Sara: Hey guys! This is a short one-shot written for the PoT Facebook's Match of the Month competition. You can read the background here: http:/www(dot)facebook(dot)com / note(dot)php?note_id=10150350250071828 If you guys have a Facebook, I would really appreciate it if you would vote for me (well if you think this is good, that is). Voting starts November 25th. Thanks so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own PoT.
Keeping Promises
Always win, Rikkaidai! Let's go, let's go, Rikkaidai!
Seigaku! Fight-o! Fight-o! Fight-o!
Fuji Syusuke looked up to the sky as wind whipped around his face and the sun warmed his skin. Pulling off his tennis jersey and track pants, he grabbed his racquet, savouring the slight stickiness of the grip.
Seigaku! Fight-o, fight-o!
Perfect conditions, Seigaku's tensai mused to himself, strands of honey-brown hair dancing in front of his eyes. He turned to look toward the other side of the court, where Rikkaidai's fans were answering Seigaku's cheers in earnest.
Always win, Rikkaidai! Let's go, let's go, Rikkaidai!
"Ganbatte, Fuji-senpai!"
Fuji looked to his friends, his teammates and smiled. He couldn't let them down, not now, not ever again. Shiraishi Kuranoske had taught him that. Each of the Seigaku regulars lined up in the stands as they wished their Number Two all the best.
"There's a pretty even percent chance of your victory, Fuji," Inui said with his notebook open, pages turned to Sanada Genichirou's data, as he clamped a heavy hand on Fuji's shoulder. His glasses gleamed an eerie light. "Sanada seems serious today."
"Fssh… We're sorry for our loss, Fuji-senpai."
Fuji merely waved his kohai off, his perpetual smile still in place.
"Don't mind, don't mind, Kaidoh," he shrugged, and then gestured to Eiji and Oishi, who weren't sitting far away. "Seigaku's Golden Pair had you covered."
And with that, Fuji received a more-than-enthusiastic glomping from Eiji. Oishi attempted to peel his best friend off of the tensai, but Seigaku's acrobat had the brunette locked in a vice grip.
"Bui!" he crowed happily, flashing v's with his fingers for everyone in the large crowd to see. "You can do this, Fujiko, nya!"
"BURNING!"
"Ah, Taka-san, I see you have a racquet…" Fuji chuckled as the power player ran around the stands, shouting in English while waving Seigaku's flag. The tensai was surprised that he wasn't being detained… yet.
"Che. Don't lose today, Fuji-senpai. That's for our unfinished match." Echizen pulled the brim of his cap over his eyes, as though betraying any interest. In truth he was beyond aggravated that he wasn't chosen to play this match after his incredible performance during the National Finals.
"We beat Rikkaidai during Nationals. We'll have no trouble with the final round of this tournament. Imagine what'll happen to Seigaku's reputation once we represent all of Japan in this International School Club thing!" Momo grinned as he cuffed Fuji around the shoulders. The latter's knees buckled, but Seigaku's rascal continued to go on about the match's parallel with something he experienced at the local street courts.
Finally, Fuji came to Tezuka. The Pillar of Support. Seigaku's Number One. The one who Fuji was never able to defeat. Tezuka crossed his arms and gave the tensai a look that pierced through his very soul.
"Don't let your guard down," was all he said, before he diverted his gaze to Yukimura on the other side of the court.
Fuji merely smiled in response. "Of course not."
Always win, Rikkaidai! Let's go, let's go, Rikkaidai!
Seigaku! Fight-o! Fight-o!
It was almost nostalgic for Fuji, stepping onto these courts again. The courts on which the National Finals were played. The courts on which he outstandingly defeated Niou Masaharu.
The courts on which he lost to Shiraishi Kuranoske.
It was on these courts where Fuji Syusuke had made middle school tennis history.
And he wasn't going to lose again today. He promised himself that much.
"One set match!" the umpire called, and the crowd went deadly quiet. "Seigaku's Fuji to serve!"
Sanada Genichirou, Fuji mused as he bounced the ball several times. The motion was familiar. Comforting. This was just like any game, he told himself. Just pretend like it's any other game.
Against the Emperor of Rikkaidai, nevertheless.
Fuji tightened his hold on the ball between his fingers and glanced at the oh-so-calm Rikkaidai fukkubuchou on the other side of the court. So like Tezuka, he thought to himself. Such a serious face…
I will not lose. Not again.
And with that, Fuji spun the ball in between his fingers, tossed it in front of him, and served.
Of course, Sanada had been expecting this. The infamous Fuji Syusuke, tensai of Seigaku, with the Disappearing Serve that he had used to defeat Hyotei Gakuen's Akutagawa Jirou. A muttered "sugei!" could be heard from the sidelines from said narcoleptic.
Well, Sanada wasn't going to fall for it that easily.
"Swift," he muttered under his breath as he prepared to hit a powerful forehand, "like the wind!"
…
"Fifteen love!"
Sanada pitched forward as his racquet caught the empty air, and he fell to his knees, scraping his palms in the process. What had just happened…?
Fuji smirked and his eyes opened dangerously, flashing a brilliant cerulean in the bright sunlight. He watched as Rikkaidai's Emperor brushed the dust off of his uniform, straightened his abominable cap, and stood behind the baseline. Would he make this interesting? Fuji wondered. Was Sanada Genichiro, Emperor of Rikkaidai, really worthy of his talents?
He would have to see about that.
Another serve, yet this time it was just like any other – so he was giving Sanada a chance!
"Swift like the wind!"
That again, Fuji mocked. As the nearly invisible ball soared to his left out of his reach, the tensai twisted his body midair and landed on his feet with as much grace as a skilled dancer.
"It's the upper body Split Step!" someone whispered in the stands, "the technique Fuji used to defeat Rikkaidai's Kirihara Akaya!"
"Thirty love!" Sanada struggled to recover as Fuji began running him all over the court.
Soon, it was:
"Game, Fuji! One game to love! Change courts!"
Sanada ground his teeth together as he gripped his racquet tightly in his hand. Who was this, this Fuji Syusuke? Sanada had expected Seigaku's tensai to be strong, but this strong? He couldn't have even guessed.
Seigaku! Fight-o fight-o!
Fuji cocked his head to the side, watching Sanada's perfectly composed expression, knowing that he was fuming inside.
That was just a warm-up, Sanada, Fuji thought to himself. Tezuka was able to defeat you, and so will I. Now it is time to get serious.
"Sanada," Yukimura called in a sickly sweet voice to his vice captain when Sanada passed the coach's bench. "Don't lose now."
"I know, Yukimura," Sanada replied stiffly, gripping his racquet a little too harshly. He served, letting out an almost feral growl. Fuji smirked.
"Nna!" he grunted as he hit the ball, finishing his swing with a flick of his wrist over his shoulder. The ball bounced on Sanada's side of the court, but whizzed close to the ground instead of meeting the Emperor's awaiting racquet.
"Love fifteen!"
"It's Fuji's Tsubami Gaeshi!" someone whispered, and the crowd tittered in awe.
Sanada gripped his racquet still tighter, and muttered under his breath, "Quiet like the forest!"
"Nna!" Fuji grunted again. But this time, the ball bounced, surprising most of the crowd. Except Yukimura, of course.
"Rin," he mused, resting his cheek against his hand. "Forest. It eliminates all spin on the ball, making Fuji's Tsubami Gaeshi nearly impossible. For Sanada to use it so early in the game… The tensai must be pushing him."
"Invade like fire!"
Fuji was nearly blown back by the power of Sanada's impending shot, which effectively ended the point.
"Fifteen all!"
"Invade like fire!"
Fuji twisted around, his torso shifting the direction of his attack. With both hands on his racquet, he managed to return the shot with little difficulty. The crowd stared open-mouthed as they continued to watch Fuji take the next game.
"Game, Fuji! Two games to love!"
Hakugei. Higuma Otoshi. Hecatoncheires no Monban. Hoshi Hanabe. Fuji precisely executed all of his counter attacks, rendering Sanada's moves useless one by one.
Where is it, Sanada? he thought almost savagely as they changed courts again – five to love, Sanada's serve. Why aren't you showing me what you can truly do? You had the power to rival Tezuka. Where is it now, Sanada?
"Sanada…"
"I know, Yukimura," Rikkaidai's Emperor retorted bitingly from between his teeth, and he braced himself to serve.
"Fifteen love!"
Nani?
Fuji whirled around toward the umpire. He hadn't even seen Sanada swing!
After a moment the ball rolled toward his feet, and Fuji smiled.
Finally, Sanada.
"Strike like lightning!"
Fuji could only laugh as the ball whipped past his face, as the umpire called game after game. This was new, this was brilliant, this was thrilling. He hadn't felt so alive since that match in the rain so long ago.
"Fuji-senpai is losing…" Echizen grumbled in an almost resentful way; after all, he should be the one playing this match, not Fuji.
"But look at Fujiko!" Eiji cried happily. "I've never seen him like this before!"
The tensai's cerulean eyes were open, his mouth frozen in a laugh. His playing was fluid and graceful, carefree rather than calculative. Sanada couldn't help but wonder whether the boy was insane to enjoy loosing this much. Fuji no longer cared about anything, least of all winning, simply returning Sanada's shots with little flourish.
Fuji Yuuta stood in the crowd, his brow creased in worry as he watched his brother's relaxed play. How could he take this match so lightly? And against Sanada Genichirou, no less! At this rate, his brother was going to lose!
"Aniki..." Yuuta mumbled under his breath as he clutched his hands into fists in anxiety.
The Emperor prepared to swing again. The tensai had to be joking, giving him such an easy shot! Straight to his right side, the ball just above his waist. Sanada's legs and arms ached with the strain of hitting so many of his specialty moves, but he prepared for the shot that would take him one step closer to winning the match and Rikkaidai's gaining the lead…
"Game and match, Fuji! Seven games to five!"
Seigaku! Fight-o fight-o fight-o!
The ball clicked as it hit the tape of the net, rolling away quite pathetically as the crowd exploded into cheering. Sanada collapsed to his knees, panting and massaging his pained shoulder. If only he had tried a bit sooner...
Seigaku's Fuji towered over him, his smile more than unnerving as he once again became the calm, calculative tensai. Sanada could almost imagine Shiraishi Kuranoske above him and Fuji in his place, the former leering after that semifinals match.
"That was a great game, Sanada," Fuji said in a honeyed tone, holding out his hand for the other to shake. "You're amazing."
"… Ah." Sanada didn't really know what to say to that, since he, Rikkaidai's Emperor, was most spectacularly defeated by Seigaku's tensai, Fuji Syusuke.
The brunette chuckled after they had let go of each other's hands. "You remind me greatly of Tezuka, Sanada. So stiff. I hope we play again sometime."
"… Ah."
Fuji! Fuji! Fuji! Fuji!
"Saa, my fans await me," Seigaku's Number Two murmured under his breath as the crowd grew louder and louder. Then he laughed. "See you around, Sanada."
Even though Seigaku hadn't won the tournament yet, they were still in the lead. And Fuji had not only redeemed himself of his loss to Shiraishi Kuranoske, but he also played the match of his life.
Eiji reached him first, clasping him into a rib-cracking hug. Taka-san was next, shouting in English with a racquet in his hand. Oishi. Momo. Kaidoh. Inui. And finally Echizen trailed behind, mumbling a quick "mada mada dane." Tezuka reached the tensai last, and he put a heavy hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.
"Well done, Fuji," Seigaku's buchou uttered solemnly, and Fuji beamed as his chest swelled at the rare praise.
Meanwhile, around the Seigaku team, the crowd continued to shout, Fuji! Fuji! Fuji! Fuji!
Sara: Sooo, I wrote and typed this all up at 2 o'clock in the morning, because I just HAD to write something for this competition. I'm sorry if it's not coherent. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it :) Reviews are always nice ~