I'm back! Sorry! I had exams to study for! And it's the long awaited time that you've all been waiting for! Hehe, im sure you know what im talking about ;) Before I get on with it, just wanted to say special thanks to Reviewer for giving me a very detailed review. I really appreciate it! I get so few of those XD and also, just in case some of you didn't get it, there's no romance in this story. Sorry! But I think there's just too much romance here. Too much anything is always bad XP BUT BUT BUT I won't stop you from your fantasizing.
I don't own Prince of Tennis… but what I wouldn't do to get it…
-"This is Yuuta's cell phone. Leave a message and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can." Beep.
"Yuuta? Are you busy? You haven't been picking up the phone in a while… well anyways… let's meet sometime okay? Really. I want to talk. Mah, see you later."-
Click. Click. Click.
Everything was in full bloom and Fuji was going to take full advantage of it.
The entire place was just beautiful. Flowers were peaking out from every corner of the field while trees blew peacefully with the passing wind. The lake lay silently though, reflecting this beautiful world. He took a deep breath. The air was sweet. He envied his grandfather; he could see this everyday whenever he wanted to.
Stretching briefly, Fuji leaned over to where his bag lay. It only took a minute for him to find his mirror. Opening it carefully, he started to place it behind the camera when, like so many things in the past, it slipped. Surprisingly, it shattered; Fuji had seen it withstand higher falls.
The thin brunette crouched down as to look at his recent disaster. There was a clear crack down the middle as well as some pieces that had managed to fly some distance away from impact. Wisely, he did not touch it but merely let his fingers hover above it.
Break a mirror, seven years bad luck…
"… What are you doing?"
Tezuka stared at his crouching teammate who seemed to be rather absorbed by the brown wood of the look-out point. Fuji stared back for a moment; he was early, as usual.
Fuji chuckled as he stood up. "Well I broke my mirror just now. I was wondering how to pick it up."
"That's seven years bad luck."
The taller teen observed unnatural blue eyes impassively. He grunted, questioning Fuji's sudden surprise. As an answer, or lack of one, the blue eyes disappeared.
"Saa… I didn't know you were superstitious Tezuka."
"I'm not."
"I see."
The wind blew again, stirring the waters.
"Tezuka! You're already here! Am I late?"
Fuji and Tezuka turned, almost in relief, to see the friendly vice-captain of the tennis team waving enthusiastically. Fuji felt his cheek bones tighten as he smiled at the sight.
"No, don't worry Oishi. You're early actually."
"That's good. I thought I would be late for sure. I had to grab some snacks at my house so we wouldn't get hungry." As said, the number one worrywart opened his plastic bag to reveal various crackers and sweets.
"It's nice that you're so thoughtful. I brought some snacks too."
"Nya! Oishi! You're here already!"
And in the distance, a certain bouncy teen waved to them all the while getting closer. His dark blue eyes sparkled even more when he saw the snacks.
"Ne… is that for me? Nya, is it?"
"No it's for everyone. But you can have some too."
"Hoi hoi!"
"Ah! Kikumaru-senpai, are you eating already? Without me?"
"Fsh… baka. You aren't that important."
Fuji approached and began talking before Momoshiro could talk back and start an argument.
"Both of you are here. It's rare to see you two come together."
Immediately forgetting the conflict at hand, the powerhouse of Seigaku half-glared at Kaidoh while talking to the older teen.
"Ah well… we both happened to be on the same bus so…"
"…Everyone's here already. Am I late?"
Sensing a generally creepy aura behind him, Kaidoh looked around quickly. He relaxed once he saw who it was. It's just Inui-senpai…
"I brought a video camera. I wouldn't want to miss this special event Fuji has planned…" The third year's glasses glinted brighter than it already was in the afternoon sun. Kaidoh and Momoshiro gulped. It didn't sound good. Their overactive imagination was halted when another figure approached them.
"Am I late? Sorry, I meant to leave early but I had to help with the shop and I lost track of time… sorry…"
"No need to apologize Taka-san. Everyone is just arriving. You brought some sushi too. That's nice."
"Heh… Everyone's here already…"
As always, Momo and Eiji were the first to pounce on the first year. Echizen barely mumbled out a 'cheers' before being completely glomped by two overly eager members of the tennis club. Fuji laughed quietly as he watched Echizen struggle to escape the hold of his seniors.
"Well looks like everyone is here. We can start the picnic than."
The tennis club stared at the prodigy with a mixture of surprise, boredom, and pure delight.
"A picnic?!"
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"Kaidoh already apparently put down two threes while Momoshiro put down one four. Echizen put down three fives. Kikumaru put down three sixes and Oishi put down two sevens. Tezuka put down two eights. There is only a 5 possibility that everyone is telling the truth. Therefore…"
Fuji smiled as Inui. "There is no way that you Fuji can have two fives! Cheat!"
Two cards at the top of the pile were turned over. Two fives. Inui's jaw hit the ground.
"I-improbable! B-but how?!"
"Nya, that's the whole point of the game Inui! You cheat!"
"Well I guess that means Inui gets all the cards in the pile." Oishi commented. He indicated the massive size of the pile.
"That might be too cruel… but I guess that's the point of the game…" Kawamura put in shyly.
"Mada mada dane."
"…"
Fuji laughed and put down his own cards. "That is too cruel maybe. Let's stop playing for now. We can play after the main event."
The normally sullen Kaidoh snapped out of his concentration at Fuji's words. "Main… event?"
"What do you Fuji-senpai? Isn't the picnic the main event?"
Fuji shook his head all the while smiling. "No. It was just starting event. Here comes the main one."
All the members of tennis club turned to look at the prodigy in various states of curiosity. Echizen took a long sip from his Fanta.
"What is it?"
"I lied. I quit the team because I'm sick. I have Friedrich's ataxia."
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(Tezuka POV)
I should have known. The moment he wiped off his smile, I should have known something bad will come out.
I acknowledged him to be my rival. My rival in tennis. He was what I needed to achieve, to surpass. And in turn I was what he needed to achieve, what he needed to surpass. But now… It was my mistake for putting him up high on the pedestal of perfection. Perfection does not exist. At least not in people.
I don't know what to feel. I feel sympathy for him; to quit the tennis club. Even though he denies it, he loves tennis. It's become more than a hobby for him. I can see it. The way he plays sometimes, it's more than just something to fill the time. Yet, I feel naïve. I made him my rival; however he failed to reach my expectation.
Nevertheless it is not his fault. I will wait for him to return. There is only one thing I need to confirm.
"When will you be back?"
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(Oishi POV)
"When will you be back?"
When will Fuji be back? It's strange not having Fuji on the team. He's been with us since first year. It's always been Tezuka, Fuji, Kawamura, Inui, Eiji, and me. To have even one person missing from that is awkward.
"Are you okay? Why didn't you tell us before? I mean… well we would have listened. But ah… when will you be back?"
In the end, I decide to follow Tezuka's lead; he's always been a better leader than me. As the vice-captain of the tennis camp I have a responsibility to the team. Sometimes though, following Tezuka is the best even if I want to accomplish something by myself; his responsibility is the same as mine.
"I don't think I'll be back."
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(Kikumaru POV)
"I don' think I'll be back."
"Not be back?! What do you mean na?!?! You have to come back! Are you still mad at me? I'm sorry Fuji! So will you come back?!"
It's out of my mouth before I even thought about it. But that's what I really feel! I want Fuji to be back! And I am sorry; he was just sick! After he's back, I'll treat him nicely, like I always do. We'll be best friends just like we are now. So he has to come back! I don't know what that… Fredied or something is but it can't be that bad! I can't remember when anything bad happened to Fuji. Well his brother leaving but that doesn't really count! So he has to be back soon.
"I can't come back Eiji. I can't play tennis anymore."
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(Kawamura POV)
"I can't play tennis anymore."
What does he mean? He can always play tennis. Playing doubles, singles, whatever he wants. Is he just feeling guilty…? Because… well… Fuji's always been the most caring person on the team. I know Oishi tries hard to be caring too but Fuji seems more adapt to listening. Sometimes he intimidates me since… well since he's Fuji but he's always been nice. He can be strict when he needs to be but most of the time he's kind.
"Um… what do you mean Fuji? You can always come play tennis…"
"Mah… that's not quite it Taka-san. I won't be able to soon. I'll be… I'll not be very good at tennis anymore. So I don't want to hold you guys back."
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(Kaidoh POV)
"I don't want to hold you guys back."
Fuji-senpai's never held us back. He always won his matches. He hasn't been a burden. What he just said doesn't make any sense. I would understand if he hasn't been doing well lately, but he has been doing well. He's the genius of tennis. And even his attitude. He doesn't get angry easily or lose hope either. It's the ideal attitude for a tennis match. He doesn't even get mad when some of the other players tease him about his looks.
I know what they say. Something about being too skinny, short, or feminine. Other wouldn't believe if I told them, which I won't, but I used to hear that too. I would get mad. But Fuji-senpai never got mad. He would ignore them and then prove them wrong on the court. I admired that.
"Fsh… That's not true Fuji-senpai… it's not like that… I mean…" I can fell myself going red. Damn it, it's not my fault that I don't know how to say these things! "You've never been a burden to us."
"If I haven't, I will be. Saa… I guess I should have explained about Friedrich's ataxia."
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(Inui POV)
"I guess I should have explained about Friedrich's ataxia."
I've never heard of it. I don't admit to know everything of course, but I do admit in knowing some illnesses or diseases to a fair extent.
"Friedrich's ataxia is also called spinocerebellar atrophy."
Atrophy. To weaken away. So 'spinocerebellar' and 'atrophy' put together would mean…
"My brain… well part of my brain is wasting away. The part that controls movement. I… I won't be able to move anymore."
Exactly what he said. He will lose control of his muscles and will not be able to make any voluntary movements. I see it now. His grip has worsened. His speed has gone down, though minimally. And his accuracy is not the same. Fuji is the most accurate out of all of us; his rackets are specifically designed for control. Adding this to the equation, it all makes sense; albeit I am ignoring the severity of this disease.
I hate to admit it but I am 100 percent correct.
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(Momoshiro POV)
"F-Fuji-senpai…"
Fuji-senpai is… I… I just don't know. What am I supposed to say? I… he quit the team because of that. He didn't want to hold us back he said. But… I got so mad at him. I'm embarrassed now. I have to make it up to him. But… wait…
"S-so... this… thing… it's… it's incurable?!"
I don't want to hear it. Honestly. I don't even want to ask it. It's just like those movies where the friend dies. It's… no… I… I don't know. It's just not right. It can't happen. It just can't. My whole life is not some stupid soap opera or movie. It's just…. Normal. Fuji-senpai is going to… be okay at least. If he's not going to come back. I think I could live with that. It won't be the same without Fuji-senpai though. He's scary but… at least we can depend on him. He can be like Inui-senpai. Collecting data. I can see him doing that… being creepy…
"It is Momo. They haven't found a cure yet. So… I'm… dying."
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(Echizen POV)
"I'm…dying."
"Bullshit."
I said it in English was the senpais wouldn't know. I think. They might know swear words. But that doesn't matter right now.
"Echizen, please don't swear in public."
Fuji-senpai replies back in English. His English is the best out of the whole team except me I guess. If I listen carefully though, there's a faint trace of an accent.
"It doesn't really matter. I'm going."
Fuji-senpai watched me closely. I ignored Kikumaru-senpai asking what I said or what Fuji-senpai. It's over.
"Are you mad Echizen?"
What would I be mad at? Him not coming to practice? Because it didn't make that much of a difference. Just no more matches with him. That's all. No more stupid matches in the rain that go on forever.
"Oi, Echizen, where are you going? You should stay and listen. Don't be rude."
Momo-senpai's facing me now. He glares down at me. He's angry. His eyes narrow when he is.
"I have to go now."
"Echizen, stay. This is impolite."
I look back. Even Oishi-senpai's standing. I try not to give him my evil eye; I have to have some respect for the vice-captain.
"I don't wanna."
"Echizen. Sit."
I flinch. Hoping no one saw that, I lower my cap to face buchou. He's still sitting but he has that face on. The face moments before he shouts out '20 laps around the court'. Today though, I can't even bring myself to listen to him.
"I have to go buchou."
He's strict but he usually understands. I feel some relief when I start walking.
"Ochibi, stay. Fuji's not done."
"Echizen, you should stay."
"It's much for you to sit and talk right now rather than later."
The last one gets me. Talk about what? How Fuji-senpai's dying? How Fuji-senpai is basically disintegrating? How Fuji-senpai won't be able to play tennis anymore? This isn't some kind of death party. It's even sadistic to Fuji-senpai himself for arranging it; eating and laughing… like we were happy about him dying.
"No. I need to go. Stop bothering me."
I'm caught off guard when someone grabs me by the shoulder to swing me around. It throbs painfully. Momo-senpai looks straight into my eyes. I stare back.
"Sit. Don't be rude. Fuji-senpai is doing the best he can right now. Don't you want to support him?!"
It's like I'm slapped in the face. I feel betrayal. No one understands.
"Doing the best what? Quitting tennis? Disintegrating so that he won't even be able to his balls anymore?"
He lets go now. Everyone kind of let's go. It's silent but I understand it, they say it with their eyes: I'm allowed to go.
Without wasting time, I run back to the bus station.
This isn't fair.
OMG I'm DONE!! YES! So um… I'm sorry. I just barely passed one of my finals so my mom had a big fit (it really doesn't matter! I'm not even going into sciences!) so my computer time was cut drastically. SORRY! And I was stalling XP I'll try to write next time too. SOONER.
And just for you people. I heard somewhere that Fuji's grandpa owns an outdoor range so that's where the chapter's set. I hope I didn't mess up! I'll admit I didn't edit it. I didn't have the time. So please excuse me. I hope you liked the chapter! I tried but I couldn't quite get it :( it's cookee time for me! Please read! Thank you!