Author's Note: This is an AkayaxOC one shot fic I made based on Dopamine's Dream Novel Generator Idea 5 (you can search for dopamine if you want) I do not own Prince of Tennis.
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Spring Irises
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Today I'll begin
To live anew
Start a new life for me and for you
Spring. The season of new beginnings, outside Tokyo General Hospital the cherry blossoms bloomed into a wonderful shade of pink. It's fallen petals danced with the gentle wind.
A girl with long dark blue hair and bright green eyes looked outside as she sat on her hospital bed, watching different people pass by with different smiles on their faces. Her bright emerald orbs showed a sign of yearning, for freedom. The young lass smiled ever so slightly as she grabbed her notebook and wrote a few lines.
Spring
The season of new beginnings
My hope is still rising
Maybe someday I'll be able to walk again
On the path of cherry blossoms
As she heard a couple of knocks on the door she quickly hid the notebook under her pillow and called out "Come in!" she blinked upon seeing her childhood friend "Akaya!" she greeted with a smile "It's been a while, ne?" she tilted her head as she saw a few others behind the said boy. "Are?"
"These are my senpais" Kirihara Akaya introduced, with a little growl. "Our buchou is having a check up so I thought maybe I could visit" he said, sheepishly rubbing his head. The silver haired guy nudged Akaya on the ribs.
The girl blinked twice seeing a bouquet of irises on her friend's right hand. "Are those… Irises, Akaya?" she asked, wanting to see them.
"Y-yeah…" he said, handing the bunch of flowers to her. "S-since it's your favourite"
"Arigatou" she said, placing the flowers on the nearby vase. "Ne, why don't you introduce me to your senpais?" she asked, motioning to the others.
"I'm Marui Bunta!" a red-head chewing some bubblegum introduced.
"Niou Masaharu" the silver haired guy grinned.
"Yanagi Renji" the data specialist introduced.
"Yagyuu Hiroshi"
"Kuwahara Jackal" a dark skinned boy said.
"Sanada Genichirou" the boy who wore a cap said with a respectful nod.
"Yukimura Seiichi" a boy with blue-violet hair smiled angelically.
"Nice to meet you" she said "I'm Fujiwara Airi" she bowed ever so slightly.
Today I'll begin
This season of spring
When the cherry blossoms bloom
When the young birds sing
"Watch Rikkai Dai play tennis?" Airi blinked twice, looking away from the book she was reading to the whole team of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. She smiled slightly "Sure! I'd love to" she accepted the offer "I'll just have to tell Nee-san and Nii-san"
"Would your brother even agree?" Akaya asked, a bit doubtful. 'Please say no, please say no' he chanted in his mind.
Airi smiled angelically like their captain, making shivers run down their spine "I have my ways" she said. Why did they suddenly feel sorry for Airi's elder brother? "What team are you playing against?" she asked, curiously.
"It's…"
Today I'll begin
Fulfil my promise of a new beginning
A new life tune I will sing
A different kind of happiness it will bring
Airi gasped as she saw Kirihara Akaya's eyes turned red. He was a different person now, he wasn't her Akaya. He was now a demon. "Akaya…" she murmured, shutting her eyes tightly trying not to focus at the match. 'Please let it be over…' she wished, clasping her hands as if to pray for Akaya's opponent. 'Please stop Akaya, please'
Her prayers were heard as the match had ended, Akaya's opponent was severely injured though and was rushed to the nearest hospital.
"Have you seen enough?" a soft voice asked, she looked at the speaker who was a young man who had her features.
"Nii-san" she muttered and nodded weakly.
"Let's go back to the hospital, ne?"
"Hai…"
Today I'll begin
To look at life at a different way
Not even caring what the others say
Because I will live the rest of my life in my own way
"Two more months?" Airi muttered "Life is shorter than I thought" she said, getting out of her bed and clutching the metal railings for support as she sat on her wheelchair. She reached the door knob but someone beat her to opening the door. She blinked twice before she bowed her head down "Akaya…" she muttered.
"A-are you going somewhere?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.
"I was going to get something from the vending machine" she said.
"A-ah I'll get your apple juice for you" he said turning around but only to be stopped by his senpais.
"We'll get that for Airi-chan, you stay here" they pushed him in the room and closed the door. An awkward silence ensued.
"About the match…" Kirihara started. Airi was silent all the time. "I'm sorry you had to see that" he muttered. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, unsurely.
"No" she said reaching for his hand with both of hers, he looked at her in disbelief "But promise me Akaya" she said, looking at his eyes "Promise me you won't hurt another innocent player" she held his hand tightly.
"I… I promise" he said, smiling reassuringly.
Today I'll begin
To start living my life fully
Not caring when it will end
"Nee-san, can we stop by Rikkai Dai?" the young blue haired girl asked her sister.
The girl with shoulder length light violet hair sighed, her oval shaped glasses gleamed as the suns ray's hit it. "Alright Airi" she said, pushing the wheelchair towards the said school smiling gently at her little sister. The regulars stopped as they saw the young girl.
"Hi there!" she greeted with a wave.
"Airi? Misaki nee-san?" Akaya blinked twice.
"Ne Airi-chan wanna come with us after practice?" a hyperactive Marui Bunta asked, making Misaki raise her brow.
"Ahahaha" Airi laughed sheepishly, motioning to her sister "I forgot to introduce you to my sister" she said.
"Fujiwara Misaki, nice to meet you" she said in a cool and stoic voice, the other regulars introduced themselves. "And are you really going with them?" she turned to her sister.
"Puh-lease…" Airi begged.
Misaki smiled gently as she ruffled her sister's hair "Alright" she said, turning to the captain and vice captain "They seem reliable enough" Airi sweat dropped "Please make sure that Airi is back in the hospital at exactly five o'clock" she said before bowing and turning to Airi "Call me with your phone if anything happens" she said before leaving.
Today I'll begin
Not caring what tomorrow brings
"I'm sorry Airi…" a young man with messy dark blue hair and dark brown eyes said.
"It can't be helped Nii-san" Airi said closing her eyes as she smiled "Nee-san will be here during the operation anyway" she said "It is for me and nee-san too, right?"
"Take care of yourself, kiddo" he said ruffling the young lass' hair. He sighed and opened the door, revealing a blinking Akaya along with his team mates. "Akaya-kun" he acknowledged, giving a cold glare at the others.
"Akira nii-san" he greeted.
"I'll be going then" he said, walking away.
"Sorry for my brother" Airi said "He can be too cold sometimes… and a bit too overprotective" she blinked twice "So what brings everyone here?" she asked.
"We're inviting you to watch our game against Seigaku" Niou said with a goofy grin. "What do you say, hime-san?"
"When?"
"A week from now" Bunta said.
"I-I can't" she said "I'm sorry, minna-san" she smiled apologetically "I can't go next week" There was a knock on the door and Misaki entered.
"She's going to have her operation next week" she answered, in her emotionless voice, Airi clutched the bed sheets tightly making Misaki sigh "You can't keep it from them forever"
"I know nee-san" she said, taking a deep breath "I'm sorry"
"It's nothing to worry about" Akaya said reassuringly.
"As long as you get better" Niou added "Ne, buchou" he turned to Yukimura who smiled, knowing how Airi felt.
"Get well soon, Airi-chan" Seiichi said.
"Hai!"
Today I'll begin
I'll get ready for my nearing ending
Rikkai Dai lost against Seigaku that day, that fateful day Fujiwara Misaki had the saddest look in her eyes. She approached the regulars, clutching her right arm.
"Misaki nee-san?" Akaya blinked twice. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"A-akaya…" she muttered "Everyone…" it was the first time they heard the young girl stutter in front of them, the first time they saw an emotion in her eyes. "It's about Airi…" she said, her voice shaking "She's gone…"
"I-impossible!" Akaya said rather too quickly. "She can't be…!" he cried running away from his team mates.
Today I'll begin
For the first time in years
Fujiwara Akira stood in front of his sister's bed, there was a notebook with a flower between its leaves. It was an iris, her favourite flower. Akira had managed to cancel his business meeting with one of his clients, that day.
He turned around and say Kirihara Akaya. "Uso…" Akaya muttered and all he could do was nod, it was a true fact. Akira picked up Airi's notebook and gave it to Akaya.
"She wanted to give this to you" he said, before exiting the room.
To Akaya it was written on the front page Thank you for everything, I'm sorry I couldn't watch your match with Seigaku and that I couldn't say goodbye properly. Please say thanks to your team mates for me. One last favour – Akaya, can you keep this notebook for me? And the Iris too?
He flipped the notebook open, reading Airi's thoughts.
I'm beginning to lose hope
But I can't tell anyone that I can't cope
But as I saw that Iris before me
I thought I was such a fool since I couldn't see
I want to hear my sister play the violin once more
I want to look into my brother's eyes again
And most importantly I want to see his smile
Akaya's heart stopped beating as he continued reading, he wanted to cry but at the same time he didn't want to.
He had been my best friend for as long as I can remember
His smile brightens my day when I feel sober
My brother may call him a devil
My sister, just the same
But I love him dearly
Kirihara Akaya is his name
He took out the iris in between the pages, it was the one he gave her that day when he visited her again. He flipped towards the bag of the notebook and read a small note.
Akaya, try to smile more when your with others!
Live your life fully everyday
Please promise me this
Fujiwara Airi
Kirihara smiled slightly as he read this, he looked at the clear blue sky.
"Ne Akaya, do you know what Irises mean?"
The boy shook his head.
The girl giggled "It means faith, hope, courage, wisdom and admiration"
Today I'll begin
To live a new life for me and not only for you
I'll keep this promise like this notebook full of irises
Goodbye Airi, I'll never forget you
Kirihara Akaya, your best friend