Prologue: The Bet

April 2006

It was spring when the new term started. Sakura petals were dancing in the air, greeting every new student with their beauty. Students of every age were walking to their school with excitement, curious of what they would face in that year.

Sanada Genichirou was walking up the road to his middle school, Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. He wore his uniform neatly without a single wrinkle, so as not to give false impressions. He had his tennis bag slung on his right shoulder, and his black cap with the rim backwards. He knew that it wasn't the proper way to wear a hat, but it's cooler that way, or so he thought.

Anyway, he was determined to be the best tennis player, and he was sure that Rikkai would help him to achieve it. Ever since he had read that Rikkai's tennis club had won the Kantou championship for the past thirteen consecutive years, he aimed into becoming one of Rikkai's regulars. He would be the one to add three more years to the record, he had vowed.

That aside, he also vowed to defeat two 'particular' persons. One was a four-eyed bastard that appeared after the Jr. Tournament, who humiliated him with his absolute victory with the scores 6-1 and 6-0; that bastard who brought the ball to his side no matter what with his Tezuka Zone. The name is Tezuka Kunimitsu, and Sanada vowed to take revenge on his humiliation no matter how long it takes.

The other was the winner of the Jr. Tournament, a blue haired demon that could cast all your senses away. Sanada had to give the first place for he was no longer able to see, to hear, to feel… He was like a corpse during the match. His mind screamed to move, to at least swing the racquet, but he couldn't. He just stood there, like a statue.

He might lose the number one spot to him, but he would earn it back! Even though he would need to hope that both of them enrolled in a prestigious tennis school so that thee would have a chance to meet each other above the eliminations.

At the same time he was thinking, he saw a glimpse of blue with a tint of green ahead of him. The person was admiring the sea on his left. He stood there, with his tennis bag slung on his left shoulder. The person realized that Sanada was staring at him, so he turned his head to the left and gave Sanada a smile.

Sanada couldn't believe who he was seeing. "Yukimura?" Sanada called, making sure that it was him and not a ghost or his imagination.

Yukimura still had the smile on. "Ah, the runner up in Jr. Tournament. Sanada Genichirou, am I right?" He extended his hand to greet him. "Yukimura Seiichi, although I'm sure that you have known my name."

Sanada flinched when Yukimura mentioned his runner-up spot during the tournament. It was quite…rude to say people's loss like talking about weather. Sanada stared at the hand for a while, before he realized that it was awkward for them to stand in the way for so long and blocked the way. Quickly he gulped any uneasiness and shook hands with him.

"Let's talk somewhere else." Sanada recommended, walking past Yukimura. Yukimura nodded and walked along his side.

"The view here is nice isn't it, Genichirou?" Yukimura asked.

Again, Sanada flinched at the mention of his name. They barely meet each other thrice, during the match, after the match, and now. And Yukimura deemed it was appropriate to call him on first-name basis?

"A-Ah…"Sanada replied awkwardly.

They didn't make any other conversation onwards. The silence continued until they reach the school's gate, when Yukimura suddenly spoke out something that caused Sanada to gape at him.

"It would be great if our generation could have no losses for these three years."

Sanada snapped his head to Yukimura in surprise. His mouth wide hanging, words stuck at his throat.

"Now together, we can start taking over this place." Yukimura smiled, he held both his hands in the air, as if wanting Sanada to come and embrace him.

Sanada was finally able to find his voice. He coughed. "Three years is impossible." He lowered his head. "Freshmen are not allowed to hold racquet until summer. Moreover, freshman are not allowed to become a re-"

"What are you saying, Sanada?"

Sanada flinched. Even though Yukimura was smiling, his tone when he spoke his name and his eyes felt like swords. Both pierced his eyes and mind. Sanada didn't realize that sweat was rolling down his cheek. Being a disciple to kendo, he understood well the feeling of facing an enemy, one who had a sword on his hands. It has the same feeling.

But Sanada could face such peoples. That gave no excuses for him to cower because of mere threatening voice. "As I was saying, freshmen are not allowed to hold racquet until summer. If you read some information about Rikkai, you will find that freshman are not allowed to become a regular for training and preparation purpose."

Yukimura stared at him, his smile turned into a frown. Sanada gulped. It took all his strength and pride to be able to stare back into those sapphire orbs. It felt like he was in one of a practice match with his grandfather, which was ridiculous.

All of the sudden Yukimura smiled, his eyes closed. Sanada let out his breath that he didn't realized he had been holding, his face showed bewilderment.

"Want to make a bet?"

"WHAT?" Sanada shouted in shock. His voice was so loud that everyone immediately stopped on their track and turned their attention to him.

Yukimura laughed at the commotion Sanada had caused, causing him to look away and blushed. When Sanada turned his gaze back, he was greeted by the sight of Yukimura holding out his right hand at him with a gleeful smile.

"I bet that I will be admitted as a regular today." He stated loud and clear in front of everyone. "If I win, then you'll serve under me for a week. If I lose, then I'll follow your command for a week."

Sanada looked at him like he was crazy. He was not the only one. Everyone around them was whispering things about Yukimura's statement. Sanada could hear some of their whispers, which exactly spoke out his minds.

"That kid must be crazy!"

"Be a regular in his first day? A freshman becoming a regular is impossible in the first place!"

"But it will be interesting to see that capped guy being the blue-haired kid's dog…"

What! No, he was clearly NOT thinking the last statement! There's no way that he'd agree to-Wha!

Yukimura suddenly jerked Sanada's right hand and forced him to shake hands. "It's a deal then!" He exclaimed with his smile radiating.

Sanada was caught off-guard with his one-sided agreement. "I do not-" He was about to speak when Yukimura's stare stopped him.

"Right?" Yukimura opened his eyes and stared fiercely at Sanada's hazel brown ones. His tone also dropped a notch from the previous feminine happy one.

Sanada found his voice once again stuck inside his throat. His body's temperature dropped a few degrees. The only occasion where he could find himself in such situation was during his training with his grandfather. In his mind, he knew that the person in front of him was just a twelve year old boy. But his body wouldn't agree with his mind.

Sanada gulped. "V-very well…" He agreed absent-mindedly. He was too afraid to face what Yukimura was going to do to him if he disagreed.

Yukimura gripped Sanada's hand tighter and brought it up to his chest-level. "Yay!" He squealed happily.

"Then we'll see each other later at tennis activity then. I'll be waiting for you, Sanada." Yukimura let go of his cold hand and waved him a goodbye as he walked away, leaving a frozen Sanada behind.

What have I just agreed myself into?

Behind him, a boy with brown hair was standing while scribbling on his green notebook. He also earned some eyes on him, although they were just giving him a 'you're crazy' look and not whispering things like what they did to Sanada. He observed the capped boy as he unfrozen from his state, then slapping himself before he walked inside the school.

"Ii data…"He murmured while scribbling some more. The bell rang once, twice, and thrice. He put his pen on his pocket and closed his notebook before quickly followed the capped boy. He couldn't be late on his first day now, could he?

The winner and the runner-up of Jr. Tournament are in Rikkai together…Things are going to get interesting. He thought as he ran.

Yukimura had declared that he would become a regular on his first day! Will he succeed, or will he end up serving under Sanada for a week? What's there? A freshman was bullied, you say?

"SANADA!"

Next up on The King of Tennis, The Big Three part one I: Yukimura Seiichi.

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P.S: Is it OOC? And if you guys have any suggestion, ideas, or anything, please do share! Tell me whether you guys like it or not, and whether I should continue it.