The first time Fuji Yuuta heard the name Yukimura Seiichi was during his first week at St. Rudolph. He had been sitting with the rest of the tennis team when his friend pulled out a tennis magazine and showed him the picture of the Rikkaidai team with their Nationals trophy.
"They don't look like third years to me" Yuuta had commented.
"These three have been on the team since they were first years. They call them the Three Devils of Rikkai" Takashi replied.
Yuuta took the magazine in his hands and stared at the three. The first had black hair with tanned skin and he wasn't even looking at the camera. The second had a bowl cut hairstyle and his eyes were closed but he was smiling at the camera. The last was pale and slender with purple hair. He was grinning for all he was worth, overjoyed by his victory.
"Sanada Genichirou, Yanagi Renji, Yukimura Seiichi" Yuuta muttered to himself.
"The guy with black hair is Sanada. Yanagi's the one with the brown hair and one with purple hair is Yukimura. They're the ones who actually brought the victory to Rikkai. They took the singles at 6-0" Takashi said.
"They're only second years. Their captain gave them the singles position?" Yuuta asked.
"Because they're that good, Yuuta. You should have seen them play. They were amazing. Sanada was awesome. His serves are so fast you can barely see them"
"What about Yukimura?"
"Yukimura isn't so great. Sanada is stronger than Yukimura and Yanagi..."
Yuuta tuned out what Takashi was saying and focused on the picture. A thought struck him.
"Can I borrow this, Takashi?" Yuuta asked just as the bell went for class. Takashi nodded and both of them rushed to their respective classes.
Later that night, Yuuta examined the picture. He ignored Sanada's scowl and Yanagi's smile and instead focused on Yukimura's wide grin. The second year was pale and slender but he reminded Yuuta of someone. After scratching his head for a while, Yuuta found the answer.
"You look almost like my brother" He whispered to the picture.
The leanness, the smile, the almost feminine looks all reminded Yuuta of his brother. According to Takashi and the article, Yukimura was one of the best tennis players around. Just like Fuji Syusuke. Yuuta shut the magazine and then placed in on his desk. He would have to return it to Takashi later.
Yukimura and the other two devils from Rikkai faded from Yuuta's mind until Mizuki brought up their rival schools. Yuuta had already been selected for the regular team by his second year and now Mizuki wanted to go and collect data on their rivals. Each time, Mizuki dragged a member of the team despite their reluctance to spy on another school's practice session.
"I'm going to Rikkaidai today" Mizuki stated to Akazawa Buchou.
"Who are you going to take along this time, da ne?" Yanagisawa asked as he stretched with the help of Atsushi.
Yuuta's ears perked up when Mizuki said Rikkaidai. Despite the fact he really wanted to practice his new move, he sat up and caught the attention of Mizuki.
"What is it, Yuuta-kun?"
"Can I come with you, Mizuki-san?" Yuuta asked and everyone stared at him in shock.
"Akazawa, I'm sure he can be excused for the day" Mizuki said with a chuckle.
"Sure. Yuuta, observe your opponents carefully. Rikkai are said to be very strong" Akazawa replied.
"Yes Buchou" Yuuta stood and brushed his shorts off.
They dressed in their street clothes and took permission from the headmaster before leaving. While on the bus, Mizuki kept talking about how Ginka Jr. High had been improving in their doubles. Yuuta tuned him out and stared out the window. They took the train to Kanagawa and finally reached Rikkaidai.
Yuuta's first reaction was that the school was huge. He commented on this to Mizuki who chuckled and then told him that the senior high school was even bigger. They walked around to the back of the school and got to the tennis courts. Yuuta gaped at the amount of tennis players in the yellow jerseys. Many of them were practicing swings lead by... Yuuta jolted when he recognized Sanada.
Sanada hadn't grown much but he had a cap on his head and he barked orders at many of the players. Yuuta walked over to the fence and then spotted a guy with brown hair scribbling away in a notebook.
"Yanagi Renji" Yuuta murmured quietly and then looked around if he could find Yukimura.
"It seems that Yukimura has abandoned his team for the moment" Mizuki commented.
Yuuta didn't answer but then got distracted by a guy with red-pink hair who was playing a practice match against a dark skinned guy with no hair. Both of them seemed used to each other as they played. The pink haired guy blew a bubble with his chewing gum as they rallied back and forth.
"Marui has gotten better" Mizuki commented staring at the pink haired guy.
Yuuta nodded and then glanced over at another court where a guy with glasses and a silver haired guy were rallying.
"He's a new player. I've never seen him before" Mizuki commented.
"Who?" Yuuta asked.
"The guy with glasses. He seems to be holding the racket rather awkwardly. Definitely a new player to tennis" Mizuki paused, staring at the guy with glasses critically.
Now that Yuuta thought of it, the guy with glasses held his racket a little differently than the rest. Instead of gripping the racket around the middle, he held it almost loosely and right at the end of the grip. It was a little strange to watch and Yuuta ached to correct the guy's grip.
"Regulars assemble!" came a commanding voice. Yuuta nearly cracked his neck as he glanced over at the entrance to the courts where Yukimura was standing.
"Finally, Yukimura arrives" Mizuki gripped. Yuuta ignored him, too awed by Yukimura.
He was even more slender in person. He looked like he couldn't even pick up a racket but Yuuta spied the strong limbs and strong shoulders under the yellow jacket that hung off his shoulders. Yukimura began speaking but Yuuta couldn't hear from this distance.
"That new guy is a regular? That's surprising" Mizuki commented.
Yuuta nodded absentmindedly. They didn't linger for the rest of practice and left after Yukimura had finished speaking to the regulars. Yuuta tried not to be disappointed but he felt a deep sadness as he rode the bus back to St. Rudolph.
"Mizuki came back yet again?" Yukimura asked amusedly as he pulled off his tennis shirt.
"We are the winners of Nationals so he probably wanted to see what we were all about" Sanada replied.
"He had someone new today. I've never seen him before" Yanagi said.
"He must go to St. Rudolph since he was with Mizuki" Yukimura said.
"He was watching you with a lot of concentration, Seiichi. It was rather unnerving" Yanagi commented.
Yukimura chuckled at this and then pulled on his school uniform. His mind flashed back to that strange boy with short red brown hair. Those muscled arms and physique screamed that the boy was a tennis player. Yukimura had of course noticed the boy, not because he was a new face but because there was something about him. There was a fire burning inside that boy and it was easily seen in those brown eyes of his.
What would happen if someone coaxed the fire to burn even more? Then he would grow into the most amazing tennis player ever.
This is my attempt of a Prince of Tennis fanfic and a crack pairing. I realised this pair has no stories and thought about it long and hard before producing this chapter. Review to tell me what you think.
Onyxinlife