A/N: Sorry. It was updating "Everyday with Rin" because it was lagging very far behind. Anyway, here chapter 48.

Ryoma sat alone under a tree. She looked at the view before her but saw nothing. She was indifferent to everything - even the day's nice weather. A fresh breeze tried to call her out of her thinking, but failed.

'Buchou… Yukimura-senpai…'

"Ha…" Ryoma let out a heavy sigh and dropped her head onto her knees.

A hand touched her shoulder. Ryoma raised her head to see Jirou, who was smiling to her.

"Jirou-senpai…"

Jirou sat next to her on the grass and put his arms around his knees. He didn't say anything. Ryoma was grateful for his silence. She rested her chin on her crossed arms over her knees. They stood like that for a very long time. Finally, Ryoma talked.

"I feel so bad. If Tezuka-buchou had seen me at this moment, he would been so disappointed…" She hide her face. "And probably Yukimura-senpai too…"

"What makes you think so?" Jirou asked.

". . ." Ryoma kept silence for a moment. "Before Tezuka-buchou left, he told me he wants me to be Seigaku's Pillar…" She paused. "A pillar is what supports things and people. A pillar is strong…" Silence. "I'm not strong enough… When I'm suppose to support everyone - especially now, considering what's happening with Yukimura-sempai - I can't do anything… I've failed Tezuka-buchou's expectation of me…" She rested her forehead on her knees, hiding her face. "This is not how a pillar should behave…" She let out another heavy sigh. "And with what happens to Yukimura-senpai, I…"

"Echizen-chan," Jirou spoke, "Tezuka was never wrong in his decision. If he choose you to be his pillar, then it means that you really deserve to be his pillar. And everyone agrees with Tezuka's choice in you. But a pillar is also a person. It has its up and down like everyone does. The only difference between a normal person and a pillar is how the pillar brings himself/herself up when he/she is down. After the training camp, even when believing that you had already been dropped from the regulars, you didn't give yourself into discouragement. You even worked harder than expected from you, and much harder than everyone put together. The result of your work brought Sakaki-coach's and everyone's approbation of you. That just proved to everyone that Tezuka's choice in you as his pillar was a very good choice."

"But now, I can't help anyone in their depression because of what happened to Yukimura-senpai and because of the absence of buchou. Even myself - I can't even support my own self… I feel like such a failure…"

"As I said, Echizen-chan, you are also a person. You have the right to be down sometime. I understand that being chosen as a pillar put pressure on you, but Tezuka believes that you can rise above it. That's why he choose you. Thus, you must rise above. If you don't, then Tezuka really would be disappointed."

". . ."

The light of life in Ryoma's eyes flared up once again.

'That's right, Echizen-chan. That's how it should be,' Jirou though when he saw it. He smiled, very happy at the result he had received.

Behind his back, Jirou made a V sign. The people who were watching them behind a bush and a tree saw it.

-

"Jirou, he knew we were here," Kirihara whispered in light surprise.

"Well, it's not surprising from him," Marui muttered in return. "He is Hyotei's sleeping tensai."

"Though it is surprising," Niou said. "How did he know we were here?"

"That's a very good question. He's always asleep," Ootori said.

"But it seems like he succeeded in cheering up Ochibi-chan," Kikumaru exclaimed happily.

Fuji, a little farther behind the rest, saw Jirou's V sign as well. He smiled.

'Jirou, thank you.'

Between geniuses, Fuji knew very well that the sign was specially intended for him.

-

Back to Ryoma and Jirou.

"You know what, Echizen-chan, I think I know exactly what you can do for Tezuka and for Yukimura," Jirou commented thoughtfully.

"What?"

Jirou smiled.

"Iku yo, Ryoma-chan! (1)" Fuji said.

Ryoma took position, alert. She was playing against Fuji Syuusuke. She doubled her attention. Fuji threw the ball and served.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Ryoma immediately replied at the moment the ball hit Fuji's racket.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

-

"Fiouuu!" Ootori whistled as he watched them. "Fuji is not holding himself back! Even against a girl!"

"Well, Echizen-chan won't like it if Fuji withheld himself from going full force on her," Marui said.

"But even if Fuji is seriously playing with her, he is not using all his potential," Niou commented.

"Even if Echizen-chan is leading, I have the impression that the one who is controlling the game is Fuji," Shishido agreed.

"It's like Fuji is trying to draw something out from her," Hiyoshi said.

"I agree with you," Gakuto said, nodding his head.

Jirou smiled as he heard them.

'Nicely observed,' he thought.

-

'So this is how you feel when you play against Fuji-senpai,' Ryoma thought.

She felt a strange excitement each time Fuji returned her her ball. This kind of excitement was very different from all the others she had experienced while playing tennis. It was nothing like the joy she felt when she played against Ryoga and Nanjirou. With her brother and her father, each time they marked a point, she felt frustrated. But with Fuji, each time he marked, she wasn't frustrated. Instead, she felt utterly excited and thrilled.

'I want to play more!'

She smiled. She forgot about her previous sadness. Her eyes were shining again. Fuji saw it.

'That's right, Ryoma-chan. This is how you must feel right now. You must feel joy, and not sadness and loneliness!'

It was exactly what he was aiming for from the beginning of the game.

"Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Fuji launched a Tsubame Gaeshi.

Ryoma immediately ran after it, a big smile on her face. No one could tell that she was playing a real match against tensai Fuji Syuusuke.

From afar, Yanagi and Inui watched her. Sanada and Ooishi were watching too. Ooishi and him just had a little talk about Ryoma.

-

"Game set. Won by Fuji Syuusuke. 6-4!" the referee called.

"Ha!… Ha!… Ha!…" Ryoma panted. She was sat on the ground, her arms supporting her upper body. "I… I… I lost… Ha!… Ha!… Ha!"

'But it was really fun!' she smiled.

"Ryoma-chan," Fuji said, smiling as well. He had crossed the court and was now in front of her. He bent down to her level and held out his hand to her. "Here, let me help you."

"Ah," Ryoma took his hand. "Arigatou, senpai."

Fuji pulled her up, but kept her hand in his.

"I lost, but I had a lot of fun. Thank you, senpai," Ryoma beamed, smiling widely.

Fuji didn't answer, but he smiled too. He squeezed her hand in his.

"Yosh! That's enough! Regulars, gather!" Ryuuzaki-sensei called.

Fuji let go of Ryoma's hand and everybody gathered in line.

"I want you to welcome someone," Sakaki-coach said.

The fence of the tennis court opened. Everyone turned their head to the sound. A young man claded in the blue and white tennis uniform of Seigaku stepped in the court. It was…

"Buchou!/Tezuka!" the regulars exclaimed happily.

It was Tezuka. Tezuka walked to stand in front of everyone, next to Sakaki-coach.

"The National Championship Final will be next week. Tomorrow, the ranking tournament for the qualified regulars will start. This time, Tezuka will be here too. Don't let your guard down," Sakaki-coach said. "Dismissed!"

"Hai!" the tennis club answered.

Sakaki-coach and Ryuuzaki-sensei left the court. As soon as they stepped out, the regulars clustered around Tezuka, Seigaku leading at the front.

"Tezuka-buchou!" Momoshiro shouted.

"Fssssssssssh! Buchou."

"Tezuka!" Kawamura said.

"Tezuka! You're back!" Kikumaru exclaimed, jumping wildly in excitement. "Are you completely heal?"

"Tezuka," Fuji simply called.

"Welcome back, Tezuka," Ooishi said, smiling kindly. "We all miss you."

"Minna, arigatou," Tezuka said.

But strangely, Ryoma didn't greet him like the other Seigaku. She just stood there, immobilized and frozen on the spot. She stared blindly at Tezuka.

". . ."

"Echizen-chan, what's wrong?" Marui asked, peering down at her.

"Aren't you happy to see Tezuka again?" Niou asked as well, sending her a questioning gaze.

Ryoma didn't answer. Everybody looked at her.

"Echizen," Tezuka said.

"Bu-buchou…" she trailed off.

She shut her eyes, tears running out from the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, she ran and launched herself at him. She closed her arms around him and buried her face into his chest, crying.

"Ah!" Tezuka yelped, caught by surprise.

"Buchou!" Ryoma cried, snuggling her face against him.

Watching them, people thought it was the image of a child happy to see her father back home again after a very long time of absence. However, there was only a three year age difference between said "father" figure and "child".

"Buchou!" Ryoma cried out once more.

Recovering from his surprise, Tezuka patted her head, smiling indulgently. The regulars smiled at the scene. It had been so long since she last saw him. Ryoma cried like a baby while hugging Tezuka.

'After all, she is the baby of Seigaku!' the regulars thought.

This time, Kirihara and Ootori didn't feel the urge to separate Ryoma from 'the old man'. They understood she had missed him very much. They were smiling as well as they watched them hug one another. Fuji, too, was smiling.

'Ryoma-chan, I'm very happy for you,' Fuji thought.

Tezuka, still smiling, let her cry as much as she needed. He remembered the very short email Yukimura had sent him.

'Tezuka, you must come back now.

They need you.

She needs you.'

1) iku yo: I'm going to do it, let's go.