Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Life's A Stage ❯ & when the music starts pt 2 ( Chapter 3 )

Life's A Stage

 

Chapter 3: & When the Music Starts (part 2)

 

 

A week or so after that confrontation between the housemates had passed, there came a day when Tezuka came home late from practice. He and the team had stayed on for an extra game. Rather it was Momo and Kaidoh who decided to challenge each other. The rest merely stayed to watch. The two had an ongoing competitive spat with each other since first year. In the end, to both their frustrations, they actually tied, highly amusing everyone else.

 

“ Momo Sempai, why not just admit you and Kaidoh sempai are the same?” Ryoma Echizen smirked from under his cap.

 

“ What?!! Admit defeat to that viper? No way! I was just tired today that's all! I could beat that snake anyday!”

 

“ Fsh… what did you say idiot? Just admit I am stronger!”

 

“ No way! And did you call me an idiot? Asking for a fight?”

 

“ Fsh…! Are you?!!”

 

“ Break it up or 20 laps for both of you!”

 

“ Nyah! Tezuka! Give them a break.”

 

The tennis captain fixated his acrobatics player with a glare that made the red haired flinch and pretend to strike up a conversation with Fuji.

 

“ Che, buchou should learn to loosen up.” Ryoma commented, looking at Tezuka with a challenging gleam in his eye.

 

Before Tezuka could say something back at the young tennis prodigy, the fourth year suddenly switched the subject, smirking even wider.

 

“ Ne Buchou, where's your girl friend today?”

 

The rest practically tensed up at that question. Teasing Tezuka was not something a sane person who valued their life would want to do, let alone make such a blunt comment. However, Echizen Ryoma was not exactly what one would call a sane person. When it failed to illicit an answer from Tezuka, Ryoma only persisted to everyone's dismay.

 

“ Buchou didn't answer my question.”

 

Tezuka glared levelly at the younger boy, who as always, refused to back down to any challenge thrown at him, simply stared back uncaringly.

 

“ Ne Kuni-kun, Echizen is right. I haven't seen her today. Is she alright?” Fuji asked innocently, breaking the air of tension.

 

And Eiji, who did not know any better as usual, decided to pitch in “ Hoi, she seems quite distracted recently. As if she's having some problems. I wonder what happened. Maybe someone said something to hurt her… if that's the case I'll go after the baka for upsetting such a nice girl like Jack nyah!”

 

In the silence that ensued, the captain turned his glare to the tensai, but gave up, as he knew it was pretty much useless to enter a verbal and staring match with both Ryoma and Fuji.

 

“ Whatever, well, I do not know where she is.” He said pointedly. “ She said she has something on after school.”

 

“ So desu. See you buchou.” Said Ryoma, satisfied with the outcome and walked off.

 

Fuji grinned upon realizing the others had gone, or rather, crept away to avoid getting into crossfire between the three of them. He and Tezuka walked for a while in silence before he said softly,

 

“ You know, denial is not the best solution to things.”

 

No response.

 

“ It is in fact rather bad for one's health, let alone mental state. You know, I once knew someone…”

 

“ Stop. Fuji. No one's in denial. I have no idea what you are talking about.”

 

They reached the section where they would go in different directions.

 

“ So desu. Good night Kunimitsu.”

 

“ Be careful.”

 

“ Tezuka…”

 

It made the tennis captain look at him, it was rare Fuji called him by that.

 

“ You didn't deny.”

 

“ Didn't deny what?”

 

Fuji, whose eyes were opened for that instant, closed and the smile was back on his face.

 

“ Nothing!” he exclaimed casually. “ Just thinking about something Echizen said. I better go now! Ja ne!”

 

He left Tezuka gazing after him.

 

 

000 000 000

 

 

He reached home to find that she was already in her room, door shut. Probably studying. He chose not to disturb her, opting for a shower instead before going to prepare dinner. With noisy rush of water, he heard neither the click of the door to her room being open, nor the soft creaking of steps across the floorboards. Steps that stopped at the doorway to his room; a voice calling his name in question, followed by the light pattering of footfalls down the parquet staircase.

 

The water streamed over him, bringing a refreshing feel to both his body and mind. Closing his eyes as it cascades over him, he could not help but turn his thoughts back to that strange scenario. Why should I think of that? I was being my normal self, he affirmed mentally. He was always like that and so far no one had ever objected to it. And girls sometimes had those unnatural monthly mood swings. Perhaps that was it. She might just be having a particularly bad case of those. Or not.

 

The expression in those brown eyes from earlier suddenly engulfed his mind. She had been annoyed yes, but there was something else he could not fathom, something…

 

Deeper. Her words echoed in his head.

 

“ … you seem to have something against me!”

 

Did he? He was not used to staying with another of his age before. His parents were strict, conservative. But they were good parents, never wanting more than the best for their only son. They taught him to respect others. Don't judge a book by its cover his grandfather had told him.

 

“ You do not know me!”

 

“ Neither do you!”

 

Had he been too quick to judge her? He never held grudges, nor did he let his inner emotions show. He came to forgive those who had hurt him, even that jealous senior who caused his disability. Stand up for yourself. Don't give in. Never show your weakness. Phrases spinning through his head. Did he have any reason to dislike her? No. Did she have a reason to dislike him?

 

“Your classmates… respect you enough. But I, I have to stay with you! Surely as a host…”

 

Deeper.

 

His mother's parting words. That letter she left for him.

 

“ … Tezuka, I trust you'll make her feel welcome. It is not easy to adjust to a whole new environment…”

 

Her parting words.

 

“… as a host you know you're supposed to at least show minimal civilised courtesy!”

 

His eyes suddenly flew open and he slammed his palm against the wall.

 

A single harshly whispered word fell from his lips…

 

“ Baka.”

 

Hurt.

 

000 000 000

 

Once at home, Tezuka made his way to the kitchen, groaning as he checked the time. Dinner was going to be late that day. I hope she doesn't mind, especially after all that. He had spent longer in the shower then usual. He was about to open the fridge for some ideas when he saw a note attached to the door.

 

“ Tezuka/ Kunimitsu,

 

I made something to eat while you were in the shower. It's on the stove. Heat it up it you want to. Don't wait for me. I'll eat later. Not really hungry cause I had a heavy lunch.

 

Jack”

 

Sure enough when he looked there was a pot of beef udon on the stove. It smelt rather good too. He wondered how she managed to cook that fast, and how she knew to cook something Japanese at that. His stomach gave a soft telltale rumble that he was hungry. He had forsaken his own lunch for a trip to the library and lost track of the time while doing his research.

 

It is nice of her.

 

And it made him feel all the guiltier for ignoring her, much less having lost his temper on various occasions. Looking once more at the note, his mouth turned upward into a small smile at her use of his full name. She will not relent, he realised. Accept it already. It was just that he had aspired to be like his father and grandfather for so long, even insisting to use that name since young. Only a handful of people called him Kunimitsu. And they were the few people that were close to him, yet he still insisted for them to call him Tezuka. A little adjustment would do no harm. With a resigned sigh, he left the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

He stood outside the for a good ten minutes, his hand repeatedly raised to knock, then dropping back down to his side. Don't be such a sissy, he chided mentally. Just get it over and done with. As captain and student president you have had to deal with a lot worse than dealing a simple apology. Plus you can't be spending an entire year walking on a bed of knifepoints every time you see her.

 

Taking a deep breadth to steel himself and rapped lightly before pushing the door further open.

 

“ Jackasa…”

 

She was busy doing something at her desk. The silence and tension hit him like slamming into a brick wall. Did she even hear me? Maybe he should come back later. He turned to leave.

 

“ You rang?” She enquired sarcastically, not looking up from her work.

 

“ Jackasa, I…”

 

The words; so few yet, so hard.

 

“ Look, if it's about what happened earlier forget about it. I was… ranting out of line. I should not have. You're kind enough to prepare meals and walk me to and from school, let alone house me. I should be the one apologising… what?!!”

 

He had reached her in a few quick strides, gripped the back of her chair and spun it round so she was facing the opposite direction, and him.

 

“ Before you say anything. You had the right to say that. I apologise. I have not been a good host.”

 

A pregnant silence hung between them. She stared blankly at his chest, not wanting to face him as she perused that statement, and the situation they were in. He found himself holding his breath, unusual, as he rarely got tense, even during matches.

 

She then spoke so softly he almost did not catch it.

 

“ I'm not mad at you.”

 

“ What?”

 

“ I said, I'm not angry with you. I was never angry, just annoyed.” She faced him, smiling softly to his great relief.

 

“ You…”

 

“ I think”, she announced, a mischievous glint to her eye, “ we should start over… again.” She suddenly stood, making him step back a little, and extended a hand. He suddenly took in the way her smile lit her entire face, right up to her eyes, which were full of sincerity.

 

For the first time in a long time, Tezuka Kunimitsu broke out of his stoic mask and smiled, though it was barely noticeable, more like a brief twitch at the corner of his mouth. He took her hand and bowed slightly, eyes never leaving hers.

 

“ Again.”

 

The mask was back on an instant later and he made for the door.

 

“ Dinner is waiting.”

 

She beamed and followed him out, a single thought in her mind.

 

To again.

 

000 000 000