A/N: Hi, thanks for reading. Let's get on with it.
Disclaimer: I knocked on Takeshi Konomi's door and was scared witless when Shuusuke Fuji answered the door. He said he had a few things he wanted to ask me. (Scary random thought!)
Edited: Cleansing this chapter from those smelly mistakes. (14.4.2010)
Chapter Fifty
Foundations…
Did Atobe's dedication have something to do with those foundations he wanted to destroy? Is this what he was aiming for? But what did that word mean? Fuji brought her hands together and rubbed the top of her left thumb.
Sai caught sight of her movements. "Something wrong, Fujiko-chan?"
"…Just thinking." She said with that pleasant smile, which threw Sai off for the moment.
To Fuji, the word meant a strong and levelled ground that was able to hold the weight of the material or items stacked above it. Fuji glanced up to Tezuka as he stood offensively on the baseline waiting for Atobe to serve. Why did it have anything to do with Tezuka? It should have nothing to do with him at all. Atobe provoked her in the beginning so it should have remained like that. But now Atobe didn't only include Tezuka, he included her whole school tennis team.
Kikumaru covered Echizen's ears and leant over to her. She asked a similar question to what Sai asked. Fuji didn't know how to answer and shifted again in her seat, making Sai turn to her.
"When was the last time he spoke to you?" Kikumaru whispered.
"…Probably our last match."
"What did he say?"
"…A taster. That… inflection was just a taster. Meaning this must be 'it'."
They stopped whispering when the crowd gasped. They heard a sound what was familiar to their ears, the scattering of a racket that had fallen from the players' grip and fell to the ground. They heard the mutters next before they saw Tezuka walking back to pick up his racket.
"No way! Atobe-san is not just all talk and no action. He's the real deal." Shikawara raised up a little to see over the heads in front of her. "Who would have thought."
"Hyotei's captain had to be strong. For fear of such a match, he couldn't let all those people down." Sai added, leaning his head against Fuji again and felt her tense muscles.
"What is he doing with his hands?" Arai noticed that Atobe held his fingers between his eyes while glaring intently at Tezuka.
They heard Atobe's taunt. "You're doing well Tezuka-kun… especially with that arm of yours." A sure smirk pressed across his lips.
"What does that mean? Something's wrong with Tezuka-san?" Suzu asked around, now taking advantage of Sai's presence.
Where Suzu led, the other girls followed. Sai should know something and they all turned to him. Kikumaru kept her head low and her eyes in front of her, hugging Echizen tighter in the process.
Sai kept his sight on the match. "All these eyes upon me, yet there is little love in them."
Fuji, who was already on edge, turned sharply to Sai. "Tell me what's wrong with him?"
"Ah, Fujiko-chan, don't look at me like that! I really don't know what's wrong with him… but… if it's about tennis… who's to say he hasn't injured himself. That thing Atobe-kun did, is able to see a person's weakness… Maybe he found something. Let's keep watching."
The girls became more fascinated in the game but Fuji's heart wouldn't calm. She felt as if the one thing she wanted to keep a secret was being let out in the open even before she had a change to correct it, and now it had spun off in a direction that she never anticipated. She rubbed her shoulder, the one that made her confused, and tried to hold herself together. Not let anyone see it on her face.
"Ah, Oishi-kun said it was his left elbow!" Jinhana told them.
"Did anyone know? Fuji-chan did you-" Nariko turned to ask but saw the blue of Fuji's eyes and turned back to the match. It wasn't so much the colour that put her off finishing the question, but the razor blazes that flew out from them. After seeing that look on Fuji's face the others also didn't say anything. Echizen peered over at Fuji when Kikumaru wasn't strangling him. He wondered for a moment and looked back across at the match between the two captains.
Fuji no longer had the will to watch. She could hear Oishi's voice talking and nattering away about something. Bits of words she heard like 'healed', 'senpai' and 'quitting'. Somehow it hurt her that Tezuka would keep something from her. But he wasn't the only one. No doubt if Oishi knew about it then so would someone else.
"You're being very quiet Kikumaru-chan." She said sharply.
Kikumaru turned. "Huh?"
It was all Fuji needed to hear. "So you do know. Tell me?"
"Well… Oishi didn't want me to. But, seeing as it's out in the open…"
She told them, not in as much detail as Oishi had but what she did know she told them. Fuji was surprised by how angry she was. Why was she angry? Maybe if she knew what Atobe was planning she would never have read that card. Yeah… it all started from then… plus that other one… If there weren't so many people around she would have covered her face with her hands and stared into the darkness. Just to hide for the moment.
She fidgeted with her fingers before deciding to lay them in the centre of her lap. She was aware that Sai and Echizen glanced her once Tezuka won the first set. She didn't care and continued to listen to the match.
As the games carried, Seishun began to believe that Oishi's story might be true that Tezuka was all healed and one hundred percent. With the scores at 3-2, Seishun leading, they wondered if there was any point in bring it up, but Tezuka was still on the offensive, making Atobe run from corner to corner with each returning shot.
"Fujiko-chan, although I love your expression right now, relax." Sai said out of the blue, which made Fuji shut her eyes.
She certainly didn't want to be this tense but words couldn't calm her, and simply being told to relax wouldn't make her sigh out in relief. Far from it!
"Fujiko-chan, don't worry, your beloved Tezu-tan will be okay."
"Don't tease me. I don't like this match."
"Why Fuji-senpai?" Echizen asked.
Fuji peered up and saw the two had gotten into a rally. Atobe wasn't playing as aggressively as he did at the start. He toned it down. He didn't do anything daring even though Tezuka told him to go all out. But after a while Tezuka went on the defensive, also not doing anything daring.
"Because I can now see what Atobe-kun plans on doing." She murmured so only the two boys sitting next to her could hear."
After that, she refused to speak. Her thoughts turned to blame. If anything were to happen to Tezuka… No. She shouldn't start thinking like that. She'd wait to see the out come of this rally. When it looked like Atobe was finally ready to end the rally, Tezuka wouldn't let him. Atobe tried to run to the net, but just by making eye contact with Tezuka, Atobe knew to retrace his steps and stay at the base.
"Ohmigosh! This match is amazing! Atobe-senpai was totally dominating but Tezuka-senpai was like 'I'm in charge, not you!'" Yokoishi encouraged as the girls optimism grew.
Even when Tezuka was leading the match and turning Atobe's game plan against him, Fuji didn't feel comfortable. Sai had to sit up because Fuji shifted every other second. It got to a point where she couldn't even look at the match any more. Only the sounds guided her and even that - the excitement in the cheers and the force on the ball - was too much to bear.
"Six games to five, Seishun leading." The umpire called and Seishun's hopefulness rung in the air, with Hyotei cheering louder.
"Come on Tezuka-kun! You can do it! One more set!" The girls yelled for him.
"An hour and a half and no one's letting up. This is a first." Arai said and Umeko agreed. For Arai the match wasn't just a moment of entertainment, she studied their use of strength and strategy.
"Hmm, looks as if he's getting impatient." Sai muttered.
Fuji dared herself to glance up. She saw Atobe smash the ball at Tezuka's hand, unlike before, the racket didn't leave his grip but the ball was lobbed again. Those watching could see the confusion on Atobe's face. Everyone in the court realised that Tezuka had trapped him in his 'zone'. No wonder none of Atobe's moves were working. No wonder Tezuka didn't look troubled. Why would he look troubled, he only needed one more point. By then, everyone was on their feet, tensing their fists and waiting for Tezuka to take the last winning serve. The air was so tense and quiet. Everyone held their breaths. Tezuka tossed the ball in the air for the last serve. The feel of victory was already in the air and Seishun held onto their cheers for the last point.
Just that one point.
Fuji opened her eyes. Fear took her. She nearly covered her mouth. She heard something. Something clicked. Something shifted on the court. As Tezuka swung his left arm back to take the serve, she heard a dull sound that made her want to cry. The sound reverberate thought his tendons, muscles and skin…
Tezuka flinched. He felt something. He felt the pain that Fuji heard. Something hurt. Something ripped from his shoulder down his spine and into his legs with no mercy. The sudden pain snatched away the control from his mind and ordered Tezuka to listen.
He cried out, suddenly going limb on his left side. Everyone stopped when they saw Tezuka surrender to a reawaken injury. The cries from their silent captain left them shaken, but they had to look pass the shock to jumped over the fence to help him.
Kikumaru reached over and took Fuji's hand. Fuji stared at Kikumaru's hand cup around her fingers.
"Fuji-chan, it's not your fault." She said knowing what Fuji was thinking.
"Why would it be Fuji-senpai's fault?" Echizen questioned.
Fuji wanted to blurt out that it was her fault when Tezuka yelled at this teammates not to approach him. The game hadn't finished.
"You're kidding!" Shikawara gasped.
"He plans to play to the bitter end!" Yokoishi was ready to cheer when Nariko pointed at the officials
"I think they want him to forfeit?"
"Boo! Let him play to the end! This is the pride of Seishun Academy!"
Sai looked across the courts. "For someone who aimed for such a match Atobe-kun doesn't look all that happy."
"Ahh, ochibi, if it ends, it'll be two-two." Kikumaru rested her chin on his head.
"Yeah, by the sound of it, the reserves will have to play." Umeko added.
The girls listened to the regulars pleaded with Tezuka to reconsider the enviable outcome of his match. It wasn't worth the permanent injury to his arm. If he continued to play he couldn't possibly win. But Tezuka ignored them all and took to his feet. Many were shocked by his stubbornness. He was stopped in his tracks when Oishi ran out in front of him. Fuji hoped Oishi would tell him not to play, but as Tezuka's good friend, he encouraged him to continue, which only fuelled Seishun's fighting spirit. And with a mended Kawamaru back and flying the flag, Seishun could only look for victory.
Momoshiro walked up to where the girls were seated and asked Echizen if he wanted to go warm up. He didn't argue and went with him. Kikumaru moved along and hugged onto Fuji's arm and felt how nervous she was.
"Fuji-chan, please calm down."
"How can you say that? I'm…"
Kikumaru squeezed her arm and smiled. "I think it's about time you told him what's going on."
"…but…"
"Don't worry, I'm here for you. I'm sure he wants to know by now. Atobe-san has gone on the offensive. He's totally jealous that Atobe-san's calling you out at his game. I can see it, and so can you. So tell him. But make sure he understands it clearly. I told myself that I wouldn't force you but I think the situation is forcing itself on you. I'll come with you once his game has finished."
She appreciated her friend's words but that wasn't the point. Earlier on in the match she felt Tezuka's anger in the air… she didn't want to face that.
The tie-breaker carried on. One would gain a point then lose it to the other. Steadily the points grew into double figures. The pain began to show on Tezuka's face when Atobe deliberately hit shots that would cause further damage. The score went into the twenties and then the thirties. The spectators wondered were they got this strength from. They couldn't take their eyes off the two. Fuji stood up with them, still holding Kikumaru's hand. She saw that Tezuka lowered his racket to do his Zero Shiki drop shot, which would have won him the game. It hit into Atobe' s court. It didn't roll back, causing Atobe to return the ball in a last minute dive, but Teuzka was ready to smash the ball out of Atobe's reach. But the shot did the unthinkable.
It hit the net.
"Whoa… he lost." Umeko was the only person able to say it.
Kikumaru squeeze Fuji's hand again and the others didn't know what to do with the outcome. Hyotei then woke up to the reality that Atobe won and roared with that same admiration.
"What is wrong with you lot!" Yokoishi yelled at her schoolmates. She turned to Tezuka on the court. "You're still awesome Tezuka-dono! Atobe-san would never have played in your conditions. Seigaku are the best!"
Her chant gave the school a bit more encouragement and they gave him their finally cheer as he walked off the courts.
"Funny, he still didn't shake Atobe-san's hand." Jinhana giggled.
"I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to touch him with a three yard stick." Arai commented.
"I can't wait for our match in two days. I want it to be that intense. St Rudolph girls better be prepared for a beat-down!" Umeko threw her fists about.
Fuji didn't care to listen. She understood what just happened in his match and that's why she couldn't watch for most of it.
As Echizen took to the court Ryuzaki-sensei forced Tezkua to go and see the nurse, even having to drag him up the stairs. They didn't make eye contact when they passed. Kikumaru nudged Fuji, making her know that now would be a perfect time to go see him. "I'll go with you. Come on." Kikumaru pulled Fuji up and followed at a distance behind so that they could finally talk.
…tbc…
A/N2: Well I'm glad that much of it is over with…
Chapter 51: Tezuka is still not a happy boy!!! A chat in the nurse's hut… Me thinks a short chappie ^_^
Thanks for reading. x
