-- Chapter 6 --
Momoshiro ran, hoping to make to the court in time. How could he be so stupid? He was the closest to Echizen, wasn't he? How could he not think of that?
-- Flashback --
"That is what Echizen exactly needs just now. Our support and your support, Momoshiro."
Momoshiro's head looked up to meet the Buchou's glance.
"Yes, your support, Momo. You're the person who changed him."
Having Fuji saying that, flashes of the past flowed to Momoshiro. Flashes of how he kept bugging Echizen and how he never gave Echizen a chance to be left alone. Flashes of him dragging his kouhai to street tennis for a match, or just a simple hang out with the team members. Flashes of how he kept teasing the boy when they learnt of how the kid disliked being caught in the camera, yet was being protective exactly like the rest of the members, of their youngest member that when Echizen said 'no', it meant 'no' for taking photographs. It was then Momoshiro realized that how right both Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-buchou were. That was why he had asked them about the score and why he was running now.
-- End of Flashback --
"15-0!" if Sanada of Rikkai Dai won his service game, then there was no doubt that the victory would be theirs.
Among the audience, Seigaku was even more worried than when the game played where Tezuka played against the Buchou of Hyoutei, Atobe Keigo. Most of the Regulars gritted their teeth (till the lips whitened), or clenched their fists (till knuckles whitened), or cried on their partners' shoulder, whereas Echizen stood there, motionless.
"30-0!"
"40-0!"
"This is the end for you, Seigaku."
"No, it's not!" it seemed that Momoshiro had reached in the nick of time, and the name he cried out had just proven it.
"Echizen!" and something was thrown to the said boy. Wasn't that... Ponta? His usual drink? And there was something else written underneath that can, which said...
"Mada mada da ne, Echizen." after saying that, the smile on Momoshiro earned a smile from Echizen.
If it wasn't for Momoshiro and that Ponta, there was no way that Echizen would have been able to turn the tables around and with now Echizen on the lead. At the match point, to be exact.
"Mada mada da ne." with that, Echizen scored his last point. It seemed that Seigaku was able to make it to the Nationals after all and that was why the group was cheering for the prodigy, Momoshiro and not forgetting, Ponta.
"I'm glad to be your opponent, Echizen." Sanada Genichiro of Rikkaidai had no shame over his loss to the first year, but to warn them that his team wouldn't lose in their next game twice. "We'll be looking forward to it."
After a handshake, both Echizen and Sanada parted and turned to where their teammates were.
"Ochibi, just next time, don't you scare us like that ever!" although Kikumaru said that, he still congratulated their Ochibi anyways.
By this time, Ryoma knew that he had no longer a way out, yet neither would he regret on his decision.
"You have just put yourself into a deepest mess in your life, senpai-tachi." was said once they had won the 3 consecutive winning for the match against Rikkai Dai last month by Echizen. Neither one understood what he meant by that and that foreign friend of their Ochibi, Kevin Smith, wasn't helping either. Kevin Smith was an old friend of Ryoma back in United State, who he never told the regulars about having a friend, a foreigner friend more precisely. It was quite an interesting meeting though, to come and think about it.
-- Flashback --
It was an ordinary day for the usual group of 9 walking home together. For some reason, Tezuka, who didn't socialize that much, joined them.
"Is anyone up for a game?" since it was Momoshiro who was the first to suggest it and since no one against it, they were now on their way to the street tennis courts where they often met up with other schools. However, to their astonishment, a game was played there. St Rudolph and a gaijin.
"What was that, nya?" Kikumaru Eiji frantically high jumped when that gaijin served his last ball.
"It's my first time to see a serve like that..." Kaidoh Kaoru spoke up the thoughts the club members had in their minds but only a particular first year said nothing, neither showed his expression.
"Game and match. 6-1." since there was no referee to judge the game they played, it was themselves who had to announce the score and they had chosen the gaijin. "Ore no kachi." then without any warning, the gaijin served the tennis ball backward and when the regulars realized who he was targeting to, they warned in a yell.
"Echizen/Abunai!" yet the hit never came because Echizen somehow had her racquet held out when the distance of the ball came closer to an inch.
"Oi, how was it, my 'White Tiger'?"
"What? 'Wine' Tiger?" it seemed that Momoshiro needed to improve his English.
"It's 'White Tiger' Momo, not 'Wine Tiger'..." at least the third years had understood what was being said in English.
"It's 'Haku-tora' in Japanese term." of course Ryoma knew. He had once lived in United States, after all.
"Haku-tora..." a thought popped up from Kikumaru's brain. "Fuji! Fuji! We found your otoutou! He's just right here!" and he wiped out the tears from the back of his hand, saying 'How touching. A reunion between brothers' causing the group to fall from their feet with a pretty loud thud.
'Just because the names of their shots were similar doesn;t mean that they are blood related' was in everybody's mind.
Soon a short introduction was made. That gaijin, who Kikumaru had mistaken to be Fuji's 'little brother', was Kevin Smith, a friend of a certain ichinen by the name of Echizen. To them, it was unexpected that he wasn't going to stop Kevin, who brought up his life in United State to the remaining 8, neither did he show any annoyance, the expression he wore when Wataru Suzuki of Aoyama High popped up to the group from who knows where.
-- End of Flashback --
The tennis club members of Seishun Gakuen could also sense that there was something that neither one that pair of friends wasn't telling of. For example...
-- Flashback --
"Ne, Ochibi." it was a usual training session for the tennis club. "Why did you start wearing a hat? It's not like you're bald or something..."
Echizen stiffened at the question asked by Kikumaru-senpai, which almost no one seemed to pay attention to. "Betsu ni." was his only reply while pulling his hat even lower at the same time as Kikumaru barged about 'that isn't an answer, nya' and began to shoot more questions to the poor rookie, whose Fuji's stern glance was focused on.
It was true to Kikumaru's question that ever since they had won their first tournament against St Rudolph (and a group photo was taken by Shiba-san of Monthly Magazine later that day), the same hat Echizen was wearing now had never left his head, not even during the practice session nor when hanging out with them. Although it was nothing out of ordinary, yet to Fuji, being observant as always, knew that there must be something that caused Echizen to wear it.
-- End of Flashback --
-- Another flashback --
" Yo! What's up?" Kevin Smith was a regular visitor, next to Wataru Suzuki, to Seigaku. And since both Echizen and the Regulars couldn't care less about the addition of the new member, the 10 teens walked their way to home after practice one fine day.
"... Man, you should've seen it. It was just too hilarious." when Echizen didn't laugh at the so called hilarious tale, Kevin immediately knew there was something off. "What's been bothering you? Tell me."
"It's nothing." was Echizen's reply, who gave up when Kevin gave him a warning tone along with a serious glance. "Ok, I'll tell... BUT I need you to make promise that you won't yell."
Some few feet ahead from the 2 youngsters, the Regulars just being themselves: the same usual fighting between Momoshiro and Kaidoh; the same poor Tezuka couldn't escape from the sadist Fuji; the same Inui commenting on some invented experiments which shivered Kawamura, the listener; and the same hyper Kikumaru chirped with his partner Oishi about some new fish species he saw the other day until a loud 'what?' interrupted them. Turning back, they shot questioning glances to the pair.
Hands on Kevin's mouth, Echizen shook his head saying it was nothing as important before turning and gritting his teeth at the betraying friend. The answer, however, wasn't convincing enough to the Regulars as the two unmatched friends acted even more suspicious.
-- End of Flashback --
"What is this thing you're trying to hide, Echizen?" even though Echizen did hang out with them, still Fuji could sense that there was an invisible barrier around the first year.
"When will you be open to us?" Fuji sighed and it didn't go unnoticed by the captain.
"You've been sighing quite a lot lately."
"Saa..." Fuji replied with a smile, as always.
"If you're worry about Echizen, just said so." and Fuji followed where Tezuka had paid attention to - Echizen, who was partnering with Momoshiro in today's practice.
"Ne, Tezuka. Have you ever wondered why Echizen dislikes being inside the photographs?"
"The reasons can be various, Fuji." Tezuka turned to Fuji, who was thinking what could be the reason. "He'll tell us when the time comes, so don't be in the rush AND don't complicate things." with that, Tezuka left.
"'When the time comes ka'..."
Though never had it occurred to both Fuji and Tezuka that when that time came was the day the impact would fall on them fatally.
-- End of Chapter 6 --
Glossary:
Kouhai: a lowerclass student
Senpai: a senior
Buchou: captain
Mada mada da ne: you've still have lots more to work on
-Tachi: in plural. Eg: Senpai-tachi means seniors
Gaijin: a foreigner
Ore no kachi: I won / the victory's mine...
Abunai: watch out / look out
Otoutou: little brother
Ichinen: first year (student)
Betsu ni: (it's) nothing
Ka: in this case means 'is it'. There are many ways to use this expression, eg: 'Sou ka' can refer to "is that so?" or be mean "oh, I see".
Cdgal: Those flashbacks are very important, as to why, I'll reveal them in the future chapters. Actually, I've thought of expanding them in a chapter, but I don't know where to put between this chapter and the next chapter. That's just won't work. So after many considerations, I've decided to add flashback.
Ok, maybe most of you might confuse about the attitudes of Ryoma's and Kevin's and their low profile conversations. You can consider this is a sneak peek on what's going on in the next chapter. It occurred during the period where Echizen starting to get all pitchy. If you don't like that idea, then you can consider these 6 chapters were all in flashbacks and that Chapter 7 was the real thing.