Previously…

Ryoga would have to stay in the hospital for about a month. Yagyuu had him moved to one of his best private room, one which had a view on the park of the hospital. He also told Rinko and Nanjirou not to worry about the fee of the hospital. He would cover everything.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Yagyuu-kun," Rinko told him non stop, crying grateful tears.

"Thank you very much," Nanjirou told.

"It's a pleasure, Echizen-fusai," Yagyuu told them.

While Yagyuu talked with her parents, Ryoma observed him with surprised eyes. She had always thought that Yagyuu was the kind of person who wouldn't do anything unless it brings him profit or merit. However, helping her brother would definitely never bring him any profit. Then why did he help? But whatever the reason was, only one thing mattered for her right now.

"Hontou ni arigatou, Yagyuu-senpai," Ryoma told him, sincerely grateful. Yagyuu nodded in acknowledge.

Indeed, Ryoma was right to think that Yagyuu Hiroshi would never do anything without a purpose behind.

In the hospital. Ryoga's room.

After having chatted over an hour with him, Nanjirou, Rinko and Ryoma left to let Ryoga rest. But someone knocked on his door again.

"Come in," Ryoga said.

It was Yagyuu. He stepped in the room and closed the door. Then, he crossed his arms and leaned on the door, looking straight to Ryoga. Ryoga blinked, dumbfounded.

"Yes? What is it?"

"So, care to explain, Ryuu," Yagyuu said.

"Huh? I don't understand what you mean. Explain what? And who's Ryuu?"

"Drop the act. It was because of me that you to have that reverse C scar behind your right shoulder. How can I not remember you, my stupid ten-years-lost cousin, Yuuji Ryuu?"

Ryoga momentary fidged and stared at Yagyuu. For a long moment, the two of them stared at each other in the eyes without blinking. After what, Ryoga sighed, giving up. He knew there was no point pretending anything to Yagyuu Hiroshi anymore. The purple hair boy knew the truth about everything.

"Ah haa…" Ryoga leaned on his pillow, looking up to the ceiling. "And here I was hoping that you would never recognize me again, Hiroshi."

"Who do you think I am? You know me better than that!" Yagyuu said. He went to sit on the chair next to Ryoga's bed. "After cousin Kuchiki's and his wife's murder ten years ago, only your body wasn't found. We assumed that you were still alive. We have been searching for you everywhere in America. But I can't believe that I would find you here, in Japan, and under the roof of on of my kouhais. When I first saw you at Echizen's house, I was surprised; though I wasn't really sure it was you. Then, when I gave you the first-aids after that incident, I saw your scar. That was when I was absolutely certain it was really you. I even had a DNA test done from your blood to confirm my doubts. And guess what? It did, Ryuu."

"I'm no longer Ryuu, Hiroshi. I'm Ryoga now, Echizen Ryoga."

"Why didn't you try to contact us again?"

"After oyajii took me in, I became his son, an Echizen. I wasn't a Yuuji anymore. If I had contacted you, the murderer behind my parents' car accident would know that I was still alive. He would probably try to kill me again. And that would put my new family in danger too. I couldn't allow that. Besides, I was happy with my new life. I even have a little sister to make fun of everyday. Why would I want to return to my old life again?"

"It was true that we couldn't find enough proof to charge that sly dog Isogai. He did a very good job erasing all the traces of his dirty work behind him. But he died in the most unexpected way. He was going to rape a maid and got killed. The maid was cleaning his hallway when he attacked her. While fighting against him in self-defense, she pushed him over the stair. He fell from the first floor and broke his neck. To tell the truth, no one really regretted his loss. On the contrary, many were very happy that he disappeared from this world."

"Well, he deserved his death."

"You are now the sole heir of cousin Kuchiki's fortune. With Isogai's death, no one would harm you again. When will you come back?"

"I don't want to. And why do you want me to come back anyway? Without me in the way, you are chichi's (1) next heir right?"

"It's because I don't want to be his heir that I have been searching for you everywhere during these last ten years! Do you know how much trouble I've had because of that succession story!"

"But you have always been a very capable boy. You can handle it, right? You did up to today! Why don't you continue to do it for the rest of your life?" Ryoga said, grinning sheepishly. Yagyuu looked sternly at Ryoga, ticking his right eyebrow, not answering.

"Haa…" Yagyuu sighed. He would let it pass for now. For now only. Because he needed to discuss of something else. "Actually, I have something I want to talk with you. It's about Echizen-chan."

"Chibisuke?"

Yagyuu nodded. And he started.

Later, when Yagyuu finished.

"I see…" Ryoga trailed. He looked outside the window. "You are right. She will refuse."

Ryoga and Yagyuu momentarily kept silence. Then, Ryoga spoke again.

"Let me handle it."

"Then I'm counting on you," Yagyuu said. Ryoga nodded. Seeing the time of his watch, Yagyuu stood up. "It's late. I have to go now. Take care of you."

"Hmn!" Ryoga nodded. "Take care. And watch over your little cousin for me too!"

"My little cousin? You mean Echizen-chan?"

"Tsk tsk tsk!" Ryoga tsked. "You call her Ryoma now, Hiroshi. Ry-o-ma. Since you're my cousin and she's my little sister, that makes her your cousin too, right?"

"Haa…" Yagyuu sighed. "I get it. I'll watch over Ry-o-ma for you."

Ryoga grinned.

"Thanks!"

"See you again." And with these last words, Yagyuu left.

When Tezuka told the regulars about the training camp, Ryoma didn't want to go. She wanted to stay close to her brother so she can visit him everyday. But when Ryoga learn about her decision, he wasn't happy about it.

'Just as Hiroshi thought, she refused,' Ryoga thought. He knew his sister was worried for him, but he disapproved her refusal to go to the camp just because of him.

"Chibisuke, you will go to the camp," Ryoga ordered her.

"But-…!"

"Chibisuke, if you don't go, I won't forgive you," he interrupted her.

"I-…!"

"Ryoma." He called her by her first name this time, which meant he was being very serious. "You might not see it, but this tournament against Germany is very important for Japan, more important than the National. It's an international business here. I appreciate that you're concerned about me, but the future of Japan Tennis Junior is more important than me. Ryoma, if you really care about me, then go to the camp and train seriously."

"Aniki…" Ryoma couldn't find anything to say.

"Do it for me, Ryoma," Ryoga said.

"H-Hai…" Ryoma obeyedly trailed. She lowed her head.

Seing her sad face, Ryoga put a hand on her head, patting her.

"Don't be mad at me, Chibisuke," Ryoga said, using her nickname again. "I'm only doing this for you."

Ryoma didn't respond back. She knew he was sincere, but she was still sad that he wouldn't let her stay near him.

After that Ryoma left, Ryoga remembered the conversation he had with Yagyuu.

Flashback

"Actually, I have something I want to talk to you. It's about Echizen-chan."

"Chibisuke?"

Yagyuu nodded. And he started.

Yagyuu told Ryoga about what happen between Sakaki-coach and Tezuka concerning Ryoma.

"He WHAT?" Ryoga exclaimed, almost jumping off from his bed. "Waging on his regular position and his captain title? Is he completely crazy that granpa-buchou?"

"Grandpa-buchou?"

"That's how Chibisuke called him, the teen grandpa-buchou."

Yagyuu tilted his head, thinking.

"Well, she's not completely wrong, just considering the amount of white hair he grew ever since she stepped in Seiyou… It's a good description of Tezuka," Yagyuu mumbled. "Anyway, back to business. The Germans we will face are the same ones who beat you. Sakaki-coach thinks that if Echizen-chan met them again in a match, she will lose because of what happened to you. He wanted to drop her because of her lack of self-control when confronting drastic situations, but Tezuka interfered. Tezuka asked him to give Echizen-chan a chance to recover from her actual psychological state, which is a weakness in Sakaki-coach's opinion. Me too, I think it's a weakness. Sakaki-coach decided to give her three days to prove herself before making a final decision. If Echizen-chan succeeds to overcome this trial, she can remain a regular. However, if she fails, not only she will be dropped, but also Tezuka. I know it sounds selfish, but I cannot allow Seiyou tennis club to lose Tezuka right now. The glory of our promotion depends on this third National Championship that we WILL win. We must have Tezuka with us for the National. And that brings us back to Echizen-chan. She must go to the training camp and overcome her lack of self-control," Yagyuu concluded.

Ryoga looked at him eyes widen. Then, he grinned a suspiscious smile.

"Say Hiroshi, do you only think about the glory of your senior friends or don't you also feel something for her too?" Ryoga teased.

"Ryu-…!"

Ryoga turned his head away and plugged an ear with his available hand.

"…-oga…" Yagyuu added.

Ryoga turned his head back to him, smiling again, and he unplugged his ear. Yagyuu sighed.

"It's been ten years and you are still easy going like before," Yagyuu said. "I'm being serious here."

"It's been ten years and you are still stuck up like before," Ryoga replied. "It was only a joke. I just wanted to relax you a little bit."

But Ryoga's face expression immediately changed. He became serious. He understood why Yagyuu was worried. He knew Ryoma the best. Even if it saddens him to admit it, he knew that Ryoma will fail Tezuka's hope in her current state. Like that Sakaki-coach had supposed, if she meets the Germans now in a game, she would definitely lose.

"All the regulars know that the Germans we are going to face are the ones who hurt you, except her," Yagyuu said. "Yukimura thinks that it's still too soon to let her know. If she did, she will likely sink deeper in her anger and it will be more difficult to pull her out. We agreed to keep it a secret between us until she is ready to hear about it."

"That Yukimura guy took the right decision," Ryoga said.

Ryoga knew that weakness of Ryoma. When Ryoma was worried about something, her logical mind would freeze and would be unable to think coherently. She can let her worry carry her and completely lose all her common sense and do everything recklessly. It happened before, many years ago, when she lost Karupin.

That day, it was raining hard and it was already dark outside. But Karupin, still a small kitten back then, was nowhere to be found. Ryoma had search for him everywhere in the house, checked all the tiniest spots and corners she knew. After hours without finding him, she ran outside to search for him, in the cold rain of the night. She didn't wear her rain coat or her rain boots. When the family realized that she was also missing, Ryoga didn't took a lot of time to understand what happened. He immediately grabbed his rain coat and ran outside after her. He found her in the park in front of the house. She was completely soaking wet and dirty, mud staining her orange and yellow dress. She was running from a bush to another, and from a tree to another. She checked every places and corners of the park where she thought Karupin might be hidden. Ryoga told her to come back inside, but she refused to go until she would find the kitten. Ryoga was at loss. He couldn't find anything to say to make her go with him when he heard a mewling under the big turtle toy of the playground. Karupin was simply sheltering himself from the rain. Ryoma immediately ran to him. She took him in her arms, crying, and cuddled him against her. She was relieved to find him, and so was Ryoga because he could finally bring get her to go back inside. After the night, Ryoma was bedridden for three days because she caught a cold.

However, this time, it was more serious than losing Karupin. The future of the Japan Tennis Junior Association depended on this training camp. But Ryoma wasn't in her right mind. However, she wasn't alone. All her team mates were worried about her, but she probably didn't realized anything because she was blinded by her worry.

"You see, I'm thinking that she will refuse to go to the training camp because she will want to stay close to you," Yagyuu said.

"I see…" Ryoga trailed. He looked outside the window. "You are right. She will refuse."

Ryoga and Yagyuu momentarily kept silence. Then, Ryoga spoke again.

"Let me handle it," Ryoga said.

"Then I'm counting on you," Yagyuu said. Ryoga nodded.

End flashback

Ryoga looked out to the park through the window, thinking again.

As he told Yagyuu, Ryoga would handle Ryoma and had her to go to the camp. Like Yagyuu said, it was true that if she was left alone, Ryoma would sink deep and deeper in her anger and she will lost control of herself. That psychological weakness can emotionally harm her. But by forcing her to go to the camp and have her being surrounded by the regulars 24 hours a day, Ryoma would have maintain herself in a certain way to behave because of her pride. Ryoma hates it the most when people outside of her family see her down. So she would put an act, pretending that she was strong from outside, despite how much it hurts inside. So using her pride against her and having her to go to the camp was a way to force her not to think about her sadness. Thus, her anger wouldn't have a chance to root deeper in her heart and wouldn't grow.

Ryoga hoped the regulars can help her to overcome this trial for her.

'Hiroshi, and you all of you, I'm counting on you for her.'

(1) chichi: father. You said that when you are talking about your own father.