When Kintaro visits Tokyo…
"KOSHIMAEEE!" Kintaro's scream was heard all over Seigaku's tennis courts.
Seigaku's youngest regular turned around, an expression of unbelief on his face. "What're you doing here in Tokyo, Toyama?"
"I missed you, Koshimae!", the red haired boy explained and flung his arms around Echizen's neck happily. "The others are here, too!"
"The whole Shitenhoji Team? Why?", Echizen repeated.
Kintaro smiled. "We wanted to go on vacation. And I wanted to visit you."
Momoshiro, who suddenly came along while running laps around the court, stopped besides them and laughed. "Oh, Echizen, you've got a boyfriend?"
"NO! It isn't the thing it looks like," the little genius floundered and turned red slowly. "Toyama, let me go!"
Kintaro released the other first grader and suggested, "Koshimae, you wanna come with me to eat an ice cream?"
"Why should I?", he asked in a negative attitude.
"Oh please! I've come the looong way from Osaka to Tokyo just to see you and you're treating me so… so… like a little child? That's really not fair, you know!"
Echizen sighed quietly. "Okay, okay, I'll eat an ice cream with you. But after that, you let me go home and return to your team, understood?"
"But…! I wanna play you! I wanna have a practice match with you," Kintaro protested. "You're kind of antisocial, aren't you?"
"I'm not antisocial, I just want you to leave me alone," Echizen mumbled and followed Kintaro to the shinkansen. "Just to straighten it out: You pay the bill."
"Mou, why are you so mean, Koshimae?"
"Why are you so clingy, Toyama? And how many times did I tell you that my name isn't 'Koshimae' but 'Echizen'?"
Kintaro pouted for the rest of the drive but when they bailed out near an ice café, he was happy again. "Come on, hurry, Koshimae!"
'I think he's never gonna call me "Echizen", is he?', Echizen thought resigned and shook his head.
About three-quarters of an hour later, they left the ice café more or less content.
"And now we're having a practice match, Koshimae!", Kintaro decided.
"No, I'll go home now."
"You'll play with me! Or I'll follow you to your home and get on your nerves until you do it."
"…" Echizen hesitated for a short time, but then he nodded conservative. "Before you follow me for the rest of the day, I'll play with you."
"Yeah!", Kintaro rejoiced, "Come on! Over there is an official court!"
The two boys resorted to the courts, when they suddenly heard a voice: "Hey, aren't you Echizen from Seigaku? We usually only play doubles here."
The red haired boy smiled. "Hooray! Doubles with Koshimae! Who will be our opponent?"
Tachibana Ann laughed. "I'll play together with Kamio… Be prepared!"
"Same to you," Echizen said and took out his racket. "I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl."
"I never asked for anything like this!" Ann lifted her racket and served.
Echizen ran to hit the ball.
Kintaro ran to hit the ball.
Their rackets hit each other halfway and the ball bounced between them.
"Oi, Koshimae, don't get in my way!"
"YOU are getting in MY way, Toyama!"
"F-fiveteen - Love," the Referee stuttered in surprise.
Ann and Kamio changed an astonished glance and tried to get Echizen's and Kintaro's attention: "Hey, and what about the match?"
"Oh," Echizen mumbled.
"The match," Kintaro said. "Hoi, Koshimae, let's try our best!"
"I told you not to get in my way!"
"Oh well, I won't get in your way if you don't get in my way!"
"They aren't very good doubles players, are they?", Ann whispered and Kamio negated.
After Kintaro and Echizen had pulled themselves together, they played for about half an hour until Kamio and Ann had to leave the court because Tachibana called them.
The two first graders left, too, and set out for Echizen's house.
"Toyama… Why the hell are you following me? You said you'd leave me alone after we've played!"
"I never said that!", Kintaro grinned and gave Echizen his cutest smile. "I wanna go home with you, Koshimae!"
Echizen tried to ignore his whining, but it was almost impossible, so he agreed to take Kintaro home with him.
They arrived at his house and were greeted by Nanjiro: "Oi, Ryoma, you're bringing home a friend?"
"He's not my friend," Ryoma tried to explain, but Kintaro interjected him: "I'm Toyama Kintaro, nice to meet you! Are you Koshimae's dad?"
"Koshimae?", Nanjiro repeated surprised, "Who is Koshimae?"
Kintaro pointed at Ryoma. "He's Koshimae."
"No, I'm not Koshimae," the green haired boy said for a thousandst time. "I'm Echizen Ryoma. Dad, he always calls me Koshimae 'coz he can't read my name in the right manner."
"Oh, that explains a lot. Yeah, I'm Echizen Nanjiro, yoroshiku."
"Show me your room, Koshimae!", Kintaro demanded. "Please!"
With a resigned sigh, Ryoma led him to his room and opened the door. "Here it is, though I don't know what you want to do here."
Kintaro closed the door immediately after they went in and flung his arms around Echizen's neck. "Koshimae, I want to tell you something…"
"Yeah?"
"I think I've fallen in love…"
"So what does that have to do with me?"
"I… I think… I love you…. Koshimae." And Kintaro leaned forward and gently placed his own lips on Echizen's.
Echizen froze,
Kintaro realized what he was doing and suddenly let go of the tennis prince.
After a few seconds, Ryoma had pulled himself together. "Baka," he whispered, "Don't shock me like that! I love you, too…"