Prince of Tennis © Konomi
Choice of Words
Atobe knew immediately upon looking whom it was he had spotted. Sitting idly by himself in a corner with a wistful smile planted on his lips and his eyes darting from place to place behind lenses, Oshitari Yuushi was a hard sight to miss by one who had known him for so long. Atobe considered for a moment if he should go greet his friend and fellow teammate, but decided against that notion when he noticed how entranced Oshitari was by the book in his hands. Upon closer inspection, Atobe noted its title printed out in neat English letters: 'Gone with the Wind'.
"Huh… He likes to read those kinds of books?" Atobe mused to himself like a little child who has just been told a grand secret. Keeping his thoughts to himself, Atobe quickly fingered out the book title he was looking for before proceeding to the library's front desk to check it out, (Even the rich like he found it absurd to buy things when you can borrow it for free.) mind still licking at the type of books Oshitari preferred. Maybe it came as a bit of a surprise to Atobe, because for some reason Oshitari had always struck him as a type to be reading mystery novels or futuristic science fiction. While his insight might be deathly accurate on the court, it seemed it was getting rusty around his social life. However, what is done is done, and Atobe thought no more on that subject as he stepped through the doors out onto the streets.
Atobe spotted the devious schemer again the following Sunday at a local bookstore with that same gleeful smile and an expression that dittoed that of a four-year-old who had just done something dreadfully mischievous. Narrowing his eyes to catch hold of the title that appeared blurry from a distance, Atobe was again surprised by Oshitari's choice of reading: Ouran High School Host Club (© Bisco Hatori) volume eight.
"Volume eight?" Atobe said to himself. "He's been keeping up with the series?"
Again, his insight has been out stepped by one, and just when he thought he had the other's reading materials figured out, here he was indulging himself in a screwball romance manga. Atobe couldn't help but shake his head. Oshitari was simply sporadic.
When Atobe saw the other again wedged in the corner of the clubhouse hugging a hard cover book to his face, he decided to question the boy. Honestly, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh? Was he really in the presence of the king of tactics Oshitari Yuushi? Atobe had already perceived the boy of an intelligent soul with a well-learned stature and a solid and sane background, (With all the people Atobe has played, it was refreshing to know somebody who wasn't love-dazed like Kamio or unexplainably snarky like Ryoma.) so he was rather curious to see what the boy was up to.
"Atobe, look at this: 'Twosday'."
Oshitari gave a laugh at his own words, and Atobe, quite frankly, was taken aback at his childish behavior. Usually when Oshitari laughed, it was either to taught his opponents or the sort of 'I know something you don't know' snicker, but here he was genuinely laughing with no tags attached, much like that of an overjoyed child. It was strange, but a pleasant change from his usual shivering laughs.
"Oshitari, what are you talking about?" Atobe asked.
"It's in English," he explained. "They're lives are so simple, and yet we humans have the need to complicate everything." Oshitari's trademark smirk crawled back onto his features as he snapped shut the book and straightened his posture.
"Feeling artsy, aren't we?" Atobe replied with a light chuckle of his own. He always knew Oshitari loved to elaborate.
"Crafty," Oshitari corrected.
"But really, Oshitari," Atobe sighed, "You have an interesting taste in literature."
"I believe in expanding my horizons," Oshitari answered.
That night, Atobe bizarrely found himself reading The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
