Learning It All Over Again chapter III
AN- Some were wondering when this takes place, by what I've figured, this would take place after the match with Hyoutei, where Shishido was dropped and where Akutsu Jin quit tennis after playing Ryoma~
"We saw you outside practising Echizen, so we decided to eat with you if that's alright?" He heard Oishi say, he felt the weight leave him. Probably Oishi's work, as the vice-captain could always get Eiji to listen to reason. Oishi wasn't known as the 'mother-hen' of Seigaku for nothing.
Sighing Echizen shook his head, "No, it's alright." He knew he probably wouldn't be getting a quiet lunch for a long while. Not while his team was around anyways.
Kunimitsu PoV
"Tezuka!" Kunimitsu turned as he heard his name called.
"Yes Fuji?" He asked, falling in to step beside the brunette boy.
"Thought you ought to know that Echizen is already practising with a racquet and a ball, he's improving quickly. Really gives speculation about how much tennis is ingrained in him. It seems to be in his blood." Fuji said, opening to door to their classroom. Settling into their seats Kunimitsu nodded. His eyes were drawn then to the window.
His classroom was in the back of the school. Facing the tennis courts, as it was he could see the rest of the Seigaku Regulars sitting near the courts. They were surrounding Echizen it seemed...Blinking his eyes quickly, Kunimitsu turned away from the window, his attention drawn back to Fuji.
Fuji was looking at him; it was more like studying, with his eyes narrowed. "He reminds you of Keisuke-kun, doesn't he?"
Kunimitsu sighed, bringing a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Yes. He does." He hated to admit it but Echizen was so much like Keisuke.
"Tezuka...Echizen's not Keisuke-kun, he's not your brother. I know that...his death was hard...but he didn't want you to be like this." Fuji replied softly, concern filling his voice. He was being uncharacteristically kind.
"You don't think I don't know that!" Kunimitsu shot out, his voice loud. Shocked at his outburst, he reigned in his self control. "Sorry, that was rude of me."
Fuji just waved his hand, disregarding his apologies, "It was understandable, and I shouldn't have brought up your brother. It seems the subject still gets to you."
Kunimitsu sighed again, before looking toward the window again, watching as Momoshiro started to roll the ball toward Echizen who was sitting on the ground. It seemed like it was an innate sense that Echizen was able to tell where the ball was going to be. There was also the fact that since his sight was gone; his other senses would become better than they were before.
Ryoma PoV
"Ochibi! You're doing wonderfully!" Ryoma heard Kikumaru shout, wincing at the loud sound Ryoma nodded slightly. He would never admit it to anyone but becoming blind scared him. Scared him so much he couldn't even admit it. Ryoma didn't like change. He didn't like it when his idiotic father uprooted their family and took them here. He then warmed to the idea with the promise of becoming stronger and going against stronger opponents.
"Echizen?" Hearing the voice startled Ryoma out of his thoughts. Turning towards the sound he nodded.
"Yes?" Silently he cursed himself; his voice was quiet, sound weak, feeble, everything that he felt, but none that he wanted to be. He winced, before turning his head down again.
"Do you still want to practise with the ball?" He recognized the person who called his name as Momo; his voice was filled with pity. Mentally scowling to himself, Ryoma nodded.
"Yes, I want to be able to do this." Holding out his hands in front of him, he waited for the tell tale sound of the felt ball against the cement. Ryoma himself was sitting on the ground, his legs spread out, and his hands on the ground in front of him. He had, had Momo roll the balls to him so he could get used to hearing where they were.
There! His hands shot to the right as the sound of the ball started there. Feeling the ball hit his palm; he picked it up and tossed it to where he thought Momo would be.
A loud ringing sound suddenly filled the air, following the bell, Ryoma heard the movement of his senpai as they hurried to pack up their lunch and get to class.
"Echizen? Do you need help getting to class?" Ryoma turned towards Oishi. Ryoma gritted his teeth silently before nodding reluctantly. Grabbing his bag from where he knew he set it, Ryoma stood up and then felt Oishi's hand land on his shoulder. "What class do you have, Echizen?" Oishi asked, leading him towards the school.
"Science." Ryoma muttered, he hated having to be led everywhere.
"Okay, I'll take you there." He heard Oishi say as he opened the doors to the school. They were now inside. "This way, Echizen." Oishi said leading Ryoma through multiple hallways until they finally stopped. "There you go, do you need someone here afterwards? Are you coming to practise afterschool?" Ryoma heard the concern and pity in his voice, he didn't want pity.
"That would be best...I'm coming to practise." Ryoma mumbled ducking his head.
"Are you sure that's wise, Echizen?" Oishi asked, laying his hand on his teammates shoulder one again.
"Oishi, I'm coming to practise, despite what happened." Ryoma ground out, he knew that his senpai was worried, but Ryoma just wanted to be left alone.
"Okay, I'll get someone to come get you afterschool, what's your last class?" He heard Oishi let out a barely audible sigh as he complied with Ryoma's wishes.
"I have history." Ryoma answered, he walked forward, holding out his hand slightly until it came into contact with the door, silently pushing it open he turned his head slightly, "Thanks." He said almost silently as he moved into the classroom, leaving Oishi to get to his class.
Kunimitsu PoV
Kunimitsu sat silently as he waited for class to start. There were still a couple of minutes until the final bell. Fuji, Kikumaru, Inui, Kawamura and Oishi were all in Kunimitsu's math class. Though, Oishi hadn't arrived yet.
"Hey! Fuji! Oishi's not here yet!" said Kikumaru loudly. Kunimitsu flinched the smallest amount. Kikumaru was sitting directly behind him, so his voice was very loud.
"I saw from the window here that he was leading Echizen inside the school, most likely to his next class." Fuji answered, smiling a little at the over hyper third year.
"Oh! Right! I forgot that he was helping Ochibi! Hey Fuji, do you think Ochibi's gonna play tennis again?" Kikumaru asked, his voice becoming quieter as his question got serious.
Kunimitsu glanced over at Fuji as he watched for his answer. Fuji considered his answer, "Perhaps, his love does reside in tennis after all. It doesn't seem like something he'll be able to give up, even though he has lost his sight."
Kunimitsu found himself nodding as he agreed with the genius's answer. He personally couldn't see Echizen giving up tennis. It just wasn't Echizen. Tennis and Echizen were one.
"Ah, you're right! But how's he gonna pla- Oishi! There you are!" Kikumaru shouted, interrupting himself midsentence.
Kunimitsu looked up at the shout, nodding to his vice-captain as he settled into the seat in front of him. Oishi was looking a bit flustered at the attention, but greeted everyone just the same.
"Sorry everyone, I was helping Echizen to his next class. Actually...after last class today could someone go and get him and bring him to the tennis courts? He says he wants to come to practise but needs help getting there...He has History last, so if anyone is in that area..." Oishi trailed off, letting the question hang in the air.
Noticing no one was about to answer, Kunimitsu was just about to concede to helping the first year when Fuji's voice interrupted him, "I'll go and get him, I have English so they are close." Glancing over at the genius Kunimitsu saw him smile serenely at the relieved Oishi.
That smile...Kunimitsu narrowed his eyes, was Fuji up to something? If so, what?
It was then that the bell rang, signalling the beginning of class. Kunimitsu turned to the front of the class, he'd think about Fuji later.
The rest of the class passed, nodding his farewell to his teammates Kunimitsu left the room, and Fuji followed him. Falling in step with the captain, the two tennis players walked the way to their English class in silence. At least until Fuji thought it was prudent to ask a question, "What's wrong?"
Kunimitsu stared at Fuji from the corner of his eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing is wrong." He answered, not daring to look at the boy.
"You're lying Tezuka. You've been like this since I said I would pick up Echizen after class." Fuji pointed out, causing Kunimitsu to straighten his back minutely.
"I'm fine Fuji." Kunimitsu answered in a clipped tone. Hoping that Fuji would get the hint and not pursue the topic.
If he did get the hint, he didn't show it. "Are you worried that I'm going to do something to him? I can assure you that I feel nothing but worry for our teammate." Fuji asked, still smiling serenely.
Kunimitsu felt like he was being played with, "I do not doubt you Fuji, all I can say is I as well feel worry for him. For without him we may not be able to win the Kantou tournament."
Fuji looked at him strangely as they entered the classroom, "Is that all you are worried about?" He asked, clearly not believing him.
"Yes." Kunimitsu said, nodding as he sat down. Fuji sighed before sitting across from him.
Kunimitsu knew that Fuji didn't believe him. He didn't think that he would. He was always a terrible liar...He wasn't worried about the Kantou tournament. If anything, without Echizen they would place second or third...not first. Without Echizen being the Pillar of Support, the role that Kunimitsu had put on him, it was unlikely that they would be able to defeat Rikkaidai.
Shaking his head slightly to rid himself of the negative thoughts, the tournament was still a while away. It was the end of May and the tournament didn't start until July thirteenth...so they had about a month and a half to train and get themselves up to par, and hopefully bring Echizen's skill level high enough that he could defeat a regular.
Hearing the bell, Kunimitsu focused then on the front of the classroom. Forgetting about tennis for an hour as he worked in his English class.
Rubbing his temples after English, Kunimitsu sighed heavily. Their teacher had decided that today they would be learning harder English phrases and Kunimitsu was having a hard time grasping them fully. Causing him to have a headache by the end of class. Hearing a chair scrapping the ground on his right, Kunimitsu looked up to see Fuji packing away his things.
Fuji straightened up and turned to Kunimitsu, "I'm going to go and get Echizen, captain." He announced before leaving the room. Kunimitsu watched him go, wanting to stop him. Again he shook his head as he shoved that ridiculous idea away. There was nothing Fuji could do the boy, even if he did want a match. Fuji knew that Echizen wouldn't be able to play, and therefore be disappointed when he didn't reach his expectations...therefore at the moment he could do nothing.
Reassuring himself took longer than he thought. Realising the time, Kunimitsu stood up in a hurry and left the room. It would do no good to have the captain be late for practise over something as trivial as a match between two of his players.
Hello~ Hope you enjoyed this, I know where I'm going now I'm rereading the whole Prince of Tennis Series over again so it's getting my love back into the series~ Well, please let me know what you think! :D
