Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Hourglasses ❯ The Wild Card ( Chapter 2 )

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Hourglasses

 

Chapter II

 

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The following day found Tezuka sitting at home with a textbook propped before him. A look of concentration was sprawled over his face as he idly tapped his pen against his lips. Dark eyes scanned through the reading and he occasionally paused to jot down a few notes in the margin. He had been studying for several hours now—ever since breakfast in fact. His mother had scolded him on his overzealous attitude in reviewing for the test, but Tezuka was not going to simply dismiss something as important as this exam. He hadn't been attending medical school for the past four years to just lounge about.

 

Sighing, Tezuka closed his eyes for a moment to give them a break. Everyone had been surprised when he decided to become a pharmacist. It was more so a field they expected from Inui, not the passionate tennis captain whom they had known throughout a majority of their adolescent years. For Tezuka it was not something unexpected. He always harbored a secret love for chemistry, though he was nowhere near as talented in the subject as Inui. When he decided to go into it in college, he found the challenge refreshing and welcomed it with open arms. So into the study of pharmaceuticals he went.

 

It was tedious work—and it required an enormous amount of memorization, but Tezuka still found joy in it. Besides, tennis could only bring him so far. Five years of being a pro and then into retirement—this was the normal formula followed. Tezuka wanted to find something with a little more stability. Nonetheless he still engaged in the sport actively. He was on his school team and he enjoyed it immensely. Tennis was a passion for him and he would never abandon it completely. He also needed the exercise since studying took a lot of time staying indoors and remaining immobile for several hours straight.

 

“Kunimitsu!”

 

Tezuka opened his eyes and looked towards his doorway where his mother's head peeped in.

 

“You have a phone call from Syusuke,” she said with a smile. “You should take a break.”

 

Tezuka smiled slightly and took the phone from her with a murmured thanks. His mother then left just as quietly as she came in and Tezuka spoke into the phone with his normal curtness. “Yes?”

 

“Just calling to see how the studying was doing,” replied Fuji's ever-cheerful voice.

 

Tezuka glanced at his textbook. “Fine,” he answered blandly.

 

“Well, that's good,” continued Fuji immediately. Then a pause ensued. “I was wondering if you would like to go out for a small break. I heard your mother. It seems you're overworking yourself again,” suggested Fuji, a hint of teasing in his tone.

 

“I really do need to—”

 

“Kunimitsu! You go take a break right now!” burst in Tezuka's grandfather suddenly.

 

Fuji's laughter could be heard in the background as Tezuka stared at the phone with some surprise. “Ojiisan…” he began before his grandfather broke in again.

 

“Really, Kunimitsu. I know you already have that book in your memory from front to back! Just go out and give us a break.”

 

Tezuka's grandfather normally was quiet and very respectful towards him. True he worried over him from time to time when he pushed himself too hard, but he had never resorted to such tactics to get him to relax. Tezuka remained quiet for a few moments before finally answering.

 

“I'll meet you up at the park then, Fuji,” he said.

 

“Will do,” replied Fuji brightly before hanging up.

 

Tezuka rested the phone on its cradle and shook his head slightly. He then stood up and stretched before wandering to his closet to take out his jacket and hat. The day was cold, he judged by looking at the frozen mist painting the windows, obscuring his view of the outside world. Wrapping a scarf around his black turtleneck, Tezuka then put on his hat and jacket. He headed down the stairs and met with his mother at the house's entrance.

 

“Have fun,” she said warmly as she handed him his gloves. Tezuka took them and gave her a barely traceable smile before venturing outside.

 

The wind wasn't as chillingly biting as the previous day, but Tezuka's breath was still taken away by it. He quickly stuffed on the gloves over his numbing hands before shoving them deeply into his pockets. It was fascinating really—how winter was so utterly desolate and cold yet hauntingly beautiful at the same time. Tezuka was more accustomed to spring and summer, where the sun was warm and the skies a cheery blue. During these seasons he found himself much more active and running at a faster pace. When winter came, though, an inexplicable feeling of peace washed over him, making him feel less at tense. Despite it being the season where everything slept, Tezuka found himself more alive than ever before.

 

When he had finally made his way to the park, he almost expected to see Ryoma perched on one of the swings, shooting him a wry grin as he entered. But that image faded away quickly and was replaced all too soon by Fuji's own jovial smile. The latter looked to be impervious to the cold as he was donned in only a thin coat that made Tezuka wonder about the sanity of his longtime friend.

 

“Tezuka,” greeted Fuji with a smile, “you look cozy.”

 

The taller man didn't respond.

 

But Fuji remained immune to all this. “So after all these years of trying to get you to relax, it took a simple order by your grandfather to make it happen,” he commented amusedly.

 

Tezuka stared at Fuji expectantly. He knew the latter had something else to say—something that he was keeping hidden for the time being. It made Tezuka feel somewhat edgy, but he pushed aside the discomfort. Fuji's manipulative mind and curiosity had changed little from the time they were still in their early teens—in fact Tezuka would say that Fuji had mastered the art to the point of perfection where he knew with a few simple words he would get what he want. It was a scary thought.

 

“You seem distracted.”

 

At this Tezuka blinked in surprise and looked at Fuji. He had not meant for his thoughts to stray so far—he had been doing that more often than not as of late. Everyone claimed he was overworking himself. Tezuka knew it was for another reason. Things just didn't seem to hold his attention as much anymore.

 

“Sorry, what were you saying?” he inquired.

 

A strange, knowing smile made its way onto Fuji's face. “I asked you how your date went with Echizen,” he said slowly.

 

Tezuka wondered mildly how he had managed to miss those words.

 

“It wasn't a date.”

 

The smile grew wider. “Recreational hangout then,” he rephrased smartly.

 

Tezuka stared impassively at Fuji. An eerie sort of silence was suspended between them for a moment before Fuji gave a short laugh, placing a friendly hand on Tezuka's shoulder.

 

“Let's go get something to eat,” he suggested suddenly as he began leading the taller man away.

 

Tezuka remained indifferent as they walked and Fuji couldn't help but smile. It was with great perseverance and determination that he and the rest of the former Seigaku tennis team finally managed to get Tezuka to open up even in the slightest in recent years. The man was still as cool and collected as ever, but now there was the occasional sentence or comment that went along with his quiet persona.

 

So it had been a delight for him and the others to see the flabbergasted look on Tezuka's face when Ryoma had made his proposition only a day earlier. Such a rare occurrence was truly magnificent and Fuji was reminded once again that Tezuka was in fact human and that he could be surprised. It was a shame that Ryoma had beaten him to it, though. But it was a defeat he could take with grace. The only thing that lingered on his mind now was the reasoning behind Ryoma's actions—and what exactly Tezuka thought of the situation. It was Ryoma who once warned him that his curiosity would prove to be his downfall one day, but Fuji was willing to take a chance on it at present. Repercussions, if any, could be dealt with later.

 

“Yesterday was reported to be the coldest day of the year thus far,” he commented idly.

 

“Hn.”

 

Fuji glanced at Tezuka and saw the man staring at the ground, deep in thought. Fuji's imagination worked overtime in coming up with different reasons for his friend's uncharacteristic behavior. If anything, he had noticed that Tezuka had been becoming more and more disinterested in the things he did—besides his studies. It was an unnatural phenomena and one that Fuji was hoping to find the answers to eventually. In addition to being curious, he was also growing slightly concerned about this change. Tezuka, despite having gained a less severe attitude, was still able to keep his emotions under a perfectly sculpted mask if the need arose. It was during these times that Tezuka hid his thoughts so efficiently that not even Fuji could hope to achieve any lead on what the man was thinking or feeling.

 

With Ryoma's arrival, though, Fuji felt another change occurring within Tezuka. It was not something he could see visibly—it was simply his instinct telling him so. And instinct never lied. Fuji pondered on this for a while. His investigation was still just in the budding stages. He first needed to obtain more of an opinion from Tezuka before he could assume anything, though he already had a vague feeling of what was to come—and it brought on a rather silly smile onto his face every time he thought about it. Ryoma's openly blunt confession had opened up new doors for Tezuka, and most likely the latter was still contemplating the issue. If anything, Ryoma always did have the natural prowess of being a very talented agitator. Fuji missed the thrill.

 

“I have a confession to make, Tezuka. I'm in love with Eiji—but I don't know how to tell him, especially since it doesn't seem like I'm the one that holds his greatest affections.”

 

Tezuka looked sharply at Fuji, eyes widened to a marginal degree—but Fuji could read that expression. It plainly said, “Please don't tell me I just heard what I think I heard.” The brown-haired man gave a chuckle.

 

“Nice to see I have your attention,” he said lightheartedly.

 

An almost relieved look crossed Tezuka's face as they walked into a small café. They took a seat by the window and waited patiently as a young waitress came to take their orders. Each ordered hot chocolate drinks and an extra bagel for Fuji. It was well into the afternoon but the man could never deny fresh bread. After taking several minutes to thaw out, Fuji cast a watchful gaze over Tezuka as the man pulled off his scarf to wrap it neatly into his coat arm.

 

“We haven't been out like this in a while,” he quipped.

 

“Hm,” murmured Tezuka as he rested against his chair.

 

Fuji decided to wager on a dangerous topic. “You know this situation with Echizen might turn out to be a good experience for you,” he said calmly.

 

Dark eyes bore deeply into Fuji's own azure. “Meaning?” he prompted quietly.

 

“You haven't been in a relationship for a while. I think this will be good for you—and you do go way back with him,” continued Fuji, placing his chin on interlaced fingers, staring evenly back at Tezuka. He smiled inwardly at the quick flash of confusion in the latter's eyes before it was bottled away from public view.

 

Their orders then arrived and Fuji gave an inward tsk at its untimely appearance. Tezuka adopted a more relaxed posture as he sipped his drink slowly, relishing its hotness. Fuji took his bagel and brought out a small packet from his pocket. He ripped it open and spread its contents over the neatly cut bagel. Fuji smiled as he prepared to take a bite. He did love wasabi.

 

“My situation isn't a spectacle.”

 

Fuji looked at Tezuka in surprise. The dark-haired man had his hands folded and was regarding Fuji with a critical gaze—one that he knew all too well to simply shrug off with a smile. There was clear irritation and warning in Tezuka's look, the kind that promoted the halting of whatever its recipient was doing immediately. Fuji had seldom faced that look from Tezuka and knew that he had pushed a bit too far this time. He gave into resignation for the time being.

 

“Well…this test will decide whether you qualify as a pharmacist, no?”

 

“Yes,” answered Tezuka calmly, taking another slow sip from his steaming mug.

 

Fuji smiled. “I'm sure you'll do brilliantly,” he said encouragingly.

 

This was a diversionary tactic—he needed to refocus Tezuka's attention on something else before he dare go back to his original topic of discussion. When dealing with the withdrawn man, Fuji found himself wielding his skills in subtlety and persuasion to the highest degree. There was no other way to get an answer from Tezuka within that hour if he did not do so.

 

“Maybe,” murmured Tezuka.

 

“Absolutely.”

 

A pause, but this time Fuji knew that Tezuka was taking his words to heart. He smiled genuinely this time.

 

“What made you go into pharmaceuticals anyway?” he inquired.

 

“It caught my attention.”

 

It certainly did, thought Fuji to himself amusedly. Tezuka was hardly seen in the past few years since he entered the field not studying for some exam or another. He was passionate about it—this much anyone could see—though some still questioned the drastic change in interests. And then there were others that were downright devastated by his switch in careers—most being foreign agents and scouts that were hoping to acquire Tezuka's talent in tennis. But then they had managed to get Ryoma in the end. It was a fair tradeoff in Fuji's opinion. At least the two were happy.

 

“Oishi saw Atobe the other day,” ventured Fuji again.

 

At this Tezuka arched his eyebrow vaguely.

 

“He's going into entrepreneurship—wants to run his own company.”

 

“He would be good at that.”

 

“Most certainly,” agreed Fuji with a chuckle.

 

Atobe Keigo had gone professional at a young age. He toured the world, creating a name for himself before facing off against Ryoma finally at Wimbledon. There he played his most spectacular game in his entire career, though he eventually lost and then decided to return to Japan after announcing his formal retirement. There was no bitterness in this action—he simply said he had played enough tennis to satisfy him for the rest of his life and was now ready to start on his other goals. And apparently, he had.

 

That had been a year ago. And during that time, business was not the only thing that caught Atobe's attention. Fuji narrowed his eyes at Tezuka, who had begun to read a small book he had extracted out of his pocket.

 

“Tezuka…you've spoken to Atobe haven't you?” he asked quietly.

 

The dark-eyed man glanced at Fuji. “A few times,” he replied nonchalantly.

 

“What did you talk about?”

 

“He was just inviting me to several gatherings—nothing of any importance.”

 

Fuji stared at Tezuka silently for a moment before smiling. “You know there's at least one other person that shares Echizen's interest in you,” he pointed out brightly.

 

Tezuka's puzzled expression made Fuji feel slightly sympathetic towards him.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, it does prove to be quite the problem,” commented Fuji offhandedly.

 

Everyone had known of Atobe's plans for Tezuka since he came back. He had made it blatantly obvious—as was his usual style. Of course Tezuka himself had remained completely oblivious to his forward actions. It had been amusing for a while to watch as Atobe would walk away with a disappointed air about him whenever Tezuka politely refused his offers without even knowing his true purpose.

 

But Fuji was sure now that Atobe would probably be redoubling his efforts now that Ryoma was on the scene. News of his confession had spread around quickly like wildfire and Fuji was sure that the glorious Atobe would be mortified once he heard. Fuji grew worried over the possibility of both Atobe and Ryoma fighting for Tezuka. It had been all right when it was simply Atobe—the man was much more covert about his feelings when going after Tezuka, which made him appear almost cautious of frightening him away. But Ryoma had proved to be just the opposite, which was somewhat ironic considering Atobe was the more flamboyant of the two whereas Ryoma was almost as stoical as Tezuka. With the two now competing over him, Fuji wondered how the latter would be able to handle it. Relationships were virtually untouched upon in Tezuka's dictionary.

 

“What will you do about it?” queried Fuji, his expression serious.

 

Tezuka blinked slowly, that nonplussed expression still sprawled over his face as he tried to fathom what Fuji was speaking about.

 

“Just follow your heart. I think that's about it,” concluded Fuji mysteriously before standing up slowly. He buttoned up his coat and gave a cheery wave at Tezuka as he set down some money on the table for his order. “I'll see you later then. Good luck on your exam.”

 

And without any further words the former tennis prodigy left the café. Tezuka stared at his wake in obvious surprise before finishing up his drink. He then paid the waitress before journeying outside. The time he spent with Fuji always entailed confusion and strange words. Tezuka had grown more adapt in the years to be able to read his friend's cryptic messages, but today was a completely other story. He had no clue as to what Fuji meant with his words—or why Atobe kept coming up in their conversation. Tezuka frowned slightly as he walked down the streets. Any further perception of how cold it was eluded him as his mind was focused entirely on Fuji's departing words to him.

 

“My, my, Tezuka…if you keep frowning like that you'll scare off all the children.”

 

Tezuka froze at that all too familiar drawl and looked up slowly. Standing a few feet away from him, with his usual smirk in place, Atobe appeared to have been pleasantly surprised by this unpredicted meeting.

 

It struck Tezuka as ironic that he would encounter the one person that Fuji had been so engaged on talking about during their time at the café. “Atobe,” he greeted flatly.

 

The other man walked up to him. “Do you have anything planned?” he inquired slowly.

 

“No.”

 

“Good.”

 

Lying was never one of Tezuka's strong points—though the moment Atobe shot him that wicked grin he almost wished it was. As he was guided away by the former Hyotei captain, Tezuka thought about Fuji once again. The full comprehension of those words hit him completely now. Well, it does prove to be quite the problem. Tezuka couldn't agree any more to that.

 

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TBC

 

Ryoma's goal just became a lot harder. >.<