Youthful Days (Book 1)

31. Problems

The next morning, Ayuna found a sizable congregation outside of her classroom. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that most were first-year girls. As she approached the crowd, exuberant conversations immediately died down as people parted to form a makeshift pathway.

She stopped short when she caught sight of Fuji patiently standing by the classroom entrance, oblivious to the commotions. As soon as he spotted Ayuna, his face lit up and he made his way over.

Hands on her bag straps, Ayuna whispered, "What are you doing here?"

Since her blackmailing incident, they had continued to be discreet about their relationship. It was out of character for Fuji to show up conspicuously like this.

"I'm sorry for making a scene. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss you before classes start," answered Fuji apologetically. "Will you wait for me to finish practice today? I want us to have a good, long talk."

Unable to find any words, Ayuna simply nodded.

Relieved, he grinned at her once before turning to leave. "I'll meet you at the usual spot."

Ayuna nodded again, watching him move through the assembly of freshmen until his back view disappeared. From behind her came a low whistle as Ryoma brushed past her and marched straight into the classroom.

Removing his white cap, Ryoma remarked, "Looks like the captain's not the only one making apologies to you."

To that, Ayuna had no response. She tried to ignore the inquisitive glances as she, too, headed towards her seat by the window.

***

Ayuna lingered in the library for an hour before heading out to the school courtyard. By the time she reached the back gates, she found Fuji already waiting in his blue-and-white jersey.

After receiving the silent treatment for over a week, Ayuna was unsure what to expect. She let Fuji take the lead as they strolled down the streets. Together, they rode the subway to Nakameguro and walked until stopping in front of a family-owned gelato shop. They each ordered the house specialties served on a waffle cone and kept walking.

Being close to the Meguro river, they meandered along the tiled pathway of the cherry blossom promenade. The brilliance of the day dissolved as twilight hours encroached. To the west, the setting sun dragged its remnant glow across the river, dappling the canal with gold specks.

"I'm sorry about what I said during the Hyotei game," Fuji started, his eyes far away as they strolled side by side. "Tezuka was right—I projected my anger towards him onto you, and it was unfair."

Ayuna waited for him to go on.

"Seeing him hurt and finding out he purposefully hid an injury brought back unpleasant memories... Ones that I tried to erase from our friendship."

"If you don't mind sharing them, I'd like to know," offered Ayuna, taking deliberate spoonfuls of her gelato.

With a heavy sigh, Fuji started, "You may already know that Tezuka and I are close friends. Most people think we hold each other up, and that our friendship is indestructible..." Here, Fuji's smile revealed a hint of sadness, "The truth is, our friendship was nearly broken—it nearly ended because of Tezuka's injury."

Ayuna waited patiently.

"I joined the tennis club after Oishi and Tezuka, in the latter half of my freshman year. All three of us became good friends quickly because of our shared passion for the sport. Unlike Oishi and Tezuka, who were friends without conditions, the friendship between Tezuka and I was more complex. The reason for that being we were both extremely competitive about tennis. Both of us easily prevailed against other players, including the seniors. It became obvious our skills were on par. Eventually, in the name of friendship and learning, we decided to have a match, which Tezuka lost at 0-6."

Eyes wide, Ayuna stared at Fuji with incredulity. Returning a pale smile, he said, "I know—unthinkable, isn't it? Tezuka losing by a landslide."

"I can't imagine it."

"Right, me neither. I didn't buy into my win. I thought he went easy on me and I was offended. I wanted to nullify the score and for Tezuka to play seriously. But Tezuka insisted the match score was valid. He told me, very sincerely, that he did play all out. He told me I won fair and square."

Pausing here, Fuji lifted his eyes to the sky, his side profile basked in the dazzling dusk. Even now, he could still remember the game as if it was yesterday, just within reach. He remembered it being the same type of lulling summer dusk: the residual heat dividing day and night, the distant sounds of commuter trains rattling the railroad beneath it, and the coral-colored skies.

"I completely believed him then. In my mind, Tezuka was reserved and humble, he spoke very few words, but he was not a liar." Turning to Ayuna, he said, "So, reluctantly, I accepted the win. Intuitively, however, I knew something was off: I'd seen Tezuka play and I knew I couldn't be that much stronger in comparison. But because I couldn't figure out a legitimate reason for him to deceive me, I shelved the match to the back of my mind."

"How did you eventually find out the real reason?" asked Ayuna.

"Through Oishi. He was witness to Tezuka's assault and knew of the damage done on his elbow. Not knowing Tezuka intended to keep his injury secret, he mentioned his concern for Tezuka's wellbeing after practice one day. From there, the rest of the story was easy to procure."

"So then, this is why the friendship was almost broken?"

Fuji nodded slowly.

He still remembered the morning when it all blew up: Fuji had put on his uniform before hurtling to Tezuka's classroom, fuming the entire way. When he spotted his friend walking down the hall, Fuji charged at him and seized him by the collars. He called Tezuka a liar outright with all of their classmates watching. Fuji denounced the match on the spot. To all this, Tezuka reciprocated with silence and not one ounce of emotion. Fuji then stormed away, thinking they'd never speak again.

"But Tezuka asked for my forgiveness a few days later," continued Fuji. "We made a promise to play against each other before the accident, and he didn't want to renege on it even though he was hurt. When we played, he did play to his best abilities—to the extent allowed by his injury. In this sense, I did win. In the end, he said if that still weren't winning to me, he would be willing to have a rematch."

"You forgave him, right? You must have."

"I did. And that's why we're friends today."

"What about that rematch?"

"It hasn't happened yet."

Ayuna tilted her head. "But why not?"

Pensive, Fuji shook his head after some thought. "That... who knows? We didn't have the chance, or maybe we're both trying to dodge that painful memory."

Ayuna nodded. By this point, they'd reached Meguro Sky Garden, an urban park on a sloping roof overlooking the sprawling cityscape below. Picking out a bench that offered a full view of the river, they sat down and took in the scenery before them.

Leaning back in her seat, Ayuna said, "Now I get it. I understand why you were so upset with me. In a way, I was the captain's abettor. By helping him retell the same lie, I perpetuated a preexisting problem in your friendship."

"Partly." With an abashed smile, Fuji admitted, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I think I was more jealous than anything. Of all people, I couldn't believe Tezuka confided in you—someone who was neither a friend nor a teammate."

"By now, you probably know he didn't willingly tell me."

"Yes—Tezuka told me everything," replied Fuji, the same wan sadness returning. "Even so, it still hurts deeply. All this time, I considered Tezuka as my closest friend and believed that I understood him. When he fell on the court that day, I realized that I didn't know a thing about his internal landscape. Nobody knew."

He paused, his eyes meeting Ayuna's. "Except for you."