"There are times you like to forget painful memories, and there are times that you think you already did forgot them, that they're gone. But yet you can't avoid recalling them, how they leave scars on your heart, how they've made you feel grief. But even without you noticing, they made you a little stronger. Aren't you happy to have experience them?"
It is so tiring looking at the teachers' daunting faces, answering their arduous questions and tests, boring discussions and sitting down soundlessly on the chairs. Just let the bell ring and students will be able to recover from their dreary classes. After the last minute of the last period was over, the bell finally rang! The students started to chatter, rejoicing 'cause it's a Friday, breaking the afternoon silence.
In class 3-6, the last period teacher extends her time to inform her class about their assignment and their long quiz for Monday. The teacher finished and went out. Like the other classes, their section chattered too.
While Yuri was putting her things in her bag, Fuji approaches her again. "Yuri-chan, I need that book that I lent you the other day."
"Huh? What book are you talking about? I don't remember you lent me one."
Fuji gave a rather depressed look because Yuri totally forgot about the book and he really needs that book for their book report. Yuri was alarmed by his reaction. "Wait! Ummm, what book…?" she stopped arranging her things and took a minute to think about what she forgot. "Now I remember!" she snapped her fingers. This relieved Fuji. "Finally she remembered. Why is she forgetting a lot of things lately?" Fuji thought.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" she kept on bowing as she says sorry. "It totally went out of my mind!" She looked at Fuji with watery eyes and again says sorry.
"It's okay. People sometimes fail to recall things at times."
"Could we just meet at the park's tennis courts tomorrow? I'll give it there." Yuri suggested.
Fuji didn't reply; he was still thinking of his reply. "Seems like you don't like my idea. Do you want me to go to your house and give it there?" Yuri gave another suggestion. "You must be busy, aren't you?"
"Ah, no. Going to the park will be fine. What time?"
"How about 9:30 in the morning? Will that be 'kay?"
"Sure. No problem. Please don't forget my book, okay? Ja, I'll be going ahead." Fuji took his bag and walk towards the door. Before he could take another step, Yuri put her things in her bag fast and called out to him. "Wait! Can I…walk with you? I know this is out of the blue--" She wasn't able to continue seeing Fuji's smile of affirmation. "You don't have to ask about that." Fuji responded.
They walk to the tennis courts for their afternoon practice. While they were passing through a silent, nobody-else-at corridor, Yuri was hallucinating she was in the middle of the church aisle wearing a wedding dress and bringing a bouquet of flowers, seeing Fuji at the end of the aisle in front of the altar. "This feels so great." Yuri thought while giving off a strange smile making Fuji confused. Suddenly, Fuji notices a banana peeling a few steps away from Yuri and she was most likely gonna step on it. Yuri didn't notice it. How will you notice anything if you're in your "love theater"?! "YU--", he tried to warn her; unfortunately it was too late, but fortunately he caught her in his arms. "You dazed off again. Is there anything troubling you?", Fuji asked worriedly. Yuri finally snapped out from her 'love theater'. "W—what happened?"
"You stepped on a banana peeling and you slipped." he explained.
"Ridiculous! Why would there be a--? Whaaaah!!" Her face turned entirely red, hurriedly stood up from her position and contort her face. "I think I owe you another one."
A loud evil laugh was then heard. "I never thought that you would be this clumsy, Black Rose!" Three women emerge from the shadows and started introducing themselves. Before they could even finish, Yuri walks away while saying, "I do not want to hear any of your crap. Good day."
"Wait!! If you don't want to hear about us, we will just proceed to your punishment for seducing 'our beloved' tensai, you witch!" the leader of the group exclaimed while pointing at Yuri.
"Punishment? Seducing… 'your beloved tensai'? You talk as if you own Syuusuke." she murmured, turned to them with a wrathful face that meant she's ready to send them to hell. "I see, you're members of his fans' club. I presume you're the ones who placed that banana peeling." She gave them an icy look that shivered Fuji's fans. "I dare you to punish me." The weather changed abruptly without any warning. The wind blew strongly and the sky turned dark giving more power to the angry Yuri.
Even they felt the string, negative aura, they caught courage and stabilize it. "Girls! Let's go!" Fuji's fans took their positions as they planned then, attack! Yuri just stood still; she doesn't really care, they started first. If she does any physical injuries, she could say it was just self-defense. But before they could do any harm, Fuji stood in the middle of their way and made them stop. "If she's a witch, why would I walk with her?" he asked politely.
"Be—because, ma—maybe, she place a concoction in your drink! Or even did a curse on you! You're being mani…" the president tried countering but it didn't work. "Even if it'll be the strongest kind, I think I won't be easily cursed." He said calmly. "You're like saying that I'm so weak; can't defend from anything."
"NO! Fuji-sama isn't defenseless or anything! That's not it!" the other member tries to defy. "WE WILL PROTECT FUJI-SAMA our motto. We were just afraid of something, unknown force will corrupt sama's mind!" (what a motto…)
"But what you did was still bad."
"We are deeply sorry, Fuji-sama! We will 'try' not doing this kind of 'bad' thing again!" (For them, what they did was for good of all Fuji fans.) They said in chorus, took a deep bow, turned and run away.
Fuji turned to Yuri and asks her if she's okay and obviously she was fine, the only thing that she regretted: she wasn't able to send them to hell. Damn fan girls. Putting the things that just happened aside, the classmates continued their 'not-interrupted' walk to the tennis courts. Yeah, walking peacefully side by side. But after walking three meters, a flying shoe hits Yuri's head form the back. "Is this bad weather caused by you again?" (It's not yet a very bad weather.) Reiko mockingly asked while looking outside the window as if she didn't throw the shoe. "You know you have the potential of sending them to hell but you still didn't do it. You are getting softer everyday. Isn't that nice? Good for you!" Rieko faced the two friends with a smile.
Yuri faces Reiko and throws the shoe back and hits the target: Reiko's face. "That plastic smile doesn't suit you, but having a shoe on your face is, well, good!" and she giggled.
"Your fashion sense is bad, isn't it?" The shoe fell from Reiko's face. "Can't believe you're this bad."
"Yuri-chan, did you actually aim for that?" Fuji asks his classmate.
"Yeah! I think my accuracy is getting better. And don't worry about it that much, I just returned that shoe to its rightful owner. Let's continue our walk. Don't mind her." She grabbed Fuji's arm and tries to drag him away from that place, away from Reiko. They stopped. "Yuri, I think she wants to walk with us." Fuji said while looking back at Reiko.
"Oh Syuusuke, can't you see she just want to spoil our quality time together?" Yuri thought looking at her crush.
"You think I want to spoil your quality time with him? You nuts?!"
"Reiko read my mind again! Am I that readable already?" Yuri mumbled.
"You forgot? You promised to go with me to meet the coach! Remember! I told you that I'd be in the tennis club. What an absent-minded vice captain! Fuji, do you want to be with an old person?"
"Don't listen to her Syuusuke!"
"Old hag!"
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiotic gecko!" Yuri said right in front of Rieko's face.
"Skinny lizard!"
Yuri and Reiko had another rumble in the middle of the hallway. They seem to be having fun. But knowing the consequences of being late might as well Fuji stop their fight. "Would the two of you like to drink Inui's juice? I'll ask him if he can make you a special one. I'll tell him right now."
The two immediately stopped their nonsense argue and said in chorus, "No!" reaching their hands and each holding Fuji's shoulders bringing him to a halt.
"You finally stop-- "
"Don't ever let me drink that guy's juice!" Reiko and Yuri speak again in unison.
"The two of you have a lot of similar things, don't you? Shall we start walking?" The two girls were speechless and let go Fuji. Fuji started to walk; the two just agreed to walk together and followed silently. As for the weather condition, well, it turned back to being clear. Caused by Yuri's powers? Neh. Must be global warming.
On their way, outside, only a few meters away from the tennis courts, they met Inui, already wearing his jersey, leaning under the tree, listing stuff on his notebook. He then notices his friends and greeted them a good afternoon. Only Fuji and Reiko mind to greet back. Yuri kept her distance from the three who are happily chatting; she didn't want to join in and still recalling what happened at the rooftop. "I didn't want him to yet know my real intentions were. If he knows the truth, it's possibly my fault. Afterall, I'm the one who dragged him along." these thoughts filled Yuri's mind.
Inui decided to ask about his notebook that Yuri borrowed. It seems that she forgot about returning it. Yuri just gave the same expression when Fuji asked her about the book lent by him. "Did I borrow a notebook from you?" She asks back innocently.
"Huh? Even that you forgot, sempai?! Tsk! Maybe you have memory gap or something. You should drink memory enhancers!" Reiko reacted.
"So what if I have?! Got a problem with that?" Yuri answered back angrily.
"It's not only memory gap, but you also suffer from high blood!"
"Okay, I surrender for now, but I'll have my time." She looks at Inui and asks, "Anyway Sadaharu, what notebook was it again?"
Inui didn't answer; he twisted his head a bit that made his glasses shine. He doesn't want the others to know what that notebook was. He hopes that Yuri will remember…
"Ah! Now I remember! It's that g--" Yuri wasn't able to finish her statement because Inui covered her mouth before she knew it. "Top Secret." He whispered to Yuri's ear then smacked her head for forgetting it was never-to-be-known notebook. "Ouch! Sorry for being forgetful and everything!" Yuri exclaimed. "I'll be meeting with Syuusuke tomorrow 'cause I have to return his book. Can you come so I can return you're notebook as well?"
"What time would that be?"
"It'll be 9:30 in the morning. How's that?"
"Make that eleven o'clock. I have some things that I have to take care early and I think it will take some time."
"But— Keh! You're so demanding! Now I'll have to wait one and a half hour! I will dissolve just because of waiting!" Yuri complained, and then looked at Inui's face. "And basing from that look on your face, it looks like I can't do anything about it since I'm the one who's at fault."
"Don't worry Yuri-chan, let's just meet at that time tomorrow then." Fuji tries to wheedle Yuri. "Eleven will be fine."
"Syuusuke, you're so considerate! Thank you!" Yuri runs towards Fuji and tries to hug him but Reiko's flying shoe stops Yuri from doing so. She loves throwing shoes, doesn't she?
"Don't let her harass you, Fuji-sempai!" Reiko warned.
"You're the one's harassing here, brat!" Yuri threw back the shoe. Reiko dodges it and hit Inui's hand instead, making the notebook Inui was holding fall. "Sa—sadaharu."
Inui looked at his notebook and picks it up. "For that, you'll pay for my lunch tomorrow, okay?"
"What?!" Yuri yelled in shock and at the same thought, "This is clearly his revenge for this lunch time. Did he plan this out? Despicable he is!" She can't say no after what she did. "Okay Sadaharu, I'll be the one to pay…"
"We'll be going now. See you, Yuri-chan, Asuzumi-san." Inui bade goodbye.
"Don't forget about my book and his notebook tomorrow." Fuji reminded. Then the two guys turned and started walking towards the tennis courts.
"Okay bye, tomorrow then." Yuri turned to the opposite direction.
When there was enough distance, thinking he already can't be heard, Fuji asks the Data Player, "Hey Inui, why do think Yuri-san's forgetting a lot of things lately? Did something happen?"
"She… 'has' today that's why…" Inui replied simply.
"That explains it! It really affects a lady's thinking, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it really does."
Even it was unlikely to be heard because of the distance, miraculously, by some impossible means, Yuri heard it as if it was shouted to her ears. Ultra sense of hearing! "Shut up you sadistic jerks! I can still hear you! And that thing is none of business!" Yuri roared.
Inui started to feel terrified. He shouldn't have said that. Was that suppose to be a secret? "I think it's time for us to run away. In that way we'll reach the tennis courts faster."
"Ah, okay, but she's already behind you." Fuji agrees…(?)
Inui slowly faces back and he…he saw a demon's face, fresh from hell! "Bye, bye!" Then he dashes away. "Can you destroy me later? We still have practice, you know?"
Yuri chases Inui around. "The more we'll be late. Buchou might get mad." Fuji sighed in exhaust watching them. Same goes for Reiko-chan. "What a childish nee-san she is." she thought.
Yuri got tired of chasing Inui and finally she decided to stop. What a relief. "Just wait Sadaharu! Let's go Reiko! Humph!" And they were back on their track.
As soon as the two girls were out of sight, everything went silent; the atmosphere of the to sadistic tennis players turned serious. They started to walk. The tensai starts the conversation. "They are really sisters, aren't they?"
"Someone told me they are. And I never saw Yuri give that much care."
"They have different fathers, I see."
"Possibly. Maybe that's why they keep their relationship a secret."
"Who told you they were?"
Inui just smiled. "You'll know soon." Then they heard Oishi found them and calls them to hurry up, so they did. They have to continue their conversation some other time; tomorrow perhaps?
On the other hand, Reiko was still teasing her…uh…sempai about tomorrow. "Neh, neh, which one will you pick? The data player or the tensai?"
"That head of yours needs to be formatted!"
Reiko did not hear a single thing. "I wonder how that date will turn out? I wonder if one of them will confess."
"What confession do you mean?! You mean—and it's not a date!" Yuri blushed thinking about it.
"But why they confess to a skinny lizard? Does she even have any good points? I can't see any reasons why they would like her. And she'll be dating two guys at the same time? Doesn't she know that she's already hurting them?" Reiko was talking to herself but she purposely let Yuri hear.
"Why you impudent little brat! Come here and let me tear you apart!"
"Hehe, the more you will lose points to them if your always a high-blooded monster."
They didn't even notice that they arrive at their destination. They were arguing too much. Good thing they didn't get lost.
Taking about how time flies! The club activities were finished in a blink of the eye. Okay, maybe they were long. The students went on their ways. It was time for them to have some extra fun, and take a short break from classes. The weekends are short, right? Hmm, about Reiko, she was got in the tennis club alright! She showed up some pretty nice moves. Remembering the tennis club, they finished a little later than the others. At the club house…
"Oi, Oishi what's that look on your face?" Taka-san asks concernly.
"Huh? No, no, this is nothing. Ja, I'll be going ahead." Oishi went out. While walking, he was still worried about Eiji. "Seeing Eiji awhile ago, he seems fine." He can't help worry. So he decides to go to the container where Eiji and him usually stay to wear off their worries.
As he arrives, he noticed Eiji was in top of it, looking at the setting sun. Eiji seems to be deeply thinking about something that he didn't notice Oishi was there. Oishi climbed up to the container and sits beside the Acrobatic Player. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"
Eiji replies, "There's something… a memory I forgot but now… I keep on remembering it, even though I hate it that much. Why can't I forget…?"
"It must be about someone who was important to you."
"It is."
Silence grew. It seems to be peaceful, to be watching the setting sun at the west with a close friend. At least it will give an easy feeling. The day has to end, but knowing there will be tomorrow, it's great, especially hoping it to be pleasant, enjoyable day. Waiting for tomorrow.