Voice
by: RoyaleDeuce
Disclaimer: TeniPuri is not mine.
Warning: Some spoilers in the Yamabuki Arc.
It was match point.
With one more shot stolen from him, Yamabuki Junior High would be a step closer in taking the beacon in the Tokyo Prefectural Tournament. The court was unexpectedly silent as Akutsu Jin prepared to serve.
His mind and body screamed for the game just to end. But he knew he couldn't just drop his focus. He couldn't let Fuji-senpai get the spotlight for crushing Yamabuki. And he couldn't let pass defeating the player that was frighteningly better than him. With a new resolve, he plastered on his famous cocky smirk, pretending that everything was fine… though his insides was really a whirling hurricane.
The sound of pok resounded in the silence.
In the blink of an eye, he returned the ball at exactly the right moment it bounced from the ground.
He let out a triumphant smirk when he realized Akutsu wouldn't be able to hit a diagonal ball from his position. Then his mouth dropped open when he suddenly felt the ball fly passed him without even knowing.
"Deuce!"
The Yamabuki crowd went wild.
Another knot added in his stomach, his palms started to tremble, and his mind continuously played with the words 'damn it!'
Akutsu Jin was freaking inhuman!
With an ugly scowl now on his face, he willed himself to put his head completely in the game and ignore everything else in order to focus. But tried as he might, the Yamabuki cheers were really starting to get to his nerves. Not to mention the vexing smirk his opponent was wearing as he prepared to toss the ball in the air.
Focus.
Akutsu Jin served.
"SEIGAKU! FIGHT-O! FIGHT-O!"
A small smile graced his previously infuriated face.
So they were still there.
In a split second, he reached the ball (all thanks to his split step) and hit it back precisely again.
But Akutsu Jin had him taken aback for the second time.
"3 games to love!"
The entire Seigaku team was silent that instant.
"3 games to love!"
She could feel the rapid beating of her heart against her chest, her mind devoid of nothing else but worry for the first year regular now suffering in the courts. She was sure that not only was Ryoma physically strained, but also emotionally in turmoil. It must be a big blow losing to someone that bad for the first time (she was completely clueless to Tezuka and Echizen Nanjiroh's game).
Looking at Ryoma made her feel for him. He seemed so alone in the court, struggling for victory all by himself.
Shifting her gaze to those with her by the net, the Seigaku regulars had contemplative faces on. The two reporters still comprehended what just happened. The three freshmen all had their mouths agape. Tomoka was trembling.
It was completely… silent.
She could hear the other side of courts booming with exuberant cheers and loud applause. She too started trembling.
Won't anyone snap from their momentary stupor?
Removing her clutched hands from her skirt, she formed it around her mouth and in took a deep breath.
"R—RYOMA-KUN F—FIGHT—O!"
Everything stopped.
Suddenly all was silent.
Well, not really.
The Yamabuki cheers were still heard, but it only seemed like a faint buzzing now. There was the eruption of the deeper Seigaku cheers in the previous second, but that wasn't what struck him. Vanquished his hopelessness. Gave him courage. Uplifted him from an abyss. It wasn't them who were to be credited for.
It was that lone voice.
With a new resolve, he prepared for his famous Twist Serve.
"7 games to 6! Seigaku wins!"
"Ochibi is the best, nya!"
"Congrats, Echizen!"
"For a moment I thought you were going to lose back there!"
A frown was plastered on his face as everyone was suddenly glomping him, hugging him, wringing his neck – to put it straight, stealing the living daylights out of him. And the annoying cheerleader banshee named Osakada Tomoka had to add to his growing headache.
Then she crossed his peripheral vision.
She was fidgeting with her skirt, her face completely red. She seemed to be having a dilemma of approaching him and joining the 'kill-Echizen-Ryoma-with-your-congratulations' club. With that thought, he was actually thankful she didn't. But then again, he wanted to hear her voice. A simple 'congratulations' would do.
When he realized she would remain to be chickened, he pulled away from the wrathful grasps of his senpai-tachi with strength he did not know he possessed. He took steps toward her.
Everyone was suddenly silent, their eyes fixed on an impassive Ryoma and a fiery red Sakuno.
From their point of view, they suddenly saw Ryoma lean towards the girl.
Sakuno was frozen in her place as she watched Ryoma's retreating figure. She blushed at the memory of having Echizen Ryoma so near her, his breath still lingering on the shell of her ear. Though what he whispered to her made her discomfort all the more worse, but gave her a giddy feeling that he at least appreciated her.
"You were too loud…"
A/N: Short! I know. But I do find it sweet. (:)) Thanks for reading! Review?
[Edited]