Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis.
Sakuno breathes out and spins the handle of her racket with her sweaty, calloused hands. Her usually flimsy doe eyes narrow and focus on her opponent at the other end of the court. The deafening cheers and screams fall mute to her ears. Even the ceaseless drumming in her chest fails to reach her. To the girl, there is nothing but the neon tennis ball bouncing quickly from her opponent's hand to the hot clay ground, and back.
Pok—
Pok—
Pok, it went.
She breathes out again. A single tear of sweat trickles down the side of her sun-kissed face.
Then, with a raise of a hand, the ball flew to the sky, nearly covering the shape of the morning sun, and is quickly hit to her direction in one graceful and fluid motion.
In that same instant, Sakuno is off to her feet; the ball entering her side of the court. She grunted as she caught it squarely on the sweetspot of her racket - the ball spinning sharp and fast into the opposite end of the court, expertly garnering her first win in the day's tournament.
Cries exploded and she looks to the crowd in a dazed expression, one of disbelief more than exhaustion.
Overwhelmed, she loses herself in the moment; deafened by the sea of cheers and applause. Behind her, her coach steps forward. Doe eyes meet sharp almond ones coupled with a boyish smirk. Her mentor, her old classmate, he tells her coyly, jokingly, "Mada mada dane."
She starts smiling even as he said this, knowing fully well how far they've come. Today's win, she'd like to believe, was the start of many.
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The Boy Who Stands Still
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Basic facts, before story-reveal:
Manga!Sakuno, Aged 17 (Birthday on Jan 14), Attending 3rd-Year of High School, member of the tennis club, good school grades, looking to get into university, is on the her first game in the finals (one of the final eight) after winning in the bootcamp's eliminations, Ryoma started coaching her only when he got back to Tokyo after his Grand Slam win - prepping her for her first game in the finals round.
Ryoma, Aged 16 (Birthday is on the 24 December - no year, decided for him to be born the same year as Sakuno), homeschool-ed or taking a one-year break for the competition he just won, youngest Grand Slam title holder, popularity spiked after his win although he was already popular internationally before (during his debut in the professional field), lives in LA, California and decided to visit Tokyo a day right after his win, rather out of the blue, abruptly.
