"Korean"
'Soulmate Bond Talking'
"English"
"Hoi, Hoi! Manager!" a familiar voice called out.
I quickly turned and stepped to the inside, avoiding Eiji's diving hug.
Eiji quickly planted his hand on the ground and flipped his body, saving himself from a harsh fall. He turned and pouted at me, "Mou, Manager, why do you always dodge?" He whined.
I put a hand to my temple, "Senpai, I told you not to call me Manager, I have a name," I grit out.
Eiji shook his head, "Nope! Sorry, zannen muunen, mataraishu~!" he called out with a peace sign, "Manager will always be Manager!" he declared.
I sighed and continued on my trek to the club room, shaking my head out of exasperation.
"Ne, Manager, you never answered my question!" Eiji prodded as he poked my arm.
We reached the club room's door and I fiddled with the lock, "Would you believe me if I told you it was your acrobatics training?" I asked flatly, with a dull expression.
Eiji scratched his head with a sweatdrop, "Well when you put it like that you make me seem like a bother."
I gave him a pointed look before turning away to enter the club room, my right hand flicking on the lights.
"Mou, Manager! You're so mean!" Eiji whined as he followed me, heading for his locker, grumpily.
At that moment, Kaidoh slipped through the door, "Ohayogozaimasu," He greeted lowly.
I nodded, "Ohayo."
Eiji brightened up at the sight of Kaidoh, "Ah! Kaidoh! Save me from Manger, he's being so mean!" He pleaded as he pulled on his junior's sleeve.
I gave Kaidoh a pointed look. He just hissed and peeled our senpai off of him without a word, heading for his locker.
Eiji began to dramatically cry on the floor, "Kaidoh-nya~"
"Ohayo- Eiji! Why are you on the floor?!" Oishi asked loudly, Tezuka just behind him.
I sent my soulmate a smile before turning back towards the tennis ball carts, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Oishi-senpai, Buchou!" I called out lazily.
Oishi is too occupied by Eiji to answer but Tezuka ruffles my hair with his hand as he passes.
I mock throwing a tennis ball at him and when he turns around I act like nothing happened.
It's been a month and a half since I've joined the club as its manager and the Kantou Final match with Hyotei is this week.
At first, most of the members of the club had been wary of me. So wary that a bunch of the members had cornered me after practice and demanded a match. I managed to beat all of them, but Arai had given me a run for my money. It was Kunimitsu and Syusuke who finally decided that this was ridiculous and that I had proven myself to be capable.
Now, I am just referred to as "Manager". No one calls me by my name except for Tezuka and Fuji. Echizen, however, still calls me Evan-senpai and doesn't seem to budge when others insist he call me manager.
"Manager-san! Ohayo gozaimasu" two voices squeaked out to me.
I turned with two tennis ball carts being steered with my two hands, "Ohayo," I greeted lowly, yawning at the end of my greeting.
Katsuo and Kachiro immediately grabbed the carts from my grip, "We'll help Manager-san!" Katsuo exclaimed.
Kachiro nodded next to him, "We'll get the carts out and you can get the water ready."
Before I could say anything, the two freshmen already left.
I stared after them with a blank expression, "What came over them?"
"Mada mada dane, Evan-senpai," a voice declared next to me.
I barely even looked and messed up the shorter teen's hair, "Urusai, gaki."
Ryoma yelped in protest and turned to respond, only for Momo to burst into the door and hold his friend into a chokehold, "Echizen! What the hell was that, leaving the blame on me?!" He shouted angrily.
I watched in amusement as the two began to argue, coughing to catch their attention. I gave them a subtle sign to look towards their captain, who glowered silently behind me.
Momo and Ryoma froze, "W-Wait bu-buchou! We can explain!" Momo tried to protest.
"Momo! Echizen! Forty laps!" Kunimitsu barked out.
Momo and Ryoma immediately rushed to their lockers and began to change, still arguing.
I could tell that Kunimitsu was still glowering next to me, irritated that the two boys were still arguing. I grabbed his left hand with my right subtly, his longer fingers naturally slipping under the band on my wrist. I lightly brushed my fingers over the taller teen's left side as the poor victims to laps rushed out the door to complete them.
Kunimitsu tightened his grip on wrist and I smiled softly, "Let them be, they're just energetic today," I reasoned, my eyes closing, "형, at least they were on time."
He let out a small sigh at my words and extracted his hand from me with much reluctance, "Very well," He huffed before heading towards the office.
I watched him go, my eyes brightening as I went over our small interaction.
"Saa, it seems you've managed to tame Kuni, Jinyoung," a voice murmured into my ear before blowing warm air onto it.
I flinched at the fingers tapping against my bicep, "Syuusuke 형!" I exclaimed, covering my ear as I jumped away from him, "하지말라고!" I groaned, rubbing at my bicep, trying to ease the goosebumps.
Syuusuke just chuckled and pulled me into a loose hug, "How was your morning?" He asked, a small smile on his face.
I shrugged, "Pretty good, I made fun of Eiji-senpai today."
A fairy like laughter escaped my soulmate's lips, "Is that so? Must have been pretty fun." He mused, looking over my shoulder, "I'm going to say hello to Kuni."
I watched him go, greeting his romantic with a surprise kiss on the cheek. In response the captain whirled around with a small smile, kissed his partner's cheek as well, and composed his stoic image once again.
It wasn't hidden knowledge that Kunimitsu and Syuusuke were romantics, most of the tennis club's relations were not. Pretty much everyone in the club knew how everyone was bonded, it just didn't spread to outside the club for just general privacy.
Out of all the relations, these were the best known.
Syusuke and Kunmitsu were romantics, and I was platonics with both of them.
Momo and Ryoma are platonics.
Inui and Kaidoh are romantics.
Kawamura and Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter are romantics.
Oishi and Eiji are romantics.
It was fun to see how the outside world speculated about our relations and how they worked.
"Manager, do you need help with the water?"
I turned to Kawamura-senpai, "Ah, no thanks senpai, I've got it," I reassured, "But did Ryuuzaki-san and senpai enjoy that cafe I recommended?" I asked, continuing a conversation as he walked with me to the water fountain.
He blushed at my words, "A-ah, well, it was really good and we had a good time." He smiled fondly, "Sakuno-chan really liked the parfaits they had."
I perked at that, "She had one? I've tried a couple but they're all really good," I exclaimed, a smile on my face, "I'm glad, I was worried that the great baker of the West wouldn't like it."
Kawamura laughed at that, "She wouldn't want to hear you saying that, but thank you," He thanked, before taking a full water canister and heading towards the court.
I watched him go with a dull expression, "Why does everyone take my job away from me?" I asked rhetorically to the air as I finished filing another canister.
"45% of lithe appearance," a voice stated behind me, "It seems that many think that you are incapable of carrying such heavy things because of your small statu-" I slammed my fist into Inui's face, his nose spurting blood as he hit the ground comically.
"Small stature my ass!" I spat, "Come at me, I'll fight them anyday!"
Inui got up after composing himself, blood staining his shirt, "Iie data, Manager, you have a mean right hook-"
"Inui~ Don't tell me you made Jinyoung angry again?" a sweetly voice asked, making both me and Inui jump.
We turned slowly to see a smaller pink pig tailed girl with a shinai over her shoulder, her bangs creating a shadow over her eyes, "Right~?" she asked, with a threat on the tip of her tongue.
Inui stepped back, "91.22% that if I don't escape now, I will lose my life."
Yukina drew closer, "How about a hundred percent?" she asked threateningly.
Inui had never run faster in his life.
I watched him go, whistling, "Wow, that's the fastest I've seen anyone run, even Kamio from Fudomine." I commented.
Something hit the back of my legs, making me look back to see Reina wearing her Kendo uniform, "Sup," she greeted.
I greeted her back and thanked Yukina for scaring off Inui, despite having the situation under control.
Yukina just smiled and reassured me that she knew I was capable but that she would help her friends when needed.
They left to go practice and I arrived to the courts just as Ryuuzaki-sensei was having the boys line up. I set the water canisters I brought onto a nearby bench and stood next to sensei who nodded at me in greeting.
"A few announcements!" Ryuuzaki-sensei started, "We have our match with Hyotei this week at the Kantou tournament. I will not be able to join you but our Manager will be there to support you." she gestured towards me and I just lazily nodded in agreement, "Regulars, our Manager will give you the lineup on the day of, be on time," she stressed. At the nods and shouts of confirmation from her regulars she nodded, "As a final note, neither myself or Jinyoung will be here for afternoon practice today,"
I immediately felt two piercing gazes on me that I completely ignored.
"Tezuka, Oishi, I leave practice in your hands,"
Tezuka just nodded while Oishi replied in affirmation.
That left a bright blue gaze stuck onto me.
As soon as the lineup was dismissed I ran off towards the club room to "grab some information" and "consider the lineup". Aka: avoid Tezuka and Fuji.
'What makes you think that you can escape us that easily?'
'Jinyoung, where are you going after school?'
I hit my head against the office door as I remembered the mental link I had with my soulmates.
'We know you can hear us, Jinyoung'
'Answer us.'
I grit my teeth and thought carefully, 'It's nothing.'
'Oh? Then you wouldn't mind just telling us what this nothing is?'
Both Kunimitsu and I were at a lost for words.
'...you let your guard down.' Kunimitsu commented stiffly.
I frowned, 'Honestly, Syuusuke, Kunimitsu, it's nothing. I'm visiting someone in the hospital.' I revealed.
There was a pause as both of my mates thought over what I had said.
'...would you like us to come with?'
'No,' I responded, after letting out a frustrated sigh, 'I'll tell you about someday, I just… it's too fresh right now.'
'Very well.'
'Young-ie, we'll always be here for you.'
I rubbed at my marks in thanks, the mental link fading from my mind.
I let out a deep sigh, my eyes sight on the bag I had set on the corner of the desk.
Korean Translation:
형 - title for "brother". Equivalent to Japanese "-nii"
하지말라고! - I've told you not to do that/stop that
