Youthful Days (Book 1)

61. Devil's Target

Ayuna staggered out of the seating area and bumped straight into Tachibana Ann, who was hurtling forward blindly.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Ann apologized quickly. When she realized the person in front of her was Ayuna, she cried in elation, "Hanamachi-san! What a pleasant surprise!"

Ayuna tried to smile. "It's been a while, Tachibana-san. I haven't seen you since that run-in at Nakameguro."

"Please call me Ann!" she said. "Man, that afternoon feels like ages ago, doesn't it?"

Ayuna nodded. Then, examining Ann's pinched features, she asked, "What are you in a hurry for? Is everything alright?"

This got Ann fired up. "It's all because of my bullheaded brother! He's been calling me from the hospital all morning for updates on the match. After hearing about Fuji-senpai's injury, he decided to come here out of the blue!"

"Where is he now?"

Ann pointed towards the opposite side of the court, where Tachibana Kippei propped himself up with two crutches, his eyes locked to Seigaku's side of the court. Sighing, Ann shook her head, "Seriously, he's crazy! He can't just hop around with a wound like that!"

"We should check on him." Ayuna offered, "If you don't mind, can I come with you?"

"Not at all! Besides, I don't think you had a chance to meet my brother yet, right?"

Ayuna shook her head.

"Well, I guess this would be the silver lining of his visit! Let's go!"

Ayuna trudged after Ann, her feet heavy as if her shoes were filled with rocks. Pausing to examine Ayuna's pallid face, Ann asked, "Hey, are you okay? Your complexion's really bad."

"Must be the heat. I'm burning in this stupid uniform."

"You're worried about Fuji-senpai, aren't you?" Ann's eyes softened. They walked in Kippei's direction in silence for a minute, with only the sounds of their soles scraping against the pavement. "Everything will be okay. My brother's already warned Fuji-senpai about Kirihara's tricks beforehand, so he's well-informed. Knowing Fuji-senpai's abilities, I'm certain he'll find a way to turn the game around."

Ayuna shook her head by an increment. "At this point, I'm no longer worried about Fuji's tactics or the outcome of this game."

"You don't care if Seigaku loses?"

"I can't think about that," whispered Ayuna. "It's a terrible thing to say, isn't it?"

Ann shook her head. "What are you thinking about, then?"

Her eyes drifting to the court, Ayuna could distinctly see the lag in Fuji's usually fluid movements. "I just don't want to see him hurt anymore. It hurts me when he's hurt and I want it to stop."

Ann took a minute to take in her words. "I think I get it... Sort of like how I instinctively felt hurt and down when my brother was hospitalized. But it's obviously different between you and Fuji-senpai..." Ann grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm making a mess out of this, aren't I?"

"Don't be sorry," said Ayuna. "I'm grateful you heard me out."

Ann smiled brightly. "In any case, I think you two are a perfect match. It makes me so jealous and makes me wish I had a boyfriend, too—"

"That boyfriend had better be a gentleman comparable to Fuji, or else your older brother's going to kick his ass," spoke Tachibana Kippei from behind Ann, painstakingly balancing on his crutches.

Ann whirled around, blushing. "Brother! Don't spout rude comments like that in public!"

"I'm joking around." Kippei grinned at his younger sister. His eyes then landed on Ayuna, who bowed to him. "You're Hanamachi-san, aren't you? It's nice to finally put a face to the name. I've heard lots about you from Ann and Fuji. Good things, of course."