Sorry for taking so long to update. I used the time to focus on my exams, but that's that. So here is the next chapter. Enjoy. (=^.^=)
Thank you for your continuous support to this story.
Special thanks to those who reviewed. *bow*
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Prince of Tennis
Sae walked away without turning to Tezuka. Fuji watched as the girl's figure became smaller in a distance.
"Tezuka, it seems she's avoiding you. Did you admit it to her already?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. What you did in the training camp is cheating. Did you think no one saw you kissed her?"
Tezuka was surprised at Fuji's words though his face showed no sign of it.
"You must be mistaken."
"Running away already?" Fuji's cerulean eyes looked directly at the Seigaku captain, "that's very disappointing to hear from you of all people."
"Sae is just a junior and a teammate. Nothing more."
Fuji grabbed Tezuka's collar.
"Why don't you be a man and tell her what that kiss really mean!?"
Fuji's action did not seem to affect the Seigaku captain and the latter just look at him with his usual expression. After realizing that his words did not seem to affect Tezuka, Fuji let him go before he let out a sigh.
"You heard everything I told her, right?" Fuji turned to walk away, "if you don't do anything, she will be mine before you know it."
Many things filled Sae's thoughts as she walked her way home. She is very thankful that she is alone at that moment. She remembered what Fuji told her earlier: "…I like you Sae".
Her face became red at the thought. She stopped on her track and shook her head as though it will help her forget somehow. She did not know how to respond. That's the first time someone confessed to her… or not. She recalled a boy from years back said the same thing to her. It was quite a vague memory and she cannot even remember her answer back then.
"What should I do now?" Sae slapped herself mentally. Then, she remembered a certain someone that was there with them, "did Captain hear everything?"
Her thoughts were disrupted when something fell on her head. That something rolled down to her cheek where her hand caught it.
"What on earth–?" was all Sae said as she looked at her wet fingers. She looked up the sky as several other droplets followed.
Nanjiro was busily reading his magazine when he sensed Ryoma walked passed him.
"Hn? Ryoma, where are you going?" Nanako called out to the boy as he stood in front of the door ready to leave.
"I'm going to take a walk."
"Under the rain?"
Ryoma did not reply. He opened the umbrella in his hand and started walking.
"Is that Ryoma?" Rinko asked when she saw the front door closed.
"Yes but where would he go at this hour and under this weather?"
"I think I know where he is heading to," Rinko smiled softly when she saw two umbrellas missing in the rack.
She sighed as she watched the rain showing no sign of stopping. The news did not say anything about the rain today.
"I guess the weather news is not always accurate."
Sae rubbed her hands as she tried to warm herself. The coldness of the surroundings is starting to get into her. Fortunately, the girl found a shed nearby before the rain hit it hard.
All of a sudden, she felt something warm was placed on her shoulders.
"Ryoma!?" the girl's eyes widen in surprise seeing the lad standing beside her.
"It doesn't look like it will stop raining anytime soon," Ryoma said without looking at Sae. He reached his hand to catch the raindrops falling a few inches away from him.
"What are you doing here?"
"Here." Ryoma placed something in her hand and started walking away not bothering to answer the girl's inquiry.
Sae stared at the umbrella she was holding like it's the first time she saw one.
"If you stay there any longer, you will catch a cold," the Ryoma called out to her when he noticed she is not moving from the shed.
"W-wait for me." Sae hurriedly open the umbrella and followed close behind him.
Tezuka massage his temples as he sat in a chair inside his room. It was as if his conversation with Fuji not long ago drained the energy out of him. Fuji's last words still rang in his ears "...if you don't do anything, she will be mine before you know it."
He thought he was doing a good job hiding whatever it is he is feeling towards Sae but he should have known better. He should have been more careful especially around someone as sharp as Fuji. It's not like he is planning to hide it forever but he is still in the process of sorting out his feelings. However, he would admit that there were times that he let his feeling take over him like what he did in the training camp.
Flashback
Tezuka decided to check on Sae a few minutes after she left the court. It did not escape his attention that the girl had been spacing out since that morning and everyone in the team knew why. He knocked on her room where she said she will be staying to get some rest. Anxiousness crept into him when he found no one inside.
Immediately, he thought of the other places where she could have gone to and started searching one after the other. When he was sure that she is nowhere inside the manse, he started his search outside. The restlessness he felt disappeared when he found the girl sitting under the tree not far from the area.
He walked towards her planning to talk to her but he found her asleep. He watched her for a few seconds before he decided to leave. He was about to turn away when he heard a name he did not hear for such a long time.
"...Michi-kun..."
There was only one person who used that name to call him and he has not seen her for many years. Could it be? Tezuka thought of the possibility of her being that girl but still, there is still a huge room for doubt. However, his mind wishes that the small possibility would turn into reality. The idea alone makes his heart beat fast – so fast that he thought it would explode.
Tezuka crouched down beside the girl. He stared at Sae's sleeping face like he was trying to find the resemblance of the girl in front of him with the girl he knew from years ago. As he did, his finger unconsciously trailed the traces of tears from the corner of her eyes down to her chin.
Tezuka's finger stopped when found her lips slightly parted like it is inviting him to... He continued staring at her and all of a sudden, he felt like an unknown driving force was pulling him closer to her until the gap between their lips was gone.
At first, he planted her soft kisses. Her lips felt so soft and each kiss tasted so sweet. Then, he realized he wanted more thus the soft kisses turned into a deep kiss. However, when Tezuka dared to make the kiss even deeper, the girl stirred and the Seigaku Captain suddenly froze.
Tezuka suddenly pulled away after recognizing what he just did. He let his emotion get ahead of him and claimed her lips without permission. He stood up and walked away without taking a second look at the girl's sleeping figure. Unknown to him, a certain brunette saw the whole incident... even with his eyes closed.
End of flashback
A-achooo!
Ryoma stopped and turned to Sae who was walking right behind him.
"Sorry," Sae apologized as she rubbed her nose.
"We're here."
Sae did not realize that they were already in front of the house.
"Sae, you're back!" Rinko's voice rang throughout the hallway after seeing the two in the front door, "so, how was it?"
Rinko looked at the girl expectantly.
"N-nothing happened," Sae looked away to hide her red face.
Rinko smiled inwardly. The girl's reaction tells her that something indeed happened. She continued to stare at the girl waiting for her to speak. Sae felt awkward at Rinko's behaviour.
"Sae, you better change your clothes right away," Ryoma suddenly spoke.
Sae looked at Ryoma. She knew he was bailing her out from his mother's curiosity.
"Y-yes. You're right. Excuse me." Sae immediately went to her room.
Rinko's gaze followed Sae's retreating figure before she turn to Ryoma.
"Tsk. You're such a spoilsport."
Ryoma just shrugged his shoulder as he walked inside the house.
The next day
"Yay! Sae did you see tha – eh?" Kikumaru scratched his head when he realized that the person he is pertaining to is nowhere in sight. Sae is supposed to be observing him with his match with Kawamura. "Where is Sae?"
"That's odd," Inui said as he looked at his watch.
"What is?" Oishi asked.
"Sae is not here yet. She should have arrived five minutes ago."
Tezuka cannot help but overhear the conversation. He scanned the whole tennis court but he did not see even her shadow. Have she decided to follow him and quit the team? If she did, he should be happy... right? But why does thinking about it made him feel the other way around.
"I heard from the teacher that Sae is sick and is staying at home to rest," Katsuo said answering everyone's inquiry.
"Is that so? Must be the rain yesterday."
Ding dong
"Ryoma, can you please check that? I have my hands full right now." Nanako, who was busily preparing dinner, called out to Ryoma. The lad followed nonchalantly, but when he opened the front gate, he was greeted by unexpected, or rather unwanted, guests.
"Ochibi? What are you doing in Sae's house?"
"Don't tell me you went here ahead of us?" Momo eyed Ryoma suspiciously.
But the latter just stared at the group before he spoke.
"Go home." and shut the gate closed without waiting for a reply.
"Ryoma, who's that?" Nanako asked seeing the sullen look of her cousin.
"No one."
As Nanako and Ryoma were talking, Sae was walked downstairs. She was not able to leave her bed that day because of her fever.
"Eh? Sae? Why are you here? The doctor said to need to rest." Nanako asked.
"I'm alright. I've been lying in my bed all day. Besides, it's so dull not doing anything."
"Don't push yourself. You need to rest more." Ryoma pushed Sae upstairs.
"But –"
Ding dong
The three turned to the direction of the sound of the doorbell.
"Oishi-senpai, are you sure this is the right place?"
"I'm sure this is the place written here," Oishi showed the paper given to him by Inui.
"But it says here that this is Echizen's residence," Fuji pointed at the nameplate displayed outside the gate.
"You're right." Kawamura move beside Fuji to have a better look of the nameplate.
"Could it be that Inui gave us the wrong address?" Oishi asked while reading the again the paper in his hand.
"No. That is the right address," Inui's voice came from behind the group.
"Inui. Tezuka. You're here too?"
"Senpai, what do you mean that this is the right address? You don't mean to say that Sae is living with Echizen under the same roof, do you?" Momo sounded like a prosecutor investigating a case.
"There is one way to find out," Inui pressed the doorbell.
"And who might it be?" Nanako walked towards the front door.
"Nanako-nee, I think it would be best if you don't answer it."
Nanako gave Ryoma a puzzled look. Suddenly, the door opened revealing Rinko.
"I'm home."
"Auntie!"
"Welcome back Aunt Rinko."
However, Rinko did not enter the door alone.
"Sorry for the intrusion," a bunch of boys greeted almost the same time as they enter the house right after Rinko.
"Senpai-tachi?" Sae's eyes widen in shock.
"I saw these boys outside. They said they are your teammates, so I invited them inside."
Sae, Ryoma and the other Seigaku members sat around the living room where Nanako served them drinks.
"Um, what brings you here?" Sae asked, not really sure if she is asking the right question. Her sempai-tachi seemed to be eyeing her and Ryoma with suspicious looks like they did something wrong and her sempai-tachi are angry about it.
"The truth is, we came here to see how you are doing. We heard that you caught a fever," Inui answered.
"Thank you for the concern. I'm a bit better now but I don't think I can go to school for a few days more. Sorry to have caused you trouble."
"You don't have to apologize. It can't be help." Oishi replied.
"So, you two are living in the same house after all? And you didn't tell us anything about it!?" Momo's voice grew louder at his last sentence.
"Momo, calm down," Kawamura held Momo to stop him for doing anything rash.
"No one bothered to ask," Ryoma said nonchalantly.
"Ryoma." Sae hushed Ryoma to prevent him from provoking Momo any further.
"Ochibi has a point there."
"We don't really mean to keep it a secret. It's just that we don't find it necessary to tell everyone about it. Especially since it can lead to misunderstanding to some."
"But how did you end up here?"
"Well, you see, our parents are close friends. I was left under the Echizen's custody when my father needed to attend business in another country. I'm already living here when I entered Seigaku."
"Sae, you don't need to answer their entire question. You still need to rest remember?"
"Echizen is right. Since we've already seen that you're fine now, we might as well go," Oishi said.
"Eh? But we just got here," Kikumaru pouted.
"I agree with Kikumaru-senpai. Why don't you guys stay for dinner? I'll tell Auntie," Sae stood up immediately and went to the kitchen.
"Echizen, to think you've been keeping this a secret this whole time," Momo hit Ryoma's head.
"Stop it Momo-senpai."
"There is 91% possibility that you don't really want us to know about this," Inui's glasses shone as he scribbled something in his notebook.
"But to think you've been living with Sae all this time. Lucky." Kikumaru said with is finger on his chin.
"Hn? Echizen, how old are you in this picture?" Fuji showed Ryoma the page of the photo album and pointed to the picture he was referring to. Fuji found it in the shelf next to where he is seated.
"Fuji-senpai, where did you – don't touch that!"
Ryoma reached for the photo album but his senpai-tachi would not let him as each of them move to see what Fuji is holding.
"Eh? Is that Echizen?"
"Let me see too."
"Ochibi looked so cute!"
Teasing remarks were given especially to pictures where Ryoma is in it. Ryoma cannot do anything since his sempai-tachi formed a circle for better view and to block him from stopping their fun.
"Eh? Who's this?" Momo pointed to a picture where Ryoma is standing next to a boy a little older than him.
"He looks a bit like Ryoma."
"Is he your brother?" Oishi asked.
"None of your business," Ryoma said with arms crossed. He already gave up stopping his teammates and just watched them finish looking through the pictures.
Tezuka's eyes stopped at a certain photograph of three children – Echizen and the boy, who looks like Echizen, and a girl who is standing between the two boys. The girl is smiling wide while the two boys seem to have just gotten from a fight seeing the sour expressions in their faces. Tezuka remember the girl. He met her when he was still starting to learn tennis. She, who once came crying to him telling him that she, will be moving away with her mom. The girl he once confessed his feelings to.
"Echizen, is this your sister?" Kawamura pointed at the picture Tezuka has been keeping his eyes on.
"Nope, that's me," Sae suddenly answered. She was already standing behind the group, peering at what was keeping her sempai-tachi busy, "that was when my dad and I once visited them in America. I don't really remember that until I saw that picture," Sae looked at Ryoma, "I don't think Ryoma remembers that too since Auntie need to introduce us to each other when I arrived here."
"Nyaa? This is you? So cute, can I have this?" Kikumaru pointed at the picture.
"No, you can't." Ryoma pulled the photo album away from Kikumaru's hand.
"Ochibi~!"
"Um, dinner's ready everyone," Nanako cheerfully called out to them.
The ruckus stopped and almost everyone rushed to the dining hall.
"Sae."
Sae was startled when she heard Fuji called her name.
"F-Fuji-senpai?"
Sae felt self-conscious around Fuji after what he said to her a night before. And just being near him made her heart race.
"Come here for a minute."
The girl walked towards her senpai and suddenly, a hand pulled her and she found herself face to face with Fuji – their foreheads touching each other.
"S-senpai!?" Sae tried to pull away but Fuji held her shoulders.
"Your fever's returning," was all Fuji said when he let Sae go, "you should take a rest now."
Fuji saw the girl looking pale all of a sudden and decided to confirm his speculation.
"I-I'm fine," Sae answered.
"Don't be stubborn," Fuji blocked her way preventing her from walking any farther. He leaned near her ear and whispered, "or do you want me to carry you to your room? I don't mind."
Sae flustered seeing the mischievous smile of her senpai.
"Geez, stop doing that. I get it already."
Fuji chuckled as he watched the girl struggled to hide her flushed face. As Sae tried to look away from Fuji, her eyes met Tezuka. The girl immediately averted her gaze and went outside the room. Her action did not escape Tezuka's observation.
Fuji made it sure that the other person saw his conversation with Sae. The tensai gave Tezuka a meaningful look before he followed the others.
On the outside, Tezuka is being his usual compose self despite the noisy surrounding, thanks to his teammates. But his mind is in a total mess. He is not that naive not to notice that Sae has been avoiding him since they arrive. Is she angry at him?
"My my, what a lively bunch," Rinko smiled as she watch the Seigaku members fight over a single meatball that was left in the platter.
"Where is Uncle?"
"He said he is not hungry."
"But I thought he is."
"I bet he doesn't feel eating in front of many people. Don't worry about him, he will eat later. Oh, before I forget, Nanako, can you bring Sae's food upstairs? That child must be hungry by now."
"Forgive my rudeness, but, can you allow me to do that?"
The table suddenly became quiet. Everyone looked at Tezuka like he just grew two heads. Rinko and Nanako exchanged glances, surprised by the sudden request.
Knock knock
Sae has been staring at the ceiling when she heard someone knocking.
"That must be Nanako-nee."
"Come in."
The door opened only to reveal the Seigaku captain.
"C-captain!?" a shocked expression was written in her face. She immediately sat on her bed.
"Can I come in?" Tezuka was standing outside the door with a tray of food in his hands.
That's all... for now
(=^.^=)