The Matchmaker

“Awww….they look so sweet together.”

, 14 years old, currently a third year junior high school student attending Seishun Gakuen. She is more popularly known as “the matchmaker”.

“Ne, Syuusuke?”

Walking beside the notorious cupid of Seigaku is another force to be reckoned with – Fuji Syuusuke, famed genius of the junior high tennis circuit and ’s childhood friend.

Fuji sighed and replied loyally, “Whatever you say, .”

Despite her renowned ability to act as bridge between two people, doesn’t pair just anyone up. Many friends have tried asking her to set them up with someone they like, but playing cupid can be tiresome and so she’d only exert effort if she’s absolutely sure she’d be able to reap rewards.

Oh, but isn’t that hard to please. As long as she can see the couples she paired up, happy and loving, she considers herself rewarded.

Simple, right? Wrong.

You see, there’s a catch – is a fan of Boys’ Love.

So she’d only pair up a boy with another boy. And she has made the Seigaku Tennis Club her personal pet project.

Fuji took a fleeting glance towards Oishi and Kikumaru discreetly holding hands underneath a tree and thoughtfully scratched his chin.

“I can imagine it wasn’t that hard to set them up.”
“Well, it was relatively easier compared to the Inui-Kaidoh project, but it was tough too. They’re very close, too close in fact. And sometimes, when two people get too close, they tend to become far-sighted; they look too far beyond and overlook the person right there beside them. All I had to do was remind them of each other and there you go,” she said, proudly beaming at the loving scene before them.

“Far-sighted, huh,” Fuji stared at her meaningfully.

Clearly oblivious of that fact though, she continued rattling on about her future plans for the other members of the tennis club. “I can’t wait for Ryoma-kun to turn thirteen on December. I’ve got such wonderful plans for him and Momo-chan,” she babbled happily, reminding herself more than Fuji that she refuses to act cupid for anyone under thirteen. She’s still got a little bit of morals inside her, she proclaimed seriously.

“So until then, you’re diabolic-plan-free?” Fuji asked hopefully.
laughed derisively. “Look who’s talking about being evil!”
“Yes, but our villainy is definitely not of the same flavor.”
“Of course not, my villainy, if you want to call it that, bears love and romance but YOUR villainy is solely for your own malign amusement.”
“How rude,” Fuji pouted, feigning hurt.
She threw her head back in laughter. “What?”
“That’s a grave accusation to make. I only want to have some fun.”
“Yes, yes, I know, Syuusuke,” she patted his arm, grinning.
“So then, could you answer my question?”
“What question?” She thought for a while before remembering, “Oh! Well…it’s a secret.” She winked at him, laughing at his atypically fearful face.

Once while she was tutoring Momoshiro Takeshi in science, her kouhai asked her why she only sets up boys with fellow boys. He doesn’t understand, he said, it’s too complicated. nodded sympathetically and told him he’d be able to someday. And then she went on prattling about being the Goddess of Love for the Beautiful Forlorn Boys of Seigaku and that it was her duty and her destiny to make them see the light. Momo scratched his head, he still didn’t understand, why couldn’t girls make all those boys happy? only gave a patronizing laugh and told him to wait until December – then he’d understand.

But until then, has other things in mind.

Parting with Fuji on their way home, she flipped her mobile phone open and scrolled down her contacts.

“Ah,” she smiled happily. She can’t call the person directly – everyone knew a call from means serious business, and all straight males in Seigaku fear it the most. But it hardly mattered, she knew just the right man for the job. “Hello, Oishi-kun? Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I need a favor…”

Or so she said just to keep up appearances, but they both knew he was just repaying a favor from her – because that’s how operates. She pairs up people, gives them favors, but all parties know that there’s a non-verbal agreement between them that when she needs their services, they had better come across.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Tezuka Kunimitsu, Seigaku tennis club captain, curiously looked around the empty clubroom. He received a call from Oishi earlier, telling him about a theft which occurred merely an hour ago. It was 7:30 in the evening and he came rushing back to school, prepared for the worst. However, what welcomed him was the usual cluttered space and absolute silence of their locker rooms after practice. He was foraging around for missing valuables when he heard a familiar voice.

“Oishi, what happened? Sorry I’m…late.” The last word came out protracted as the newcomer stared around the nearly empty room. “Tezuka, do you know what happened?”
“No.”
“Where’s Oishi.”
“No idea. I’m as confused as you are.”

Tezuka turned back towards the lockers, examining each one in turn as Fuji went to stand beside him.

“Hmm…something smells fish-”

They both whirled around when they heard the door slamming shut against its hinges and being padlocked from the outside. Tezuka ran to take a peek from the minuscule window, trying to take a look at their captors while Fuji tugged at the door in vain.

“What’s going on?” Tezuka demanded.

Fuji thought for a while, hands crossed against his chest, staring at the door. “So that’s what that new lock was for,” he murmured.

“What?”
The smaller boy sighed and frowned a little, as if formulating his next words carefully. “ ,” he said simply.

Tezuka’s face went from the usual stoicism to confusion and finally to fearful realization. He was suddenly helplessly distressed – and he didn’t like it one bit.

“No wonder she didn’t want to tell me what she’s up to.” Fuji crossed the room and slumped against the lockers.
“…”
The tensai of Seigaku stared at his buchou, bemused by this new Tezuka – he had never known the man to be agitated by anything before.
“She’s your friend isn’t she? Do something,” the taller boy frowned.

Fuji spent a moment staring into space - Tezuka could almost see the cogs of his brain working furiously. At times like these, only Fuji’s evil genius could be depended upon.
After a while, Fuji turned to him, an amused smile playing upon his lips.

“Okay…but I need your help, Tezuka,” he said. “Before that though, I think we better make ourselves comfortable. I don’t think we’d be let out until tomorrow morning.”

Tezuka Kunimitsu sighed resignedly and took off his shoes. It’s going to be a long night.

Morning came and along with it, the noise and gaiety that is Seigaku. Sports club members were always first to come, practicing under the early rays of the sun, trying to surpass their present physical capabilities. In the tennis club, the earliest people to prowl around the club room were always Tezuka, Oishi and Inui. And as always, currently standing outside the door were three entities, whispering amongst themselves.

But this day isn’t like any other.

“I wonder what happened,” Oishi surveyed the panel of wood as if expecting to see thru it.
“There’s a sixty percent chance Tezuka and Fuji got together.” Inui pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose.
“ONLY sixty percent?” huffed indignantly. “I think I’m better than that,” she frowned, nudging Oishi to unlock the door.
“Okay,” Oishi announced, one hand turning the knob, “here goes.”

Standing there with bated breath, the vice-captain pushed the door wide open before being stunned into silence by the spectacle before their very eyes.

Tezuka and Fuji, almost naked and wearing only their underwear, were lying in the middle of the room, limbs entwined so that no one could figure out where one starts and the other ends.

Raising his head and squinting against the sudden flood of sunlight, Fuji yawned and smiled at the trio, “Could you please close the door? I’d rather not anyone else see Tezuka in his boxers.”

Oishi dutifully snapped the door shut, blushing furiously, while Inui jotted notes and beamed happily.

She knew she could do it. From the moment she saw her childhood friend and the captain together, she couldn’t resist making plans for them – she just didn’t think it would be so easy. She had much more in mind – much much more. But it looks like she won’t be needing them after all. Making mental notes for herself, she put the rest of her plans at the back of her head for future foraying.

knocked on the door impatiently. “What’s taking you so long, Syuusuke?”

After a few minutes, Fuji got out of the clubroom, dressed in his tennis attire.

“I won’t give you a blow-by-blow account, if that’s what you’re after. But as you have seen, Tezuka and I got together, all thanks to you.”

behaved just as Fuji expected she would – beaming radiantly and grinning from ear to ear.

“So, to show our appreciation,” he continued, “Tezuka and I would like to invite you out on Saturday. How about it?”

“Sure, that’ll be great,” she said, nodding fervently at her friend.

The evil genius of Seigaku opened his eyes a crack, pleased by how smoothly things were going.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

The week flew by fast and before they knew it, Saturday came upon them. Nothing changed much within the short span of time – was still gloating about her recent project success and was already making plans for her next one. Little did she know how much her life would change within a single day…

The plaza burgeoned with excitement and laughter as people of all ages and status thronged along its confines. was already sitting at a bench, waiting happily for her new pet couple.

“ ,” she heard a familiar voice call her name.
“Syuusuke!”

She grinned when she saw them holding hands, ignoring all the attention they were getting from various passersby.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing on Fuji’s other hand.

Together they hopped to various teenage spots – skating rinks, cafes, soda clubs and the like. and Fuji were extremely having fun and even Tezuka couldn’t resist snorting a laugh when landed on her buttocks while trying to ice skate for the first time.

She was thinking that this was probably going to be her best day for a long time - that is until night fell and they went onto their next destination.

It was jam-packed in the theaters - the air was heavy with determinedly subdued chatter and intermingling musk. Edging gingerly into the crowd, the trio found seats somewhere near the front of the gargantuan screen. found herself sitting beside Tezuka instead of Fuji and was disconcerted at the look on the bespectacled boy’s face – he was frowning slightly, eyes unfocused and filmed over, and if she didn’t know better, could have sworn there was a curiously contrite look on his countenance.

She decided to ignore it and pass it off for another one of Tezuka’s mood swings when she suddenly remembered that the stolid athlete didn’t have any. Before she could analyze it further though, the lights dimmed and the screen was illuminated by previews of future pictures.

slipped off into a stupor, staring at the screen with disinterest. Why would she want to watch a movie about four teenage boys betting on losing their virginity again? No, her own life is much more colorful. When the credits of the movie started rolling though and the lights were completely turned off, snapped back to reality, shaking her head as if to drain off excess thoughts.

But then she sensed something amiss. Something didn’t feel right and she couldn’t put a finger to it. She felt Fuji grab her hand to her right and squeezed it, wanting to ask her friend something.

And then she remembered she wasn’t sitting beside Fuji.

Slowly, as if unable to believe it unless she saw it for herself, her eyes traveled to the armrest where her hand was perched. She stared at it for a while – a foreign sight to her eyes. A couple of hands were perched on the said armrest - two hands so tightly intertwined they were a single entity. Whose hands were those? Her brain could not assess the information – until she felt the feeling of flesh twitch against her palm and realized one of those hands was her own.

Then it all came to her – Tezuka Kunimitsu, imperturbable and stolid, popular athlete, leader, mover and most of all, her childhood friend’s, Fuji Syuusuke’s, supposed boyfriend was holding her hand so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.

“Umm…” she started, trying in vain to pry her hands off Tezuka’s iron-like grip. ‘Tennis players…’ she thought bitterly, knowing now how a racket might have felt if it had been a living being.

Tezuka, on the other hand, was staring at the screen dispassionately as if ’s protests were nothing more than a distant riff barely reaching his ears.

couldn’t take it anymore. She might have been the nefarious cupid of Seigaku, but no one cheats on Fuji and least of all, no one cheats on Fuji with her! Finally yanking her hand free of Tezuka, she stood up quickly and walked out of the theater, telling Fuji she needed to go the ladies’ room when he raised his brows in question.

She strode off quickly, not looking around and not looking back - and not noticing anyone following her out of the theater and into the ladies’ room.

Inside the empty lavatory, she bolted herself inside a stall and sat on the toilet cover, inhaling deeply and gathering her wits. There must have been a mistake. It MUST have been a mistake. Yes, she thought – she had just overreacted. After all, it was just a hand. It’s not like Tezuka forced himself on her or anything, it was nothing serious. Yes, as soon as the movie ends, she and Tezuka are going to have a little chat.

After a while of convincing herself, she decided she was in control of the situation and so she stood up and unlocked the door, stepping out into the now not-so-empty room – standing a few steps away from her, right in front of the sinks was Tezuka.

She didn’t have time to think though, because as soon as she stepped out of her little sanctuary, Tezuka launched himself at her, pinning her arms against her sides as he held her in a bone-crushing embrace, burying his face into her neck.

“Te…Tezuka…” she stammered, aghast and muted by shock. “Tezuka…let go of me,” she struggled against his vise-like arms.

But Tezuka held on, steadfast and unyielding – a silent monster in ’s eyes. What would Fuji say? Oh what would her dear Syuusuke say? Surely, he would hate her. And just the thought of it made her eyes well tears in frustration.

“Tezuka! I said – ”

She started to shout but before she could finish, her breath caught in her throat as the door to the washroom opened and there, staring at them in utter horror was Fuji Syuusuke.

It all happened very quickly - Fuji turning his back on them and running out of the cinema, Tezuka having let go when shouted Fuji’s name and , running after Fuji out of the cinema, into the night.

She can’t believe what was happening. It all seemed like a horrifying nightmare and she desperately wished she could wake up and find out that it actually was one.

But it wasn’t – and she knew it.

And so she ran like she never ran before, following Fuji into the darkened nearby town square, not stopping, not even catching her breath. She didn’t care about the stitch at her side or her aching legs and blurred vision. The image of Fuji’s back slipping farther and farther away from her was too harrowing a vision. But it kept her going past even her physical limitations.

When finally Fuji stopped, his back still at her, clutched her side and gulped mouthfuls of air, hacking her lungs out.

“Syuu…Syuusuke,” she croaked, still panting heavily. “Whatever you saw there, it was nothing. Syuusuke...”

“Syuusuke please…” Even she was surprised to hear desperation in her voice now. seldom pleaded with anybody. And then she realized for the first time - if it has something to do with Fuji, she’ll do anything, even swallow her pride.

“Syuusuke…please, look at me. Look at me,” she walked to him slowly, clutching his shirt and resting her head on his back. She could feel his muscles tense and she grew even more desperate.

“Please don’t hate me,” she heard herself whisper in a voice she didn’t recognize. A despondent whimpering voice she had always despised – a weak voice in her book. “You know I can’t bear it if you hate me. I don’t care if everybody else hates me, but if it’s you…” The words tumbled quickly out of her mouth - wretched pleas of forgiveness and embarrassingly untainted truth. “…if it’s you…I won’t be able to go on. To me, you are most important, Syuusuke, you know that,” she cried.

And then softly, tenderly, he replied, “No…I don’t know that.”

gasped as if surprised that he was even talking to her. “Syuusuke, you must believe me. I’m not interested in Tezuka.”

The boy slowly turned to look at her, eyes open, glinting against the silver moonlight, the ghost of a smile playing upon his lips.

“I know,” he whispered, caressing her cheek with his hand. “And neither am I.”
“What?” furrowed her brows in confusion.

Fuji smiled at her, running his fingers down her hair. “This was all a hoax. Tezuka and I never got together,” he explained.
“But…” her eyes opened wide. “Why?”
“You still haven’t figured it out? You really have become far-sighted or else you’re just plain clueless to things that really matter,” he said, frowning slightly and withdrawing his hand from the tangles of her hair.

It took a while for it to register - and then her own words from not so long ago came rushing back to her.

“…when two people get too close, they tend to become far-sighted; they look too far beyond and overlook the person right there beside them.”

She had said that, not realizing how little she understood its real meaning.

“Syuusuke…” she murmured softly. “I’m sorry…”

He smiled at her lovingly, tilting her chin towards him. “I’m going to kiss you, ,” he announced. “If you have any problems with that, I suggest you push me away right now or be mine completely.”

was completely taken aback by Fuji’s proclamation but stood her ground and smiled at him with emotions she never knew she had before. “I won’t push you away,” she finally said and Fuji brought down his lips upon hers in the sweetest most torturous first kiss.

And when they broke apart, Fuji took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together.

“Are you sure you want to be with me? There’s no escaping me, you know.”
“I know,” she grinned, taking his other hand on her own.
“Tezuka,” Fuji suddenly said, looking behind ’s back.

She whirled around to face the other boy with a look of relief flooding his usually impassive visage.

“I take it all went well?” He asked Fuji who nodded at him happily.

peered at Tezuka seriously before speaking, “are you sure you’re not interested in Syuusuke, Tezuka? Because we can share if you want to. You can have him Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and I’ll have him Tues-”

“ !” She heard Fuji protest sternly.
“I was kidding, Syuusuke!”

Laughing and suddenly deliriously happy, gave Fuji’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Tezuka’s off the market anyway,” he said.
“What?!” goggled at Tezuka. “Who is it?”

The taller boy scowled at Fuji before stalking away with at his heels.

Fuji laughed, hearing annoy Tezuka with her endless questions. It was the perfect end to a perfect day and hopefully, the perfect start of a perfect relationship of two thoroughly imperfect people.

~OWARI~

~MitsuiSelphie
 07/25/2006