JC: I'm so touched with all the inspiring reviews I've been getting. You guys are the best! I'm really happy since this is my first PoT fanfiction. I'm planning to write a multi-chaptered fic soon. Shiraishi-buchou and Atobe-buchou are all done! It's been a while since I tackled Rikkai Dai. I've been saving him all this time, so please welcome Seiichi Yukimura, the Child of God!

Note: The story takes place during Sakuno's second year of middle school. I've based her character more in the manga where she is a promising player for the women's team.

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. All rights belong to Takeshi Konomi.

The Color of His Heart

I'd used the rainbow as my palette to paint the apple of my eyes…

0000

Who was she?

That was the first thought that came into Seiichi Yukimura's mind when he saw her underneath a majestic cherry tree in Asukayama Park, one of Tokyo's oldest, famous Flower Viewing spots.

Pastel hues danced along the gentle breeze in slow fluttering grace. The soft essence simply caressed the sky. He stood there, unfazed by his surroundings. The sole focus of his eyes was the girl in a lovely pink chiffon mini-dress, as if there was a force drawing him to her like a magnet. The girl looked benevolent, pure, and ethereal like the Cherry Blossoms.

It was there from the start, especially once she gave the adorable Himalayan spotted cat on her lap a gentle smile. To capture the pure beauty of such innocence, to paint her on a canvass—he thought of that and he had to admit that he wanted to trace her cute face with his fingers, seeing if it was as soft as it looked. She looked no older than him. If anything, she looked younger and almost childlike, yet there was something womanly about her as well.

As the cat hopped off to stretch, she rose to her feet and told the cat to not wander off too far. The cat responded with a purr, and she giggled in a sweet way.

Her smile was breathtaking, and she looked like an angel with delicate features and graceful limbs. Her skin was ivory white, almost as pale as his complexion, and she looked very slender. Her auburn hair, though long and loose, gleamed like silk. She might have been a model for Lolita-themed shoots. She was certainly pretty enough and she certainly fit the scene well.

With the canvass in his hand and his art materials in his bag, he wanted nothing more but to paint her. If only time stood still for him, he could have worked his magic.

The girl met up with a friend sporting twin-tails in her hair, and not a minute too soon, she carried the cat in her arms and went away. His heart called out to her, but he simply stood there watching her until she disappeared from sight.

Who was she? He didn't know. If given the chance, he'd at least like to learn her name.

He stopped at the supermarket on his way home, and it was about five as he walked into the brightly lit store. He helped himself to a cart and headed over to Beauty and Skin Care aisle to stack up on facial cleanser, deodorant, cologne, shampoo and conditioner.

As he rounded a corner, looking for paper towels, he collided with a girl who seemed to rise up out of the floor with two bottles of shampoo. She seemed to come up of nowhere, and before he could do anything about it, she jumped back, startled, dropping her items as he watched her.

His heart skipped a beat. It was the same girl he saw back at the park, and he couldn't help staring at her once again as she turned away to gather up her shampoos.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please let me help," he said, but she was quick to stand up and smile with a faint blush on her cheeks

"Don't worry. It's no problem."

Her smile was bright, mesmerizing, and her eyes were huge and brown like chocolate. She was even more beautiful up close, and he felt like a little boy as he watched her bow to him.

"Please excuse me," she said, and she drove her cart away, smiling at him over her shoulder.

It felt almost felt like a movie scene or an episode of a drama series where boy meets girl. He wanted to run after her, but she was gone, with her shining auburn hair trailing behind her. There was something so innocent about the look she gave him, yet he felt warmth from her smile.

And later on he realized that she was all he could think about as he tried to finish his shopping. He couldn't concentrate anymore and he wanted to laugh at himself. Who would have thought an angel would make such an impact on the Child of God?

As he watched her put her empty cart away, he couldn't have explained why, but he felt a strange longing for her. She was someone he would have liked to know, and he wondered once again what her name was, as he slowly approached the counter.

Once all her groceries were checked out and packed, she handed the money over to the clerk. She then glanced over at him and smiled shyly, recognizing him from earlier, and he wanted to talk to her right there.

"Umm…Have a nice day, Yukimura-san," she said in a soft voice, as she picked up her grocery bag.

He gave her a startled glance as he watched her go. The girl knew who he was from the start, and he wondered how. Was she a Rikkai Dai student? It was possible that she was also a tennis player. Nevertheless, the girl made a stunning impression, and he felt more compelled to paint her.

Like a bee held captive inside the blossom, he was completely intoxicated with wonderment by the girl before his very eyes. It was on a blooming spring day when he first saw her, when he first heard her voice at the supermarket, and initially he had thought that his fondness for her would go away. But his heart had proven him wrong time and time again.

His companion and fellow teammate, Bunta Marui, pointed her out. "See that girl? That's Sakuno-chan, the genius pastry chef I've been telling you about."

There was no use denying the cheerful note and the obvious shining admiration in his magenta-hued eyes. It seemed like he wasn't the only bee who had fell prey to the delicious flower. The redhead's smile would be absolutely radiant whenever he'd talk about her. And when Marui asked him to accompany him to the women's division to watch his favorite pastry chef, he never expected to see the same girl he saw underneath the cherry tree.

And the girl happened to be granddaughter of Seigaku's coach. In addition to that information, he had also learned that she was receiving special training from the tennis genius, Syusuke Fuji. It was quite the surprise indeed. No wonder the girl knew his name.

He quietly sighed to himself and continued to watch her play on the first day of the Kanto Tournament.

Her hair had been loose and wavy the first time he laid eyes on her, and now her hair was in two braids. And she was playing rather naturally. In fact, she had been proficient on the court. There was something very strong about her. Once in a while she'd made surprising returns. There was no stiffness. Her movements were very smooth and graceful. She was no prodigy, but he could sense mountains of training and hard work behind her skills.

Strong winds played havoc with her skirt, exposing her blue undershorts in the process, revealing much of her milky thighs, but she rose above the problems to win the set, beating her opponent 6-2. The weather report did say that it was going to be windy this day, and it proved to be especially tricky for the players.

"She won! Sakuno-chan won!" Marui cheered, his eyes beaming with admiration for the girl. "She's really awesome. I wish she'd come to our school when she graduates."

And he simply thought of him as a child at the moment. But he found himself wishing for the same thing all of a sudden. "Let's not bet on that," he told him. He kept his eyes on her, admiring the way she blushed and smiled at her teammates. She looked wonderfully innocent and adorable. "I doubt Seigaku would let go of such a rare flower…"

Once again he wanted to capture her very soul with the colors of his palette.

It was pouring as he walked into the bookstore later that day. His redhead companion had already gone somewhere with his Brazilian friend. The weather was forever unpredictable. Judging from the clouds, it seemed like he was going to be stuck there for a while. It was such a shame that he didn't have an umbrella with him. Spending time with books, however, was never a tedious task. He headed over to the Gardening Section and helped himself to books on greenhouses, potted flowers, and landscaping.

Aside from watercolor painting and tennis, he was also a plant enthusiast. He loved gardening and was proud to have such an extensive knowledge on different kinds of plants. He would even pay his old middle school a visit just to check on the campus flowerbeds and the rooftop garden, places he was still so fond of.

Spotting a book about Cherry Blossoms, he thought about her again. If he could just go home now, he could start painting her. Alas, the rain wasn't on his side.

As he walked to the next section, looking for an Anthology of Poems, a girl bumped into him. Her soft, light body was no match for his physique, and with her unsteadiness, she fell back. Before she could fall, he reached out, dropping all his books, as he seized her arm.

Meekly this girl looked up at him, her eyes unbelievably warm and brown. "I'm…I'm sorry for bumping into you, Yukimura-san," she said, backing up, as she bowed low to him. "I-I was busy looking for a book, so I wasn't watching…"

He was stunned with awe. It was Sakuno Ryuuzaki. He couldn't believe it.

"Oh…the books! L-Let me help you." She bent down and picked them one by one. "Here you go, Yukimura-san…" A small smile escaped her.

"Thank you." He took the books from her in his own arms, and smiled as she bowed to him. He was happy to see her. Suddenly all he wanted to do was sit and talk to her, and admire the way she looked in her jersey. "You're Ryuuzaki-san, right?"

"Umm…Hai…"

"Congratulations on your win," he said, wishing that she was one of Rikkai Dai's players instead.

Her cheeks flushed pink like baby flesh. "Arigatou…" She adjusted her tennis tote bag, hesitating for a moment, as she looked up at him. "You watched the game with Marui-san…He told me when he approached me after the match."

"You seem pretty close with him."

"He's a good friend and he's fun to be with."

A bright smile, that made him thought of sunflowers, something warm and heavenly, and he could hardly suppress his emotions, his pulsing passion.

"So Yukimura-san is also into gardening," she pointed out, tilting her head in a cute manner, and he was almost tempted to give her cheek a playful tweak. "Tennis and gardening...Just like Fuji-senpai and Shiraisahi-san…"

"Gardening is an interesting hobby. I was really pleased to know that they share the same passion as I do." He wished he could talk to her in someplace private. He didn't know why, but he would have liked to be alone with her. "By the way, what brings you to the bookstore?" he asked, trying to draw the conversation.

"I was looking for a book on classical poems, preferably French ones. It's for an assignment."

"I happen to be fond of French poems." He revealed a smile and looked toward the shelf on his left. He had been to this bookstore several times and he knew exactly where to find such particular books. "This looks like a good book." He reached for a softbound book and handed it to her.

A smile escaped her. "Oh, thank you very much, Yukimura-san," she said. "You saved me the trouble."

She had long lashes and a cute note, and the lip gloss was perfect on her little mouth. And her smile! He was almost breathless. "You're welcome," he said, reaching out and stroking her hair. Before he realized it, she blushed furiously and lowered her eyes. There was nothing illegal in his gesture, but it was clear that he had surprised her. "I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki-san. It's just that I find your hair very lovely." It was an excuse, yet it was also the truth. "You take good care of it, don't you?"

She blushed darker in a shade of red roses. "Y-Yes…I'm kind of meticulous about it."

He wanted to touch her cheek, to pinch her nose, and to take her home so he could paint her. Wait…The last part didn't sound right. He would be charged for kidnapping or harassment. Smirking at his own folly, he studied the pouring rain outside through the glass windows. It wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

"Ano…Yukimura-san…I'll head over to the counter now," she said, slightly bowing, as she held the book of poems in her hand. "Please excuse me…"

"All right…I'll see you around." He watched her walk away and round at a corner. He would have liked to talk to her more, to get her off in a corner, and memorize every detail of her so he could paint her later. There was nothing wrong about just wanting to paint her.

Sighing, he browsed through the shelves for the latest poems. When he found the book he desired, he went to the counter and paid for all the books he picked out. It was time for him to face the outside world, which was still raining cats and dogs. Now what? There were no convenience stores nearby to purchase an umbrella.

Not a minute too soon, a pink Sakura-patterned umbrella loomed over his head.

"Yukimura-san, you don't have an umbrella, right?"

He gave the girl a little startled glance. "Ryuuzaki-san?"

She smiled shyly. "Umm...we can share if you like…"

A sweet gesture on her part, and he appreciated it. He thought she was already gone, but there she was. Smiling gently, he captured the handle just right above her hand. "I'll hold it for the both of us."

"Ummm…Sure…But umm…I was wondering if we could visit a shop. It's just a few blocks away from here."

He felt his heart beat rise. Her face was so earnest, yet so innocent. "Not a problem."

It was his first walk with her, and he almost trembled with excitement as they walked along the street, under the rain. The shop they went into was a flower shop, a personal favorite of his, and there was a beautiful, sensuous music being played over the speakers. The shop was filled with so much life and colors.

When she left his side to pick up an order, he noticed two boys stare at her. How could they not? She was a rare flower herself. Such bees clearly appreciated the beauty she possessed. Sighing to himself, he saw the lady at the counter handing her a small cactus in a pot.

"I didn't know you were fond of cacti, Ryuuzaki-san," he said as she returned.

"I've grown to love them, thanks to Fuji-senpai," she said, now caressing the small box that held the plant. "I'm going to take good care of it."

He was sure that she will. "I'm sure Fuji-kun had given you some tips on how to take care of a cactus."

"Yes…Shiraishi-san too," she replied timidly, not daring to look up at him.

It seemed like his fellow plant enthusiasts were close with this girl. He could understand Fuji, but he wondered how she got to know Shiraishi, the Bible of Shitenhouji from the Kansai Region.

They walked out of the shop, braving the cold harsh rain once more, and he felt that he should take the girl home as soon as possible. Just then, the girl slipped on a puddle of water. With his quick reflexes, he pulled her toward him to prevent her from falling. She had clutched onto the sling of her tote bag and cactus box tightly. He could feel her warmth, and she felt so delicate in his arms. He was almost afraid of breaking her.

Afterward, she looked up, terribly embarrassed by what happened, and apologized to him sincerely. But he whispered to her with a smile that it was quite all right. She blinked up at him with eyes full of wonder and nodded.

And as he took her home, she began to apologize for making him walk with her. She had initially wanted to drop him off at the train station. He, however, had insisted on escorting her home. It was only the right thing to do. He didn't want the girl to walk all by herself under the rain and he also wanted to spend more time with her.

"It's quite all right, Ryuuzaki-san," he said, feeling a bit sad, as he stood there watching her at the front porch of her house. He was about to part with her.

"Yukimura-san, thank you, and please keep the umbrella with you," she said, taking his hand, as she pressed the portable umbrella into the palm of his hand.

He froze, completely unprepared for the warm sensation of her touch against his own skin. Her innocent touch made gooseflesh pop out. "Ryuuzaki-san…"

She graced him with a smile. "You can return it to me when we meet again," she said sincerely.

She was kind and considerate. And he was standing there thinking how he would like to paint her again. Smiling, he spoke to her with obligatory poise. "I'll make sure of it, Ryuuzaki-san…"

The Kanto Regional Finals for the High School Division was particularly lively. When Rikkai Dai High came up to greet their final opponent, Seishun Gakuen, he heard Marui say: "Hey, Fuji, will Sakuno-chan come and cheer for you?" And after that he slanted a glance at the brunette genius.

An outstanding captain, the benevolent Child of God, the invincible tennis player—with those labels he has to be serious and focused on the game ahead. But just by hearing the name made him think of her again. He recalled how tender and fragile she had seemed, and yet so nimble on the court.

"Her team's having a match right now," he heard the genius reply and then the bubbly, energetic Eiji Kikumaru followed up with a, "Sakuno-chan will come afterwards and she's gonna see us win, nyah!"

A bubblegum popped and a smirked followed. "I know she's a blue-blooded Seigaku, but she's gonna cheer for me too," said Marui, looking very confident. "And she'll be amazed with my tensai skills."

He stayed quiet, refusing to recognize the pang in his heart as envy. Fuji, Kikumaru, and Marui all seemed very close with the girl, and, though it may sound childish to his own ears, he wanted to call her by her name as well.

Zipping his bag open to fish out his racket, he paused to stare at the umbrella lying inside. That cute little pink umbrella with Sakura patterns suited her well. He had showed it no one and kept it with great care. After the game, he would like to return it to her and to talk to her again if possible.

"Yukimura, I'm going to meet Sakuno-chan for a while," Marui said, grinning giddily, as he slipped away.

And, due to some unknown force, Yukimura found himself following after the redhead out of the area.

"Sakuno-chan!" Marui called out, very much sounding like a child who just spotted a brand new toy.

He froze, following the redhead's magenta gaze. He saw her then, approaching them with a red racket in her right hand and a pink lunchbox in her left.

"Marui-san, here's the cake I promised to make," she said, and Marui gladly took it out of her hand but not before poking her cheek. She giggled and embraced the racket in her arms. "I hope you'll like it."

Marui pulled the lid off and a delicious treat greeted his eyes. It was a succulent 8-inch shortcake with two layers of strawberries topped with whipped cream. A wide smile lit his face. "This looks awesome, Sakuno-chan," he happily said, giving her cheek an affectionate tweak. "Thanks a bunch!"

She returned the smile. "You're welcome, Marui-san." Then she noticed Yukimura and slightly bowed her head. "Ohayou, Yukimura-san."

She was courteous as usual and her voice now reminded him of smooth, delicious caramel. He wasted no second to greet her back. "Good day, Ryuuzaki-san. I heard your team is having a match right now," he said, as Marui gave him a confused look.

"Doubles 1 is playing. I'm up next for Singles 3 and the coach told me to go for a jog to warm up. Then I thought of delivering the cake to Marui-san."

"I see. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

"That's right."

"Yukimura, you didn't tell me that you were friends with Sakuno-chan," Marui said with a pouty face.

"Well, it was an unexpected meeting really," he admitted.

Marui opened his mouth to say something, but Kikumaru had engulfed Sakuno in a hug before he could. "Sakuno-chan, what are you doing with the enemy, nyah?!" Kikumaru teased, playfully ruffling her hair.

"Kikumaru, let go of Sakuno-chan!" Marui demanded, almost growling like a lion, and the acrobatic player merely stuck out his tongue at him. The young girl could do nothing but blush in embarrassment.

"It seems like you're in good terms with Ryuuzaki-chan," Fuji said, appearing beside Yukimura, sporting a contented mask as usual.

And while the two redheads squabbled like a pair of children, Yukimura steadied his gaze on the young girl. "Consider us as friendly acquaintances, Fuji-kun," he said, "and I find her rather pleasant to be with." More than pleasant, in fact, and he was almost tempted to express how much he admired her.

"I have to agree," Fuji said. "It's almost time for us to start, Yukimura. We'll be hauling Ryuuzaki-chan away from you now."

Kikumaru heard that and carried the young girl in a lover's way, prompting a blush from her. "Sakuno-chan, make sure you'll win it for your team too, nyah! Make your senpai proud!"

"I'm sure she will, Eiji," Fuji added, patting her head like a kitten.

Blushing madly in embarrassment, she forced herself to meet her personal coach's gaze. "I'll…I'll do my best," she said with a shy smile.

Their obvious friendship, their unbreakable senior-junior relationship, he realized, was something extraordinary. He surmised that Fuji's and Eiji's affections for the girl went no deeper. If they were interested in her that way, they would surely have acted on their emotions long ago. But, for some reason, he sensed something different as well.

Was it Kikumaru? Or could it be Fuji?

And it was very disturbing to him.

However, he didn't let this overwhelm his thoughts as the game started. He had forced himself to forget about the girl and focus solely on tennis.

Several hours later, Yukimura leaned back in his bed and listened to Brahms 4th Symphony through his stereo. But the music wasn't what held his real interest. Rikkai Dai's win against Seigaku was the fruit of their hard labor, but he was sure they'll be even tougher in the National Tournament. Whatever the case, his Rikkai Dai team was looking forward to a rematch with them. Nevertheless, the game wasn't the reason for his current wistful state.

Entrancing in a Seigaku jersey, Sakuno radiated femininity and sportiness as she congratulated him and Marui. Her eyes had been so honest, her expression so sincere, and her smile was bright. There was no trace of bitterness at all, even though her seniors' team had lost. He was relieved and impressed with her display of decorum, and had expressed his gratitude toward her.

But sadly he forgot to return her umbrella.

With a sigh, he sat up on the bed and gazed upon the three canvasses that stood at the foot of his bed. Representing something as it looks, with special care of perspective, balance, and imagery, he was able to paint such works. He was able to take the plunge and execute the creativity. Of course, the lushness of colors was in everything he did. But in these pictures the rare flower sparked a fire in him. He had painted these pictures to capture her specific characteristic—the angelic features, the sweetness with which she had unintentionally blessed him.

He was an artist who followed his heart. He painted with his eyes first before he started. He took inspiration from the one he adored, then the brush stokes magically soared. The first painting, an image of a young angel with a cat underneath a majestic cherry tree, spoke of his special encounter. The angel once again appeared on the second one, a serene expression present in spite of the rain, as she gazed up at the sky with an open umbrella as her shield. The final one was his most recent—a watercolor image of the angel hugging her tennis racket with a beautiful smile on her face.

Her smiles, her features, her body were all true to his memory, and he got it all effortlessly in his art. His paintings were done. And it was as amazing as he'd ever painted.

Dropping onto his back on the bed, he touched a hand to his temple and sighed. It seemed like the Child of God got lost within the spirit of an Angel.

He thought of the umbrella again and smiled. At the very least, he had a good excuse to see her again.

0000

As the colors leak into my chest, my heart slowly turns into a canvass.
Pink and White, Brown and Red, she indeed makes a scene.

JC: Finally done with the 4th captain for this series. I really didn't intend to write about Yukimura so soon, but I guess it'd be a good follow-up after Atobe's story. This is quite similar to Fuji, although Yukimura takes on another form of art, which is watercolor painting. To come across something fascinating to your eyes can leave a lasting impression on an artist/painter. In Yukimura's case, inspiration blew him away. There was attraction, admiration, and longing. Sakuno-chan became his muse.

Who's going to be the next prince? Will it be from Seigaku again? Or another one from Hyotei? Take your guess and find out soon! Please don't forget to review. No Flaming!