Lalalala...it's only been a few minutes this time...this is my way of apologizing. This one is extra long. Hope you like!
(my chapter titles fail, but I'll get to that later)
The next two weeks passed rather quickly. Ryoma quickly established a new routine. In the morning he dropped everyone off at Sasori's and made sure he aced all his tests at school. After classes were done, he whipped through the freshman tennis exercises with ease, usually finishing within a half hour. Then it was off to Sasori's, two hours of running errands or hanging out at the park, and finally home at 6:01. Sometimes even later if his guardians were in a bad mood.
Ryoma quit working the streets, after Sasori warned him of the dangers it posed to his scholarship. Instead, he worked nights at a local café. The pay was worse but at least he didn't have to dodge bullets.
By mid-November the freshman was working overtime nearly every day. Autumn was accompanied by icy winds, and everyone needed new coats. He could barely keep his eyes open at school but with thoughts of his scholarship he managed to struggle through the assignments.
He remained politely detached to his classmates, faking smiles in order to please his teachers. It was a nightmare, but Ryoma thought he was coping rather well.
Until one night, when the Seigaku regulars first knew something was wrong.
The meeting had run later than normal and it was nearing midnight when the regulars stumbled out of the school.
"Who knew that tournament paperwork could be so troublesome!" Eiji moaned, jamming a hat over his head. "And it's so damn cold."
"That's what happens when we procrastinate," Kaidoh hissed angrily.
"I don't know about mameshi-baka, but I'm ready for some dinner!" Momoshiro broke in, ignoring Kaidoh's glare. "Anyone else want to come?"
Oishi yawned. "I'm late as it is, my parents won't care. Count me in."
There was a chorus of agreement, and the regulars set off in search of some much-needed food.
"Finally! A place that's still open!" Eiji cried. He pressed his face against the lighted glass and grinned even wider. "Let's go!"
The regulars filed into the café and settled themselves in the large corner booth.
"Oh, cheeseburgers!" Momoshiro sang out goofily, paging through the menu.
"Idiot."
"You wanna start something, mameshi?"
Tezuka tuned the two rivals out and idly wondered why they chose to sit next to each other. He turned to Syuuske and was about to comment when he realized that his friend was staring intently at one of the busboys, a small thing with dark hair peeking out from under the bandana.
"What is it?" Tezuka inquired uneasily.
Fuji hesitated, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the table. "I must be mistaken," he finally muttered.
Conversation wandered back towards idle things. A minute later, they were interrupted by a soft and all-too familiar voice.
"Can I start you off with some drinks?"
Eiji whirled around and his eyes widened in shock. "OCHIBI?!"
Ryoma flinched but recovered quickly, muttering the traditional greeting. He cursed inwardly at his carelessness, mind racing despite his exhaustion. There would undoubtedly be questions…punishment…he couldn't take this.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Oishi demanded, disbelief clear in his voice. It was late…this didn't make sense…
Ryoma shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "I…I work here."
Kaidoh hissed with displeasure. There was something terribly, horribly wrong about this whole situation. "You're hiding something."
The silence stretched uncomfortably across the group. Oishi began choosing his next words carefully, knowing they were treading on dangerous ground.
"Table 4!" someone shouted from the kitchens. Ryoma sighed irritably and turned to go, but Tezuka reached out a hand to stop him.
"When is your shift over?" he asked simply.
Golden eyes met brown for just a moment, and Ryoma pulled away silently.
They're too persistent…
Maybe they will leave me alone if I switch tactics…
There's nothing to hide…right?
"My break starts at one."
An hour later, Ryoma was disappointed to find that the regulars had not moved from their spot. He wiped his hands on a dishrag and muttered a few words to his boss. He was surprised when the man clapped a hand on his shoulder and chuckled.
"Take all the time you need!" he declared.
Ryoma stared wordlessly at his boss, wondering if he had gone mad. Seeing this, the man bent down and lowered his voice.
"Listen, kid," he began. "I know things ain't the greatest for you right now. But yer friends over there – they're good people. Just have a little faith."
"A-arigatou," Ryoma stammered. He bowed deeply before departing, the words weighing heavily on his mind.
Gathering his nerves, Ryoma approached the table and bowed awkwardly to his senpais.
"Hoi, hoi! No need to be so formal!" Eiji called out cheerfully. He gestured to the empty place across the table and grinned widely.
Gingerly, Ryoma took the proffered seat, next to Kaidoh-senpai. The dark-haired bow hissed quietly, but not in anger. Ryoma was too tired to care.
Suddenly Ryoma felt the presence of another person beside him. Blinking, he focused in on the serene smile of Fuji-senpai.
"Ohayo, Echizen."
He felt trapped, and supposed that was his senpai's intention. "Ohayo, Fuji-senpai."
"So what's going on with you?" Taka broke in lightheartedly.
As expected, Echizen didn't answer. Tezuka sighed and slid a bowl of rice towards the freshman. "You look hungry," he said simply.
Ryoma shook his head. "I had dinner before I came."
"What did you have?"
"I-I…um…"
"Just eat it," Fuji remarked offhandedly.
Inwardly, Ryoma cursed the senior for being so perceptive and then picked up his chopsticks. He was ratherhungry…he hadn't eaten dinner for nearly a week.
Someone brought up Hyotei and their new tactics, and Ryoma was content to listen as the regulars chatted happily. Maybe this wasn't so bad…although he would have to pay back Tezuka. To keep up appearances…
"You eat funny, ochibi," Eiji was saying.
Ryoma looked down at his plate and belatedly realized that he had divided it into six sections. Jade, Sasuke, Junpei, Mizuki, Akito, and Takai. He stared at it for a moment, trying to concentrate, and the chopsticks clattered onto the table.
"Are you alright?" Oishi inquired, practically tipping the table over in his worry.
A wave of dizziness passed through him, and Ryoma hurried to pull himself together. He muttered something about being tired and slipped into unconsciousness.
Taka clapped a hand over Momoshiro's mouth before he could cry out. "Let him sleep," he commanded, waiting for junior to calm down.
"Sorry," Momoshiro said sheepishly, once he could talk again. "I guess I overacted. It's just unnatural…I've never seen someone just drop off like that."
"He's tired…" Fuji remarked absently. Blue eyes suddenly snapped open. "Far too tired."
Just then, Inui appeared, holding his green data notebook tightly in his hands. He glanced at the sleeping Ryoma and slid quietly back into his seat.
"Well?" Tezuka asked.
Inui didn't need to be asked twice. "The manager says he's been working here for two months, usually from 9:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Lately he's been working overtime. There's a 95% chance he's doing it for the money. However, it is with 80% certainty that Echizen is one of the students here on full scholarship, because his records were added to the system later in the year. So it is not his school tuition he is paying for."
"Then what the hell is he here for?" Momoshiro whispered fervently.
"I can only assume his family is not in the best position financially," Inui answered. He adjusted his glances and plowed on. "From the way he divided his food, I conclude with 60% certainty he has one or more siblings."
"We're missing something," Eiji said, frustrated. "Several somethings. It's like a puzzle."
"One that Echizen doesn't want solved," Oishi added.
They continued conversing in hushed tones, careful not to wake the exhausted freshman.
Ryoma snuggled in closer to the source of warmth. A part of him was screaming that he had things to do; there was no time for this. He tried to open his eyes – he really did – but his body wouldn't obey. He shivered, and a wave of pain tore through his muscles. Remembrance of his last punishment…
Something shifted underneath him and again Ryoma tried to get away. He was helpless…please…no…not now…but then he heard Tezuka-buchou's voice. Ah…he was with the Seigaku regulars. They wouldn't try to hurt him, would they? It was a risk he would have to take, for he just couldn't move. The feeling of such complete exhaustion rather frightened him, and the freshman shivered again.
Foreign warmth suddenly surrounded him and Ryoma breathed a soft sigh of contentment. Almost against his will, he felt himself slip away into a deeper slumber.
"Awww, so cute!" Eiji exclaimed. Before anyone could react, he whipped out a camera.
Click!
There was a bright flash, and when Kaidoh had regained his bearings he let out a long, angry hiss. Then, he squashed his pride and gave up the urge to thoroughly pound the redhead. That would definitely disturb the freshman curled up by his side.
"Kaidoh likes to cuddle!" Momoshiro teased, smirking. "Who knew?"
It took a bit more self-control, but Kaidoh turned away and continued to ignore his classmate. The teasing was lighthearted, but everyone knew there was still something more sinister going on.
If only Echizen would learn to trust.
"We need to get home," Oishi said bluntly, glancing at his watch. 2:14 a.m. And they had school tomorrow.
"I'm not tired yet!" Eiji whined, sounding like a petulant child. "I want to ask Ochibi some questions."
"I'm sure we all do," Inui agreed. "But given his level of exhaustion, there is a 90% chance he will not wake up for several more hours."
Eiji made a face but did not argue any further. Next to him, Taka downed the rest of his tea and slid on his coat. "Does anyone know where Echizen lives?"
There was a quick round of speculation, but no one had a definite answer.
"We haven't done the tennis records yet, or we'd be able to look it up," Oishi mused out loud. "I suppose we'll have to wake him." He gazed down at the exhausted boy and his frown deepened.
Syuuske leaned forward and gently shook Ryoma's shoulder. "Echizen," he prodded softly. "It's time to leave."
Golden eyes slowly opened and Ryoma gazed blearily up at his senpai. Suddenly, his expression turned into one of horror, and he scrambled to his feet.
"What time is it?" the freshman asked urgently, jamming dark bangs back under his cap.
"Calm down, it's only quarter after two," Taka answered. "The rest of us w – "
Without another word, Ryoma darted off to speak with his manager. A moment later he returned, a pile of schoolbooks in tow. "I'm sorry to be so rude, but I have to leave. Goodbye."
A hand shot out and grabbed the edge of his coat. Ryoma flinched but recovered quickly, golden eyes turning to glare at Momoshiro.
"You can't just keep running off," he said bluntly.
Heart pounding, Ryoma tried to pull away, but the grip was firm. Just as he was about to go into full-out panic mode, Momoshiro released him.
"See this?" he began, jabbing a finger at the Seigaku patch embroidered on his sleeve. "It means that we're a team. Teammates look out for each other."
"If something is going on, it's our job to help," Oishi added softly.
Ryoma hesitated for a split second, the words of running through his mind. "Don't let go of your dream, little one."
He wanted this so badly…
"Just have a little faith."
Nara and Hiashi leered down at him.
The bloodied forms of his siblings, cold and still.
"I-I'll keep that in mind," he said shakily.
Maybe it was time…