This is a spinoff from 'Higher than the Wind' which is completely irrelevant to the story. Some scenes overlap, but the storyline (if there's any in this one-shot?) is different from HTTW, since the two of them are like, strangers to each other. I wrote this in an attempt to grasp my OC and my interpretation of Yukimura better. ~_~ I should really be studying since exams start next Monday but I can't focus on my works. Since Monday is my English paper… I might as well do a bit of writing (fanfic writing, haha) as warm up.
Summary: There were three qualities which the school population had agreed upon about the 'Child of God'. She, however, had on several occasions seen different sides to him and made her own interpretation of Yukimura Seiichi. (Spinoff from HTTW, rated K+ for some violence)
Disclaimer: No, I don't own PoT.
Three Qualities
Tsugi had always known about his existence — Yukimura Seiichi, the famed 'Child of God', but she wasn't sure if he was aware of hers. Sure, she was the cousin of Yanagi Renji —the 'Master', who happened to be one of his most important teammates— and yes, she played an additional role in his life as his classmate, but still, that wasn't enough for Yukimura Seiichi to divert his attention –even if just a little– to her.
There were only two things that mattered in Yukimura Seiichi's world; the first being tennis, and the second being his team. It wasn't even surprising that the two can be lumped into one item because let us just face it: Yukimura Seiichi's world was anchored about Rikkai's tennis club. There wasn't room for himself or anybody else, because he had devoted everything to his team. Yukimura Seiichi was a dutiful captain and he was very good at his job, but somehow, Tsugi felt that he wasn't so accomplished in other parts of his life, or more accurately, the social aspects of it.
Because of his impeccable tennis skill, Yukimura was deified by his fellow schoolmates. He was considered above and beyond his game, and that, Tsugi supposed, inevitably led to social segregation between the normal crowd and him. Luckily for him, he was not alone in his league, for he still had, by his side, his loyal teammates Sanada Genichirou and Tsugi's very own cousin Yanagi Renji. The three of them who revolutionized Rikkai's boys' tennis club quickly climbed to the top of the social hierarchy, and earned themselves the title of 'Big Three'.
No, Tsugi wasn't a stalker. It was just really hard to ignore someone whom you constantly hear stories about. She had heard so much about Yukimura Seiichi, both from her cousin and the general student population, and that bred her curiosity. Generally, there were three qualities of Yukimura Seiichi which Renji and the general school population had agreed on:
1. Yukimura Seiichi was very good at his game.
2. He was also above and beyond his age.
3. Yukimura Seiichi was… different from them.
She wasn't sure about number 1 and 2 because she had yet to see him play, but she could attest to 3. Being his classmate, she could see it. Yukimura was indeed different. He was always aloof and hardly interacted with anybody in class; yet, he had a superior position rivaling that of the class rep and there was more weight to his words than any of the teachers'.
He was revered, if there was any word that could describe this odd situation.
And Tsugi's impression of him would have stopped at that, if she hadn't been fortunate enough to run into him on several occasions.
Her first encounter with Yukimura Seiichi outside of class time was in the Art room after school. She had been punished for mischievously (the teacher didn't believe that there could be a student so terrible at freestyle sketching) submitting a ludicrous caricature for her class assignment, and was made to stay back and redo the sketch.
When she arrived at the Art room, she immediately caught sight of the blue-haired teen standing in front of the canvas situated right next to the window, a paint brush in his right hand and a palette of colors in his left. His aquamarine eyes were completely fixated on his artwork.
It was him, Yukimura Seiichi.
Quietly, she put down her art supplies and set up her canvas on the furthest stand from Yukimura, not wishing to impose on him. She tried to focus on her own work, but she soon found her eyes insidiously darting to the canvas of the boy on the other end of the room.
She couldn't decide whether his painting or he was more beautiful, because the way his ocean-colored, slightly messy shoulder-length hair shimmered in the Sun, and the intense, focused look in his sharp aquamarine eyes were as, if not more mesmerizing than the watercolor painting he was working on. His delicate fingers were a contrast to how he utilized his paint brush. Tsugi looked at his painting. His work consisted of bold, daring strokes and a striking mix of colors, nothing quite like his gentle demeanor.
She had thought of him to be a mild person, but she realized that she could be gravely mistaken. A mild person couldn't possibly have such a wild style of art. There was much more to Yukimura Seiichi than what meets the eyes. She has fallen victim to middle school stereotypes as well, so it would seem.
She averted her gaze from Yukimura Seiichi before he could notice. It would be an embarrassment if she was caught peeping at him. She took out her rejected assignment and cringed at her own drawing. Fine, she would admit it. If she hadn't been the artist, she wouldn't be able to recognize this sketch as Renji. She really didn't have the least bit of an artistic DNA in her. Sighing, she settled down to work, not wishing to sketch Renji again. If she couldn't do a good sketch of him despite spending three days on it, she knew she wasn't going to make any breakthrough in three hours.
Who else can she sketch then? She tilted her head and saw her reflection in a dusty mirror placed on a nearby shelf, her expression immediately brightening up. Of course she can sketch herself! After all whose looks can she be more familiar with than her own?
Tsugi promptly set to work. By the time it was sunset, the teacher came around to lock the room as well as to collect Tsugi's artwork. Tsugi noticed that Yukimura Seiichi had already left, but his canvas was left behind. As she submitted her artwork, she furtively glanced at his canvas.
It was an abstract painting, but Tsugi could make it out as a painting of Rikkai Dai's emblem emblazoned on a regular jersey.
… That boy was really devoted to Rikkai Dai, wasn't he? Tsugi silently noted the first quality of Yukimura at the back of her mind.
1. He has a strong sense of devotion.
Her second impression of him was formed during one of the boys' team practices. She had been waiting for Renji, and she saw him again. This time, he was playing against a third year regular and he was dominating the game. Tsugi played tennis herself, but she was sure that even if she didn't, it would be easy to tell that Yukimura Seiichi was overpowering his opponent. His opponent was gasping to catch his breath, eyes so wide that his eyeballs might just fall out from their sockets; while Yukimura Seiichi was playing coolly and smoothly, there was not the tiniest hint of urgency on Yukimura Seiichi's side of the court. It was like, Tsugi pondered upon how to phrase it, ah, a fish struggling under the paws of a cat. Of course Yukimura was the cat in the analogy.
As expected, the senior lost. Tsugi thought that it would have ended like that, but the third year senior stormed towards Yukimura and grabbed Yukimura by the collar; eyes red from both embarrassment and fury.
There were audible intakes of breaths heard from the rest of the club.
"I have had enough of you cocky first years! You think you're so mighty? First years should respect their seniors. You first years are in need of discipline!" The senior hissed venomously.
Tsugi was debating over whether she should go call on the teacher, but one look at Yukimura's eyes and she knew that there wouldn't be a need to.
His eyes were calm, like the color they were. There was neither fright nor nervousness in those deep blue pools. His eyes were fraught with confidence and determination, and they conveyed the message that he had the situation completely under his control.
"I suggest you release your hand, senpai." He said calmly in that cool voice of his, his indifference towards the situation only served to fuel his senior's fury.
"Come again!? You still dare to talk back at me? Aren't you afraid that I'll break that right arm of yours and make sure that you'll never get to play tennis again!?" The enraged senior bellowed, his whole body trembling with anger.
Even from far, Tsugi could see Sanada's palm twitching to make contact with the cheeks of that disgraceful third year senior. From the stories she had heard of the friendship between Sanada and Yukimura, she wouldn't be surprised if Sanada punched the senior's face in.
The courts were in an eerie silence.
"If you still want to remain on the team, senpai, I suggest you release your hand right now." Yukimura's eyes narrowed into warning slits. His voice wasn't loud but it was empowered with a certain… emotion that made it hard for one to ignore. Clearly the senior hadn't expected this sudden change in demeanor from Yukimura, because he spontaneously released his grip on Yukimura's collar.
"Thank you, senpai." Yukimura regarded him with a crooked smile before turning to face his club. "We will resume practice now."
He was acting as if the previous ordeal had never happened at all.
Tsugi looked thoughtful for a moment before she concluded on the second quality of Yukimura Seiichi.
2. He was fearless.
Her third encounter was a real run-in. It happened at the Kanagawa Firework Festival, where she was separated from her friend due to a robbery incident. While looking for her friend after she was pushed aside by the crowd, she saw a little girl who was stuck amongst the stomping masses. Her heart rose to her throat when she saw a man whom she suspected was a descendent of bears rather than apes like his fellow mankind nearly falling over on the girl, and at that moment, it was really mind over body. She jostled her way through the crowd and rescued the little girl. (Afterwards when she thought about it, she couldn't understand how she managed to get past that monstrous crowd.)
"Say, little ojou-chan, can you tell me your name?" She tried asking the girl but she was hiccupping too much to make a coherent sentence. She gave up trying to elicit any useful information from the girl, and settled down beneath a barren sakura tree praying that the parents of this little girl would could back and search for their child. Tsugi absentmindedly pat the back of the little girl, trying to ease her up a little.
Now that Tsugi took a better look at the girl, she realized that the little girl resembled someone she couldn't quite put a finger on. Who was it that had the same purplish-blue hair and ocean-colored eyes? She rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she overlooked the crowd. Yes! That person in her memory looked just like the person approaching now, the same disheveled blue hair and —
Yukimura Seiichi!? Tsugi's eyes widened as the blue-haired boy quickly knelt down and hugged the little girl close to his chest, words of apologies spewing from his lips as the little girl cried in his embrace. He was a totally different person from his usual relaxed and laidback self. This Yukimura was sweating, relieved and had emotions in those deep blue pools. It was the first time she had ever seen him so worked up.
"I'm sorry, Kurumi, I'm so sorry," he cooed to the child, and when her whimpering toned down a little, he lifted his head to face Tsugi who stood aside. A flick of surprise gleamed through his eyes. "Yanagi-san? Thank you for accompanying Kurumi." He nodded at her, a very subtle grateful tone to his voice.
"Ah no… I didn't do anything," Tsugi mumbled, surprised that he even knew who she was. So he wasn't as aloof as she thought.
"T-thank you, n-nee-chan…" The girl was still sniffling a little, but at least her words were audible now.
"Pretty girls should never cry, smile for your big brother, okay?" Tsugi smiled at the little girl and ruffled her purplish-blue hair. Kurumi nodded shyly. Now that she could recall, Renji did mention that Yukimura had a kid sister at home.
Yukimura watched the interaction between Tsugi and his little sister intently.
"I'll be going off first, Yukimura-san. Please watch out for your sister in future," Tsugi turned to Yukimura and excused herself.
"I will," He nodded, "Have a safe journey home."
"G-Good bye, nee-chan," With puffy red eyes, Kurumi bade farewell to Tsugi.
"Thank you, Yukimura-san. Good bye little ojou-chan," Tsugi smiled to Kurumi. With a final polite nod, she turned and left the time to the two siblings.
On this day, Tsugi made her third interpretation of Yukimura Seiichi.
3. The 'Child of God' is really but just a human as well.
Okay, I know a lot of the scenes are very different from HTTW but I have to re-emphasise that they are strangers in this fic. Hmms, having wrote this, I'm still on a bit of a writer's block but oh well.