The sound of the tennis ball hitting against the wall in the silence of the night attracted Syusuke's attention. He slowed down his steps and trudged towards the source of that sound. It was the normal hitting of balls against the wall, yet somehow it sounded different from the ones that were hit by himself or the rest of the regulars. Peering in from the outside of the tennis court, he silently observed the tennis player who had his back facing Syusuke. He was dressed in grey and was cloaked in the darkness. A hood covered the back of that person's head so Syusuke could not determine the colour of the person's hair; neither could he see the hairstyle that might give him a clue of the identity of the person, but he was making a guess that it was a boy. No ordinary girl could play tennis in such a boyish manner, he thought.
The person paused for a moment, and Syusuke suspected that he might have noticed his presence. Whether his suspicions were true or not, it remained as a mystery as the person threw the ball high towards the dark sky, before lifting his arm straight and jumping a little, hitting the ball right at the core of the racket towards the wall. The ball travelled at high speed towards the wall, before spinning vigorously once it came into contact with the hard surface, and bouced back towards the person. Syusuke watched in amazement as the person did not even flinch one bit. What amazed him even more was how the person elegantly side stepped and the ball flew right towards Syusuke's face. He barely managed to escape the impact by less than an inch, thanks to the metal gauze that saved him. All these in less than 3 seconds.
That… was Echizen's twist serve, or was it? He wondered, starting to have doubts. The impact was greater, the twist was sharper and the power was greater as well for the ball to continue spinning even though it had hit the wall. This person obviously had great control as well, for he was able to calculate the angle at which he had to serve so as to hit the ball right towards Syusuke. That was a twist serve all right, he thought in awe, but a much higher level one than the one Echizen always uses.
The hooded person turned around to face Syusuke, his lips slightly curving up. Despite being unable to see his eyes, Syusuke interpreted this hooded person's smile as that of a smug one.
"Spying on someone isn't exactly polite, even if you are the renowned genius Fuji Syusuke." The hooded person said, his voice mixed with sarcasm as well as politeness and…was it bitterness that Syusuke sensed?
Syusuke raised an eyebrow. He had never seen this person before yet this person seemed to know him very well, even to the point of know his full name.
" And may I ask how do you know me?" he inquired with the exact same politeness that the hooded person used. The lips of the person curved up even more.
" Fuji Syusuke, the tennis prodigy of Seishun Gakuen. Who wouldn't know you?"
"It's basic courtesy to introduce yourself to someone you met especially if you know the other party's name while the other party doesn't know yours." Fuji shot back.
"hmm. Interesting," the hooded person said, bemused. " Fuji Yuzu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
"Hajimemashi te, Yuzu." Syusuke replied calmly, but deep down he was surprised to find that this person actually had the same surname as him. Fuji might be a common surname but such a coincidence was quite hard to believe.
" If you don't mind, I would like to make a move. My brother and father are already waiting for me to have dinner." Yuzu informed Syusuke. His eyes were still hidden in the shadows and Syusuke could only see half of Yuzu's face. This boy made him intrigued, a feeling no one, not even Tezuka or Echizen had made him feel. He was curious to know all about this boy, and was eager to have a match with this boy, especially seeing his tennis skills. Could it be possible that i finally found someone that i can unleash my full potential against and improve at the same time? He wondered, tingling with excitement. Yet disappointment soon seeped in as the boy's words sunk in.
"Ahh. Yes. I'm sorry." Syusuke stepped aside and Yuzu walked past him. Staring at the back of Yuzu, Syusuke gave a sigh, wondering if he would ever see Yuzu again.
" 7pm, the same place tomorrow." All of a sudden, Yuzu stopped and turned back, throwing this sentence at Syusuke before turning back and trudging away, leaving Syusuke staring at him in surprise and amazement. That half turn had allowed Sysuke to catch a brief glimpse of Yuzu's face, and his heart skipped a beat. He had gorgeous eyes that reflected the lights of the lamppost shining above them, making it seemed as if his eyes were shining, full of life. His fringe was side swept, covering his other eye, and some of his hair poked out from the sides of the hood, framing the side of his face. He has a pointed chin, similar to Echizen's, Syusuke noted, and his hair is in a shade of light chestnut brown.
It was also as though Yuzu had read his mind and offered him the answer. Syusuke's eyes opened and he smiled faintly. He had something to look forward to now—his date with this unknown and mysterious friend of his.