Chapter Twenty

Fuji

Spending a Saturday night on your own is one of the worst things you can do to yourself. I had gotten so used to spending the evening going to the cinema, the tennis courts, a burger joints, wherever, with Tezumi and Takahashi that it almost seemed surreal to be left in the empty house by myself.

There wasn't any point in calling Takahashi. She only came to our weekly nights out because Tezumi was there. The other tennis regulars were undoubtedly involved in their own activities. All this underlined my serious lack of a social life, a thought I normally pushed to some dusty corner of my mind.

I tried playing tennis, I tried reading, I even tried watching television. Nothing worked. I always ended up flopped on my bed feeling depressed.

Why did she go with Ishizaki anyway? How could she ever like the guy, with me around? Wait. What?

You're getting arrogant, I told myself sternly. Don't forget that Tezumi isn't your normal girl. She doesn't get blind crushes on random tensais walking around.

I almost wish she did.

Why do I care?

At this, I got up, grabbed my keys and headed out the door. It was a starry, peaceful night, reflecting the exact opposite of what was going on inside me. My wandering feet carried me to the park, a favorite place of both Tezumi and me. Again, it was tantalizingly quiet.

I wonder how their date's going.

Why do I care?

Because...she's my best friend!

You seem awfully obsessed with your best friend.

Sighing, I leaned against a park bench, resting my head in my hands. There was no point in going through the what-is-this-feeling stage. These always came up to the same conclusion anyway, so why not just skip it and admit straight away that I had fallen—really hard—for this best friend of mine.

I gave the stars a small smile. Never knew this would happen.

The mystery having finally cleared, my imagination, long restrained, took flight.

Her date with Ishizaki...could've stopped it...should've stopped it...if I'd asked her out first.

It was almost laughable. I'd spent so many days and evenings together with her, sometimes alone, even. And I'd never taken the hint, never bothered to ask why my pulse fluttered whenever her face came close, or when she grabbed my hand, if only just to drag me off somewhere.

Could anyone get any dumber?

I was so deep in thought that the voices came quite close before I actually noticed them.

"Having a good time, Tezumi? We must do this more often."

Even the sound of his voice caused me to clench my fist.

"I guess..." At least she didn't sound like she was having the time of her life. There was still a chance. For me.

Then it struck me as very odd that Ishizaki would bring Tezumi here, of all the bigger and prettier parks around. Unless Tezumi brought him here?

She took him to our special place. My newfound optimism half died.

They rounded the corner, but didn't immediately see me.

Through the gloom I saw Ishizaki take Tezumi's hand.

Don't you dare touch her—

She flung it away, cheering me up immensely.

"Oh come on, Tezumi, we're on a date." This time he tried to put an arm around her waist.

"Hi," I said casually, stepping out of the shadows. They both jumped, but Ishizaki merely tightened his hold on Tezumi, regardless of her efforts to peel him off.

"Having a nice time?"
I hope it was horrible.

"But it's getting kind of late—"
Get off her, you incompetent, arrogant, self-centered—

"—and Tezumi's folks don't like her staying out so late."

Now leave her alone and never bother her again.

"Oh, I know that." Ishizaki was smirking triumphantly at me. "And I was fulfilling my duty as her date by walking her home, before you popped out of the ground."

I hate to admit it, but the guy has a point.

"Ok, well, I live in the same neighborhood as Tezumi, so I guess I'll be going the same way." Never mind it being rude to interrupt peoples' dates.

"And you look like you're strangling her, Ishizaki. You know that?" He at least had the sense to stop forcing physical contact with her.

So the three of us ended up walking home together, with me sticking as close as I could to them without wholly intruding on their privacy. Or stepping on the back of their shoes. I was angry, but not in the mood for a fight.

The lovely couple had just begun to bicker when I abruptly stopped in my tracks.

Tezumi turned. "What's up, Fuji?"

I strained my eyes in the darkness. I was sure I had seen—or at least I had heard—

"Nothing. I—umph—"

"Ahh—mph—"

Tezumi!

"Hey! Wha—grph—"

Ishizaki!

I tried to call out, but speech was rendered useless as the sack was thrown over my head.