Anime/Manga: Prince of Tennis
Note: Shonen-Ai (Tezuka/Fuji)
Chapters: Nine
Disclaimer: I do not owe “Prince of Tennis, Takeshi Konomi does, but the plot.

Chapter One

Tezuka Kunimitsu was standing in the living room of his families home and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It had to be a joke, a bad joke. Or was he dreaming? He couldn’t do anything else but stare at his parents.

“You have to understand, Kunimitsu, that the company wants your father in Germany, and no longer here.”

Dad has been learning German for more than a year now, but I never paid it a second thought. He enjoys travelling and therefor has always been interested in languages. But that has nothing to do with me. Why does it have to have such a big impact on my life?

“At least they offer us to chose where to live, for he’ll be able to work in his office at home for most of the week?”

“If he can work at home, why do we have to move anyway?” Tezuka found himself saying.

“Well, it would be rather expensive and kind of overexerting, if I would fly from Japan to Germany and back every two weeks or so, wouldn’t it?”

“And we’ll finally have the chance to live in a much smaller town, and no longer in a place as big as Tokyo.”

“But, I don’t care if it’s smaller or bigger than Tokyo, I want to stay right here.”

“There is no point in arguing, son.” The voice of his father was suddenly rather strict. “We’ll leave in about 2 months and there is no way, you’re going to stay. So you better get comfortable with the idea.”

“But I could stay with grandpa, couldn’t I?”

“You cannot ask for such a big favour.”

There seems to be o way to get out of this. I’ll finally finish school within these two months, so the timing seems to be just perfect. But I’d rather join some university here and go on playing tennis with the others. Ok, I am a fool to think we’d all attend the same university anyway, but we were supposed to at least stay in the same area and not move across the world to some foreign country.

— — —

Two more weeks before I have to leave everthing and everyoneI care for behind. And so far they don’t know anything at all. I could leave without ever telling them. But it wouldn’t be a fair thing to do. They’d be disappointed; he’d be disappointed, woudn’t he?

”Hey, Tezuka, did you finally decide for which university to apply when you get your final marks?”

“No.”

“Ok, it’s not like you couldn’t get wherever you wanted to, your results ought to be excellend, as always.” Fuji was smiling at him. “Well, I don’t know yet what to do myself, so I guess I shouldn’t be telling you to hurry up deciding, should I?”

“No, you shouldn’t.”

Fuji was a little startled, but kept his smile anyway. He was used to Tezuka not saying much during their conversations, but for the past weeks it felt different from their usual conversations.

“Well, I don’t care, as long as I have a chance to play tennis. I don’t care, if I am able to play at tournaments, but I always feel my mood lighten up when I’m standing on the court.”

“Mh.”

You’ll sure enough keep playing tennis. Any club would be a fool not to take you, whenever you want to play for them. You’re gifted and talented like no other, but somehow you’re lacking the ambition to aim higher every day. Sometimes it feels like you’re staying behind on purpose, making sure none of us would fall back. But I’m afraid I won’t get a chance to look back and see you doing so.

They walked a while in silence. “I have to leave you here. I still have to get something from the supermarket, otherwise my mum’s going to be mad at me all day.”

I’m sure, she wouldn’t if you forgot. I hardly doubt there’s anybody who would be mad at you as long as you have this smile of yours on your lips.

“And don’t forget to come to Taka’s place tonight!” Tezuka looked at him irritated. “You already forgot!” Fuji looked a little disappointed to Tezuka, but his smile was back within a second.

“We wanted to celebrate finishing school, remember? 7 pm at Taka’s place, you want me to write it down?”

“No, I’ll be there.”

“Or to pick you up?”

“No need. I’ll be fine, thanks”

Celebrating the end of their time at school. Everybody would be talking about what to do now, where they’d be going and what they plan to do. An occation to look back and time to think about the future lying ahead. He definitly was not in the mood for that at a time like this. But on the other hand, they had a right to know, he was going to move, hadn’t they?

Lost in his thoughts he found his way back home throwing himself on his bed. Staring at the already emptied walls. This room didn’t fell comfortable to him anymore. There where boxes standing everywhere, in the whole house, and in his room as well. Whatever his parents declared he wouldn’t need for the remaining time, was packed into cartons and send to Germany. His father had already left last week, to be able to care about everything himself. He’d soon lose what he’d called home for his entire live.

No, I’ve already lost it some week ago, when they told me…

Tired and sleepy, Tezuka closed his eyes, trying to think about anything but the relocation lying ahead. He soon fell asleep.

— — —

Fuji was running towards the sushi shop. It was 10 minutes past 7 and Tezuka nowhere to be seen.

Well, I’m a little late myself. I bet he already got inside.

“Fujiko-chan, you’re quite early, aren’t you?”

Fuji glanced at Kawamura and nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s no problem, don’t worry.”

“Did anybody else show up so far?”

“No, why would they? We said we’d start at 8 and not even Oishi is usually coming almost an hour earlier.”

“Yea, you’re right. Well, I should use the time given to lend you a helping hand then.”

I don’t understand this. Did Tezuka meet one of the others on his way back telling him, it would be fine to show up at 8? Unlikely. Or he remembered it after all and is wondering why I wanted him to show up earlier. No, he would have called me telling me I was mistaken about the time.

Time passed quite fast. After a little more than half an hour Kawamura and Fuji were not suprised to welcome Oishi and Eiji at the sushi shop.

“Hello, you two. Fuji, you’re quite early, aren’t you?”

“Hoi hoi, it’s not like you to be the first, you know?”

“And it wouldn’t be like you to be one of the first, if it wasn’t for dear Oishi, right?”

Eiji blushed at that. No, he couldn’t let Fuji get away just like that.

“Oh, I see. You wanted to spend some private time with Taka-san before it get’s all to noisy, didn’t you?”

“What!?!” A red Kawamura stared at Eiji in disbelieve, giving Fuji a confused look.

“Eiji, stop that! You know Taka-san’s with a girl, don’t you?”

“Well, that might make things a little harder, but it shouldn’t be a hindrance in the end, should it?”

“I think Hitomi and Taka-san make quite a cute couple. No need for me to interfere.”

“Fuji!”

While Fuji cheeks had not even turned to a the slightest bit of pink, Kawamura felt his cheeks becoming hot again. That was a strange beginning for this evening. First Eiji hinting Fuji would want to go out with him and now Fuji declaring he wouldn’t interfere with a cute couple. He stared at his friends, unsure what else to say, just hoping they’d stop.

“Now, stop it, the both of you. Give Taka-san a break, will you?”

So while Kawamura busied himself putting glasses on the table, Oishi, Eiji and Fuji made themselves comfortable.

“So what’s the real reason for you to show up so early?”

“Eiji…”

“I just felt bored and thought I might help a little, for we’re already allowed to celebrate here.”

“That’s it?”

“Yea, that’s it.”

Eiji looked a little disappointed but dropped the subject anyway, because he knew that his partner wouldn’t like him teasing Fuji any further eventhou the both of them knew Fuji was lieing.

The next to show up where Inui and Kaidoh confirming Fuji’s presumption of them being a couple. Of course they’d argue that they won’t, if one asked them. It was funny, how their team contained 3 inseparable couples, but none of them ever talked about it.

I just wished it were not three, but four…

The door opened again and Fuji looked hopefully at the entrance. Seeing Echizen and Momoshiro enter the shop, Fuji felt a knot forming in his throat. He didn’t know, why it hurt so much, to see them all this happy.

I should be happy for them and stop being jealous.

At 8.30 Kawamura put a big plate with sushi of different sorts on the table and they started eating. Everybody taking what he liked best and complimenting Kawamura for his work. Fuji didn’t feel like eating at all. He looked at at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“I bet he’ll arrive any minute.” Kawamura tried to assure his friend. Fuji didn’t answer, but only nodded back with a smile.

Or he just forgot. I told him we’d start at 7 and now it’s past 9 pm. Plus he has acted different from his usual self for at least 2 weeks now. I don’t know, what’s going on, but I don’t like it.

Next to him Eiji started to kissing his doubles partner, who was completely taken aback. Fuji couldn’t watch. The two of them had been together for about a month now and couldn’t let go of oneanother anymore. Fuji was happy for his friends, but it hurt to see them this way. Whenever he looked at them he suddenly felt lonely and deserted.

“Fuji, wanna take some fresh air?”

“Yea, that sounds good.”

Happy to have an accuse to leave the scene, Fuji followed Kawamura out of the sushi shop. When they had closed the door behind them, Fuji took in the cool air of the night. It helped to clear his mind and lift his mood instantly.

“Fuji, what’s wrong?” Fuji hasistated. “Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”

Sighing Kawamura leaned against the wall behind him. “I don’t know. First of all you showed up way to early today, plus you looked somehow distrackted for the whole week now. I mean, you’re smiling, but you always do. It just doesn’t look natural anymore.” Fuji didn’t know what to say and he stared at Kawamura with his eyes wide open.

“But it’s not only you. Tezuka, too, looks way out of place. Acting as if he was in some trance, never really listing.”

“I know what you try to tell me. I thought it was strnge, too.”

“So what is it between the two of you?”

“Between us? Nothing. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Mh, I understand. So you’ll just have to tell me, what’s wrong with you instead.”

“I … I don’t know.”

“He didn’t decide on what to do after school, did he?”

“No.”

“So I guess you better hurry tell him.”

“I can’t tell him? Tell him what anyway?”

Kawamura grined at his friend. “I knew it.”

Fuji wanted to say something, arguing that he didn’t have a clue what Kawamura was talking about. But decided against it. It wouldn’t make any sence, because he was one of his best friends and knew him way too good and could see right through him.

“You love him.”

That was no question, but a statement.

“You have to tell him, if you don’t want to lose him to somebody else one day.”

“I can’t.”

“Why’s that?”

“I just can’t do it, ok?”

“There is no need for you to be shy. You have known each other for quite a long time now.”

“One must not catch an angel.”

“Fuji – ”

Fuji gave him a hurt smile, tears shimmering in the corners of his eyes. Before Kawamura could say anything else, Fuji turned around, walking down the street.

How could he ever understand? Tezuka is way too perfect. There’s no way he would ever accept me as his lover. I’m happy enough to be his friend.