Heyhey, its me:) I don''t think I have to say my username again...

As promised, a continuation. Enjoy people! XDXD

Disclaimer: Yukimura loves Chemistry! :D…oh wait, he doesn't.

Warning(s): Carried over, less angst in this one, yay. A couple of OCs, since they really are essential to get the story going. Add more if you deem fit.

Story time then:)

Time waits for no one, no matter how great they may be. As such, it moves onward, regardless of any event, big or small. Such is the strength and the will of time.

They also said that time heals all wounds. But it is of course, very subjective in that sense.

Years have passed since then. It has been quite a long while.

To be exact, 11 years had passed since Niou's death. The former regulars in the Rikkai tennis team had long left the comfort of Junior High, moving on to Senior High, to a good University, and eventually to the working world. All of them- at a peak of 25 years, were all successful in their pursued careers. Well, Akaya was 24…but it is the same for him.

Yagyuu of course, was no exception. In fact, he was one of the better off ones among the lot. He found his life career path a little too…predictable actually. To have stayed the teacher's pet throughout all his years in school, no one could really question anything when he returned to teach as a teacher at the Rikkai Junior High section. And in Maths too. Oh the predictability.

'Sometimes, I wonder if I actually do deserve the title of the 'genius teacher'…' Yagyuu thought.

During his first term on probation, when he was allowed to lead the class under supervision, the class he had been assigned to topped the level in Maths (duh!) in the next exams. And they were presumably the worst ranked class in said subject before them. Somehow, the students just adored him. Then when he had finally completed his training and studies, he returned and produced a record high of 90% distinctions (high I tell you!) in his form class. The 'last straw' (yeah right, last!) came when he found a mistake in the marking of a senior and well-respected teacher, which drew the line between whether a senior student got a distinction or not. Needless to say, he was promoted to HOD (Head of Department) for Maths after that.

Several days later there were some rumors floating about that the previous HOD had fled with his tail between his legs and had claimed that Yagyuu was a monster teacher. Oh well, no one cared a single bit. They liked Yagyuu much more anyway.

But that was ALL he did, surely he didn't deserve the promotion? Yagyuu simple taught his students the normal way, and engaged in normal conversations with said youngsters, a great deal of which revolved around his life as a tennis regular in Rikkai. Some students even had stars- huge sparkly ones, in their eyes when they knew. They had left quite the legacy in their wake after all, way back then.

Thoughts aside, said guy had just finished his precise and careful marking of the most recent topical tests and tabulated the marks. The next lesson he had was in…he checked his shrunk version of his timetable conveniently slotted into his cardholder. Oh, an hour.

Just then, he spotted a very familiar envelope, hidden well underneath his files. At the sight of that mere article, the normally serious-faced man slipped into a genuine smile.

He still remembered how everyone had made their way home that night, all too weary after spending those last, tense moments with their silver-haired comrade…before he went. He was no exception. Right now, all he had to remember his former doubles partner by was that lone and mere letter.

Now, that was the interesting part though.

When Yagyuu came back from school one day after yet another day of gruelling tennis practice, he picked up the letter- just like he did without fail everyday. That particular day had been really hot, and merciless sun rays shone fiercely on the envelope. The boy opened it as usual…

..,and got a surprise. There was a new message written at the bottom of the letter:

Let us meet again someday, Hiroshi, and that we will remember each other when we do.

The bespectacled boy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that one thoughtful statement. So Niou still had that spark in him to sneak in some sort of invisible ink and write that hidden message, one that had been so well done that he hadn't even discovered it until then.

Yagyuu never recalled another time in which he cried so badly.

Now…it was all in the past. All memories. 11 years have gone by since then.

"…yuu-senpai Yagyuu-senpai! Senpai…are you there?"

Woops, he had been spacing out. He had to apologise to whoever was speaking then. The purple-haired man turned to regard his junior.

"Yes, pardon. May I help you, Akami-san?"

"Yes, senpai. I believe the school has already informed you about the new batch of trainees. I just came to introduce the one who has been placed under your charge. Now, Hanako-san…"

…and Akami held her hand out to…thin…air?

The two teachers sweatdropped. Yagyuuu coughed politely.

"Um…perhaps she went to the ladies?"

"No way! She just went 5 minutes ago!...Oh! There she is!"

There were sounds of Akami running out into the corridor where she had seen what-or-who-knows-some-random-thing. Yagyuu simply waited as per his gentlemanly demeanour until the commotion had eased and a rather flustered Akami dragged a girl in front of him. The man started to speak.

"Right…I was informed of this a while ago. It is nice to meet you, Hanako…-san?

There was a few seconds pause and wait as the woman slowly but surely tilted up her head to look him shyly in the eye. It was as if she was reluctant to be here, reluctant to have to be interning under a male teacher…as if she was…scared. That much showed through her eyes.

But that wasn't what made Yagyuu's heart nearly stop just by a mere glance at her.

Hanako was a rather average-sized lady, not too tall or too short. The same height as Akami, if not a couple of centimetres taller. Her front was…well-endowed to say the least, and it looked natural (at this point the megane mentally slapped himself for even focusing at THAT part of a woman's anatomy). Her face was sharp, yet soft at the same time, signifying kindness underneath that seemingly straight face. And then there was her hair- a very beautiful silver-bluish tint that reflected off the light almost magically. But Hanako's choice of hairstyle had apparently ruined a fair bit of it, considering the curtain was currently up in a high ponytail with hair all over her face, as if she had just tied it up in a rush.

Those eyes. Those captivating windows. Emerald with turquoise thrown in for some good measure- sea-green…almost gem-like. They looked so innocent, so pretty.

There was still awkward silence, and being the sharp man he was, Yagyuu actually noticed a tiny flash of recognition pass her eyes as she gazed upon him, before changing into confusion. He had once more opened up his mouth to speak when-

"…Hi…ro…shi?"

At this point Akami's eyes went wide in horror and turned into a flustered pink, embarrassed for the disrespect this newcomer had dared to show a superior, as well as for the said newcomer not knowing how to apologise.

"Hanako-san! How can you call an HOD by his given name? You should know better!"

Hanako looked truly apologetic, her head hung a little low, and she stuttered out.

"I-I-I'm so sorry…it just…"

"Its fine, Akami-san. Let this pass, after all I do have to show her around the school, and time is not too kind to our current situation."

Akami stole a quick glance at her watch and immediately ceased her berating, bowing respectfully to Yagyuu before making herself scarce. However not before sparing Hanako a little warning look though, which Yagyuu had also unfortunately noticed. He shook his head and sighed.

"I do apologise for my colleague's attitude just now. Akami-san believes in deep respect for those above her, and gets…defensive should she be challenged in that aspect. Please forgive her."

Hanako only nodded, her face still a little red from the slip-up just a few minutes ago.

"Gomen, Yagyuu-sensei. When I saw you…I thought I knew you from somewhere and just…called out what I remembered…"

"Its fine, Hanako-san. If the information I was provided with was correct, you are a fellow Math teacher?"

"O-Oh yes!"

The two interacted a lot throughout the day, obviously having to since it was Yagyuu's job to ensure the new trainee teacher knew her way around campus, and was in no danger of getting lost in the vast school should she choose to wander alone. Somehow, every sentence they exchanged, every little smile or that tiny spark of excitement and curiosity showing on Hanako's face- it made the purple-haired man twitch his face into a smile. He did not know the reason why, he just felt like it, like the mere aura of the woman was enough for him to want to show that emotion. Maybe it was the newbie's enthusiasm, or perhaps the way she carried herself?

There was this attraction, this feeling of compatibility. But Yagyuu decided that it was just his mind that was making him think all that.

Night fell soon enough, and after a whole load of school document organising, Yagyuu was prepared for bed. Once more, as always, he went through the routine of reading through Niou's letter, then leaving it on top of his new worksheets without placing it back to its original place.

The moonlight reflecting off the envelope that night was soft and luminous. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

xXEternallyXx

She was a very pleasant woman, a shy one around strangers or those she did not know too well. She was kind, she was gentle, and very willing to help her fellow colleagues in any way she can. But once you got to know her…one could say…

…that she was naughty.

Nope, not the 'flirtatious' type of naughty, but plain cheekiness that just brightened up her personality even more than it already was. A cheerful side of her that most soon came to accept. Keyword being 'most'.

One good example would be that time she offered to do coffee duty for her superiors and added salt instead of sugar into Akami-sensei's tea- all just to see said teacher's expression. And let us just say…she somehow managed to land herself some 2.4km physical training- around the entire school, courtesy of a very furious and spluttering Akami, whom besides teaching Maths too also relieved PE lessons on a frequent basis. Well hey, they say exercise does good for your health, no?

Right. That and that Hanako was also a Math genius in her own right, and it was taking her higher and higher on the popularity list of the students. Some of the other staff even started teasing Yagyuu about his 'position' being threatened with the arrival of the newbie. Not that the bespectacled guy really minded of course.

It went without saying that the woman graduated quickly from her academy and joined Rikkai Dai as an official teacher indefinitely. All was well, since Hanako had already been in the school for a while, and was familiar with her surroundings.

*Swoosh…*

Oh, a form. Being the only one in the staff room at the moment, Yagyuu got up from his seat to retrieve the stray piece of paper.

It was already near midnight, and yet he was still there, compiling results for a selection test held 2 days ago. Plus that was after he had approved 2 enrichment programmes, 3 workshops, and churned out a 10-page worksheet for the newest topic. Damn those workaholic geniuses.

Back to the story people.

It was a form containing Hanako's personal particulars- a photocopy of it to be exact. He looked to where it could possibly have flown from. Well, the other's table was pretty nearby. To have been so careless as to leave something like that lying about was something Yagyuu disapproved of in his department, but he decided to let it go. Not that the said person was there to be warned anyway.

Something about the form looked so enticing. It was like it was compelling the HOD to read it. But this belonged on her desk, it was Hanako's possession. He couldn't look, could he?

He looked anyway.

Name: Hanako Masahira

Birth Date: 12 December

Blood Type: A

Age: 25

Major(s):

Elementary Mathematics (Junior High, Year 1, 2, 3)

Additional Mathematics (Junior High Year 2, 3)

There was much more stuff written on that paper, but it wouldn't be too kind to read any further than that. It would be invading the privacy of a woman. Gentlemen didn't do that.

Having replaced the form carefully back at its rightful spot, Yagyuu quickly packed up and went home. He had had a long day.

"Eh…eto…Yagyuu-sensei?"

"What is it, Hanako-san?" He looked up.

"Well…there are some documents that I need to verify with you as well as the newly created worksheets that require your final proof-reading…and lots of other stuff. Do you think you can stay back for a little while this afternoon to settle it all together?"

At this point the older teacher (by a few months) looked thoughtful. There were lots of work he had to do that day and some emails that he needed to check, as well as- that's it! Yagyuu got an idea that would solve both their problems.

"That would be a good idea, but I propose going to my place. It will definitely be quiet there and I know the band will be practicing in the field today."

"H-How could I, Yagyuu-sensei? Wouldn't your girlfriend be jealous of you? I mean she might…you know…"

As Hanako trailed away, her eyes averting from Yagyuu's gaze.

"…what girlfriend?"

Silence. More silence. Even more silence. A gust of wind blew a few fallen leaves by, followed by a couple of tumbleweeds. And then there was a crow which decided to caw by…

Hanako had this look of dramatic shock and horror on her face as she backed about half a dozen steps away from where she had originally stood (yes! Yagyuu counted!). Of course, said man did not understand why she did that.

"Sensei…how could you not have a girlfriend? Over half of the female population here at Rikkai, including the Senior High section, are infatuated with you! It's just not possible!..."

And then started the forte of the women's population- the dramatic sobbing and crying in the corner, proclaiming to the world how unfair -insert example here- and -insert example here- is… guaranteed to make the men go soft and agree to the woman's wishes in order to placate her.

But Yagyuu is Yagyuu, and he did not attempt to placate her.

Really, the man sometimes wondered if Hanako actually had a split personality, as well as what he could have done in his past life to deserve such a…an…eccentric teacher under his charge.

Now it was his turn (inwardly) to wail to the heavens about how unfair the world was.

It was…a pretty warm house. Perhaps that empty feeling she felt…was because the owner lived alone.

Hanako was thinking as she watched her colleague proof-read the needed documents with remarkable speed that left her literally gaping. That guy could not possibly be human. She got tired of watching him after a while, and since she had nothing that she could do currently, a mini daydream sounded nice. Her thoughts were more on her surroundings than on the stack of worksheets that needed re-typing when she got home later. It was rather sad that such a great guy (Yagyuu) was still a bachelor –insert sighs here-

"Sensei, may I go to the toilet?"

"…you sound like a student, Hanako-san. It's the second door on the left."

The young teacher nodded as she inwardly chuckled at her senior's temporary (albeit momentarily, hope you readers saw it!) slip of his gentlemanly etiquette.

Hanako did not take too long in the toilet, instead choosing to take in some of her surroundings (dammit, call it a house!) and enjoy it. Yagyuu may not be some hot-shot designer or anything like that, but he sure had the potential to become one. The wallpaper was beautiful, intricate patterns seemingly indented into the walls- and it did not look too shabby considering it was a guy's home. Further down the corridor were some planks built into the wall to act as shelves for photo frames, as well as a small table, which already had many photo frames strewn about it. There was also a mirror.

Photos of him when he was in middle-school, of his milestones in life. Hanako's attention rested on the second-largest photo frame.

That was one interesting picture.

Yagyuu had never, ever lost his cool in public. It was a rather remarkable feat in itself, considering that he was one of the few genuinely sane ones in the group of insanity that were the Rikkai tennis regulars during his graduating year. He could even list out perfectly each and every method that the team had utilised over the years to try and make him lose his temper, in alphabetical and chronological order. All had yet to see him lose his temper in public.

None of it meant anything, really. It just meant that he could hide his true emotions really well. Ha, Niou had always teased him a lot about it.

Niou.

Niou was that one person that Yagyuu could not forget, could not stop thinking about. He also did not and could not understand something. His longing for Niou- that empty feeling that he always felt whenever he read that letter, had lessened considerably since Hanako had made an appearance in his life, and that was what he was worried about. Had his love for his former doubles partner been this shallow? Did life perhaps decide for him that maybe their relationship was not meant to be, and forcefully pushed Hanako into his life?

Now that he thought about it, he could see why he had this attraction towards her. There were too many similarities between Niou and her. They had the same colours in their features, that same streak of mischief that you would not know existed in the other until you knew them really well, since they would act innocent most of the time (on a much lesser scale for Hanako though…). Maybe it was that personality that drew him in. Opposites attract sometimes, and that was a fact for Yagyuu's case.

Confusing thoughts were looming. Yagyuu was thankful that he had finally finished his work for the day. Now he had the time to maybe relax a little and think more about it, to gather up his thoughts and set them straight again. To him, this felt like a difficult maths problem he couldn't solve, and he believed that he would be able to, if given the time.

Right, come to think of it…Hanako had been gone for quite a long time.

It was then that he heard a shrill scream.

Hanako.

xXEternallyXx

A beautiful, very beautiful picture it was.

It was a group photo of the Rikkai tennis regulars, those years back. Back in the days when all they had to worry about were studies and club activities, those carefree times. A casual photo, with the youths hanging off each other, smiling and laughing at the camera without a care in the world. It was easy enough to spot Yagyuu in the picture. He did stand out in his own way. Honestly, that guy didn't look like he had changed much appearance-wise from then and now. A silver-haired boy leaning on him caught her attention.

He looked so familiar…as if she had…seen him somewhere before, which was totally impossible. She knew no one who looked like that. But then, what was this almost overwhelming sense of familiarity that she was feeling right now? Come to think of it…this photo just stank of nostalgia- she hated feeling something she couldn't recognize.

Then it came, a stinging pain in her head.

Hanako held her head and winced, slowly relaxing for couple of seconds when the pain had passed. But no, this was far from over. The painful sensations kept on coming, in waves much like tsunamis, hitting harder and harder each time.

A fuzzy video. A distant, hidden memory.

A redhead- he was wearing the Rikkai tennis uniform. He had this look of anger, in those eyes of his. He was chasing after…me?…there was also laughter all around…

The scene suddenly changed to another.

A guy wearing that black cap, from that picture just now. He seemed to be in a bad mood…barking at the club members to work harder when they were already sweating buckets…

A wave of pain hit, then another, each time bringing new memories to the surface. Each was more powerful than the last. Tears were streaming from Hanako's eyes nearly endlessly by now. The woman couldn't stop those tears, there were just so many emotions, those of happiness, those of anger, those of excitement…and…those of…love?

Dark purple hair. Those trademark glasses that made the wearer look so attractive instead of nerdy. That gentle and loving smile, perhaps more caring than loving…but still…there was no mistaking that person…

"Y-Yagyuu-sensei…"

Memories of playing tennis…memories of having done so alongside him. There were emotions of happiness, adrenaline-rushed excitement, and a tint of sadness. There was also a feeling akin to a crush…

By now, the headaches were getting slower, and the pain duller. It finally stopped and the silverette teacher could now catch her breath and stabilize herself, as she picked herself up from where she had fallen on the floor from all the sudden attacks. There was calm after the storm. Hanako Masahira placed the photo frame very carefully, back to its original place.

Her eyes had begun to betray her again. Her hands too.

They moved to pick up yet another photo frame. The largest one of them all. A picture of Yagyuu…and that silverette boy. Just the two of them in that picture together. And Yagyuu was smiling so happily, so genuinely…it was painful. But why was it painful? It was as if some kind of tragic incident accompanied the pain…

This was it. The last and most powerful memory came.

There were tears and sobbing. The morose atmosphere was only too evident. The location was too fuzzy to make out…a memory full of suffering and breathlessness…

Hanako's breaths came in short bursts again, she was hyperventilating, cold sweat running profusely down her face, those sea-green eyes glazed over from enduring the mental turmoil. She cracked open an eye to look in the mirror that had been so conveniently located just above the table. She saw…that silverette?

Yagyuu's face was so close, his eyes could be seen behind those glasses…he looked nervous. He looked as if he had difficulty…trying to say something…

The teacher's eyes suddenly widened as she saw where this memory was headed.

…a…kiss…?

With that, she screamed, darkness claiming her.

And here we come to the end of the longest chapter for Eternally that I have written yet. Give me some cheers, come on XDXD Just kidding.

Yesh, I will be continuing this story, judging by how much I still love this story and need it to get rid of some of my negative feelings...

Also, I just went over all of my stories and suddenly found this to be my most popular story yet, from the average number of reviews per chapter that it had received since it was first posted, and I really hope it will continue to increase:)

Please Review! Reviews are the air we authors breathe, the food we authors eat, the water we authors drink! Don't let us die just like that!

Comments and Constructive Criticism please? We all love the 3 Cs! XD

Thank you very much for reading, will update soon:)