"Atsushi-kun!" the girl cried.

    "!" he called. "I love you!!"

First Love Never Fades

    "Ugh..." Kisarazu Atsushi opened his eyes slowly. 'Where am I...?' He scratched his head and got up. 'My room... Oh yeah, I'm in St. Rudolph now...'

He lazily went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. After that, he took his red ribbon and tied it on his forehead. He checked his watch. '6:15? Practice starts at 6:30... Better hurry up...'

He changed his clothes quickly, wore his gloves, and took his tennis bag. He opened the door, went out, and locked it before going to the tennis court.

    "Atsushi, ohayo da ne!"

Atsushi turned his head and found his doubles partner walking towards him. "Yanagisawa, ohayou."

    "Ah, Kisarazu," suddenly, someone called.

    "Mizuki?"

    "There's a call for you from Kisarazu Ryou."

    "Huh?" he raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for his twin brother to call him.

    "'Sup?" he asked when he was on the phone.

    "Oi, Atsushi," Ryou said. "Don't you want to visit us here? It's been half a year since you left, and you've almost never called us. 'Kaa-san misses you, you know."

    "I'm sorry, I'm rather busy here, so I don't have time to go there," he lied. True, he was busy with tennis practice (especially after St. Rudolph lost to Seigaku, Mizuki had made the whole team practiced three times harder than before), but he actually had some time if he wanted to visit his family.

    "Sou ka..." Ryou sighed. "Ne, Atsushi..."

    "What?"

    "Actually, I've been wanting to tell you this, but I don't know how to say it, so..."

Atsushi lied to the wall. "What is it?"

    "It's about ..."

His eyes widened instantaneously. "What about her?"

    "Ah, as usual, you're always like that when I mention her," Ryou chuckled. Atsushi's cheeks turned crimson red.

    "So? What about her?"

Ryou's voice became serious. "Still remember Onimaru Yutaka?"

    "For some reason I still do."

Of course, Atsushi could never forget Yutaka. He had been his classmate since the fourth grade, and he seemed to hate Atsushi to death. Though he had no idea why Yutaka hated him at first, he then realized that it was because he was close to , his childhood friend. Well, you could say Yutaka was a pretty violent guy, so Atsushi had been beaten up a few times before. No one knew it though, he didn't want to make people around him worried, especially . Ryou found out later on, but Atsushi had told him not to tell anyone else.

    "He's hitting on ."

The usual calm expression on Atsushi's face was suddenly gone. His face reddened in anger. "He's WHAT?!"

    "It looks like because you're gone, he thinks 's free and—well..."

    "Well?"

    "I—I've seen went out with him a few times..."

Atsushi's face turned pale. ? And Yutaka? Going out? No, no, no, it couldn't be... It just couldn't be...

    "I think you should go here to—"

    "Pick me up tomorrow morning. I'll go there by first train."

He hung up.

Kisarazu Atsushi sighed. He never thought he'd be there again in his middle school days. His birth town, Chiba.

The train finally stopped at the station, and he carefully walked out of it.

    "Atsushi!!"

He turned his head.

    "Hey," he waved and smiled. Rokkaku Chuu's regulars were all there.

    "Yo," Ryou greeted.

    "Atsushi-san! I'm so glad I can see you again!" Aoi bowed.

    "O—oi, no need to do that," Atsushi sweat dropped.

    "Atsushi-san, do you want to go for a walk?" the freshman asked with his usual loud voice.

    "No thanks, Kentarou, I have—" he peered at Ryou "—Something really important to do with Ryou. Thank you for coming though."

They waved goodbye as Atsushi and Ryou walked away from the group.

    "So..." Atsushi spoke up. "How's the situation?"

    "Pretty bad," Ryou answered as they turned right towards their house. "Yesterday, after I called you, I asked some of 's friends. And yes, they said and Yutaka had been going out for two weeks or so."

    ", how could you..." Atsushi mumbled in sadness and anger.

    "Well, you can't blame it all to , can you?" Ryou said.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Sometimes she talked to me too," he replied. "She told me how lonely she became after you left, and how come you've never called her although you... Confessed to her..." He took a look at Atsushi, who looked rather guilty, then continued, "She wondered if you didn't really mean it when you said that."

    "It's not true!" Atsushi blurted out. "I—I really liked her. And I still do, until now. I will always like her, Ryou!"

    "Well—"

    "Ah, if it's not the loser and his brother," a familiar deep voice ragged. Atsushi felt like his head wanted to blow up in anger. He turned to the voice.

    "Onimaru Yutaka..." he mumbled in annoyance.

    "What a relief, you still remember me!" he sneered. "I thought you've forgotten about this town after living in Tokyo."

    "What've you done to ?! I know exactly what kind of girl she is, and she wouldn't want to go out with a person like you."

    "Well, for your information, people do change. And unfortunately for you, she's now mine, and there's nothing else you can do. Ja na, loser," Yutaka said and walked away, but then he turned his head. "Nice ribbon, you've got there."

    "Atsushi..." Ryou looked at Atsushi in sympathy.

    "Ryou, tell me it's not true..." Atsushi's voice was shaking. "That she's not going out with him...!!"

    "I'm sorry, Atsushi..." Ryou sighed.

Atsushi breathed out. "Has she really forgotten about me...?"

    "Atsushi..."

    "I'm really worried about her..." he turned his head to his twin brother. "You know how Yutaka always is... I'm afraid if he's planning to do something to her..."

    " can do some karate right?"

    "Yeah..." he stared elsewhere. "But still..."

Ryou nodded.

    "Anyway, Atsushi," he voiced. "I heard they have a date this afternoon at around 4, maybe if you want to check on them or something..."

Atsushi nodded weakly. "Hai..."

    "What's with those sunglasses?!" Ryou sweat dropped when he saw his twin brother was going out with a black suit, a pair and sunglasses, and a hat, just like spies in the movies.

    "So she can't recognize me."

    "It's somewhat impossible..."

    "'Kaa-san," Atsushi called. "Itte kimasu!"

    "Atsushi, you're going already? I've made you your favorite soup for tonight!" his mom replied from the kitchen.

    "I'll be back here before dinner," he said. "Ja, wish me luck," he gave Ryou a sad smile before going out. Ryou nodded.

    "Ryou-san!! Ryou-san!!" a familiar voice cried. Both Ryou and Atsushi turned their heads.

    "Kentarou...?"

    "Ryou-san!! This is bad!!" Aoi shouted. "I just saw -san being dragged by Onimaru-san!!"

    "NANI?!" Atsushi cried. "Kentarou, are you sure? Where's he taking her?"

    "I think they were heading to that empty house near the beach. I didn't know what to do since I saw -san was unconscious, and I remembered your house is the nearest from there, so I came and... And..."

    "That bastard..." Atsushi clenched his fists in anger. "Thank you, Kentarou!!" he said and rushed away.

    "Aa, Atsushi-san, he wasn't alone—"

Too late.

    "Oi! Atsushi!" Ryou ran, following the other Kisarazu. "Kentarou, call the others! and Atsushi can be in danger!"

    "Hai!"

Atsushi still remembered the way to the beach. Turn right, left, go straight... And there was it. And if he wasn't mistaken the empty house weren't really far. He, Ryou, and often came there to play when they were small.

    'There it is!!' he ran to the house.

    "It's a shame that you can't do your karate now that you've been tied up."

    'Yutaka...!!' Atsushi thought as he carefully peeked into the room. What he saw was unbearable. was at the corner of the room, tied up. Yutaka and three of his friends were around her.

    "What do you want to do to me?!"

    "Well, well, isn't it obvious?" he smiled evilly as he walked towards the girl. "I've been wanting you for years. But that Kisarazu Atsushi!!" he spitted. "Because of him, I could never get near you. But now you're mine..."

    "Get away from me, you animal!!"

    "Too bad Atsushi isn't here to save you..."

    "DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH HER, YOU RAT!!"

Everyone turned their heads, surprised.

    "Atsushi..." Yutaka's face reddened in anger. "Guys, get him!!"

    "!!!" he ran inside.

    "Atsushi baka!! Get out!! You can't win against those—"

Too late. One of Yutaka's friends had successfully hit Atsushi right on his stomach.

    "Atsushi!" cried. She turned her head to Yutaka angrily. "Let go of him!"

    "I wonder about that..." he smirked.

    "You—!!"

    "Ah yeah, how about this?" he bent down. "I'll let go of him, under one condition."

    "What is it?"

    "You have to kiss me."

Atsushi—who was beaten up by Yutaka's gang—widened his eyes. "!! Ughh..."

She looked suspiciously at Yutaka. "Just a kiss?"

    "Yes."

    "And you'll let him go?"

    "Of course."

    "Okay."

    "!!"

    "-san!!"

    "Atsushi!"

    "!"

    "Heh?" Yutaka turned his head. Around fifteen people from Rokkaku Chuu's tennis club were in front of the door with tennis rackets on their hands.

    "Atsushi!" Ryou exclaimed. "You—you're beaten up! Onimaru..." he shot Yutaka a galled look. "What have you done to him?!"

Yutaka looked at them in fear. Three never won against fifteen.

    "Le—let's go!!" he ran away from the house, followed by his friends.

    "-san, daijoubu desuka?" Aoi asked as he untied .

    "Hai, daijoubu desu," she nodded. As soon as she was free, she ran to Atsushi. "You baka!! You know you can never win against Yutaka, why did you come?!" she frowned as she wiped his face with her handkerchief.

    "Ouch! That hurts."

    "Atsushi, answer me."

    "Answer me first," he said as he looked to her eyes. "Why are you going out with Yutaka? I've told you that I liked you, right?"

    's eyes widened. "For Heaven's sake, Atsushi, how could you think me and him are going out?!"

Atsushi blinked. "So you're not going out?"

    "Of course not! Yeah, we went to have some lunches together, but that's it. No more, no less."

He looked at Ryou who was whistling and looking away.

    'Screw him.'

    "And anyway..." she continued with a slight blush on her face. "How can I go out with someone else when I still like you?!"

    "Eh?"

    "I... I like you!"

His cheeks reddened, but then he smiled. "Che."

He pulled to him.

    "Me too..."

    "Atsushi..."

Atsushi closed his eyes as she pulled closer. It was when their lips met.

    "AWW~"

    "Kentarou, close your eyes!"

    "Eeh? Nande? Why are they doing that?"

    "Hmph. That Atsushi..."

    "Oi guys, let's go," Ryou grinned and whispered to the group. "Don't disturb them."

A few seconds later, Atsushi pulled back and smiled. was blushing. "Ne, ," Atsushi whispered at her ear.

    "Hai?"

    "Now I know what they mean by 'First love never fades'..."