CHAPTER 5: HOPE
"Harada-sensei" Taichi greeted, as his old sensei sat next to him at the bench outside the Dojo. It was one of the nights that he was free the past few days, as he was busy with the exams, and online interviews with the different Medical colleges and universities in London.
It had been weeks since the Queen and Meijin match. As their graduation looms a few weeks ahead, Taichi had been unable to attend most of the Karuta practices in school and at the Dojo. Chihaya had been awkward with him since the "kissing incident" too. The only time that they were able to talk somewhat normally was when they were in their practice matches. She wanted to talk to him about it, but he always comes up with an excuse not to. He didn't want to confess to her as it would only make things confusing for her, and it would be hard for him to let her go. Though he thought that maybe hearing her rejection would help him move on faster, he couldn't come up with the courage.
Harada-sensei had been unusually silent after the last Meijin match. Though he still acted like his boisterous and aggressive self, he can never fool his students. His loss to Arata affected him more than he cares to admit, and consoling him was the only reason why he came to the Dojo from time to time.
"I heard you're leaving for London to study medicine. Good for you Matsuge-kun." He said, a smile gracing his wrinkled face. Taichi wasn't particularly happy about it, but he acknowledged the greeting anyway.
"Uhm." He nodded curtly.
"Chihaya... she was very upset." Harada-sensei said tentatively, as he stretched his legs in front of him. It's a wonder how this old man can still play matches at his age. A tournament can last up to more than 7 hours, and kneeling on the tatami for that long would definitely take a toll on his knees.
"I know. She's not talking to me." He replied, and though he tried hiding his sadness, it was very much evident in his voice. It was a long while before Harada-sensei responded.
"How time flies... Do you remember, Matsuge-kun?" he said wistfully, looking at the sky full of stars.
"Remember what, sensei?"
"When Chihaya reached Class A... You told me that no matter how much time you spend in Karuta, you'll never be able to par with Arata." He said. That was 3 years ago, when there was still no Karuta Club in Mizusawa High. Chihaya wanted to start a club, and at that time he didn't understand what her intention was. It was clear now that all she ever wanted was to share her love for Karuta.
"Yea..." he said as he smiled at the thought. He had a lot of excuses that time. But the main reason he didn't want to get serious about it was because he was comparing himself to Arata, and it made him feel so inferior.
"Arata had been a Karuta player all his life, and he has the skills and talent to back him for it. But you... Your skills made up for what you lack. It's only been 3 years, but you were able to face him in a match..." he said as he smiled broadly at him.
"Sugoi-ne, Matsuge-kun. " Somehow, he wanted to blush even though he's a man. He felt a sense of pride welling up inside of him. This is the reason why he liked the old man very much. He was aggressive and straightforward, but he never cuts down on his support when it counts.
"There was a time... when I thought I wanted to give up on Karuta. I had parents like you, you know? They wanted me to become a doctor. But I know in my heart what I really wanted to be. I wanted to be the Meijin. I wanted to rebel, because I wanted nothing more than to reach my goal. So you see, becoming a medical student practically ended that dream for me." He reminisced.
"But...I never gave up. Even when there was no one playing against me, even when my game sense deteriorated due to my age... I never gave up that dream. Even until now". He continued. Taichi listened attentively. There were times that he felt that he and the old man are similar in circumstances, but he didn't know that those circumstances are just some of the many similarities they both share.
"I don't know what you're aspiring for Matsuge-kun. You played Karuta because of your friends, and it was your pride that pushed you on. But looking at you know... is it your dream too?" he asked, as he gazed at the young lad.
Taichi was taken aback by the question. Looking back, he had always believed he wouldn't take Karuta seriously. He played matches for fun even though he knew winning in the sport doesn't mean much like winning in a soccer or tennis match. It was when he snuck out on his second year to join the Qualifier match, that he felt something different. It was his desperation that drove him to try for it. He doesn't know then if he'll still have the chance to join the Meijin match, so he wanted to at least try. In his 2nd qualifier match, that was when he felt that he wanted to be the Meijin, not because of the title but because he was pitted against Arata, his friend, and long-time rival.
"I...I didn't want to try...because I was convinced I didn't have the talent like Arata. I only know that I wanted to beat him... so that Chihaya would take notice of me." He said honestly.
"Aah...Young love." Harada-sensei sighed as he smiled perversely at Taichi.
"Demo!" Taichi added hastily, blushing at what he just told the old man.
"Karuta... was fascinating. It was easy and complicated at the same time; no sport can ever challenge me the way Karuta does. It hurts when I lose, but unlike all the other sports or activities where I can give up when I lose, it wasn't the same with Karuta. The more I lose, the more I want to win. The more I wanted to prove myself. I've never felt happier, sensei." Taichi replied with conviction.
"It's almost like pining for Chihaya don't you think?" Harada-sensei teased.
"Se..sensei!"
"Matsuge-kun. Even if reality makes it hard for you to do what you want to do, I hope you don't give up. I believe that everything will fall into place in time. It may not be now, but it will... in time." He said cryptically.
"You'll be a great doctor. I can see it now. But I hope you'd become a Meijin too." He added, as he stood up from his seat.
"Sensei..." he muttered, as he felt his sensei's expectations of him. It was reassuring rather than pressuring, and he never felt any better than the past few weeks.
"And as for Chihaya... does she know?" Harada-sensei asked. Taichi turned his gaze from him as he answered.
"No...I'm...not planning to tell her." Taichi responded, feeling his chest tighten.
"Why not?" Harada-sensei asked loudly, surprise evident in his voice.
"Because...she's inlove with someone else...and it'll be hard...for both of us... I don't know when I'm coming back, and I'm not gonna be there when she needs me the most." He replied, his voice cracking now. He didn't want to cry in front his his sensei, but there were so many things he'll have to leave behind.
"Sensei... take care of her for me." He said seriously, standing up now to face his sensei. The old man gazed at the younger lad in all understanding.
"On one condition." He said as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"What?" Taichi asked, surprised.
"When you come back, snatch her back and the Meijin title from Megane-kun!" he said forcefully, as he grabbed both his shoulders.
"Sensei?!" he said indignantly.
"I'm not kidding. You kids are far too young to think it's the end. You never know what may happen." He said, and though he was smiling Taichi knew his sensei didn't mean it as a joke.
"I... I don't really want to expect." Taichi replied, looking down at his feet.
"BAKA! You're becoming your B-Kyu loser self once again. In a luck-of-draw, you have to expect your card to be read on your side. The more that you will it, the more it will happen." He retorted sternly, as he started towards the Dojo
"Arigato...Arigato gozaimasu...sensei." he called out as his sensei walked away from him. Harada-sensei turned to look at him with a sad smile on his face.
"I'll miss you Matsuge-kun. You're one of the best students I ever had." He said as tears slide quietly out of his face. He seemed embarrassed for the evident show of emotion that he went back hurriedly leaving him in an emotional turmoil.
You old emo. He thought, as tears slid on his face too.
It was the day of his flight to London. He had already said his goodbyes to his team and his friends during the party they held for him last night. He couldn't stay long though, because they still needed some last minute preparations for their flight. In the end Chihaya was still awkward around him, but he didn't want to confront her about it because he didn't want her to have ill memories of him on his last night in Japan. He treated like he normally would, with Arata's prodding to confess ringing in his head.
They were in the waiting area a few hours before boarding when a voice suddenly called out to him.
"Taichi!" a boy cried out from afar. He saw Arata along with his team mates walking towards him through the crowds. He immediately felt a mixture of joy and sadness upon seeing them. Tsukuba, Sumire, Komano, Nishida, Kanade, Chihaya, Arata, even Harada-sensei was there to see him off.
"Minna..." he greeted, as his face contorted painfully.
"We'll go ahead Taichi." His mother whispered to him. He silently thanked her for giving him privacy with his friends. Rika went to greet Chihaya before following her mother.
"Neesan, take care. " Rika chirped as she gave her a hug. Chihaya, who normally doesn't have any interaction with her sister hugged her back.
"You too. Take care of yourself and your brother, ok?"Chihaya responded.
"Take care Kaichou." Kana-chan said, as she handed him a small package.
"What's this?" he asked curiously as he tried to weigh the package, figuring it would be some kind of clothing because it was light.
"It's your hakama. The first you ever wore for our tournament. My mother wanted you to have it." She said, looking as if she was fighting her tears.
"Arigato Kana-chan. Tell your mom I love it." He said, smiling sadly at his face. By this time her tears were already spilling, as were the girls in his team.
"Senpai! I love you!" Sumire suddenly declared. All of them gaped at her bold declaration.
"Woi, Sumire!" Tsukuba scolded, embarrassed by what she just said.
"The hell, I don't have any other chance!" She said, crying and blushing at the same time. She ran to hug him tight, and though it was kind of awkward, he patted her hair.
"Thank you Sumire. The boy you'll love will surely be lucky. Take care. Do your best, ne?" he cooed, as Sumire let him go, blushing like a red tomato.
"Hai, senpai..." she meekly said, as they all share a hearty laugh at their straightforward teammate.
"We-We're gonna miss you man!" Nishida said as he snivelled in his shirt. He punched him in the arm, and when he returned the punch the round boy bear-hugged him.
"Waaah! I'll miss you! Come back to play again, okay?" he cried embarrassingly, as he tightened his arms around him.
"Can't. Breathe. Nishida!" He managed to eek out as Nishida released him. He smiled sadly at his friend, who was once his rival for an advance in rank. He was the voice of reason in his team, and if not for him, he wouldn't know his weakness. He was the reason why he became stronger at his play, and he could never repay him for that.
"Mashima, when you come back you'll have to defeat me." Komano interrupted, as he went forward to shake his hand. The short boy, who, at first, was only interested in beating him in his studies, was now a changed person, and he very much admired him for that.
"Haha. I'm looking forward to that Komano. Make it to Class A before this year ends, k?" He shook his hand firmly. Komano nodded.
"Taichi," Arata called out to him. It hurt him to see his friend clasping Chihaya's hand, but he tried to conceal it. Arata, sensing his distress let go of her hand and went forward.
"Let's play when you get back." He said smiling despite the graveness in his tone.
"Of course. I'm gonna take that title from you." Taichi replied, smirking at his friend.
"Deal. I'll miss you, my friend." He said, as he hugged his friend tightly. Harada-sensei went forward to hug them both.
"Matsuge-kun, don't forget what I told you." He said knowingly, bringing to his mind his last words to him:
Even if reality makes it hard for you to do what you want to do, I hope you don't give up. Taichi's tears were threatening to make an appearance by this time.
"I won't. Arigato, sensei." He said. There was only one person who hadn't said goodbye to him.
"Chihaya. Are you still not gonna talk to me?" he called out to her, as he smiled sadly at her who was crying quietly beside Kanade. He went to stand in front of her.
"I hate you." She muttered quietly, as tears flood her beautiful face. She was biting her handkerchief as she spoke, and even if he really wanted to cry, seeing her like this made him laugh.
"I'm sorry." he apologized, as he gathered her in his arms. He didn't bother to check if Arata's gonna be upset. It was the last time he'll be able to hug her anyway.
"You'll be back right?" she pleaded as she looked at him tearfully.
"I...I can't promise..." he answered honestly. Chihaya bowed her head as she rested her hands on his chest.
"Taichi..." she whispered softly. She sounded oh so sad it was heartbreaking. He was trying hard enough not to cry so he added hastily,
"But I'll be Meijin. Even if it takes years to do it. And..."
"And?" she asked curiously when he didn't continue.
And I love you. All this time. He added in his mind. He knew he can never say it, even up to this point. She's happy with Arata, and though her behavior right now seemed as if she had feelings for him too, he knew that it was only because he was her bestfriend, nothing more than that...
"You did great, Chihaya." He said instead, removing his arms around her and patting her in the head. He never got to congratulate her for her win as the Queen, what with all the drama that happened the past few weeks. He fished out something in his pocket, placed it in Chihaya's hand and closed it.
"What's this?" she asked, gaping when she opened her palm. It was a necklace with the red pear-shaped crystal. The one they saw in Fukui.
"A gift...for your win." he said, as he smiled wistfully. When he went ahead of Chihaya from Fukui, he was debating whether or not to come back for her again. Deciding to ignore her masochistic whims, he went to the station only to pass by the shop they came by earlier that morning. Remembering his friend's fascination with the jewel, he bought it with the remaining money that he had and went back home.
"Eh?! It's...It's the red necklace we saw in Fukui!" she gasped as she stared at the necklace in disbelief.
"Red...like the Tatsuta River. Your card. Chihaya." He muttered, as he smiled lovingly at her. She hugged him tight as she wailed on her shoulder. He consoled her back while facing Arata.
"Arata. If you even dare to make this idiot cry. I'll rush back here just to kick your ass." Taichi threatened seriously..
"Just try. Coward." he retorted, smiling evilly at his friend.
Love her with all your might bastard. The way I wanted to love her. Taichi added in his mind while still looking at Arata. And as if the latter could read his mind, he silently nodded.
"Chihaya." he called out to his friend, who was still crying buckets on his shoulder.
"You're the Queen now. Do your best in defending the title, ne?" he advised as he patted her head.
"Uhm." she nodded, as she broke from his embrace. He wished she could stay in his embrace for long, but he knew that was too much to ask.
"Even if I'm not here, know that my 100% support will always be with you." he said, as his hand caressed her cheek and wiped her tear-stricken face.
"Stop it. You're making me cry." Chihaya hiccuped as her face started contorting again. He pinched her cheek to stop her from crying then faced his friends once again.
"I'm gonna leave now. Ja ne, minna." He said, as his friends waved him goodbye. He went towards the boarding gates when Chihaya shouted behind his back.
"Get in touch or I'll kill you! I'll call you over skype everyday! I'll make you envy with all the progress we're making so that you'd want to come back and play Karuta again!" she bellowed, and though it was amusing he wanted to laugh, he couldn't stop his tears from flowing. His dam finally broke.
"Taichi! I~" She continued to shout, but her last words were drowned by the announcement in the airport's PA system.
Goodbye, Chihaya...
A/N: So we've finally come to the end of the prelude. Whew. I really loved this chapter because Taichi's interactions with Harada-sensei are very poignant, even in the manga. It's as if Harada-sensei is talking to a younger version of himself, and we do know how strong he is as a character. Just a warning though, I might raise the rating. Reason being one; they're 26+ now, so I'm assuming they have matured. And yes, more importantly, a sexier and hotter Taichi has been plaguing my dreams and writing this fanfic is my therapy to tame myself. Thank you for reading, minna! Please review! ^^