A/N: So sorry! This chapter is more than overdue, it has come attached with interest by now but I finally got around to making the chapter happen so please do review! Happy ten years of Thrill for me this anniversary!
MARYLOVER – Yes, Ryoma is going to be stubborn about this since they did get off on the wrong foot.
AtikahFiction- Yes, I have ventured back into tennis and into original Thrill love.
Because Of You
Rated: M
Summary: When Ryoma declares war on playboy Syuusuke who claims his sister as his prey, he might just find out his life isn't all it seems to be.
Ch VII: Hakugei
Recap
"You're one sick man!" Ryoma spat out
Fuji wonders what the hell he was thinking to like such an unlikeable person.
XxX
"What is that?" Ren asked looking serious now since Fujiwara was looking dead serious now as well.
"I'm investigating the death of the royal family." He admitted with a grim look. "I have a heading that points out that the accident might not have been accidental as it was written off as. There's been talk of changing the royal family boy, and you are standing right in the way."
oOXxXOo
Tokyo, Japan
Nakahara Residence
"Mom?" Mayumi said suddenly breaking the silence in the living room. She had been doing her homework and keeping her mother company while she sewed when the sudden thought crossed her mind.
"Hm?" Hazuki answered as she continued to concentrate on hemming the shirt she was intently hemming in.
"Was dad a handsome guy like Ryoma?"
Hazuki paused and stared blankly at the shirt in silence. Her children had never asked about their father but asking now of all time threw her off. What should she say if Mayumi asked more personal questions?
"Yes," Hazuki agreed. Her husband had been so breathtakingly handsome that she had been blindly in love with him.
"Did you love him?" Mayumi asked looking at her mother intently now.
Hazuki glanced up at her daughter and inhaled sharply. She felt the pang of her heart as she noted how innocent and full of love her daughter was. Her daughter looked just like she did from years ago when she had first met her husband. She understood that innocence and she understood the depth of her daughter's question. She was in love.
"Who is the young man you like?" Hazuki asked instead with a smile.
"Mom!" Mayumi bit out with flushed cheeks. "I was asking about dad!"
"I loved him," Hazuki said with a small smile. "I loved him so much it was bad for me."
Mayumi blinked wordlessly at Hazuki. The fact that she didn't understand that explanation was apparent on her face but Hazuki made no move to clarify what she meant either.
"Was he a bad guy?" Mayumi asked trying to make sense of the cryptic answer her mother had given her.
"He is a good man." Hazuki said turning back to her sewing. "He is a good man no matter what anyone says."
Mayumi opened her mouth to say more but she noted how her mother's gaze turned out to the street beyond the window pane. She swallowed the rest of her questions and wondered if she had accidently brought pain into her mother's mind. She watched her mother's gentle gaze quietly and wondered to herself how love was supposed to be like after all.
Hazuki lapsed into her own thoughts as she recalled his gentle smile before they had become engaged. She had been so in love with those eyes of his and slight smiles. Yet now only the bittersweet memory swelled in her as she wondered what he was doing now. If he was happier now…
Hazuki swallowed hard as she tried to block out the pain in her heart. She had been determined only to remember the good in him but there was always more to it. She still had dreams of the fights, she still felt the sting of tears form thinking about his angry face. Though she had desperately wanted a spot in his heart, reality was far from that.
A sad smile crossed her lips and unknown to her, a similar one touched her daughter's face as her daughter watched her intently.
XxX
Chiyoda, Japan
Palace
Yuna walked quietly as she crossed the courtyard. She was quite angry at Ryu or ignoring her earlier. She was angry at herself for being selfish like this as well though. She was born into this palace life and she knew the rules but why, why did she only want her bodyguard's attention and love?
Yuna turned suddenly and almost tripped on her dress when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She flushed as she took in the strength and as he straightened her, she felt warmth curl in her from her back touching his chest.
"Are you okay hime?"
"Fine!" Yuna bit out and tore out of his arms without looking at him. Her face was bright red anyways.
XxX
Tokyo, Japan
Tennis
Although Ryoma had to admit the challenge of Fuji was thrilling, he really just needed the man to crawl off his back. There were things he had to take care of for the sake of surviving and he hadn't been able to because Demon-san from Hyoutei wanted to play.
"Third counter," Fuji uttered as he swung his racquet back and hit the returning ballwith a heavy slice. As expected the ball hopped and flew upward disturbing Ryoma's rhythm.
"Hehhhh…" Ryoma said with an interested smile as his eyes searched the sky for the air ball. "So you do have more hidden talents."
"Of course," Fuji stated with a deep smile. "I'm not a tensai for no reason."
Ryoma's eyes widened as he realized where it was headed. A smile crossed his lips as it neared the back court because the chances of it being out was seventy percent. It wasn't until he felt more than saw that it wasn't going to go out that he reacted. By then it was too late and all he could do was watch helplessly as Fuji tied the game and the ball fly across court back to the demon's hand.
"Hakugei," Fuji stated sliding his teasing gaze with just the hint of the blue eyes to Ryoma.
"I'll break you," Ryoma promised as he retreated and got ready to receive again.
"Ani!" Mayumi called from the side where she was seated with Minato watching the game under a covered area.
"What?" Ryoma asked already eyeing Fuji for his next move. He noted that Fuji was getting off court by then.
"Are you running away?" Ryoma asked with a frown.
"It's raining hard Ryo-kun…. Unless you'd like to drown in it with me." Fuji said with a smile.
"che!" Ryoma uttered finally noting that he was partially wet from the unforgiving rain. He pointed his racquet rudely at Fuji and stated in what even he had to admit, was a bratty voice.
"I'll destroy you next time!"
With that said, Ryoma turned to put his stuff away and yell at Mayumi to wait for him to change.
Fuji on the other hand jogged over to Mayumi and Minato. He approached a smiling Mayumi and poked her cheek lightly.
"…" Mayumi didn't say anything as she stared blankly at Fuji. Lost as to why he took the time to come over and poke her.
"I'll stop using you as bait after today," Fuji said with a crooked smile.
"I appreciate it," Mayumi said with a smile now as well. She understood what he was trying to tell her with that poke.
"You're adorable but-"
"But my brother's SO much more interesting isn't he senpai?" Mayumi finished with a grin.
Fuji eyes opened slightly in shock that she was able to tell her role and who was actually the prey.
"My ani is a little dense when it comes to me so do your best." Mayumi merely stated while trying to suppress a smile.
"I'll do my best," Fuji said confidently before he walked away to change as well.
"I didn't expect it to rain so much," Mayumi stated as she turned her attention back to the man sitting beside her.
Minato didn't answer but exhaled a bit in exasperation as he noted the rain that steadily poured from the sky. It was so cliché and yet here he was stuck underneath the overhang with Mayumi at school needing to get to the station. Honestly he didn't have an umbrella and he didn't want to give up his jacket like a gentleman would. What was he going to do?
"It looks like we'll have to run for it," Mayumi said looking up at the cloudy sky with a pout. Her bottom lip disappeared into her mouth suddenly as she tried to figure out a way to get out of this situation. She didn't want to admit it but she was kind of hoping Minato was prepared to do something for this situation they were in.
She wondered if he was going to offer his book bag or his jacket…
"Shirou?"
Mayumi blinked in confusion as she watched him casually chat on his cell phone instead of dealing with the rain.
"Can you pick us up at the east end?" Minato said as he judged the short distance they would have to dash to get to the car.
Mayumi bit her lip again as she chided herself silently. She should've known better that higher class men would not think to get wet and romantically offer their jacket like the manga's she read. Better yet, she should expect to be picked up while she was with him and have a driver escort them both to the car with prepared umbrellas.
"There we go!" Minato said with a relieved tone. A smile graced his lips as the car pulled up and the driver came towards them with an umbrella prepared.
Well, not everything was like a manga after all.
XxX
Ryoma frowned as he saw that his sister was nowhere in sight after he had come back from changing even though he had told her to wait. Ryoma cursed softly under his breath as he was pretty sure she was hanging onto Fujiwaru. Despite how grounded Mayumi may look and sound, it wasn't hard for someone like him to see her floating above the clouds in daydream of the good looking guy.
He had nothing against that boy yet but he was going to if he tried to do anything to Mayumi.
"You're still here as well,"
Ryoma almost groaned aloud in annoyance when he heard that soft, teasing voice that currently was the tone and sound of all his nightmares.
"Don't give me that aura Ryo-kun," Fuji said sensing the dislike and negative energy around the younger male.
"How much would it take to get you out of my life?" Ryoma asked with a slight glare.
"There is no price for what you mean to me." Fuji stated with a widening smile. "I will decide when I want to discard you."
"I'm not your toy," Ryoma stated and turned to make a run for it through the rain. He'd rather be soaking wet than stand there and hear that type of harassment. Besides, if he didn't get the anger he was feeling under control, he was almost positive that he was going to knockout that senpai.
XxX
Tokyo, Japan
Nakahara Residence
Takumi glanced up from the book he was reading and as usual, his eyes strayed to Hazuki who sat a few feet away. She was once again lost in her own thoughts ignoring everything else. He sighed softly as he wondered why she was so close to him and yet unreachable.
Despite the distress beside her; Hazuki was unaware and continued to be caught up in her own thoughts.
Takumi looked back down at his hands and wondered why he continued to make his own life harder by pursuing something he could never have as well. It had been safe in the beginning because he knew it was impossible but now that she was so near and reachable, the restraints on his heart were wavering.
Had he reached his limit?
Every time he looked at her he couldn't help but want to be closer. No matter how much he wanted to tell her he loved her much more than she perceived his love to be. He didn't know what to say because he was scared she didn't want to know.
'Hazuki…'
A/N: And so it seems they will have one last match