Tennis no Ouji-sama © Konomi Takeshi, Shuheisha, Inc.
- Act XXXIX -
[ Child of God ]
What was more dramatic than getting a heart attack when she was heartbroken?
Indeed, it looked terrible with her getting hospitalised even though in fact, it wasn't as bad as it looked. After the surgery she went through as a kid, she never had an attack until the day before, and being hospitalised was the most terrible experience she ever had. She wanted to be left alone but the nurses kept coming in to check her blood pressures, medicines, and all that.
From their eyes only, Hikari knew how much her family wanted to ask what she was doing on the court when she promised to go home directly after the match. Thanks to her condition, they decided not to upset her, especially since the doctor said that she shouldn't be too excited or do anything that would force her heart to work hard, including stressing her out.
But thinking about him alone had done a lot more than upsetting her. They even gave her tranquiliser every time she started to cry thinking about whatever had transpired that day. Never in her life had she imagined there would be a day when everything worst could possibly happen in one single day.
Atobe Keigo.
What a fitting name for an egocentric man like him. Keigo sounded so close to 'ego'.
Munching her apple in dejection, Hikari flitted her eyes to Takeshi and Ryoma, who were sitting next to her bed while shooting her with the "what have I told you" look. To her surprise, the two volunteered to look after her because her mother had to bring her brother to a doctor while her father and grandfather had their own engagements.
"Don't say anything about him or I'll die." Hikari pointed to her left chest.
"Are you really using your illness as a threat?" Ryoma rolled his eyes.
"Luckily it's nothing serious, right? Right? But seriously, Hikari-chan—"
"Don't say anything about him or I'll die…" The same time she said it, the heart monitor was beeping faster.
"Okay, okay!" Takeshi raised both of his hands to calm her down. "Let's not talk about he-who-mustn't-be-named."
What a fitting nickname for him…
"Anyway, congratulations on advancing to the next round." She let out a small smile. "You were playing really well, Echizen-kun."
"Of course. You don't have to say that. I'll win my matches, no matter how many times." She couldn't say anything against his cockiness as Ryoma truly had the ability to match that. He coolly sipped his Ponta before looking at her with those judgmental eyes. Of all the people who discovered her relationship with Atobe Keigo, Ryoma was probably the one who rolled his eyes the most when hearing about it even though he was void of any comments, as Takeshi was the one who voiced that out.
"But we really can't be too happy with our victory." For the umpteenth time Takeshi sighed.
"Even though you've made it back to the regulars?" Ryoma was definitely going to bleed everyone with his tongue.
"You can't be happy with that, Echizen! You can't! I got that position back simply because Ōishi-senpai is injured! Also—ah! Forget it!" Hikari knew what Takeshi meant to say. "It's a bitter victory." The same goes for her. Hikari hadn't even had the chance to tell her family about her audition. With whatever transpired that day, it didn't seem like a big deal anymore.
"But I still wish you guys can keep advancing to the next round…" Hikari lowered her head. "Please do that in my brother's place…" Before the guilt congregated in her chest, Hikari shut her eyes to dissipate the thought.
"Do you blame yourself for Tezuka-buchō's injury?"
"Who else's fault was it? I was the one who leaked that information. Not even you know before the match, right?" Hikari slumped herself on her bed.
"That's not your fault! You didn't even know who he was!"
"Even if I didn't know who it was, I shouldn't do that." She chuckled. "I was too naïve… Here I thought I'm just a few steps away from being a mature lady and now looking back I realised how childish I was instead…"
"Thank you for saying that out loud. I really wanted to say that for a while now." Look at how merciless that mouth was. Hikari started to pity a gentle-hearted Sakuno so much for having to face this kind of mouth.
"Oi, Echizen! P-please don't mind his mouth! Our Echizen is always like this!"
"But aren't you too cocky if you think you were responsible for his injury or the result of the match? Within the court, only those who participate in that match matter and we put our pride in it. Putting up a long rally was that Monkey King's strategy and keeping it up with all his might was Tezuka-buchō's decision. In the end, whoever wins, we'll accept the result. You're nothing but an outsider."
"S-shut up, Echizen!" Takeshi clamped Ryoma's mouth.
That was probably the first time she heard him talking so much. "No, he's right, Momoshiro-san… What I did was selfish. I did that out of my guilt and thinking that doing that would ease that feeling… Gen-chan also reprimanded me for doing that…"
"Are you seriously calling Sanada-san, Gen-chan?!"
"That's too cute for someone like that."
Hikari couldn't hold back her laugh at this, wiping the tears that escaped the corner of her eyes resulting from it. "Thank you, Echizen-kun… You too, Momoshiro-san… Please take the team to the National Championship."
"You can leave that to us, Hikari-chan!" Takeshi lightly pummelled his left chest.
"We're going to win no matter what. I'll never lose my match." Ryoma smirked.
"I'm counting on you."
"Say, Hikari-chan. How about a go match since it's here?" Takeshi excitedly put the board on the bed.
Her smirk had never been so victorious before. There was no way she would turn down the challenge, especially when she got the chance to get that "You still have long ways to go" back to Ryoma. She wickedly laughed at them every time she won but what shocked her the most was that she actually said…
"Be awed by my beautiful prowess." She even flicked her hair while saying it. This seemed to shock both Takeshi and Ryoma, so much that for a good few seconds, they did nothing but gape at her. Hikari clamped her mouth shut in a sudden realisation and looked away. She got carried away. She played the game so much with him that she was getting used to saying that.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"H-Hikari-chan! Why don't we eat the fruit jelly your mother brought for us?" Takeshi quickly took the food container of the said food.
"You can eat it. I don't have any appetite." Hikari took a deep breath to calm her heartbeat. "I'm sorry that they made you two look after me here."
"Nah, don't worry about it! We wanted to see you anyway! We're good!" Takeshi waved his hand.
"You just want the snacks and desserts."
Takeshi smacked Ryoma's head. "Shut up, Echizen! That's not true, Hikari-chan! That's not true! Don't listen to this arsehole!" Hikari burst into laughter as she watched the two banter on each other.
They kept yelling at each other until a soft knock shifted their attention to the door. The air in the room was drastically changed and Hikari had to rub her eyes to see who was coming into her room. A man with chin-length navy blue wavy hair gracefully strode into her side with a smile that easily put the world at ease.
Did she die and meet God already?
"Y-Yukimura-san?" she said in unison with Takeshi and Ryoma.
"Hello, Hikari-chan. Momoshiro-kun and Echizen-kun too. I didn't expect to see you two here but nice to meet you."
"I should be the one to say that! I didn't know that you're here." Takeshi scratched the back of his head.
"I've heard from Genichiro that Hikari-chan is being hospitalised so I thought I'd come to visit because—" He slightly spread his arms to show the light green pyjama he was wearing, "—I'm here too. It's been a while, hasn't it?" He had a jacket hanging over his shoulder like a cape. But even in that kind of clothing, Yukimura Seiichi didn't lose his majestic aura.
Just like a child of God…
"Y-yeah! I'm glad you're okay! I didn't know that you're hospitalised in here. How are you feeling?" Seiichi pulled a vacant chair and sat next to her bed.
"I'm good. You're the one I'm worried about." There was a genuine worry in his eyes. His soft and gentle way of speaking made her feel like she was covered with the softest silk.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Oi, Hikari-chan! Don't get too excited! Snap out of it!" Takeshi lightly slapped her cheek while Hikari goofily smiled at Seiichi, placing her hands together in front of her chest to make sure no one would see the flowers that bloomed in her heart.
"And here's a get-well-soon gift for you…" Seiichi put freshly-picked multi-coloured gerbera daisies in the empty pot beside her bed. "Bright and cheery, isn't it? It's just like you, Hikari-chan."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Thank you so much, Yukimura-san…" How could he so effortlessly be a charming prince? What was an Atobe Keigo in front of him?
"Oi, Yukimura-san. Don't do unnecessary things that could excite her—ouch! Hey! Why did you do that?!" Hikari pinched Takeshi's thigh to silence him.
"Don't stop Yukimura-san from boosting my morale," she said through gritted teeth.
Seiichi chuckled at them. "Momoshiro-kun and Echizen-kun. I heard that you're advancing to the next round. Congratulations. But Rikkai won't be making it easy for you."
"We won't be beaten so easily, either," Ryoma said with a smirk. "You're the one who should be worried."
"I'm looking forward to it. But there's nothing that worries me more than Hikari-chan at the moment." He patted her on her head. "Rest well and recover quickly, okay? I'm already missing your high-spirited self. See you later!" With that, he left the room. But even without his presence, she could still feel his Godly aura in the room. His flowery charm was still hanging in the air, blessing the desert in her heart and so easily turning it into a flower field.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Oi, Hikari-chan! Snap out of it!" Takeshi shouted at her.
"You're so hopeless. Didn't you just break up with that monkey king yesterday?"
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Echizen! Shut your mouth! Don't mention that!"
"No wonder everyone calls him 'Child of God'! His words touch the deepest part of my heart…" Hikari gleefully said while touching her chest. "Oh, God help me…" She then covered her face with her palms, giggling.
"You're going to see God for real if you're too excited! You can't die on us! You can't! What will Tezuka-buchō do to us if that happens!"
"I can't, Momoshiro-san! I'm so happy!" Hikari dramatically put her palm over her forehead as she let herself flush into the bed.
"Oi, Echizen! Say something, will you?! What if she dies on us?!"
"Maybe we should just let her die happy."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The vibrancy in her heart was gone as soon as her father came at the same time Takeshi and Ryoma excused themselves. Hikari didn't feel like wanting to be alone with her father, not after the argument they had weeks ago. Still, her father placed a shogi board on her bed and pulled the chair next to her bed.
"You always beat me in go. But what about shogi?" He then placed her sweater on her shoulder.
"I only know the rules but never really play it." Hikari pouted as she helped her father assemble the pieces on her side. Her father mentored her things she didn't know about the game. They played the game numerous times with her father winning every time but Hikari eventually started to have the idea of what to do each time they played.
"Hikari, I need to talk about a few things I never told you because I thought you were still small for that."
"Eh?" Hikari blinked at the sudden change of the topic.
"There's a weight I have to carry while working as a prosecutor. The same goes for your grandfather as a chief police officer. We're putting ourselves in a situation where people would probably target us all the time, including our family."
"…I see" It was what she said but Hikari still didn't get why her father suddenly talked about it.
"It was one of the reasons I sent you to Germany, and I'm still planning to, with Kunimitsu as well in the future." Her father sighed. "But while I'm working on it, I want you to bear it a little while longer."
"I don't mind starting all over in Japan, Tō-chan. I really do."
Kuniharu shook his head instead. "Sooner or later, I have to do this for your sake. You and Kunimitsu will have to move back to Germany."
"But—"
"It's for the best, Hikari." He moved his piece on the board. "It is also one of the reasons I didn't speak much about you to other people. I don't want many people to know I have a daughter because they'd most likely target you if they want to attack me." Hikari widened her eyes.
"W-why…?" Was it the reason she was almost kidnapped yesterday? Hikari almost opened up her mouth to tell her father but suddenly his face appeared in her mind. Something heavy weighted her chest that she clutched on her chest. It was already over between them but she felt like there was something unfinished.
If she told her family about it, wouldn't they accelerate their effort to send her back to Germany?
Would she be ready to say goodbye to her new life?
And him?
"It's unfair, but that's the truth, Hikari. That's why I apologise if I make it look like Kunimitsu is the only one that matters to me. The truth is, I'm always proud of you, as much as I am to your brother." He then touched her cheek. "I'm sorry for slapping you, Sweetie."
Guilt constricted her belly so much that Hikari bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Tō-chan… I'm sorry for everything I've said. I'm sorry for making you worry…" She bowed deeply to her father.
Her father smiled as he pulled her into his embrace. "A parent will never stop worrying about their child. No need to apologise about that."
AN: I really enjoy writing this chapter so I hope that you're enjoying this too! I did plan for Hikari to be closer to Ryoma and Momoshiro as I see more dynamic in between them compared to the other, which is why I'm emphasizing that part here.
Yeah, Yukimura finally appears! Though the rest of Rikkais has to wait until later. I hope that I make everyone still on character.
Favorite, follow, and most importantly—review are gold for me! As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the story is also posted on Wattpad. Since the site allows me to post videos and images, I might be able to pamper your eyes there. Check my account in ReikaNanatsuki!
Thank you for reading and have a nice day!
