Trust

Character(s): Momoshiro, Oishi, Katsuo
Summary: Oishi takes Momoshiro out to a café to have a discussion about the future of the Seigaku tennis club.

A bead of perspiration dropped onto the printed form pinned to the clipboard. Hastily wiped away, it nonetheless left a rippling pattern, right over the eighth name down – Ikeda Masaya, 3.5, second year. Oishi sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist. He didn't know which was making him sweat more: the blistering August heat or the task at hand.

He was looking at a roster of the first and second-year tennis club members. Inui had handed it to him at the end of practice today.

"Something to think about," he said offhandedly, as though he were passing along something no more important than an equipment receipt or a duty roster.

Of course, it was much more than that. The near future loomed, beyond the tournament season. To himself, Oishi murmured, "The summer has gone so fast."

He looked at the roster again, with its column of names. Most couldn't take even one game against the regulars. Was he the only one worried they wouldn't have enough time before next year? Although the sun was finally sinking lower, the heat was a weight on his shoulders. Drawing a towel over his face, Oishi exhaled deeply and dropped the clipboard into his bag. Time to go home.

He headed toward the school gates, past the clubhouse, which he checked by habit. To his surprise, the door was unlocked. A shadow moved at his back, and he turned.

"Katsuo?"

The younger boy froze, his racket held in front of him like a shield, but he slumped when he saw who it was. "Oh, Oishi-senpai," he said, sounding relieved. "It's you."

"What are you doing here so late? Everyone else has gone home."

Katsuo ran his hand over his close-shaven head. "Well, I don't get to practice as much as the others. Kachiro plays with his dad at the tennis club, and Horio already has some experience." They shared a rueful grin, thinking of the plaintive, insistent crythey heard so often. "Anyway, Momo-chan-senpai and I were talking about it, and he said he'd help me."

"Momo?"

More bashful squirming. Katsuo scuffed his toe in the dirt. "Yeah. It's embarrassing, but he doesn't get mad when we make mistakes, and he won't tease me. You won't tell anyone, right, Oishi-senpai?"

Oishi considered. He knew, of course, that Momoshiro was friends with Echizen, whose temperament and upbringing lead him to mostly disregard the age difference between them. However, he hadn't considered these other three, who were truly Momo's kohai. Did he regularly met with them for things like this?

"Of course not, Katsuo," he promised. "Everyone feels shy in the beginning. Keep working on your skills, and I'm sure you're feel more confident in no time."

"Thank you, Oishi-senpai!"

It was probably wrong for him to circle around behind the courts without being seen, yet Oishi couldn't help but observe for a few minutes. Momoshiro had to as be tired and achy as him, yet he fed ball after ball without complaint, offering encouragement when Katsuo struggled with his form or footwork. His voice carried to the trees as he gently guided his student around the court so he could practice the different shots, and a feeling of calm came over Oishi.

Something must have shown on his face, because when he drew himself up to sit on the edge of the metal container in the park, Eiji learned over and commented, "What's with that look, Oishi? You were super stressed after practice, but you're totally different now."

"I'm just happy," he had responded.

Later, once club activities had shifted towards preparations for Nationals, Oishi took his chance. "Momo," he said one day after practice. "Are you busy?"

The lanky teenager scratched his head. "No, Oishi-senpai. Why? Do you need me to run an errand?"

Oishi noticed that Tezuka looked up from where he was tying the laces of his tennis shoes, but kept his eyes steady on his younger teammate. "Actually, I was hoping you'd come along with me today."

"Sure, sure," Momo agreed easily. "Just let me tell Echizen so he can take my bike."

While he went off to deliver this message, Tezuka straightened. "What are you doing, Oishi?"

"Doing?"

"You don't usually favor anyone."

"That's not what this is about," Oishi said, putting his hands on his waist. "Although it's a lot more subtle than meeting someone for a duel in the middle of nowhere, or forcing someone to run thousands and thousands of laps. Honestly."

The slight twitch of Tezuka's eyebrow was somewhat satisfying. It wasn't often that he succeeded in penetrating his captain's stoic demeanor. "The freshmen?"

"Yes," he answered. "You heard about that?"

"Inui told me."

Oishi sighed, looking at the ground. "The tournament season is almost over, Tezuka. Can you believe that? But win or lose, we're not going to be here next year."

"And you're thinking Momoshiro will be your successor?"

It was about more than just Katsuo. Oishi had been thinking about it for days, watching Momoshiro with new perspective. He was beloved by the lower classman, who admired him and trusted him. His peers didn't resent his talents, and he was a good balance for Kaidoh, who was also destined to be a large part of the club's future.

"I trust him," he said simply.

"And what exactly do you intend to say?"

Oishi had given that a lot of thought, too, but he didn't plan on sharing it. In a strange way, it wasn't possible for someone like Tezuka to understand. Yet he was sure Momoshiro would. He saw the sophomore returning from the clubhouse. "See you later, Tezuka," he said, and left his captain to speculation.

He set a causal pace, allowing Momoshiro to fall in beside him. Momo hummed and looked around at the people they passed, smiling at anyone who caught his eye. He was a natural charismatic, and had absolutely none of the enigmatic reserve of a Tezuka, Fuji, or even a Kaidoh. He was amiable. Uncomplicated. Easily misjudged as ordinary.

Rather like Oishi himself.

"Where are we going, Senpai?" Momo seemed to have finally gotten his fill of aimless wandering. "Are we going shopping? Scouting? Or maybe you just wanted to buy me a hamburger."

His grin was one part hopeful and one part sly. Eiji had been caught in that trap before, and ended up with an empty wallet. Oishi surprised him, however. "I am a little hungry. But how about we go to a café instead? There's a nice one just around the corner."

It was his planned destination, actually. Out of the way, not too often frequented by junior high students. They wouldn't be interrupted.

"Um." Momo glanced over his shoulder, scanning a nearby strand of bushes. "Well, okay, I guess."

They reached the café and took a seat by the window. It was a beautiful day outside, with high, clear skies and wisps of cloud calligraphy. Momo ordered a parfait with whipped cream, and Oishi asked for coffee. He intended to wait until they finished, but Momoshiro had other ideas.

"So, what's this about, Oishi-senpai?" His smile was direct, but it carried an edge. "You didn't just invite me to hang out, did you?"

Actually no, although that surprising perception was part of it. Oishi stayed on the baseline, out of the spotlight, but at all times he was watching the court, waiting for an opportunity. Momo could do that. He could look out for a team.

"I wanted to talk to you about next year."

There was a pause in which Momo stirred his spoon around the bottom of his empty glass. "You mean after you and the other senpai are gone."

"Yes." Oishi nodded. He already had a stack of brochures to some of Tokyo and Kanto region's best schools, and he knew that the other third-years were also thinking about it. He and Eiji had spent the last weekend going through them together. "We won't be around forever, no matter how Nationals go."

Momo's hands fisted, and a huge, fierce grin broke out on his face. "We're going to win Nationals, Oishi-senpai. I can feel it."

To do so would be the culmination of his and Tezuka's dream for Seigaku since their first year. To accomplish it, with this group, would certainly be a highlight of his life. Which is why Oishi let his own hands clench together under the table as he said, "I think so, too."

Understanding filled up the next few moments. Oishi sipped his coffee. Momo looked out the window, unusually contemplative. Finally, he turned and said, "Oishi-senpai. Put me and Kaidoh together in doubles."

The request startled him. Oishi set down his cup. "You want to play doubles. With Kaidoh."

"I think we need to." Momo picked at the surface of the table, then looked directly at Oishi. "We haven't won together yet, not when it counts."

Ah, so that was it, then. It was true that their match again Rikkaidai had been one of the best he'd ever seen. His heart had literally squeezed with every return Momo made while his partner remained paralyzed, and when they had finally arrived, together, on that court, it had been incredible. They had been outmatched, true, but no matter how good that battle had been, it seemed Momoshiro wanted to win with Kaidoh during national play.

Trust, Oishi had once told Momo, was the key to successful doubles. It was also the key to truly successful leadership. Momoshiro was asking for one final chance to build that trust before it had meaning both on and off the court. Oishi laughed inwardly. He could hardly believe how much Momoshiro had matured. Could this really be the brash, flashy singles player he'd been just a year ago?

"I'll speak with Tezuka and Ryuuzaki-sensei," he promised. "But I didn't ask you here to talk about Nationals."

"Oh?" Momo wondered. His head fell to the side. "What then?"

"I want to talk to you about the vice-captain position," he said bluntly. "Do you want it?"

Stunned silence. The quiet conversation of the café and the click of the dishes in the back filled the empty spaces. Steam hissed from the espresso machine, a faint, far-off laugh. After a moment, Momoshiro asked, "You want me to be vice-captain?"

"Next year, yes," Oishi said. "I want you to take my place. But maybe you're offended. Were you hoping to be captain instead?"

Eyebrows drawing together, Momo answered honestly. "I've noticed Tezuka-bucho has been working Kaidoh extra hard recently."

So intuitive, though he didn't often let on about it. Seeing the conflicted expression on Momo's face, Oishi said, "Vice-captain isn't about being second-best, Momo. As you probably noticed, I'm not second-best. I'm not even a close third. Compared to most of the others, I'm a weak tennis player."

Momo's head jerked up, his eyes taking on a smolder. "You're not weak, Oishi-senpai."

Oishi felt strong affection for Momo. His genuine esteem felt good. "The point I was trying to make is that club leadership isn't determined only by ability. Vice-captain plays a different role than captain, and I think you would fit it best."

"Why?"

That wasn't a hard question. Oishi had been thinking about the answer for days. "Tezuka leads from a pinnacle, a summit the rest of us try to ascend. The fact that he is so untouchable makes him inspiring. In fact, I used to think if anyone beat him, it could be a mortal blow to the entire team."

Head lowered slightly, Momo folded his arms. "I'm not like that," he concluded.

Oishi felt a pang. Was he mishandling this? Hurting Momoshiro wasn't his intention, yet he told himself not to underestimate Momo. If he couldn't handle a blow to his pride now and then, he wouldn't be the man Oishi was looking for.

"Momoshiro," he said. "If Seigaku had only a Tezuka, we would never survive."

Eyes lifted, a question written in them.

"All pillars eventually come down. We're all human," Oishi said. "And people need more than a something to strive for. They need community, support, encouragement. Younger classmates need to feel cared for. Peers need to feel validated, connected. That's not a job for a Tezuka or a Kaidoh. That's a job for a Momoshiro."

He waited, certain that if he had chosen rightly, this would turn out the way he hoped. He leaned forward.

"Momo, I want to entrust my team to you. Will you please take care of them for me?"

Oishi could see that Momoshiro was moved. Though he had a tough exterior, Momo was an emotional guy, and his eyes had become suspiciously glassy. Somewhat thickly, he said, "Okay, Oishi-senpai. If you think I can, then I will."

A deep sigh. Relief. Oishi answered, "I wouldn't have anyone else."

The moment broke in half, and the emotion drained out slowly, returning the café and its atmosphere to normal. The clink of glasses seemed light and cheerful. Oishi was grinning so hard his face hurt. That had been weighing down on him for a longer than he realized.

Not that there wasn't still work to do. "It's still early in the day," he said. "Would you like to find a court and work on doubles, Momo? There's a lot I could tell you that might help with your next match."

"There may be a slight problem." Momoshiro was gazing out the window again, looking wry. "I'm pretty sure we were followed."

"Followed?" Oishi's eyebrows flew up. "Why?"

A cheeky grin lit up Momoshiro's face, and he laughed. "Well, you did ask me out in front of the whole club, Oishi-senpai. They probably couldn't resist. Inui's a real stalker, you know?"

Oishi's face got hot with anger and embarrassment. Was it possible he hadn't noticed? He looked out the window, trying to see. Ah, there! He'd know that green bandana anywhere.

"Oh, Kaidoh, too," Momoshiro said, propping his chin on his hand. "He's usually too shy to be much of a voyeur. I'm surprised."

"Do you all do this often?" Oishi wanted to know. But now that he thought about it, he couldn't really find it in him to be surprised. Hadn't he followed Momoshiro when he went out with Tachibana's younger sister? Sighing, he muttered, "Well, damn."

Momoshiro giggled. "Oishi-senpai, I've never heard you swear before."

"Our whole club is a bunch of gossiping old women." Considering, he wondered, "Is it even possible to convince them they misunderstood?"

"I wouldn't bother," Momoshiro said. He stood, extending his hand. "Well, since the damage is already done…take Seigaku's future vice-capain to the movies, Oishi-senpai? I want popcorn."

Author's Note:

Based on the New Prince of Tennis episode (4), wherein Tezuka and Atobe play against future captains Kaidoh and Hiyoshi. Also based on Another Story – Messages from the Past and Future, wherein Seigaku's new leadership is tested. Oishi's on screen involvement in all this is minimal, but I wanted him to have a heart-to-heart with his successor. As for the end, well, just watch (24), (38), or (71) and when you're done laughing, come talk to me!