Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Memories Lost ❯ Chapter 2
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis in any way, shape, or form.
And another chapter of Memories Lost.
Way too soon, but I had inspiration.
(Don't expect such fast updates, please.)
Beta'ed and extensively edited by my sister, P-Dark (paralleltodarkness).
(Note from P-Dark: VERY extensive editing. Lots of description added by me... good luck reading.)
(Note from DR Phoenix: Not my fault my vocabulary's not quite as big as yours.)
Thank you, everyone that reviewed!
---
“Oishi, Tezuka-san; I'll leave you two to talk.” Fuji stepped out of the room, waving a goodbye to the two men.
“So, Tezuka-san, how have you been lately?” The psychologist tried to begin a conversation. “What a stupid question. You've been in a coma for a month.” Oishi mumbled to himself, his face flushing to a tinge of pink so light it was barely noticeable. He was half-glad that Tezuka was looking straight ahead, instead of at him. “But how were you before the accident?”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” Oishi began, scribbling something down on his notepad. Tezuka's answer had been short and succinct, to the point where his answer couldn't get any shorter. “Can you elaborate a bit on that?”
“I had a dentist appointment the next day and my co-worker's birthday cake to buy.”
“Birthday cake? Were you two close?” More scratching on the paper.
Tezuka shook his head and answered, “No. The office was planning a party for him, since he was retiring the week after as well.”
“I see.” The pen moved on its own accord. If Tezuka had looked at Oishi at that moment, he might have seen Oishi's smiling face falter in just the slightest way. “Fuji told me that you lost your memory. Can you tell me how far back you've forgotten?”
The answer was short and quick, just as always. “Right before Jr. High and just after high school.”
“Ah.” Oishi glanced at the clock. “Well, that's all for the day. I'll see you again tomorrow, Tezuka-san.” He began towards the door and opened it, revealing an ever-smiling Fuji. “Here are the notes.” The top sheet of paper was ripped off and handed to the doctor.
“Thank you, Oishi. Talk to you later.” As the psychiatrist left, Fuji walked in and sat down where Oishi had previously occupied. Scanning the paper, he chuckled lightly. Redirecting his gaze at Tezuka, he opened his mouth to speak. “So, Tezuka-san. What did you think of Oishi?”
The words slipped out before Tezuka could stop himself. “He seems a bit familiar.”
“Really now? Who did he remind you of?”
“I'm not sure.” The smile had, once again, curved just a bit more.
“Well, are you tired?”
“No.”
“Good.” Tezuka felt himself abruptly being pulled out of the hospital bed by Fuji. “You are going to put on the clothes your mother brought you last night and then we are going to go for lunch with Oishi.”
“No.” He began getting back under the covers.
“Please? I think some fresh air would do you good.” The pale fingers reached for his arm again. Tezuka took note of the fact that his doctor was still smiling, though he was sure that if it was him, his facial muscles would have been sore long ago. How his doctor managed to walk around with his eyes closed, let alone take care of patients, was a surprise to him. So strange. “And it's not like you're going to de discharged from the hospital anytime soon.”
“What?”
The fingers had curled themselves lightly around his wrist; the grip gentle and firm, as if his wrist were a tennis racket. “We need to keep you here for at least another month to see if you get your memory back. So just come with Oishi and I. You're getting hungry, no?”
In response, Tezuka's stomach rumbled.
“Then it's settled!” He was once again hauled out of bed by the smaller man in a mere instant. He suddenly felt the smallest bit of shame that the doctor was so strong, yet he hadn't truly exercised or played tennis for a long time. “Off we go!”
There was a rather awkward pause, before Fuji cleared his throat and began to speak again.
“Er, your clothes are over here. Come out when you've finished changing.” Fuji gestured to a bag on the floor and sheepishly walked out, closing the door. Perhaps if Fuji had turned around again, Tezuka might have been able to see the blindingly blue eyes that had just opened for a fraction of a second.
---
Tezuka slowly slipped on the jacket, glad that his mother had remembered it was October. Zipping up the jacket, he passed by the nightstand. The notes his psychiatrist had written were sitting on it, folded in half and lightly crumpled. Opening it and smoothing the creases, Tezuka skimmed the writing. What he had said and a few other notes had been scrawled on the paper, but at the bottom, something caught his eye.
Shrugging it off, he exited the room to find Fuji waiting for him, lightly bundled up in a light windbreaker.
---
Attitude: Same as I remember, Fuji.
---
“Excuse me,” Tezuka started. He had lived in this city for quite a while now, and he was sure that this wasn't the way to any decent restaurants nearby. The closest one he could think of within walking distance would be a wasabi shop, which he sure as heck wouldn't eat. Though there was a nagging feeling in the corner of his heart that he wouldn't be surprised if they did end up there, though he brushed away that feeling. “Where are we going?”
“We're heading for a nearby park first.” Fuji steered Tezuka towards a park he often passed by on the way to and from work. “I have someone I want you to meet there.” The two of them walked silently through the gates of the park, strolling along a path that led past the playground.
Fuji began whistling a merry jingle from an old ad for soap as they neared a crowd of people gathered around a set of sitting steps. Music played as the horde of people ooh-ed and aah-ed at whatever it was that they were watching. Fuji weaved his way through the jam-packed crowd, clearing a path for Tezuka.
A person doing back flips came into view as Fuji pushed towards the front. It was a rather energetic redhead with something white on his right cheek, whom was jumping about to the beat of a rhythm coming from a nearby boom box. He was rather good at acrobatics, and Tezuka mused to himself that maybe this person would have been a good tennis player.
The song soon ended and the redhead bowed and held out an old cowboy hat. Coins and bills were deposited into the hat and soon the crowd dissipated, leaving Fuji and Tezuka there with the redhead that was eagerly digging around in his hat, counting the money that he had earned.
“3675, 3680, 3690, 4000 yen!” He jumped up in the air in what seemed to be joy. “I can pay for lunch now!”
“Good job, Eiji.” Fuji spoke to the acrobat. This Eiji turned around, his face breaking into an impossibly larger smile, before leaping onto the doctor in a giant hug.
“Fuji, Fuji! It's a new record!” He held out the hat proudly. Fuji was still smiling in the same way as before, as he dipped his hand into Eiji's hat and pulled out a few bills. Eiji quickly slapped Fuji's hand, forcing his friend to deposit the money back into the hat. “Greedy person, aren't you?”
“Maybe.” Fuji turned to Tezuka. “This is Kikumaru Eiji. He's an old friend of mine and Oishi's. Eiji, this is Tezuka Kunimitsu, a patient at the hospital.”
“Nice to meet you, Cap-!” Fuji had slapped a hand over Eiji's mouth. Eji gave a few muffled shouts that sounded something like not being able to breathe, before he wrenched Fuji's hand off of his mouth. Casting a glare at Fuji, he corrected himself. “I mean, Tezuka!” A hand grabbed his and shook it enthusiastically, his smile and gaze losing all menace as soon as he turned to the taller man. “Fuji, are we going for lunch now? I'm hungry!”
“Yeah.” Eiji jumped in the air with joy. Tezuka thought that he had quite a good bit of stamina, though his movements and style made him think that Eiji was more suitable for playing doubles than singles. Fuji watched Eiji for a few moments, before speaking again.
“So I assume you'll be paying?”
“Fuji, you're so mean! It's not like you don't have enough money!” Fuji chuckled at Eiji's sullen face before turning to Tezuka.
“Come on, Tezuka-san; let's go meet Oishi at the restaurant.” Tezuka nodded, feeling just the slight bit apprehensive, before following Fuji and the bouncy redhead out of the park. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction from the wasabi shop.
“Where are we meeting Oishi?” Eiji asked.
“Taka-san's.”
---
I really, really need to learn how to write longer chapters.
But thanks again to P-Dark for editing and extending!
And a greedy Fuji was all Sis's idea.
Please review!
Note: I think 4000 yen is about 40 dollars.