Thank you for all the support till the very end here! As I reread my first few chapters, I find it amazing that people actually read to the end here… -sweat drop- honestly, they aren't great. I might rewrite the first three chapters if I find the inspiration to.

This second last chapter is dedicated to anyone who is reading this :) you people are awesome and are my source of muse and inspiration. Because the final time skip is rather huge, I decided to split up the epilogue…

Higher than the Wind

Epilogue (1)

"Hey hey, do you know who the valedictorian is?"

"It's that tennis prodigy from our school's middle school section, isn't it?"

"Yeahs, I heard that he's not only good at sports but excellent in academics as well. He's sooo good looking too!"

"Too bad he's already attached huh?"

"Whaaaaat!? That can't be! The last time I checked he's still single! Who is he dating?"

"I heard that his girlfriend is no longer a student of our school."

"Ehh? That'd mean that we still have chance, right?"

"If only they knew," Marui drawled lazily as he slogged through the gates, kicking up dirt just for the fun of it, "The buildings here are a lot more magnificent than middle school, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I heard they invested ten times the fund they put in the middle school section on high school," replied Jackal as he looked around, "Marui, do you know where's the hall?"

"Of course~! I'm a genius after all!" Marui popped his gum and grinned.

"… Marui."

"Relax, there are signs over there," Marui gestured to the walls, "We just have to follow the directions and we'll be alright."

~x~

"Marui, please remind me to never trust you with directions again."

"But why? We got here anyway!"

"After circling the school which was absolutely unnecessary, you forgot to mention."

"But – oh, hush, Yukimura is coming out," Marui did a zipping motion over his lips as the blue-haired boy walked up to stage.

Whispers arose amongst the newly entered first years – mostly pertaining to some form of flattery about the valedictorian's appearance.

"A very good morning to everyone who's seated here. My name is Yukimura Seiichi, it is a great honour to stand before you today. Spring marks a new beginning, and for us here, this new beginning will involve each other. Most of you here have already been in Rikkai Dai for three years, so you probably know the school very well. For our new friends who only joined us this year, the first thing I can tell you about Rikkai Dai is that we are a very unique school. We do not aim for excellence, we strive for perfection. You'll find in here many fascinating things. The student-teacher rapports and dynamics amongst classmates are something you can look forward to. I'm certain you'll grow to love Rikkai Dai even though it may be hard to understand the way we work at first. Beyond your academics and club activities, the Rikkai Dai culture promises wonderful friendships and a fulfilling school life." At here, Yukimura paused slightly. "Some of you may know that I've recently recovered from a neurological disease, well for those who don't, you do now."

Quiet laughing ensued.

"I've been asked by the principal to do a personal sharing. I'm a tennis player and tennis is part of my life. Taking tennis away from me is equivalent to denying me the right to living. When I was told that I will never be able to play tennis like I used to again, my skies crashed down on me. The initial period of time just after my surgery was probably some of the darkest moments in my life. I did many wrong things as well, to my family, my teammates and her," like he was narrating another person's story, Yukimura's voice was light, but when he churned out the list of people he was indebted to, everyone could feel the torrent of emotions hidden within. "But they stuck through with me, all of them, and I'm eternally grateful for their support without which, you may not see me standing here in front of you today.

"I asked the principal what was the purpose in asking me to share about my recovery, he answered that he wished for the students of Rikkai Dai to know resilience and fortitude, that nothing is impossible until we deem it impossible. Well, my own story may not have been the best paradigm – since I received help from many people around me, but I agree with what the principal said. Nothing is impossible until we deem it impossible – so here in Rikkai Dai, I hope that everything will become possible for everyone and everyone'd have a fulfilling school year ahead. With that I end my speech, thank you for your kind attention."

Thunderous applauds roared when he finished his speech, amongst them, those who witnessed his recovery clapped the loudest.

"Genichirou, what do you think?" Renji turned to Sanada who was seated next to him, "Are you still going to join the Kendo club?"

"… I'll send my application to the tennis club," Sanada replied gruffly.

"I'll come along with you."

"Tarundoru."

"Genichirou, that was uncalled for."

"…"

~x~

"Ne, ne, Yukimura-kun, can you teach me tennis when you're free? I'd love to learn from Japan's number one!"

"Yukimura-kun doesn't have the time to tend to the likes of you! Yukimura-kun, would you like to go on a goukon (group date) with us?"

As both boys and girls clawed at each other for the attention of the renowned prodigy who sat amidst them, their center of focus merely played with his phone, sphinx-like smile directed to nobody in particular.

All of a sudden, a gentle melody began playing in the air.

If we hold on together

I know our dreams will never die

Dreams see us through to forever

Where clouds roll by

For you and I

… Except for the alluring voice of Diana Ross as she sang wistfully, all noises ceased to be. Seemingly oblivious to the shock of the people around him, Yukimura mirthfully exhibited his pearly-whites and calmly pulled out his mobile phone, saying, "My apologies. Please excuse me as I pick up a call from my girlfriend."

'If We Hold On Together'. Girlfriend. Dumbfounded, the previously frenzied crowd remained frozen in their spots. Yukimura paid no more heeds to them and pressed the receive button on his mobile phone.

"Seiichi? How did your valedictorian speech go?" came the voice from the other side.

"It went well," Yukimura stood up and exited the classroom. Nobody stopped him – the human roadblocks were still stunned at his table, "I hope everything's fine on your side. How's Seigaku's entrance ceremony?"

"There's nothing to worry about, Seigaku is a nice place. Like the school name suggests, the people here are all pumped up," replied Tsugi with a bright laugh, "Everyone's really friendly. Do you remember Fuji-kun? He's my classmate and seatmate now. It feels like yesterday that we got off a bad start because of the blatant animosity he showed towards Rikkai Dai on our first meeting. To think that we'd become classmates and on top of that, we actually hit off pretty well. Fate is truly amazing."

Fuji-kun already? Were they that close?

"Tsugi," Yukimura paused and said half-seriously, "Please refrain from speaking about another boy with such enthusiasm. I'll get jealous."

"… Ah? I'm sorry, I'll watch out next time," Tsugi quickly apologized.

Thinking that he was serious, she was surprised when he emitted gentle peals of laughter.

"Just kidding. I'm glad that you've found friends already, Fuji is a very nice person," said Yukimura reassuringly, "Though… you might want to refrain from treading on his taboos. Fuji can be a little… ah, intimidating." The sadist of Seigaku could have been his twin in a parallel world if they didn't exist in the same universe.

"You really got me for a moment, Seiichi. Hmm… is that so? I'll keep that in mind," replied Tsugi, a hint of skepticism in her voice. Yukimura smiled elusively, she'd see for herself soon.

They chatted for a while more until Yukimura looked out of the window.

"Ne, Tsugi," said Yukimura as he stared down at the sakura trees in full bloom; two years ago they had seen the sakura trees in Rikkai Dai Fuzoku together too, "I miss you."

Such a pity that he didn't get to see the sakura in full bloom with her last year.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line, and an almost inaudible sigh filled with nostalgia followed. Like a ribbon twirling in the wind, like raindrops falling on the window panes.

"Yeah, Seiichi. Me too."

~x~

"Ah! You're uhh, what's your name again?" Eiji scooped near Tsugi when she appeared along with Fuji, "shouldn't you be at Rikkai Dai, nya?"

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Yanagi Asaitsugi, I was originally from Tokyo but was temporarily sent to Kanagawa because of my parents' work… You're Eiji-san, I presume? And that should be Inui-san," Tsugi smiled and introduced herself.

"Save the formalities, Yanagi-chan, you can call me Eiji nya!" Eiji grinned enthusiastically and took his seat across of Fuji.

"Eiji," Tsugi nodded to the gregarious redhead.

"Yanagi-san, it's a surprise to see you at Seigaku," Inui pulled out the chair next to Eiji and sat down, dark eyes behind frosty lenses studying her like she was an interesting specimen in a lab. Who'd have thought that the captain of champion Rikkai Dai would jump ship to Seigaku?

"Fuji-kun said something similar when I bumped into him at the hospital last year," Tsugi sat down next to Fuji and opened her carton of juice, calmly sipping her drink as Inui stared thoughtfully at her.

"Yeah, I apologize for my poor attitude back then," said Fuji with a small smile.

"It's alright, like I said… no offence was taken," Tsugi shook her head and dug into her food.

"If my sources are correct, the cutoff point for Seigaku is 582/700 for external applicants this year, isn't it?" said Inui out of the blue.

"Ehh!? Seriously? That's insane! I've never scored above 500 for my exams before! You're amazing, Yanagi-chan," Eiji turned to Tsugi and exclaimed in awe.

"Actually, I missed the cutoff point by about 10-20 points… Seigaku gave me a conditional acceptance on the basis that I will maintain stellar results in English and join the English debate club."

"Seigaku had always been rather weak in English," Inui nodded understandingly, "What about tennis?" It made no sense if Seigaku would let off the captain of the nation's number one middle school team.

"Ah… The school did ask me if I'd like to join the tennis team as well, they said that they could give me some leeway for lesson and the English debate club if I do. I refused the offer," replied Tsugi in a placid manner.

"But why, Yanagi-chan? Weren't you the captain back in Rikkai Dai?" asked Eiji with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Saa… Eiji, that's precisely the reason why she won't join Seigaku's tennis club," said Fuji with a knowing smile.

"Even though we've only been acquainted a few periods ago, Fuji-kun, it feels like I've known you so much longer," said Tsugi with a soft smile. It was understandable that she understood him because he was similar to Yukimura, but to her surprise, the understanding was mutual despite the fact that they have only officially made acquaintances less than three hours ago.

(If only if she knew that Yukimura talked to his U-17 roommates about her at times; perhaps then she wouldn't be so surprised.)

"You shouldn't say that, Yanagi-chan, Yukimura-kun might seek me out if you do," Fuji teased lightly.

The mirthful expression retreated from Tsugi's face, and was replaced by a somewhat pensive smile.

"Ah… sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Fuji quickly apologized upon dampening the mood. He hadn't contacted Yukimura in a while, so he wasn't sure if something happened between them.

"It's not your fault, Fuji-kun, I just really miss him and Rikkai Dai," Tsugi murmured, "Seigaku is great – really, but I miss my team and him."

"I'm sure they miss you too, Yanagi-chan, but at the same time, they'd want you to live your high school life to the fullest in Seigaku too," said Fuji comfortingly.

"Yeahs, you're right," Tsugi nodded and said no more; it was a clear indication that she didn't wish to dwell on the topic any longer.

"Have any of you heard about the four urban legends of Seigaku?" Inui suddenly asked, breaking the ice before everyone was frozen solid.

"No way! Our high school section has four urban legends as well?" Eiji was immediately distracted by Inui and threw the gloomy atmosphere at the back of his head. Deciding to take up Inui's initiative to lift the mood, Fuji prompted Inui to continue talking.

"Saa… Tell us more about it, Inui."

"I'm all ears, Inui-san."

"The first legend…"

As Inui narrated to Fuji and the rest, the sorrows in the air evaporated. All that remained was the jovial, youthful laughter of the group of Seigaku first years and while the laughter might not all be sincere now, someday… it'd be.

~x~

On an autumn evening when they were in their first year of high school, Yukimura received a call from Tsugi.

"Seiichi, she died," was the first sentence Tsugi croaked out. Despite her raspy voice which was completely different from the tranquil melody he was accustomed to, Yukimura immediately recognized the voice to be hers. Her voice was dry like Sahara Desert's sand during the worst drought, and even through the phone he could tell that she hadn't rehydrated herself in a while.

"Tsugi, please drink some water first," he spoke gently and pushed his Chemistry report which was due tomorrow aside, "We can talk after you've drank some water, alright?"

"Okay," she sniffled, voice so hoarse that it impeded her clarity of speech. He heard a soft 'thud' which indicated that she had placed her phone down, and he listened for the sound of liquid being transferred from a jar to a glass which fortunately came. Patiently, he waited until Tsugi began speaking again.

"I was just talking to her three days ago, neither of us thought that her surgery would fail – we made so much plans for after her discharge. She'd apply for Seigaku too, and we'll be schoolmates; perhaps even classmates, and we'll hang out, maybe we won't play tennis together since she hates it, but we'd go shopping, hit the books and do everything that cronies do together but Seiichi, sh-she died. Natsuki died before we ever had the chance to realize any of that! I can't believe it, I don't believe it, the success rate of the surgery is 75% and the fatality rate is just 5% – how could she die? How could she be one of the unfortunate ones who died in such a low-risk surgery? She had suffered so much already – wh-why oh my god, I-I just–" her rambling trailed off to loud, unstifled sobs and he knew that her tears were running freely and unrestrained down her cheeks now. She was still talking, or trying to talk; but she was choking too much to produce any coherent sentences.

Each time she sniveled he felt his own heart being squeezed; and he hated that he couldn't hold her and comfort her, he hated that all he could do now was to whisper soothing words through the phone without any practical actions, most of all he hated that he couldn't stop her tears.

When she broke down the second time within 10 minutes, Yukimura decided that he has heard enough. He grabbed his keys and coat and headed for the door, his Chemistry report was long forgotten – and it wouldn't be touched again today.

"Tsugi, are you at home now?"

A strangled 'yes' was his answer.

"I'm heading to Tokyo now, can you text your address over?" He coaxed softly. He only dared to make this request because he knew that her parents always worked late into the night.

"W-what? Seiichi, don't act rashly. It's 7pm already! Don't –"

"Tsugi, please, I need to see you now," Yukimura cut her off firmly, after which he took on a gentler tone, "Don't you want to see me, Tsugi?"

"B-but it's late, it isn't safe for you to travel so far at this hour…" Tsugi protested, she may be in distress, but she was no less rational than usual.

"Tsugi, you seem to have forgotten that I'm a male, and I'm your boyfriend," said Yukimura, deliberately making himself sound amused, "What danger could befall me? Listen, just send me your address and forget about the rest. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I don't walk you through this, hmm?" His final word climbed a pitch up, making Tsugi shiver –not uncomfortably– on the other end on the line.

Who was it that told her before, that if so Yukimura desired, the blue-haired tennis prodigy could probably enchant anyone he wanted to impress. Even if he didn't have that devastating beautiful appearance, his natural charisma was sufficient for him to conquer the heart of both the male and female species across all demographics.

"…" Tsugi hiccupped, already convinced by him, "Seiichi…"

"Yes, Tsugi, I'm here," said Yukimura reassuringly.

"Seiichi? Where are you going at this time?" Yukimura Nadeshiko called out to him as he walked down the stairs, "Your father should be reaching home soon."

Yukimura said a few more lines to Tsugi and hanged up.

"Kaa-san, I'll be heading over to Tokyo, please have dinner without me. I'll be home late tonight," Yukimura turned and smiled apologetically to his mother.

"Ah?" For a moment, Yukimura Nadeshiko looked puzzled. Soon, a knowing smile surfaced on her lips and she said, "I see. Don't worry, I'll let your father know about it. Please remember that you have school tomorrow, alright?"

"I will, kaa-san."

"Have a safe trip."

"Thank you, kaa-san."

An hour and a half later, Yukimura finally arrived at the Tokyo Yanagi residence. Perhaps it was because both her parents were hard workers and they were highly valued by their company for their abilities; the Tokyo Yanagi residence was a decent apartment not too far from the Shinjuku area.

Despite having tried to picture her unkempt image when he was on the train, Yukimura hadn't expected to see her in a wreck. The long black hair of the girl who stood at the door was frizzy and wild strands were standing up everywhere. Her deep-green orbs which always shimmered like jewels beneath the Sun were rimmed by swollen flesh, and the whites of her eyes were tinted with a dull shade of red – as was her nose, which made her look somewhat like Rudolph in a mess. She was dressed in an oversized T-shirt which was wrinkled all over; a clear indication that she hadn't left either the sofa or the bed for a while.

Immediately, he pulled her into a hug. In the warmth of the embrace she hadn't felt in a while, Tsugi felt her tears streaming uncontrollably down her face again.

"Hush," he cooed, feather-light voice tickling the shell of her ear.

If it wasn't such a special occasion, Tsugi wouldn't have let them stand in front of the house where the neighbors could walk past any time. At the moment, all she wanted was for Yukimura to hold her close to him.

"Have you eaten?" asked Yukimura out of the blue. She shook her head in response. "Go wash up, I'll take you out for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," replied Tsugi, voice muffled by the fabric of Yukimura's coat.

"I know, but you need to eat."

"… Alright."

A while later, they were seated in a cozy restaurant and Tsugi was picking at her food. Every single dish tasted bland to her, she couldn't decipher whether the noodles were spicy or salty.

Yukimura didn't eat much either; both of them had almost half a bowl worth of leftover each. Not wishing to press her, he waited patiently for her to open up.

"We used to be rivals playing for opposing schools. Funny that we even became confidantes to each other in the first place – she refused to admit that we were friends. She claimed that it was the strings of fate that pulled us together but I knew it wasn't true. Nothing in life is ever a coincidence – that day when she called out to me, she wanted to be heard. Natsuki was strong and so vulnerable at the same time, she had an acquaintance called Subaru Miharu back in Shitenhouji. Everyone thought that they were best friends – and the irony," at here, Tsugi emitted a mock, bitter laugh, "Subaru was merely someone she grew up with and who was tasked by her parents to watch over her and ensure that tennis remained her sole focus in life. I think she didn't used to hate tennis – you know, from the way she spoke about it, perhaps she even loved it at one point in time because of her adoptive parents. But everything changed after they discovered her talent in tennis. Her adoptive parents began pushing her to achieve their unfulfilled dream.

"I don't know what happened during that period of time – she refused to tell me anything else, and Natsuki thinks that I don't know but actually Subaru spoke to me before. Subaru told me to stay away from Natsuki, and in her attempt to chase me away she even told me that Natsuki is a diagnosed sociopath from the age of 12. Can you imagine it, Seiichi? What sort of environment did she live in? What kind of environment could make a 12 year old sociopath?" said Tsugi, her voice trembling and threatening to crack. Yukimura pat her hands and nodded to her. Encouraged, Tsugi began spewing out all her memories with Natsuki, be they small or big, be they happy or infuriating. All the while Yukimura only listened, at times patting the back of her hand and refilling the glass in front of her. They spent an hour inside the restaurant and when they finally left, it was already half past 9. Tsugi felt much better then, and while her eyes were still red, she was more or less back to normal.

"Thank you, Seiichi, I'll walk you to the train station," Tsugi murmured, slightly embarrassed.

Yukimura chuckled good-naturedly.

"I think you've got our roles reversed, Tsugi. I'll walk you home first before I head to the train station."

"Seiichi –" Tsugi wanted to protest, but Yukimura shook his head and put a finger to his lips.

"Shh, it doesn't make sense if I let you walk back alone, does it?"

Defeated, Tsugi could only lead Yukimura home.

"Have a safe trip home, Seiichi," Tsugi turned in front of the entrance of her apartment and mumbled softly.

"Thank you, I'll text you when I reach home," said Yukimura as he helped her to comb some unruly strands.

"… No, text me every 10 minutes," said Tsugi firmly.

"Alright, alright," Yukimura pat her head, "good bye, Tsugi."

"Good bye, Seiichi."

Tsugi watched Yukimura's retreating figure until it disappeared round the corner. Only then did she drag herself into the apartment and head for the shower. As the warm water kissed her skin, she relished the feel of her tense muscles being soothed. After the refreshing shower, she picked up her phone and saw three unread messages. Two were from Yukimura, and one was from her parents who told her that they will be home late tonight and she should go to bed first. She first replied to her parents and then checked the messages from Yukimura. When she opened the attachment in the first message, Tsugi couldn't help but to burst out laughing.

The first picture Yukimura sent over was one of Kirihara and Sayuki, they were arguing over something and looked ready to smack the other person across the face. Kirihara may have matured and Sayuki had always been recollected, but when the two of them clashed; they would shrug off their mature pretense and reveal their genuine (childish) nature.

She then checked the second message and a soft smile emerged on her face. The second picture Yukimura sent over captured the rooftop garden; whoever took over the garden from Yukimura has taken good care of the crocuses which witnessed the formation of their oath and during the time this photo was taken, the crocuses were in full bloom. Tsugi thought for a moment, and searched through her gallery for a picture to send to Yukimura. After she sent out a recent photo, Yukimura's reply came swiftly.

Fuji still has it in him, I see.

From: Yukimura Seiichi

It's rather surprising though, Fuji doesn't seem like the type to be an expert in billiards.

From: Yanagi Asaitsugi

Yeah, Fuji is an interesting person.

From: Yukimura Seiichi

As the conversation proceeded, Yukimura soon reached home.

Tsugi, I'm home already. You should go to sleep.

From: Yukimura Seiichi

That fast? Tsugi glanced at the clock, bewildered by the numbers the hands of the clock were pointing to; she didn't even notice that it was past 11 already!

I will turn in soon. After showering, please blow dry your hair before you sleep.

From: Yanagi Asaitsugi

Yukimura chuckled on the other end of the line.

Yeah, I will. Good night, Tsugi.

From: Yukimura Seiichi

After coming out of the shower, Yukimura noticed his phone vibrating every now and then. Smiling, he opened the message. The contents were just as he expect.

Good night and sweet dreams, Seiichi. Thank you, and… I love you.

From: Yanagi Asaitsugi