Chapter Fourteen.
Karma is always around the corner
Only about fifteen minutes after the match officially started, the scoreboard already displays a resounding '1-3' with Zaizen Hikaru on the lead. The remaining regulars are watching behind the metallic fence of the court. Inside the court is a single bench for their team where Coach Osamu sits. Running around the courts are two young men, chasing after a small tennis ball. Between the players, Hikaru is obviously the faster one. He confidently lets the ball bounce from his racket smoothly.
Yume blinks. This is the first time she has actually seen her scary neighbor play tennis. "Well… his cockiness is actually rooted from something," she mumbles.
"Hmm…?" Kenya glances at her.
"Ah, nothing." She looks down at the towel on her hands. Before he entered the court for his game, Hikaru threw his towel directly at her with no words said. Yume did not protest, instead decided to hold it until the end of his game.
Koharu smiles as he watches his lowerclassman. "Zaizen-kun's really fired up today."
"That's right," Shiraishi replies. "After all, today is an important day for him… for the whole team."
She stares at the playing Hikaru on the tennis court. "People like him do get fired up, huh?"
"Of course. Zaizen may be someone who takes a liking to someone else's sufferings and embarrassments," says Kenya, "but he's one to get really fired up when something catches his interest. He's just not the type of person to actually show it."
She blinks. "Interesting…" Yume mutters to herself.
A few more minutes, the Shitenhouji tennis club members cheer for their first victory of the day. Hikaru shakes hands with his opponent and walks out of the court.
"6 games to 1. Zaizen Hikaru wins!"
"Then, it's our turn now." Gin and Koharu heads to the court after picking up their rackets.
"Good luck, you guys!" cheers Yume.
Upon entry of the doubles pair to the tennis courts, Hikaru leaves to reunite with his teammates. And everyone begins to congratulate him to which he answers with a smile. He walks straight to Yume.
"Uhm… Congratulations, Zaizen-san," Yume nervously says. She hands Hikaru his towel.
"Thanks, Kazuyoshi-senpai," he replies with an emphasis on 'senpai' and accepts the towel.
She glares at him. "I think I'm going to need some air now."
"Oh? Where will you be going, Kazuyoshi-senpai? I thought you were enjoying the games."
Yume frowns as she has felt the taunting way Hikaru addresses her creep under her skin. There is really nothing special with how he calls her. She just simply feels that there is an underlying threat to every word he utters to her, especially when they are with the other tennis club regulars. "Just somewhere."
"But Shihan and Koharu are just about to start their match!" Kenya says, "And where is that 'somewhere'?" Hikaru raises a brow at his teammate's sudden intrusion.
She takes a deep breath. "I just need to cool my head. I've been around with many people longer than I could handle."
"Do you need some company? I can come along if you want."
"No, thank you."
"But where are you going?" Kenya insists. "I'm coming with you!"
Hitouji is snickering behind them. "Oi, Kenya… aren't you getting a little too obsessed with our dear Kazuyoshi-kun here?" He places his arm behind Yume's waist, pulling her towards him. "What if I take him away from you?" Of course, Hitouji does this in an attempt to torment his teammate – whichever teammate gets affected, that is.
Eyes are glued to Hitouji's arms around her waist.
The girl, on the other hand, simply laughs at the joke and reacts like Hitouji's touch is nothing to be alarmed of. After all, he is usually seen hugging and touching his doubles partner Koharu so Yume thinks that such behavior should not be surprising at all. "If so, Oshitari-san will just have to annoy someone else to become his bestfriend."
Hitouji and Yume burst out laughing.
Koharu from inside the court momentarily glances outside. He gasps dramatically at the scene.
"Can you please get your germs off Kazuyoshi-senpai, Yuuji-senpai?" says Hikaru as his eyes darted still on his arms.
"T-that's right!" Kenya reacts, "Kazuyoshi might be feeling really uncomfortable with you!"
"I'm not." Yume laughs. "Why? Is this not a normal thing for guy friends to do?" When Hitouji removes his arms from her, she straightens up. "Anyway… I might pass by some vending machines or whatever. Do you guys want something?"
"I want Oolong tea," Hikaru raises a hand. Nobody else asks for anything.
"No one else? Fine, I'll be back later!" Waving a hand, Yume leaves.
When the newcomer was out of sight, Koishikawa immediately asks the copycat prince, "I thought your only attachment is Koharu. Why Kazuyoshi-kun?"
Shiraishi leans in to listen to the conversation. "I'm actually quite surprised that Kazuyoshi-kun simply let that one slip. I thought he was the type to push you away."
"That's simple. Kazuyoshi-kun is the type to go with the flow when he knows it is 'joke time.' Of course, he would let that one slip." Hitouji chuckles and glances at Kenya, who has already preoccupied himself with the tennis match. "Y'know, Kazuyoshi-kun's waist is kinda small. My arm just felt like… it fits there well."
Hikaru's brows furrow. He glances at the direction where she went off.
"It's finally over… Akutsu…"
Away from the crowd, he decides to rest on a bench. After the team's defeat in the Kanto Tournament, Yamabuki Junior High struggled to secure a ticket to the National Tournament. Since then, they practiced hard with a resolution for victory against the teams they will be facing. Today, however, that dream ends. Everyone cried and went home. Except him. Sengoku Kiyosumi decided to depart from the team and stayed in the venue for a while.
"It's all over now," he sighs.
"Is it that bad?" a female voice asks.
Thinking that he was supposed to be alone in that area, Sengoku is shocked to see a person suddenly appear before him. Even more surprising is that she was a girl he comforted once. Sengoku grins. "Probably not as bad as how you were that time." He never forgets a face - especially, of a girl's.
Yume smiles as well. "Mind if I sit down beside you?"
"Go ahead."
She takes a deep breath. "Sengoku Kiyosumi-san, right?" Yume glances at him. "I think you played well a while ago. I was able to watch you," she says in an attempt to comfort him.
"Right…" He sighs. "… but I wish I could've done more for the team."
Silence.
"Ah!" Sengoku turns to her with wide open eyes. "You watched me play?!"
"For a while, yes."
He again grins. "Really?!" Sengoku inhales and closes his eyes. "Y'know… I actually saw you when I played against St. Icarus."
"The one with braidlocks, right?" She tilts her head. "I saw you that time, too."
"Ahhh… I really wanted to say 'hello,' but you just passed by the courts."
"Oh. There were just a lot of people then, so I decided to leave immediately," she replies politely. "And I did not feel like greeting anyone that time."
"Well… I haven't run out of luck after all. There are still good things happening to me today." Sengoku chuckles. "But, y'know, I still need one thing before this day ends."
"Water?" Yume replies, laughing.
"No. Your name."
She looks at him.
"I still have yet to know your name, Ojou-san." He sheepishly scratches his head. "I already told you mine, but I forgot to ask yours. That was so stupid of me."
"Kurumizawa Yume." She sticks out a hand for a shake. "Nice to meet you."
Sengoku shakes her hand. "Sengoku Kiyosumi. Now, your phone number?"
She laughs, thinking that it was a joke. "That's too early."
"But! What if I don't get to bump to you again like this?" he frowns and then smirks. "How can we keep contact with each other?"
"You haven't even asked if I intend to keep in touch with you."
He chuckles. "Don't you want to?"
She inhales. "I'll think about it. For now…" Yume stands up. "… I'll be going on."
"Eh? Right now?" Sengoku immediately stands up. "What about a date?"
"Too early."
"Do you want me to walk you to wherever you're going?" he offered politely.
"I would prefer that you won't." Yume starts to walk away.
Sengoku follows after her, catching up with her phase. "Where are you going?"
"To some team I have to cheer on." She replies as she heads to a vending machine.
"Ohhh… that means your school got into the Nationals. Which school are you in?"
"Let's see… hmm…" Yume looks for an Oolong tea Hikaru requested. When she finally finds it, she replies, "… Shitenhouji Chuu. From Osaka."
"Ooohhh… Then, your zodiac sign?"
She picks up the can that fell in the machine. "Capricorn."
"A boyfriend?"
Yume smiles. "You sure ask a hell lot of things, don't you?"
Sengoku scratches his head. "Well…"
"Yuu-chan…?" a voice away from them calls.
The two of them turn around to look at the person calling. Yume is surprised but tries not to let it show to her new companion. It is odd that the man is by himself at the moment. Usually he has someone with him - particularly a silent and large-framed boy.
Sengoku casually greets. "Oh? Well, isn't it Hyoutei Gakuen's Atobe Keigo."
Atobe glares at Sengoku but replies as a courteous gesture, "Hello." Then, he gives Yume a worried look. He takes a step towards her to which Yume responds by taking a step backward away from him.
"E-excuse me, mister. Who are you? Do you have any business with us?" Yume asks sharply.
"Y-Yuu-chan…" Atobe raises a brow in confusion.
She smiles. Primarily for the sole purpose of politeness. Takes a deep breath. Yume turns to look at Sengoku. "Do you know any Yuu-chan, Sengoku-san?"
He shakes his head, confused. "N-no, I don't."
"Hmm… I also know nothing of some 'Yuu-chan' this man speaks of." Then, she turns to Atobe. "I apologize, mister. You're probably mistaken for asking us for this person. Unfortunately, we don't know any Yuu-chan." Yume grabs Sengoku's wrist. "So, if you'll let us, we will be going on."
"R-right," Sengoku says out of confusion. When she starts to pull him away from the scene, he manages to bid farewell to a frozen, standing still Atobe Keigo.
~ End Chapter ~
