Youthful Days (Book 1)

47. What is Love

The next morning, Oshitari Yuushi was the first to disembark the Range Rover carrying the Hyotei team. Facing the grandeur of the Atobe villa, he was abruptly struck by a feeling that something was off.

Sliding open the passenger door, he circled to the back trunk and spotted Hanamachi Ayuna crossing the courtyard of the main house. She wore a white t-shirt, black shorts and an oversized blue-and-white jersey. In the crook of her right arm were several tennis rackets while her other hand carried a basket of tennis balls.

"It's you," said Oshitari, his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

Ayuna stumbled back a step, startled from being suddenly spoken to. "I'm a volunteer for Seigaku's weekend training. Like the rest of the team, I'm staying here thanks to captain Atobe's kind offer."

"A volunteer," Oshitari sneered. The picture suddenly became crystal clear: the mystery of Atobe's erratic behaviors was solved. "How kind of our captain, indeed."

Following Oshitari out of the van, Gakuto was flummoxed by the sight of his friend and the oddly familiar stranger. Head tilted, he appraised Ayuna, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Before she could respond, Oshitari interjected. "Gakuto, why don't you find Atobe and get our room arrangements straightened out? The team should at least know where to settle down after making a three-hour journey."

Gakuto made a face. "Okay, genius. Please do leave the boring task to me." With that, he climbed back into the van and instructed the driver to pull into the garage with the rest of the sleepy team.

Left alone with Ayuna, Oshitari crossed his arms. "Hanamachi-san, is it? Tell me, how exactly did Atobe extend this 'kind invitation' to Seigaku?"

"He said the team shouldn't stay in a run-down cottage right before the finals. It defeats the whole purpose of training. Then he told Ryuzaki-sensei he'd be happy to open up his villa."

"Let me get this straight: Atobe just conveniently runs into the team in the middle of nowhere?"

"Not exactly..." With some hesitation, Ayuna said, "Captain Atobe didn't run into the team."

"Ah, now that makes much more sense." Oshitari dragged out a long, satisfied smile. So far, his gauge for Atobe's romantic tendencies never seemed to fail. "Let me guess—he ran into you, didn't he?"

His interrogation was starting to make Ayuna's skin crawl. Before she could fabricate an excuse to leave, Atobe emerged from the main house and stomped towards them. In two strides, he positioned himself in front of Ayuna defensively.

"Hanamachi," he barked without turning around, "would you mind giving Oshitari and I privacy? We need to discuss Hyotei business."

Relieved for his well-timed interruption, Ayuna quickly bowed and excused herself.

As soon as she was out of sight, Oshitari held a hand up and met Atobe's glare defiantly. "Before you say anything, I'd like to point out that you're playing with fire, captain."

"If you still care to call me captain, then you should know this is none of your business," Atobe shot back.

Oshitari met his stubborn gaze and softened his tone. "Atobe, we've known each other for three years. As a friend, I hope we can drop this hierarchy for a minute so you can listen to what I have to say."

"And what would that be?"

"Don't get involved. I've seen the way you look at that Hanamachi girl and I know what you're trying to do—"

"Since when are you allowed to read my mind?" snapped Atobe.

"If this is about tennis, then I would never question your decisions and judgment," responded Oshitari firmly. "But if it's about girls, then maybe you ought to listen to me, who's speaking from experience. Based on my involvement in all kinds of relationships and girls, the last thing you'd want to do is to try and cut through two people."