Youthful Days (Book 1)

57. Reconciliation

The next morning, Ayuna woke up to a glorious day. The sky was a sharp cerulean blue without the slightest trace of clouds. Sunlight broke through the thick foliage and brokenly scattered on the sidewalk below.

She opened her windows and took a deep inhale. The glorious day seemed symbolic of an ending to a prolonged storm and Ayuna felt a refreshing lightness as she got ready for school. From now on, she hoped for nothing but peace.

With this wish in mind, she was dismayed to see Kabaji standing by the school gates. Even though there were only handfuls of early-rising students arriving, his gargantuan figure still captured attention from all directions. Seemingly oblivious to their stares, Kabaji stood expressionless and still like a statue. As soon as he spotted Ayuna, however, he instantly broke out of this frozen state and headed towards her.

Stopping several feet in front of her, Kabaji bowed at a perfect right angle.

Taken aback by the formal gesture, Ayuna immediately reciprocated.

"Hanamachi-san, please come with me," said Kabaji monotonously. "Atobe-san has been waiting for you."

Heart skipping a beat at the mention of Atobe, Ayuna fought to maintain her composure. "Did he say why he wants to see me?"

"He wishes to speak to you. Please come with me this way."

Following his gaze, Ayuna caught sight of a black luxury car parked around the street corner, its front bumper embellished with the Atobe Enterprise logo. Knowing she wasn't going to receive further explanations, Ayuna gave him a slight nod and let Kabaji lead the way.

Opening the back door, Kabaji extended a hand as an indication for her to enter.

Ayuna stepped in guardedly. On the far side of the backseat sat Atobe Keigo, smartly dressed in a white silk shirt, emblazoned grey blazer and a pair of pressed black pants. Eyes cast out to the cherry trees lining the street, Ayuna couldn't see the expressions on his face.

The car door closed behind Ayuna, the crisp sound making Atobe's head turn.

With a small smile, Ayuna greeted him with a slight bow.

Atobe didn't answer as he scrutinized her. The girl sitting next to him was the same as he remembered: a white blouse with sailor collars and a pleated skirt, and her hair draped behind her shoulders in a loose braid. In the faint morning light, her hazel eyes took on an iridescent hue and her cheeks were rosy. Even in a simple school uniform, Ayuna's allure was striking, unforgettable.

Forcing himself to break eye contact, he said, "I suppose all misunderstandings have been resolved?"

"It has," Ayuna nodded, then she added, "thanks to you."

Letting out a halfhearted chuckle, Atobe said, "I'm surprised he told you. I thought Fuji Shuusuke would happily claim all the credits."

To their lingering enmity, Ayuna made no comments. Instead, she said, "Well, even if he did, I knew you came to Seigaku. I saw you by the tennis courts."

"You saw me," he replied, "but you didn't bother coming to see me anyway."

"Given all that's happened, can you blame me?"

Atobe shook his head.

"Still, I'm grateful you went out of your way to offer help and for coming out here today."

"Consider this an atonement for all that I've done," said Atobe. "My actions were reckless and distasteful. Again, I want to tell you I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

Moving his gaze to her cheek, Atobe asked, "Your face has been okay?"

"It's healed just fine, please don't worry about it," she assured him. "Thank you for checking on me and stepping in. I know it would've been much harder to rectify the situation without your intervention."

Atobe weighed her words for a moment before answering, "As much as it flatters me to hear your thanks, it doesn't remove the sting of it all."

Eyes lowered, Ayuna didn't know what consolations she could possibly offer, or if she should at all.

As if reading her thoughts, Atobe cleared his throat and straightened himself. "Please don't take this as an ask for pity. I see now that your choosing Fuji Shuusuke has nothing to do with me. As long as he makes you happy, whatever choice you make is your prerogative."

Hesitantly, she began, "I'm sorry there's nothing I can do to return your feelings, captain Atobe."

"Like I said, I don't want any pity. I'm glad to see all's been well." Turning back to the street scenery, he said quietly, "Kabaji will see you back."

Taking this as a signal for dismissal, Ayuna said nothing more as she placed a hand on the door handle. As she made a move to leave, she suddenly felt Atobe's hands on her elbow.

Spinning around, she met his piercing grey eyes. "Before you go, I'll say one more thing, and I'll only say this once."

Ayuna waited silently.

"As much as I resent being the second in anything, know that I'll be ready to replace Fuji Shuusuke as soon as he fails. I hope he has enough self-awareness to safeguard what he owns."

Finding no words, Ayuna simply nodded.

Loosening his grip, Atobe smirked, his usual smugness returning. "I suppose I'll be seeing you at future competitions. Hyotei isn't done in this race to the national tournament yet."

"I know," said Ayuna with a wide smile. This time, she was relieved to see Atobe return it with familiar confidence. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other very soon."

With that, she opened the door and marched into the brilliant summer day. 

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A/N: Here's for all the stans that love Atobe's grace~ One last blurb from our dear Atobe-sama and onwards we go!