119. Daily Life Arc: A Beautiful Misunderstanding

Sadaharu Inui dialed Tezuka’s number again. When he heard the connection tone, a smile appeared on his calm face, but it vanished the very next second.

"Hello, the phone you are calling is powered off. Please try again later. Sorry..."

"Strange..."

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Inui muttered to himself.

"Tell me, Sadaharu, what now? Matsubara and Oda have already gone quite far."

Renji Yanagi, seeing Inui making another call, asked with his hands on his hips.

"Wait a moment. Telling him about this Matsubara situation might make things even more interesting."

Inui was still dialing, smiling.

"Fuji? It’s Inui."

"Oh, Inui, what’s up?"

On the other end of the line, Shusuke Fuji, who was in the middle of teaching his younger brother Yuta how to hit a half-volley, picked up the phone with a gentle smile.

"Where are you right now? I have something very important here..."

After listening to Inui’s explanation, Fuji smiled with great interest: "Omoshiroi. I’ll be there soon."

"Yes, this 'date' is very important. If you miss it, who knows when you’ll have another chance? I will be waiting for you."

With that, Inui hung up. Fuji, however, suddenly opened his blue eyes. What did that last part mean?

"Didn't he say something about Matsubara and Shishido getting into a huge mess with a girl from the tennis club...?"

Fuji murmured to himself, repeating Inui’s words about the date being important and that he would be waiting. No matter how he looked at it, it sounded like it was meant for him.

Resting his chin on his thumb and forefinger, Fuji thought seriously about the meaning of Inui’s words. If he linked that statement to the trio of Matsubara, it felt out of place. Surely a "huge mess" couldn't be equated to a "date," could it? Dating wasn't something scandalous—his sister, Yumiko, went on dates with her boyfriend all the time.

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Just as he decided to call Inui back to clarify, he was met with the automated voice again.

"Sorry, the number you have reached is powered off..."

"What’s going on? Powered off?" Fuji looked at the screen to confirm he had called the right number, feeling puzzled.

"Are you going out, Aniki?" Yuta asked, blinking his large eyes as he watched Shusuke put away his racket, looking like he was in a hurry.

"Yes, I have something to take care of. There’s a meeting at the tennis club." Shusuke Fuji smiled gently.

"Then... you can't teach me that half-volley anymore?" Yuta asked, sounding a bit dejected.

"Forgive me, Yuta. I’ll teach you when I get back." Patting Yuta’s head, Shusuke turned and ran off.

...

Behind a concrete wall, Inui adjusted his glasses and flashed a wicked grin at Yanagi and the others. Seeing this, Yanagi sighed helplessly. "By the look on your face, I take it someone is willing to come and help us monitor Matsubara?"

"It’s Fuji. He was quite surprised when he heard." Inui knew Fuji would find this interesting; his arrival would make up for Tezuka’s absence.

"The Vice-Captain, really...?" Shinya Yanagisawa was surprised that Fuji would be interested in such things.

"Speaking of being surprised, are you sure you explained to Fuji what exactly is going on?" Yanagi suspected Inui had only told half the story, which was prone to misunderstanding.

"Of course. I spoke with him for quite a while. Essentially, I told him that an incredibly important date had occurred between Matsubara, Shishido, and Oda, that it was a significant event, that he shouldn't miss it, and that I would be waiting here for him." Inui repeated his words.

"That’s actually fine. It shouldn't cause any misunderstandings..." Yanagi breathed a sigh of relief, and Yanagisawa nodded in agreement. Only Akutsu stood with his arms crossed, staring blankly into space.

Fuji ran quickly down the street. Hearing the roar of an engine behind him, he slowed his pace. A red sports car pulled over to the side with its hazard lights flashing.

As the window rolled down, half of a stunning, beautiful face was revealed. The woman looked to be under twenty, possessing a mature and charming aura. Under her pale pink V-neck top, her figure was faintly visible. With her light brown, slightly wavy hair, she parted her rosy lips slightly. "Shusuke, want a ride?"

"Oh, it's you, Sister."

Getting into Yumiko Fuji’s car, Shusuke fastened his seatbelt and smiled. "Thanks, Sister."

"In such a rush, where are you going? Doesn't the school have no practice today?" Yumiko asked.

"I have some business." Shusuke told her the destination.

Midway through the drive, Shusuke asked with a natural smile, "Sister, when you go on dates with your boyfriend, do any 'incredibly huge things' happen?"

Yumiko’s body shuddered at the question, and a blush crept across her beautiful, delicate face. However, as an adult who had seen her fair share of life, she kept her foot on the gas. After a brief silence, she laughed. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

"Just curious. I didn't think a date was such a 'huge thing'?" Shusuke asked, seeing nothing wrong with the question.

"Well... I suppose it depends on how you feel during the date. If you feel very excited, then perhaps it is a 'huge thing'?" Yumiko smiled gently. Looking at her brother’s ever-present smile, she felt both surprised and delighted. *I knew that with Shusuke’s talent he would mature early, but I didn't expect it to be this early. Though... I suppose I was about his age when I started, too.*

Thinking back to her first relationship at nineteen, she didn't find her brother’s age so surprising anymore.

Realizing her brother was likely heading to a date, Yumiko didn't expose him, only smiled in relief. However, a woman’s curiosity wouldn't be quelled so easily. She began to probe, "What is the friend you’re meeting today like?"

"Well, they are a very good person, with a very easygoing temperament." Fuji smiled, recalling Inui’s expression and smile.

"That sounds lovely." Yumiko began to imagine what the girl looked like based on his description. Hearing that she was easygoing and a good person, her gentle smile deepened. Compatibility was important; without it, even the most attractive couple wouldn't last.

Shusuke, however, wasn't paying much attention to his sister’s words. Ever since he recalled Inui’s expression, he had been imagining what Inui might have meant.

*"A date. I’ll be waiting for you."* Inui had said.

At that moment, Shusuke’s thoughts veered off track. A series of echoes filled his mind—a scene filled with falling cherry blossoms, where the laughing figure running ahead was no longer Tezuka, but Inui. In reality, the faint smile on his face faded, his complexion turned a shade of blue, and dark lines appeared on his forehead. A wave of intense nausea welled up within him.

"Are you alright, Shusuke? Is the car going too fast?" Seeing her brother’s face suddenly turn ghastly, Yumiko quickly lifted her foot from the accelerator, asking with concern.

"Ah, I'm fine, Sister. The speed is just right. You could even go a little faster." Shusuke waved his hand with a smile.