Back at school...
After this, Eiji returns to school. He'd left his tennis bag in the club room when he went to get ice cream with Jordan. It's nearly sunset now.
He's a little surprised to find his doubles partner still there, sitting on one of the benches by the courts.
"You haven't gone home yet?" Eiji says, running up to him. Ōishi stands up.
"You left this," he replies, holding up Eiji's tennis bag. "I figured you'd be back for it."
There's a pause then. Ōishi's got a strange expression on his face, and Eiji's busy trying to read it.
His best friend breaks eye contact abruptly, and suddenly Eiji realizes how intense his stare had been. "I mean… I couldn't lock up until everyone's stuff was out of the club room, and I didn't just want to leave this out here…" Ōishi rubs the back of his neck, self-consciously, as Eiji takes his bag and slings it onto his shoulder.
"Right. Thanks."
Another pause.
"Umm… Eiji?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure. What is it?" He's surprised Ōishi's hestitating like this. They're so used to each other by now… What could he be afraid to ask his own best friend?
"Is there something going on between you and Jordan?" Ōishi blurts out, all in one breath, like he's forcing himself to say it. Eiji's too stunned to respond at first, and Ōishi babbles on, trying to fill the awkward silence. "It's okay if there is! I just wanted to know about it. Not that you have to tell me! I mean, I'd like you to tell me-and I'd like to think that you feel like you can tell me-but I understand if you don't want to. At least… I won't bother you about it, if you don't…"
Eiji's still kind of shocked at this sudden outburst from his friend, not to mention that he's not sure how to answer. So when Ōishi glances at his face again, he just sort of blinks at him stupidly.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked," Ōishi says quickly, and starts walking towards the gate. "Let's go home."
"Ōishi."
Eiji lunges forward to grab onto his friend's arm. Ōishi looks back at him, curiously.
"I… I don't know what's going on," Eiji tells him, honestly. "I'd tell you if I did."
He can feel Ōishi relaxing a little. "When did you meet her, anyway?"
Crap. He forgot to ask Jordan for a good story… He gets a little defensive, without meaning to. "When do you think?" He crosses his arms. "I just met her yesterday, while I was out looking for a bathroom."
"You're really bad at lying, Eiji." It sounds more resigned than angry, though Ōishi does try walking away again.
It's enough to make Eiji feel guilty. "Wait!" He grabs his best friend from behind, wrapping both arms around his waist. Ōishi stops.
"I can't tell you," Eiji says quietly. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad, okay?"
He feels Ōishi sigh, even though he doesn't hear it. "I can't be mad at you, Eiji."
He pulls Eiji off of him and turns around, even managing to smile a little. "Let's just go home, okay?"
"Okay," Eiji consents. He still feels bad, though.
Ōishi seems to sense this, and asks, "You promise you'll tell me? If something does happen?"
"I promise!" Eiji agrees eagerly.
Ōishi just responds with his usual, gentle smile, and they walk home together like always.
He's a little surprised to find his doubles partner still there, sitting on one of the benches by the courts.
"You haven't gone home yet?" Eiji says, running up to him. Ōishi stands up.
"You left this," he replies, holding up Eiji's tennis bag. "I figured you'd be back for it."
There's a pause then. Ōishi's got a strange expression on his face, and Eiji's busy trying to read it.
His best friend breaks eye contact abruptly, and suddenly Eiji realizes how intense his stare had been. "I mean… I couldn't lock up until everyone's stuff was out of the club room, and I didn't just want to leave this out here…" Ōishi rubs the back of his neck, self-consciously, as Eiji takes his bag and slings it onto his shoulder.
"Right. Thanks."
Another pause.
"Umm… Eiji?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure. What is it?" He's surprised Ōishi's hestitating like this. They're so used to each other by now… What could he be afraid to ask his own best friend?
"Is there something going on between you and Jordan?" Ōishi blurts out, all in one breath, like he's forcing himself to say it. Eiji's too stunned to respond at first, and Ōishi babbles on, trying to fill the awkward silence. "It's okay if there is! I just wanted to know about it. Not that you have to tell me! I mean, I'd like you to tell me-and I'd like to think that you feel like you can tell me-but I understand if you don't want to. At least… I won't bother you about it, if you don't…"
Eiji's still kind of shocked at this sudden outburst from his friend, not to mention that he's not sure how to answer. So when Ōishi glances at his face again, he just sort of blinks at him stupidly.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked," Ōishi says quickly, and starts walking towards the gate. "Let's go home."
"Ōishi."
Eiji lunges forward to grab onto his friend's arm. Ōishi looks back at him, curiously.
"I… I don't know what's going on," Eiji tells him, honestly. "I'd tell you if I did."
He can feel Ōishi relaxing a little. "When did you meet her, anyway?"
Crap. He forgot to ask Jordan for a good story… He gets a little defensive, without meaning to. "When do you think?" He crosses his arms. "I just met her yesterday, while I was out looking for a bathroom."
"You're really bad at lying, Eiji." It sounds more resigned than angry, though Ōishi does try walking away again.
It's enough to make Eiji feel guilty. "Wait!" He grabs his best friend from behind, wrapping both arms around his waist. Ōishi stops.
"I can't tell you," Eiji says quietly. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad, okay?"
He feels Ōishi sigh, even though he doesn't hear it. "I can't be mad at you, Eiji."
He pulls Eiji off of him and turns around, even managing to smile a little. "Let's just go home, okay?"
"Okay," Eiji consents. He still feels bad, though.
Ōishi seems to sense this, and asks, "You promise you'll tell me? If something does happen?"
"I promise!" Eiji agrees eagerly.
Ōishi just responds with his usual, gentle smile, and they walk home together like always.