Chapter 8

Looking from Afar

Three days past ever since that encounter with Fuji, and for the first time in her stay in Gaia, Ai was not looking forward to go to school. She was early today because the volleyball club had morning practice. She had her hair in pigtails because she would be playing. Reiko was already in the courts when she arrived.

"Ai!" Reiko called. "You play for the other team. Your receives are very good, just work on your serves okay?" she said. She was always very good in assessing players. Volleyball is not really different in Gaia as it is in Orion, except that in Orion, they don't have the Libero position. But she was actually getting used to it.

She position herself on the other side of the court as the first one to serve. She had to distract herself from what has been happening lately. She was so guilty at what she said to Fuji, and the image of him with that pained look in his face is still in her mind. She heard the signal for her to serve, and served a ball that, thankfully despite her being distracted, went in. The ball was in play.

The game went on for a few minutes, and it made her take her mind off a few things. Their team won against the captains team, but only for 2 points. Reiko then gathered them and discussed a few points that they need to improve with their play. And as usual, Ai had to work on her serves. "Ai, is there something wrong?" Reiko, who was always so observant, asked her.

"No, nothing," she lied, much to her contempt. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't look well. You want to go to the clinic?" Reiko said as she continued to looked at her with her sharp green eyes.

"I'm good, really. We're almost done here anyway, so I'll just finish practice," she answered, looking away. She wasn't really good at lying.

"Okay then," Reiko said. "Alright everybody, one more game!" she called out.

Ai played another game with her team mates, and this time, their captain's team won. By the end of the game, she was already sweating, and wanted so badly to change into her uniform and wash herself. After the game, and another round of Reiko's comments and suggestions, Ai went to their locker room and washed herself before changing. She felt refreshed when she went out, wearing her uniform and taking her gym bag with her while walking to her classroom.

She walked through the grounds and passed by the tennis courts. She watched as Fuji and Kawamura were playing against each other, although she could tell that they were merely hitting the tennis balls lightly. She did not want him to see her so she quickened her pace only to bump into someone, who had his hands on her shoulders so that she won't fall

"I'm sorry," she said, looking up and meeting Tezuka Kunimitsu's serious face. "Ehhh Tezuka-kun, I'm sorry for bumping into you," she said, apologizing again and pulling away from his hold.

"It's okay," Tezuka said calmly, as he got her gym bag and gave it to her. "Are you heading to the classroom Ai-san?" he asked.

She nodded and once again sneaked a glance towards Fuji who was now looking at them with a blank expression on his face. She couldn't make out his expression at all. Tezuka cleared his throat and disrupted her trail of thoughts as he moved to go inside the courts. She looked at Fuji who was still staring at her before she left and went to her classroom.

During lunch time, she and Akemi decided to eat in the rooftop for all time's sake. However both of them were quiet. She knew Akemi had things to think about. And so did she. As if by chance, both of them heaved a deep sigh. As both of them continued eating, Akemi spoke to her.

"I don't know if I should tell you this, but a classmate is thinking about confessing to Fuji-kun," she said, looking her in the eye.

With that, Ai could feel something stabbing her heart. "Really?" she said, not looking at her twin sister. "Fuji-kun is really popular huh?"

"Huh? Don't go saying that to me Ai!" she said. "Nakashima Rei is cute, and she says she likes Fuji-kun even though I bet she only likes him because he's popular," she scolded her. "Do you honestly want Fuji-kun to be with a shallow person?"

"Akemi, if it makes Fuji happy, then so be it," she said.

"Even if it makes you sad?" Akemi asked back.

"It doesn't make me sad," she replied.

"Really? Then why are you crying?" her twin said, wiping the tears that was slowly running down her cheek. "You know what Ai, there is nothing wrong in being honest with how you really feel."

She nodded and hugged Akemi. She doesn't understand what's happening to her. She loves him, but she fears for that love. She doesn't want to hurt him, but she is hurting him now. And when Akemi told her that a certain Nakashima Rei wants to confess to him, she was so against the idea even if it means that Fuji can have a shot at happiness with the girl. What does she really want?

After classes, she went straight to the newspaper club because she was called by their president. Iwatobi was sitting on his designated desk when she came in and he immediately handed her a copy of their newspaper. "So far we are getting good reactions from the features that we have on the tennis club. As a result the other clubs also wants to be featured. I'll have the others help out with this," he said. "Your next subject will be Momoshiro Takeshi. You finish featuring the the tennis club regular members first before you can make a feature of another club. And continue with the poems, we've been receiving letters about them, and it seems like our anonymous writer has fans now," the president told her. "Keep yourself anonymous," he added with a sly grin.

She was on her way to the volleyball clubroom when she noticed two people talking underneath the sakura tree. She stopped on her tracks, lips slight agaped and looked at Fuji and another girl. The girl was blushing, with her hands clasped behind her and head bowed down a little. Fuji was wearing his usual smile and was looking at the girl, listening intently to what she was saying. She made an audible gasp, but she knew it wasn't enough to make them hear her, but Fuji looked at her direction and met her purple eyes with his blue ones.

The look in his eyes when he met hers was different. There was a mixture of sadness and pain in it, and she was guilty of causing that. But when the girl, whom she guessed was Nakashima Rei looked up, he looked away from her and looked at the girl with a gentle expression. She looked and walked away from the scene, her heart was about to explode and she can barely contain it. She couldn't concentrate at all during their volleyball practice that Reiko had to bench her.

Over the next few days, Ai could see Nakashima and Fuji together.

"Fuji-kun," Nakashima called out, "do you want to eat lunch together?" Ai heard her ask him as she was about to ask Akemi if she wants to have lunch with her. The brunette had the same smile on his face and politely refused the offer saying that he needed to go to the tennis courts. Upon walking out of the classroom, Fuji glanced at her and she just nodded.

"Fuji-kun is really shy," she heard Nakashima say to her friends. Akemi walked over to Ai and pulled her out of the classroom to spare her from hearing Nakashima's ramblings.

"Fuji-kun isn't shy at all," Akemi said. "He just doesn't want to eat lunch with her but is too kind to bluntly reject her," Akemi exclaimed as they were eating lunch in the rooftop. Akemi told her that they aren't a couple yet, but she could tell that they look great for each other. She didn't want to see them together, but she can't avoid it. After all, they were in the same school. She could only look at Fuji from afar, wishing that she could go back in time and change everything.