Chained Hearts

Chains and Hearts.
Broken bonds, broken hearts.
Or hearts bonded so strongly together that couldn't be broken apart?

It was a rare occurrence for her not to comprehend the meaning of the cards spread under her fingertips. Fuji Yumiko's slender eyebrows came together in a delicate frown; she hated the feeling this reading had given her. Something was quickly coming to a stop, something would fade only to come back and haunt the person the reading was for in the future. This person was her younger brother, Fuji Syuusuke.

She let her eyes wander over the designs of the cards on the light-colored table in her room. The light of the early morning sun slid softly through the curtains that adorned the two windows on the walls. The house was peaceful, the outside was peaceful, and yet in her heart, there was a terrible dark storm of fighting emotions.

"Ne-san!" Came the voice of the middle Fuji child. "Itte Ikimasu!"

Yumiko stood up and was already running to the doorway before she knew what she was doing. When it dawned on her, she hesitated, stopping suddenly, looking blankly at the carpeted floor. Her intention was to tell the boy, to warn him against the dark feeling in her heart. She doubted Syuusuke would believe her, even if he usually did; love did that to a person and at the moment he was madly in love. She had no heart to tell him, to warn him, about that love which seemed to be quickly crumbling apart.

"…Syuusuke…"

**********

Two o'clock in the afternoon, and surprisingly enough, the park was not uncomfortably crowded. Few people were actually around and were mostly mothers looking after their kids that played in the old playground.

His blue eyes looked around the park, until they spotted a familiar figure sitting on the fountain, her slender fingers playing with the shining water. A girl of his same age, she had straight, dark brown hair that barely graced her shoulders.

had changed little over the years they had known each other. She was still the same Chidori of the chance meeting in Chiba, when they were still in junior high. They had met Saeki Koujirou's house when she had come to drop a notebook of his.

After that incident, they saw each other frequently, seeing as was Saeki's close friend and classmate. Fuji himself was a childhood friend of the Rokkaku tennis player.

At the end of their third year, had moved to Tokyo because of her father's job and had enrolled in Seigaku. Even though she had her own group of friends, she mostly spent her time with Eiji and Fuji.

It had seemed almost natural, for the feelings of simple friendship to evolve into love by the middle of their senior year in high school. Their relationship and the way they behaved changed little; the only difference was that they could be seen doing what normal couples did, and they spent more time by themselves than with the rest of their friends.

"-chan!" He called loudly.

The girl in question turned, a hand unconsciously rising to place some strands of hair behind her ear as her olive-hued eyes fell on him. She smiled, and when she did, Fuji couldn't help the frown that marred his brow; somehow, that smile seemed awfully sad. "Syuusuke-kun."

Fuji stopped in front of the dark-haired girl and offered her his hand. With a nod of thanks she took his warm hand in her cool one and gracefully he pulled her up into a standing position, but his hand didn't leave hers, and neither made any other movement. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked her softly.

smiled, albeit with some effort; he could easily notice that was hiding something, and what worried him was that whatever she was hiding was hurting her. Why would she hide something that was hurting her when she didn't think twice to voice out even the smallest thing?

"I saw a café around here somewhere, want to go there?"

Fuji noticed the shinning sadness behind the crystal of her olive irises, and said nothing. "Sure."

He took her hand, and laced her fingers with him before he could do so himself; that struck him as odd, rarely did so before him. The walk was spent chattering about little things, and thoroughly avoiding the reason why had asked him to meet her so suddenly.

The café was small, and pretty much empty at that time of the day. It was a good place, Fuji mused, to hold a quiet conversation, and he knew that liked the buzz of people better than the quiet solitude he seemed to enjoy the best. His stomach dropped in dread, taking him to a relatively vacant place could only mean that whatever had to tell him was important.

They sat down on a table in the far corner, there was no one around them; most customers had settled near the entrance, thus they went partially unnoticed. A waitress came over, wrote down their orders and shortly after, returned with them.
Both had ordered cappuccinos. He grabbed a packet of sugar and poured it into the whiteness at the top of his drink. He watched with a gentle smile, blue eyes watching his companion intently, as she asked the waitress if she had some honey.

That was a weird fixation had—one of many—to sweeten the cappuccino with honey. A habit that at first had seemed slightly funny to him now had turned into an endearing trait that, for him, was only 's.

She stirred her drink in complete silence, adding the honey the waitress had brought slowly; gracefully she raised the glass cup to her lips and sipped carefully. "Syuusuke?" She started hesitantly, looking at the cup, her face etched with what seemed like remorse and pain.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sipping his drink while his cobalt gaze roamed her face.

Her eyes closed as she took another sip, then those deep green orbs focused on him as she lowered the coffee cup back to the table. "I love you." She stated with a smile, the biggest he had seen so far, and the only directed at him that didn't reach her eyes.

"I love you as well, -chan."

There was a small silence, in which they continued to drink; he didn't dare think that his feelings worried her, after all he had made sure to remind her of what he felt towards her everyday. No, she had no doubt of his feelings, he was sure of that much.

When their mugs of coffee lay empty on the table, raised her gaze and locked it on his own. He was taken aback by the intensity her green eyes watched him with, but because of the regret that danced within, he knew such a gaze couldn't mean a good thing. "Syuusuke, I-" She cut herself, biting her lower lip as her eyes went skyward, they closed and she sighed. "I'm leaving for America in two weeks."

"Eh?! What do you mean leaving? Why didn't tell me sooner?" He demanded quietly, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

"I'll be studying there."

He smiled, slightly sad, slightly relieved. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

sighed heavily. "Syuusuke, I want to break up."

Silence fell over the table then. Syuusuke's eyes had turned blank and for the first time in years. couldn't get even the slightest idea what was happening in the tensai's head, nor could she decipher the look that had gotten over the cobalt irises.

Syuusuke's eyes didn't move from their position, not even when had stood up from her seat. She dedicated a sad gaze and a weak smile at him, and fighting back the tears that blurred her vision, she bent down and laid her lips on his, trying to carve the memory of him in her mind.

He snapped back into himself, and tried to get hold of her when she retreated. Placing her hands on his shoulders, and shaking her downcast face, she looked at him one last time. "Goodbye."

Her parting words glued him to his seat, as did his pride. She left no space for words, and just as she didn't look back inside the café he didn't watch her go, instead his gaze fell on her cup of coffee, half-empty and now cold.

The ringing of the bells by the door were the only indication she had truly walked out the door, and thus, out of his life.

**********

Eight years later, New York City…

Before she had even noticed, afternoon had slithered away into night. She looked away from the monitor of her computer and rubbed her eyes tiredly; she stretched almost cat-like as she stood up from her chair and silently walked towards the tall window that overlooked the busy streets of New York. If she was to compare all the places she had lived in during her life, she would say they all were vastly different.

Chiba was peaceful, and the pace people moved around in was slow and almost rhythmic. Tokyo was faster paced, but it was not the mindless hurry you usually experienced in New York.

"Why doesn't it surprise me to see you still here?" The soft, whispered voice brought her out from her thoughts. She jerked around startled, her middle-back long hair dancing with the movement. Terry Griffin was looking at her with knowing eyes.

"Jessica told me you didn't eat lunch today, ." Inwardly, the dark-brown haired young woman cursed her friend. "So you are coming with Kevin, Tom and I for dinner." was about to protest when in two strides he had crossed the distance between them, grabbed her hand and started dragging her out of her office.

followed after him, albeit reluctantly.

The restaurant Kevin had chosen was not far from the area they all lived in, and the Chinese food they served was excellent. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing after a long day of work.

Needless to say, it was a place they frequented, and the place they usually met with the rest of the American team. But had been in that restaurant with other people, mainly Echizen Ryoma when he came to visit Kevin and her; Saeki also came quite frequently, and he loved the place.

Speaking of the silver and black-haired young man, her mind went back to the conversation they had had the previous week when he had come to visit New York out of business. During his trip he had managed to have a free night, so they had agreed to meet for dinner.

In between bites of fried chicken, rice, and a tall glass of cool coke, he had dropped the most shocking news she had heard in a while. Calmly and with his usual smile, he told her he was getting married.

She had dropped her fork in shock, but truth be told she hadn't been that surprised to hear the news. Saeki had met his fiancée through her; after all, she and Ishisaki Asuka had been best friends when they were in elementary school, and that maintained friendship had allowed her to arrange for the boys she knew to meet Asuka. She and Saeki hadn't hit it off well the first time they met—quite the contrary—for they acted with icy politeness towards each other and did whatever they could not to be next to the other.

But everyone could see they were perfect for each other, so the whole team decided to help her play matchmaker. After many months of matchmaking they finally got some retribution, but not in the way they had expected. Asuka, being a national-level martial artist, had injured her leg after one exhausting match; much to everyone's surprise Saeki was the first one to rush to her side then proceeded to fawn over the exhausted, but madly blushing Asuka.

"Haru?" Kevin's quiet voice brought her out from her out from her childhood memories. "Ryoma told me Saeki is getting married, is this true?"

took a sip of her drink before nodding her head. "It is."

Terry's frown became apparent. "Then you are going back to Japan, aren't you?"

Tom caught the reason why Terry was frowning when nodded once again.

"Fuji Syuusuke is most probably going to be there."

sighed loudly. "I know." She admitted softly, her head resting on a hand while the other twirled the ice cubes in her glass with her straw. "Koujirou told me that he was going to be there, but I promised that won't keep me from going. Two of my oldest friends are getting married, I can't miss it."

The Griffin brothers sighed heavily, but Kevin was looking at her with a grin. "I'm going too."

choked and coughed violently; when she regained her breath she glared at Kevin. "Certainly not."

"Come on, Haru!" Kevin started with puppy dog eyes. "You have to take me! Ryoma is sure Saeki Koujirou won't mind!"

"Ryoma himself can't know!" shot back in irritation.

"I think it's a good idea for him to actually go."

looked at the younger Griffin in shock. "Terry! Not you as well!"

"I agree."

"Tom!"

Kevin grinned in victory, a grin he dedicated impishly to , who looked at the blond in annoyance. "See? It's a good idea. I'll be your backup!"

rested her head on the table, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "Do whatever you want, it's not like you'll listen to a word I say. Stupid brat."

Kevin reclined back in his chair and smiled smugly. "I love you as well, Haru."

only grunted.

**********

It wasn't until a few hours later that finally made it back home. Her steps were heavy and her eyes half-closed in exhaustion; what greeted her was her small apartment filled with ultramarine and cobalt shadows, with the silvery dim light of the moon that shone through the crystal of each window that adorned the walls.

She dropped her purse carelessly on the table in the small dinning room and proceeded to drag her feet to her bedroom. She opened the door slowly, and a small blinking orange light greeted her across the darkness of the room. The matrimonial bed in the room, as well as one night table out of a pair, was illuminated slightly by moonlight. She pressed the orange button and tumbled down on her bed.

"You have four unheard messages… message number one:"

" -SAN!" The loud voice that came from the phone made shriek in shock. "KENTAROU DESU!" She had known it was him just by the loud voice. "SAE-SAN TOLD ME YOU MIGHT ME COMING OVER FOR THE WEDDING! YOU ARE AREN'T YOU?? THE WHOLE ROKKAKU TEAM IS GOING TO BE THERE! YOU MUST COME! FORGET FUJI SYUU-" As the line suddenly went dead, was left staring at the phone with a raised eyebrow.

"Message number two:"

"Sorry for that, -chan. Kurobane speaking." She smiled, it seemed no matter how many years passed, Bane would be always the same. "Aoi got hold of the phone when I was busy kicking Davide. Anyways, I hope to see you in Saeki's wedding. It's been a long time since we all got together."

"Message number three:"

"? Asuka desu." She blinked in shock; she didn't expect a call from her so soon. She had called a few days before Saeki arrived in New York to tell her the news. "The preparations are going great, but I'm getting very nervous. I haven't even chosen what I will wear that day and there's only four months left, I know is too much to ask for, but could you come over and help me? Please call me as soon as you are able. Thank you."

"Message number four:"

"Hey! !" And just what she needed. The last member of the 'Dynamite Trio' that had terrorized the elementary school she had attended. Atobe Rae now, she was her other childhood friend along with Asuka. "Rae speaking! I just had a chat with Asuka over a cup of tea—the girl's nervous let me tell you! And even though I'm here to help her she feels you should be here as well. I talked to Keigo about it, he says he'll book you a flight for Japan in three days, he needs you to look over some things about the company with him anyways. So, get your things ready!"

sighed heavily; since when she had lost all control to make decisions about her own life? With certain American players that couldn't help but mess with her life, a bunch of other crazy friends in Japan that even if they didn't want to, always ended making things more difficult for her, and an arrogant, narcissistic and flamboyant boss, who had married the trouble maker of her three old friends, who was too self-centered to realize she might have other plans than to take a flight to Japan that was leaving in three days.

But she left, anyway.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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