A/N: I tried to hold back on 'this' but I needed to add 'it' so that the next set of chapters would have more 'meaning'.

And I said two chapters but… I've finished this one and not written the other… broken promises T_T. Never mind.

Disclaimer: I was with Takeshi Konomi when he was picking the theme tune for Prince of Tennis (randomness)

Edited: just cuz... 17.1.2011


Chapter Sixty

"I heard you girls won your match the other day. Congrats!" Some of their classmates gathered around Kikumaru's desk while their teacher was out. "But why is she like that?" She pointed over to Fuji, who was slummed down on her desk, peering out the window.

There was no tennis practise today, giving both teams a moments' rest.

As planned, Fuji was going to try and find Tezuka. She was about as successful as Kikumaru was when she wanted to give her confession to Oishi. After lunch, Fuji gave up looking for him. Her energy was completed zapped out of her and she didn't have the strength to run around the school after him. For the last two classes of the day she just gazed out the window, following the planes that crossed the path of her view. He was still around but she already missed him.

The full emotion of yesterday's match still puzzled her. She felt silly thinking her brother was Tezuka but glad that her brother was almost on Tezuka's level. She rose up slightly. She wanted to see him. But where to look for him? She sighed deeply and sunk back down.

"Kikumaru-chan, shouldn't you talk to her?" One of the girls tried to persuade Kikumaru.

"I've tried. She wants to be alone."

"Does it relate to… him?" Someone else, with two black ponytails, joint in the conversation. "And are the rumours true?"

"What rumours?" Kikumaru braced herself.

The four of them lend closer. "That he's leaving?"

"And why does someone from the baseball club know that?" Kikumaru asked harshly.

"Kazu-chan was in the PE department when Tezuka-san showed up. She saw the title on the letter that he handed in. So if she was shocked by the news, image how Fuji-chan feels."

Kikumaru shook her head sadly. "If you guys know that much, don't talk about it around her. She's really on edge. I've… I've never seen her like this before."

They continued talking about the match, and Kikumaru explained the weird aura that covered them when Fuji opened her eyes. Truth be told, it never left. It completely surrounded Fuji, waiting for a moment to unleash itself physically in her actions. It really did take all Fuji's strength to hold it back.

A few minutes into the class and Fuji heard a set of shoes scuff on the floor beside her desk. She didn't bother glancing up. Be it a teacher or a friend, she didn't want to look or talk to anyone.

"Erm, Fuji-chan?" Kikumaru tried to find her eyes. "I'm… I'm not angry with you about yesterday, so please talk to me."

Fuji sighed. It was too much to talk, let alone move. If she was to move, she decide to give her search another go. With that decided, Fuji took to her feet. For a brief moment she glimpsed Kikumaru's eyes and saw that she flinched quickly. She felt something.

"Kikumaru-chan, please, leave me alone."

It wasn't that Fuji wanted to be alone. She didn't want to hurt anyone. Fuji carried herself out the room and into the halls of the school. Kikumaru wanted to follow but the others, having seen Fuji's face, decided it was best if she was left alone. Even though sixth period was still on going, Fuji didn't care. And even though her search for him proved to be fruitless, sitting around and doing nothing felt worse.

The sound of faint murmurs hovered quietly thought the halls. Only today, those murmurs that previously lead her to Tezuka didn't want to tell her anything. She passed by classrooms that he might be in. She ran her hand across the doors and couldn't feel his energy within them. She walked to the staircase and was about to go downstairs to the fields when she felt something faint leading up onto the roof. She followed it. The door was open but he wasn't there. Fuji walked out and up to the fencing. She could feel that he was here some days going. Why was his spirit so quiet today? For the remainder of the sixth period Fuji sat on the roof looking down on the fields, wondering where he was and why he hadn't made any effort to find her.

Forty-five minutes had passed and the school day was over. Kikumaru had a tough time explaining to the teacher that Fuji had carried herself off to the infirmary. Their English teacher wasn't the easiest of people to deal with. With the class over, she sighed loudly. By chance her sight fell on Fuji's desk. She wondered why it looked so empty.

"We're friends aren't we… You're supposed to rely on me a little…" Kikumaru got out of her seat once most of the classmates had gone and collected Fuji's belongings. What to do with them? Kikumaru carried them out of the school with her and decided to drop them off at her home not realising that Fuji was only on the roof.

The other's did their own thing. Shikawara pulled Momoshiro aside to have a quick chat with him, getting herself a fill of his sweet, purple eyes. Echizen was with him and peered across to a quiet Nariko, wondering if she was any good at tennis. Yokoishi was tempted to talk to Arai one last time. If she did, she would be interfering, so made her way to one of the local temples to talk with the guardians of her frustrations, hoping Arai could keep her cool. Umeko was also looking for her hero, Fuji. Being unable to find her, she reluctantly walked home with Kikumaru and Jinhana.

Arai, on the other hand, made her way to the school library to read a book on advance tennis techniques. She got herself comfortable in a corner of the room. She flipped to the first page and started reading. Something about Fuji's match made Arai realise that some of her techniques needed some work. Speed was one of them, so the split step would be useful to her. Maybe mixing up her serve and her grip. She'd have to make those tighter and sharper. It didn't annoy her that Fuji was on another level but it did make her want to focus a whole lot more… with Yokoishi classing her as the bottom ranking in her team, she needed to use something to her advantage.

Half an hour into her reading time, someone sat in front of her. She didn't bother peer up at first, but did when a familiar feeling crossed. She glanced up and tightly gripped the corner of her book. She slowly lowered the book to her lap and stared at the last person she wanted to see.

He sat with his arms crossed, school coat off and glasses pushed up. There was something unsettling about his posture. Arai knew where this was going and placed the book back on the table, waiting for him to say something.

"Do you mind if we talk outside?" He said calmly.

She couldn't decide on his mood. Did she trust herself to keep her voice down? It might have been the end of the school day but there were still a handful of people around studying.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked him first off.

He got out of his seat and placed his hands on the back of the chair. "Outside."

Arai sighed and left the book on the table. He waited for her to start walking before following her. Once they were outside the room he lead her to a quiet spot on the corner of the school science department. The rooms were empty and the windows closed. The few who walked by didn't really pay them any attention. Though, they did glimpse Tezuka for their own enjoyment.

Tezuka lent against the wall, leaving Arai to stand in front of him.

"Can we hurry this up, I'm kinda busy." Arai said.

He started. "I don't believe last time we talked that I got a clear enough answer from you. You were… no, we were both a little emotional. Now that we've calmed down, I would like you to tell me why you gave me that picture?"

Arai shook her head in annoyance. "Does that mean you've not spoken to her yet?"

He didn't like the tone of her voice. "And, what exactly are you hoping I'm going to say to her?"

"So you're saying you haven't spoke to her yet?"

"And if I haven't?"

Arai looked away for a moment. She didn't get what he was playing at. After all this time, he still hasn't spoken to Fuji? She shook her head again to calm her self down and turned back up to him.

"I thought I explained earlier why I gave you that picture?"

"No you didn't." He replied.

Arai held her breath for a second. She couldn't figure him out. "Well… let me explain again." So she did. She said very plainly that she wanted him to talk to her so that she didn't let the team down, so that he could set her straight, pull her back on the right path and get her focused back on the tournaments.

"Is that all?" Tezuka said unconvinced.

She shrugged. "What do you mean is that all? That's all I want, for the team."

He paused deliberately. "You're lying."

"Excuse me?" She gasped.

"You're lying." He repeated, with the same strength.

Arai dropped her stuff on the floor and walked closer to him. "You explain to me, which part of that picture was a lie? Explain to me, her hanging about after our tournaments just so she can talk to that pig. Even yesterday she hung around the courts! And to accept a rose from him? Are you going to stand there and tell me she hasn't been lying to you and her team? Why didn't you shake Atobe-san's hand that day? How did you feel when he dedicated the match to her by name? Tch!"

She walked back to get her stuff and place it on one of the school benches.

"I remember, the other day, you saying that everyone treats her differently. But, the truth is, you seem to be the only person who's indifferent to her and I'd like to know why?"

She threw her hands up. "You're all idiots! She's fooling the lot of you. And the only other person who realises this is her sister. Even Yumi-chan, her sister, yesterday had to tell Fuji-chan to stop walking around and lying to people. You of all people, someone who I thought had more sense, would realise this. But, shame on me for thinking you were anything worth trusting in!"

Tezuka pushed his glasses up. "You're still lying to me Arai-san. Just tell me what it is you were hoping for?"

Arai shot a look to him. "Just go and talk to her, and try telling me again that I'm a liar."

"I've already spoken to Sumiko."

She would have continued to argue her case, but she could have sworen that he called Fuji, 'Sumiko'. Her first name. Again, she looked away. Tezuka called Fuji by that name deliberately to make Arai aware that he knew what she was doing. To call Fuji by that name meant they were closer than she could have imagined. This… this wasn't what she planned. She breathed out deeply. Tezuka walked up to her.

"Tell me the truth." He warned her.

"Or what!" She shrieked, she was starting to lose it. "What on earth are you going to do to me? You're jetting off to Germany tomorrow. I don't have to tell you anything. All that I've wanted to tell you I've told you and you don't seem to want to do anything about it. What? You're going to hit me, with that arm of yours? Please."

"There's no need to get like that Arai-san. I just thought it would have been better for you to tell me that to have to tell Fuji-san."

"Why? What can she do? Smile at me until I give in? The both of you just wear me out. You're both ridiculous. I never thought I'd say this but I'm glad you're leaving. I've had enough of all of you!" She was about to pick up her stuff and leave when she remembered Tezuka told her that he had already spoke to Fuji.

"So, so what exactly did you say to her when you confronted her?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you spoke to her. What did she say?"

"That's none of your business."

Arai hesitated after hearing that. But a sudden thought came to her. She screwed up her lip and could only stare at him. She never thought it would turn out like this. She had at least hoped that he would shout at Fuji. Made her feel sad and remorseful, but… nothing. The only reason Fuji was sad was because of her sister, and possible because he was leaving. Absolutely nothing! In fact, it looked as if she brought them closer. Stupid! Why was everyone around her blind and stupid?

She breathed out heavily and leant towards him provokingly. She was about to say something that would cut to his soul, but she changed her mind. She didn't have to do that. Instead she smiled. It wasn't a sweet smile, like what she would show him in the past. This one was very fake and very spiteful.

"Fine, I let you feel what I was hoping for."

She looked left, then right, before jumped up on her tip-toes to stole a kiss from him. He tried to pull back but she grabbed the front of his shirt to hold him in place. It was only when she laughed through the kiss did she let go of him.

She, like many others couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but the thought that she just kissed him, however small, was enough for her. She completely laughed at him having caught him off guard. He covered his hand over his mouth. He didn't anticipate that at all.

"Guess I don't need to hope anymore. Hah... hah. Oh and, try not to come back too soon." She turned on her heels and walked off without a care, leaving Tezuka speechless.


tbc…

A/N2: Oh Tezuka, why do you keep talking to her? FINE! I surrender! I seem to have made Arai a really, really… really nasty, selfish person. But isn't that why we love her? Love her with me! (T_T) And as I said, this needed to happen so that the coming chapters had more meaning… trust me! I'm a writer!

Chapter 61: Oh, and, Fuji saw and heard them!

Thanks for reading x