Opposite Sides

-BluAyu

(A/N: I've had this huge story idea in my mind since I actually mentioned that Oshitari was a romance novelist in Memory. I did not however, want to make another long prequel and have to follow the long line of events. So I decided to make a huge AU fic that that nothing to do with the PoT series and yet could not be made into an original work because of various reasons. The story takes place in Gatlinburg, Tennessee which is a tourist town near Sevierville. It's like…..hmm…the Southern version of Tokyo or New York. XD Anyway, point is that all of the characters are actually from Japan and actually had various reason for leaving Japan and going an ocean away and a couple (more than a couple actually) states away from home. This is also Hyotei-centric! Also, some of the shops in Gatlinburg ARE mentioned, some are not, and SOME don't even exist. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic despite it being an AU! hope this fic will actually inspire some of you to actually head over to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge sometime!)

Disclaimer: The Prince of Tennis and anything else mentioned does not belong to me. >> Obviously.

One

"Oshitari-san, what are your plans for your next novel? Do you know where your new story will be going or will it all just take its place?" asked one reporter.

"You're quite fluent in the English language; do you have any idea of how successful your translated novels are doing in Europe as well as the US?"

Yuushi Oshitari merely smiled and pushed past the reporters. He had just had a meeting with his editor and everyone involved with his writing and now was heading home to pack.

"I'm going on hiatus. I've ran out of ideas for my next story, taking a break and leaving this city will help me relax and be ready for my next project," he called out before getting into his Honda Accord. His exit and reply left the reporters stunned and rooted the spot. There was not a picture or a sound afterward as they all stood there in one heap around the rather large building.

---

"So old friend you're going to the US?" asked Keigo Atobe who was currently curled up in a plush armchair in his fairly large house in the mountains looking down at the crowded and yet lighted city below him. Despite it being winter he could tell that this tourist city would be busy. It always was. Rain or shine, sleet or snow.

"Do you suggest me to head over there and find an apartment complex?" asked Oshitari from the other line.

Atobe smirked and leaned back on the arm of the chair.

"It's quite hard to find houses in Gatlinburg but there are hotels that have rooms that people stay in as apartments. Surely I could find you one before you get out here. You will have to pay rent but I'll help you with the first month," he replied.

Oshitari grinned.

"Then I'll be over in a couple days. I look forward to seeing you again. Ja ne."

--

Oshitari packed his laptop into its case and brought a couple mini-disks along. He packed some clothes into one suitcase and packed other necessities. He looked at his apartment suite one more time making sure everything was unplugged and off. He walked out and locked the door behind him leaving the place in utter darkness.

He was going away for awhile. Oshitari had lived in various places in Japan. He was originally from Osaka in the first place and was one of the top students in his class in junior highschool and had gotten accepted to an elite highschool in Tokyo and then was transferred to another school in Nagasaki. In college his first year he had went to Chiba to study and then decided that he was going to publish his first book. The genre being of romance.

Oshitari had this addiction to romance movies and novels since he was a teenager. It was one of those odd discoveries that he knew that other teenaged boys his age didn't have. Maybe it was the fact that he had never experienced love. Not even from his family.

Oshitari's family was strict; expected the best from their only daughter and their only son. They were not allowed to screw up in life when it came to work and school. Oshitari remembered Hoku's mistake in a piano performance once and she paid the price be being beat by someone who was a piano prodigy. When Oshitari decided he was going to be a novelist his parents could not help but be disappointed in his choice. Surprisingly they did not disown him from the family but stressed the older sister to be the best and rise up higher than her younger brother who was a tensai and yet chose a poor career choice.

In the end they were proud of Oshitari. He had become something big and was known world wide, had a various choice of girls to choose from if he wanted to marry (he didn't want to yet and had turned away all of his parents setups) and his sister was happy for her brother and yet jealous that she had worked so hard and yet would never be as good as her younger brother Yuushi.

"Leave here and become big Yuushi; but let me stay here and have my chance!" she exclaimed to him in tears just a week ago.

"Is that what you want? Your own chance?" Oshitari asked.

"But of course! I'm sick of being stressed to be better than you and none of my work not being good enough!" hissed Hoku.

"I'll leave here; I'm out of ideas anyway. I will come back here though, so work hard until then and become something Nee-san."

There was a silence and Oshitari headed to the door that night and then said, "I hate it for you. You know I love you Hoku, and I never asked for any of this. I just rebelled against Tousan and Kaa-san's wishes. Maybe you should too."

Oshitari sighed. Not all the money in the world could make him happy when his family was so torn and could not learn how to love. Oshitari had learnt by seeing other people but was pretty sure that he too could only write about it and probably would not be able to use it in real life. He did know what greed was. His family was as greedy as his sister was but he allowed it because it would hurt them in the long run and make them realize that they were wrong and that there's something more in life than lust for money and inanimate objects that when they died would have no meaning at all.

There was only him now and where he was heading to in the US. Oshitari smiled. Maybe it'd be a good time to start over on clean paper.