CHAPTER SEVEN
COURT JEALOUSY
"Damn! That capped brat better remember this!" Arai Masahashi, a junior member of Seigaku tennis club, is seething and he's not even trying to hide it.
Because of that freshman brat, Echizen Ryoma, Masahashi is now on Momoshiro's bad side for that little fun they chose to have yesterday when the regulars were away. It was just some entertainment for Masahashi and his friends to see those newbies flailing with their racquets, and if they made a bit of money for it, then that's much better. But the brat was such a show off that he had to reveal the trick behind the can and turn Momoshiro against Arai.
And now even Tezuka-buchuo is on him, ordering him to run 20 laps as punishment because of that damned brat.
"Too bad~" one of Masahashi 's friend snickered. He instantly shut up though, once Arai glared at him.
Echizen Ryoma is really getting on his nerves. The way he flaunted his tennis like he did a while ago, smashing Oishi-senpai's misaimed ball into the basket as precisely as the regulars were doing and acting all haughty about it like it was so easy. It made Masahashi want to bring down and humiliate the arrogant brat.
Masahashi is a diligent member of the club. All things aside, he worked hard and practiced every day to improve his tennis. Though he knew that he is not in the same level as the current regulars, he also knew that he is better than most of the non-regular members. He wanted to gain a spot as a regular on the team in the upcoming ranking tournament but if the brat will participate as well, then his chances will diminish even more. That is why he needed to bring the damned brat down as early as possible.
He glared daggers at Echizen's back after their laps and saw his opportunity. The brat even brought three tennis racquets to practice though all the freshmen have to do are basic exercises and picking up balls.
'Let's see how he can play tennis when all his racquets disappeared.' Masahashi thought with a dark smile. He could clearly see how he will humiliate the boy in front of everyone, especially the regulars.
"Lend me your ears for a second." He called to his two friends.
/
Ryoma had just finished running his twenty laps and came to join the other freshmen practicing their swings. There was just a bit of a problem though, he couldn't find his racquets. He was sure he left them in the bench before he did his punishment laps, but now they are nowhere in sight.
"What happened? Did you forget your racquets?" the loudmouthed freshman asked after he saw him looking around.
And as if on cue, the three juniors from earlier appeared with smug faces.
"You're pretty confident to come to practice without your racquet." The one with the headband, he thinks he is called Akai, Araki or something, called out.
"You think you don't need basic training?"
"But he's the 'Heralded Freshman'." Arai's lackeys goaded him more. The jeers were enough for Ryoma to know who were responsible for his missing racquets.
"If you're so confident, why don't we have a match right now? But if you don't have a racquet…" Arai dared him, one of his friends handing him an old and ratty racquet from the sideline.
"Here take this extra one." The junior threw the old racquet to him, its strings barely holding on its wooden frame.
The other freshmen were crowding around them now. Three of them recognized the racquet as the one being stepped around in the locker room. It was in such a shabby state that it can hardly be useful.
"What's wrong? Won't you face me, Heralded Freshman?" Ryoma can practically see the waves of smugness rolling off the junior's body as he said those words.
"That racquet fits you perfectly. Learn from this and never show off again! Who knows, if you do, you might just see your three precious racquets again." If Ryoma wasn't sure before that they are the culprits, he definitely loss all doubts remaining in his mind after he heard that from Arai.
He really dislikes people who use such dirty and underhanded tricks to make up for their lack of talent. Their laughter surely grated on his nerves.
'My racquets better be unharmed.' Ryoma thought while glaring at the three laughing juniors. His favorite racquet is in there too.
"Oi Echizen, where are you going?" Unibrow asked as he walked in to the court.
"There are some who play tricks… because they're weak." He said loud enough for everyone to hear. He'll show these idiots.
/
"Hmm… I want to see more of this." Fuji Syuusuke said with his ever present smile.
"I knew you were going to say that." Kikumaru Eiji mumbled behind him with an accompanying pout. Syuusuke could only smile even more.
In truth he was having a really good day. Today had been nothing short of interesting for him. First there was the talk of that intriguing freshman this morning that never left his thoughts for the whole day. Then he came to afternoon practice to find that said intriguing freshman was none other than the ethereal beauty he found sleeping in the park the other day. Syuusuke had really wished could to see him again but he could have never hoped for a better way than this.
Echizen Ryoma… for him to show up as a new member in the tennis club means that Syuusuke can see him more often and that he can have more chances to get close to him. Aside from that, he seems to have some serious war potential.
"There are some who play tricks… because they're weak." Syuusuke's smile turned into something more of a grin after hearing Echizen say that.
"What? Are you saying I hid them?" he was laughing in his mind because Arai couldn't have been more obvious after saying that.
'So they did hide Echizen's racquets. I can't let them off easily from bullying their kohai (underclassman) now, can I? Fufu'
"Who knows? Come, let's play." Echizen called to Arai with hard eyes. The junior couldn't help but gulp after meeting that look.
'Such fierce eyes' Syuusuke thought.
"You're too confident. I will completely crush you." Arai bravely proclaimed, or as bravely as he can anyway.
'I doubt that.' Syuusuke answered in his head as he heard some people around him comment on how victory already belonged to Arai.
Syuusuke focused his eyes on Echizen, following every movement of that lithe body. He noticed how there was no hint on tension in boy's form even after his first return hit the net and the next one went out of bounds.
"No use, you can't hit it normally."
"You're right."
He heard the respective comments from Eiji and Inui beside him but his attention still remained solely on Echizen.
"Hmm… with that gut you really can't put spin in the ball." He remarked to his friends but he also observed Echizen testing the strings of the racquet. He observed that tiny smirked that appeared on those lips as though the boy had it all figured out.
So, he wasn't surprise when the next return landed on Arai's court in the blink of an eye. Though, the same couldn't be said about the junior and most of the spectators. A lot of jaws could be picked up from the ground after that return ace.
"Oh, he put a spin on it by rotating his body." Eiji figured out.
"He's good, ne." Syusuke said, with only a hint of being impressed in his voice. He smiled.
"No way, he returned it with that piece of junk?!"
"Maybe it's not that old?"
"That's not true. The sound of the impact was really weird."
"But he returned the ball really fast." he smiled more with the unbelieving comments he heard from Arai's lackeys.
"That was slow." Echizen said, probably having heard the comments too.
'Fufufu, slow huh?' Syuusuke thought, amused.
"Shut up! Just because you've returned one ball." it seems Arai is the one losing his temper now, and on the verge of total humiliation.
"A great calligrapher does not need to choose his pen…" Syuusuke said with his eyes open, watching Echizen intently as he destroys his opponent.
/
"What do you think, Tezuka?" Oishi asked him from their spot in the classroom window viewing the match happening in the tennis court.
"I don't tolerate anyone breaking the rules. Make everyone run laps." He said before turning his back from the scene.
"Eh? Even the regulars?"
"Everyone." He stressed as he walked away. He sighed inside his mind from all the headaches he is sure to have.
'Really, can't I take my eyes of him without him getting into some kind of trouble?' He guessed it can't be helped now. Echizen is already being targeted by the other members jealousy so there is really no point in avoiding singling him out. He will stand out from the others no matter what.
'I guess the only way to keep him from harm is to keep him close after all.' Kunimitsu thought as he made up his mind.
/
Ryoma tighten his hold on his racquet bag as he made his way out of the locker room. He was just happy to have found his racquets back beside his locker that he couldn't be bothered by the death glares Arai was sending his way.
"ITAI! (Ouch!) Ow ow ow!" though that shout stopped him for a second, he didn't waste time looking back.
If only he did, he would have found the looks of Arai and his lackeys' faces, after they put on their shoes only to step on the cactus leaves inside of it, totally hilarious. But even if he did, it is doubtful that he would have spotted that sadistic glee carefully hidden in Fuji's smile.
/
TBC
