First Dance

Disclaimer: TeniPuri is not mine, even though I really hopped so

Pairing: Perfect Pair, Golden Pair

Summary: AU They think their life was just fine, until they meet each other and make their life turn upside down.

So sorry for the long wait. I have been busy with one and other things sigh

Step 3 : Bring a partner or go alone?

There is no such a thing like meaningless meeting

Atobe house…

Tezuka is being lead to the third floor, and continue walking until he stopped in front of one room; Atobe's office. They always meet here when they talking about work or business.

The butler opened the door and let Tezuka in. "Please wait a minute, Tezuka-san, Atobe-sama is coming. Please have a seat." Tezuka nodded and take a seat. The butler bow and excuse himself. Three minutes later, Atobe walked in.

Laguna Pet Rental Shop…

Oishi walked in. He looks around nervously. Many people interact with many animals. Oishi noted that this place sure has many animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, turtle, and…isn't that squirrel? He look around more thoroughly and frowned when a weird animal he never seen before capture his eyes. That animal is looks like a civet but not quite the same.

"Excuse me sir, can I help you?" Oishi startled a little and turns around. Sakuno stand beside him with a friendly smile.

"Ah, yes, um, I…" Oishi regain his composure quickly "Yes, please. Uhm, what kind of animal is that?" He pointed to the weird animal that he watches before.

Sakuno looked at the same way "Oh, that was a ferret. Beauty isn't she? She still civet family, let's just say that they were relative. Depending on the season, her fur can changed color. She is really unique creature. Do you want her?"

"Uh, no. Actually I…" Oishi take a breath to calm his nerve "Look; this is my first time to rent a pet. Actually, I'm planning to have a dog, but because I never had one before, my friend sends me here."

"Oh, are you Oishi Suichiro-san?" Oishi nodded "Nice to meet you. I'm Ryuzaki Sakuno." they shake a hand "We've been expecting you. Please, follow me." Sakuno wink at Tomoka and she replies it with a nod. Sakuno led him to the next room and close the door between "Please take a seat."

Sakuno take some form and sit in front of him "First, please read and fill this. I'm sorry for my insolence, but this is a standard procedure for the first time customer."

Oishi take a form and began to reading it. About 10 minutes later, Oishi hand it back to Sakuno.

"Alright, Oishi-san, thank you for your cooperation. I think…" before Sakuno have any change to finish her word, the door is suddenly being forced open and someone rushes in.

"Sakuno-chan! I hear Ochibi's friend already here! Why you didn't tell me, nyaa?"

"E, Eiji-kun! You shouldn't break in like this!" Tomoka come from behind. She gave Sakuno and Oishi an apologizing look.

"But I want to meet Ochibi's friend!" Eiji pouted. Not really care about the situation, Eiji look at Oishi and smiling "Hello, are you Ochibi's friend?"

Sakuno, finally recover from her earlier shock, quickly stood "Ah, Oishi-san, please meet Tomoka and Kikumaru Eiji."

Oishi, shake a hand with Tomoka "Nice to meet you. I'm Tomoka. Ryoma-sama has told us about you."

Ryoma-sama? Oishi eyebrow raise a little. Oh, she must be Echizen fans, he thinks.

Then Oishi looks at the red head, and before he can extend his hand first, his hand already being grabbed "Hello, I'm Kikumaru Eiji! Just call me Eiji! I was Ochibi's friend too! Nice to meet you!"

"Um, yes." Ochibi? Does he mean Echizen? Echizen is being called Ochibi?

"Ne, ne, I hear you want to have a dog? What kind of dog you like? I like every dog, they just soooo cute!" said Eiji. "But not just dogs, I love many animals." Eiji giggled "We have many animals here, not just dogs, even we do have dogs more than the others. I love all of them! And they love me too! Ah, but Maki-chan sometime cold to me, she even bit me! I wonder why she acts like that." And Eiji start talked about many things that Oishi can't follow completely.

Sakuno tug Eiji shirt, giving him some sign.

Eiji blinked "What?" he blinked again "Oh, do I talk too much? Gomen, I just so excited meet Ochibi's friend." Eiji smile sheepishly

"Yeah, I can see how excited you were." Tomoka said with teasing tone.

"Nyaa?" Eiji look questioningly at Sakuno nervous face and Tomoka smirking face.

"U, uhm, ano…"

Eiji turn his head back to Oishi and finally realize how close they had became while his hands still grabbing Oishi's. His face turn into a nice red and quickly step back "Go, gomen! Um, I was, it was…"

"Eh, ah, i,it's alright." Oishi is blushing too.

The situation became rather tense. Eiji and Oishi still blushing nicely and try not to look at each other. Sakuno look confused. And Tomoka is smile mischievously.

"Ne, Eiji-kun. Why don't you accompany Oishi-san to look around the shop?" Tomoka suddenly said.

"Eh?" everyone attention now focus on Tomoka. She grabbed Sakuno's hand and walked out "We have to watch over the shop and serve other customer. So you two have fun!"

Atobe House…

In the garden, Fuji and Jirou is walking around aimlessly. Fuji looked at his watch "Gomen ne, Jirou. I have to get going now."

"Mou, already?"

"Gomen. I have some work to do."

Jirou pouted but he nodded. He led them back to the house, but before they entered it, Jirou suddenly stopped.

"Jirou?" ask Fuji.

Jirou is looking at third floor window above them. Fuji frowned a little and follows his gaze. The shadows of two people could be seen in that angle. One is Atobe, but the other one? It must be Atobe's guest, Fuji thinks.

"It must be Tezuka-san." Jirou said. "Come on, let's say hello to them first before you go."

They walked into the third floor and headed to Atobe's office. Jirou knocked "Keigo, Fuji-kun wants to leave now."

"Come in." a reply came few seconds later.

Jirou opened the door and walked inside, Fuji following.

"Leave already, Fuji?" ask Atobe.

"Maa…"

"Then I'll expect you here, three days again?"

Fuji nodded, his gaze meeting Tezuka, they staring at each other for a second. The glint of recognition flash in their eyes.(1)

"Ah, Fuji. Meet Tezuka, Tezuka Kunimitsu. And Tezuka, meet Fuji Shusuke." Atobe said. Tezuka stood and they were shaking hand. Just a simple contact, nothing more.

"Well then, Atobe, Tezuka-san, I shall take my leave." said Fuji. He turn to Jirou "Later, Jirou." He walks out. Without realizing it, from the corner of his eyes, he eyed Tezuka. And Tezuka just do the same. They keeping an eye contact until Fuji and Jirou are out of the room.

Laguna Pet Rental Shop…

Eiji had already showing him around. He introducing him to the other customer and the animals they have, not just the dogs, but the other too. Eiji has been enthusiastic 'introducing' him to them, telling him their names, their cuteness, their habit, etc. Like now they standing in front of ferret stable, as Eiji called her Maki-chan. While Eiji chattering about things, Oishi silently pondered who is the one responsible for naming the animal here, each of them have…unique name.

Oishi turn his head to ask Eiji only to find that he was alone. Confused, he looks around and find Eiji talking to the phone. Since when Eiji had stop chattering and talking to the phone instead? Oh, well, it seems he too lost in his thought.

A wall with many picture hanging got his interest. Most of the picture is animal and their interaction with human. Even he was amateur, Oishi certain that every picture must be taken by professional. One of the pictures has his attention the most. In that picture, Eiji is sitting in a long chair with Sakuno in his left and a middle aged woman in his right, while he himself hugging the black big dog sitting in front of him. Standing in Eiji's back is Tomoka, to her left is a fine feature man with honey-brown hair and eternal smile, to her right is a man around 30's carrying a little girl. All of them were wearing a happy face. Somehow Oishi know this picture is more special than others.

Lost in his thought, Oishi didn't realize Eiji approaching him until he speaks "Gomen, have I made you wait long?"

Oishi turned his gaze and shake his head "It's alright. I was the one who should apologize, holding you here when you must be busy." He turn back his attention to the picture "By the way, could I ask you about this picture?" Eiji avert his gaze to the picture. "I already know the three of you, but who are the rest?"

Eiji take the picture and signaling Oishi to follow him sits. They look at the picture together "This is taken right before Laguna grand opening. For us, this is a new beginning of everything we have now."

Oishi just stay silent, waiting for Eiji to continue. "Before, this shop name is Aokawa Pet Rental Shop, owned by Aokawa family. Their house is in next door. I and Sakuno-chan is just a mere worker here, while Shuko-chan and Tomoka-chan just a friend who often come to help or just to visit." Eiji traced the middle aged woman picture with his finger "She is Aokawa Tomoe. We called her Tomoe-baachan. Her husband is Sato-jiisan, he has scary face, but actually very nice inside. They have 3 children and 3 grandchild. Their oldest son is Miura-san." Eiji pointed at the man in picture "His wife is Michiko-san. They have 11 years old son named Yuu and 9 years old girl named Mikako. The second son is Aoki-san. His wife, Kaede-san is already passing away 2 years before right after giving a birth to Arina-chan." Eiji touch the little girl face in the picture "And the last daughter is Hinako-san, not married yet but already has a fiancée. All of them are animal lover. Tomoe-baachan told us that the reason they build the Pet Rental shop is because they have taken too much stray animals. Each one of them has habit to take almost every stray animal they encounter." Eiji chuckled "This one is Luna-chan, one of their most beloved pet." He pointed at the dog.

Eiji silent for a while "They were good people, friendly and caring toward the others. They were very nice to me and Sakuno-chan, they treating us like a family. I love them, we love them, everyone love them. They were a very happy family back than, and supposedly remain that way, if only that incident didn't happen…"

Eiji's expression is becoming sad "About 4 years ago, right when Aokawa family member is gathering to celebrate Akina-chan birthday, there is a huge fire in this area. It happen when everyone is deep asleep, no one realize it before it was too late. I don't know the detail, but people say because the wind is so strong, the fire spreading so fast and that make situation worsen. All I know in the next morning is everything has been burned, many people dies…"

"I heard Miura-san got Tomoe-baasan out first, he was on his way to enter the house again when the fireman and the police stopping him. Sato-jiisan and Aoki-san die when trying to save their animals, while Michiko-san and Hinako-san die protecting the children when they trapped in fire. Yuu-chan and Mikako-chan inhale too much carbon, it's a miracle Akina-chan manage to stay alive."

Eiji closed his eyes with painful expression "The damage is not stopped there. The after effect is done much greater to those who alive. Miura-san blaming himself for his uncapability to save the rest of his family. He takes a way on destroying himself slowly. Akina-chan stop talking, her expression is gone, she never smile, let alone laugh. She became a living doll. And Tomoe-baachan fall into coma."

A long silence "We try our best to help them, trying to healing their wound, but it's not an easy thing to do. The situation last for 8 month, until one day, another miracle do happened to Akina-chan. She was the first one who opened her heart once more, and thanks to her, we manage to help Miura-san too." A little smile rise in Eiji's lips "One day, Shuko-chan gave us an idea to rebuild the shop." Eiji pointed at the honey-brown haired man in picture "At first it was rejected, we afraid it'll bring more unpleasant memories. But then we understand, life goes on and the new beginning must be made. Yet nothing can be began if we too afraid to face the consequences. After so many consideration, the shop is being build again. The four of us has so many things to do, thankfully we have many people willingly to helping us in many possible ways."

Eiji beaming to Oishi "And you know what? When the shop is half done, Tomoe-baachan is awake from her coma state! And she recover so quickly that even made the doctors wonders. After that, we planning to give the shop back to them, but they refuse. They decide to go to Okinawa and start a new life there. And they asked us to inherit the shop instead. So, I, Sakuno-chan, Shuko-chan and Tomoka-chan now own the shop. At Laguna grand opening, we take this picture!"

"Hee…this shop actually has such history. So now the Aokawa family is in Okinawa?"

Eiji nodded "We still keep in touch and just 7 months ago they come to visit us here!" he said cheerfully.

"And, what about uhm, this person and the dog? What is their name again?"

"The dog, Luna-chan in Okinawa too. This person, Shuko-chan, he doesn't work here, but maybe you ever heard of Fuji Shusuke?"

"Fuji Shusuke? The photographer?"

"Yes! You know?"

"Of course I know! His work is fabulous! My best friend is his fans, even I think he prefer call it as admiration and respect." Oishi chuckled.

"Nyaa, Shuko-chan is really talented. I'm so proud of him!" said Eiji. He got up and put the picture back to the wall "Now, shall I continue introducing you to the others?" Eiji suddenly asked.

"Sure, but can we stick to the dog only? It's too bad, but I didn't have much free time left. I better found what I'm looking for quickly."

"Nyaa?" Eiji look confused. He look at Oishi blinked blinked "Ah! You were searching for a dog!"

"Somehow, I'm not surprise that you forgot about that." Oishi said.

"Gomen! I really forgot!"

"It's alright. It's fun though to know so many animals." Oishi smile.

"Well then, let's go say hello to Raka-chan. I'm sure he'll like you."

"Raka-chan?"

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Gomen means I'm sorry

(1) No, Tezuka and Fuji didn't know each other before. They only recognize each other because those two is famous in their own work area. They never meet before but they have seen each other profile in some magazine.

Tezuka's job still isn't decided yet. I'm still open for any suggestion. I already got few suggestions, but I need some more. Anyone please?

Why I made their meeting like that? Well, I want Oishi-Eiji first meeting is interesting. And about Tezuka-Fuji first meeting, I want it to be so simple, a little formal maybe, yet (hopefully) unforgettable and leave an impression for both of them. And about the history of the shop, I made it to answer speadee review about Eiji, Sakuno and Tomoka work in same place.

Ok, this chapter is done. I'm really sorry for taking such a long time to post this one. I just can't find time to finish and post this chapter before. I'll try to update next chapter as soon as possible. Thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it and I'm sorry for not replying it soon. So, how do you think about this one? It is strange? Weird? Forced? Not meet your expectation? Anything? Please just be honest, so I know where my mistake is and I'll try to fix it. I hope you all still willingly read another chapter from me. Need any review.