A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the slow update. Please forgive this hopeless soul and r&r this chapter. I do not own POT.
Chapter-13
Yukimura and Sanada watched as the others practiced in different courts. Renji and Kirihara finished a match and came back for a drink. The former joined Yukimura as they watched Sanada scold Kirihara for losing.
Suddenly loud cheers came from a court at the far left. A lot of the members have gathered around the court to cheer for the players. They realized that it was where Asuna and Niou were playing and they all headed there together.
Niou and Asuna stood on opposite sides of the court. Both sweating profusely but Asuna was smiling while Niou had a slight frown on his face. Apparently the trickster was having a difficult time beating Asuna and he was getting frustrated. She was leading with 6-5.
"Getting a little rusty, senpai?" Asuna teased as she got ready to serve. Niou growled at her before dashing forward to return the shot. Asuna smiled as she suddenly jumped to reach the ball in the air and hit it with all she had.
Niou along with everyone else around the court watched as the ball crash landed just inside the baseline of Niou's side. She had used Niou's meteor drive against him. It took Yagyu a minute before he could announce Asuna the winner. Everyone watching the match went wild.
Niou looked a little mad but then crossed the net and patted his kohai's head.
"You're learning fast kid" he smirked as Asuna pouted.
"It won't be that easy next time." Niou winked.
"I'll still win." Asuna winked back.
Renji had a smile on his face as he turned to the other two monsters of Rikkai.
"Guess who'll be taking the Regionals by storm yet again?"
Yukimura and Sanada smirked.
Seeing Asuna they got back their old motivation to beat all the others at the Regionals. They were worried about her performance but she was working hard to expand her arsenal. So she could fight beside them at the Regionals.
"Her stamina has increased. So has her speed. Even Niou was exhausted after their match. But she was still doing pretty well. She even mastered Niou's Meteor Drive in such a short time. I can't help being impressed."
Renji tried to hide his slight blush with a frown but Yukimura's chuckle told him he was caught.
But before Yukimura could say anything, Asuna bounded up to them, her face glowing with pride.
"Senpaitachi!" she called out. "Did you see what I did!" she squeaked as Niou came and secured her in a gentle headlock.
"We're very impressed Asu-chan" Yukimura chuckled.
"But you can't be careless. You have to concentrate more." Sanada said with his usual serious face. Asuna pouted at that.
"Good job though" came Sanada's short praise as he left to gather the others.
Asun's face broke into a beautiful smile and she turned to look for Renji, only to see that he was already staring at her. She blushed as she remembered yesterday's events again.
"Asuna" Renji called as they reached her apartment building. She looked at him expectantly. He wrapped her in a gentle hug.
"Give me a chance to get to know you better" he murmured against her ear. "Let me help you forget all your sorrows."
Asuna hid her blushing face in his chest as he kissed her head for the second time that evening.
Asuna snapped from her thoughts as she watched Renji walk away while talking to the others. He asked me to walk home with him again.
DDDDDDDDDD
Renji and Asuna walked side by side, in comfortable silence on their way home. Their hands would occasionally brush which would leave them blushing madly.
As they neared Asuna's apartment, Renji lightly grasped her wrist to stop her. She stopped, her head lowered to hide the blush spreading across her face.
Renji stood in front of her and tilted her face up but before he could say anything, it started to pour. Caught off guard, both stood shocked in the rain for a while before Asuna grabbed Renji's arm and ran into her apartment building.
The climbed the stairs to her apartment and went in, both shivering from being soaked.
Asuna quickly retrieved two towels for both of them. Renji wiped himself as best he could before Asuna showed him to the spare bedroom and bathroom where he could take a shower and change.
Renji thanked her, entered the bathroom and without a second thought jumped in the shower. The warm water soothed his cold skin as he began to think more clearly.
He was in Asuna's apartment. Only the two of them. She was also probably showering right now. They've been alone at his place before. But somehow this was different. He felt like he didn't have to lock all his feelings up around her anymore. The thought of Asuna showering in the other room made him blush. He quickly rid himself of these thoughts and finished showering. Stepping out, he noticed a set of clothes waiting for him on the bed.
Changing into them he came out to see the living room still empty as the rain continued to pour outside. He made himself comfortable on the couch as he looked around the apartment. It was a pretty nice one. Spacious, nice furniture and paintings, wonderful décor and well kept, although he thought the last two features of the place was Asuna's doing. He wondered where her parents stayed. She was never too chatty about her personal life, sans the Fuji issue.
His eyes stopped at one of the smaller paintings in the room. It wasn't anything too critical or abstract, just a field of lavenders. The painting was so simple but grabbed his attention nonetheless. He got up to inspect it closely.
A moment later the door to Asuna's bedroom opened and she stepped out in a big t-shirt and shorts while wiping her hair. Asuna's face became red once he turned to her. Renji thought it was because she was uncomfortable or something. So he decided to lighten the atmosphere and drew her attention to the painting he was inspecting.
"You have great paintings" he commented, but soon realized his comment had further worsened her discomfort. Unsure about what to do he began to panic, when a small voice stopped him.
"Do you really think so Yanagi senpai?" he nodded to clarify her doubt.
"Where did you get this?" he asked pointing to the lavender painting.
Asuna stayed quiet for a while, fidgeting with her towel.
"I didn't buy it senpai" she said in a small voice.
"A gift?" he guessed and she shook her head to say no.
He turned back to the painting wondering how she got it if it was neither bought nor a gift. Just then he noticed something. A tiny signature at the corner of the painting. A. Takahashi it said. He turned to the other paintings and they all had the same signature. It was no mystery now that she'd painted all of them. He couldn't help being impressed.
"Why didn't you join the art club then?" he asked settling himself on the couch again.
She shrugged. "I already know how to paint. Been doing that since I was five. I only paint to fill up empty walls. Or maybe make gifts."
"Since that young? Don't you want to go pro with art?" he was very surprised with her lack of motivation to pursue her talent.
"Not really. My parents wanted me to pursue a career in music or art since I was good at both since childhood. Could've easily gone to Hyotei with a scholarship too. But I guess I just didn't want to" she busily made dinner while Renji sat at the counter listening to her.
"I was pretty happy at first with going to a normal middle and high school but the last year was beginning to make me regret my choices. The sudden school shift and going so far from my previous address had my parents worried. But I just couldn't tell them anything. They'd pull me out of here immediately and-" she suddenly stopped and turned to Renji.
"I'm so sorry senpai. I didn't mean to ramble on like that." Renji waved at her words.
"You never tell anyone about your personal or family life. I feel like I'm getting to see a different side of you today." Asuna smiled at his words as they set the table together.
Once they'd started eating, Renji continued their previous conversation.
"So do your parents live far from here?"
"Yeah" came her simple reply.
"Like a different city far?"
"A different country far. They live in Paris, senpai. They work there."
"Oh? Did you live in Paris as well?"
"Yes. I was born there. But we once came here for a trip as well as my father's work and I refused to go back. So they enrolled me in middle school in Seigaku. Didn't leave here since then. And before you ask, yes, I know French."
Renji blushed a little for being too inquisitive. He couldn't help it. He barely knew anything about her except for what she showed on the surface.
He was determined to know her better than anyone else. And he wanted to make most of the opportunity given to him.
