Hey, sorry for not being that good at english, but I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
DON'T HATE THE PLAYER, HATE HIS TENNIS STYLE (Kinky Pair)
Chapter 2- Misunderstanding
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I didn't even want to eat dinner…
My parents thought I was sick. Well, maybe I am…
For some reasons, my heart hurt, my head ached and I was very depressed…
I lied down on the bed and closed my eyes.
Yukimura is an amazing captain, and the others are all trying to be friendly with me, but still…
They don't really understand me… I feel so lonely…
-
I was startled by the sound of my phone vibrating.
It was already 3 am, who would send me a message this late?
I took up my cell and looked at it.
The message was from a number I didn't have on my address list. - Who could it be? I wondered.
I started reading the message:
I'm very sorry for making you angry, Akaya.
Good night,
- Yanagi Renji
What… WHAT THE HECK?!?! IT'S THAT BASTARD!!!
I lifted my phone and was going to throw it out of the window, but stopped in the last moment.
Wait… Is he apologizing? No way, that's impossible! I'm sure he's just messing around with me.
Oh, but I have to reply! Let's see…
I'm still angry.
Good night,
- Kirihara Akaya
Sent. I didn't know if he was serious about apologizing, but I didn't feel depressed anymore.
How did he even get my number?? My phone vibrated again. Woah, he answers fast!
Don't think about being angry at me…
Tomorrow, I'll let you hit me after our club activities, and then we'll be even.
So right now, you have to sleep and take care of yourself, okay?
- Yanagi Renji
What the heck?! Can hit him?! Why would he let me hit him? Maybe he's trying to trick me… But what can he gain from tricking me…?
I was so confused, but in the same time, a little happy. No one had ever told me to take care of myself…
Yanagi can't take back his word… Tomorrow, if he's trying to trick me, I'm definitely going to hit him!
Oh, but I have to save his number. After writing his name in my address list,
I realized I had written "Yanagi Ren-ji (Yanagi loves company)".
While laughing and telling myself that was such a stupid mistake, I wondered if he loved company…
Maybe he does! Or maybe not… If so, then of course he's annoyed because he has to be paired up with me…
Either way, I knew I was going to be his companion, even if we both liked it or not.
And with that thought, I fell asleep…
-
"You are in good mood today, Akaya," Yukimura sat on the bench with his arms crossed and smiled his usual smile.
I just grinned at him and continued practicing.
"You, on the other hand…" He looked worryingly at Marui.
"How can I not be in bad mood? Kirihara made me spit my favorite gum!"
"But that happened yesterday, forgive him already," Niou laughed and started poking Marui.
"Don't touch me!"
"Hehe… Puri."
"Stop teasing him." Jackal to the rescue.
"Sure, since I have Hiro!" Niou said playfully and glomped his partner.
Yagyuu lost his balance and they both fell.
"Niou…" He sighed and pushed his glasses back in place.
"Puri."
"Doesn't it seem fun to have a partner?" Yukimura looked at me. I thought it was funny how talkative bucho was today…
"It certainly does," I answered with a big smile and looked at Yanagi who was sitting with his notebook – as usual.
"Even though I don't think anything like that would happen between Yanagi-sempai and me…" I wish I had a partner like Bucho, Niou and Marui…
-
"Renji, you look tired," Sanada said.
"I couldn't sleep until 4 last night," Yanagi answered him without looking up from his notebook.
"That's unlike you…"
"…I guess it is…"
-
Yukimura called it a day and after changing their clothes, members left the clubroom one after another.
While I was packing my things, Yanagi went over to me.
"Akaya…"
"Yes?" I looked up at him.
"I want to talk to you about being doubles partners…"
"Aha…?" We both sat down on a bench.
"Being doubles partners aren't just about playing tennis together. We're also supposed to accept, understand and care for each other. To be able to do that, we should spend more time together. If it's something you don't like about me or if something is troubling you, tell me. Then we will surely be able to avoid misunderstandings. Remember that we'll always be on the same side and help each other out of problems."
"Woah… I didn't know it was that complicated! So, are we going to be like the other doubles pairs?" I asked excited.
"No."
No?! But I was so excited about it! I was very disappointed, and it seemed like Yanagi saw it, because he smiled lighty.
"No. Even better," He added.
"Wha-? …Yanagi-sempai is such an… Interesting sempai…" He really fooled me there…
"Thanks for the compliment. Anyway, to start the whole process, ask about something you wonder about me. And be honest."
"Something I wonder about Yanagi-sempai?" I thought for some time.
"I wonder why you've been looking in your notebook and ignored me these days…"
I was embarrassed for asking such a stupid question. I'm sure he's thinking of me as an idiot right now…
"Well, I have been busy planning our training schedule… When working, I really concentrate, and don't always notice things that happen around me. If I have ignored you, then I'm very sorry."
"Then… Why have you been so mean to me these days? You know… By saying that you don't want to be my partner, and all that…"
This is so embarrassing! I hope he doesn't see that I'm blushing…!
Yanagi looked away.
"I was irritated… Because you said that you didn't want to be my partner…"
Yanagi-sempai was irritated…? Because I didn't want to be his partner…?
"About how I talked to you on our way home yesterday…" Yanagi continued. "When you left, Yukimura yelled at me because even being your partner, I was too busy making the schedule to notice anything, which made you feel like you were alone. I even got a slap from Sanada, so when I met you, things went wrong as I blamed you for everything. But it was my fault for not taking good enough care of you… I'm sorry… I really regretted it and I couldn't sleep until I made sure you didn't think of being angry at me anymore…"
"Yanagi-sempai…" I almost cried, but tried to hold my tears back. How could I misunderstand him that much?!
Yesterday, I felt sorry for myself and thought he was the most hateful person ever! But now… I'm the worst! I'm the worst!!!
Yanagi stood up. "As I promised… Just hit me"
I stared at him. "Why do you let me hit you?"
"So that you won't be angry anymore and we can start as a doubles pair," Yanagi answered.
"Can I really hit you? Even if it's in the face?"I asked after some time and looked down on my shoes.
"Yes. If it's for our future as partners, I have nothing against you hitting me. Everything was my fault, so I deserve it." He seemed to be very serious about this.
"I'm… I'm not angry anymore… I stopped being angry at you since the moment you sent me the messages… And It's not your fault… I'm sorry for causing you trouble…" I mumbled, feeling like an idiot.
Yanagi opened his eyes and looked surprised at me. Then he closed them again and smiled.
"You don't need to blame yourself – Even that most of it was your fault."
"I know, I know! Don't tell me about it!!!"
I covered my face with the palms of my hands and was so embarrassed over that what he just said was so true.
"I'm just kidding, Akaya… I'm just kidding…" Yanagi said gently and patted my head. "Let's not think about it anymore…"
I nodded and we went out of the club room.
-
While walking home together, side by side, I just realized… "Yanagi-sempai, this isn't the way home."
"I know, but I thought I could treat you to sushi or something else you like… Well, just if you want."
"Of course I want to go with you, but… Making you treat me…"
"It's okay, I insist. Let's think of it as a celebration of us as partners," Yanagi said and put a hand on my shoulder.
I nodded, and we went together to a sushi shop.
"Thanks… For not hitting me…" Yanagi whispered.
This was the first time in my life I understood what happiness really was…
-End of Chapter 2-