I'm back with another chapter! Hurray! I hope everyone had a merry xmas!! I know I did! (which is why this chapter is so late haha) Hope I didn't make you guys wait too long! So let's start this chapter already!

Do I really need a disclaimer? I'm sure it's obvious I don't own prince of tennis.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm quitting tennis."

There was a stunned silence. Fuji had well expected it. After all, the Seigaku regulars were sheltered beings that were raised to play tennis. The very idea of not living with tennis, well that would just destroy them.

"Ha… haha. That's funny Fuji-senpai! But really, what is it?"

Momoshiro was the first to react. The second year eagerly looked at the older tennis player with shining violet eyes. Fuji smiled in sympathy. His eyes were fully open and seemed to hold all the truth in the world.

"I just told you Momo. I'm quitting tennis."

There was a pause as the words sank in. As each word was absorbed, new expressions began to be formed. Fuji never knew it was humanely possible for a mouth to go down at that angle like Eiji's was. Or if a jaw could drop as much as Taka-san's. If he tried, he could maybe make his eyes as big as Oishi's. But the one that stood out the most was Momo.

The normally cheerful second year stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Why? I don't get it senpai."

"I'm sorry Momo."

"But why? Is something wrong?" asked Kaidoh

Fuji shifted his gaze downward, as if ashamed. "… I don't think I'm fit to play anymore."

The two rivals stared at him. "That's it? I… of course you're fit to play! Who told you that?"

"Myself."

The younger tennis player stared. "But… you mean… you just quit?"

"I have to. I've already quit the camp."

"Quit the camp? You didn't!" Oishi said. Fuji nodded in confirmation. The vice-captain of the team gawked at the tennis prodigy.

"I don't get it. You are quitting now? This is… illogical." Inui said the last word softly since this baffled him; almost nothing baffled the data man.

"But… I mean, why now? We're in the middle of getting ready for the Nationals and everything…" Kawamura rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. He fingered his shirt nervously while he looked at Fuji.

"Are you sure you want to quit?"

Tezuka stood with his arms folded. A calm aura emanated from him, contrasting with the confusion in the room. The captain of the tennis team regarded Fuji coolly. Fuji merely nodded.

"But why Fuji-senpai? We're going to the Nationals!"

"I can't go to the Nationals. I'm afraid you have to find a replacement for me."

"But Fuji, why not? What's going on?"

Fuji sighed. They were such good friends. Really. I guess… I have to.

"I'm sure you can find a replacement. It's just a tournament. I just can't play in it. It's only tennis."

The room fell into a shocked silence for a second time. Everyone gaped once again. Fuji flinched inside. He knew immediately that it was too harsh. It was like he had slapped them all across the face. He bit his tongue while listening to Momo's raggedy breath. It was one of the only things that he could hear. Momo's breathing. A harsh sound that only emitted from the courts or when he was angry.

The second year clenched and unclenched his fists. Fuji waited for the results of his not so successful confession.

Momoshiro slammed against the railing of the bed hard enough for the entire thing vibrated from the impact. Fuji shook slightly with it, though his gaze did not move. He observed the Seigaku power house without alarm.

"I don't get it. I don't get it! Why would you quit tennis now? It's just before the Nationals! What… what are we going to do? We need you! I thought we were all going to the Nationals together! I don't get it!"

The second year slammed the bed against, this time so that the metal clinked dangerously. Still, Fuji said nothing.

"Momo! What are you doing? Stop that now!"

Oishi moved to stop the second year only to be slapped away by a cold hand; Momo continued his shouting.

"Do you care at all?! I thought we were all going to go! This is too… I don't get it at all!"

He moved to hit the bed again, but was stopped by Kikumaru. The third year held the second year's fists firmly in his hands. The second year did not struggle.

"Nya, stop it Momo! You'll destroy the bed! Besides, I'm sure Fuji has a good reason. Right, Fuji?"

The acrobat looked at Fuji hopefully. His head was cocked to the side so that his red hair seemed to be curlier than usual. His dark blue eyes blinked as he waited.

"Right Fuji?"

His best friend wouldn't quit on him without a good reason. Surely. Fuji wasn't a quitter. Right? His best friend told him everything. Everything.

"Right Fuji?"

His friend, even if it looks he has a lot of secrets, told him everything. So there were no secrets between them. They knew everything about each other. No secrets at all. So there would definitely be a good reason.

"Right?"

His lips were never sealed when he was around. There were no secrets. Nothing at all.

"Fuji…"

His best friend bowed slightly in his bed. His hair fell into his eyes so that his expression could not be seen.

"Gomen, Eiji."

Gradually, Eiji's grip on Momo loosened. But Momo did not start hitting the bed again. His hardened hands remained on the cool metal, motionless.

Fuji stared at his knees. They were like little mounds of white under the sheets. He breathed. He heard it all. It was an absolute silence, one that would let you hear 'a pin drop'. Just like the books. They didn't say anything about the overwhelming pressure though; his ears felt like they would burst.

"But why? I mean… what's the reason?"

It was so much like Oishi to try to understand. A mother to the end really. But even mothers were people; they had their limits. Fuji bit his lip, wondering if he would reach that limit today.

"I don't think I should be playing anymore. Gomen."

He tried to smile. His cheeks groaned at the effort. Instead of being maybe slightly reassured, it only made the regulars flinch. It was as if they were looking at the row of sharp teeth that had just destroyed their precious tennis courts. Little by little, Fuji pulled down his smile.

"I'm sorry."

Everything stood still. The only evidence that time was still going was the tiny ticking that could be heard inside the room and the occasionally drifts of conversations from outside.

Someone wet their lips; it was that quiet.

"I… I'm going out for more Ponta."

Echizen trudged out of the room. Each step he took echoed painfully in the room. The door opened with a slight creak and the life outside invaded the little room. Echizen pulled his cap down, as if doing a salute, before closing the door firmly.

(Echizen POV)

I just needed to get out of there. It was so stifling. It was beyond any pressure that I felt on the courts. It was just too uncomfortable. It was like someone was dying or something.

I fiddled in my pocket. Damn it. I don't have change. Stupid thing. I glared at the vending machine. Damn it. I really needed a drink right now.

Since it isn't going to give me anything for free, I decided to sit in a chair until all the senpais were out; I don't feel like going back in there again. It feels like something died in there.

But… it's kind of like something did die, didn't it? Tennis died. Inside Fuji-senpai.

I sighed and pulled my cap lower. How could Fuji-senpai quit like that? It's just impossible. Him not coming to practices. Just… no more tennis. No balls to hit, no rackets to hit it with, or courts to play on. Only tennis? Impossible. I don't get it.

No more match to look forward too, if Fuji-senpai's really quitting. There's nothing I can do. But he can't be really quitting. He's addicted to it. I know it. He won't quit just like that. He'll come back for sure, after he gets over this. For whatever reason he's quitting, it can't be bigger than tennis.

"…chibi! Ochibi!"

I opened one of my eyes. Kikumaru-senpai's pouting face came into view.

"We're leaving Ochibi! Nya, you shouldn't sleep in the hospital you know."

I waited for some lame joke again but it never came. He had already turned away to walk out the door. I watched him leave with Oishi-senpai at his heels. Tezuka-buchou soon followed.

"Oi. Echizen. Get up. We're going."

I looked up at Momo-senpai. It still annoyed me that I had to look up. And I regretted being short today more than ever. His expression was probably scarier down here than up there. His whole face was stiff, as if he didn't quite know what to do with it. It looked worse than when he lost in a tennis game; he looked like an ogre.

"Ah… hai. I'm coming."

I brushed my pants off out of habit before following Momo-senpai's long strides out of the hospital. I don't get it. Fuji-senpai can't quit. So why is he so mad?

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(General POV)

Doctor Wanazuki scrutinized all of them. So this was Fuji-kun's family.

Yumiko he already knew from their countless encounters. She was dressed prettily as usual. She smiled at him, though out of politeness he couldn't tell.

The mother looked very similar to Yumiko. Or rather Yumiko looked similar to the mother, down to the name; her name was Yoshiko. But the eyes, the way they were half-closed while her lips held a small smile was all too familiar to him; it was Fuji's face all right. She wore a light pink sundress with a matching purse. Her hands were folded neatly on her lap. She didn't seem the least bothered by his scrutiny.

The father though, he couldn't quite put his finger on. His light brown eyes for sure had passed onto Yumiko. But he didn't know where the rest of the features belonged. His mouth, chin, nose, and almost everything about him seemed too definitely masculine for Yumiko or Fuji. He laughed inside as he thought about the possibility that the two siblings weren't Fuji-san's children. But then again there was always the odds that they had a third child that looked exactly like the father.

Presently, the 'all too masculine' man coughed, his mustache twitching slightly with impatience. That was the doctor's cue.

"Thank you for coming all the way from Europe Fuji-san."

"Of course we did. It's our child after all."

The doctor paused his writing. That was rather abrupt. Fuji-san seemed to be more of a straightforward typical American man of the 20s. Except he was Japanese. The doctor sighed and continued to write.

"I'm sure Yumiko-san told you already about Fuji-kun's disease."

There was a grunt and an unseen nod from the parents. Wanazuki nodded automatically.

"So I assume that you know the risks and symptoms that you will have to deal with. It's not an easy thing to deal with. Also, it's a rather expensive treatment, even if it does not cure the disease."

"Money's not a problem here."

It was Wanazuki's turn to twitch. The abrupt answers were starting to get to him; it was only the second time too.

"I see. Well I will show the results of test so that we can have a clarification."

The doctor fiddled with the scans before turning off the light to point at the shining box showing pictures of their son's brain. While his mouth rambled on automatically, he observed the Fuji family again.

He was surprised that someone who seemed so independent like Yumiko would let the father do all the talking. Of course he was the head of the family; it would be extremely rude to interrupt him. Still, he thought that she would do some talking at least. And the mother. Well, she seemed like a perfect stay at home mom so he did not expect much from her.

"Any questions?" his auto-piloted mouth asked. No one volunteered. The doctor gladly shut off the light illuminating the scans and turned the room light back on.

"Well in addition to this, I have another issue that needs to be addressed. I did not go in depth about the other symptoms of his disease."

The atmosphere, which was already strained, rose to a violent level. The doctor sighed. Most of it was from Fuji-san.

"Actually, I think Fuji-kun may have developed diabetes."

"Diabetes? How?"

It was the first time the mother spoke. She seemed to be genuinely worried for her little child. However, her eyes did not open.

"Type 1 Diabetes. Its cause is unknown but it can be deadly if not treated properly. His body does not generate insulin anymore. One of the symptoms of this is mood swings due to the fluctuating levels of insulin. Also, you may have noticed he was losing some weight while being constantly thirsty or eating. A set diet will have to be made."

I might not eat the pie nee-san. So that's what he had meant, Yumiko thought. She had passed it off as Syuusuke's bitterness. She felt a lump rise in her throat.

"Also, if treatment is neglected, the patient might lose consciousness. This is consistent with the observations made during treatment. He was unconscious before he hit the table. But tests will have to be performed to confirm. It's the main reason why he's being kept in. We're just waiting for a nurse to be available for the test. He should be out by tomorrow."

He watched as the mother put her face in her hands while Yumiko patted her back, looking guilty the whole time doing so. Fuji-san remained stoic in his seat.

"Can we go see him?"

-----------

"Okaa-san?"

Fuji was immediately hugged by the worried mother.

"My poor Syuu-chan!" she choked out, "I'm so sorry for not being here with you! From now on, I'll stay by your side okay?"

She smiled a friendlier version of the 'Fuji smile' at Syuusuke. He laughed a little but didn't say anything more; he was touched by his mother's display of affection.

"How are you feeling Syuusuke?"

Fuji looked at his father for a moment. He didn't smile. "Fine." He answered stiffly.

Yumiko sighed at the scene. It was always the same.

Many people think that being the middle child meant that you would be neglected. That wasn't true for Syuusuke. In fact, Syuusuke was the favorite.

It hadn't been very obvious, but it was the little things. The subtle smiles and lectures that said that they expected more from him than from any other of their children. From their hardworking parents, it was to be a compliment. And Syuusuke never disappointed them. He always seemed to outdo himself in everything; it only made their parents prouder yet. They loved him for it.

"So did you finish the Kantou regional tournament?"

"It's been over for a while now Otou-san."

"I see."

Yumiko looked at her mother. Her expression was vague and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Yumiko sighed again. She should really interrupt this. This was a pathetic excuse for a father-son relationship.

They hadn't always been like this. However soon enough, Syuusuke realized that Otou-san always went somewhere. It would take a long time for him to come back too. That wasn't the problem though. Syuusuke was patient. But it was what it did to Otou-san. Gradually, he lost touch with him. He forgot what Syuusuke was like; he forgot what the family was like. Otou-san rarely remembered their birthdays and they were lucky if he got their ages right.

It wasn't like he wanted to forget. Otou-san was too kind for that. But he couldn't help it. He was away for so frequently, always for so long. But Syuusuke had enough of that. Especially when he had managed to forget Okaa-san's birthday yet again. The sight of his depressed mother sent him into a rage. They were never the same afterwards.

"So, you're going into 3rd year now. Last year of middle school."

"I happen to be in 3rd year now Otou-san. I'll be going to high school."

"Oh."

They fell into yet another awkward silence. Fuji had a blank expression glued to his face. Otou-san looked a little lost for words; who wouldn't be in his position?

Ding ding ding.

The ringing of a cell phone brought life into the room. The family watched as the man took out a cell phone out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. He glanced around the room hastily.

"I need to take this."

He didn't need to say it. He always needed to take it.

"Hello? I told you not to call me-"

The rest was cut off by the door as it swung shut. Yoshiko stared at the door where her husband had disappeared. She smiled at Fuji.

"You'll be okay right? I'll come back tonight to check up on you again Syuusuke."

She leaned into give him a kiss on his forehead. "Be well Syuusuke." Her lips curled up into a smile again before disappearing to the other side of the door. Fuji waved politely.

They were alone again.

"Syuusuke-"

"I told them I'm quitting tennis."

Yumiko paused. He had been yet to receive treatment for diabetes. She decided to humor him; it might be his mood swing.

"Did you? What did they say?"

"Nothing."

Fuji's face became distorted into an odd confused face. The confusion came from his brows which were furrowed as if in thought. It was odd at the same time because his smile didn't seem to reach the rest of his face. It was…

"Did you tell them everything Syuusuke?"

The younger of the two stared up at the older incredulously. "Of course not nee-san."

Yumiko pursed her lips. Her brother was mature beyond his years, but sometimes he was just too juvenile. She let out a long breath.

"Don't you think that your friend will be more distracted since you didn't tell them the real reason?"

"Saa… That might be true."

"Syuusuke."

Her brother seemed to stop living when she used her harsh tone. But slowly, he breathed normally.

"Just tell them."

"No, I shouldn't. It's better this way."

Yumiko felt annoyance rise in her, and that was rare. She stepped closer to the bed. She could see through it all. It was scary, being able to see, but she had to stop him. This was unacceptable.

"Tell them the truth Syuusuke. They deserve to know."

"They don't have to know nee-san. I don't want them to."

"You aren't protecting them or anything. If possible, you're hurting them."

Fuji said nothing. She could see it so clearly now. Close enough to touch it. Could she?

"Syuusuke…"

"I don't want them to know. Then… maybe I can spare them some sorrow in their lives. I would be disrupting their peaceful lives, I think."

The tears clouded her vision. The room became blurred and Syuusuke disappeared from her view save his honey brown hair. Her breath trembled in her throat. What could she say?

"And… nee-san…" He began in a low voice so that it wasn't even a whisper. It was something below a whisper. It just barely escaped his throat. She had to strain to hear what he wanted to say.

"Nee-san…"

She held her breath; she was so afraid, afraid that this would destroy some part of their lives.

"Nee-san… I'm scared."

Before he could say anymore, he was enclosed in a tight embrace. He flinched at first in surprise. But the warmth got to him. The warmth of another person who struggled to understand; he couldn't help it anymore. He let himself sink into the embrace. The afternoon light made the room glow with affectionate light. He closed his eyes.

I'm so scared. I'm scared. This is the first time in my life… that I've never felt so much fear… I'm scared of pity; I don't want to be pitied. I'm scared of the responses. What would happen? I'm scared of the future. I have nothing planned. Now I wish I had something planned. Still, what if I did? Wouldn't it hurt more? To be limited… I can't even work hard to overcome it. It's inevitable.

I'm scared of this disease. It'll leave me so helpless…

"When you're scared, there will always be those you can lean on."

He opened his eyes. The sun had set; the room was dark.

"So look for those you can lean on. It's never shameful to ask for help."

As gently as possible, he pushed her away. Startled, Yumiko regarded his visage. She sighed in relief when he held a genuine smile with blue eyes fully open.

"Arigatou nee-san."

He leaned back into the oversized pillow, as if the hug had taken all the energy out of him.

"Saa…. I hope they are free tomorrow…"

Omg yes! I'M DONE! YAY! My tests are all over! I can't believe there's a teacher stupid enough to give a test on the LAST day of school before winter vacation! BAKA! Well anyways, yes I'm done this chapter. I actually think I did the reactions all wrong. It's just a big mess :( I'm sorry! I tried my best! Well the real reaction is coming up and I just realized: OMG WHERE IS YUUTA?!?! He disappeared on me! –slaps forehead- oh no… I need to incorporate him somewhere… well, ill figure it out! Somehow! Nya, I hope this chapter wasn't disappointing --" thank you for reading!