-1Chapter14NeverStopRunning
Dear Diary,
We'll finally begin our first official training tomorrow! I'm really excited!
I was very happy when I saw Kazuya walking towards us with his familiar red Yonex tennis bag during training this evening. We could finally take part in the district tournament!
I could feel the tension between Fuji and Kazuya though. Fuji tries to act nice towards Kazuya but he seems so keen on firing Fuji up all the time but his efforts are as futile as lighting up a cube of ice.
Fuji insisted that Kazuya should resume his post as captain but Kazuya refused, saying that it would be 'too much of a bother'. So Fuji remains as the captain! I think he'll make a great captain. Wait, what am I saying? He is a great captain! For some reason, none of us dares to cross him despite how gentle and fragile he may seem. Heck, even I try not to insult him too much ever since the incident with Fujiwara-san.
Speaking of Fujiwara-san, he was very surprised about Kazuya's return. When I told him about it, his cigarette stub fell out of his mouth and almost set his yen notes on fire. Obviously, he hadn't much choice but to accept his responsibility as coach of the tennis team, though he seemed pretty reluctant about it. Well, at least he didn't try to cheat his way around it.
The district tournament is in a month's time. I wonder how we'll fare. Granpa was certain that we won't even be able to make it past the first round. Hah! What does he know? I'm confident that with Fuji as captain, we'll definitely make it all the way!
Fuji Syusuke. That pretty boy... He's such a great tennis player, plus he's got the face most girls would swoon over. I really want to beat him one day.
-Aiko Wataru
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The weather can be described as steaming hot if it is a mug of coffee. The sun is mercilessly glaring down upon the pitiful earthlings. If you are to step out of a door at this very moment, sweat will be tricking down the sides of your face instantaneously.
This is the weather the Yamashita High School tennis team has to endure on their first actually training. Fuji and Aiko were surprised to see Fujiwara-san already at the tennis courts before anyone else had arrived. And right now, at 2.30p.m. sharp, he takes charge.
"Alright! Line up you bunch of lazy scumbags!" he hollers as all the tennis players, freshmen and seniors alike (some of the seniors practically begged to be allowed to return to the tennis team after Kazuya joined the team) stumble clumsily into a line. Rather automatically, the 'real' tennis team members form the first row, the seniors form the second while the freshmen form the third.
"I may look like a kind, friendly and generous man-," he begins. 'Oh no, you don't,' thinks Aiko to herself. "And I am a kind, friendly and generous man." Aiko tries to keep herself from gagging. "But," continues Fujiwara-san after a dramatic pause. "Don't expect me to be a kind, friendly and generous coach, as I assure you, I am not." His piercing gaze looks absolutely dangerous. Aiko can see where Kazuya got his from. Some of the seniors (or freshmen?) behind Aiko gulp nervously.
"Okay, let's start our training regime for today," he announces as he looks down at a red opened notebook in his left hand, black pen in his right. "Running," he says and he looks up at all the young faces before him, eagerly waiting for his further instruction.
"That's it! Start running!" he says much to the confusion of those in front of him. Run, okay, run. How many rounds? Any time limit? Run where?
Before anyone can question him, Fujiwara-san walks towards the nearest bench, sheltered by a large old sakura tree and sits there. He writes something down in his notebook, sets it aside and removes a stopwatch from his pocket.
Aiko continues staring at the new coach when Kazuya and Fuji begins to run. The rest follows suit and looking back at the old man, Aiko follows as well.
---
They've been running for 45 minutes. Running, mind you, not the typical casual jog in the park. Kazuya and Fuji are still way up front with Aiko, Kenji, Jirou, Ukita and Kawamura ("BURNING!" Kenji, feeling a little mischievous, passes a stray racquet to Kawamura) trailing behind. Some of the freshmen have stopped a while ago, clinging onto the green wire fence, panting and heaving. Quite a few of the seniors have given up as well. Aiko can see a particular boy with spiky gelled-up hair and a very peculiar nose panting alongside the freshmen. 'Hmmph, looks like someone's got a taste of his own medicine!' thinks Aiko with a surge of satisfaction.
Aiko continues running but she seems to have a little trouble breathing evenly. The scorching sun isn't making it any easier. "Ahh!!! Hatsui hatsui!" complains Jirou. So far, Aiko has never seen him sweating so much before, and he looks more awake than ever.
Aiko closes her eyes, her legs feel sore and they continue to push the ground. There's no way she's going to give up.
---
Eventually, Aiko gives up, along all the other tennis players, all except for two.
"Aisha... Kazuya and Fuji are still running?" says Ukita in disbelief. He has removed his shirt and is now bending over while clutching his knees, panting. His body is glistening with sweat. Who says women are the only ones who glow when they sweat?
Kenji, who is lying on the grassy ground outside the tennis court with his eyes closed says, "They are mad. Let them run." Even Kawamura has lost all his 'burning fuel'. He now lies face down on the middle of the track with his shirt off, too exhausted to say anything.
Kenji pulls himself up into a sitting position and looks at Aiko who is seating against the fence with her head leaning on her knees. "Saa, Aikawa-kun. Why don't you take off your shirt? Aren't you hot?" asks Kenji with a meaningful smile.
Shocked Aiko looks at Kenji in the eye, thinking, 'Does he know?' But that's impossible! How can he possibly have found out? The rest didn't notice anything, did they?
Thankfully, she is saved by our long-forgotten freshman, Kikusho who bellows, "Hey! Look! Both Fuji and Kazuya have stopped." Aiko's attention is diverted to the duo who have stopped running at the same time somewhere at the opposite side of the tennis court. Like the others before, they are panting heavily, both clutching the wire fence, sweat dripping down their faces.
Aiko glances at her watch. 4.30p.m. Those two have been running for one and a half hours? That is potentially hazardous to one's lungs.
Upon realising that all his charges have stopped running, Fujiwara-san blows a bright red whistle he conjures out of Kamisama-knows-where, prompting the incredibly worn-out tennis players to get back in line.
---
"Do you know why I told all of you to run?" asks Fujiwara-san as he paces back and forth along the line of tennis players. He is wearing a black Yonex cap, a red collared T-shirt and a pair of white tennis shorts.
"To kick us out of the tennis team?" offers Kikusho warily.
"Why would I do that?" asks Fujiwara-san curious, stopping. "Because last time-," he begins but a nudge from Saeki Unahara, the biggest bully in the tennis team not very long ago, tells Kikusho to shut up.
"Anyway," starts Fujiwara-san and he continues pacing again. "Tennis, is a game which requires a lot of stamina," he explains. "The fittest usually wins."
"I have recorded the time taken for all of you to use up your stamina and guess what? Only two of you are truly fit to last an actual tennis match," says Fujiwara-san. No prizes for guessing who the two people are.
"And that also, may not be sufficient," he adds.
"In a tennis match, you have to serve, run, hit, smash and none of this can be done without using up energy. Tennis can be gruelling. If you think it's about looking cool while hitting a ball back and forth, you can leave. Tennis is not a glamour sport. Roger Federer had to sweat like a pig every day to get to where he is now," he continues.
"Of course, you can argue by saying that the district tournament only requires you to play one set but if your narrow mind can only see as far as the district tournament, you are wasting your time, and mine as well," he says casually. More gulps as he pierces his audience with another one of his glares.
"Anyway, the first thing I am trying to teach you bunch of ignorant kids is this: Never stop running." He ends his speech momentarily and looks at everyone in the eye.
The clouds are already beginning to shield the sun's wrath, much to the relief of all its victims. The wind is making its presence felt, evaporating the sweat on the tennis players' aching bodies.
"Today's training will stop here. I don't think any of you have the energy to do much after this. See you tomorrow," says the coach. The team bows simultaneously upon hearing the cue from Kenji ("One, two.") and shouts, "Thank you, sir!" with as much energy as their body permits.
And so ends the first day of training, a not-so-eventful yet very painful regime.
Let's just hope that they're not going to be doing this every day.
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