Second to None

8. confession

Tezuka decided to approach Mayu when he saw her stutter to a stop and then attempt for another three-sixty-degree pivot. "How did you find me?" he asked her point-blank.

With no way to escape now, she smiled sheepishly. "I could say the same."

"I was shocked to see you, of all people, watching our match."

Thinking back to his placid expressions, Mayu quipped, "Hard to believe. With that poker face of yours, it's impossible to gauge how you really feel." Pointing to his tennis tote, she asked, "I thought there isn't practice today. You specifically tracked down that freshman?"

"That's right."

"Who is he?"

"Echizen Ryoma. He's a transfer student from America and a remarkable player. But at the rate he's going, that potential of his will go to waste."

"What's wrong with him? He seemed to be playing fine."

"Compared to most players, he's already exceptional. His father is Echizen Nanjiro, Japan's most notable tennis player in recent decades," explained Tezuka. "Echizen Ryoma may have trained from a young age and is as gifted as his father, except, he's taking the lazy route, which is repurposing his father's playstyle. Performing under a pre-determined framework is a decent start, but not enough to bring him to the next level. He needs to go beyond that."

Finally piecing everything together, Mayu nodded appreciatively. "So you went out of your way to teach him."

"I tried. The rest is up to him."

"He'll remember this lesson forever," she smiled brightly. "You schooled him like a real mentor—"

"I like you, Ohara-san," said Tezuka all of a sudden.

Mayu was stunned. Sodium lamps around them incrementally came on, showering the tranquil street with a warm, orange glow. She watched that incandescent light refract off of his glasses and then illuminate his trembling hands. He was nervous, she comforted herself to calm the crazy leaps and turns of her heart.

When she regained herself, Mayu said with a chuckle, "This isn't how you should confess to a girl."

"I'm sorry." Tezuka shifted his racket uncomfortably. "I guess I should've brought something along. Maybe flowers."

"That's not it."

"What should I do?"

"You're supposed to ease into it, not tell me out of nowhere. I'm completely unprepared. Not to mention, you should call me by my first name when you confess."

"Oh. I see." He paused for some time to rearrange his expressions. "Should I try again?"

Unable to hold back laughter any longer, Mayu said, "This is just like you, trying for perfection, even when it comes to confessions."

"I want to do it correctly so you'll know that I mean it."

"I don't doubt that." Recomposing herself, she said, "But if I were you, I'd forget about it."

"I don't understand."

"I got an interview to intern with the European Parliament and got accepted today. Their head office is in Strasbourg, France. I'll be leaving for home in a few weeks."

A few seconds passed as Tezuka took in this news. "Is this why you've been avoiding me?" he asked. "Because you've been concerned about this interview and leaving?"