disclaimer: not mine

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Chapter 3

When Ryoma reached the tennis courts, most of the club members were already busy with warming up. Uneasily adjusting the tennis bag hanging over his shoulder he searched the people around him for someone who might know where he could sign up for the club. The sheer number of players made him a little nervous. He hadn't ever been a people's person and after being home schooled for the last three years, he simply didn't know how to interact with others well.

Finally his gaze settled on a tall second year who wore a green scarf around his head. There wasn't anyone else standing near him. Relieved that he wouldn't have to talk to one of the loud groups, Ryoma approached the second year.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can sign up for the club?" he asked politely.

When the teen looked up at him in surprise, Ryoma wasn't so sure approaching the lone guy had been the better option. The second year had a dark look on his face. Silently they stared at each other, Ryoma unwilling to back down from a simple staring contest. If he had one fault it was his utter inability to back down from a challenge, any challenge. Therefore he had made sure not to end up in any situation where he could be challenged in the past. His body simply wouldn't have been up to it.

"Fshhhh. The buchou is in the clubroom, over there." the curt reply surprised Ryoma; he hadn't expected the teen to answer.

"Arigatou." Bowing, he quickly went in the pointed direction.

Ryoma didn't notice the incredulous stares that followed him. He didn't know that it was unheard of for a rookie to talk to the feared Kaidoh Kaoru out of their own free will.

There were two third years standing in the clubroom, when Ryoma reached it. The taller of the two had short brown hair, wore glasses and held a racket in his left hand. The slightly smaller teen had black hair, that was cropped short but for two bangs that fell into his face and a kind look in his chocolate brown eyes.

It was the latter that spoke first: "Is there something we can help you with?"

Nodding Ryoma replied: "Hmm. I was told to come here to sign up for the club, senpai."

He wasn't usually so polite, but he didn't plan on playing seriously here and chances were high he would be challenged by someone sooner or later if he didn't keep his attitude in check.

"So, you want to join the club? Well, then you're right here. I'm Oishi, the fuku-buchou. Welcome." the black haired third year answered with a friendly smile.

"Arigatou. Echizen Ryoma."

"It's a bit unusual to sign up for the club so late after the school year has started. Ah, that doesn't mean that you cannot sign up, of course." Oishi enquired.

"Hmm, I started school late, too."

"Oh, well, that explains it then. If you had joined sooner, there might have been a chance for you to play in the inter school ranking tournament. Now you'll have to wait another three weeks before you can try out for a position as a regular."

"Yada."

"What?"

"I have no intention to compete in any kind of tournament. I just want to play for fun."

At that both teens looked at him curiously.

"You'll still have to participate in our training, Echizen. Change quickly, you'll have to run extra laps if you're late." the buchou informed him calmly, his cool eyes assessing Ryoma's slender form intently. "If you have a medical condition that should be taken into consideration during practice tell us now. I don't like to break off practice for any reason."

Ryoma's eyes widened briefly at that, before narrowing in anger.

"Whatever."

Walking to one of the benches he started to change into his sports clothes, ignoring the presence of the two regulars completely.

Just because I'm still a little bit on the thin side doesn't mean he can make presumptions about my health. Endurance training, I'll show him endurance!

Angrily he tied his shoes, took one of his rackets and turned around. He was surprised to find the fuku-buchou still waiting for him.

"As buchou it's his duty to ask those questions, Echizen. If something were injured during practice it would be his responsibility. He meant no offence."

"Hey, mamushi, what are you looking for?" Momoshirou asked his sour looking team mate loudly.

"Fshh. Don't call me mamushi, baka."

Before the two rivals could get into one of their usual arguments, they were interrupted by a slightly hyper redhead that glomped them from behind.

"Hoi, hoi, we're working on endurance today. Better to safe your breath for running or did you suddenly develop a taste for Penal Tea?"

All three shuddered at the mere thought of Inui's vile creation.

"Everyone, meet Echizen Ryoma, our newest member." Tezuka's voice rang clear over the place. He pointed to a small, green haired boy standing next to Oishi who wore a third year's sports uniform.

The boy bowed shortly in greeting.

"Now start running, Inui will time the rounds. Anyone who doesn't make the lap in under a minute will have to accept the usual punishment."

And they were off.

Ryoma wasn't really surprised to find himself running next to an excited redhead after the first lap.

"Hoi, hoi, Echizen, you could have told me that you wanted to join. We could have come here together." Eiji said, without losing his pace.

"Hmm."

"Just make sure to keep up your pace, nyah. You really don't want to know Inui's punishment." the redhead wasn't bothered by the younger boy's monosyllabic answer.

"Why didn't you tell me about your plans?"

Ryoma ignored the question. It wouldn't be nice to tell the chatterbox that he had planned to stay out of his and Fuji's way. He knew that the regulars trained on separate courts than the rest of the club. They wouldn't see much of each other during club time.

After the thirtieth lap Ryoma noticed that number of people still running had been reduced drastically. When he heard a strangled shout from behind, he looked up.

"What was that?" he asked aloud.

It wasn't Eiji who answered him this time, but a tall second year, with brown hedgehog hair and deep violet eyes, who had caught up to them.

"That was Inui's infamous Penal Tea, the fate that will await anyone who doesn't make the time limit."

With a nodded thanks Ryoma picked up his pace, leaving two baffled regulars behind.

"Hey! I don't believe that guy, just taking off like that."

Soon Ryoma found himself running next to the teen he had asked for directions earlier. He nodded at him in greeting, but otherwise ignored him.

After the fortieth lap the only ones still left running were the regulars and Ryoma, who earned many astonished looks for being able to keep up.

Unfortunately the time limit had been lowered and after seeing what the last one to finish the fiftieth lap had to drink, they were all running in one big group. Unfortunate, because Ryoma found himself suddenly running next to a smiling Fuji whose aquamarine eyes twinkled mischievously down at him.

"You've really great stamina, Echizen-kun. That's the first time anyone has been able to keep up with us." he remarked cheerfully.

"We should pick up our pace though; competition always gets fiercer in the last lap."

Thinking back to the prone bodies littering the ground around the tall, black haired teen with glasses and a notebook in his hands, Ryoma decided to follow the advice and ran faster.

Inui was faintly surprised and very curious when the rookie was able to keep up with the regulars to the very end. The young boy was looking as unruffled as Fuji and Tezuka.

"Interesting." he murmured quietly.

Even more interesting was the way Fuji's for once open eyes followed the newcomer as he left to train at one of the remote courts.

"Oh, man, I don't believe the rookie kept up with us. Kid's gotta be a monster. By the way, do you know him, Eiji-senpai?" Momoshirou groaned, still trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"Echizen is in my class. I didn't know he wanted to join the tennis club though, nyah."

"In your class? He looks barely old enough to be a first year."

"Hmm, he should be, but he was promoted to third year, after he took his grading tests."

They were slowly making their way to the central courts, when Oishi joined them.

"It's really a shame." he said cryptically.

"What is?" Momoshirou wanted to know.

"That Echizen isn't interested in playing seriously. If he's halfway competent with a racket he could become a good reserve player." Oishi replied.

"O-i-shiii. How do you know that?" Eiji complained.

"Well, he told Tezuka and me in the clubroom that he doesn't intent to play in any tournament at all. I think he was a bit mad at the buchou though, so there is a chance he will reconsider." the fuku-buchou mused.

"And why would that be?" the new voice was soft, but there was a sharp undertone that sent shivers down their backs.

"Eheheh, Fuji, didn't notice you." Oishi rubbed his head embarrassedly. Trying to look anywhere but the tensai whose focus had yet to shift away from him.

"Ano, Tezuka asked if there were any illnesses that would interfere with our training and the new kid took offence. He does have a small and slender build, perhaps he gets often mistaken for someone who's ill."

When the tensai's intense focus finally shifted and he went onto the next court, where Taka was waiting for him, Oishi sighed in relief.

Eiji patted Oishi's shoulder, while Momoshirou looked after the tensai with frightened eyes.

"What's the matter with him? Why did he get all intense all of sudden? Fuji-senpai can be scary." he said tensely.

"Do you remember the boy I told you about before? The one that had lunch with us? The one called Echizen?" Eiji asked back.

Comprehension dawning, Momoshirou started to laugh.

"Hahahaha! D-don't t-tell me, that Fuji's newest victim voluntarily signed up for the tennis club?"

Ignoring the confusing looks Oishi sent them, Eiji nodded energetically.

"The one and only, nyah."

Ryoma wasn't so sure about his decision to join the tennis club anymore. During the practice he had more than once felt the weight of an intense stare on his back and he had a good guess as to who had tried to dissect him with eyes.

He still wasn't sure exactly what he had done to make the blue eyed boy focus on him, but judging by the countless pitying looks he had gotten from other club members and the fact that some of them flat out refused to come even near him, it wasn't a good thing.

Despite all that, it had been fun to play again. After the calculating looks his performance at the endurance training had gotten him, he had been careful to play with his weaker arm and at approximately the same level as his opponents. If he wanted a challenging match, there was a street court he had discovered on one of his walks through the city. Some of the players there were quite promising.

Given his rotten luck as of late, Ryoma wasn't really surprised to discover that the only person beside him in the club room was the one senpai he wanted to avoid.

While he was already turning around, he could, after all, just as easily change clothes at home, a soft chuckle stopped him.

"Why, Echizen, are you shy?" the soft inquiry followed.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ryoma looked Fuji straight in the eyes. He shivered, when his gaze was met with deep, fiery blue.

"Fuji-senpai." he greeted.

With sure steps Ryoma went to his bag and started to change. In all honesty, he was uncomfortable with changing in front of others. He had only done it so nonchalantly in front of Oishi and Tezuka, because he had been mad about the latter's assumption.

He knew that, despite his muscles, his body looked annoyingly delicate. It was the mixed result of being ill for so long and inheriting his mother's bone structure. He had been called fragile on more than one occasion and he hated it.

Sharp blue eyes took in the sight of Echizen's pale, naked back. The younger boy really was a bit too thin, but other than that there was nothing that needed to be hidden. Why then, did Echizen look so uncomfortable?

Truly, there seemed no end to the puzzle that was Echizen Ryoma.

When the younger boy was wearing his school uniform again, Fuji smiled at him.

"It was quite a surprise to see you on the court, today, Echizen-kun. You didn't mention anything about it at lunch."

He nearly laughed when Echizen was silent and walked out of the door.

"It was nice to have someone keep up at the endurance test other than the regulars. Some of the other members looked as if their eyes would fall out any minute."

Amused he noticed how the younger boy's shoulders became tenser with every word.

"So, Echizen-kun, why did you hold back today?"

They had already left school grounds and Fuji noted delighted, that Echizen walked into the same direction he had to take.

"Fuji-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you following me?" the younger boy's voice was a mixture of frustration, curiosity and confusion.

"It looks like we share at least part of our way home. Where do you live, Echizen-kun?"

There was no answer, but the younger boy waited for him to catch up, so they could walk next to each other at least.

It turned out that Echizen lived only a few blocks away from him.

TBC