Summer break begins and so does the training camp for the Junior Selection Camp. That really means that for the first time in a couple weeks, you don't have anything to do all day. An invites you to play some street tennis, which you do end up accepting. She, more than almost anyone, is most excited when you pick tennis back up again, and you think it's because she secretly loves destroying the entirety of the street tennis population when the two of you play together.
It's after a few games that An tells you she volunteered to help at the men's Junior Selection Camp.
"You should join," she tells you over desserts and coffee. "It'll be fun – plus, your entire team is there. I'll be there too."
You laugh. "I'm trying to get a break for them, An. I see them every day during the school year."
An, however, is never one to be persuaded easily. "Why don't you just come for one day? Isn't it so cool and exciting to see everyone from the circuit there together? They're the best junior tennis players in Tokyo."
You cringe. "It sounds more like a testosterone fest than anything, I can't even keep the chaos on the Seigaku team under control most days, let alone all 30 of them."
"Oh, they're not that bad," she laughs. "But I know what you mean."
"Yeah," you mutter, taking a sip of your coffee. "It's because you have Kamio just groveling for your affection all day."
She waves off your comment and doesn't bother to acknowledge it. "Come for one day," she tells you.
"Fine," you roll your eyes. "I'll come for one day of the Junior Selection Camp."
She squeals and you feel like you already regret this decision.
You get a text from Fuji that tells you about Ryuzaki-sensei being in the hospital. You obviously rush over to see her – she had always been their coach, but she was your mentor. Luckily, by the time you arrive at the hospital, she is feeling much better but admitted to a room upstairs for further treatment.
"I'm glad you feel better," you tell her, and Sakuno bows at you politely before taking the flowers you brought to go find a vase.
"This is nothing," the old lady waves her hand dismissively. "I'm fine. This is all just precautionary. I just feel terrible that this happened over Junior Selection Camp – I was supposed to be coaching."
"I'm sure they'll find someone," you shake your head. "You need to be here, recovering."
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to be young again," the woman laughs and you smile. "You just missed all the boys stopping by."
You cringe. "Perhaps for the better. We probably see them too often."
She laughs. "I do miss having you around, Michi. Perhaps you can fill in in my absence for me."
You pause. "Are you really asking me, or was that a joke?"
She laughs again and pats you on the shoulder. "I know you wouldn't want to," she shakes her head. "No, I'll make my own arrangements. We're already grateful for you helping out the Seigaku team in Tezuka's absence. Besides," her eyes glint and it makes you a little nervous. "I have just the person."
You purse your lips. "I would do it if you asked," you tell her.
"I know, I know," she waves you off. "Go enjoy your summer break. We'll be restarting Nationals practice after camp ends, so enjoy these glory days."
You bow politely at her and dismiss yourself.
You don't expect to get a call from An two days later. It comes in the middle of the day, which is weird because you could have sworn she told you she was working the Junior Selection Camp this week.
"You need to get here. Right now," she tells you as soon as you answer.
"What?" to be fair, you're not doing much, but you're exceedingly confused to be receiving this ultimatum.
"I'm serious, Lita," you hear her shuffle and cover the microphone for a second to respond to someone and then you hear her voice again. "Remember when I told you that you should come for one day of the Junior Selections?"
You purse your lips. "An, you can't be serious. It's Wednesday. I'm busy."
"One, it's Wednesday, which means you actually have absolutely nothing to do," you don't like being called out like this but she is correct. "And two, you seriously are going to want to see this."
"See what?" you ask.
"No. I'm sending you the address. We're at court 1."
She hangs up and you look at your phone, confused. Nonetheless, the address comes in a quick message less than a minute later and you head out.
You show up to court 1 only to see everyone has clearly also gathered around the courts. In fact, the entire Junior Selection Camp members are surrounding the wire fences. You slowly approach the side and An spots you to drag you to where she is standing.
You glance in towards the courts and your breath catches.
There is Tezuka, in his blue track suit you had seen him wearing in all the pictures from Germany. He is currently standing on the court across from Shishido.
"What is happening?" you whisper to An, trying to not draw the attention of the rest of the players outside.
She grins. "I knew you'd want to see this. Tezuka's back – he's taking Ryuzaki-sensei's coaching spot."
"Why is he on the court?" you hiss back. "He can't play tennis yet."
"He said he's okay to hit some light shots," she nods her chin towards the current game, where you realize Tezuka, true to his word, is just returning shots fully underhand. You also notice his Tezuka Zone is on.
You turn your insight on and it tells you exactly what you'd expect. Tezuka's shoulder isn't fully healed – he cannot lift his arm for any shots or serves. Nonetheless, he continues to return shots gently with his Tezuka Zone, and you're surprised to see his shoulder is holding up quite well. Shishido smashes and you can't help but flinch a little – it is a powerful shot. Nonetheless, it gets redirected back into Tezuka's periphery and Tezuka takes a step back to gently lob it back to the baseline for the point.
You know everyone is impressed by the murmurs that spread through the crowds. You glance around and make eye contact with Atobe who is standing across the opposite fence from you. He has already spotted you but he does look surprised to see you.
Tezuka looks up at the left fence, as if asking for the next challenger to step up. His eyes sweep through where you are standing and you see him pause, eyes widening a little in surprise as well. Nonetheless, he stands there on the court patiently.
Ootori ends up going next. The Scud Serve is as powerful and clean as you remember seeing it weeks ago. You try to focus and watch Tezuka carefully as he swings his arm back. His racket makes contact with the ball precisely and he slices the ball back for a return ace. Ootori gives him a respectful bow and steps down.
The Yamabuki player – you remember is name is Sengoku when someone else says it – does put up a surprisingly good rally. He ends up forcing the ball out of the Tezuka Zone towards the baseline, but Tezuka is already there. He hits the ball back to the opposite side of the court and ends the rally.
"Now you're just showing off, Tezuka," you hear Atobe announce and look up to see him smirking.
Tezuka ignores him. "Kamio, Kirihara, who would like to be next?"
Both players end up declining a match and the ruckus slowly dissipates. Fuji spots you in the corner and he gives you a small wave before he heads back with his group. Eventually, Tezuka's entire group gathers on the court. Tezuka glances up at you again briefly and you hesitantly wave, a little unsure of yourself.
His gaze softens a little and he nods. Maybe if you really squinted, you could be convinced his lips quirked up a little as well.
Nonetheless, he becomes busy discussing something with his team on the court. You turn to An, who is watching you closely with a much-too-large grin on her face.
"What?" you ask, a little suspicious.
"Nothing," she smiles. "Anything else you'd like to say to me? Maybe 'thank you' or 'wow, An-chan what a great friend you are' or 'did you see how hot Tezuka looked on the court?'"
Your jaw drops and you're pretty sure you're blushing. You drag her away from the court in case her loud voice carries further than you expect. "Shhh!" you shush her.
She laughs again. "I so told you that you should have volunteered for this. It's not too late now."
"No!" you resist the urge to smack away the grin on her face. "Did you know about this?"
"No," she shakes her head. "I don't think anyone did," her amusement fades a little and she softens. "I just thought you'd want to see him, you know?"
"I do," you sigh and glance back at the courts. You're further away now but you can see the group has dispersed for different drills. Tezuka's blue track suit stands out against all the red camp uniforms and you just watch him for a second. "But now that he's here, it just feels so awkward."
She gives you a sympathetic look. "I get it. Look, there's a party for him tonight after dinner. Why don't you come by?"
"Let me think about it," you tell her.
She nods and you head off.
You do end up thinking about whether you want to go or not. In fact, you probably spend way too much time thinking about it. It is late in the afternoon when you are startled out of your thought process when your phone rings.
It's Tezuka's name on the screen and you feel your heart rate pick up.
"Hi," you answer, trying to sound normal.
"Hi," he greets back.
"I didn't realize you would be back," you start, trying to keep your voice light.
"It was a last-minute request by Ryuzaki-sensei," he tells you and you think back to that mischievous glint you saw in her eyes that day. "I got the next flight back." He pauses. "Michi…"
Your breath catches. "Yes?" you respond quietly.
"I … I wanted to discuss something with you. In person," he tells you.
You feel your heart thudding loudly in your chest. "S-sure," you hate that your voice stutters. You swallow.
"Now?" he asks.
You laugh, because you do so badly want to see him right now. "You're going to miss your own welcome back party," you tell him weakly.
He lets out a slow breath that tells you he's annoyed but cannot argue with you. "After," he tells you instead. "Tonight."
You giggle at his tone. "Okay," you bite your lip to hide your grin. "I'll meet you at our park."
He agrees and you hang up.
You're relieved the humidity has finally improved by the evening time. You're patiently waiting on one of the many park benches that dot the center of the park, probably earlier than Tezuka for the first time in your life.
He spots you easily and you stand when he reaches you. It's somehow the first time you've seen him, face to face, in the last two months and you suddenly find yourself unable to say anything. Your eyes scan him carefully, trying to figure out if he's changed at all.
"Hi," you manage out, and it sounds a little breathy. You purse your lips and clear your throat. "Um, how was the welcome party?" you ask.
"It was nice," he is watching you carefully too, and you wonder if he's doing the same thing.
"I'm sorry," you glance away because suddenly eye contact feels like too much. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something."
"No, I'm sorry for calling you out so late," he responds quietly. "I … needed to see you."
Your eyes shoot back up to his face, not quite sure you understand what he means. He's still looking at you, but his expression is soft and it somehow reminds you that day he stood here with you last, seeking your comfort after his shoulder was destroyed in the Hyotei game. "What do you mean?" you ask.
He sighs. "You told me it didn't feel right to come to Germany last weekend."
You're about to respond when something in his tone makes you pause. "Are you that upset I didn't come?"
Tezuka takes a deep breath and you also see some of the tension in his shoulders diffuse. "I did want to see you," he tells you softly.
You feel like you've waited so long to hear this from him, and yet somehow the ache in your heart feels that much worse. "I didn't go, Tezuka, because I needed some space away from you," your voice is soft but your words cut through the silence between you both.
Tezuka freezes. You're not sure this is the response he was expecting.
"I told you, before you left for Germany, that I had feelings for you," your voice has finally started to waver and you swallow in an attempt to keep it steady. "It's okay that you haven't responded – you can take all the time you need. But I can't … I can't be this close to you without it feeling suffocating right now."
"Michi," he takes a step towards you, eyes wide. "I-"
"No," you take a step back and he freezes again. "You asked me to stay on professionally for the team and I will. But I can't keep making the same mistake. I need some space to get over my feelings for you before you come back."
"I don't want that," Tezuka responds quietly and this time it is your turn to freeze. He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry for being so selfish," he murmurs and sighs. "I was too scared to ask you to wait for me before I left."
Your emotions are a literal mess. You sit down on the bench and take a moment to take a deep breath and squeeze your eyes shut, rubbing your eyes with the palms of your hands. "I think I need a moment," you take another deep breath and look back up at him. "What are you trying to tell me right now?"
He kneels down to your level. "I'm telling you that I have feelings for you too. I should have told you before I left, but I was too much of a coward."
Your eyes search his. "What were you afraid of?" you ask.
He inhales sharply but you don't let him off the hook. He eventually sighs. "I was worried about who I'd be without my tennis. I was worried I wouldn't be the same person you knew."
"That's absurd," you tell him immediately and for some reason, his lips quirk up at your response. "Do you really think that little of me?"
"No," he tells you honestly, and you believe him. "And yet, it felt easier to promise you a national championship than accept your feelings for me."
You can't help the giggle that escapes and his demeanor also softens. He stands up.
"Is it too late you ask you to wait for me now?" he asks quietly, eyes downcast.
You stand up as well. "I … can't promise you anything right now, I'm sorry," you tell him. "Focus on the Junior Selection Camp and your shoulder. We can talk about this when you come back from Germany for good next time."
Tezuka lets out a slow breath but nods. His glasses hide his full expression, but you can tell he's hurt. "Is this because of Atobe?" he asks softly.
"No," you shake your head. "Not completely. This is on me. I'm sorry," you tell him again. You give him a small bow and leave.
Tezuka is on his way back towards his dorm when he sees the unexpected shadow on the ground. He looks to the side and sees Atobe leaning against the wall of a nearby hallway.
"I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who sneaks out to see a girl, Tezuka," Atobe casually remarks, pushing himself off the wall.
Tezuka purses his lips. "Atobe," he greets calmly.
"Arn? No disagreement?" Atobe smirks. "Did your romantic rendezvous with Lita not go as expected?"
Tezuka narrows his eyes at Atobe's use of your first name. He knows Atobe is trying to rile him up and tries to remain calm, but he feels his self-control stretching razor thin.
Atobe's smirk widens when he sees Tezuka's stiffness. "Perhaps it would be better if I told you how her lips tasted when she was with me last –"
Atobe is abruptly cut off when Tezuka takes a few steps forwards until he is right in front of him. "I don't intend to lose her to you, Atobe," Tezuka tells him sharply.
Atobe laughs. "Maybe you should have thought about that before took your sweet time with her feelings. How long as it been – one year? Two?"
Tezuka's glare sharpens.
Atobe shakes his head mockingly. "A few more weeks in Germany, Tezuka, and she'll already be mine when you come back."
"She's not a possession to be won," Tezuka responds quietly. He steps past Atobe. "I recognize my mistake. I won't let it happen again."
Tezuka gets two steps down when Atobe speaks again. "I'm serious about her as well, Tezuka."
Tezuka makes no movement to acknowledge the statement and continues down the hall swiftly.