was either. They kissed, but he wasn't sure what it meant. It made him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, but he also felt like he was betraying the man he truly loved. He can't deny the fact that he cared about Shiraishi Kuranosuke, but did he have it in him to love another man? Did he have it in him to forget about Sanada Genichirou? He wasn't sure, but he had to find out for his own sake.

He took a seat as close to the center of the court as he could possibly get. There were a surprising number of Hyoutei fangirls surrounding him and, if it weren't for his tennis uniform, he would've blended in with them. Atobe was being his usual self-absorbed self and flirting distantly with the girls in the seating while the rest of his team was preparing their equipment and stretching. As for Shiraishi, he seemed to be brooding over something as the rest of the Makinofuji team were huddled together and talking about their game plan.

Much to everyone's surprise, the match dragged out long enough that Atobe and Shiraishi were forced to play their Singles 1 match against each other. The Hyoutei cheer was louder than ever as their famed captain stepped onto the courts and flicked off his jacket in his usual sparkly fashion. With the snap of his finger, the entire venue went silent. Shiraishi took his side of the court, looking more nervous than ever as he got ready to take his serve.

"The winner will be me!" the arrogant boy declared as the cheers erupted again.

The ashy blonde looked at his opponent across the net and gulped. There was visible sweat dripping from his forehead and Yukimura was certain that it was not because he was warming up beforehand.

Atobe pointed his racket at the Makinofuji player. "I hope you are prepared to lose, Shiraishi. No one deserves to stand beside the Child of God, except for me!"

"What the hell is going on?" Yukimura muttered under his breath.

Shiraishi began to lose game after game, letting himself be manipulated by the immense mental pressure Atobe was placing on him. With his flashy Fugue Towards Despair and World of Ice, he easily had the upper hand over the improved Star Bible Tennis. When the match reached four games to nothing in Hyoutei's favour, the Osaka native looked as if he was dangling on the edge of a mental breakdown. Yukimura couldn't believe that Shiraishi was crumbling beneath these lame techniques when he knew exactly how to counter them. He wanted to run onto the courts and yell at him if it weren't for the event security in the way. His sharp hearing caught a snippet of a conversation between some of the girls he was sitting beside that made his blood boil.

"Atobe-sama's going to win!" one of them celebrated prematurely.

"Of course he will," one of them affirmed. "Atobe-sama deserves to be with the girl; not that Osaka guy!"

The 'girl' they were talking about was furious at the fact that this match had turned into a bet over who got to date him. He couldn't believe the audacity of Atobe to exploit Shiraishi's anxieties like this and was even more angry that the arrogant ass was making decisions for him again.

"Kuranosuke! Defeat him no matter what!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The crowd immediately quieted down and started looking around the seats to find who was shouting. Shiraishi looked up and immediately locked eyes with the enraged Child of God. He had come to watch him play when he could have been resting his tired body instead. He was touched and determined to win now. With a slight nod of acknowledgment, he returned his attention back to the court and began his next service game.

There was a very different beast standing on the Makinofuji side of the court. The Shiraishi going head-to-head against Hyoutei's best player was not the same nervous wreck one game prior. He almost looked like an angel passing down judgement with every counter. The boy struggled and clawed back the set until they were both sucked into a tiebreaker when they reached six games each. It took a severe toll on his stamina, which paled in comparison to the player that only ever plays excessively long stamina matches for fun. Shiraishi was defeated without a fight and collapsed onto the court as the crowd cheered for the victors: Hyoutei Academy's High School division.

Yukimura wasted no time and made his way down to the changeroom areas, where Hyoutei and Makinofuji were. He patiently waited until everyone had left, save for the one person he needed to talk with. Knowing how much he loved himself, Yukimura knew that Atobe would be the last to leave. What he did not expect was for Shiraishi to approach him to apologize.

"Yukimura!" he exclaimed as he jogged over. "I'm so sorry! Even after you shouted at me to win..."

The slender boy pressed his finger up against Shiraishi's lips. "Enough. I don't need you to explain yourself."

"B-but—"

"He had no right to do what he did. I did not agree to any of this." There was a murderous intent in his sapphire blue eyes. "I'll kill him."

"T-that's r-really not n-necessary," Shiraishi tried to say. "It's my fault we lost. I let him get into my head and played a poor game."

Yukimura had completely zoned out Shiraishi's desperate pleas as he charged into Hyoutei's room. Everyone had left, save for the sod checking his naked self in the full body mirrors. He slammed the door behind him and locked it, making sure Atobe couldn't get out and Shiraishi couldn't get in.

There was a loud pounding at the door along with a muffled voice calling out to the both of them to stop.

"You fucking bastard," the azure-haired boy cursed.

"Ahn? Is my prize already here? Shiraishi shouldn't have," the conceited captain cooed. "Such a shame that he couldn't even fight to keep what was his. Guess that means you don't belong to him at all."

"Is this a fucking joke to you? Like hell I would agree to such a stupid bet."

"Shiraishi does not need your approval if he willingly breaks up with you."

"How does 'coercion' fit into the definition of 'willingly'? You had no right to exploit his weakness like this."

"It's not my fault he doesn't believe he deserves to be with you," Atobe scoffed. "You could be doing so much better, Child of God."

"You don't decide what's best for me, King. Unlike you, I don't have a stone destiny," Yukimura spat.

He turned around and unlocked the door to the room, where a worried Shiraishi was waiting. His hands were red from constantly banging on the door.

"Yukimura!"

The androgynous boy pulled the ashy blonde into the room, closed the door and pushed him against the back of it. Yukimura fiercely pressed his lips on Shiraishi's, making sure Atobe was watching them the entire time. The Makinofuji player was not prepared for the sudden display of affection, but his worries began to melt along with his senses. His vision began to tunnel and, soon, he was only able to see the beautiful Child of God in front of him. Shiraishi was absolutely hypnotized.

Yukimura broke off the kiss once he was satisfied that he had made his point. He turned to address the third wheel in the room. "Get this through your thick skull: I chose him—not the other way around."

Atobe couldn't help but laugh maniacally. "Is that so?" He confidently walked over to the two new lovebirds and stared down into Yukimura's deep blue eyes. "Care to make a wager, then?"

"I have no need to engage in such childish games," he scoffed. "Let's go, Kuranosuke."

Shiraishi followed Yukimura out of the room, fingers interlaced with each other. He had no idea what just happened, nor did he really seem to care.

"See you in Singles 1, coward!" the King hollered as the door to the room closed.


A/N: Yes, I referenced Kuroko no Basuke and Drops of God in this chapter. There's going to be a lot more other references to come because I am not clever in the slightest.