Chapter 20: Leaving is to Staying
Standard Disclaimer Applies.
-oOo-
Do you believe in good fortune? Luck and all that. How about in destiny, do you believe in destiny as well? Frankly, it was difficult to believe anything when you're both confused and heart broken. That is why Yagyuu Hiroshi kept himself busy and preoccupied with anything he could be productive with, and what was worse is, that he couldn't talk about it with his best friend.
"There is something you're not telling me." Niou told his doubles partner as they were walking home for the day, as expected Rikkai won their match and proceeds to the Semi-Finals.
"I do not wish to trouble you with trivial things Niou-kun." Yagyuu replied and adjusted the tennis bag on his shoulder.
"So, Yanagi heard from Inui-san that Seigaku is proceeding to the Semi-Finals as well." Niou shrugged the issue off and tried to change the topic.
"Sou da. They're waiting for their opponent like us; they'll face whoever wins between Fudoumine and Shitenhouji." Yagyuu furthered.
"It'll probably be Shitenhouji. We faced them last year in the finals." Niou declared.
"Aa." Yagyuu replied, then there was silence between them until they got on the bus and got off near Rikkai.
The awkward silence was unbearable to Niou and he was not comfortable with Yagyuu being so serious, I mean, it's not like Yagyuu was ever the noisy one, it's just that, he was creepy serious at that moment, and it creeps even Niou.
"So, Suzuki didn't come to watch today because of the upcoming exams before summer break, apparently she's been having difficulties with English." Niou tried to start a new topic as they were now walking home.
"Aa." Was the short reply.
"Ne, Yagyuu, do you agree with Yanagi's plans about the Semi-Finals?" Niou continued to make conversation.
"Ma, if it'll help Kirihara-kun get back his old fire; you know he's mellowed down a little since the match against Fuji, with his current state we're going to have a difficult time winning." Yagyuu responded unenthusiastically.
"But that would mean you selling out your singles match." Niou insisted.
"That shouldn't be a problem right? You'll be in Doubles two with Yanagi-kun." Yagyuu responded coldly.
"Demo, aren't you worried that that'll tarnish your record? You've never lost in an official match?" Niou reasoned out.
"So have you."
"I've lost to you a couple of times." Niou tried to cheer up his best friend.
"I've lost to you more than a couple." Yagyuu retorted.
"Those are unofficial matches anyway so they don't count. You're still undefeated in the official scene, both of us are." Niou continued.
"It really doesn't matter to me." Yagyuu coldly replied.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Niou asked confused.
"I'm quitting tennis when I get to high school." Yagyuu's words cut through Niou's throat like a dagger.
"Chotto matte!" Niou grabbed his doubles partner's wrist, "What do you mean you're quitting?"
Yagyuu adjusted his glasses and stopped walking to face his best friend, "Do you remember the reason why I joined the Tennis Club last year Niou-kun?"
Niou nodded his head and waited for an explanation.
"I see no reason to continue playing tennis in high school since you and Suzuki-kun are getting along well now. There is no reason for me to protect her anymore." Yagyuu said plainly then began to walk again.
"Matte! Yagyuu, I refuse to believe that Suzuki is the only reason you joined the club." Niou walked after the taller boy.
"I also give high regards to our friendship Niou-kun, that is why I stayed in the club." Yagyuu replied.
"Demo, when I see you play, I see someone who loves tennis." Niou reasoned out.
"There is another reason." Yagyuu continued.
"What reason is that?"
"Niou-kun, I need to leave you here, I will see you tomorrow at the Semi-Finals." Yagyuu turned to leave the trickster behind.
Niou stared at his best friend's back, he felt anger burning up inside of his because of what the ginger head said; but more so, he felt he needed to convince him to stay, to continue playing tennis, because he felt with is quitting tennis as he says, they're friendship will also end.
-oOo-
"Game and match Nagoya Seitoku, six games to two." The referee announced at the end of Singles 3.
"Yagyuu-senpai lost?" A Rikkai junior said as Yagyuu walked over to the bench wiping his sweat.
"Che, against a person like that." Kirihara boiled up at the sight of one of his favourite senpai defeated in the match.
"You alright?" Niou asked the ginger head as he sat beside the silverette as Marui and Jackal prepared for Doubles 2.
"Hmn."
Niou returned his eyes on the court trying to restrain himself from agitating the gentleman, he wouldn't admit it, but the conversation they had the day before really shook him up. He feared Yagyuu resigning from the team, he didn't want his best friend to quit tennis.
"This can't be, they're taking them off this early." A Rikkai junior reacted as they saw Marui and Jackal taking off their wrist and ankle weight before returning to the game, just like Yagyuu, they were seriously loosing.
No one but Kirihara was reacting from the regulars, everyone knew of the master's plan of action for this game, everyone except the junior ace.
"Game and Match Nagoya Seitoku." The referee announced and Marui and Jackal walked over to Yukimura who remained silent, this agitated Kirihara all the more.
"They lost so badly yet buchou is not saying anything." Kirihara complained to himself, he was up next, and it really bothered him why they were losing this way.
"Do you really think this will work?" Marui asked Jackal as they watch the junior ace step up to the court.
"We just need to trust Yanagi's better judgement on this." Jackal replied.
Niou glances over to Yagyuu who was focused on the junior player, he wanted to ask the gentleman about his opinion but despite being right next to him, he felt his best friend was very distant.
-oOo-
Kirihara fell to the ground bleeding, and his opponent was saying something in English, Kirihara being very bad at the language lay face down trembling in anger before asking, "Yagyuu-senpai, what did he say?"
Yagyuu adjusted his glasses before speaking up, "He said, 'Are they really last year's champs? In my country, even a little kid could beat this seaweed-haired bastard."
"Seaweed-head bastard? Did he really just say that?" Marui, who was also not so proficient with English asked Jackal about the gentleman's translation for Kirihara.
"Oi!" Jackal ignored Marui's question and noted the junior ace who seemed to be emitting a murderous aura.
Kirihara began to speed up and began to hit shots that are more powerful and eventually won the game. No one dared speak as the junior ace's laughter echoed in the air.
"Your turn Niou-kun." Yagyuu told the silverette who turned his head to his best friend.
"Aa." Was the response, then a smirk.
The opponent was in shock from what had just happened, "I can't believe we just lost—."
"To an island nation of tennis amateurs, you say." Yanagi butted in speaking English, "Right?"
"Puri." Niou added with a smirk.
After that was an easy win for the Trickster-Master pair, so easy that the opponent could not believe their eyes at how powerful Ouja Rikkai truly was.
"We lost because it was needed to awaken our junior player." Niou declared.
"E? You mean—Could it be that the first two matches were lost on purpose." Kirihara reacted at what his senpai declared.
"Hmn. That's just it." Marui snickered at Kirihara.
"That's how it was." Yagyuu adjusted his glasses.
"You better thank us." Jackal told the junior ace.
After which Yukimura spoke his first words, "Sa, Sanada, finish them off."
Sanada then step on to the court in all his glory and won the game for the team.
-oOo-
"Ma, I wish we just accepted Seigaku's invitation for Yakinuki instead." Marui complained as they finished their laps that evening after heading back to school from the semi-final matches.
"Mou, those Seigaku creeps must be munching on tasty beef right now." Kirihara declared his mouth starting to water.
"Be quiet you two, you want Sanada to hear you." Jackal reprimanded he himself panting. Their fukubuchou was in a particularly bad mood after finding out that Seigaku won over Shitenhouji in the semi-finals.
"Minna, gather!" Sanada shouted as he Yukimura and Yanagi stood just outside the clubroom.
"We'll be announcing the order of players for the finals." Yukimura announced.
"The finals were suspended for three days because of repairs to the court right?" Niou confirmed.
"Hai, but we'd like everyone to practice during those three days that is why we have decided on the order of players already, so please listen up." Yukimura declared.
"Singles 3, Sanada; Doubles 2, Marui-Jackal; Singles 2 Akaya; Doubles 1, Niou-Yagyuu; Singles 1, Yukimura, and I will be on reserve." Yanagi read out to the players.
"Chotto matte." Yagyuu protested which surprised everyone, Yagyuu never protested to a line up.
"Nande Yagyuu?" Yukimura asked the gentleman.
"Please take me out of the line-up." Yagyuu bowed to his buchou.
"E? Yagyuu-senpai, why do you want to be taken out of the line-up?" Kirihara reacted.
"Oi, Yagyuu with you and Niou playing there's no way we'd lose, you're like the perfect doubles pair to win this." Jackal commented.
"And what do you call us then?" Marui reacted.
"Shut up Marui, not now." Sanada reprimanded the serve-and-volley player, "What's your reason Yagyuu?" he then turned to the gentleman.
"Minna, I wanted to wait until after the Nationals to tell you this, demo, it seems I must tell you now." Yagyuu started.
Yukimura's eyes narrowed, somehow he felt he was partly to blame for what Yagyuu was about to say.
"I won't be attending Rikkai in High School." Yagyuu declared.
Niou's eyes widened, he was expected Yagyuu to tell them that he was quitting tennis in high school like he did the other day, but what he heard surprised him more, "Matte! What are you saying?" Niou reacted violently.
"Oi, Niou, calm yourself." Jackal and Marui grabbing Niou who was swinging his arms around as if to hit Yagyuu.
"Then why do you want to be taken off the line-up?" Sanada asked the gentleman as calmly as he could.
"Because I'm quitting tennis as well." Yagyuu replied plainly.
"Yagyuu—." Yukimura was about to begin but was cut off by the gentleman.
"I plan to attend a Science High School in Tokyo, Otou-san said it would be better to attend High School there if I plan to attend Medical School in Tokyo. I'll be focusing on my studies and will be quitting tennis, therefore, I do not want to be a burden to the team. I cannot play my best with all of these things bothering me, and it will not be beneficial to the team if I play." Yagyuu reasoned out.
"Is that your real reason?" Niou asked, unconvinced by his doubles partner's excuse.
"Hai." Yagyuu replied.
"Liar!" Niou retorted then walked away.
"Oi! Masaharu!" Marui called after the silverette.
"Let him go." Jackal stopped his doubles partner from running after the trickster.
"Are you sure about this Yagyuu?" Sanada asked the ginger head.
"Hai."
"It can't be helped then, we'll think of a new line up and announce it tomorrow, please be here for morning practice." Yukimura declared then turned his back to leave, Sanada and Yanagi following him soon after.
"Yagyuu-senpai." Kirihara slowly came up to his senpai.
"Dou shite Kirihara-kun?" he gently replied.
"Are you really quitting tennis?" the junior ace asked in disappointment.
"Hmn. I'll finish the remaining terms with the tennis club, then after graduation, I'm hanging up my tennis racket." Yagyuu replied.
"Nande?" Kirihara asked, his fist were shaking, and so was his voice, he didn't want his Yagyuu-senpai to quit tennis.
"Kirihara-kun." Yagyuu grabbed the junior by his shoulder. "There are some things in life—some choices that you have to deal with, no matter how much it hurts. Sometimes, you have to choose things that will hurt you less. Therefore Kirihara-kun, please, let me do this."
Kirihara lifted his head to his senpai, tears flowing from his eyes, "Hmn." He nodded with a bitter heart, because truly, Yagyuu was one senpai that he looked up to, not only in tennis, but in everyday life.
-oOo-
It was the day before the finals and everyone was fired up, including Yagyuu who have been attending practice despite being taken out of the line-up for the Nationals.
"Ohayou!" Mayumi greeted the bespectacled boy who was watching a practice match between the Marui-Jackal pair and the Kirihara-Yanagi pair.
"Ohayou." Was the cold response.
Mayumi stared at Yagyuu, she had no idea of the boy's plans of quitting tennis, let alone transferring school. "Yagyuu-kun, daijabou desu ka?"
"Hmn." Was again the cold response.
"So, I heard from Niou-kun you were not playing for the Finals?" Mayumi inquired of the boy.
"Aa." Yagyuu was still as cold as ever, not even a chance of warming up.
Mayumi stared at the boy who did not take his eyes off the court, "Ano, Yagyuu-kun, by any chance, are you mad at me?"
Yagyuu shook his head as a response.
"Then why won't you look at me?" Mayumi grabbed Yagyuu's wrist shooting electricity up the boy's spine.
Yagyuu then turned his head towards the girl, but avoiding any eye contact, "Suzuki-kun, to avoid any misunderstanding, please refrain from touching me."
Mayumi then quickly removed her hand from Yagyuu's wrist and stepped back a little, Yagyuu was not Yagyuu, he was not the Yagyuu that she knew.
"Niou-kun is my best friend, and I don't want people to think that I am interfering with my best friend's relationship." Yagyuu continued.
"Nani?" Mayumi asked confused as to what the boy was talking about, as far as she was concerned, no one was misinterpreting Yagyuu and her relationship as friends.
"Gommenasai." Yagyuu bowed then walked away.
Yukimura who was standing on the sideline saw everything that happened and felt guilty.
"Do you now see the implications of what you said to him?" Sanada asked the demigod.
"Stop rubbing it in Sanada." Yukimura replied.
"I don't think Yagyuu really wants to quit tennis." Sanada declared.
"Are you blaming me for his decision?" Yukimura snaps back at Sanada.
"Can you tell me why Yukimura is to be blamed for Yagyuu's decision?" Niou suddenly appeared behind the two.
"Niou?" Sanada surprised by the trickster appearance.
"Did you say something to Yagyuu?" Niou faced Yukimura.
"Nothing that concerns you." Yukimura replied.
"But it has something to do with Suzuki right?" Niou concluded.
"Niou, this is not the time to discuss this." Sanada tried to intervene.
"Yagyuu has been cold to both me and Suzuki since you talked to him a few weeks back. What exactly did you say to him Yukimura?" Niou persisted.
"I said, it doesn't concern you Niou!" Yukimura began to raise his voice, causing the four other regulars who were playing a practice match to stop and look towards them, including Mayumi who was watching the game where Yagyuu had left her.
"Yagyuu is my best friend so it concerns me!" Niou retorted.
"Yamero Niou!" Sanada grabbed the silverette by the shoulder.
"Let go of me Sanada!" Niou brushes off his fukubuchou's hand.
"Oi, oi, what's happening over there?" Marui asked.
"I think we better go over." Yanagi declared and lead the rest of the team to run towards their arguing teammates.
"Seiichi, Niou-kun!" Mayumi shouted and began to run towards the arguing boys as well.
"Answer me Yukimura!" Niou demanded, this was no longer a matter of who was buchou and who was not, nor was it even an issue about the tennis club, this was about friendship and love.
"Seiichi, what's going on?" Mayumi grabbed her cousin's arm before getting in between him and Niou.
"Mayumi, please step away." Yukimura calmly told his cousin.
"Are you afraid for her to hear what you told Yagyuu?" Niou asked the bluenette.
"Seiichi? Is this true? Did you say something bad to Yagyuu-kun?" Mayumi faced her cousin.
Yukimura averted her eyes.
"Seiichi." Mayumi grabbed her cousin's arms.
"Hai."
"Seiichi?" Yanagi was caught off-guard by their buchou's admission.
"What exactly this you say to him?" Niou asked next.
Yukimura looked at Mayumi then at Niou.
"You didn't?" Niou understood perfectly what Yukimura meant by his gesture.
Mayumi covered her mouth, she could not believe her beloved cousin had done such a thing.
"Gomen, Mayumi, I thought—." Yukimura was not able to finish what he was saying because Mayumi ran off to find Yagyuu.
Niou stepped forward and frankly, he wanted to punch Yukimura, but he resisted his raging hormones and ran after his girlfriend to try to find his best friend.
Yukimura then dropped to his knees, Sanada and the rest of the team trying to catch him.
"Yukimura." Was Sanada's solemn retort.
"I never thought I'd fail this badly as a person Sanada." Yukimura said in frustration.
"Yukimura, you only wanted what was best for her." Sanada tried to comfort his best friend and buchou.
"Ah, minna, I don't want to be a very insensitive person right now, demo, we all do understand that it's the Finals tomorrow right?" Marui reminded the group.
"I agree with Marui, I don't think this is the proper time to be dealing with this." Yanagi second.
"Yukimura-buchou, you have always watched out after us, and honestly I don't understand what's going on but I would have to agree with Marui-senpai and Yanagi-senpai." Kirihara patted his buchou's shoulder.
Yukimura nodded his head, "Sa, please go back to practice minna." Then stood up with the help of Sanada.
-oOo-
"Yagyuu-kun! Yagyuu-kun!" Mayumi called for the gentleman, she had been running around the campus trying to find the boy. When I am missing, when I am lost, Yagyuu-kun always found me. He always found me. Where are you Yagyuu-kun?
-oOo-
"You done sulking?" Niou asked the ginger head who was fixing some paper pile in the student council room. Niou was particularly good at finding Yagyuu when he's hiding.
"Niou-kun, what do you need?" the gentleman replied unenthusiastically.
"Yukimura told you to stay away from Suzuki, didn't he?" Niou went straight to the point.
"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" Yagyuu retorted.
"I should actually, after all you are the greatest threat to Suzuki and my relationship." Niou admitted.
"So, what's the problem then?" Yagyuu asked not really minding to look at the other boy and continued to keep himself busy with a bunch of papers.
"It's not very like you to skip out on practice like this." Niou continued settling himself on the table.
"Tables are not meant for sitting Niou-kun." Yagyuu reprimanded the boy.
"I know you still love her."
Yagyuu stopped what he was doing and looked at the silverette, "That's why I'm taking Yukimura's advice."
"Do you honestly think this is such a good idea?" Niou asked the boy.
"I'm jealous." Yagyuu admitted.
Niou raised a brow.
"It hurts each time I see you together. It pains me to know that her family accepted you, secretly I was hoping that they wouldn't, but then again, I thought, if that happened it would pain her, and I didn't want that either." Yagyuu continued.
Niou stayed silent and let Yagyuu blow off some steam.
"When she cries I want to comfort her, when she laughs I want to laugh with her, I want to protect her. But I'm not her boyfriend. And her boyfriend is my best friend which hurts me more." Yagyuu furthered and gave off a long sigh.
"But you are still her friend." Niou replied plainly.
Yagyuu just stared at Niou.
Niou gets off the table and steps outside, "You're special to her."
"Nani?"
"She's always been fond of you, always saying that she was jealous of me for having a best friend like you." Niou told Yagyuu.
"Niou-kun."
"Suzuki thinks you're the world bestest best friend, and she wants you to be happy. She knows how you feel for her, but she also knows that you understand why she chose me. So, Yagyuu, your presence in our lives doesn't confuse her. I believe having you in our lives just makes us stronger, Suzuki and I." Niou smirks then walks to the door.
Yagyuu follows Niou with his eyes.
"Right now, Suzuki, she's probably running all over the school looking for you." Niou declares before exiting the door. "But I'm not jealous, because I know she's looking for her friend Yagyuu-kun, my best friend Yagyuu." Niou smiles at Yagyuu and salutes, "Ja ne Yaaaaagyuu."
-oOo-