"Do your best! Do your best!
Can you hear your opponent's roar?
Can you feel the vibration of his preparing soul?
The blade of beat spears through it. That's my smash.
Beyond the court I'm cutting open ought to be…
A bright tomorrow.
Do your best! Do your best!"
...
"Vice President..!" A voice called out, alerting you of the presence of another student. "These papers need to be signed by the student council President right away!"
"I'm sorry, but Kato-Kun isn't in right now." You replied, removing [color] eyes from the large stack of papers sitting on your desk. Sighing and raking a hand through your [hair colored] locks, you elaborated on your previous statement. "Kato-Kun left early because of his part-time job. All of these other papers are due, too. I'll try and get to your clubs paperwork as soon as I can."
The girl before you sheepishly smiled, bringing her hand up to scratch her cheek. "Sorry for causing you all of this trouble, [Name]-Senpai."
"It's no trouble at all," You shook your head. "It is my job after all. I've got to work hard, ne?"
"Mm," The younger girl nodded. "Keep up the hard work and do your best!"
"I'll keep that in mind." You laughed, rotating your wrist which was beginning to cramp from signing all of those documents. "I'll be sure to get to the handicrafts club's paperwork before I call it a day. Is that alright? Or does it need to be looked at immediately?"
"Oh, no! It can wait a bit. It's just our monthly budget report. Senpai-Taichi were busy, so I volunteered to deliver it."
Blinking, you sheepishly laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "I see. Well, I'll try and get to it when I can. I still have permission slips from clubs wanting to go on field trips, then I've got to tackle all of the other club's budget reports." Heaving a sigh as you flipped through the rather large stack of papers, your [color] eyes landed on the kohai before you. "Keep up the good work yourself."
"Yes, thank you!" The girl quickly bowed at the waist, beaming before saying her goodbyes and leaving the room.
Chuckling a bit at her high level of energy, you couldn't help but be reminded of yourself. When you were a first and second year, you were much more free-spirited. Like Kikumaru-Kun, for example. However, this year you took the leap and added on the responsibility of being the Vice President of the student council. The actual President, Kato-Kun, was hardly ever around. When he was, though, he was usually goofing around or sleeping. Needless to say, you had your hands full this year.
Turning around in your chair for a moment, you raised both arms above your head and stretched. While you weren't necessarily an active student [you much preferred sticking with your violin compared to actually playing a sport] but you still got stiff and tired when you had to sit behind this desk for hours after school, and even during your breaks.
Your eyes strayed over to the large window behind your desk. It overlooked the school, considering that you were up on the third floor; the third year's territory. From here you had a great view of both the soccer fields and the tennis courts. Based on the little dots running around, soccer was already over, but tennis practice looked like it was in full swing.
That's Tezuka-Kun for you, you thought, hiding a smirk behind a hand as you stood up and strode over to the window for a better look.
Straining your eyes hard enough, you swear that you can make out Tezuka; standing there overlooking practice with his arms crossed and stern expressionless mask on his face.
Same old Tezuka-Kun, huh? You thought, rolling your eyes as your lips twitched up into a smile. Even during our first year here, he was still the same. He's always been watchful and quiet. Amazing leadership qualities, amazing grades, his amazing tennis skills… That's why he's Bucho this year, after all. Tezuka-Kun is serious all the time. I'm glad that he's back now.
Tezuka was back. Back from his physical therapy for his shoulder and elbow, which had been injured by that Atobe from Hyoutei.
"At least you made it back in time for Nationals, Tezuka-Kun…" You murmured, fingers sliding across the cool and smooth glass surface of the window. "Fight-o, fight-o, Seigaku…"
...
"[Name]-Chaaan~!"
"Kikumaru-Kun!" You greeted, lips stretching into a cheesy smile once you spotted the familiar red-haired acrobatic tennis player wildly waving. How could anyone not return that smile?
"[Name]-Chan," Oishi smiled in greeting as well, wiping away sweat with the towel that was perched across his shoulders. "What brings you to the tennis courts?"
Chuckling and wincing once Eiji threw himself on you, sweat and all, you returned his big bear hug before turning once more towards the Fuku-Bucho. "I was going through the various clubs paperwork, so I needed to make my rounds to all of the clubs. I'm surprised you guys are still at it."
"Nationals are coming up," Eiji said while grinning, slinging his arm around your shoulder. "We're gonna win! And to win, we need to practice!"
"[Last Name]."
Blinking, you turned around at the mention of your family name. Offering a smile as you looked up at the tall brunette now beside you, you sheepishly giggled. "I was looking for you Tezuka-Kun. Student council paperwork concerning the tennis club."
"Aa," Tezuka nodded, dark brown eyes following your movements as you reached into the leather briefcase that contained all the papers that you were supposed to be delivering. "I hope there was nothing wrong with them."
"No, nothing was wrong!" You quickly shook your head, eyes widening as you skimmed through the rather large stack. "Like always, they were well calculated. It saved me a bit of time, so thank you for that Tezuka-Kun."
"It was nothing." The tennis captain shook his head.
"Is Kato still slacking off?" Eiji bluntly asked, his deep blue eyes worriedly scanning over your paler than normal skin. Your eyes also looked tired. They could tell you were being overworked by the bags under your eyes.
"Mm," You hummed, resisting the urge to roll your eyes. "Kato-Kun has to leave early for his part-time job. While he's not there, everything falls to the Vice President."
Tezuka's eyes moved across your face, "It won't do any good to overwork yourself."
"I know, I know. But I'm the only one who can do it, ne? Everyone counts on me. It's my responsibility. I can't let them down. I'm going to continue to do my best."
"[Name]-Chan's a hard worker, isn't she?" Oishi complimented, smiling at Tezuka who shifted his weight at the knowing smile on his face.
"Ah, no, no." You meekly argued. "I just try my best."
"Then, continue to do your best." Tezuka nodded, "Don't let your guard down."
"Yes, yes; I won't let my guard down!" You proudly nodded, grinning and bringing your first two fingers to your temple in a sort of mock salute. "Then I guess I'll take my leave now! You guys keep up the good work! You'll definitely win Nationals at this rate."
Turning on your heel, you adjusted the strap on the leather briefcase, waving to your fellow third years.
"Hey! Watch out!"
Needless to say, the warning came too late.
A rogue tennis ball tore through the air, connecting with the side of your head.
...
"She's been out for quite a while; I wonder if she's okay."
"The nurse said that she'll be fine."
"Yeah, but look at that knot! It's got to be painful."
"[Last Name] was also overworked. Her body just needs rest."
"Still fuming, Tezuka?"
"Nothing of the sort."
"Then why is Momo still running laps?"
Blinking your [color] eyes open, you hissed as you brought your hand up to the large bump on the side of your forehead. That was surely going to bruise, if it hadn't already.
"[Naaame]-Chaaan~! I thought you were a goner!" Eiji exclaimed, throwing his arms around you in a large hug.
"Mm, what happened?" You asked, furrowing your eyebrows as your gaze traveled from the red-head latched onto you to Tezuka, Oishi, and surprisingly Fuji.
"You don't remember?" Fuji asked, smile still etched on his face.
"Um, well… I remember finishing up all the paperwork that I needed to for today. Then I remember leaving to go deliver the papers. Ah, I gave you the papers, right, Tezuka-Kun?"
"Yes," Tezuka nodded. "Then you got hit in the head by a stray tennis ball."
"Oh," You blinked, sheepishly bringing your hand up to scratch your cheek as you adverted your gaze. You could feel your face heating up in embarrassment. "I guess I really did let my guard down then, huh?"
"You need to be more careful." Tezuka sighed, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. It was the closest sign to defeat that many had seen from him.
"Saa, come on now." Fuji's grin stretched wider. "[Name]-Chan didn't know the tennis ball was heading towards her. It was Momo's mistake."
"Ah? Momo-Chan hit that ball?" You questioned, feeling your brows furrow. "Where is he? I want to go apologize."
"Apologize? What for, [Name]-Chan?" Eiji asked, pouting a bit. "It's that stupid Momo's fault! He should have had better control."
"I'm sure he didn't mean to. And he's probably in trouble right? Running laps?" You asked, raising your eyebrows as your gaze landed on Tezuka. "I'm fine; no harm was done. I'm sure Momo-Chan didn't mean to beam me with a tennis ball. I let my guard down; it was my fault."
"Momoshiro will finish his laps." Tezuka stood his ground, arms still crossed.
Letting out a sigh of defeat, you hung your head for a moment. However, your head soon snapped up towards the window, noting how dark it is outside. "What time is it?! It can't be dark already! I still had papers to deliver to the other clubs!"
Oishi let out a chuckle. "I'm sure all of the other clubs have left by now. The tennis club was meeting longer than the rest to get ready for Nationals."
"Great~" You groaned, cradling your forehead in your palms as you moped. "And I so wanted to get caught up…"
"Let Kato handle it tomorrow. It's the least he can do, right?" Fuji asked, his grin turning sadistic for a moment. "I'm sure he'll understand once he hears about you getting injured doing the work that he was supposed to do."
"I…guess…" You blinked, "Well, thank you guys for everything. I'm sure I took time from your practice."
"It was no trouble, nya!" Eiji grinned, throwing an arm lazily across your shoulder and flashing you a 'V' for victory sign. "It was just an accident."
"You need to take care of yourself," Tezuka advised. "You need to learn when to rest."
"Ah, I'll try my best." You grinned up at him, standing up and wobbling a bit. Eiji and Fuji quickly steadied you, giving you looks of concern. "Sorry, sorry."
"No problem, [Name]-Chan." Eiji grinned.
"I guess I'll see you guys later!" You waved, moving to part ways with the group of guys.
"Where are you going? The exit is this way." Oishi pointed out.
"I need to grab a few things from the student council room."
Fuji chuckled. "Didn't we tell you that you needed to rest a bit?"
"It's just a few things, honestly. Plus, my bag is in there." You told them, playfully rolling your eyes at them. "I promise I'll take a bit less than I usually do."
"Saa, for some reason I don't believe you." Fuji grinned. "Tezuka, why don't you go with [Name]-Chan?"
"Eh?" You blinked, quickly looking back and forth between Fuji and Tezuka. "You don't have to! That's completely unnecessary!"
"Aa," Tezuka nodded to Fuji, striding over to my side.
Sputtering, your eyes widened as they met Tezuka's deep brown eyes.
"Shall we go?" The tennis captain asked, causing your cheeks to flush.
"O-Okay..!" You squeaked, snapping your [color] eyes away from his and staring deeply at the smooth floor as Tezuka walked by your side. You swear you heard a couple of chuckles from Fuji; you'd have to ask him about that later, that sadistic person!
...
Somehow, and you're not quite sure how it actually happened, but somehow Tezuka said that he'd accompany you to the train station and see you off. After all, like he had pointed out, it was dark outside.
"Do you think that the team is ready for Nationals?" You asked, quite curious to see what the stern captain thought.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll win Nationals. That's our goal." Tezuka nodded.
"Ah, it was because of that promise you made back in first year, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Tezuka nodded. "And we've finally got the team to win."
"Mm, I believe you. All of you guys are quite strong. You've got a good team, Tezuka-Kun."
"Are you going to watch us at Nationals?" Tezuka asked.
"Of course," You grinned, happily nodding. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I've managed to make it to all the important matches this year. I wouldn't dare pass up Nationals."
"Thank you. I'm sure the team will appreciate it."
"No problem." You smiled once more, "I enjoy watching you guys. You're all really passionate about tennis."
"You don't have to worry; I'm completely healed now."
"I'm glad," You paused, fidgeting with the strap of your book bag. "You really had me worried, Tezuka-Kun."
"Sorry," He apologized, "You won't have to see me like that again."
"I'd hope not. But, at least you're better now. That's all that matters."
Tezuka nodded. "How's your violin practice going?"
"Really great!" You beamed, grinning up at Tezuka. "I actually found out the other day that I was accepted into a well-known University in Germany based on my performances! Before long I'll be able to play in professional orchestras!"
"Congratulations," Tezuka nodded. "Germany?"
"Yes, Germany." You answered, smiling. "I wanted to go to college abroad, and some of the best players come from Germany, if you didn't know. I'll definitely have the chance to become a professional if I go to Germany."
"Tennis is quite popular in Germany as well." Tezuka added, his deep brown eyes darting downwards to meet my gaze as we continued our walk to the train station. "If we win Nationals, I decided to go to Germany to become a professional tennis player."
"Really?" You asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Then I guess we're destined to head to the same country! Hopefully we'll be able to see each other a lot, ne?"
"Aa," Tezuka nodded his head.
You reached the train station not long after that, waving goodbye to Tezuka as you boarded the right train. You thought you saw the corners of his lips twitch as he waved back, but that had to be your eyes playing tricks on you. Maybe you got hit harder by that tennis ball than you had originally thought?
...
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Moshi moshi; [Last Name] [Name] speaking."
"[Last Name]? This is Tezuka."
"Ah, Tezuka-Kun..! Hello!" Your eyes widened, both hands going to grip your cellphone and press it closer to your ear. Your mind wasn't playing tricks on you; you'd recognize that deep voice anywhere.
"I was wondering, are you free tomorrow morning?" He evenly asked, no trace of doubt in his voice.
Blinking, you dumbly nodded; not that he could see it. "Yes, I'm free tomorrow. Kato-Kun's hours got cut back at his job, so he's been able to work more with the rest of the student council."
"That's good to hear."
"Mm," You nodded, grinning. "So why did you want to know if I was free?"
Recently, you've been spending more time around Tezuka. You'd both gone to the movies a few times, out to eat, walks through the park, you name it. It was nice, however nothing was really official. But that didn't bother you; you were just happy that you were able to spend time with Tezuka.
"I was hoping that you'd want to go mountain climbing with me tomorrow. It's one of my favorite things to do, especially in the fall."
"That sounds fun. Sure, I'd love to go mountain climbing with you." You grinned, one hand disappearing in your hair as you twirled a lock around your finger.
"Good, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at ten. Is that alright?" Tezuka asked.
"Mm, that's good. I'll see you then?"
"Yes. I'll see you then."
"A-amazing..!" You huffed, hands on the tops of your thighs as you leant forward to stare off the top of the mountain. It had taken longer climbing up that you had originally thought it was going to, even though Tezuka had said that this was one of the easier mountains.
"If you were out of breath, you should have said something. We could have stopped to rest for a bit." Tezuka observed, placing a hand on your shoulder and looking down at you.
"A-Ah, this is nothing! I just don't play sports like you do, Bucho." You teased, bringing a hand up to push some of your hair out of your face. "I've got to work hard to keep up with you, ne?"
"Yes, you do try your best."
"Even when my best isn't good enough, I still keep on trying."
"Your best is always good enough. I admire the fact that you try so hard. You always do your best." Tezuka spoke, slowly bringing a hand up to brush some of your hair behind your ear. "[Name]."
"T-Thanks," You stuttered out, face aflame. He had finally called you by your name! And he didn't add a honorific to it, either!
"The others have noticed, but have you?" Tezuka asked, slightly tilting his head to the side as he stared down at you.
Deep brown connected with [color]. "Noticed…?"
"That I like you, [Name]."
"R-Really?!" You asked, eyes wide. You could literally feel your jaw dropping and your face burning.
Tezuka curtly nodded once, dropping his hand from your cheek.
"I-I feel the same way. I like Kunimitsu, too." You softly spoke, tearing your eyes away from his as you reached forward and connected your hands with his. "I have for quite a while."
"That's good to hear," Tezuka exhaled, closing his eyes and looking relieved for once.
Nodding, you grinned and lightly swung your still connected hands. "Kunimitsu likes girls who do their best, right?"
"Yes."
"Then it's a good thing I do my best, ne?" You asked, smiling up at Tezuka.
Stepping closer, Tezuka nodded as he slipped one of his hands from your grip. You could feel your breath hitch in your throat as your [color] eyes connected with Tezuka's deep chocolate orbs. One of his hands gently brushed across your cheek, slowly raising your head as he bent.
Both pairs of eyes fluttered closed as your lips met. Slowly and innocently, you returned Tezuka's kiss as your hands rose and tightly held onto the fabric of the front of his shirt.
Once the kiss ended, you buried your face in his chest; you could feel your cheeks burning, but you decided that this was a good feeling. Tezuka wrapped his arms around you, tightening his hold.
Yes, this was a good feeling indeed.
Good things come to those who try their best, ne?
...
"Stay focused; we have a ways to go.
Don't let your guard down; stay alert.
Win or lose; it's all up to the challenger.
New unity. New bond.
Lay our hands together and let's create an infinite power.
Stay focused. Re-examining yourself is necessary.
Keep your guts inside. Straighten yourself.
With all your might; show the world your potential."
...
Authoress' Note: Thanks for reading, everyone! This was one of my first one-shots completed for a friend on Quizilla, before Quizilla was switched over to just quizzes. I did not want to lose my stories forever, so I decided that I would upload them over here, on Fanfiction. By the way, the lyrics at the beginning and end are "Do Your Best," and "Yudan Sezu ni Ikou," from the Prince of Tennis musicals. I do not own Prince of Tennis, or those lyrics.