Predictor of the Future - Chapter 10
Title: Predictor of the Future
Writer: Tacuma
Pairing: Perfect Pair
Chapter: 10
Genre: AU, romance, friendship, angst
Word count: 963 words
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Chapter 10
It was Tezuka's birthday and normally birthdays were a happy occasion, but Tezuka disliked his birthday very much. He didn't like all the attention at all. This year it was worse. This year he turned twelve, which meant he was old enough to live in the castle and learn how to be a good advisor for the King. This was the year he was going to leave the boy's room.
It wasn't that Tezuka minded leaving the boy's room, but the younger boys seemed to mind. They never had trouble letting others go when they became twelve, they could still see each other now and then, so he wondered why they made something so big of his leaving.
Being the future advisor of the King he found out pretty soon what the problem was. Everyone was in on his seat in the classroom, except for Fuji.
'Where is Fuji-kun?' asked Ryuuzaki-sensei.
'He was already out of bed when we got out of bed,' said Saeki.
'Tezuka-kun, could you please search for him?' asked their teacher. 'I know this is your last day here, but you're still class president.'
Tezuka nodded and got up from his chair. He went to the boy's room first, but Fuji wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere outside on the square either, nor was he in his room at the castle. Tezuka wanted to walk down the stairs again to tell their sensei he couldn't find the Seer, but then he noticed the smaller stairs to the attic. He had heard Fuji talking about it now and then, but he had never joined the younger boy when he went to the attic.
Tezuka climbed the stairs and looked around when he reached the next floor. There was Fuji, sitting in a corner of the attic with a pile of books next to him. He was so focused he didn't even notice Tezuka.
'Fuji, what are you doing?' asked the older boy.
The Seer looked up in surprise. 'Tezuka!' he said. 'Why are you here?'
'I'm here to get you. Classes have started. You're late.'
'I know,' sighed the ten year old boy. 'But I wanted to find you a present, but I didn't know what to give you, so I woke up early to think of something. It was noisy in the boy's room, so I came here and thought you might like one of these books, but I don't know which one I should give you.'
'Those books aren't yours, right?' asked Tezuka.
'No, but nobody ever reads them. I looked in the future and I can't see anyone reading them as long as I will live, except for you. I also searched through their history and they haven't been read for ages.'
'That still doesn't mean you can give them to me,' answered Tezuka strictly.
'You're no fun,' sighed Fuji. 'I don't know what else I could give you. I have no money, so I can't buy you anything at all. It's your special birthday, because you're going to leave us and live at the castle all the time. I wanted to make it special.' Tears welled up in Fuji's eyes.
'Everyone is giving me books,' said Tezuka. 'My parents gave me books and sensei gave me a book as well. Why don't you tell me if I will become a good advisor for the King? That is something only you can tell me.'
'You never wanted me to tell you about the future,' said Fuji.
'No, I never wanted to know, but today is a special day, right?' Tezuka sat down next to his younger friend.
'I can see the King will make good decisions when you advise him,' said Fuji as he wiped his tears. 'In most of your futures. He won't really praise you for it, but the King never praises anyone but himself.'
Tezuka smiled. That was true, the King never thought very highly of other people, no matter how good they helped him or did their jobs. He loved himself much more than any of the people around him.
'He won't send me away?' Tezuka asked.
'No, he won't. The King knows you're very useful to him, so you are allowed to stay, even if you tell him things he doesn't really like.'
'I'm glad to hear that,' answered Tezuka.
'Is there anything else you want to know?' asked Fuji, not satisfied with this simple present. He wanted to give Tezuka something more on this special day.
'Do you want to become class president?' Tezuka asked suddenly.
'No,' answered the Seer. 'You shouldn't change your mind. Saeki will be a very good class president.'
'You knew?' asked the older boy surprised.
'Of course,' grinned Fuji. 'I wanted to know if you would pick me. I don't think I would be a very good class president.'
'I think you would, but I'll pick Saeki-kun.'
They sat together in silence for a while before Tezuka spoke again.
'Not much is going to change. I won't be sleeping in the boy's room anymore and I won't be in class, but we can still eat together in the evenings. And after dinner I don't have anything to do, so then we can spend time together.'
'And in two years I will come to the castle as well and we can see each other often again.'
'We'll both have to be at the King's meetings,' answered Tezuka. 'Maybe in the meantime we can meet here again sometimes. It's nice and quiet here.'
Fuji smiled. 'I'd like that. You can switch your own books then. I'm sure they don't mind if you read them. If I have permission to read them I'm sure you would get permission too.'
'Thank you,' said Tezuka. 'Let's go back to class.'