Plot bunny! I know I have to update others, I will.

Disclaimer: Don't own PoT


It was just a regular day. A day after Echizen Ryoma, a known tennis star, defeated Tezuka Kunimitsu, the world's number one.

Currently, Echizen was walking through the streets somewhere in New York, drinking a can of grape Ponta. It was so hard to find in the U.S, unlike his home nation. He was looking for some decent tennis courts to train on.

Minutes later, he'd found the most popular court in the Manhattan area. People were eyeing him, "Hey, isn't that the number one, Ryoma Echizen?"

"Can I use this court?" the tennis pro asked.

The inhabitants were all to eager to obey. "Of course, of course."

"I need a practice partner, someone play me." A man of about twenty-three, just a little older than Ryoma, stepped up to the game.

Thirty minutes later, all one-hundred and thirty four players had been defeated.

"Anyone else?" he looked around. "Che. That was boring."

"Ne, Echizen."


Fuji chuckled. ' Saa, he was bound to have defeated him one day, I suppose,' the prodigy thought as he watched the match on national television. His icy cerulean eyes snapped open as the commentator announced that the tennis star was to be in Manhattan, New York for endorsements the next day.

Fuji Shuusuke, twenty two. Now, he's a successful designer. Being a prodigy, he realized what most people nowadays needed. His brand, Efflorescence, was widely known around the world, extremely popular. The clothes were good looking and were made of the best qualities. Not expensive and also affordable to the middle-class. He earned enough money in a year to last a lifetime. Nobody except the people he worked with knew who the mastermind behind this flourishing brand was. And it was going to stay that way.

Living in a luxury apartment, in the Harbinger Skyline Towers, in Manhattan, New York, imagine his surprise when such a coincidence was announced. He laughed, such a jovial, melody. 'Perfect.'

The prodigy went to sleep with a sadistic smile on his lips, thoughts of a certain buchou floating in his mind. No surprise there, he'd thought about him every single night since he'd departed.


Here's the story. After the Regulars all graduated from Seigaku, everyone went their separate ways and eventually lost contact. Except for the meager once every two year reunions-which the tennis pros didn't attend- and birthday cards, nothing was exchanged between the nine of them.

Of course he kept in touch with his family, which was sometimes a bad thing for the other party, such as the time when Yuuta let it slip that -what's his face? Mituli?Misaru? Misake? whatever,- became his boyfriend and Fuji hopped on the next flight to Tokyo to torture Mituli.

But nobody else was kept in contact, absolutely nobody. So it would be obvious that no one realized that Efflorescence was his brainchild, but it was okay like that. Besides, that's not the point.


The next day, the prodigy, dressed very not appropriately for a designer, (aka in gym shorts and a t-shirt) walked to the tennis courts he often frequented, for inspiration, not to play, just to observe. See, he got stuck often in what to design, and lazy, so he tended to visit the tennis courts to calm his scattered thoughts.

To his never-ending surprise, it seems so these days, the person he was thinking of seeking out was there, standing among the sea of tired people whom he'd defeated. He chuckled.

"Ne, Echizen," he called out, voice ever so melodic and peaceful. Said person whipped around, eyes widening to the size of saucers,hearing his native language.

"Fuji-senpai!" he exclaimed in surprise as the prodigy came closer. The star had grown to be taller than Fuji by seven inches roughly, looks like all the milk had finally paid off.

"Ne, I heard you surpassed Tezuka. Want to play a game?" the prodigy asked in fluent English. The people around stared at him like he had two heads. Who was this unknown person, suddenly challenging the world's number one?

The star was confused, after all, he beat Tezuka who beat Fuji who stopped playing, but nevertheless accepted the request. The spectators gathered around to watch. This frail man wouldn't even be able to score a point.

"Rough or smooth?"

"Rough," the prodigy replied. The star spun the racket.

"Smooth. I serve." The players walked to opposite ends of the court.

Fuji weighed his borrowed racket in his left hand. 'Slightly heavier than usual, hm. Maa ii ka, it'll have to do.'

The star tossed the yellow ball in the air, and hit a Twist Serve. Fuji went to return it, but the ball curved at an unexpected angle and he missed.

"Fifteen, love."

"Thirty, love."

"Forty, love."

The game was given to Echizen, because of the 'Bogus Serve', -which it was named- and Fuji had understood after the four serves hour to counter it. At least it didn't make the kouhai look like a flying squirrel- as to some of his other moves. But then again, no one can play great and look great like Fuji and Tezuka.

"Saa, my turn, Echizen." The prodigy spun the ball in the air, and swung his racket gracefully, and with the least amount of movement, hit the ball to the other side. The serve was executed flawlessly. The tennis star stood in stance to return it, but it never left the ground. As in, it crawled along the floors of the court. Ryoma, and the spectators for the fact, stared at Fuji in shock.

"Like it? It's one of my Triple Serves. The form of Tsubame Gaeshi, but a serve." It was the perfect irretrievable serve. The next game was won by Fuji. He discarded the serve as soon as the game was over, because he knew the the stubborn opponent he was facing would find a way to return it.

"One game all."

The next game started as a rally, but when Fuji lobbed it out of desperation, the star took the chance and smashed it. But the stormy blue eyes opened and glinted, and a point was achieved. Kirin Otoshi.

"Fifteen, love."


"Four games to five, Fuji." An hour had passed. The number of spectators steadily increased. Fuji had played the match seriously. Pulling out move after move- Triple Counters, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, some of Tezuka Phantom, Fuurinkaazan, Yips, Kikumaru Beam, Moon Volley, Disappearing Serve, Moon Salute, Boomerang Snake, Jackknife, Tightrope Walking, Rising Shot- discarding each move after each use, it seemed that the prodigy hadn't lost his talent even after seven years of not playing.

It was excruciatingly hot, and both players were exhausted. Pure determination kept them going though. Halfway through, the prodigy developed a move on the spot, out of desperation.

He tossed the ball, underhand, and backhand served it. The ball smashed into the ground on the other side spun for two seconds, and instead of bouncing, or continuing to crawl, reversed and rolled towards the net.

"That, my kouhai, is the Zero-Shiki Serve."


"Game, Fuji. Seven games to five!" The spectator were amazed. Why wasn't this person a pro?

"I-I-I don't understand. H-How?" Echizen muttered.

"There are things you don't need to understand, Ochibi," was the melodious reply.

"Please, explain to me! I thought you stopped playing. I defeated Tezuka-buchou, who'd defeated you. How?"

"Because Echizen, he is someone who I refuse to win against," Fuji said, a little wistfully, sadly.

"Huh?"

"Sad, isn't it? That was the reason why I stopped playing."

Fuji chuckled.

"I don't ever want to win against him."


In that moment, Echizen realized that Fuji had always surpassed Tezuka, that his talent was limitless.

Owari.


A/N: Was it good? Please review!