Arata smiled more. "Not even to each other? Its just a kiss. You do that to each other and I swear." Ohtori looked at Takeo. Takeo flashed to him that Arata was not to be trusted. "I'll even show you how, Ohtori-kun."

Ohtori was not sure what to do. Takeo was being weird. He wasn't saying anything which was very unlike him. Ohtori was confused and he had to admit curious. "Your friends all do this to each other too?"

"Of course." Arata looked like he was lying through his teeth. Ohtori had no idea why and decided to find out. He looked at Takeo telling him not to worry.

"You have thirty second to show me Arata."

"Th...that isn't long enough to really show you Ohtori-kun, I'd need more time..."

"If you can't show me in thirty seconds or less then I'm not interested in learning."

"Fine. Whatever. Its not long enough but I'll show you thirty seconds." He smiled. "You won't want me to stop though." Ohtori shrugged. He really didn't believe a word he said now. "Stay there just like that." Arata ordered. Ohtori sat on the bed with his feet on the floor.

"I'm timing you, Arata." Takeo finally spoke up and said.

"Fine. Whatever." Arata said. He got on his knees in front of Ohtori and moved him so he was right at the edge of the bed. "You do it like this..." He put his mouth on Ohtori but Ohtori was not hard. Not at all. It felt all right though. He touched Ohtori's testicles with his hand while he sucked on him. Then Ohtori felt him put his hand lower. By his ass like that guy did to that girl. Ohtori froze for an instant and looked over to the TV which was still showing the video. The video was no longer guys and girls or girls and girls. It was two men, clearly two big men having sex. Ohtori kicked Arata away from him just as he touched his ass. Takeo yelled time right then although Ohtori knew it had been under thirty seconds. Takeo saw what Arata tried to do.

Arata fell back onto his own ass and was mad. Ohtori looked at Takeo but he looked upset and looked away. He would not look back at Ohtori. "Get away from me!" Ohtori said to him disgusted, "Arata...you're...you're gay!"

"How dare you...!" Arata started after him. He was bigger and stronger but Ohtori had always been big for his age. He played tennis every day for hours. He was strong. He might lose if he was alone, but he wasn't alone. If only Takeo recovered. "I'm not gay!" Arata was still insisting as Ohtori threw on some clothes and tossed clothes to Takeo.

"Get dressed, hurry!" Ohtori said to Takeo who was still sitting there. "Come on!" Now Takeo looked at him, help me! Ohtori insisted with a look.

Takeo stood just in time to block Arata who went to go after Ohtori. Arata said, "Where do you think you're going?" Together the two boys pushed Arata away and slipped out the bedroom door. They ran out half dressed in pajamas bottoms only, throwing on shirts, ran past Takeo's surprised aunt, and headed towards Ohtori's house. Ohtori said over his shoulder to Takeo's aunt that Arata was keeping them up with his snoring so they were going to his house to get some sleep.

They ran across their yards. His aunt must have called Ohtori's parents who had already opened the door. "Is everything all right boys?" Ohtori's surprised mother asked as they passed her headed towards Ohtori's room. Ohtori was worried about his breath as they had drank some things.

"Fine, we're just really tired and Arata snores. Okay?"

"Okay...well...goodnight boys!" His mom said to Ohtori's already closing bedroom door. They both said goodnight back and made no noise as they got ready again for bed though they were both laughing at having gotten away. They heard Ohtori's mom call Takeo's aunt back and say they were fine and were just probably tired. She promised to make sure Takeo was up to say goodbye to her and her son in the morning.

When they stopped laughing, they got into Ohtori's bed and lay there for a long time. Ohtori didn't know what to say and knew when Takeo was ready to talk he would. He figured Takeo might even say nothing tonight and then in the morning he might just make Ohtori laugh really hard over the whole thing. That would be fine.

To his surprise Takeo whispered, "Old man?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm..." he said something Ohtori couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Sorry. I said I'm sorry." Ohtori went to ask him what for but before he could Takeo finished, "He tried some of that stuff with me that first night and then touched me again when I was sleeping. He told me if I said anything he would tell you or...or he said he would do things to you." Takeo took a shaky breath and Ohtori realized in surprise that he was really upset. "I'm sorry. I thought if you were there too then he wouldn't do anything. I thought that if we were together he wouldn't get to...to..."

Ohtori put his arms around him. "Hey, Takeo, Tak, its okay. You were right. With us together he didn't get to do anything. He didn't do anything. We stopped him. No one can beat us at doubles."

Takeo laughed a little and sniffled a few times. "Thanks old man." He stayed with his arms around Ohtori which surprised him. Then he loosened his grip and started braiding their hair together. Takeo always did this. Since Ohtori showed him how to braid hair after learning from his sister, Takeo always did this. Many mornings Ohtori went to get out of bed and found himself yanked back because Takeo braided his blue-black straight hair with Ohtori's white-blond long curls. Sometimes he would brush his hair and find that during the night Takeo had cut a big chunk of his hair out after braiding them together. Ohtori treasured their bound together hair braids that he had now. "Old man?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think its wrong if someone's gay?" They both had a gay teacher they liked a lot and their piano tutor was gay also. Several students in their classes had gay parents. A few guys on their tennis team had crushes on other guys. Being involved with tennis and music and living in a big city, they were probably more exposed to more things than a lot of people who lived more rurally would be.

Ohtori gave a half laugh. "No. Of course not. You know that. I just don't like your cousin anymore. He shouldn't have been like that or done that." Ohtori paused, "Do you?"

"No, course not." Takeo paused, "And I don't like my cousin anymore either. I used to think he was so cool too."

Ohtori smiled. "Me too." Then Ohtori wondered out loud, "Tak, do you think what we did was wrong?"

He was quiet for a long moment. He shifted so he faced Ohtori. In their haste to get into his room and in bed they didn't close the blinds. They could see each other with the sliver of the moon shining outside the window. Takeo gave his famous half smile. "No. I kind of liked it, but I wouldn't tell anyone or want to do that with anyone else." Ohtori smiled in agreement and Takeo looked at him for a moment in thought. Ohtori knew his I'm thinking look well but not what he would say. "What he do to you, did it feel good?"

Ohtori shrugged and looked at him to tell him it had but he didn't like that Arata was the one doing it.

Takeo asked again, "You really would have done it to me and let me do it to you though?"

Ohtori shrugged again. He would have. He still might.

"You would have kissed me too?"

Ohtori shrugged.

"How?" Ohtori looked at him. "How would you have kissed me old man?" Takeo looked genuinely curious.

"I don't know. I've never done it before." Ohtori looked at him. Takeo had a strange expression now on his face. One Ohtori didn't know and he thought he knew them all. "Why?"

Takeo took Ohtori's hand off his shoulder and moved it to show Ohtori he was hard. "Do you want to?" Takeo asked in a strange shy way.

Ohtori moved Takeo's hand over to himself. He was hard too talking and thinking about all this. "Yeah." Ohtori on impulse kissed him. Right on his lips. He was curious to see what it was like and surprised at how warmly his friend reacted. Warm and hard and then he stuck his tongue in Ohtori's mouth. Ohtori was surprised and opened his eyes to look at him. Takeo smiled and touched their tongues together. Ohtori remembered seeing people do that in the porn so he did it back. It was nice but not as good as touching each other felt. Ohtori went to go get some lotion and was confused when Takeo held him from leaving.

"Braid..." he said reminding Ohtori their hair was still wrapped together. They laughed at that and that they had to reach together to get the hand lotion Ohtori used before piano lessons. Their teacher always made them use lotion and tsk-ed in despair at their tennis and violin callused hands.

They put it to good use that and many other nights.

Takeo was his best friend. They were closer than brothers.

Was. Were.

Because his best friend, Watanabe Takeo, was gone.

Ohtori was not supposed to be attending school and living at Hyoutei at all. They had planned on going to school by where they lived this year. They had planned on going to Seigaku Junior High together. They had intended to join both Seigaku's tennis club which was strong and the music club during the winters which was well known. They had talked about it for years, watched the Seigaku tennis club team play at matches, and attended Seigaku's musical concerts by the school together the entire time they were in the lower grades together.

Then the beginning of their last year together, Takeo started having headaches. Bad ones. At first with the nausea and the dizziness, the first doctor said they were migraines. The headaches got worse and Takeo sometimes had double vision and numbness with them. Then he had his first seizure. One minute they were playing tennis and the next...the next was terrifying and horrible. The second doctor diagnosed epilepsy.

Takeo's mother was back on a religious kick at the time. Takeo was raised Catholic. Ohtori's family wasn't any religion. They celebrated Christmas for the presents and that was about all. Takeo's mother had been at one point nearly every religion available. The longest one she had bought into before her recent Christianity rebirth was a pyramid power Atlantis alien beings belief. She took Takeo on a two week long trip to America to visit some faith healers. She wanted her son off drugs and insisted that the saints and healers would cure him. The separation from each other was unbearable. Even with writing and calling whenever they could, Takeo called his father crying after seizing badly and saying he couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to be home and he missed Ohtori his best friend.

Takeo's father was not happy. He insisted Takeo be brought home and be put back on epilepsy medications. For a time the seizures seemed to slow and then stop. For a few weeks, a few very happy weeks, their life went back to normal. They played tennis, spent all their time together, and had fun with renewed fervor after the weeks apart. Ohtori was just glad and grateful to have his best friend and doubles partner back. Takeo even had this new serve. He called it a scud serve and said he learned it in America. It was super fast and Takeo taught it to him. With Ohtori's bigger build, his was even faster. Takeo insisted Ohtori just like him yell out loud before he hit it, "One shot to your soul!" Takeo said that was what the faith healer said to him to cast the demons out. They laughed about it.

Takeo did start believing in god however. His mother in one of her travels bought him a small hematite and silver cross and Takeo started wearing it. It was a heavy stone, heavier than it looked and always cold. Takeo said he had a religious experience where he thought he talked to god after one of his epileptic fits and it never hurt to get in good with the big man upstairs. He must have picked that expression up in America too. Ohtori was just happy to have him back. In a day they were closer than ever after their scare and separation.

But it was an illusion. It was an all too brief reprieve and not a full pardon.

They were walking home after they won a match and Takeo seized again. Badly. Ohtori knew what to do and kept his tongue and mouth safe while he held him and talked to him and cried. Takeo ended up in the hospital. His mother was saying she wanted god to cure him and his father showed up furious. He ordered the doctors to completely test his youngest child. They shaved off his beautiful hair. He had a test where they can see the veins in your brain. He had about a hundred other tests. Takeo's father lied and told them Ohtori was his brother after seeing how upset the both of them were to be separated again. Ohtori stayed every moment with him. He slept in the hospital with his best friend and told him everything would be all right. Ohtori even prayed for help.

No help came. They received the worst possible news. A rare kind of tumor. In a place that could not be operated on. He would need radiation therapy and there were no guarantees. Ohtori stayed by his side. He left tennis. He left school. His parents let him because they had no idea what else to do. Takeo's father kindly had the both of them tutored to keep them up with school. As long as Ohtori kept his son smiling, he said Ohtori was like family. Anything to help his son.

But nothing did. Takeo lost weight and got sicker from the drugs they were trying to make him better. There were days when he seized and was out of it nearly all day. Then there were good days when it was worse because he cried and felt bad for being sick. Ohtori to stop him from feeling bad shaved his hair off too. Takeo laughed for days whenever he saw him saying he really did look like an old man now.

But in the end, nothing worked. Takeo came home and his parents said they were looking into other options and finding few. The two of them had one good day together. Takeo felt strong, they talked and hung out all day, they ate together and at the end of it, Takeo insisted that Ohtori go home and sleep. He said he could see him tomorrow.

Ohtori was exhausted. The day before had been one of the worst and he had not slept the night before. It was early, about seven o'clock, when he stumbled home and fell into his bed. He told himself he would only sleep for a couple of hours and then go right back over. He was asleep before his head hit the pillows. He heard a noise that woke him at ten. He sat up startled and for a moment was confused as to where he was. He immediately looked for Takeo and remembered. He looked at the clock. It changed to 10:01. He had to get dressed and get back. He went to get up and heard a noise.

Takeo had somehow climbed the tree outside his window and was climbing in like he used to late at night. "Hey old man." He said to a stunned Ohtori.

"What are you doing!" Ohtori went to help him but felt too exhausted to get out of bed.

He laughed. "I'm fine old man. I got bored sitting around. Shift over." They always said that when they wanted to lay together. Ohtori moved so he could lay with him. "You look like hell old man. I still can't believe your hair." Takeo ran his hand over Ohtori's scalp and laughed. Ohtori went to sarcastically thank him when Takeo surprised him. He kissed him deep and hard and passionately. He hadn't kissed him like that in a while. "You look terrible but you taste good." Takeo kept kissing him. Ohtori moaned a little in pleasure and surprise as Takeo ran his hands along his body.

Takeo smiled and stood up. "Now before you think I came over just because I'm horny, I've come with gifts." He held out a bag he used to carry sometimes. In it was a big stack of papers that were tied together. "Something for you to read when you have time." He then held out a photo album that had a picture of the two of them after a big win earlier that year on the cover. "Something for you to look at." He held out a few coils of their hair that he had at some time braided together and cut off them. "Something for you to keep." He took the cross off from around his neck and went to put it on Ohtori. "Something for you to wear..."

Ohtori protested, "No." It was like he was leaving. "No. Don't do this. You can still fight. Don't leave me." Something was wrong. Ohtori started crying.

Takeo was crying too although he was smiling. "Hey old man. I'm not leaving you. I swear I will never leave you. All right? I just needed to get a few things straight in case I or you have a bad day. Choutarou, I love you. I couldn't leave you if I tried. We're closer than brothers. I'll always be with you. I'll take as good care of you as you've taken of me. Right?" They often swore that to each other. But Takeo never said he loved him before. Not like...that. Ohtori was scared. Something was wrong. "Hey, old man? Please wear this for me? It'll keep you safe. Its important to me that you wear it. Please?"

"But...you need it." Ohtori knew something was wrong. "No. Don't leave me."

"How can I leave you when I'm right here?" He came back to bed and kissed Ohtori again. "Okay, so I came over a little because I'm horny." He grinned.

Ohtori hesitated. He knew how sick he had been lately. "You're okay? You feel okay? Everything's okay?"

Takeo smiled, "I just feel horny and happy to see you. Come on old man. Touch me." Takeo had Ohtori half undressed already kissing him and touching him while he tried to convince him. He pulled off his own pants and had nothing on under them. In all their time fooling around together they had never had sex. They had talked about it but both thought they were too young when Takeo was healthy. They thought they had all the time in the world and wanted to wait. Takeo kissed him and touched him all over. Ohtori touched him back. He was so happy to touch him and be touched by him that he didn't know where to start. Takeo said softly, "I want you."

Ohtori knew exactly what he meant, and he froze. There was no way he would be up to this, to any of this, not unless... "Hey, old man, Choutarou, I want you. I love you."

"No," Ohtori whispered in tears again, "no..."

"Hey old man?"

"Yeah?" Ohtori whispered out of habit back to him before he even thought about it.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." Ohtori felt how much he did with his entire being. "I love you."

"Good. I love you too. Now turn off your brain and love me." Their eyes met and held. They said everything they needed to say. Ohtori saw it all flash across Takeo's face and he understood everything and nothing. He suddenly clearly knew they would take this gift, this dream, because it was all they had left.

They made love slowly and told each other they loved the other one a thousand times. Ohtori was confused about the details and the way things happened, it all seemed like a dream. A beautiful loving dream. They cried and laughed and held each other close. Ohtori tried to hold on to every moment, every line and muscle on his friend's body, the way his skin felt, the way his hands moved on him, the way his long black hair always smelled like vanilla, the curving smile of his lips as they kissed. In the end they lay wrapped around each other holding hands, kissing, and not wanting to let go. Needing to not let go. They said nothing for a very long time. Takeo finally spoke, "You have to promise me you won't follow me."

"What?" Ohtori was confused.

"You have to promise me old man. Swear to me that you won't follow me."

"Home?" Ohtori was confused, "I won't follow you home?"

"Yeah, swear you won't follow me." Takeo kissed him and looked upset. "Please? Promise me you'll wear this until I tell you that you can take it off and swear to me you won't follow me. Please Choutarou?" He touched the cross that was in Ohtori's hands now.

"I...I promise but why...?"

"Swear it. Swear. Please Chou?" Takeo was crying now. Ohtori was scared again.

"I swear Tak, I promise and I swear. All right?" Ohtori didn't know what to do or why he was so upset so he kissed him.

Takeo kissed him back. "Yeah. Thanks. Old man, I'm sorry. You may not understand but it was for the best. Please forgive me. I do love you. I have always loved you and I always will. Closer than brothers." He was braiding their hair together again as he spoke. He was crying still and couldn't look at Ohtori.

Ohtori was truly afraid. "Hey, I love you. I forgive you, just please, please Tak, don't go. Don't leave me. Please. I can't let you go. I..." Ohtori cried and Takeo held him close.

"Shh, shh, old man, its going to be okay. I'm going to help you. Look at me." Ohtori did. "Choutarou, I will never leave you. Never. I love you."

Ohtori held Takeo close and figured if he just held him close enough. strong enough, tight enough,and didn't let him go, he would have to stay. "I love you too."

Ohtori woke several hours later in his bed. It was morning and the sun was streaming through his room. His window was wide open and the morning air was cold. He heard a phone ringing from far away. He was naked but his comforter was pulled up to cover him. He smiled as he smelled Takeo all over his bed and himself. He even had a hickey on his chest where Takeo loved to put one to make him blush and have to hide when they dressed for tennis. In his hand he held their cut hair braided together. Takeo's latest braided creation.

Wait.

Ohtori rubbed his stubbled scalp and only then figured some things out. Around his neck hung the silver and hematite cross where Takeo put it after he made him promise and swear again and again. On his desk was the pages long letter Takeo had written him and the photo album he left. Takeo's bag was laying empty on his floor. He heard his mother start crying and he knew before he put on his robe. He knew before he answered the knock at his door. He knew before the words came out of his father's mouth. He knew what the noise was at ten o'clock the night before. He knew why Takeo said sorry. He knew why he made him swear not to follow him. He knew as he fell to the ground screaming.

He knew Takeo was gone.

Ohtori was inconsolable.

It was a strange effect his grief and despair had that his hair when it grew back no longer came in blond. It grew in gray. The psychiatrist that suggested he be sent away to school to be around all new people and places, told his family this could happen with extremes of grieving.

Ohtori rather liked it. In a way, it was almost like his and Takeo's hair colors were mixed and blended together without braiding. He let it grow out during the summer but decided he would never grow it long again. There was no one to braid it anymore. And he had sworn not to follow him.

His parents sent him away to Hyoutei so that everything he saw and did could one day possibly stop reminding him of Takeo. He got in late admission because of his father's money and his skill at tennis. The Vice Captain of the fiercely strong team, Atobe-san came personally to see him and watch him play. Their scud serve got him in.

Takeo would have liked that.

Ohtori as a freshman expected to have to do all the grunt work and did. He actually looked forward to it every day because he could practice, do the hard demanding work, and when he kept busy he would then not think or remember. A few weeks after his arrival though there was a change. Three weeks if he counted the number of roommates he went through, or was it five? One roommate for each week he woke up nightly with his nightmares. He dreamed that Takeo was calling him, needing his help or was having a seizure and Ohtori couldn't reach him. He woke screaming and crying. Then if he could fall back asleep after the nightmares he would dream that Takeo came to him and got into bed with him to sleep. Takeo would hold him close and tell him he loved him. That everything would be okay.

In the mornings when Ohtori discovered Takeo was gone still, that being awake was the nightmare, he often cried harder than he did with the nightmares. One, two, three and more roommates left in a hurry and no one wanted to live with him anymore even if he did have one of the large corner rooms.

Atobe-san came to see him at practice. He asked Ohtori in front of everyone to come to the regulars courts and play. Everyone gasped as Ohtori went to follow him. "How have you been?" Atobe-san asked him. "I hear you've had problems adjusting and can't seem to keep a roommate."

"I'm sorry Atobe-senpai. I have trouble sleeping."

Atobe-san turned to look at him. "Well please adjust sooner. I went out on a limb for you and I do expect you to perform. You can be eccentric once you become a regular. Until then try to fit in. There were better qualified students who wanted to play tennis here Ohtori. I chose you and I expect you not to disappoint me." He looked annoyed now. "I thought you could do great things. I believe in you. I even gave you, a freshman with an unproven record, a little sister. Are you getting along with her? She is quite pretty I understand."

"Y..yes Atobe-senpai. She is nice. But I..." Ohtori blushed and to get through this, he thought of what Takeo would say if he were here. He would say, "I want to focus on tennis and girls can be a distraction. As you said, I am still adjusting, I don't want to be distracted. I want to live up to your expectations Atobe-senpai." Ohtori said it for Takeo.

A small smile crossed Atobe-san's lips. "Excellent. That's what I like to hear Ohtori." They arrived at the regulars courts. The true regulars. The ones who had the coveted spaces and the ones who wanted them and were waiting for the top guys to fail. About twenty four guys all stood around watching them. "Are you up to this?"

To playing tennis? After all Ohtori had been through he almost laughed. Tennis would be easy even in front of these great players. "Yes, Atobe-senpai." He gestured and Ohtori walked out on to the courts.

"Kabaji, clock his serve."

"Yes!" A mountain of a man replied.

"Shishido, you play him. Try and return it."

"Whatever." The guy sounded bored. Ohtori tried to ignore him.

Ohtori turned. The sun was in his eyes. The hematite cross at his neck felt especially heavy and cold for some reason. Ohtori fingered it and felt the center of it was strangely warm. He shielded his eyes for a moment and looked at the guy who stood across from him.

"...Takeo...?" Ohtori whispered and looked at the guy even harder. He was astounded and confused.

"Are you going to serve sometime today old man or what?" People snickered at the old man comment because of Ohtori's hair.

Ohtori did not hear them. His heart was pounding. He never even noticed that he dropped his racket. Or that one of his hands went to his mouth and the other to the cross at his neck. He couldn't breathe.

All he could see was the guy across from him. His long dark blue-black hair tied back in a ponytail samurai-style gleamed. He tossed his hair back in a swish and put his hand on his hip as if to say he didn't have all day. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other impatiently.

Ohtori was in shock. He stood there unable to move.

If Takeo was alive....

If he had grown a little older....

If he had never been sick....

If he had a slightly older twin brother who was cocky as hell....

Even if all those things, he still could not look more identical to the guy who now stood across from Ohtori.

Ohtori gasped awake. He was still outside. He remembered what happened in a sudden rush and figured he must have passed out. He had to find Takeo or whoever it was that looked like him. He sat up fast.

"Hey, hey, easy now." A few people stood around him. One was the mountain large guy and the other a smaller guy with brownish-red hair. He was the one who spoke. "You passed out most impressively."

Ohtori blushed and looked around. "I...I'm sorry. It...it won't happen again." Ohtori had to find him.

"No, you're right. It won't. You're finished." Atobe-san said. Ohtori's heart sank. He didn't completely understand what had happened or where the guy had gone.

"Hey, Atobe, come on let him serve. A few more minutes won't kill anyone." The guy said. "You don't want Shishido wrongly thinking opponents now are passing out because of his beauty or some crap like that. His ego is big enough as it is." Several people laughed.

Atobe smirked. "You'll play him Taki?"

"Yeah. Come on kid. Let's see your fastball. You can play still, right?" Ohtori nodded and the guy looked for an instant relieved. The look flickered across his face fast but slower than Takeo's often did. The guy was putting himself on the line for him. He held out his hand to help Ohtori up, "My name is Taki Hajinosuke. Everyone calls me Taki."

"Ohtori Choutarou. Thank you Taki-senpai." He looked around but didn't see the long haired guy anywhere and terribly wanted to. He had said his name. Shishido.

Taki smiled, "Just Taki, Ohtori."

"Then thank you, Taki-san." Ohtori said grateful to have even this little bit of help.

His helper's smile flickered for an instant and worry crossed over his face. "Kid, you only have one shot." He said quietly and gestured for Ohtori to go over to the side where the sun wouldn't be in his face when he served.

Ohtori nodded he understood and walked over. Several people were still standing on the court. Including Atobe-san and the big guy. "Pardon me. Ex...excuse me? I'm sorry. Its just...well, you...you might want to move away." Atobe-san looked surprised after Ohtori spoke. "Please?" Ohtori asked. He really was messing things up and didn't need to knock anyone out.

Atobe-san snapped his fingers. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. "Come, we'll watch from a safe distance." He said it a little sarcastically.

A little guy with bright burgundy hair and an annoying voice squeaked, "Why its not like the old man will hit us here if he falls over again." A few people laughed but they all moved to follow Atobe-san.

Taki-san nodded he was ready. Ohtori touched his cross and asked Takeo for his help. He wound up before his serve, "One...shot...to...your...soul...!" and released it. Ohtori knew when he released it that it was good. Perfect. Well, actually, a little slower than his normal. He was out of practice. He would have to work it back up to their top speed again. He saw it move too fast for Taki-san to get it at least this first time when he did not expect it. Plus Taki-san was smaller than Takeo and he and Ohtori could barely return both of their scuds when they were at their best even after weeks of hitting them to each other.

Ohtori expected jeers or some reaction. Especially to their silly saying before he hit it. He heard nothing. He looked at Taki-san who just looked astonished. He looked over at everyone else who stood with their mouths open. Everyone except Atobe-san.

"Kabaji, go clock it."

"Yes!" The mountain moved swiftly to comply.

"Ohtori, hit it again." He was ordered. Atobe-san smirked but seemed very pleased.

Ohtori smiled back, "Yes Atobe-san."