The moment you held my hand

I knew that my heart won't wander anymore

I'll always find my way back to you

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Homecoming
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He told him not to push himself too much. Oh yes, he kept warning him incessantly to the point that it got annoying. Oh, but would he listen? No. And now this was what happened.

He should have been shocked. But at the rate things were going, this was quite expected. At the way that person kept abusing his health, pushing himself even beyond his limits, it really wasn't surprising at all that his body finally gave in.

Fuji… The way Tezuka Kunimintsu remembered Fuji Syusuke was nothing like the latter is now. He was a quiet presence, but he didn't posses the kind of silence that would go unnoticed. Rather, he was a comfortable peace in the midst of rowdy teammates, or if not, an eerie stillness that promised a tragic, if not traumatic experience to anyone who messed with him.

Now, the former tennis prodigy of Seishun Gakuen is indeed a thing of the past. In his condition, even the doctor said that it would be impossible for the Tensai to ever play again like he used to. It wasn't even certain anymore if Fuji will ever walk out of this hospital.

It wasn't a disease. Nor an injury from an accident or other reasons. The cause of Fuji's breakdown was too much stress, coupled with lack of sleep, food and proper rest. It all started on the day he arrived from an accident almost half a year ago. He was on his way back to Japan from a vacation in France when Eiji, his best friend, got news that the plane crashed. Fortunately, the plane didn't explode right away so most of the passengers were recovered, still alive and brought to the hospital. Fuji was among them. But his companion was not.

When Fuji left for France, he was not alone. He was with Seigaku's little prince. His little prince.

The moment Fuji regained consciousness, the first thing he asked was where is Ryoma? But no one could answer. No one wanted to answer. Until Tezuka spoke knowing that it was best for Fuji to know. More than anyone else, it was Fuji who should be aware of it.

From the moment Fuji found out that Ryoma had been missing, he searched relentlessly. He never stopped, not even for a few minutes to take a break. He was everywhere. If he wasn't driving on the streets, looking here and there for his missing beloved, he'd be on the phone- contacting every single person he could think of, watching the news or at the police station for follow up on the search.

But all of it had been fruitless. Ryoma was nowhere to be found, and all the exhaustion and anxiety were taking its toll. Tezuka saw all this and warned Fuji, but he knew his friend wouldn't listen. It would just be a matter of time before Fuji collapsed.

And he was right. Two weeks ago, Fuji was rushed to the hospital after his parents found him in his room, lying motionless on the floor.

Looking back on everything that has happened made him wonder if they will ever find Echizen again. Whether he was still alive or not also bothered the quiet Buchou. What if… No, he couldn't think of things like that. And it's not only because Echizen is an irreplaceable friend to him, but also since Fuji's recovery greatly depended on his return. If only he knew where to find him…

Sudden erratic beats of the ECG stirred Tezuka from his thoughts. He looked down at Fuji who was sleeping just a while ago, only to see that the latter's face was grimaced and was breathing unevenly. Without a second to spare he dashed out of the room to call the doctor.

When he came back, the sight before him nearly made him trip on his own foot. Ryoma was there, right in front of his eyes, standing beside Fuji's bed. He was gazing at Fuji with a soft gleam in his eyes and lips slightly quirked upwards. And his hand, Tezuka just noticed, was on top of Fuji's.

"Echizen."

The person he called looked at him. Then smiled. "Buchou." His quiet voice was just as Tezuka remembered.

What happened to you? Where have you been all this time? How did you come back? All sorts of questions were running through his mind, but before he had the chance to ask, another person came in.

"Doctor." Tezuka acknowledged the new entrant and stepped aside to let him and the nurses in.

However, the moment he turned back to where Echizen was, the boy was gone. And at that same moment, he heard a long, steady beat coming from the ECG.