Sorry for the delay in update, the previous week was exam week, so I didn't get too much time...

This chapter has a large chunk of competition scenes, and I'm still not sure how good I am in describing tennis matches. If anything sounds weird, tell me please~~

I am looking forward to the next chapter, because Hyotei is coming up~~ haha, I love them too. Just a thought, which Hyotei pairing do you like the most? It'll be good to get some ideas. Also, I have another one shot collection of TeniPuri that I'm recently working on, and it's all about confessions between each couple. If you're interested, it's called Moving Time. I'll be really happy if you could check it out. (Sorry for the advertisement time. Now back to the main story...)

Chapter 9 – Seigaku vs. Moriyama: The New Doubles Pair

"Good job all of you in the match with Nobihara." Coach Ryuuzaki boomed, "but do not let your guard down, even though you guys are guaranteed into the Kantou regional after making the top 4 this far! The next match against Moriyama is the semi-final of the Tokyo district competition, and do not underestimate them just because their members have lost to you before in junior high. I heard that Akutsu is back on the tennis team, so you know what to expect." She glared at her team, thinking back to the annoying voice of Banji, the old geezer in charge of Yamabuki, now Moriyama's tennis club. Boosting in front of her? Not in another hundred years!

"You guys must be in your top shape! Now, go practice! And I've especially ordered Inui to make another new juice, hope you guys like it." And at the last sentence, all of the regulars scrammed away as fast as they could.

She caught sight of two figures from the corner of her eyes, and shouted, "Momoshiro! Echizen! I need to talk to you two."

With dreadful faces, the two teenagers followed her reluctantly into the club room.

"Ok, spit it out. What's the problem between you two?" Coach Ryuuzaki went straight to the point, and the two boys looked like someone just stepped on their tails. Echizen huffed, and turned away from Momoshiro.

"Um… I'm guessing it's that…" Momoshiro started uncertainly, "Maybe I've been goofing around too much, that I'm starting to look ridiculous in the eyes of my kouhai. Probably that's why Echizen won't listen to such an ill-respected sempai like me, haha." The older boy tried laughing off the tension, and Echizen just lowered his head some more under the cover of his baseball hat.

Momoshiro ill-respected? That's a first. Coach Ryuuzaki kicked Echizen under the table. "Is that true, Echizen?"

The stubborn boy was making a very blatant show of ignoring her. Momoshiro stood out to ease the awkwardness. "It's ok, Echizen is just unwilling to admit that in my face. But I'm already working hard to change my image, try to be a more mature guy, you know. Even Akemi-chan said that I don't look reliable."

At the sudden appearance of a girl's name, Echizen peered out from under his hat rim. "Akemi-chan?"

"Ah, the girl who confessed to me a couple of weeks ago. I just told her yesterday that we could go out, so she's my girlfriend now." Momoshiro replied cheerily, failing to see how white Echizen's knuckles had become from clutching the side of the chair. "They say that you can't grow up without a good romance, and Akemi-chan's a great fan of you, Echizen. You should meet her. How about we go for burger sometime after practice?"

Coach Ryuuzaki felt like banging Momoshiro's head to the table. There's a certain extent to how dense someone can be, and Momoshiro just broke the record. Even she could see that finding a girlfriend wasn't the best solution, just from the fact that Echizen was almost broiling under his hat.

The shorter boy stood up abruptly, causing the chair legs to scrape across the floor with a hideous sound. "Sure, anything." And stalked out of the room.

"You think it's going to work? That Echizen would share his problems with me if I become more responsible?" Momoshiro asked coach Ryuuzaki, and she glared at him and sighed.

………………………………………

"Ochibi, what's wrong? Your face looks like a train had just run over it." Kikumaru bounced over to the dangerous first year, who was currently emitting as much dark aura as he could.

Echizen turned to look at his way-too-cheerful sempai, and suppressed the urge to punch him for just being so happy. "Momo-sempai has a girlfriend."

"WHAT – "

"Oh, he does?" Fuji seemed to have accidentally heard the conversation and conveniently decided to join in. "So what are you going to do, Echizen?"

Damn his cunning sempais. The first year glared at Fuji's innocent smiley face, and said grudgingly, "Nothing. What can I do? His skull is so thick that he probably didn't get the hints before, so why should he get it now with a girlfriend? I don't really know why I bothered."

"Because you like him." Fuji finally opened his eyes, the shining blue sparkle in the creeping Echizen out just a little. "In fact, I don't think it's all Momoshiro's fault. You've only beat around the bush and never told him straight out how you feel towards him, so you can't really blame him for taking the wrong guess on your feelings. Poor Momo is just trying to please you by getting a girlfriend, so that you'll see him as somebody to rely on."

"That's true," Kikumaru quipped in, "Ochibi is just the type to be too shy to confess, so you just pretend to be nonchalant about everything, which is what that's frustrating the hell out of Momo. Just look at how you behaved in the St. Paul's match. Sheesh, would it kill you to learn how to communicate?"

"So it's entirely my fault now, eh?" Echizen hissed, not acknowledging the guilt that was emerging with his sempai's words.

"Well, at least you should also take some responsibilities for the current mess you've got into. It's not fair to Momo when he knows nothing and has to be on the receiving end of your rage all the time. Face him properly, and solve the problem before too many people get involved or hurt." Fuji continued despite Echizen's darkening face, "If you can't even bear with the embarrassment, then you must be liking Momo only so much."

"You can't get anything without sacrificing something you have first. If that's pride, then so be it." Kikumaru winked, then bounced away with Fuji in tow, leaving Echizen to contemplate their words. The boy knitted his brows together, and kicked a tree trunk dully.

………………………………………

Echizen looked at the player order for their match against Moriyama, and was sure Coach Ryuuzaki was out to get him. He was in doubles two again, with Momoshiro. What made his eyes bulge even bigger was that Akutsu was also placed in doubles two, together with Dan Taichi. If he remembered correctly, he's that tiny ex-manager for Yamabuki.

"Wow, that Akutsu is playing doubles?" Oishi said in amazement. "He's one of the most… independent player I've ever seen."

"Yeah, Yuki-chan said that this Taichi-kun has been a really good influence on Jin. I've been meaning to see him." Kawamura added enthusiastically.

"Even Akutsu is playing doubles now… Ochibi, you can't lose to him, can you?" Kikumaru sniggered, Fuji's little sadism rubbing off on him.

"Let's go, Momo-sempai. I'm not going to go easy on them today, and you'd better not drag me down." Echizen said in his usual cool manner, but counting that it was the first time he had initiated a talk with Momoshiro in two weeks, the sempai was almost jumping with happiness even though the comment was nothing but sarcastic.

Momoshiro slung an arm over Echizen's shoulders, "As if I've ever lost to you in terms of fighting spirit." And the two walked into the court together.

Kikumaru stared after them for a while, then whispered to Fuji, "There's definitely some changes in ochibi's mind. Just hope that he won't be too extreme."

Fuji smiled enigmatically, "But then, when's Echizen not extreme?"

"Doubles two match starts now! Seigaku Momoshiro Echizen pair against Moriyama Akutsu Dan pair!"

Echizen locked his eyes onto the silver haired monster, who stalked into the courts with Dan following beside him like a puppy. First casting a glare at the referee, Akutsu sneered as his victim was visibly shaken. Arriving at the opposing side of the net, the two players' glares clashed, and vulgar as ever, Akutsu raised his racket high above his head to slam down at Echizen. But the little déjà vu moment was quickly ruined by an admonishing cry.

"Akutsu-sempai!" Dan had latched himself to Akutsu's elbow to stop his movement. "You shouldn't hurt Echizen-san!"

Akutsu scowled at Dan, and all of the audience were holding their breath in fear that violently inclined teenager was going to lash out at the kid with puppy dog eyes. However, Akutsu simply lowered his arm and mussed up Dan's hair.

"Che, I'm not going to hit him anyway." And walked towards the baseline.

Dan smiled apologetically at the Seigaku pair, "I'm sorry, sempai's just shy and can't express his feelings well. He's actually very happy to have a match with Echizen-san again, desu! And can I have smooth?"

Momoshiro rolled his eyes and twirled the racket. Akutsu, shy? This kid had a bad case of hallucination.

"Seigaku service play! Echizen Ryoma to serve!"

Echizen studied his opponent, and knowing it was Akutsu, started off relentlessly with a twist serve. Akutsu caught it easily, and ran up to the net immediately after returning the shot, leaving the back courts completely unguarded. Both-up strategy, eh? The only way to get past the two in front was… Momoshiro narrowed his eyes, dragged out his racket, and did a lob that was enough to make Oishi proud.

Akutsu smirked, and crouched down low. "I was waiting for that, kiddo. Taichi!"

"Hai!" The short boy shouted enthusiastically and ran towards Akutsu. With an energetic leap, he stepped onto Akutsu's back like leaping over a hurdle, soared into the air, and caught Momoshiro's volley midway. The ball was slammed back onto the Seigaku side.

"0 – 15!"

Echizen's eyes widened by the slightest fraction. "Hm, yaru jaa…"

"If Akutsu could even play doubles, we can be the next Golden Pair, eh, Echizen?" Momoshiro smirked, patting Echizen's shoulder, "A smash like that shouldn't be much trouble for you."

"I wouldn't assume that if I were you, Momoshiro-kun." Moriyama's Lucky Sengoku waved from the sidelines, a friendly gesture Momoshiro pointedly ignored.

"What do you mean by that?" Inui came over to Sengoku, notebook in hand.

Being the happy-go-luck person he was, Sengoku didn't really mind sharing secrets with his opponents. "Ever since that match that made Akutsu quit tennis, Taichi had aspired to become a tennis player. However, he certainly isn't Echizen Ryoma, and his only advantage was being able to jump very high. Putting such a player in singles would be suicide, but not putting him in matches would hinder his progress, so the only other way was doubles. But poor Taichi, nobody wanted to partner him because he'd only drag them down. I would have loved to do the job, but Banji couldn't allow me off the singles list. So there came Akutsu again. I don't know how much charm Taichi has on that rockhead, but enough to pull him back into our team, and act as a personal coach for that little boy."

"Ahem, I'm not here to write a biography. Can we go back to the question?" Inui coughed, cutting off Sengoku's blabber.

"Oh that." Sengoku smiled sheepishly, "Because of the height of Taichi's jump, even though he doesn't have lots of strength, the ball will still come down heavy. Law of gravity or something. But even if you can return the smash, there's still –"

"Drive B!" Seigaku's enthusiastic cheerleaders, mostly the Horio trio exclaimed, as Echizen slid forward and drove the ball in a B shape over to the opposite side before Dan could even land from the previous high smash.

"You think you could fool me by this trick again?!" Akutsu shouted, and with a sprint his whole body flew backwards as if sucked back by some invisible force, and caught up with Echizen's drive volley before the ball could hit the ground second time to fully form the B shape. Momoshiro's eyes widened. With that position bent back like that, it was impossible for Akutsu to hit a straight ball, and even if he could, Echizen was right in front of him. Right side! But just as Momoshiro ran a step to the right, the ball whooshed past his left foot.

Echizen's hat was on the ground, blazed off by the ball as it whizzed right past his face. A perfectly straight shot.

"Set Moriyama! 6 – 2!" The first set was taken by Moriyama like a breeze.

Sengoku smiled in an all-knowing way. "In doubles, it's best to use both-up strategy where both players stand in front of the net. It's the most aggressive play, and can probably volley off any shot, except a good high lob."

"However, Dan's jumping ability and the pair's body stature differences overcome this weakness oddly well." Inui continued, "But even if there are opponents who could still return the high smash –"

"It's called the Shooting Star. I made this name myself." Sengoku beamed.

"Shooting Star, whatever. After their smash, both of them would wind up on the same side of the court, and if the opponent could catch the smash and return it to the empty side of the court, they would still be over. Echizen is obviously good enough to return the Shooting Star, but Akutsu's physique… it's simply breathtaking to watch."

"It's not good to go praise the opponent, Inui!" Kikumaru had apparently been eavesdropping, "I still believe cooperation to be the best weapon in doubles, so it's not over yet for Ochibi and Momo!"

Inui pushed his glasses. "Cooperation huh? I think it's better to pray."

Back on the court, it was break time in between sets. Momoshiro took a big gulp of water, and dumped the water bottle down in frustration. "It's only them smashing down on us, I don't even have a chance to use my dunk smash! They're very careful about not playing a lob. And I keep going in the wrong direction! Shit! I don't know how to do the split steps like you."

Echizen was quiet for a moment, then asked out of the blue, "Do you think you can catch their combined smash?"

Coach Ryuuzaki watched them from the corner of her eyes. She had considered hinting them, but life's no fun without some trips and falls. Moreover, anything that would get those two to communicate was good.

Momoshiro thought about the question. "I think I can, if I stand a little backwards and use both hands…"

Echizen waved for Momoshiro to bend down, and whispered a string of stuff into his ear. The opponent pair looked on from the other side, and Akutsu sneered.

"No matter how much planning and whispering around the back, there's no chance they're going to come close to beating us."

"But the way Echizen-san returned our Shooting Star was amazing too!" Dan chattered, tagging on to the side of Akutsu's shirt. "That's the first time someone has caught our smash! I've never had a match with such a strong pair before! Thank you, Akutsu-sempai, for playing doubles with me. I know I'm just dragging you down, and you could be so much more brilliant in singles, but –"

"Don't feel bad, Dan-kun," Moriyama's coach, Banda-sensei (also Banji for short) cut in, "You're the reason Akutsu-kun is on the court right now. If not for you, he wouldn't even bother to show how brilliant he is. Right, Akutsu-kun?"

"Don't make ridiculous assumptions, you old geezer." Akutsu snapped, and pulled Dan back onto the courts.

"Doubles two second set! Moriyama Akutsu to serve!"

The Seigaku pair also returned, but to everyone's surprise, both of them took position at the service line. Dan looked up at Akutsu, a little confused, but was reassured as Akutsu served, firm and powerful as always. Echizen caught the serve, returned it to Dan, and immediately turned around and started running towards the back court. Spotting the blind spot on Echizen's right, Dan hit the ball right at the doubles sideline. There was no way Echizen could return that with his back turned –

The ball flew over the center of the net in a perfect cross to Moriyama's right front court, too far away for Dan to catch up from the left. It was Momoshiro. He had already moved to the center when Echizen turned to run, but the opponent was too caught up in Echizen's surprise movement to notice Momoshiro's advance, and that the shorter boy's blind spots were already covered by his partner.

"That's it, Ochibi, Momo!" Kikumaru danced around, "Lure them into your trap!"

The Seigaku pair kept up the strategy, and this time, Echizen reached the baseline successfully. The tennis ball came to him, and as if purposely challenging the Moriyama pair, played a lob.

"You just never learn, eh, kiddo?!" Akutsu shouted as Dan smashed down.

"It's you who's not learning!" Momoshiro yelled, balancing his weight on the left foot and swung both arms forward to withstand the impact of the Shooting Star. "AAHHH!" With his roar, the ball blazed forward and left a dark smudge right on Moriyama's baseline.

"Game Seigaku! 1 – 0!"

"Don!" Momoshiro made his trademark victory sign at the glaring Akutsu, then swirled around and rushed excitedly to Echizen. "Did you see that? I returned the Shooting Star with my Jacknife!"

"Ah, good work, Momo-sempai." Echizen's lips curved up just the tiniest bit. Momoshiro gawked a little too obviously at his partner's expressions, and received a kick in the shin.

"It's a good strategy they're using, isn't it, Tezuka?" Fuji asked for their captain's opinions like always.

"Hm." Tezuka nodded, "It's unusual that Echizen is willing to be the defence, supporting Momoshiro's attacks."

"Because only Echizen could deal with Akutsu's ability to hit the ball after seeing the opponent's movements. It would be much more efficient for Echizen to be the defence, although his pride has always put him on the aggressive role." Fuji analyzed, "It's great, that Echizen's beginning to learn to put the team's position before his own ego."

The Seigaku pair had gotten the second set using their new tactic, and it was up to the last set to determine the winner. Even though Coach Ryuuzaki had confidence in her youngest player's abilities, she still couldn't stop her temples from throbbing. Doubles was more than an individual's act or even a few ideas for cooperation. She had put the two of them in doubles to let them learn, and they had, but was this spur of the moment enough to win?

"You know, Ryuuzaki-sensei," Banji turned to her with a smiley face, "For every player that goes onto the court, there are reasons supporting them, reasons that they cannot lose. For doubles, that's obvious. Each person is carrying the dreams of two on his shoulders, and what better motivation is there than his partner?"

Coach Ryuuzaki looked at the game at hand, and had to admit to that. Indeed, her students' willpower and competitive spirit were keeping them up with a good fight, but Akutsu and Dan's presence were totally different. They were taking in their opponents' every move, but were even more aware of each other's actions and reacted accordingly. She could clearly see the bond, something that was always visible between her Golden Pair, and also something that the current pair lacked.

It wasn't soon before the Moriyama team spotted the loophole in Momoshiro and Echizen's plan. When it was Akutsu's turn, his shots would all be aimed at Momoshiro, to strike in the opposite direction after Momoshiro had decided to move. Meanwhile, Dan would always hit to the back courts to keep Echizen from moving up. Echizen could only watch, as Momoshiro ran again and again to miss the ball.

"Match Moriyama Akutsu Dan pair! 2 sets to 1!" The referee announced, and Momoshiro swung his racket into the net.

Sensing that Echizen was walking up towards him, Momoshiro looked down guilty at his partner. "I'm sorry, Echizen. If I had been able to catch up with Akutsu…"

"It's ok, Momo-sempai," Echizen took off his hat and looked at Momoshiro straight in the eyes. "We don't have as much experience in doubles, nor are we aiming to be a good doubles team. There's always some sort of compatibility between two people, like how you can form a good team with Eiji-sempai or Kaidou-sempai. We just don't have that, so there's nothing to apologize for. It's natural that we lost." And he turned to walk towards the net to shake hands with Akutsu and Dan.

"That's not like you to say that! It's not like you… to admit defeat to anything! And who says we have bad compatibility?! We're best buddies, aren't we?!" Momoshiro shouted into Echizen's back, as the nasty feel of losing, the regret that he could have done better, and some unknown, bitter feeling clotted his mind. He walked off the court, ignoring the ceremonial handshakes.

"Oi, kiddo, you guys have some issues, don't you?" Akutsu scowled at the figure rudely leaving the court.

"Yeah, Echizen-san! It's not good for doubles partners to quarrel!" Dan quipped in, huge puppy dog eyes looking expectantly at him.

"Don't worry, I'll sort it out for good." Echizen smirked at the odd concern coming from people who he was just battling minutes ago. "And don't give me those worried faces. Savour the feeling that you've just beat ore-sama."

Akutsu snorted, and shoved Echizen's hat rim down.

………………………………………

"Momo-chan! You've done a great job already, so don't feel down!" Kikumaru tried cheering up his kouhai, who was sitting on the ground in a slump.

"Momo-sempai," Echizen came up, and plopped himself down beside his senior. Kikumaru backed away considerately. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was being presumptuous, and we actually cooperated well during the second set. It's just… I was in a pretty bad mood swing, and sorry if I've been a brat, but I've cleared my mind up. Sorry for making you feel uncomfortable, Momo-sempai."

Momoshiro neither spoke nor even look up at these words, only reached out and wrapped his arms around Echizen in a headlock.

"You know, that's the first time you've apologized to me." Momoshiro's eyes sparkled with laughter, "Our little ochibi is growing up."

"Shut up! And you're suffocating me, Momo-sempai." Echizen complained, but made no move to struggle out of Momoshiro's grasp.

………………………………………

The doubles one match was starting, with the Seigaku Golden Pair against Moriyama's simple combination, Minami and Higashikata. As the Seigaku team focused their attentions on the court, a sudden voice rang out from behind.

"A nice match, it was. Who'd have thought Moriyama has such a strong doubles pair?" And Atobe stepped out from behind a tree. Then one by one, the Hyotei team emerged from the shadows of the bushes.

Momoshiro jumped. "Sheesh you guys, what are you, stalkers?"

Atobe waved him off, and stared straight at Tezuka. "We're just here to kindly tell you guys that we just won in the last match, and we'll see you in the Tokyo district finals. Hyotei is going full force this year, even if it's just the district round, so prepare yourselves."

Tezuka kept up the glaring match for a while before deciding it looked too childish. "We'll see you then." He broke the contact, and with a brisk wave of his hand, led the Seigaku team away. Fuji cast another glance at the Hyotei agglomeration, and then caught up to Tezuka, frowning deeply.

"So you think what Coach Sakaki said was true, about Tezuka?" Oshitari came up and quietly asked Atobe.

"Do you think I can tell just by looking?" The Hyotei captain returned, not so good-humouredly. "We'll just have to see."