Authors Note: Hi there! Lately I've been having the worst case of writers block ever. Gomen Gomen everyone. –bows- I just needed some inspiration, and I found it in one of my very very good friend. He was going through a hard time, so I decided to write this to show him that there is more to life than he thinks. If you've read my other stories, you know mine don't really have that much of a humorous theme and if you read my stories often you usually know that I don't put an Authors note in front of my stories. The main purpose to writing this was to help my readers and my friend realize yes, though life is sad and full of tragedies, sometimes if possible we should stop and just marvel at what beautiful world we live in.
Wow I am a mushy person ). I hope you enjoy the story!
Perfect. That was the only way to describe the day, perfect. The sun shone with brilliance through the cherry blossoms and a light breeze would prevent the day from getting too hot. Eiji stepped outside into the sun and cupped his hands over his amber eyes. He squinted and looked around on this perfect day. The white pathway that led to the gate of his house bore Eiji's name and his sister's.
This was their memorial, so that when they left for college they would return here and remember that sunny day in June; the first time they saw their new home. The cement for the walk way was still wet, so Eiji's sister pulled him off to the side and took and stick and wrote down their names. She stood up and marveled at her piece of art. Eiji, still squatted by the cement looked up at the dark figure of his sister. Her body was perfectly aligned with the sun so that it seemed she had a halo of light surrounding her. Eiji squinted and smiled. He turned his head to look back at the cement and stared at it. It was missing something. Eiji extended his small slender finger and engraved something into the cement. When he reappeared there was a picture of what his sister called "Eiji-Neko". His sister chuckled and muttered the word "Kawaii."
Eiji stood at this gateway staring at the neko. The names and picture had been worn down because the pathway had been walked on so many times in the past 8 years. He tended to digress too much in the morning. Everything in his house had memories behind it and it was hard to imagine in a short year, he would be leaving this house. Eiji sighed and stared up at the cherry blossoms. They were there ever since they moved in, and he had grown up in their blossoms and in their shade. He sighed, and smiled and headed off to school.
On the way to school, he bumped into Fuji, and his long time doubles partner and lover, Oishi. As the three of them walked together, Eiji noticed a sudden flash of blue and green darkness in front of his eyes; much like that of what you see when you walk into a dark movie theater on a sunny day. He stopped and put his arms over his eyes.
"Nyaa!"
He whined. He dropped to his knees as he rubbed his eyes.
"Eiji!"
Oishi yelled, noticing Eiji on his knees. "Eiji! What's wrong?"
"Nothing… just my eyes, they…" He said as he rubbed his eyes.
"Do you need any help?" Fuji asked. "I can call my a-nee to give you a ride to school."
"No… no… I'm fine." Eiji said as he wobbled to his feet.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah… yeah. I'm fine." Eiji reassured both of his friends. Oishi stared at Eiji, still not convinced that he was ok. Eiji might be an attention seeker at times, but he still never exploited his injuries to make his friends worry.
"All right, if you say so." Fuji said uneasily.
"Really, the both of you I'm fine. I- I think it just has to do with… the sun or… or maybe the heat!" Eiji said trying to feint his injury and bounded off towards school.
Eiji slumped into his chair in his first class.
"Nyaaa…" He sighed. He rubbed his eyes again. Everything in the room seemed to be darker than usual. His eyes probably didn't adjust to the dim lighting inside the school. This caused Eiji to get a pounding sensation somewhere near his temple. Eiji put his head down to rest. He'd never gotten headaches before. What was going on?
"This is what you call fine?" Came a voice next to his ear. Eiji looked up. Fuji was hovering over him still looking even more worried than ever.
"I've just got a headache, I'll be fine." Eiji said smiling.
"Eiji, maybe you should go see the nurse." Fuji suggested. "It could be something serious."
"If it keeps on going for another day I promise I'll go see the nurse Fuji. But for right now, I can't be sure that it is serious. Headaches are common in my family. My mother gets migranes a lot. I could just be inheriting it now. You don't need to worry." Eiji said smiling.
Fuji stared at his best friend and then decided to take the seat next to him. He still wasn't sure.
Oishi sat in his first period class staring outside the window. His mind wasn't on his studies. Of course his mind was on Eiji. 'What happened?' One minute Eiji was laughing and talking like he would normally, and then the next he was on the ground rubbing his eyes. Eiji said he was Ok, but Oishi knew better. The event replayed over and over and over in his head. What was wrong?
'Yosh. Minna! Today's practice is ending early, but that doesn't mean you can slack off! I want all of you working your hardest!" Tezuka commanded as everyone stopped to hear what the captain had to say.
"Hai!" Seigaku's tennis team chanted together.
"Regulars on the courts!" Tezuka called.
All the regulars assembled on to the A Block courts and huddled around Tezuka and Inui.
"Today, we will be focusing on doubles combinations." Inui stated as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"YAY!" Eiji exclaimed. He loved playing doubles more than anything.
"Ahem…" Inui continued, "However, these double's will be placed with someone that you are least compatable with."
"Ehh!" Everyone called out. "Why?"
"This is testing your ability to learn and adjust your tennis style to compliment that of your partners… just incase another one of us needs to save a pregnant lady." Inui explained.
"Now, the doubles list will go as this: Kaidoh/Oishi, Echizen/Kawamura, Fuji/Momo, and Eiji/ Inui. First ones on the Court, Eiji/Inui vs. Echizen/Kawamura."
"Eh… omoshiro sou…" Momo muttered under his breath as the remaining players filed off the courts.
Eiji walked over to the benches and pulled off his jacket, and then he grabbed his tennis racket and turned to Inui.
"Inui… let's do our best." He said giving a thumbs up.
"Ah…"
"One Set Match: Echizen/Kawamura pair vs. Eiji/Inui pair… Echizen to serve."
Eiji crouched low at the front. His right hand… it must be the Twist serve. Echizen threw the ball in the air and his tennis racquet came down and hit the side of the ball.
Slice? Eiji thought as he ran to his right.
"Eh? Echizen didn't start with the Twist serve?" Horio ask surprised.
"No, he knows his senpai's would be expecting the serve, so it comes more of a shock that he didn't use it." Fuji said.
"15-0." The referee said as the ball bounced past Inui's racquet.
Eiji crouched low at the front again. He noticed something odd; his peripheral vision, he couldn't see to the sides. What was going on?
Echizen threw the ball in the air, bend backwards and his racquet came slamming down on the tennis ball again. Eiji darted to the left. Then, there was darkness. He could see, a flash of black blue poured over his vision. He dropped his tennis racquet as he pushed his hands out in the darkness, hoping that there would be a floor to break his fall.