-1Chapter 2: What tennis team?
The hall is extremely crowded with students new and old. Booths have been set up within the spacious hall where the students gather to sign up for the club they choose. The most popular one is undoubtedly the Basketball Club in which the students, boys and girls alike, have to wait in an extremely long queue which extends all the way to the other end of the hall where the Bonsai Club booth is located at.
On the other hand, the Tennis Club booth seems rather quiet. Fuji makes his way there nonetheless only to see a tall muscular boy manning the booth. He has really short black hair which seems to spike up on his head on its own as wells as two sharp-looking eyes with black irises. He looks really stern. 'I have found the real Tezuka-buchou copy,' thinks Fuji humourously to himself.
"Hello, I'm Fuji Syusuke and I would like to enroll into the school's tennis team," greets Fuji politely. The serious-looking fellow glances at him and without a word, he points at a white piece of paper lying on the table. A black pen lies on top of that paper.
"Thank you," says Fuji as he picks up the pen and writes his name and class in the table drawn up in the form. He frowns as he looks at the names scrawled with the same black ink. Only ten have enrolled so far? That's not very encouraging. However, he smiles as he sees a familiar name in the list of names.
Aikawa Wataru. Class 1A.
'Ah... Aikawa-kun is joining the tennis team? I wonder how good he is,' thinks Fuji.
He places the pen back to its original position, gives a polite bow to his brooding senpai and leaves.
He does not notice his senpai's eyes transfixed onto his retreating back.
"Fuji Syusuke... eh?"
---
Yamashita High School has exactly six tennis courts. That is very few compared to Seigaku Junior High School but at least there're tennis courts.
Fuji heads towards the courts as he carries his black tennis bag against his right shoulder. Someone is already sitting at the bench, tying his shoe laces. The boy happens to be wearing a blue Nike cap, a white collar T-shirt and a pair of black Yonex shorts.
'So early?' thinks Fuji as he walks towards the earlybird. The earlybird looks up and Fuji's startling blue eyes encounters a pair of greyish blue ones. Fuji relaxes and smiles. "Konnichiwa, Aikawa-kun. You are early, I see."
"Call me Aikawa-kun again and I'll rip your smile off your face with a pair of tweezers Mr. Pretty Boy," snaps Aiko annoyed. "That's quite violent Aikawa-kun. A cute little boy like you shouldn't be using words like that," comments Fuji.
"Cute little boy???? Why you?!? You want a fight, knucklehead?" challenges an enraged Aiko as she gets up on her feet and glares at Fuji threateningly. A vibrant red aura seems to surround her but Fuji's aura remain a cool icy blue. He chuckles amused.
"What's so funny?" demands Aiko, slightly surprised at Fuji's behaviour.
"You're really cute, Aikawa-kun," he smiles at her.
Aiko is startled at his comment and a red tinge forms at her cheeks. "Wha- Don't call me cute, Mr. Pretty Boy!" she says, her voice falters slightly as she tries to control herself from over-blushing.
'Hmmm... his face seems really red. I don't think he gets many compliments,' remarks Fuji to himself.
He chuckles again.
"Hey, since you're the only one here besides me and all... Would you like to warm up with me?" asks Aiko awkwardly as she stares off in another direction, her cheeks still flushed.
'Why is he so embarrassed?' thinks Fuji. 'She's almost like a girl.'
He regains his sense of reality and replies, "Sure."
Fuji then quickly ties up his shoelaces and removes his crystal blue tennis racquet from his bag. Aiko is already standing at one end of the court, two tennis balls in hand, waiting. Fuji heads to the other end of the court and prepares for a shot. 'Saa... Let's see what this boy is made of,' he thinks.
Aiko bounces the tennis ball onto the ground a few times, clutches it with her right hand and smiles. She tosses the ball high up into the air and swings her left arm forwards with ease. This is going to be fun.
---
Their little 'warm up' session has developed into a full-court marathon, attracting the attention of all those who had signed up for the Tennis Club. "Look at those freshmen. They're really good," says one to his friend.
Needless to say, all eyes are on them but they are too wrapped up in their 'warm up' session to notice.
'Hnnh. Mr. Pretty Boy is pretty good and he looks as though he's holding back. He's sizing me up. Hmmph, this cute little kid will just have to show you what she's got now, ya?' thinks Aiko as she hits back shot after shot with pin point accuracy.
'Ah... Aikawa-kun is quite good. His footwork is brilliant and his strokes are not very strong but very accurate and skillful. How come I've never seen him at the school tennis tournaments before?' ponders Fuji as he returns every shot with ease. He smiles broadly, happy because he has encountered a worthy playmate.
A group of girls have already gathered outside the tennis courts to go 'goo-goo gaa-gaa' over the two handsome tennis players. Basketball players are tall and macho but tennis players are hot.
Unfortunately, not everybody enjoys watching the two freshmen display their awesome skills.
"Hey, stop right there!" a rough voice calls out from one end of the tennis court. Aiko who was about to serve the ball stops abruptly and turns to look at the source of the voice.
It came from a rowdy looking boy who has a nose which seems to be portruding too high for him. He has two slits for eyes and spiked up hair supported by excessive gel.
First impression: git.
"Who says you can use the tennis courts without our permission?" he cries out enraged as he approaches the duo with his minions trailing behind him uselessly.
Second impression: arrogant git.
"We're just warming up, senpai. The courts were empty so we decided to use it," replies Fuji calmly. 'How can he be so calm?' thinks Aiko. She's already on the verge of pouncing on that senior-with-a-weird-nose.
"Who says freshmen can use the courts whenever they please?" he demands again, moving his face slightly higher to seem more intimidating but Aiko only finds his extraordinarily large nostrils intimidating.
Third impression: arrogant git trying to act cool.
"We're sorry senpai. We promise not to do it again next time," says Fuji with his trademark smile as he gives a little polite bow.
For some reason, this seems to enrage the senior more for he says, "What are smiling about? Are you laughing at us, punk?"
"Shut up, you baboon-faced freak!"
A foot lands on the cheek of the weird-nosed senior and he falls onto the ground, clutching his right cheek.
"You make me sick!" says Aiko aloud.
"What the... how dare you kick my handsome face?" the weird-nosed senior cries out in rage.
"What do you mean by 'how dare i'? I just did, didn't I?" Aiko says impatiently.
Fourth impression: stupid arrogant git trying to act cool.
"Why, you... You're going to suffer!" he exclaims furiously and gets up from the ground to charge at Aiko.
"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" says a stern and fierce voice.
The weird-nosed senior stops himself. All eyes are on the newcomer.
"Kazuya-buchou!"
All the seniors bow towads the newcomer in respect.
'Ah, he's the same guy who manned the booth earlier,' Fuji realises instantly.
"You can't even handle freshmen, Saeki?" Kazuya confronts the weird-nosed senior cooly. "You're as useless as the dirt under my fingernails," he scoffs.
"Attention to all you freshmen. As you can see, we don't have many tennis courts for you to waste your time with. So your duties for now are to pick up balls and set up the tennis nets. Your training will be supervised by your seniors so just do as they say if you want to remain in the Tennis Club. That is all," says Kazuya in his short speech.
He then leaves the tennis court, leaving the freshmen confused. No training in the tennis court? Then what are they doing in the Tennis Club anyway?
"Hehe... you heard that, scums?" says Saeki, the weird-nosed senior. "Looks like you won't be able to show off your skills for a long time."
"What did you say-?" Aiko is about to charge towards a smirking Saeki but she's held back by a calm and cool Fuji. "Don't cause any more trouble," he says quietly to her with a smile as he opens his eyes to reveal his crystal blue eyes. Aiko's breath skips a beat.
"Good boy, good boy. Don't cause any trouble to your senpais now," chuckles Saeki arrogantly. "Alright, all you useless freshmen, your training for today is to run around the tennis courts continuously, as in, non-stop. Do you read me? Now, go!" he orders.
Fifth impression: bossy stupid arrogant git who thinks he's cool.
All the freshmen glance at each other uneasily. Aiko wants to give her comment but tries to contain herself. Fuji silently walks out of the court and begins running. Aiko and the other freshmen quickly follow after him, pondering about their fate in the tennis team.
---
"Oh, god! I'm so tired!" exclaims a freshman as he collapses onto the ground in exhaustion. All the other freshmen are either already on their ground or panting heavily while clutching the wire fence which surrounds the courts. Only Fuji and Aiko seem to be panting slightly and sweating less profusely compared to the others.
"Two hours of continuous running! They are crazy!" complains another freshman. "And it's not as though they do any training of their own in the tennis courts," complains another.
Well, that's true. While the freshmen had been running their laps, the seniors were joking and laughing in groups, a few just hitting around in the courts.
"It's just not fair! I'm serious about playing tennis. Chi-kuso! I used to represent my previous school in tennis, dammit!" exclaims a tall freshman with extremely short black hair as he clutches the wire fence tightly, shutting his eyes.
Aiko can only stare at him understandingly. Why, oh why has she decided to come to this school? It's near her house and all but how does she expect to play some serious tennis if there are no serious tennis players around?
But she's wrong of course. There is a serious tennis player deep in thought right now, pondering about the current situation and what is to come.
What is to come indeed, is the most important question to ask for the moment.
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