Part Two

For the next weeks one could see that Fuji was always slightly tired and sleepy. Nobody knew why and Fuji didn’t write it down for them, so they simply tried to make sure, he got home safely. Maybe he was just about to get sick and therefore had problems sleeping at night. But what they did not know was, that Fuji stayed half of the night awake trying to voice words. At first there were only weird noises leaving his mouth and not even Fuji would have known what they were supposed to mean, if it was not he himself who had thought about the words and syllables before.

It took him more then a month to pronounce syllables and simple words the way others around him always did. It still sounded strange, but Fuji thought, that if somebody listened carefully, he’d be able to understand.

On a sunny day Fuji finally made up his mind.

I’ll do it. I’ll face him right after practise. If I don’t, I might never get a chance to. School’s over soon and he’ll sure leave to become a professional tennis player. I mean it would be a waste of talent if he didn’t…

He entered the class room Tezuka and Oishi could usually be found in. But neither Oishi nor Tezuka were there. Turning around he walked through the hallway to the lockers. There he found his friends Oishi and Eiji chatting with each other. Happy he found somebody he could ask about Tezuka’s whereabouts Fuji took his notebook and flipped through the pages. He had made a list of his friends name so that he wouldn’t have to write them down over and over again when he was looking for one of them. So he approached the team’s Golden Pair.

“Oh, hi Fuji. What is it?”

He pointed at Tezuka’s name.

“You’re looking for Tezuka?” Fuji nodded at Eiji. “Well, I haven’t seen him yet. Do you know where he his Oishi?”

“He left directly after class. Have you already been at the club house? I mean it’s tennis practise in less then in hour. He might already be there.”

Fuji smiled brightly, showed them the back of his notebook on which he had once written “arigato” and left.

—

Oishi had been right. Tezuka was already in the clubhouse. He had just changed and was about to leave and warm up, when Misaki, a one of the girls team regualrs entered.

“Tezuka-san?”

“Misaki-san. As far as I know this clubhouse is reserved for the boys at this hour.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, I- I just wanted to talk to you. I mean you still have more than half an hour before your practice starts.”

“Is that so?”

“I won’t take long, Tezuka-san. Please give me a chance to tell you what I intended to.”

Annoyed Tezuka looked at his watch. She was right, none of his team members was about to show up soon. He had avoided her for quite some time no, but there was no escape this time. Tezuka sighed.

“Fine.”

“Tezuka-san. I – I’ve been watching you ever since I walked into this school. You’re probably the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

None of the two heard the clubroom’s door open a little.

“I have been trying to catch your attention for so long, but it looks like I failed, doesn’t it?”

She didn’t get an answer from Tezuka.

“I’ve tried my best in tennis, tried to support the team to reach the nationals, but I’m afraid I failed.”

“You simply mustn’t give up.”

“Yea, you’re right. But, Tezuka-san, that’s not what I wanted to tell you in the first place.”

“I’m still here to listen.”

“I love you.”

Tezuka didn’t know what he was supposed to respond. When he opened his mouth to say something, the clubroom’s door closed with a thud.

“What was that?”

“Is that important?”

“Maybe it is.”

“Tezuka-san, did you hear what I said? I love you!”

She placed her hands on his cheek and forced him to face her. Before he could protest, she pulled him towards her face covering his lips with her’s.

The kiss lasted only a second.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I – “

“Is it your definition of love? Forcing somebody into a kiss? I thought it was an issue that concerned always two.”

“But, Tezuka-san.”

“Stop it. I don’t want to hear about it anymore.”

Tears were shimmering in Misaki’s eyes. She could hardly believe that Tezuka was not even going to give her a chance. Turning on her heals she left in a hurry. When Tezuka was finally alone again, he exhaled the air he was not even aware he was holding.

Suddenly the weird noise of the door earlier came back to his mind. He stepped out of the room into the sunlight and looked around. He had a very bad feeling about this. Something had happened. And he didn’t mean the fact that a girl had just confessed to him. Things like that had happened earlier.

Slowly he walked around the courts thinking what or who might have caused that sound. Finishing his lap Tezuka’s attentive eyes saw a shadow of a person sitting with his back on a tree. Wondering who it was he approached the person as quietly as he could. When he came closer he heard a faint sobbing. It was a boy – he knew that much now – and he was obviously quite upset about something.

“Fuji?”

The sobbing sound stopped and the brown haired boy looked up at him. Tezuka was surprised by all the emotions he could read from the other’s eyes. He felt like it was the first time in his life, that he truly looked at him. First there was surprise and confusion but it quickly changed to a hurt expression.

“May I?” Fuji shrugged. Taking it as a yes Tezuka sad down beside him. The other boy no longer looked at him. When Fuji made no attempt to look at him or give him any hints on what was wring, Tezuka got a little nervous.

“Fuji, what’s wrong?”

The sobbing got louder again. Not knowing what to do, Tezuka put his arm around Fuji’s shoulder pulling the boy closer.

“I know I might not be the perfect one to discuss matters, but… I could get you a pen and a piece of paper, if you want me to.”

Fuji shook his head. “-ho.”

Tezuka stared at him in disbelieve. Did Fuji just say something?

“Do you prefere to be alone? Do you want me to leave?”

“-ho.” Again this strange sound. But Tezuka was sure Fuji was trying to tell him ‘no’.

“Mh.”

“-halk.”

“hawk?”

Fuji shook his head again. Staring at the floor when new tears streamed over his cheeks.

“Talk?”

“je-”

“I’ surprised. I guess I never heard you voice before.”

A smile formed on Fuji’s lips and Tezuka could swear that Fuji’s cheeks got a little redder then they were before. Tezuka couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He had to admit Fuji looked cute and quiet adorable this way.

“Mh, that’s the reason why you have been so tired throughout the last month, isn’t it?”

“je-”

“Yes.”

“jez”

“Well, I think we can abandon your notebook then. At least a little.”

“jez”

“Want to try to tell me what’s wrong?”

“hardt”

“I promise to help you as good as I can, ok?”

“…”

“Fuji?”

“jez”

“So?”

“a, aij”

“I”

“ai za”

“Saw? What did you see?”

“-irl.”

“I don’t understand.”

“in klab – klabhau”

“You saw a girl in – oh.”

So that was it. Fuji was the one who had been standing beside the door closing it when Misaki had confessed her love to him. He tried to pull Fuji a little closer and he felt him relaxing a little.

“-uka?”

“Mh?”

“ou lof hea?”

“Sorry?”

“ou lo – love hea?”

Tezuka looked at the small boy in disbelieve. It was easy to see how hard it was for him to talk. But still he was sitting here next to him under a tree, trying hard to ask him, if he loved Misaki.

“No, I – I don’t love her.”

Fuji looked up at him and Tezuka was surprised to see so much hope in these blue eyes of his. There was no way he could disappoint this boy’s hope. Giving him a reassuring smile Tezuka leaned closer.

“I don’t love her. Don’t worry. I don’t. I promise.”

He placed a light kiss on the other’s forehead.

“-mi – mizu”

“Syusuke.”

“ai – ai”

“I love you, too.”

THE END