The Truth Behind His Smile

Reasons

"Tenma?" Tsurugi knocked against the door with a weak rap. Despite knowing what Tenma's reaction would be, he still came, wanting to speak with Tenma again. However, when the door opened, he was met with a low snarl.

Beneath him was Sasuke, baring its teeth at him with a vicious snap. "Grr!"

Tsurugi backed away. Sasuke didn't move but he kept his eyes straight on him.

"Sasuke?" The striker said, dumbfounded. The dog only growled louder and he stepped forward in front of the door, completely blocking the entrance to the room.

Tsurugi stared at him and he began to understand Sasuke's intentions. He wasn't allowing the striker come into the room at all. Tenma must've told him already, and the dog was merely protecting his master.

"Can I speak to Tenma?" Tsurugi slowly asked. It felt weird for him to ask that, to a dog nonetheless. But, he had to do it.

Sasuke barked angrily, which Tsurugi assumed was a no. The navy-haired boy sighed, "So he told you what happened, then."

Sasuke continued to growl, not moving an inch.

"Let us help him, Sasuke." Tsurugi stated to the dog. All he got was another loud bark from him.

"Sasu-"

"Tsurugi-kun?" A female voice cut his sentence. The said boy blinked, before turning around to see her.

"Aki-san."

Aki gave him a small smile and walked towards him. "I didn't hear you come in."

Tsurugi frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't knock when I came here."

Aki let out a giggle, shaking her head. "No, it's fine. Tenma did the same thing earlier." She stated, glancing at the barely open door and Sasuke growling in front of it.

"I see." Tsurugi said, doing the same. Both of them didn't say a word after that, merely looking at the dog and the door.

"...Tenma ran straight to his room when he came in." Aki said eventually. Tsurugi stayed silent, letting her talk.

"Even though I was in the living room, he didn't greet me at all. He just opened the manor door, ran to his room and closed the door without saying a single word." Aki explained.

"I was about to go to his room and ask him what's wrong, but Sasuke beat me to it." She said, smiling at the dog before her.

Sasuke almost stopped growling when he saw Aki. But since Tsurugi was still there, Sasuke continued. The striker looked at the dog with a frown.

"Sasuke wouldn't let you in?" Aki asked.

Tsurugi shook his head. "No. He just keeps growling."

Aki nodded quietly. She glanced at the dog and then at the door he was blocking.

"Tell me, Tsurugi-kun." Aki muttered quietly. The young woman turned to him with a worried expression. "What exactly happened in Okinawa?"

Tsurugi winced. Instantly, all the memories of what happened came back to his mind. It took everything in him to not walk away right then and there.

The striker bit his lip. He didn't want to tell her, but at the same time he needed to tell her. Aki's the one that took care of Tenma when he came here. She deserved to know. Aki probably didn't know the whole truth, either.

Tsurugi sighed. Like it or not, he had to explain.

"It started when we were going home from the match."