Title : Rikkai's Getting A Hardcore
Summary : After hearing what Sanada said, Yukimura slapped his face. "Stop it, Sanada! Stop blaming yourself! I hate it! I don't want to hear anything like this at all! It's impossible! We can't lose!" - After Kantou Finals.
Yukimura opened his eyes slowly. The spacious room wasn't too dark nor too light. He turned his head slightly to the left and noticed that it's already night. There was no one in the room. Yukimura let out a heavy sigh. He wished that the first thing that he would see once he open his eyes are his teammates, and nothing more. Wonder where they could be. Probably at the cafeteria. Well, he did told them that he might not be awake until the next day after the operation.
Well, Yukimura knows that he couldn't blame them. It's not like they're at fault. Waiting for almost 5 hours just to make sure that he's doing fine is not that simple. He knew that all of them are extremely worried about him. Ever since he was admitted to the hospital, their characters changed a bit. Sanada's more serious and stern, Yagyuu and Marui looked quite restless, Kirihara and Niou became more emotional, Yanagi showed his independent side by taking care of the non-regulars practice so that Sanada and the others can focus on training, and Kuwahara had more things that he has to take care off.
Yukimura cannot deny the fact that everyone in the team has their own roles in the club. Everyone have their own duties to do. That's just how things work in Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. Everyone stand still proudly together. None was left behind or unwanted. They're happy with what they've become. Once. But now it's all over. Rikkai's golden moments has passed by, and now the Seigaku team is the shining treasures.
Yukimura's thought was killed by a knock on the door. "Come in."
The door was opened, revealing his teammates. Yukimura smiled weakly. "Minna. Wherever have you been?"
The seven teenagers circled around Yukimura's bed. "We've been waiting for quite a while, so we decided that maybe we should get something to eat since you're not concious yet." Yanagi replied Yukimura's question on behalf of everyone. Yukimura's eyes were soften. "Oh, I see."
Kirihara gave him a hug. "Ahh, I'm so glad that bucho's alright." He said happily.
Marui hitted his head playfully. "Not just you, Aka-chan! Everyone's missing bucho!"
"Ouch, that hurts!" Kirihara rubbed his head. His eyes were watering. "Bucho! Marui-sempai hitted me! It hurts so much!" He whined like a baby.
Yukimura sent Marui an admonish glare. "Marui, don't do that to Aka-chan. We wouldn't want him to have any injury now, do we?" He said. Kirihara sat on the bed beside him and landed his head on Yukimura's shoulder. "Aww, poor my little kouhai."
Yukimura has just noticed that Sanada was being so quiet all along. Somehow, the fukubucho doesn't look like himself. "Sanada? Is something wrong?" He asked him. Sanada flinched. Yukimura frowned.
"Sanada, wh-"
Sanada cut him off. "I have a terrible news that you wouldn't like to hear."
Yukimura's eyes widened. Sanada seems serious.
"Terrible news, you say?"
A nod was the answer. Yukimura's lips quirk in annoyance. Something's not right.
"Everyone, please go home now. Your fukubucho and I have something that we need to discuss."
But Marui, Niou and Kirihara protested. "B-but, bucho! You've just awake, and we really wanted to spend some time with you! Besides, visitors aren't allowed after 10 p.m.! It's just 8 p.m.!" Kirihara whined loudly. Niou and Marui noded their heads.
"Do as I say. Yanagi, make sure everyone arrive at their home safely." Yukimura gave Yangagi a command. The Data Master nodded his head with respect. "I will, Yukimura."
With that, Yanagi hushed everyone out. After they left, Yukimura turned to Sanada.
"Speak." His voice sounded more like hissing.
Sanada waste no time. "It's regarding the result of the Kantou Finals match."
"And...?" Yukimura raised his eyebrow.
Sanada sighed. "We lost to Seigaku. We won Doubles 2 and Doubles 1, lost all Singles match."
Yukimura was speechless. "That is...impossible."
"No, it's not, Yukimura. I'm sorry." Sanada said. He wasn't able to face the truth himself.
Yukimura clenched his blanket. His tears flowed down to his cheeks. He don't want to cry in front of Sanada, but he can't help it. He was too heartbroken. Meanwhile, Sanada's heart was shattered. He hate seeing Yukimura crying. He don't want to see those tears. He took out his handkerchief and shed the tears away.
"Yukimura, please stop crying. I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm being careless. I now realize that I'm not strong enough to call myself as one of the members of Rikkai."
After hearing what Sanada said, Yukimura slapped his face. Sanada was shocked. He touched the red mark on his face unconciously. "Stop it, Sanada! Stop blaming yourself! I hate it! I don't want to hear anything like this at all! It's impossible! We can't lose!"
Sanada pulled him into an embrace, hoping that Yukimura would calm down. He kissed Yukimura's hair passionately. The bucho is still crying.
"We can't...we can't lose."
Sanada's gaze were softer. "I know. Please stop crying. You'll make your eyes red."
Yukimura tugged Sanada's shirt tightly.
"Sanada?"
"Yes?"
"Can you stay over for tonight? I need company."
Sanada gave a small smile. "As you wish, Yukimura."
Ever since they left the hospital, none of them said any word. Not even the youngest member of the team who loves talking so much. None of them know if there's anything that they could talk about. It's not like they didn't have good friendship with each other. It's just that this time, everything seems awkward. None of them feels comfortble with each other. As if they have never met before. As if they were...strangers.
The Rikkai regulars build good friendship with eah other. They practice, have fun, study and hang out together, just like other normal teenagers do. But, one thing that everyone in Japan knows. Rikkai students are quite different than other students from other schools. Perhaps from their way of talking and thinking, or maybe even their personality. Rikkai was known as the best team in Japan, maybe that's the reason why they felt something's off.
They've lost the Kantou Finals that they supposed to win. They lost to a new rising team known as Seigaku.
"It's odd, isn't it?" Marui finally broke the silence that has been filled between the six friends.
"What makes you say something like that, Marui-kun?" Yagyuu asked the red haired who was walking behind him without turning to him.
Marui didn't answer right away. He thought for awhile before he reply, "It's our lost this time."
The others felt as if there's a sharp knife slicing their hearts. Marui really should think before he talks.
"Yes. It is our lost this time. We failed for the first time." Yanagi agreed with Marui. The others turned to him shockingly except Marui.
"Yanagi..." Kuwahara didn't know what is the right word.
"Puri." Niou was annoyed by Yanagi.
"However..." Yanagi opened his eyes, revealing his reddish-brown eyes. "It'll be our win next."
Kirihara's eyes were glittering. "Yanagi-sempai..."
Yanagi patted Kirihara's head. "Sanada and Yukimura will lead us to the Nationals. They did it when they're in their first and second year, why not in their third year as well?"
Niou smirked. "The team's third consecutive victory will be in Rikkai's history."
"It can also be the greatest present that we can give the school before we graduate." Yagyuu adjusted his glasses.
"We'll show them what we're made of." Kuwahara said.
"And next year" Yanagi turned to Kirihara "will be your era, Akaya."
Kirihara nodded his head. "Yes. I'll do my best!"
Author's note : And I'll do my best as well! For all of the kind people who read my fics, thank you very much! For those generous people who send reviews, I appreciate them!