A/N: Ugh, once again, this chapter took much longer to write than I would have liked, mostly because of my first week back at college, which was insanely busy. Anyway, chapter six is finally done! This time, there are a few footnotes at the end of the chapter that will answer some questions that people might have. This one goes out to all my wonderful reviewers! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it. And hopefully the next chapter will come out much more quickly than this one did. As always: I appreciate any and all feedback/critiques/reviews/hugs. Flames, however, will be ignored.

Warning: Shonen-ai/slash/BL/yaoi/whatever-you-call-it.

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Chapter Six: Dissolved in Solution

"To truly love someone is to forget entirely about your own self-interest."

…

"I'm home," Yuushi called out, stepping into the front hallway of his house. He started taking off his shoes in an almost reluctant manner, not even expecting a reply to his usual greeting… Oddly enough, however, he did get a response that afternoon, for the first time in weeks.

"Welcome home, little brother," said a sweet, if strangely low, voice. The comment was accompanied by a series of quiet footsteps, and the sudden appearance of his sister as she came around the corner. She was smiling, but in the instant that she saw her younger brother, the smile turned into a concerned frown.

"Is something wrong, Yuushi?"

Yuushi looked up in surprise, after removing his second shoe. "What makes you say that?"

She said nothing for a moment, simply gazing at Yuushi's face. But then she shrugged, just slightly, and smiled again.

"It's nothing. How was your day at school? Horribly dull, I assume," she guessed with an ironic smirk. If there was one thing that was understood between the Oshitari family siblings, it was that particular opinion… School was one of those boring, useless things that people just had to tolerate until graduation.

"Of course," Yuushi returned, with a slight smirk of his own. "And I see that you've emerged from your den of seclusion. To what occasion do we owe this great honor, Oneesan?"

"To this," was her instant reply, as she shoved an enormous pile of paper into her younger brother's arms. "I'm in the middle of editing the love scene. It's absolutely dreadful… I cringed when I read over it last night. So I'm re-thinking the whole chapter, and I desperately need your opinion."

"My opinion?" Yuushi raised his eyebrows at that, trying to get a firm grasp on the huge stack he was holding.

"Yes, your opinion." His sister laughed a little, obviously finding some humor in the fact that her brother apparently thought the request was incomprehensible. "This is your field of expertise, isn't it? Besides, I'm desperate for a reader's opinion, and I know you'll be honest with me. Okaasan thinks everything that I write is perfect beyond reason, and Otoosan just scans everything and then asks what I intend to actually do with my life."

Yuushi chuckled a little at that remark, mostly because it was true. He glanced back down at the mass of paper, wondering how many pages this "dreadful love scene" happened to be.

"Well, I suppose I could take a look at it. But I'm not really an expert, you know… I'm just an observer."

"Close enough. In any case, you know more about popular portrayals of romance than anyone else I'm likely to find… Anyway, most experts are just observers," she pointed out, looking intently into her brother's eyes, as though she was searching for something in them that was completely off-topic.

"But doesn't that mean they aren't really experts?" Yuushi heard himself say. "They should experience something before they claim to be an expert on it."

There was a brief moment of silence, as Yuushi just stood there, unaware of the knowing look in his sister's eyes. And then she smiled, a little softly.

"Well, experts are only concerned with knowing something, aren't they? People who are actually out experiencing it don't waste their time like that. They just feel it, and that's all there is to it. Which goes to show how useful all those experts really are, I suppose." She laughed almost carelessly, tucking a loose strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"When you think about it, knowledge is completely useless when it comes to passion," she concluded, very calmly. "Anyway, take your time with the reading. The love scene starts on page 125. And thank you for helping me out, little brother."

She lifted herself up onto her toes, giving her brother a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing again. Yuushi thumbed through the pages for a moment, folding the corner of the page his sister had mentioned so that he could find it later. And then he paused.

What had his sister been trying to tell him?

Of course, everything that she had said to him had seemed on-topic at the time. But she had been using that one particular tone when she said it… It was a tone that she only used when she meant something completely different from what she was saying, something she would only hint at but not really explain. It was irritating sometimes, but Yuushi had to admit that he wasn't exactly a straightforward person himself, so he couldn't complain.

And so now he was left wondering what she could have been trying to say, in between all the words.

He glanced at the manuscript again, as he started making his way up the stairs to his room. It was the current version of his sister's most ambitious project yet, a novel that she insisted was going to shock the literary community, once she managed to "make all the thoughts come out properly on paper." Strangely enough, though, it didn't have a title, which didn't quite make sense to Yuushi. It seemed to him that a title would have been something that she should have figured out by now. But his sister would only shrug and say that it would "come in time," as though it was nothing more than an insignificant detail.

As he walked into his bedroom, he started flipping through the first few pages. But he barely noticed any of the words, and for the moment, he didn't really have the attention span to read them. With a quiet sigh, he dropped the manuscript onto the desk, and then he set down his schoolbag on the floor.

What was bothering him, anyway?

…

"You know, Yuushi, not every little stupid thing is about you."

…

It was ridiculous, really, that Gakuto's behavior should be annoying him this much. Most of the time, Gakuto's tantrums just amused him… At the very least, they never fazed him, and they certainly didn't bother him. Gakuto was, after all, unpredictable. Yuushi always expected his partner to be irrational, and to be terrible at articulating what was troubling him, and to be randomly disagreeable for no apparent reason…

What Yuushi never expected was for it to annoy him.

It was one thing, after all, to be ignored by Gakuto when he knew what he had done wrong. When Gakuto had stepped on his foot over a week ago, Yuushi had already known the nature of his offense, and he had apologized for it the very next day. But it was something else entirely, to have absolutely no idea why Gakuto was angry at him, and to be ignored for days on end.

The shocking thing about it was that Gakuto had actually been avoiding him for so long. Of course, Gakuto was unpredictable, and because of this, he could get angry for no particular reason at all. But in those cases, it usually took him only a few hours to get over it. It certainly didn't take him over a week to return to normal.

No, this wasn't some strange mood swing. Something was really wrong this time.

… But what?

Yuushi couldn't help remembering that Gakuto hadn't spoken to him since the first day of the Regional Tournament. Was that what had been bothering his partner? Of course, it had been a bitter pill for them all to swallow… Hyoutei had lost the match to Seigaku, and their team was eliminated from the Kantou Regionals in the very first round. Which meant, of course, that they would not be going to the National Tournament, and they had all been forced to retire from their Regular positions. Tennis season was over, and the third-years had already played their last matches in junior high. It was frustrating, of course, and Gakuto wasn't the only one on the team who had been acting strangely, but…

Was that really all there was to it?

Somehow, Yuushi had a feeling that there was something else.

…

"Your loss was a disgrace to Hyoutei and a disgrace to your already-faltering status as a doubles partnership."

…

Yuushi frowned, looking almost angry, as he started to remove his necktie. He wouldn't have blamed Gakuto if he was still upset about Atobe's verbal explosion on the bus. Hell, it had actually managed to annoy him, and he had even done something idiotic in response, by talking back to Atobe in front of the whole team. It hadn't done any good, of course, but he had been too irritated by that day's events to hold his tongue…

Which in and of itself, was a bizarre reality.

Why had he been so frustrated that day, anyway? It went without saying that it wasn't a pleasant feeling to lose in the opening round at the Kantou Tournament. But he and Gakuto had lost before, and Hyoutei had never been guaranteed a spot at Nationals. So, in the end, it was still just tennis, the sport that they had been playing together for every month of the past three years. Yes, it was a hard blow to take, but it was still just a sport. It was just a club. It was just a hobby, in fact; it was something that Yuushi only did because he could. And so a loss had never bothered him, never discouraged him, never even fazed him…

Until that day at the Kantou Tournament.

For that one day, he had actually been frustrated by a loss. If it had only been mere frustration, it might not have been so strange, but it hadn't ended there, either… He had been tempted to talk back to the coach afterwards, and he had even snapped at Atobe on the bus, just for saying, in far too many words, something that wasn't exactly untrue.

…

"Even if it is too late to redeem yourselves, you should both examine today's humiliation carefully, and determine exactly why it is that you lost for the second time in one week."

…

For the first time that Yuushi could even remember, he had felt genuinely offended by something that had been said. After all, it was one thing to be lecturing Gakuto about not having enough stamina, even if the accusation that he "was too full of himself" seemed ridiculous to Yuushi… Of course Gakuto was full of himself. Everyone on Hyoutei was full of themselves. And even if that had been the coach's criticism, it was still pointless to say it, because they were Hyoutei. Who wouldn't be full of themselves after being followed constantly by a two-hundred-person entourage who were there for no other reason than to scream your name during tennis matches?

But even so, Yuushi had seen that much coming. It was strange, that it annoyed him when it wasn't even his business, but he had been prepared for it. He expected their mistakes to be criticized, and harshly, too.

What he hadn't expected, though, was Atobe's last scathing remark, amid that barrage of words that their captain had recklessly unleashed on his hapless partner.

…

"I hope that the two of you will consider why it is that you play doubles together in the first place, if this is all that we can expect from your partnership."

…

Yuushi actually grimaced, as he unbuttoned his collared shirt and stripped it off. Not only had that comment been out of line, even for someone like Atobe, but it had touched on something that Yuushi had considered a forbidden topic for over a year now. And it was a topic that Atobe, of all people, should have known was forbidden.

He should have understood that much. He had been there, after all.

…

"Are you really sure that you don't want to play singles, Oshitari?"

"Coach, my final answer is yes, and with all due respect, I don't want to be asked that question again. I have absolutely no interest in playing singles."

…

Yuushi frowned again, putting a hand up to the side of his face and carefully removing his glasses. He walked over to his dresser and set them down, taking one last look at them lying there, folded up securely next to his alarm clock. And then he smiled, but it was a smile with no mirth in it, only irony.

"Atobe, you bastard," he muttered at last to the empty room. "You know why we play doubles together. You, of all people---!"

And he laughed, but it was only a bitter sort of chuckle.

Of course, he remembered why he and Gakuto played doubles together. He remembered that day in seventh grade like it was yesterday. He remembered every single word that had been said, in those squeaky, prepubescent voices, before they had changed into the lower tone that they were now. He could still see it, even, a perfect picture of those small twelve-year-olds who had far too much confidence in their own abilities and were always talking too big for their gym shorts. He didn't know why, but he couldn't forget it, somehow.

And it was the reason that he and Gakuto played doubles.

…

"You think that's something to brag about? Well, watch this!"

Oshitari Yuushi was watching with amusement, as two of his classmates were battling it out on one of the tennis courts during practice. Of course, they were breaking the rules… The first-years were supposed to be doing drills, not competing with each other. And Yuushi was secretly looking forward to hearing the way their extremely strict coach was going to yell at them.

But for now, it was more than a little interesting to watch.

It was Yuushi's first day at tennis practice, after all, and he certainly hadn't expected it to be so… well, odd. He had played tennis before, of course. When he had been in elementary school, he had even played in some junior tournaments before his family had moved to the Tokyo area. His cousin played, too, so it had almost been a family sport in some ways. But since the move, he had hardly even picked up a racquet.

Upon entering junior high school at Hyoutei Gakuen, however, Yuushi had heard rumors that the tennis club was supposed to be exceptionally good. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he had decided to check it out, and he had discovered the rumors to be completely true. Hyoutei was a very good tennis club. The coach had iron-fisted authority over all the members, who numbered in the hundreds, and the much-lauded Regular players were quite gifted, even if they weren't exactly pro tennis players in the making.

Still, the structure at Hyoutei wasn't really Yuushi's style. He didn't exactly relish the idea of spending three years in such a strict club, when the only attraction seemed to be fighting it out for that one coveted position of captain, to stand on top of it all as a self-appointed leader. Yuushi didn't care about that kind of thing, and he had already noticed with some disgust that there was a great deal of rivalry and even ugly behavior among the second-years, in anticipation of the approaching election for their captain.

And so, by the time that practice had been broken up into sections by grade, Yuushi had already decided that the Hyoutei tennis club wasn't for him. Of course, that had been before he had met some of the unusual individuals that would have been his clubmates for the next three years…

And now, Yuushi was almost tempted to re-think his decision.

"You're new here," a snobby voice declared next to him, distracting his attention from the tennis court. It was said like the most certain of facts, like there was no way that the speaker could ever possibly be wrong, and that if he was wrong, the whole world had better rearrange itself to match his assumptions.

Yuushi turned toward the voice, and he got his first close look at Atobe Keigo, the self-proclaimed prince of their grade. He had heard of Atobe, of course, and had even noticed the proud way that the boy would strut around the hallway at school, but he had never actually exchanged words with his famous classmate.

"Yes, I am," was Yuushi's brief response, as he attempted to suppress an amused smirk. Really, the boy was even more arrogant in person than the rumors implied.

His effort to hide his amusement had apparently failed, however, as the boy raised an eyebrow with something like suspicion. Those cool blue eyes remained fixed on the newcomer, as though he was trying to decipher some kind of code hidden in Yuushi's face.

After pursing his lips for a moment, the boy remarked a bit slowly, "You're Oshitari, right? Oshitari Yuushi. You transferred here last year, from Osaka. Well, am I right?"

Now it was Yuushi who was raising an eyebrow. "Yes. How did you know all that?"

"Ore-sama knows plenty of things," the boy declared, with a toss of his head. "Anyway, welcome to Hyoutei's famous tennis club, Oshitari-kun. I'm Atobe Keigo, future captain of this team."

And as Atobe put out his pale hand, Yuushi really couldn't help chuckling, even though he promptly shook it.

"What's so funny?" the shorter boy demanded, withdrawing his hand after a moment and crossing his arms.

"Nothing," Yuushi replied, the corners of his mouth still twitching. "You're just thinking kind of far ahead, aren't you?"

"Not really. It's already been decided," Atobe insisted, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm the best tennis player here, and everyone says they'll vote for me."

"Everyone? Even those two?" Atobe seemed somewhat perplexed at Yuushi's question, until he pointed to the tennis court in front of them.

Atobe looked over at where two smaller boys were trying to one-up each other, and then he just sighed in resignation.

"Shishido, Mukahi, could the two of you please stop this pointless display?"

"No way, Atobe! I've got him right where I want him!" the brunette with his hair tied up in a ponytail insisted.

"Like hell you do, Shishido! I'm not losing to you!"

"I really don't know where he learns such foul language," and Atobe shook his head at the brunette's opponent, who also happened to be the tiniest first-year that Yuushi had ever seen.

It was the first time that Oshitari Yuushi really looked at the boy that he would one day call 'Gakuto.' And even he had to admit that this miniscule redhead with such a spitfire personality was… Well, he was interesting. He had the strangest tennis style, for one thing. Even though he was small, he covered the court quickly, and he jumped and hopped around the white lines like some kind of grasshopper with spring fever. Of course, his current opponent wasn't bad himself… That Shishido had remarkably good reaction time, which made for an unusual match-up, as each of them tried stubbornly to out-run the other.

"Take that!" Shishido yelled, hitting a solid backhand to the far corner. It was the perfect placement for such a shot, Yuushi realized, and there was no way that the small redhead could possibly return it.

"He can't get to it," Yuushi murmured, watching intently. It was with some surprise that he heard Atobe's smug reply, right next to him…

"I don't know about that."

It was then that Yuushi first learned that you should never underestimate the reach of Mukahi Gakuto.

"That's nothing!" Gakuto was shouting, as he leaped across the baseline, looking as though he was going to fall down onto the ground, over a meter short of reaching the ball. To Yuushi's surprise, though, the boy pushed himself up with one hand, executing a perfect flip. And he returned the ball in mid-air, pulling off a straight shot down the court to take the point.

"That's just uncool," Shishido mumbled, not even trying to reach the ball.

Yuushi felt his glasses slide halfway down his nose.

"What was that?" he mumbled in disbelief. He didn't even notice the way Atobe was smirking next to him, intently observing his reaction.

"That was Mukahi Gakuto's acrobatic tennis," the proud boy declared, as he gestured toward the court. "As you can see, he was a gymnast before he joined our club. Oddly enough, he's not half bad at tennis, either."

"That's… ridiculous," Yuushi managed, with an incredulous smirk. These Hyoutei tennis club members were strange ones, if nothing else. "But really, that's not even tennis."

"Hey! What did you say over there?" Yuushi was surprised to hear that squeaky, impertinent voice addressing him. But sure enough, he looked over to see that tiny redhead in a huff, glaring in his direction. And all the other first-years were looking at him, trying to see who it was that had the guts to made Gakuto mad.

Yuushi wasn't intimidated, though. The smirk remained fixed on his face, as he coolly replied, "I said, what you're doing isn't even tennis."

"Oh, really? Well, it's not against the rules, and if I win, I don't really care if it's tennis or not," the boy snapped, crossing his pale arms.

"But it wouldn't be hard to beat you," Yuushi retorted, before he could stop himself. Gakuto's mouth dropped open, and several of the first-years were staring with wide eyes. Even Atobe had raised both his eyebrows at that.

"You… you…" Gakuto sputtered, his face turning pink. "You just say that again, after I've cleaned up the court with you! Come over here, right now!"

Yuushi was careful not to laugh, knowing that it would make the situation even worse, so he just shrugged a little. "I would, but I don't have my racquet today."

"You can borrow mine," a voice spoke up suddenly, as Yuushi felt a racquet being shoved into his hands. He glanced at the light green frame, and then looked up, only to see the boy with the ponytail meeting his stare intently.

"You don't mind?" Yuushi managed, with the distinct feeling that there was no way he could back out of it now. The boy just stared at him for a few more seconds, like he was looking for something in Yuushi's eyes.

"Nah," he answered at last, his face breaking into a grin. "Kick his ass, new kid."

"… Really, must you all poison ore-sama's ears with such crude language?"

And so it was with a subdued grin of his own that Yuushi entered the court, walking up to the net to face his incredibly irritated clubmate.

"What's your name?" Gakuto demanded, hands on his hips as he glared up at him.

"Oshitari Yuushi," he offered promptly, pushing his glasses up with one hand and holding out the other one for a handshake.

"I'm Mukahi Gakuto. You can remember that name after I completely humiliate you. Your serve." With a toss of his head, the acrobat shoved the tennis ball into Yuushi's outstretched palm, and turned to walk back to the baseline.

Yuushi sighed as he walked back to his side of the court, trying to give his opponent the courtesy of taking it a little seriously. Of course, he already knew how he was going to win the point. It wasn't rocket science. But that miniature circus performer wasn't going to like it one bit.

Calmly, Yuushi served the ball into the service box, moving quickly to the center of the court for the return. Sure enough, Gakuto hit it back easily, and then Yuushi began to implement his strategy. He was curious to see just how good the acrobat's reach actually was. So he began alternating his shots, hitting one to the far left and then one to the far right, watching as the redhead started to dive for the harder ones. He was good at it; Yuushi had to give him that much. But he was so focused on it that he wasn't thinking about his own shots, and Yuushi had no trouble returning everything that Gakuto hit.

Yuushi smirked a little. Sure enough, this boy was a hothead, just chasing the ball around recklessly like an amateur.

Well, if that Mukahi person didn't think ahead, then that was all there was to it.

Yuushi hit a particularly good shot to the right side, knowing full well that it was to the acrobat's forehand, since he had already noticed that he was dealing with a left-handed player. And because of this, Gakuto was able to reach it… But just barely. The return was a short one, hardly managing to make it over the net.

But of course, Yuushi had already predicted that.

He took the last few steps up to the net and executed a perfect drop shot, one that landed in the service box on the left side.

It could not have been farther away from his astonished opponent, who stood there with his mouth open, gaping at him like a fish out of water. Of course, Yuushi didn't think that his strategy had been so incredible… He had been hitting drop shots since the fourth grade. But they weren't very common at the elementary level, after all, and most kids their age were more concerned with returning the ball than with court placement.

So he wasn't too surprised to hear the crowd of first-years whispering amongst themselves, in admiration of his "awesome drop shot." He just hoped that his opponent wasn't so angry that he was going to attempt to kill him on his first day at practice.

"Stupid cheap shot," the redhead was mumbling, as he walked up to the net to where Yuushi was standing. But once he was right in front of him, he stopped and looked up, brushing his hair out of his face with a slightly annoyed gesture.

"Well, fine, so you got me, new kid," he said bluntly, glaring up at him and holding out his hand. "You don't suck, anyway. Where'd you learn to hit a drop shot like that?"

"I used to play tennis in elementary school," Yuushi answered as they shook hands, feeling somewhat relieved that the tiny first-year wasn't preparing to jump at his throat.

"Whaddya mean, you used to?" Gakuto repeated, stunned. "Don't tell me that you quit, with a drop shot like that! You'd better be joining our tennis club!"

"Well, I was thinking about it," Yuushi admitted, as they both starting walking off of the court. "But getting lost in a crowd of two hundred people isn't really my thing."

"I don't see how a guy like you could get lost anywhere," Gakuto interrupted. Yuushi raised his eyebrows at that. This guy was surprisingly free with his compliments, even when he'd been completely defeated.

"Maybe not. But I've still played more than my share of tennis matches. It gets boring after a while, you know," Yuushi explained briefly, pushing his glasses up again.

"You're weird." And Gakuto just shook his head. Yuushi smirked ironically at that comment.

"So are you."

"Be that as it may," another voice interrupted, and Yuushi suddenly noticed that Atobe was standing next to him, staring at them both. "It would be a shame to lose someone with your level of talent, Oshitari-kun. You have the potential of a genius, you know."

Yuushi just blinked, surprised to hear genuine praise coming from the arrogant first-year's mouth.

"In any case, there's more to tennis than singles matches, Oshitari-kun. So, if you insist that you're too bored to play singles…"

Here, Atobe's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"I think you two should play doubles together."

Both the individuals in question did a double-take.

"Whaddya mean, play doubles, Atobe?" Gakuto sounded about as incredulous as Yuushi felt. "I've never even played doubles!"

"Well, why not give it a try? After all, Oshitari-kun needs something to cure his boredom. And you need someone to cover up all those holes you're always leaving on court, what with the way you insist on jumping around like a frog," Atobe calmly reasoned. Gakuto bristled at the taller boy's remarks, but for a moment, he didn't say a word.

"I guess we could try it," Gakuto said at last, answering for both of them, much to Yuushi's amusement. And with another toss of his head, he shot the tensai a confident look. "But if we're going to play doubles, you're going to have to keep up with me."

Yuushi couldn't stop himself from smiling, in his usual, self-assured way. And then, much to his own surprise, he agreed.

"Fine, I'll play doubles with you. And I'll keep up with you, too. You can bet on that."

…

Yes, that was how it had started, and Yuushi had never forgotten that day. He had never forgotten it, because it had been the story of the rest of his tennis career, right up until the present. He had started playing doubles with Gakuto on that day, and he had actually found it to be its own kind of challenge, from the very first moment that they had practiced on the court together. In some ways, in fact, it was even more challenging than singles. There was so much more to remember when it came to doubles techniques, for one thing, and then there was the fact that Gakuto was his partner…

Yuushi was certain that no singles match could be as interesting as trying to cover for Mukahi Gakuto.

After all, the acrobat's style was just so erratic. Even as someone that had practiced with Gakuto for months, Yuushi always found it fairly difficult to predict where his partner was going on the court. And since he was the one responsible for covering up the holes that Gakuto created during their matches, he was constantly trying to figure out which way his partner would be moving, and where he would be hitting the ball. It was… well, it was interesting for one thing. It was a challenge, in fact.

And it was a challenge that, for whatever reason, Yuushi actually enjoyed taking on.

Of course, he didn't really know why he enjoyed it. Part of him wished that he knew why, though, because then he could have answered the questions that people were always asking him. Until his third year, his coach had constantly asked him if he really wanted to play doubles, and if he wouldn't rather be competing for a singles spot.

…

"Are you really sure that you don't want to play singles, Oshitari?"

"… Are you sure?"

"Are you sure…?"

…

He had finally asked the coach to never bring it up again. He was going to play doubles, and that was that. That was his choice, and as long as Gakuto didn't object, he didn't see why he should have to rethink his decision. And even though they had never talked about it, Gakuto had never objected to it, and so they had always played doubles together.

And so when he had insisted to the coach, in Atobe's presence, that he had absolutely no interest in playing singles, Yuushi had considered the subject closed for discussion. That had been several months ago, when he had still been in his second year of middle school, and he had never felt any differently about the situation…

How dare Atobe bring it up again, as though it had been some kind of accident?

…

"Perhaps it was uncalled for. But if that is indeed the case, than you both can just ignore it, like you always do."

…

Yuushi frowned again, walking back over to his closet to search for something to wear. Settling on a dark green t-shirt, he slid it over his head, pulling it down across his bare chest. He then ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down, as he started hunting for a pair of jeans. His glasses were still lying, forgotten, on his dresser.

Of course, he knew that Atobe had been in a bad mood on the bus that day. Even though he had won against the famed Tezuka Kunimitsu, Yuushi had seen the unsatisfied look in their captain's eyes, when he had returned to the bleachers after the match. Something had been weighing on the proud man's mind that afternoon, and he had been hiding it with only some success, when he had finally directed his frustration toward Gakuto on the bus. So it would have been easy for Yuushi to dismiss the captain's words as nothing more than that… Misplaced anger.

But in those words, Yuushi sensed that there had been something more than just a momentary slip of the tongue. It was as though the captain had been storing up those words for just such an occasion, when he would no longer be able to hide his view on the subject…

'Ignore it, like you always do?'

… What exactly are we ignoring?

After he was finished getting dressed, Yuushi walked over to his bed and sat down on the mattress, still frowning to himself. He didn't know why Atobe had been on their case lately, but it was certainly unsettling. Whatever the arrogant captain was getting at, it had something to do with him, and it also had something to do with the way he and Gakuto played doubles together.

For Yuushi's part, he didn't see what the problem was. He and Gakuto played doubles, and that was all there was to it. As long as they didn't mess up, it wasn't anybody's business but their own…

But then again, they had messed up. Twice in the same week, in fact.

And yet, even that part had seemed like a set-up.

…

"Our Oshitari-Mukahi pair will be playing against Shishido and Ohtori for the top doubles spot."

…

Why had Atobe decided to replace their partnership with a makeshift pair, at the very last minute before the Regional Tournament? It didn't make any sense at all, and it certainly didn't make any sense that Shishido and Ootori were a better pair than they were. Even so, those two were a truly good combination, good enough to beat him and Gakuto in the intramural match that Atobe had arranged just to push them back down to the second doubles spot. And what was even worse, he and Gakuto had still lost their match against Seigaku in that second doubles spot, against a pair that had been formed because of a medical emergency.

No, it didn't make any sense, but even so, Yuushi secretly resented the captain's decision.

He hadn't resented it at first, of course. He had suspected Atobe of plotting something, but he had played along with the arrangement, convinced that it would be nothing but a waste of time to fight it. And it didn't bother him, playing in the second doubles spot… Shishido and Ootori were a truly good doubles pair, after all, even if the reason that they were a good doubles pair involved something that Yuushi didn't really want to think about.

But now, it seemed like Atobe had even intended for them to lose against Seigaku. At the very least, the captain had apparently expected it, and he had practically told Gakuto this to his face. Of course, the acrobat hadn't noticed it, but Yuushi had.

And now he resented it.

Maybe Atobe was right. Maybe he and Gakuto had been outperformed as a pair. But if that was the case, it certainly wasn't their fault…

… Was it?

In all honesty, there was something Yuushi had never understood about the way that certain people played doubles. It was true for the Golden Pair, and it was true for Shishido and Ootori as well… They all had a good grasp of the mechanics of doubles, but not an exceptionally good grasp of it. They were all skilled players on the court, but not strikingly so. And their abilities were all pretty well-matched to the abilities of their partners, but not in a way that should have been unbeatable.

So what was it that made these pairs so good at doubles?

Of course, Yuushi had noticed that they all relied on their partners while they were on the court. They cooperated with each other in a way that made it seem like second nature, like something they didn't even have to think about. But he had never figured out why they were able to play like that.

The only thing he had noticed was that somehow, they all had a connection with each other that he and Gakuto had never experienced.

In the end, the only thing he could conclude was that it had something to do with what he had seen on the Hyoutei campus, so late at night that only he and the stars had been watching…

And somehow, he couldn't stop thinking of the way that Ootori had leaned down and kissed his senpai on the cheek, right next to the tennis court.

Was that what it meant, to play doubles like the Golden Pair?

The more he thought about it, the more he suspected that he was right. He had seen a glimpse of the way Seigaku's vice captain had greeted his partner after the second doubles match. There had been something more in those affectionate green eyes than just friendship. Even if that wasn't the reason why they played such good doubles, it certainly hadn't hindered it. And Yuushi couldn't help thinking that he and Gakuto would probably never play such a flawless doubles game.

… Why? Just because they weren't like that?

It was a ridiculous thought, really, and Yuushi instantly resolved to banish it from every corner of his mind. Slowly, he got up from his bed and walked over to his desk, picking up the manuscript of his sister's novel, with some intention of reading over the love scene before dinner.

Why should it matter, anyway? Who cared if they couldn't play doubles like the Golden Pair? They were still a good doubles pair, no matter what Atobe was implying…

Suddenly, Yuushi wondered why it mattered to him.

He had never thought about it before. But now that he was thinking about it, he couldn't help realizing something. He didn't want to play singles; he only wanted to play doubles… And the truth was that he only wanted to play doubles with Gakuto.

But why? Just because he thought it was interesting?

Was there even a reason for it at all?

Maybe the truth was that he didn't know why… He just wanted to.

…

… And suddenly, he realized what his sister had been trying to tell him.

Yuushi didn't even feel it, when the manuscript slipped out of his hands, sending pages flying all over his desk and onto the floor.

…

"Knowledge is completely useless when it comes to passion."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"That's it for today. You all may go," Sakaki declared with his usual sense of finality.

Another day's tennis practice had just come to a close, with the coach's familiar command as its official conclusion. In a way, the days were all starting to blend together now, in a numbing cycle where getting through the schedule was the team's only goal. The third-years were all present on this particular afternoon, since the coach had asked them to come help the underclassmen with their drills. Of course, this meant that all the underclassmen were especially tired now, because the seniors hadn't exactly given them an easy time.

It was a brilliant strategy on Sakaki's part, Yuushi realized. After all, the seniors were basically being given permission to take out their every frustration on the hapless second and first-years, who were either going to crumble or improve dramatically under the pressure. It was typical of a spartan coach like Sakaki, who was ultimately concerned with results alone, not the players' psychological well-being.

In any case, it went without saying that Yuushi was glad to be going home. He wasn't really the type to enjoy taking out his anger on others, and watching his teammates do so, even when they claimed that they were just trying to be helpful to the underclassmen, wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to watch.

The plain and simple truth, of course, was that Yuushi's interest in tennis was steadily waning now. He figured that he probably wouldn't be able to get excited about it again until high school started. And then, only maybe… Maybe, if they were all joining the tennis club again….

Maybe, if Gakuto would still be playing doubles…

Yuushi frowned to himself, trying to brush the thought aside. There was no point in thinking about that now. It would only frustrate him.

After all, Gakuto was still trying to avoid him.

It was ridiculous, really, and Yuushi should have made up his mind to just ignore it at this point. At least Gakuto wasn't giving him the silent treatment anymore. He had said hello a few times at practice, and when he had been forced to talk to Yuushi during the drills, he had done it without even so much as a frown. But it was still there all the same, in the way Gakuto wouldn't quite meet his eyes when he was talking, or the way the acrobat would rush out of the locker room after practice, like he was afraid that Yuushi might try to follow him home. It was even there in that awkward way that the Gakuto was always biting his lip now, or in that slightly flat tone that he would use when he talked to the tensai, as if he was actually somewhere else, far away, where his partner could never, ever find him…

Yes, it was still there. And it was bothering Yuushi to no end.

But the tensai didn't want to think about it anymore. He didn't want to think about that ugly sinking feeling that he was always getting now, ever since two days ago, when he had dropped his sister's papers all over his bedroom, in shock at his own train of thought. He had spent nearly an hour that evening trying to get the pages back into the correct order, and the whole time, he had experienced the strangest sensation that he had ever known…

His mind had been completely blank.

Even now, it made him flinch to think about it. It was painful to recall that feeling, that complete eclipse of all the logical power of his mind, while his hands scrambled for the papers on the floor like they were grasping at nothing, and his eyes forgot how to read the simple Arabic numbers, putting the eleven before the six and the twenty-two after the one-hundred-seventy-nine…

No, he wasn't going to think about it anymore. It didn't matter. Gakuto was going to rush out of the locker room just like he had done every other day, and Yuushi wouldn't see him until their next tennis practice together, and that was all there was to it…

But why wouldn't that sinking feeling go away?

"Ah, yes, that's right, Atobe. I had forgotten about that."

Yuushi was startled out of his train of thought by the coach's deep voice, as Sakaki snapped his fingers, in order to catch everyone's attention one more time before they could leave the courts.

"I need to see all of the Regulars over here, right now. The rest of you are dismissed."

Yuushi blinked in surprise. Was the coach referring to the Regulars who had just retired? Of course, he must have been, because there weren't any new Regulars yet. They hadn't even had an intramural competition since the one that had been used to determine the lineup for the Kantou Tournament. But then why would Sakaki need to talk to them? After all, the season was already over.

His teammates looked equally confused as they gathered near their coach, with the lone exception of Atobe, who was standing next to Sakaki with his usual know-it-all expression.

Naturally, Yuushi already realized that Atobe was plotting something.

"Well, now that you're all here, I'm going to leave the announcement to Atobe," Sakaki said at last, shooting a significant glance at the captain.

Atobe nodded, taking a moment to clear his throat and make sure that he had his audience's attention. And then he began, "As you all know, the Kantou Tournament will be ending as of this coming weekend, and the four semi-finalists who will be attending the Nationals have already been determined. Rokkaku is one of them, and despite all the predictions of the so-called experts, Fudomine is another. And of course, it goes without saying that Seigaku and Rikkaidai will be facing each other in the Kantou finals and will both be going to Nationals.

"But I'm sure that you're already familiar with those facts. However, in addition to these four finalists, it has been announced that one additional team from the Kantou Region will be invited to Nationals, since Kantou will be hosting the tournament this year. And while ore-sama does not mean to get your hopes up prematurely, there is a strong possibility that the team will be our very own Hyoutei Gakuen."

There was a pause, and several of the Regulars glanced at each other meaningfully. Did that mean they actually might get the chance to play again, before the season was over? It sounded too good to be true.

"There is a catch," Atobe added, making all the Regulars snap to attention. "One factor in deciding the lucky nominee will be the final result of the match this coming weekend."

Sure enough, there was a catch. And it was quite the ugly little snag, if Yuushi did say so himself.

"Aw, man," Jiroh whined suddenly, sounding like a puppy that had just been kicked into the street. "You mean, we'll only get to go if Seigaku beats Rikkai?"

"We're so screwed," was Shishido's eloquent contribution to the discussion.

Atobe held up a hand, quickly silencing all the side commentary. "Don't misunderstand ore-sama's words. That is not the only factor that will influence the decision. But it is true that if Seigaku wins, the invitation committee will be examining the teams who lost to Seigaku more closely than those that lost to Rikkai. And we, of course, are in the former category, as opposed to the latter…"

"Yeah, we're screwed," Shishido repeated, mumbling.

"Shishido, would you kindly stop interrupting ore-sama, or otherwise risk swift and unspeakably severe retribution?"

After some kind of incoherent assent from the perpetrator, that sounded suspiciously like "Screw you, Atobe," Hyoutei's captain shrugged off the interjections and continued.

"In any case, ore-sama has decided that it would be in our best interests to continue practicing as a team, in light of this new knowledge. And so, in that spirit, I have arranged for a little trip for all of us, which will start at precisely eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

There was a long pause.

"Uh… What?"

"Hey, since when?"

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"… Oh, sure, way to keep us informed, Atobe."

Atobe just sighed, withstanding the barrage of comments and concerns with a dignified kind of resignation.

"If you would all do your gracious captain the courtesy of clamping your incredibly active mouths shut, then ore-sama will be able to explain the details."

In an instant, there was nothing but silence.

"That's better. Now, as I was saying, we will all be going on a trip, starting tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning. We will be boarding my charter bus here at the school, and then we are going to my family's summer cottage in Karuizawa, where we will be staying for about a week."

"Alright! I love the summer cottage!"

"Jiroh."

"… Sorry."

"Anyway, we will be using this time to train together, and if Hyoutei does not actually receive the team invitation to Nationals, then we will simply consider it a last farewell for the seniors. Besides, it never hurts to keep up your training in anticipation of high school." Here Atobe paused, thinking for a moment. And then he added, "Incidentally, I have already discussed this matter with the school, and your teachers have all given permission for you to miss class, as long as you make up your work once you get back."

There were a few stray groans at that, in anticipation of the irritating burden of makeup work, but they were only half-hearted ones. The truth was that they all liked going to Atobe's so-called "cottage"… It was huge, after all, and they had been there more than once before, during the course of the long year that they had spent preparing for the current tennis season. So despite the fact that Atobe had basically decided at random that he was kidnapping them for a week, nobody minded this turn of events.

Yuushi didn't exactly mind either, but he still had a nagging feeling that this "little trip" wasn't quite as simple as Atobe was making it sound.

"Well, if there are no questions, I will be seeing you all at eight o'clock tomorrow morning," Atobe concluded with a nod.

For a moment, they all waited to see if there were any questions, but no one seemed to have anything to ask. So it wasn't long before the Regulars started heading for the locker rooms, some of them talking amongst themselves about how fun it would be to get out of school. A few were even making plans about what they wanted to do on the trip, as they all walked eagerly off the courts.

Yuushi, however, didn't even move an inch.

"Is there something I can do for you, Oshitari?" It didn't take Atobe long to notice the way the tensai was just standing there.

"That depends," Yuushi replied at last, looking very intently into his captain's eyes. He could see the question hiding in those cold blue irises, and he could tell that Sakaki was also somewhat confused by his cryptic reply. "If I ask you a question, will you answer it?"

"Well, now, that should depend on the question, shouldn't it?" Atobe noted with a tranquil smirk. "Still, ore-sama will freely answer your questions for today. What is it?"

Yuushi frowned for a moment, and then he suddenly asked, "Why are we going on this trip, exactly?"

Atobe blinked, looking vaguely perplexed. "Why are we going? Did ore-sama not make that perfectly clear during the announcement?"

"You know what I mean, Atobe." Yuushi didn't stop looking at the captain for even a second. "Why are we really going?"

For a brief moment, the tensai saw it. That quick flash of understanding, that tiny light that shot like quicksilver through Atobe's eyes… It was that nearly invisible change that instantly confirmed Yuushi's suspicions. The very second that he saw it, it was already gone. But now he knew that he was right. This was just another one of Atobe's devious schemes, and there was no telling what the captain had in store for them this time.

"The primary reason is no different from what was said two minutes ago," was Atobe's matter-of-fact reply. It was said with a slight shrug, a gesture that told Yuushi that he wouldn't be getting any more information than that, at least not if the captain had any say in it. But Yuushi was determined to get an answer this time, no matter what Atobe wanted.

"So there's a secondary reason, then?" he interjected, as calmly as he could. "What is it, Atobe?"

"That's a personal objective of mine, Oshitari… And it's confidential information, I'm afraid. In any case, it isn't your concern."

"Is that right?" Yuushi confirmed, very casually, as he tried to hide his frustration from the perceptive captain. "Well, if that's the case, then I won't be going on this little trip."

He turned to walk away, only to be stopped in his tracks by Atobe's voice, which had suddenly grown strangely quiet.

"That's your choice, of course. But it goes without saying that you won't be playing with us if we are invited to the Nationals afterwards."

There was a slight pause, as the very air held its breath, waiting for the captain's next words. And then those words came, slowly, but overflowing with the most significant kind of meaning…

"I'm quite sure that some of us would find that to be a most… regrettable circumstance."

Yuushi stood there, letting those words sink in, just as slowly as Atobe had said them. And it wasn't long before he knew that once again, the captain had managed to score another point in the perpetual duel that they always seemed to be having with each other. Sometimes the tensai wondered if it was even possible to corner the proud man.

Of course, you would say something like that. You always know exactly how to get to us.

"Very well, Atobe. You win," he said at last, sounding somewhat irritable. "I'll play along with whatever it is you're plotting. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Atobe offered serenely, and Yuushi nearly grimaced at that light tone of voice. But he forced himself to ignore his own indignation, as he started heading for the locker room with a pace that was a little faster than his normal step.

Of course, the tensai didn't notice the way that Atobe's eyes were following him, as he was walking off of the court. But their coach noticed, and he raised an eyebrow slightly, watching the way Atobe smiled a little as he turned to pick up the clipboard with the training schedule on it.

"Oshitari seemed to be on edge today," Sakaki finally observed, very seriously.

But Atobe only chuckled a little, clicking his pen and writing a few notes on the schedule. "Indeed, he did."

"Do you know what's bothering him?" the coach inquired, glancing at Atobe's picture-perfect handwriting. "It's not like him to be so confrontational."

Atobe paused for a moment before he replied, and there was a strange light in his eyes as he gazed down at the clipboard.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. He's had a lot on his mind lately."

Sakaki took the clipboard from Atobe's hands, flipping through the pages quickly so that he could see what changes the captain had already made.

"You can always tell when it comes to that, can't you?" he remarked pointedly, as he came to the last page.

"When it comes to what?"

"Your teammates."

Atobe was silent for a full minute, as he turned to look at the distant figure of Oshitari Yuushi, whose stride was longer than it should have been, whose eyes had been much too unfocused lately, whose tone of voice had been betraying a kind of tension for the past three days that proved beyond a doubt that something was wrong…

"I suppose so," he said at last. And that unfamiliar smile reappeared on the captain's lips.

"Anyway, he had it coming to him."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"A person should experience something before they claim to be an expert on it."

…

Yuushi sighed one last time to himself while he was alone in the locker room, trying to forget all of the frustration he had been feeling lately. After all, nothing was wrong, not really, and in any case, there wasn't anything that he could do to change his current circumstances. He just needed to shrug the whole thing off, and not concern himself with Atobe's schemes or Gakuto's temper tantrums.

With this new perspective in mind, he calmly reached down to finish putting on his shoes, and then he glanced at the bench to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind. But everything was already in his bag, so he just picked it up off of the bench and headed for the door, exiting the locker room at his usual, tranquil pace…

And then he nearly collided into his doubles partner.

"Gakuto." The name was said with just the slightest hint of surprise, as the tensai blinked in astonishment.

For a moment, it seemed like Gakuto was going to say something, but the shorter boy quickly stopped himself. The pause was almost painful in its silence.

"… Gakuto, what are you doing here?"

"I'm---" But then Gakuto paused again, interrupting himself. And a slight smile started playing around his mouth. "Well, I'm in the same tennis club as you are, remember?"

Yuushi managed a faint smirk. Of course, Gakuto would feel the need to throw a little of his trademark irony right back at him…

…

"Yuushi? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Gakuto, you do realize that I'm in the same tennis club as you are, right?"

…

For the first time in a week, Yuushi actually felt the temptation to smile. But the only thing that he said was, "Why are you still here, exactly?"

Up until that point, Gakuto had been meeting his stare, but now his eyes slipped to the side again. And that sinking feeling instantly reappeared…

He's still not over it.

"I just thought that I would wait for you," Gakuto finally managed, much to Yuushi's surprise. He had been half-expecting that the acrobat would run away again.

"Wait for me?" Yuushi repeated, looking slightly confused. "For what?"

It was then that the tensai first noticed the distinct blush that was coloring his partner's face a brilliant pink. He blinked, startled by his own observation, and wondering about what its possible causes could be. But he forgot all about that, as soon as Gakuto started to answer his question…

"Well… Actually, I wanted… I mean, that is…" Gakuto was stammering now, trying to find the best way to say it. "I guess it's just that I… uh… well…"

The acrobat shook his head, frowning to himself. He took a quick breath, and then he started over.

"I just really needed to apologize to you, Yuushi."

There was a sudden thud, and Gakuto jumped in surprise. Yuushi kneeled down almost instantly, murmuring his own apology as he picked up his fallen tennis bag.

"Sorry about that, Gakuto. I'm not sure what's… Well, never mind. Excuse me, but… what did you say just now?"

He heard himself stringing out all his thoughts so incoherently, and he almost wanted to cringe in disgust. He was doing it again, just like the other night…

"Uh… just now?" Gakuto asked, confused. "I said that I needed to apologize to you."

Yuushi froze for a brief moment, kneeling there on the concrete with his bag in his hands. It had been the second time that the acrobat had said it, but that didn't make it any less incredible. Gakuto had never, never, not in all their time as partners, ever said such a thing. And Yuushi had never expected him to.

"Apologize for what, Gakuto?" he wondered aloud, still looking up at his partner in surprise.

The acrobat's face turned a slightly deeper shade of pink, but he still managed to stumble through a response.

"It's just that… Well, I've been really awful to you this week, and I know I have, and I… Well, I didn't mean to be like that. It really wasn't your fault, or anything…"

Gakuto took a deep breath, and then his words spilled out, all at once.

"I was just in a bad mood, that's all. And you probably don't even care, but I wanted to tell you anyway. I'm sorry, Yuushi."

There was a long pause, as the tensai just stayed there, kneeling on the ground and looking at Gakuto's embarrassed expression. And then he rose slowly to his feet, slinging his tennis bag securely over one shoulder. For just a brief moment, it was as though he had never noticed before, just how small Gakuto was when he was standing next to him like that… But he quickly brushed the thought out of his mind.

And then he smiled.

"Do you mind if we walk home together?"

Gakuto's blue eyes blinked in surprise. "Do I…? No, I don't mind. But, Yuushi---"

"Then let's go home." The tensai started walking toward the school entrance, pausing just a moment to nod in his partner's direction. "Come on, Gakuto."

For just a moment longer, Gakuto looked completely bewildered, and then he just shrugged to himself, jogging a little to catch up with Yuushi.

"Oh, and Gakuto…" Yuushi's sudden remark made the shorter boy pause for a moment.

"Apology accepted."

He glanced back at his partner, and sure enough, Gakuto was looking him in the eyes again. And there was a kind of self-conscious smile on the acrobat's face, and suddenly Yuushi felt almost light inside.

He never could quite remember what they had talked about after that, as they walked down the street toward their homes. Whatever it was, it hadn't been very important, and the only thing that remained in Yuushi's mind afterwards was the sound of Gakuto's laugh, when Yuushi had made one of his sarcastically witty comments. But he did remember the part when they came to the front walk of Gakuto's house, which was quite a bit closer to the school than Yuushi's was, and they finally stopped walking.

His partner hesitated for a moment, as they both stood there, looking at each other in the dim light of sunset. And suddenly, Yuushi remembered what Atobe had said, about the possibility of their team getting an invitation to the Nationals.

"So, Gakuto, it sounds like we might get the chance to play together again," he observed almost casually. But as soon as he had said it, he wished that he hadn't.

Gakuto's expression instantly fell.

"Oh. Yeah… I guess," he mumbled, sounding quiet.

"Is something wrong?" Yuushi asked, much too quickly.

Gakuto shook his head, but his eyes were fixed on the ground again. "No, it's nothing… It's really nothing at all. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Yuushi!"

"Gakuto---"

But Yuushi didn't even get a chance to finish, as the acrobat quickly spun around and dashed up his front walk. When he reached the door, he turned around for a moment, and the tensai could tell that he forced one last smile onto his mouth, trying to reassure his partner that everything was fine, even though it wasn't. And then the door shut with a light creaking sound, and Gakuto was gone.

Yuushi didn't know exactly how long he stood there, just staring at the front door to Gakuto's house, wondering if there was any chance that he might come out again. But it was twilight before he finally started to drag himself down the sidewalk toward home. His feet felt like lead as he trudged across the pavement, and he found himself wondering what he could have done wrong this time.

…

"Well, I didn't mean to be like that. It really wasn't your fault."

…

If that was true, then why did Yuushi feel like a two-ton weight was pressing down on his shoulders?

With every step that he took on that long walk home, there was a part of him that started to realize why he was feeling this way. But by the time he reached his own house, he also realized that he couldn't bring himself to think about it, not really. He didn't want to think about something like that. It was just too dangerous. It wasn't logical, for one thing, and he wouldn't be able to reason his way out of it, once he really thought about it…

Well, he just wouldn't think about it.

As the door to Yuushi's house slammed shut, the first star of the evening appeared in the night sky, shining in the dark heavens like a forgotten treasure.

-End of Chapter Six-

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Footnotes

First Scene: Yuushi does have an older sister, which is mentioned in his character profile. I don't know if there's any other information about her, so my take on her character was my fault. XD Also, I spelled out the full "Okaasan" and "Otoosan" for the Japanese "Mother" and "Father," but it's often shortened to "'Kaasan" and "'Toosan," I believe. The way I did it is more formal, but I didn't do it for that reason. I just wanted to make it more readable for those who don't know much Japanese.

Flashback: I'm not one hundred percent sure that Oshitari was originally from Osaka, because I can't find that information anywhere, but he is definitely from the Kansai region. Since his cousin plays as a member of the rival school Shitenhouji, which is located in Osaka, I assumed that Oshitari came from Osaka as well.

Last Scene: The quote about "Gakuto, you do remember that I'm in the same tennis club you are?" is from Chapter One. Just in case anyone forgot. XDDD

Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed it. By the way, Hyoutei's trip to Karuizawa is from the part in the anime when Seigaku goes to a training camp in the mountains before they play Rikkai. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, the next chapter is going to be really fun, so please look forward to it!