Way Back To Your Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own PoT! This story on the other hand is very much mine. :)

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Chapter 6: An Old Friend

Syuurei's PoV

I sent Yuuta to talk to Naoki about the Zero- shiki but his only reply was that it came instinctively. My son never lied so I didn't bother double checking.

I had to accept the fact that he was also Tezuka's son and such shots may just be natural for him. But no matter how much he resembled Tezuka in his very appearance, his form of play, his attitude, to me he was only my son.

A week had passed from the day my son had played a shot that even I after years of hard practice could not replicate perfectly. But his version of it was so perfect that it knocked the breath out of me. I felt like a horrible mother because I was angry at my child for performing a shot that I should have been proud of. The question was 'was I really angry at him? Myself? Or his father?'

My whole family including my son looked at me with pity and confusion at home since that day. They probably expected me to break down or something but I knew better than to reveal my weakness to them. What I didn't comprehend was why I was about to do something I had not done in quite a while.

I parked my car in front of his house and mustered up the courage to walk to the door. I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. There was no answer for quite some time so I turned towards my car when the door opened behind me.

I turned around and was filled with happiness when I saw- a much taller- Kikumura Eiji stand in front of me. He seemed to recognize me instantly because he pulled me into a bear hug.

As soon as he let go of me, I asked "how did you rec-?"

"I could never forget a person whose number I've dialed every day for the past ten years wishing you would pick up sooner or later and tell me that you are okay. A person to whom I've sent a thousand emails and not once got a reply even though I get a notification that it's been read. A person who used to be my best friend but didn't care to even say goodbye before disappearing like that."

I felt guilty as hell. When I found out I was pregnant I moved at the earliest and I didn't have the courage to say goodbye especially to Eiji because he was my best friend.

"I'm sorry" I muttered.

"I know you wouldn't do that without a valid reason so come on in and please don't prove me wrong." He said almost begging.

He poured a cup of tea and got out a few snacks. His family was on vacation and he stayed behind because of training. Eiji played tennis for a few years till he won a grand slam along with Oishi his high school doubles partner and then he retired and started a tennis school while Oishi continued as a singles player.

After we had chatted about his past, he inquired about mine. "You still haven't told me what happened to you all these years."

"It's really hard to explain but why don't you come over to my place this evening and see for yourself?" I said as I wrote down my address.

He looked worried but agreed either way.

That evening, just after I picked Naoki up from school the sound of the doorbell brought me running downstairs. I answered the door only to find Eiji waiting outside with his goofy smile.

I sat him down and offered a few snack and tea and called my brother.

"Aniki do you mind chatting with Eiji for five minutes. Brief him about you know... Don't go too much in detail. I'll be down with him in five minutes ok? Oh and do not mention that Tezuka's the father! I don't want you to be the one to freak him out."

My brother nodded with a smile on his face. I glared at him and went up to Naoki's room to find him doing his homework. I sat down on the bed beside him.

"You have friends in school right?" I said

"Yeah…" he replied concentrating in his work.

"I was quite popular in school myself. I had a LOT of really close friends."

"Aha…" I hated it when he acted the same way his father would have.

"Well, one of them is here to see you Naoki. You're going to love him."

He dropped his pencil at this and looked hazed.

"What's the matter Naoki?"

"Nothing mom. Is he downstairs?" he said suddenly excited.

"Yeah" I replied puzzled why my son would have such a reaction.

We went downstairs and as soon as they saw each other, Naoki looked disappointed while on the other hand, Eiji was in disbelief.

"Syuurei, why does he look so much like Te-" Eiji murmured as Aniki elbowed him shut.

He walked up to my son and crouched till he was at his eye level and lent out his hand. "Hi. I'm Kikumaru Eiji. Your mom's best friend."

"Hello" Naoki greeted him back.

They chatted for a while and then Naoki went up to his room, as was driving Eiji back home because his car was out of gas and so we had a lot of time to talk.

"So you had Buchou's baby huh? That's clearly why you disappeared." He commented.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't tell you all this before and that I couldn't say goodbye. Also Eiji, thank you for sending me an email practically every day. You have no idea how you helped me through the toughest times."

"I am an awesome friend." He said jokingly.

"Does he know?" I remained silent. "I thought so" he said

"So how's the training school going?" I inquired.

"Well, I'm glad Nanjiroh-san helped me out with it a bit. He taught me a few tricks and I think I've got everything under control"

"Then do you mind if I enroll Naoki? He's been longing for a good trainer and I'm too busy with work. I can totally trust your training."

"Sure! I'll feel like I'm training buchou-" he cut shot seeing my cheerful attitude fade away.

"Do you want me to talk to buchou about this whole… situation" he offered.

I hit the brakes hard enough for us to jerk forwards and said with tears in my eyes. "You will never do that Eiji. Tezuka must remain completely clueless about Naoki and me for that matter or else I will be forced to move out of town again."

We drove in silence till we reached his house and said goodbye. As I drove back home, I saw a car parked in the driveway. I walked to the door and opened it only to find Sanada sitting in the living room. I glanced at my brother worried and he nodded silently saying 'It's alright. He doesn't know.'

"Sanada. What brings you here?"

"I needed your signatures on these papers. I have to interview a player at Narita and they said they needed your permission first."

"Sure" I said after reading and signing the papers, I handed them over to him and he went back home.

"There were a lot of close calls today huh?" remarked my brother as I collapsed onto the recliner.

"Sure were." I replied with a bitter tone.

Naoki's PoV

I was busy doing my homework when mom entered my room.

"You have friends in school right?" mom said.

"Yeah…" I replied concentrating on my work.

"I was quite popular in school myself. I had a LOT of really close friends."

"Aha…" Mom never disturbed me whilst I was doing my homework. There must be something important.

"Well, one of them is here to see you Naoki. You're going to love him." Well there it was!

I dropped my pencil and almost lost my calm, composed expression for a minute. Did mom just say one of her close friends was here? Dad was here? Finally!

"What's the matter Naoki?"

"Nothing mom. Is he downstairs?" I said suddenly excited.

"Yeah" she replied looking puzzled and I was too excited to compose myself.

I rushed downstairs but to my disappointment, instead of the great Tezuka Kunimitsu stood a red head.

"Syuurei, why does he look so much like Te-" the red head murmured and uncle Yuuta elbowed him shut. Aha! So he knew my father!

He walked up to me and crouched till he was at me eye level and lent out his hand. "Hi. I'm Kikumaru Eiji. Your mom's best friend."

"Hello" I greeted him back secretly happy. The man didn't look very smart. It would be easy to get some information out of him. But I would have to do that when mom wasn't around.

He spoke to me for a while. Mainly about how old I was and which school I went. I soon bid him farewell and walked back to my room.

As soon as I was in my room, I raced to my study desk. I glanced at my school timetable. "Yes!" I said. I had computer class the next day. I could research about this Eiji person tomorrow.

I doubted the man. He said he was my mom's best friend? I had heard stories about my mom's friends from uncle Yuuta and mom before. I had heard quite a few about a girl called Sakuno about a boy called Echizen, there was a Momoshiro, Kaidoh, Kawamura, Inui, Tomoka and of course my mom's coach.

If this man was my mom's best friend, how come she had never mentioned him before?

I needed answers and I was positive that the internet would not be able to provide me answers about who my mom's best friend was.

There was a knock on my door and my mom peered in.

"Not sleeping yet?" she said.

"About to." I replied as I slid into my bed.

She sat on the bed and tucked me in. "Uncle Yuuta and I will be going to attend to a few things in the China branch for the next two days. Will you be okay with just grandma here?"

"Sure mom. Grandma's fun."

"Okay then. Don't give her too much of trouble okay?"

"Okay mom."

She switched off the lights and shut the door. It was the perfect opportunity. No one but grandma was going to be home for the next two days. That meant that the attic would be unattended to since it's too dark for grandma to go in there.I closed my eyes and dozed off.

The next day would be a day of revelation. I was positive.

Review! Chapter 7 will be out this coming week I promise. :)