The world used to be about tennis. Beat rivals, break goals, get to the Nationals. Most middle school tennis players based their free time on those guidelines. Tennis meant the world to many but only because nothing else entered their lives like a hurricane.

In the case of Saeki Koujirou, the source of the storm was a faded blue notebook.

Red was a colour representing danger and light blue was one considered innocent. The dropped book was lying on the ground by playground; one of the kids found it and gave it to him.

After opening it to the first page, his dark eyes scanned the pages, waiting to see a name. But instead, an entire story was revealed. The thoughts were written with such imagery that the scenes flashed across the mind immediately.

It was obvious the item belonged to a girl. The problems mentioned had simple solutions but unnecessary depth was given to them. Little details he wouldn’t pay attention to were brought up. Maybe this was why most fights involving girls were so dramatic.

Saeki shook the thought away and started reading the next entry. Maybe there would be some names mentioned.

-------------------

Ivory cheeks were pushed back to make room for a smile. The dark eyes contained pride and accomplishment. The top mark belonged to her! It was beneficial for her to take advice from her mother and study for three days straight.

She was accepted into Rokkaku! The moans, groans and complaints coming from others didn’t ruin the mood. A high pitched voice called to her from the right and she followed it, finding her long time friend pushing her way through the crowd.

          “How did you do?”

          “Great! How about you?”

The shorter girl smiled, bit her lip and started shaking from excitement.

          “I made it!”

Looks of disapproval were thrown at the teen. Not everyone was as lucky as those two and would be happy to take their anger out on students who scored high. The taller girl noticed the looks, pulled her friend away from the crowd and navigated both of them out of the school.

          “Let’s meet everyone at the usual place. I haven’t seen them for three days.”

          “Yeah! You call the A’s and D’s and I’ll call the rest of them.”

          “Okay but would they get offended at how we chose to call them?”

The taller girl asked as she tied her dark brown hair in a ponytail. The other bit her lip and thought for awhile.

          “Well, we won’t tell them how we decided to call them. Seriously though, those girls take things too personally sometimes.”

          “Sometimes? They‘re like that all the time.”

          “Yeah…”

-------------------

Saeki closed the book which from then on, would be called a diary. So far, the known facts were that the owner attended Rokkaku and would be a second year now. The entry he read was from about a year ago. But still no names.

Sighing, the male slipped it into his tennis bag and headed over to practice. Even if Aoi wasn’t a strict captain like Tezuka Kunimitsu or Yukimura Seiichi, there would still be consequences if he were late.

As the fifteen year old jogged towards the courts with the sun beating down on him, he failed to notice another being in his path. Soon enough, they both collided into each other and volleyballs flew everywhere.

A few of them landed on Saeki’s head and bounced far away.

          ““I’m really sorry.””

Two sets of eyes met each other after the unified apology. The voice was very feminine and formal. When looking up, Saeki was amazed to find light blue eyes at the end of his gaze; he knew only a few others with that shade and they lived in the northern part of Japan.

          ““It’s alright, my fault.””

The owner of the blue eyes giggled, having him look at the person entirely; Saeki was too preoccupied with the girl’s eyes to look anywhere else.

She wore an orange top with cut-off sleeves and tight white shorts. Knee and elbow pads protected the major joints of her body. With volleyballs all around them, the conclusion to come to mind was that she was a member of the volleyball team.

His reaction time was a little slower than usual but the diary was too be blamed. It had Saeki thinking about all the little things he said to girls in the past two weeks. If the entries he read were correct, they all probably thought he was a monster.

          “Need help?”

The teen snapped out of his thoughts from the request. A hand was offered to him and he took it. It should have been the opposite but his reaction time had decreased.

          “Thank you. I’m sorry about the trouble, again.”

          “It’s alright, the bag was going to burst open anyway.”

The girl smiled at him, creating dimples on her cheeks. Dimples and colourful eyes…were a good combination. But the one on the left side couldn’t be seen since her dark brown hair was falling over her shoulder and plastering itself on her cheek.

Saeki smiled softly, thinking the girl in front of him was adorable. He helped gather the rolling equipment and offered to carry the annoying little things to the storage since the bag got caught around his foot and ripped. She gladly accepted.

          “Are you a member of the volleyball team?”

He smirked when she confirmed the fact. The male was too interested in tennis to pay attention to other sports around the school.

          “And you must be a tennis regular?”

          “Correct.”

The walk to their destination was filled with smiles and ongoing conversation. She didn’t bombard him with ‘fangirl madness’, a disease half the population accumulated. He liked having talks where a member of the opposite sex - and sometimes the same - didn’t throw themselves at him. It was…nice.

The time to part ways finally came and both were a little reluctant to go. Sighing once again, Saeki bid his farewell and ran towards the courts, trying to keep clear of bodies and knowing punishment was unavoidable.

-------------------

She looked around the cafeteria but couldn’t find Mina. They had both been so busy during the week and neither had the time to see the other. School, family and clubs were taking up most of their free time. Whatever time leftover was used to rest.

Students pushed past her, attempting to grab a table and save seats for their friends. The teen didn’t particularly mind since she was standing near the end of the food line.

          “Over here…”

She recognized Mina’s voice from behind and instantly, she knew something was wrong from the minimized amount of cheer in it. In less than a minute, she was at the girl’s side, wondering why her best friend seemed so sad.

          “Mina, what’s wrong?”

          “Come on, let’s go outside.”

Mina led the other outside. The silence built unwanted tension inside. Why would the cheery student not talk for five minutes straight? Even though she was the quieter of the two, she was the one doing most of the vocal work.

          “…Could you say something, please? It feels really weird with you not saying anything.”

She confessed, hoping to push Mina, who was walking in front of her, to talk. Many things happened during the day, waiting to be confided in the other, including a blossoming crush. He was in the year above them and carried around the oddest hairstyle…and she was getting off track again.

          “So what happened today?”

Mina’s voice crashed through her thoughts, making her pay attention to where she walked. The brunette didn’t turn as she talked. Maybe it would be as close to normal as possible.

          “Well…I got my first failing grade and my millionth A.”

She smiled but not for the good mark. Receiving a bad mark was exciting for some reason even though there would be consequences. Mina chuckled at the reply before prodding for more. The shorter girl’s pace long strides shorten to walk with her friend.

          “And I met - well saw someone very good looking. I think this could be something big.”

          “Really? What’s his name?”

-------------------

Saeki stopped walking and reading. He dated a girl named Mina. Akari Mina, a first year at the time but she moved away. There wasn’t a family name given and there were a lot of Mina’s in the school. Asking each one of them if their best friend lost her diary would be a tiring task.

A few kids ran past him, eager to get to their houses for after school snacks. Looking around, he found himself near the Rokkau playground. No one was around, a perfect place for him to think.

As the teen walked towards the swing set, his conscious was put to the test. Should he continue or not? This girl was about to reveal the name of her crush, which, Saeki was sure, she would not want anyone else to know. But if a name was given, he could look for that boy and see if he was dating anyone currently. The girl could be the one whose diary he had.

          “Excuse me!”

Saeki, who settled himself on the monkey bars during the thought process, looked up and found a girl making her way to him, waving her arm. He stored the book away in his tennis bag and wondered what she was doing.

          “You dropped this.”

He blinked, wondering when he dropped his chain. The girl, who he recognized as the one who he met earlier in the day, reached up to hand him the metal item. It was a present from his ex-girlfriend.

          “I-I didn’t realize I lost it. Thanks!”

          “It was nothing. Losing something precious is horrible.”

Saeki jumped down from the bars, leaving his tennis gear atop the bars. He was about a foot taller, having her look up. She smiled at him, showing her dimples. The chain steadily slipped through her fingers and onto his open palm.

It was then Saeki realized he never got her name.

          “My name’s Saeki Koujirou. Nice to meet you.”

Eyelids closed over brown eyes, causing him to miss the knowing but sad smile.

          “I know…”

He raised an eyebrow at the reply but not in surprise. Even though it wasn’t an expected reply, it didn’t throw the boy off. “My name is . Nice to meet you.”

They both bowed, and kept the other’s gaze after rising. Saeki fiddled with the chain, forgetting about the former problem. Inoue finally looked down and stepped back, excusing herself. Her brown hair swayed as she walked and Saeki felt familiarity.

She was walking in the same direction he would be in a few moments. Company would be nice. “-san,” The girl looked back, a hand grasping the strap of her bag tightly. “I live that way too, would you mind walking together?”

She looked down the street then looked back at him with a small smile set in place. “Not at all.”

As the two walked, polite conversation ensued. wasn’t a very talkative girl, making the time a bit awkward. He would say something to himself and she would smile, showing those dimples again. When his home came into view, Saeki was reluctant to leave her. It was like leaving a friend although they weren’t on friendly terms but formal ones. He only knew of her today…

          “That’s your house?”

’s fingers clasped the straps of her bag tighter as she spoke while turning her head to stare at the building. Her eyes settled onto a door with a blue paint blob.

          “Yeah…how did you know?”

Saeki’s curiosity peaked; only the team and a few other students from school knew where he lived. How would someone he met in a day pick out his house from down the street? He didn’t notice the other tense.

          “Umm…it’s the only house with paint on the door…and you seem to be a unique person, with that hair colour.”

unnoticeably sighed in relief when Saeki nodded. Too close a call. Saeki was an old crush, one which sparked in her first year. Somehow, Mina found out a lot of information on him that seemed…stalker worthy but it was fun talking about it.

She sighed quietly; every time she thought of Mina, dismal filled her heart. Her best friend moved away last year with a big secret. She wouldn’t tell what it was, claiming it would hurt her too much.

Mina was in another country now and would only talk to her about the present whenever they had the chance. still wondered what the big secret was, though. She was sure she would be able to handle it since she was calm throughout her aunt’s funeral.

          “It was nice walking with you, -san.” Saeki bowed with a light hearted smile, “Thank you for the company.”

did the same and bid him farewell.

-------------------

It was a day like no other. Dark colours were the only she knew for the past two weeks. Her dearest aunt passed away recently and the days following were depressing.

She was well liked and many cried over her death. Mina knew the woman as well and shed tears as well. She was the only one who kept it inside. Asuka believed no one was gone forever.

Mina asked her why she didn’t cry. “Aren’t you sad at all? It’s a little heartless to not cry for a lost loved one.”

Her tone was harsh but she kept her mind clear of anger. “Of course I’m sad, Mina. I loved her very much but while everyone cries, no one takes notice of the world around them. Father hasn’t gone to work in a week and mother has neglected Aki. He’s still a baby and wants her to hold him.

The best I can do is care for him and hope mother will come back soon…The world doesn’t stop for every death…”

          “…But she’s never coming back…”

-------------------

          “Koujirou-kun! Could you help me?”

Saeki jumped slightly at his mother’s call. He put down the diary on the bed and sighed; the mind was too complex a thing. The days after finding the diary become ones that longed to meet the owner. He read many entries - with a guilty conscious - and thought hard about the little things written. They were thoughts he never put too much heart into.

The teen learned to take a break from the fast paced world and breathe. He learned the value of weeks, days, hours, minutes and even seconds. Time always faded away, meaning almost nothing to others.

          “Koujirou-kun!”

          “Ah…coming!”

With a frustrated sigh, Saeki walked out of his room and down the stairs. After the last step, his eyes looked to his immediate left and found his mother talking to someone at the door. Naturally, he was curious to know who but didn’t bother to find out.

          “Oh, Koujirou-kun, could you come over here for a moment?”

Saeki frowned at his mother interrupting his journey to the kitchen. With a set grin, the teen walked over to his mother, feeling lucky he was decent. His mother moved away from the door to reveal someone he was sure he hadn’t seen before.

          “This is my son, Koujirou. Does he meet your standards?”

A man with a flower print shirt and black shorts frowned and placed his hands on his hips. Saeki felt as though he was being undressed by the man’s eyes…

          “Definitely!”

Saeki blinked, “Uncle…Seto?”

Saeki Seto was a family member who he knew only by voice. The man lived a good two hours away and refused to travel to Chiba to see family. They would talk on the phone non-stop, making his mother angry. It was the first time seeing his uncle and vice versa; happiness filled his mind.

          “Hey, kiddo!”

Kiko, his mother, smiled gently as she watched the two greet each other. Within a couple of minutes, she noted, the two men were seemingly best friends. Shaking her head, Kiko tried inviting Seto inside one more time. He refused and the woman left them both to their antics.

-------------------

chuckled; Saeki’s acting was quite good. He was telling her about his crazy uncle by reenacting the whole scene that took place two weeks ago. He claimed it would be hard to just talk about what happened.

As Saeki talked, he drifted off into his own world. His eyes were set on the sunset, not noticing her stare.

She was glad he was able to put time aside for her. After their designated team practices finished, they walked back from school together and from then, formed a friendship. Were her feelings for him coming back? wasn’t sure…but she would definitely be happy with the relationship they shared right now.

          “I’m glad that he came here…you know?”

nodded, understanding his emotions perfectly. “I would be really happy if my aunt came to see me too…”

Saeki nodded and she looked away, knowing she’d get caught if she didn’t. Neither one of them said a word; both being busy with their thoughts. would be more than happy if her aunt came back to life…but what’s done is done, right?

She sighed and tucked a strand of black hair the wind blew behind her ear. Then, the wind started blowing at a constant pace, having both teens shiver.

          “Home?” Saeki asked.

          “Please…” replied.

They slid towards the end of the bars with Saeki being the first to descend to the second set below. Because of tennis practices, he was able to stand on the metal and balance himself well. He offered a hand, which she accepted and followed his example.

While she held on to the first set, Saeki jumped down and held up his arms in the air, expecting the girl to jump into them.

          “I won’t drop you.” He smirked, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. Jumping into anyone’s arms wasn’t something she did too often. After failing to find someone that would recognize her, bit her lip and hopped off.

Saeki’s smirked softened and he immobilized her in the air. As she was about to protest, her blue eyes settled on a shining object around his neck. It was the chain she returned to him awhile ago…it looked very familiar.

          “Umm… Saeki-kun could you put me down?”

          “I could carry you home like this. e-chan is very light.”

          “S-Saeki-kun!”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” He loosened his grip a bit and she slid down, nearly touching his body. blushed at the contact and looked at her shoes. Then something…unusual happened.

A hand was kept at her waist and the other caressed her cheek. As he looked at her, there was an undeniable emotion in those eyes. It was one she encountered before but having him into her eyes like that…made her feel dizzy.

Her knees gave away faintly, resulting with him pulling her closer. Somehow, she predicted the next few minutes.

          “How do I know you?”

          “From school.”

          “Before then.”

          “In the hallways.”

          “I’ve only set eyes on you a month ago.”

          “…Crowds.”

          “…No. Someone spoke of you.”

          “Who?”

          “…I don’t remember.”

Saeki frowned and tightened his hold. She gasped internally with widened eyes. The sudden twinkling reflection of the sun disturbed her. Looking down, absorbed the design of the chain carefully, instantly forgetting about the source of the heat. 

          “It was a gift from my ex.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Saeki-kun dated?” His eyes elevated to hold her gaze. “Oh, I mean…umm…no one’s ever thought of you having a girlfriend…” She could not believe what she said. Of course someone as good looking as him would date!

          “She didn’t want to tell anyone…”

Saeki didn’t understand why Mina didn’t want anyone to know about their relationship. He always wanted to tell his friends he was finally able to claim Akiko Mina as a girlfriend. When he confronted her about the issue, she told him she didn’t want anyone hurt.

Mina never cleared her incentive to him even after she moved away. That was a year ago and Saeki still kept the first impression of her. Mina was a secretive and mysterious girl.

          “Oh…”

Slowly, thoughts of Mina drifted into ’s mind. She would always be quiet about who she would meet outside school. She also ditched her many times for ‘dance practice’ but it was a lie. Mina didn’t like to dance. She had bought something the last day before she left, not showing or saying who she’d give it to.

Each became lost in thoughts. Why wouldn’t Mina let her in?

Why wouldn’t Mina want anyone to know about their relationship?

-------------------

Saeki closed the door and filled with embarrassment while looking at his hands. He cringed and put them back at his sides, not believing what happened an hour ago. Not believing what he did an hour ago.

‘No, that can’t be it. I’m already over her.’

No, the one he liked wasn’t Mina anymore but her.

Saeki dubbed her ‘Hikari’. The unexpected light in his life, one which changed him. A person he wanted to meet with all his might. She was the first person who came to mind before he touched . That had been happening numerous times; he’d be with Inoue but whenever she looked at him, words from the diary came into his mind.

, startled at his touch, relaxed then pushed away to leave. She wouldn’t look back at him as she ran home. Did a blooming friendship wreck because of his carelessness?

Saeki shook his head. He needed to talk to Fuji; it was because of him that Saeki was able to keep control during the majority of his life. As the teen turned to his right to enter the kitchen, his mother came rushing out, bumping his shoulder hard.

          “Whoa!” Kiko never knocked into anyone before; she was too graceful. She turned to apologize and Saeki found tears in her eyes. Her lips parted and quivered, releasing no sound. Only clear liquid fell down her cheeks, forming a darker shade on the floor of the carpet.

          “Mother? What’s wrong?”

He dropped his bag and covered her with his arms. She said nothing and sobbed onto his t-shirt. He didn’t mind but what was bothering her? Saeki didn’t prod, deciding to let go on her own pace.

          “S-Seto…he’s been…been in an-an accident…He‘s gone!”

The air never felt so heavy before.

-------------------

No matter where she looked, Saeki could not be found. looked around the courts once more before sighing in frustration. She sat down on a log near the playground and rested her chin between her hands.

She hadn’t seen him in almost three days.

Her feelings had been sorted out; liked Saeki as she did the year before. When she first entered high school, he was the first senior she laid eyes on and developed a crush.

But they were only friends and she was content. The way he looked at her wouldn’t be ones of deep affection but those a friend would give another. Students weren’t allowed to date in high school so nothing could happen anyway.

As the girl became absorbed in deep thoughts, she failed to notice another tennis player nearby who gave off an aura of sadness. When a kicked rock almost hit , she blinked at the shadow cast over her shoes.

Looking up, she found the back of Aoi Kentarou, a very hyper classmate, facing her. Although he didn’t seem like the normal bouncy and loud Aoi.

          “Aoi-kun? Is something the matter?”

He looked back and seemed startled to find her there. After walking over, the first year sat down next to her, resting forearms on thighs.

’s hand automatically touched the boy’s shoulder, the motherly feeling felt towards Aoi rising. An exhale.

          “Someone I just met passed away.”

          “Oh, Aoi-kun…”

She offered a hug, which he accepted.

          “I’m so sorry…how long did you know him for?”

          “A couple of days. He was a really cool guy…I‘m glad Sae-kun introduced me to him.”

pulled away, a confused expression in place. A question formed though not voiced.             

          “He was on his way to Saeki’s house and some stupid drunk driver crashed into him. I wonder how Sae-kun is doing…they finally just met face to face. They would usually talk over the phone and you know, when they met, Sae-kun was really happy!”

She was a little surprised at the change of tone in Aoi’s voice although practical information had been given to her.

          “Aoi-kun…I hope you feel better soon.”

placed a hand on Aoi’s shoulder and smiled sincerely before leaving the area. The other knew better than to ask her where she was headed; only one word responses would be usually given.

-------------------

Saeki watched the children play from the monkey bars. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world… Their mothers’ either played with them or watched them from afar like he did. Endings didn’t mean anything to them at all.

Seto was coming to see the rest of the family. There wasn’t supposed to be any danger on the streets. There shouldn’t have been a person driving drunk in the afternoon. There shouldn’t be people drunk in the first place.

Because of such a mistake, someone was lost. No more late night phone calls. No more eccentric thoughts or habits. No more Saeki Seto.

He didn’t want to go to school, concentrating would be hard. Saeki chose to stay at home, which was allowed. The atmosphere became too ominous and he needed to go out.

The only place that came to mind was the corner he and used to go to in the local playground. A little boy ran past the monkey bars, chasing after another in a game of tag.

“The world doesn’t stop for every death…”

Saeki jumped slightly as the words passed through his mind. He patted his pocket, where the diary was. The anger building up was slowly released. The people around him weren’t at fault for Seto’s death. They were merely living their life. They probably didn’t know who Saeki Seto was…

          “Umm…Saeki-kun?”

had never seen him so serious before. There would always be a small grin plastered on his face but not today. He was almost unapproachable. His dark eyes turned slowly towards her a short moment.

Saeki jumped down and towered over her, hands in jacket pockets.

          “Hey.”

          “…How…have you been?”

She timidly asked. It was a sensitive topic. Recovering from her aunt’s death was difficult even they weren’t as close as the Saeki pair. could only loosely grasp how her senior felt at present.

          “Alright. Haven’t seen you around in awhile, how about you?”

The teen wasn’t expecting that sort of reply; she was at a loss of words.

          “I-I’ve been okay…I heard…about your uncle. I’m really sorry.”

looked at the ground before at him with sincerity in her eyes. She frowned slightly  with concern when he looked off to the side. Suddenly, regretted mentioning Seto.

They tuned out the children playing and soon, there was an awkward silence.

          “…Thank you. The world doesn’t stop for one death. You didn't even know how great of a person he was.”

She looked away; how could she say the sadness was there because of his pain? Saeki became an important friend...and more.

blinked, realizing what the older boy said. They were words she once said to a dear friend. They were words she was sure no one else would say. They were words hiding meanings.

Suddenly, the sorrow Saeki tried to hide was visible. With a soft smile, placed her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. His gaze settled with shock.

          “The world may not be affected by Seto-san’s leave, but aren’t you?”    

          “Are you going to call me heartless?”

          “No…I’m going to say, let your grief win.”

shifted her head to the right; she was leaning against an abnormal hard surface. Somehow, the girl lost her footing but he managed to steady her. As Saeki moved, a muffled thud was heard.

Both pairs of eyes looked down on the ground. An open faded notebook lay on the ground. raised an eyebrow. The writing looked familiar. Pulling away from her senior, she bent down to pick up the item.

Sudden felicity ran through her as she recognized the book as her own.

Mina was acting weird again. It was as though there was something she was hiding. Even her mother didn’t know where she went after school. There were no dance classes. She might have been dating…but why wouldn’t she tell anyone?

frowned.

She might have been dating…blue eyes travelled to Saeki’s neck, where a silver chain was settled. The pendant on the end did look very familiar and he did say it was a gift from an ex.

The previous situation was forgotten as questions filled her mind. Did Mina date Saeki? She remembered some girls in her class talking about one of the tennis regulars dating but she never really paid close attention to them.

          “Ah, can I have that back?”

His blue eyes looked further up and met her brown pair. His hand was outstretched towards her, waiting for her to return the diary.

          “Saeki-kun…I think you owe me a favour.”

Although Saeki was not one to show he had been taken off guard, his eyebrow managed to rise.

          “You know how precious something can be…”

It took awhile for him to comprehend she was talking about the necklace.

          “May I have this back?”

He blinked, slowly processing what she said. If she wanted it back, then that must have meant –

          “You didn’t…read it by any chance?”

          “…No.”

The weight he felt on his shoulders was lightened. ‘Hikari’ was standing in front of him. He seized her wrist and pulled on it, securing her against his chest. He could feel her rapid heartbeat and grinned, not sure if he should be happy or not. Seto was gone but was not.

          “Do you have a friend named Mina?”

          “Y-yes…but she moved.”

          “She didn’t want anyone to know we were dating.”

          “O-oh…”

’s suspicions were confirmed. Mina was dating someone and understood why she didn’t tell her.

          “You won’t do the same, would you?”

          “No -what?”

She pulled away to look at him. The anguish had not left his eyes but there was a flicker of joy in them. He only smiled, not bothering to explain. As quick as it appeared, the joy was gone and Saeki observed the sky.

          “Will you stay here until the stars come out? My mom said that those who passed away became stars. I want to see if Uncle Seto is there tonight. Maybe your aunt will be there too.”

His tone was light. “…I would like that.”

The sky above was turning from blue to orange, signalling the nearing end of a day. The children ran towards their calling mothers and made their way home.

wasn’t sure if Saeki was in his senses when saying what he did. She’d wait until he recovered before asking him what he meant again. Glancing over at the tall boy, she studied his features. He was definitely handsome and she liked his hair.

She never would have imagined they would be together, waiting for the stars to come out. He would watch for his uncle and she would watch for her aunt. Suddenly, the smile she had that she hadn’t noticed, faltered.

          “…Saeki-kun did read my diary…”