"Tomorrow…will it be one of my wonderful days? Then, decide what you'll do to make it one of them."
It's late Friday evening, 10:57. Yuri still can't decide what she'll wear for tomorrow. She almost emptied two of her closets and the clothes are scattered all around her room. Tired and annoyed, she threw herself on her bed, thinking why she's making a problem out of choosing what to wear. She looked at her watch and realized that it was late. She felt that her eyes were getting heavy and yawned. She stood up and decided to start picking up the strewn clothes. In the middle of her clean-up session, her grandmama, Sai, whom she's currently living with, knocked at her bedroom door and asked for permission to come in. Yuri authorized her entry. Her grandma got in, bringing with her a glass of milk and asked her granddaughter if everything's okay.
"Good evening, baa-san, nothing to worry here." Yuri placed the clothes on top of her bed and accepted the glass of milk. "Thanks for this. Is there something else you came here for?" she then put the glass of milk on her desk.
Her grandmother drew herself towards the bed, looked at the clothes on top of it and chuckled. "You have a date tomorrow, don't you? With whom?"
"What are you talking about?! You consider a date important? Whatever. If I knew I'd have a date, I would have bought a new set of clothes. And I wouldn't be dating just any kind of guy. Actually, I haven't really decided whom I like to be with. The guys who courted me before were never on my list. The great thing is, I even thought that it won't probably be considered a date. I'll still be with the famous tennis genius of Seigaku!" she said proudly then she remembered something, I mean somebody. "Gah! I almost forgot about Sadaharu! Why did I forget to return his notebook? If I hadn't, Fuji and I would—it would have been a date!" As the feeling of anguish got stronger, Yuri became nosier, nagging of whatever, trying to anticipate the future.
Already immune to Yuri who nags a lot, baa-san let most of Yuri's speech pass to her other ear and instead, she occupied herself with the clothes that she wants to let her grandchild wear.
Ignored, Yuri shouted to her grandma, "Baa-san! Are you listening to me?" She paused for a sigh. "And what is it with you sorting my clothes? I'll arrange them myself. If there's nothing else, go now."
"I have no plans of arranging this mess. What do you think of me? A maid?"
"That's not what I said! You…you didn't listen carefully!"
Yeah she's right, granny didn't listen. Or maybe it's hearing problems caused by old age? Not minding Yuri's last lines, she faced Yuri and held up a white mini skirt and exclaimed, "I want you to wear this tomorrow!"
"I thought you just came here to give me a glass of milk! And you suddenly decided to choose what I'll wear?! Of all the—why a mini skirt?!" Yuri replied angrily.
"No excuses. If you don't wear this I'll torture 'them' to their deaths!" she blackmailed for a reply.
"Isn't that too much?" Yuri asked. "A grandmother who has white hair, a lost tooth, lots of wrinkles, deteriorated senses, not to mention the hearing sense, got osteoporosis, arthritis, has an idea of what youngsters wear nowadays? How old are you anyway?"
"Now that's what I call too much. Even though I'm old, I still am knowledgeable of 'youngsters' nowadays wear. Now, wear this tomorrow or else you won't be able to set foot in this mansion again!" She overpowered her granddaughter. Yuri couldn't do anything but sob. "You win grandma." Yuri said her defeat in a rather refusing tone holding the mini skirt with hands trembling in anger.
After hearing Yuri admit her defeat, grandma walked to the door and opened it. "Wear that with the black dress shirt I bought you last Thursday, okay? You know what day tomorrow is."
"Umm…Okay, okay! Just, just go already."
"Oh yeah, one more thing. If you sleep very late tonight, you'll be late for your violin lessons tomorrow morning that's for sure. So hurry up and clean up this mess."
"What violin lessons…?"
"Because of the date tomorrow, you forgot about your violin lessons. What did that boyfriend of yours let you drink, huh?! Sheez!" Shuuko complains. She then said good night to her granddaughter and shut the door close.
Yuri went back to cleaning her room. After cleaning, she took a picture from her study table and looked at it and thought, "It's father's death anniversary tomorrow. That I haven't forgotten. I haven't."
Suddenly her cellphone beeped. Yuri got a hold of it, flipped it open and reads the message from Reiko. It says: "I knw ur stiL up cuz it always takes u a long tym to chuz wat uL wer, espciaLy wen toms ur date wid d 2 regulars. Ehem2x! Gud Luck sis! Dnt snd dem 2 heL, K? Nighty-night!" (text style)
Yuri just kept on twitching while saying, "She still has the energy to tease at this time of night? Does she want me to show up at her house and give her a lesson?"
At the Asuzumi's mansion, Rieko lying down on her bed received startling waves from Yuri and made her shiver. She'll not be surprise if her sister will pop at their mansion anyways. That's her usual doing—popping out of nowhere. "I bet she's already planning on how she'll torture me."
Not yet sleepy, Reiko turned on her mp4 and listens to a certain classical music. She keeps on thinking if whether or not she will go to 'his' grave. Will she give in to her mother's request? Or feel the wrath of her father? "Do I really have to decide? For now, I'll wait for Naomi-san's reply. Hopefully she will…"
An hour has passed and Reiko's now asleep. She didn't mind her cellphone beeped. The message was from Naomi, which she was waiting for. But nothing can be done since she's already fast asleep. She can read it tomorrow anyways.
--
The day has finally come! It's now Saturday! The sun is shining brightly, the birds are chirping happily, and the clouds are evenly distributed in the blue sky. Looks like nothing can go wrong this day.
Yuri woke up early this morning. It's 6:15 and she's all ready to leave for her early violin lessons that she almost forgot last night. Like her grandmother ordered, she wore the white mini skirt and the black dress shirt, with her hair pony tailed. As soon as she was finished dressing up, she dashed to the front door. "Yuri-sama! Your breakfast!" their maid shouted.
While Yuri was running, she suddenly thought, "I feel so light and yet, why am I running so slowly today? Humm… is there something I forgot to bring?" She finally reached the first gate and realized why she was running slowly—she was wearing high heels! "I know I put on my rubber shoes… Why am I wearing these again?"
After two minutes, a black limousine, obviously owned by her grandmother, showed up and stopped beside Yuri. The window opened. Yuri faced and looked; She saw her grandma with a very angry face. "You left your bag and violin, you idiot!" Sai shouted at her granddaughter. "Violin lessons without a violin?! How do you call that?"
"So that was it! No wonder I felt so ethereal!" Yuri said like it was no big deal forgetting the bag and the violin. "Can you hand them over?"
"Are you telling me you will run 6.7 kilometers wearing that kind of outfit? You nuts? Get in now!", grandmother commanded.
"Hai—sorry for my stupidity! (I thought the distance was 5.46 kilometers.)" Yuri bowed and as ordered, she got in the limousine.
--
And after a couple of minutes, they have arrived at their destination—Hyotei Gakuen. Yuri was about to get out but she suddenly stopped, hearing her grandmother's voice saying, "Are you sure you don't want to go home at the mansion tonight?"
This worried statement drew a distorted smile on Yuri's face. "I've already decided.", she replied looking at her grandma with unambiguous eyes. "And oh yeah, thanks for this pair of doll shoes."
"Well, I knew those high heels will just slow you down. I will just feel sorry for that pair if they can't be used anymore… Just don't forget everything that I've instructed you."
"Sure thing."
The driver opened the door for Yuri. She jumps off the limousine, not forgetting her bag and violin. The driver closes the car's door and departs immediately—he doesn't want to be scolded again. Yuri watched the car whoosh through the street. When the car was out of sight, she turned about to the school and started walking towards it. She walked through the gates without questions from the security. Looking ahead, she saw the blue-haired tennis regular, wearing a light green polo shirt and black pants, leaning under the tree, with crossed arms and seemingly looking at her with appeal. A few more steps— He got up from his position and greeted Yuri a good morning with a pleasant smile.
"Is that how you greet other people 'good morning'? That's not how you greeted me the last time we've met.", she replied with an I-can't-believe-it, emotionless tone. "I still remembered that time you pushed me to the wall because you wanted to— So today is a harmless greeting? Why?", she continued.
"That was for fun…I just wanted it to be different today. That's it." Oshitari replied.
Yuri glared at him with the translation: "The hell I believe you! So, what are your evil plans for me today, huh? Or are you starting to be one of Atobe's puppets, and carrying his orders; that he commanded you to greet me like this?!"
Being with her for a year, he learned how to translate that kind of look; of course he knew what it meant. Oshitari became irritated by the look that he covered Yuri's eyes with his left hand. "Isn't that enough for a reason?" he inquired.
Yuri moved his hand away from her eyes and angrily answered, "No!"
He paused; he decided to redirect the topic. "Let me carry your violin."
"Another virtuous act done by Yuushi?!" Yuri said with a doubtful voice and a shocked expression. "Wha—(He doesn't do this kind of stuff especially to me! Maybe now he is really controlled by that guy who appears with roses!)?!" she was petrified because of shock. Actually, she doesn't want Oshitari to be Atobe's puppet.
As a fast reaction, he then grabbed Yuri's violin, poked her forehead and started to walk. Yuri recovered. "Why do want to carry my violin that badly?!", she yelled.
"I just want you to wear that cute backpack of yours properly."
"Is that even a reason?!", she shouted to cover her blush.
"We're going to be late. So hurry up.", he commanded.
"What's up with you today?" She walked until they were walking side by side. Oshitari didn't bother to reply.
As they were walking, the tensai of Hyotei stole a few glances at Yuri. She was awfully quiet and the reason was clear for him. He decided to pretend that he didn't know, so he began a conversation. "Your face sure is gloomier than usual.", he said without looking at Yuri's face.
Yuri took a halt. "Is that so?", she said while giving a pitiable look. "Does it bother you, Yuushi?", she continued.
"Yes, it does." Oshitari answered simply.
She continued to walk. "Then don't be. Just imagine I am invisible like the air."
"The air can still be felt, baka. That's why it can't be ignorned.", he countered.
"Right…okay, maybe my reasoning isn't working…"
At once, Oshitari took his cellphone out and texted—"What are you doing?" Yuri yelled.
After he has done using his cellphone, he placed it back to his pocket. "I texted Shishido. He has the right to know." He answered with a demonic smile.
"If you do that—gah! He probably won't get worried. Who asked you to send him a message? Just as I suspected, that 'good morning' of your comes with a price!"
"Nothing's free today, right?"
After Yuushi's reply to Yuri, his cellphone beeped. "Oh he replied. That's unusual for him too."
Yuri just kept her mouth shut; she wanted to know what Shishido's reply would be and she doesn't want Oshitari see that she wants to know. Oshitari took his cellphone out from his pocket, flipped it open and read the message. Yuri, on the other hand, gulped in excitement—excited to hear what her companion would say. Oshitari noticed Yuri and again decided to pretend not to know. Why wouldn't he? He just loves the face of Yuri in that kind of way. He closed his phone and smiled. Yuri was annoyed for Oshitari didn't share the message that she gave him a powerless punch that the blue-haired tensai ignored. "Let's not have our violin lessons today." Oshitari suddenly said while looking at his cellphone.
"Why?! Huh? You decide that fast?!"
"Of course. That won't be a problem for our teacher. She probably will be happy since she doesn't have to work and we're the ones paying her. Don't worry, if she questions, I'll be the one to make excuses. And besides I'll do this because this is a favor…"
"Wait! Should we ask permission from—Who are you and what've you done to the real Oshitari, Yuushi?!"
Oshitari grabbed Yuri's right hand and forcefully drag her to the direction where he was going. (He sorta eloped her… It seems that way, doesn't it?)
--
It was already 7:11 in the morning. Reiko's still in bed for she has ignored the alarm but she is half awake, rubbing her eyes to get a clearer vision. She turned to the other side of her bed and saw her phone. She grabbed it and noticed the message. When she read the message, she suddenly jumped from her bed and rushed to the bathroom to take a bath. Obviously the message was from Naomi, which she was unable to read last night. They have to meet at eight and the place where they will meet is far from her home. Now, Reiko has to hurry if she doesn't want her friend to be waiting for her. Finally, the sign she was waiting for came.
--
Time passed; it was already 9:55 in the morning. At the garden behind the hotel building of the Oshitari group…
"Stay away from me Keigo!! What do you think of me? Cheap? Just because you're the one who paid for my drink, you can already have a date with me?! That's ILLOGICAL!!" Yuri shouted while running away from the tennis club captain of Hyoutei, Atobe, Keigo, who was wearing his swimming trunks because he was suppose to swim in the swimming pool until he saw Yuri.
"You're making me loose my—tsk!" Tired, Atobe stopped from running. "Kabaji, grab her!" Hyotei's captain commanded.
"Usu." Atobe's puppet, Kabaji, Munehiro affirmed and he immediately carried out the order. Unfortunately, Yuri was caught in the arms of the puppet and was struggling to break free.
Atobe moved closer and slipped his right hand through Yuri's hair and to her left cheek. "You look very beautiful in that swim suit, that's why I can't resist. You don't like a formal date with me, right? I could always rent a room here. Would you like that?" he asked.
"That… won't make my answer different…" she replied. Atobe just smiled in amusement. After a few seconds staring at each other, without Atobe's orders, Kabaji let go of Yuri and fell on the ground.
"Kabaji…?" Atobe said in a low voice.
"You really want me mad, huh, Keigo-kun?"
Oh, what a scary face the captain has seen. Yuri started to attack. Luckily, Atobe evaded the first two kicks, but for the next attacks, a slap on the face and a strong punch on the stomach, he wasn't able to dodge. They made him fell on the ground too and yet he was still smiling knowing that one of the girl he likes was this powerful; he couldn't say anything but smile. Yuri took a towel and covered it around her. She looked at Atobe for a moment and walked pass him with a frown. The other people who had watched what happened clapped.
After changing back to her clothes, Yuri sat on the lobby lounge to rest and at the same time waiting for Oshitari. She closed her eyes. Not for long, Oshitari found her and sat down beside her. "Sorry if I left you back there. I was called out for some important matters.", he spoke.
"It's alright. But why did you bring me to a place where Atobe's at?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't bring you here."
"Right." Yuri opened her eyes, stood up,grabbed her stuffs and turned her back at Oshitari. "Oh yeah, I left him lying near the pool." It was followed by a pause. "Thanks for the breakfast. I must get going.", she continued.
"Will I let someone drive you to your destination?" Oshitari offered.
"No thanks. I'll just get a taxi. Ja!", she bade goodbye and went out the building. She then was out of sight.
"She left… I wanted more fun…" Atobe said from behind, leaning on the sofa already have changed his clothes. "Too bad we can't go to her father's grave today."
"Ah…"
"By the way, you're courting her, aren't you? Even though you know their—" Atobe said mischievously.
"Why are you doing the same then?" Oshitari answered back.
"You should know since you're smart."
"I never knew you could be this greedy, Atobe."
"We still have a chance, right? Since it isn't confirmed." Atobe reminded.
--
"I'm finally here. It's still thirteen minutes to eleven, might as while practice a little." Yuri arrived at the meeting place: at the park, bottom, street tennis place on third street. While waiting for them, she sat down on the staircase and started playing her violin. She played one of her favorite animè song, "Myself".
From the top of the stairs, the melody caught the attention of the Seigaku tensai, Fuji, who came ealier. When he looked down, he saw that it was his classmate who was playing it. He waited until Yuri finished the song. After it was over, he called out to his classmate.
Yuri looked up and stood. "Oh hi, Syuusuke. You sure are early."
"I played with my brother here earlier." Fuji said while taking some steps down. "Why did you play a poignant song?"
"…Because I have already considered this day a sad one." Yuri replied.
--
A/n: Sorry for the late update… Hope this one's good… bow