5. What's a God to a non-believer who don't believe in anything
«Do you need these?»
Marui looked at Niou; the guy waved a box of condoms in front of his nose.
«If this is your way to ask me for a date», Marui rolled his eyes, «I'd suggest to rethink it».
«You loved it», Niou put the box back, as Marui kept looking for Tetsu's strawberry flavored toothpaste. Okay, his and Tetsu's. «Need soap? Bath cream? Hair remover?»
«Do you even think this is funny», Marui sighed. «Listen, I just asked you to keep me from spending all my money in chocolate. You can also push the cart if you like to. Feel free to shut up».
«This is not how you flirt», Niou shook his head. «I can teach you».
«Please don't». Marui checked the list. Who the hell had put orange marmalade on that? Must've been Naoto. That thing was more bitter than Sanada's sense of humor. «Learning your flirting is the last thing I need. Can you bring me a carton of that pineapple juice over there? Yes, that one. Thanks».
He wanted to make some hamburger for dinner. Tetsu had got a good grade on his math test and he had promised him hamburgers with french fries. Naoto wouldn't be too pleased. Well, served him right to make him buy orange marmalade.
He still needed the ground beef, and oil. He pushed the cart through the butchery aisle.
«You should buy an umbrella, too», Niou added from behind.
«What?»
«It rains».
Marui stopped in front of the fridges, and listened. Heavy drops were tapping on the roof. He cursed through his teeth. Brilliant.
«Your lucky day. I've got one», Niou added.
«Did you check the weather before leaving?», Marui grinned, throwing a family pack of hamburger in the cart, giving up on the idea to make them himself. Next stop: potatoes.
Niou shrugged, and didn't answer. He pointed at the refrigerator aisle. «French fries are on sale».
Marui sighed. «My lucky day indeed».
He grabbed a bag of fries, shivering for the frost, and checked the list again. He had everything he needed, except for the things he had surely forgot to put on the list. Whatever. Convenience Stores were opened every day.
He signaled Niou he was ready, and they reached the cash machine. Marui scanned a pack of apple gums along with the rest of the grocery. Screw this, he needed them. He opened the wallet to pay, and look at the total.
«Oh. Awesome», he snorted.
Niou tilted his head and grinned. «How much do you need?»
Marui sighed. «500 yen».
Niou threw him a 1000 yen bill.
«I owe you a lunch».
Niou picked up the bags. «Shut your mouth and hurry up. I want to be home before it becomes a thunderstorm».
«Thought you forgot the keys».
«I can break the bathroom's window. Already did it once».
Marui shook his head. He didn't want to know the details. «You can drop by. I'll make some tea».
«I don't like tea».
«I have instant coffee».
«I'll take the tea». Niou handed the bags to Marui. «Take this. I'll look for the umbrella».
The rain was more like a mist than proper drops; Marui wished his coat had a hood. His hair were becoming sticky. He sighed; he had just had a shower, and he already felt like he needed another one. He wiped away the humidity from his face with a sleeve.
«Do you have math tomorrow?», Marui asked.
«Like I know».
«Whatever. Can i borrow your calculator? Naoto stole mine and doesn't want to give it back. Please? Please!»
«Thought you were a genius».
«I am. But I'm also lazy».
And tired. He just really wanted the summer to come. Waking up for morning practice in the dark was as depressing as coming home from practice in the dark. He couldn't wait for tournament season to begin, even if he wouldn't get to play.
«Will you play next week?», Marui asked Niou. He put the teapot on the stove and lit the fire. «Vanilla or blueberry?»
«Earl Grey».
«Boooring».
«Classy».
Marui shook his head as he searched the cupboard to look for cookies.
«You and Jackal had signed up for doubles?», Niou asked.
«Ah-ah», Marui nodded, and hit the cupboard's edge with the head. «Ouch». Such a genius indeed. And there were no cookies. Guess who had eaten all of them? He would have dealt with Naoto later. «What about you?»
«Singles».
Marui nodded again. He sat at the table while he waited for the teapot to whistle. «Can't say I'm surprised».
Instead, he had been surprised when Niou has accepted so calmly to be classified as a doubles player, since he himself grabbed Yagyuu in the team. The only real doubles team they had before was him and Jackal. All the others could play doubles, of course, but they all were singles players who sort of "sacrifice themselves" in playing doubles, since Tournament schedules required two doubles matches. It was true, Niou and Yagyuu became a quite powerful combination. The fact that Yagyuu joined only at end of their second year, after the Nationals and stuff, had put him in a disadvantaged position than the other regulars, even if his fast improving assured him quickly a position in regular string. He was a talented player, but he lacked experience in tournaments.
Marui had to admit that Niou and Yagyuu formed an excellent doubles team. At least, Niou had been able to take the best out of that. Still, differently from him who always felt like a doubles specialist, Niou was more like a singles player who was very good at doubles too. Who accepted that position because it was what the team required at the moment, but who has lots of more potential when put in singles. He hadn't been surprised of the choice to put him in singles in National Finals, either. That was his natural position. The fact that he had been put in Singles 2 before both Yanagi, who played doubles with Kirihara, and Sanada, who took Singles 3 spot, may had been a mere strategic pattern. But still, the idea of Niou surpassing Sanada, or Yanagi, to become number two in the club wouldn't have been weird to his ears. Marui knew it was only a matter of time.
Seeing him playing against Fuji in the Nationals, on the other hand, had been like fireworks. He expected something amazing, but the guy exceeded every one of his previsions. He had never seen Niou playing like that before. Had this incredible growth been under his eyes all the time, or had he been hiding it from his team?
Unpredictable. That was all Niou was. But how much he was... well, that was unpredictable too.
«And who are you challenging?», Marui asked eventually. The teapot started to whistle. Marui lit the fire off, took two cups from the drawer. «Look, I give you Tetsu's Pokémon cup. There's a Dragonair on it, don't you think it suits you?»
«Am I blue and do I look like a worm?»
«It's a dragon», Marui put an Earl Grey bag in Niou's cup and a vanilla one in his own. «Will you put your own sugar or do you trust me?»
«No sugar, thanks».
«Oh, right. I forgot you like tasteless things».
Niou grinned. «Actually, sugar does ruin the real taste of things».
«I'd choose the word improve». Right, Niou had even the coffee without sugar. Was he even human.
The house were silent as they wait for the tea to cool down. Too silent. And Marui wasn't naive enough to think that meant his brothers were doing their homework. Naoto, at least. Tetsu was still in that phase of life in which he actually felt the duty to do his own homework. Long time ago, for Marui. Naoto, most probably, had stolen his old DS to ruin his save spot in Pokémon Soul Silver.
He blew on his cup. He would have dealt with that later. He needed to do his own homework too. He groaned behind his tea. Math homework; maybe he could just message someone in class to ask to copy theirs. And then there would be that history essay due in three days. And the ranking matches. And the cold. Life was tiring indeed. «How much before the Golden Week?», he asked Niou.
The trickster didn't reply, and took a sip of tea. The cup was still steaming. The guy was definitely not human.
«You can stay for dinner, if you want to», Marui added. Outside it was still raining, he could hear the drops against the kitchen's window.
Niou blended his tea. «Will your parents be okay?»
Marui scratched away some dirt from the plastic tablecloth. «There'll be only me and my brothers. Don't worry about that».
Niou nodded. «I won't help you with the cooking».
«You can help me with math».
Niou laughed. Marui missed being in the same class as him; he wasn't really reliable in anything, but Marui could always count on him to copy his math homework. Another reason why he wasn't human: Niou genuinely liked math.
«I have three problems to solve. None of them involves cakes», Marui complained. He liked math better when problems involved cakes. "You have ten slices of cake, you ate two. How many are left for your friends?" Answer: none. «Now there are only weird numbers and way too many letters».
«This is because you're not a grade schooler anymore». Niou put his empty cup on the table. Marui had barely touched his tea; it was still too hot.
«So sad. I tried to switch homework with Tetsu. He didn't want to».
«I doubt of your capacity to do his, too».
«It's easy. I just pretend they all involve donuts. It became complicated only when it comes to donut's limit, integrals or crap».
«I'll help you if you shut up».
«Jackal always says that too». Marui started to drink his tea; he added another spoon of sugar.
«You'll die», Niou snorted.
Marui shrugged, and took a sip. Now it was perfect.
Naoto peered out in the room to ask if dinner was ready - "It's already seven", he shouted, at the same time of Marui's "It's not even seven!" - and Marui asked him if Tetsu was still alive.
«Yes, he... Oh. Hi, Niou-san. Yes. He's probably reading, or something. Can I watch some tv?»
«As long as it's not wrestling», Marui replied.
«Oh, come on», Naoto rolled his eyes. «Mom's not there, isn't she? Don't be such a pain in the ass». Niou grinned, and mouthed "pain in the ass" in Marui's direction.
«It's not that's forbidden», Marui explained, as he kicked Niou's leg under the table. «It's just awful. And absolute garbage».
«Yeah, because hitting a a ball with a stick, yeah, that's awesome».
«Yes, and it's called baseball. You used to like it too», Marui sighed. «Watch what you want. Just keep the volume low».
Naoto left the room with a grin of victory. Whatever. He would have grown up eventually, and matured some taste.
«Hitting the ball with a stick», Niou repeated. «That's accurate».
Marui snorted. «Don't mind him. He loves wrestling and basketball. The only thing we have in common is our love for the Cake Boss. Buddy is the best».
«He likes what he likes», Niou replied, «and that tea is likely cold».
Marui took a sip of it. Yeah. It was cold. He always missed the gap between hot-enough-to-burn-your-tongue and too-cold-to-be-drinkable. He drank the rest in one breath, then put his and Niou's cups in the sink.
«Do you want to join Naoto to watch Magnificent Glitter Bat kick Fury Majestic Cupcake's ass?»
«Not my kind of show».
«Knew that. So you can do my math homework while I go Gordon Ramsay».
«Nice try».
«Oh, come on». Marui took a chair and hopped on it to reach the highest shelf. «Don't you dare to laugh! Hey, don't you have to call home?»
«Don't worry about that», Niou answered, and Marui didn't ask any further. He cut a slice of butter from the fridge and put it in the frying pan. It was another reason he liked to hang out with Niou. He didn't answer questions, but didn't ask them either. It was somehow a relaxing feeling. He put the frying pan on the stove. «Wanna spices on your burger?»
«Just salt will be okay».
Marui switched the deep fryer on. The fries were already out of the refrigerator, but where the hell were the spices. Niou started to pull out the tableware from the dishwasher.
«You don't have to».
«I know». Niou put the glasses on the table. It should've been Tetsu's job, but whatever. Marui abandoned the meat and checked the deep fryer's temperature.
«Ohi», he recalled, «you haven't told me who you're going to challenge!»
He was curious about that. According to Yanagi, there was a guy between the regulars who had a play style similar to Niou's; it would've been an interesting match, if it would ever happened.
«Morimura», Niou replied.
Marui froze with an hand on the fryer's knob. He looked at Niou. «What, do you want to avenge Yukimura or something?»
Niou snorted. «Don't make me laugh».
«And so why?», Marui didn't understand. That Morimura guy was crazy; he neutralized every Yukimura's attempt to break his defense. It would've needed some sort of demon's mental strength to resist Yukimura's yips. He knew Niou had a soft spot for weird challenges, but he didn't think he would've voluntary signed up for a train wreck.
He hadn't seen Niou play in a proper match since the Nationals. Would've been possible that he had already surpassed Yukimura? A few months ago, he would've never considered the possibility, it would've been just... ridiculous? But a few months ago, Yukimura was still the Child of God.
«Why not», Niou replied.
Marui shut the fryer off. The oil was already too hot. He turned towards Niou, who was filling a pitcher with water. «Okay. Let's put aside the vengeance crap. Has this something to do with Yukimura?»
Niou didn't bat an eyelid. «I can't see how».
Yeah. Sure. «He has served him a breadstick in his first High School match [*]. The day after that, he kicked him out of the tennis club. What do you think?»
Niou put the pitcher on the table. «This has nothing to do with me».
Well, that was right too. «He's still our Captain. Was», he corrected himself.
«Was, Is», Niou shrugged. «It doesn't matter».
«Okay», Marui sat down. It was still early, the dinner could wait a little bit more. Sounds from a trashy commentary was coming from the living room. Naoto's conception of "low volume" was another thing that needed a discussion. «So, why?», he asked Niou. «Don't tell me "why not". That ceased to be funny way before dinosaurs died».
Niou tapped his fingers on the glass of the pitcher; they looked bigger and deformed through the water. «He's the Captain. He's strong». He looked straight at Marui. «That's a fact».
«So you think if you can beat Morimura, that you are stronger than Yukimura will be also a fact».
A pale smile appeared on Niou's lips. «I'm not interested?»
«You aren't?»
«You're building up a rivalry that exists only in your head», Niou replied.
Marui didn't reply. He started tapping his fingers on the table too; the sound of Niou's on the glass was contagious.
«So you just want to be the strongest», he finally said, but he wasn't believing his own words. That was Yukimura's personal crusade, or Sanada's. Akaya's biggest life goal - aside having the highest points in Super Smash Bros tournaments. But Niou's? It wouldn't fit him at all.
«No way», Niou said, predictably.
«So, why?» Morimura wasn't even his kind of player. Not freak enough to enter Niou's radar.
«Because he's strong».
Marui frowned. «So, you actually want to be the strongest», he repeated.
Okay, logic wasn't his best subject; he glanced at Niou, confused. The trickster smiled, didn't look at him. Marui bit the inside of his cheek. It wasn't Niou's characteristic, he could never imagine him in the position of Atobe, or Yukimura. He wasn't the kind of guy who sat on a throne, a crown on his head, ready to defend his position no matter at which cost. He almost laughed out loud. No. It was just insane.
He looked at Niou. «You want to defeat the strongest».
Niou pulled away a hair from his jacket's sleeve. «Not really».
No. He just loved challenges, Marui guessed. The more difficult was the challenge, the more intrigued was him. Niou wasn't the kind of guy who searched victory over anything else; moreover, he looked for being... thrilled? Marui didn't know for sure. Hell, nothing about Niou would ever be somewhere near "sure".
He smiled. «Tell me when your match is scheduled». He stood up again; it was time to make dinner for real.
Niou grinned. «Wanna come and cheer for me?»
«Sure. I'll bring a banner too», Marui replied. «Made by Jackal, of course. Oh, I'll put garlic on my burger. If you'll ever try to kiss me after doing my math homework. A guy must protect himself».
«Just open your mouth and speak, Marui. That's enough of defense», Niou replied.
Marui threw him the pot holder; it missed him completely and ended up inside the pitcher. «Great».
«Your aim is amazing».
Marui picked the soaked holder from the pitcher, then emptied it in the sink. «I will spit on your burger». He rinsed the pitcher and filled it with water again. «No. Wait. You have to do my homework. I'll spit on your burger next time».
«I've already said I won't do that».
«You promised me!», Marui clutched his heart. «I trusted you! I let you into my house, I gave you my food, my tea, my brother's Pokémon mug! How could you...»
«Give me that homework and just shut up», Niou sighed.
«...be so lovely, Niou-sama».
«Just shut up».
Marui abandoned the stove to look for his math notebook. He didn't even realize that the burgers were half burnt.
«Is that a Mars, Yagyuu?»
«Indeed, it's a chestnut energy bar», the boy replied. «I don't think it will meet your taste, Marui-kun. It's sugar-free».
Marui cringed. «Ugh. Tasteless. How can you even eat...»
«It's self defense, Bunta», Jackal stepped in. «If we start to bring things you don't like, we may even succeed to actually eat them».
«Stop talking like I'm usually going around stealing other people's food. I'm not a thief. I always ask».
«Whatever». Jackal shook his head. He had already finished his banana before Marui came out from his classroom for the morning break. He started to get too clever; that only meant Marui needed to be faster.
«By the way, where's Niou?» He needed to talk to the guy. Like, now.
«In his classroom. I guess». Okay, that thing Yagyuu was eating looked exactly like cardboard.
«And where is it?», Marui asked.
«On the northern wing, right behind the corner. It's in front of Yukimura-kun's classroom».
«Oh. I'm not going, then. I don't want to meet him». Marui didn't exactly mean to say that out loud, but well, sometimes his brain-mouth filter didn't work very well.
Jackal rolled his eyes. «Oh, for God's sake!»
Yagyuu shook his head. «Sanada-kun hadn't spoke to Yukimura-kun since the accident as well, according to what Yanagi-kun said».
«What, they broke up?», Marui blurted. That was news. He already imagined the former Big Three having secret meetings to plan how to kill Morimura, bury his body under the bleachers and restore Yukimura as Captain in his place. Maybe they were publicly avoiding each other just to be free from any suspect of conspiracy when their plan would have succeeded. So clever. As expected from Yanagi.
He jumped to sit on the windowsill, just let free by a group of girls who was heading towards the bathroom. A light rain was falling outside the pane. It hadn't stopped since the evening before - Niou managed to get home a few minutes before if became a thunderstorm - and morning practice had already been cancelled. Marui had passed an hour straight sleeping in the library and almost skipped the first period. Being that math, it wouldn't have been a loss worth crying for. Talking about math...
«I only know what Yanagi-kun told me», Yagyuu replied. «I didn't ask him the reasons. It's not my business, after all».
Marui glanced at him. «Well, it is. If Sanada and Yukimura break up, Rikkai ship will sink and we all will die. I think it qualifies that as our business too».
«I don't even know how to reply to you anymore», Jackal sighed.
«Marui-kun is probably spending too much time with Niou-kun». Yagyuu walked to throw the empty package of his so-called snack in the bin. «Sanada-kun must have his reasons, and no-one of us is in the position to judge him».
«I don't want to judge him», Marui complained, «I just want to know what's going on». Asking Yukimura was out of the question. Asking Sanada was unreasonable. Asking Yanagi could've worked, but there was no way to get an answer from the data master if he didn't intend to give one in the first place.
«Do you think it's about the tennis club?», Marui asked, waving his legs down the windowsill. He hit the wall with his heel. «Ouch».
«Don't ruin the school walls», Yagyuu warned him. He could be even more annoying than Sanada as a school cop.
«Serves you right, for asking stupid questions», Jackal leaned against the column. «What else it could be? If something, I'm not surprised at all. I was expecting something like that from Sanada».
«Do you?», Marui kicked out his slipper and rubbed his foot. «Well, I guess...»
None of them really heard what Morimura and Yukimura said to each other - okay, they tried, but they were too far away, up on the bleachers, and they spoke too soft to be heard. They only knew what Yanagi told them after practice, in the locker room. Apparently the two of them argued about Yukimura's use of the Yips, and the former Rikkai Captain then decided to leave the club. He gave them no more details - he probably decided to remain vague, being them in a crowded locker room, full of hears ready to eavesdrop - and neither he did in the following days. Marui knew he could just go directly to Yukimura and ask him, but somehow the mere idea made him uncomfortable.
It wasn't like he was scared or something; the truth was simply that he didn't know what to say to him. He felt something similar the first time the team went to visit him at the hospital, when no-one had any idea about what was happening to him, not even the doctors. He just fell and couldn't feel his legs nor his arms nor anything anymore, and he sat in a hospital bed not knowing if that would have ever passed, and will it happen again even if it does, and not even why that was happening to him, and that time Marui just looked at him while hearing Yanagi's perfect comfort words - he didn't know if they reassured Yukimura at all, but for sure they did reassure him - and then he smiled at his Captain, and Yukimura smiled him back, and that had been enough.
He and Yukimura had never been exactly friends, but what happened to him had pulled their team closer than Marui would have imagined it could ever be. It didn't matter wether they liked Yukimura or not before. He was their Captain, he was fighting his own battle to come onto the court again, and they were his team. It had been the first time in which Marui really felt as part of a team, a time when winning wasn't only a natural instinct but something which carried a completely different meaning. He didn't even like Yukimura so much, if at all, but he wanted to win for him. He wanted to win with him, once again.
Marui shook his head. It was different, back then. They had a common goal, and they knew exactly what Yukimura needed from them. Their support, but more than that, their hard work. But now Marui had no idea of what Yukimura needed from them, if he even needed anything they could give. And, frankly speaking, he wasn't sure he cared. They were a team when they reached National finals, but after that, the puzzle broke apart. The pieces split up, there was nothing to keep them together anymore.
«If I have to guess», Jackal reprised, «I'd say Sanada is disappointed».
Marui blinked. «When the hell is he not?» Sanada satisfied about something, that would have been news.
«He had never been before», Jackal replied. «Not when it was about Yukimura».
Marui opened his mouth to answer him back, then closed it. Well. He had got a point there.
Yukimura and Sanada already argued before, but well, not like that. The last time they didn't spoke to each other for days was after their loss against Seigaku in Kantou tournament. But it was Sanada's failure that time, - in Yukimura's perspective, at least - Sanada's fault to lead them to Rikkai's first defeat in Kantou in sixteen years, and they had a good reason to get over it and become a team again. After the Nationals, no-one blamed Yukimura for his loss - as no-one blamed Marui, too. But he was sure the Captain blamed himself at least as much as he did, if no more.
Marui sighed. It didn't matter anymore. «Well, that makes no sense anyway. If Yukimura had decided to leave the tennis club, Sanada should respect his will, huh?»
Yagyuu looked at him. «I'm not sure he exactly decided to leave the club».
Marui's foot started to get cold. «Jackal, can you give me my slipper, please, please?», he turned towards Yagyuu: «Wait, what do you mean?»
«That's not what Matsui-san told me».
Marui tilted his head. «Who the hell is Matsui-san?»
Jackal sighed, and threw the slipper in Marui's lap. «That's our manager».
Oh, right. Now he remembered. «Talking about that, I always forget to ask», he looked at Yagyuu, «is she good at baking?»
«Put that damn slipper on», Jackal snorted. «What did she tell you?», he asked Yagyuu.
The so-called Gentleman fixed his tie, and didn't reply. He looked like he was choosing the words. What did the manager tell him? That Yukimura had literally tried to kill Morimura but failed in the attempt? Nah. It wasn't possible. Yukimura would have never failed if he wanted him dead.
«According to her, Yukimura-kun didn't leave the club. It had been Morimura-san that threw him out».
Marui looked at Jackal. He didn't seem surprised either. It was surely a more realistic explanation than having Yukimura leave the club with no apparent reason. Yeah, it was what Yanagi said, but Marui wasn't really persuaded by that. Yukimura leaving the club by his will? He couldn't imagine a good reason for him to do so. He didn't think Yanagi had lied to them either. Well. Guess he should truly go and ask Yukimura in the end.
«Did she tell you why?», Jackal demanded.
Yagyuu shrugged. «More or less. She wasn't there for the entire discussion. In the end Yukimura-kun refused to accept the conditions the Captain demanded to remain in the club, so he left».
«What conditions?» Marui bended down to put his slipper on, it fell from his hands. «Crap. Jackal? Thanks».
«He was banned from the activities until the end of the summer», Yagyuu explained.
«Seriously?! For what? Oh, Jackal. Please!» Marui was feeling too comfortable, sat on there, to jump down the windowsill and get the slipper back by himself. «For being stronger than anyone else in the club? Nice move. Really clever».
«Not anyone else. Morimura defeated him», Jackal reminded them.
«Yeah», Marui nodded, and kept pointing at the slipper while giving Jackal the best of his puppy eyes. The move was no more effective. «Aside from him».
«Morimura-san is only one person», Yagyuu directed a glance at Marui that made him give up the idea of trying puppy eyes with him. «We have no clue about the rest of the team. I know Yanagi-kun asked for the videos of the last High School competition...»
«Did he?!»
«...but only Morimura-san and Asou-san were regulars last year, and no-one else in the club had even played in Winter Invitational. So the information he had been able to gather is very limited. We'll get to know more by the upcoming ranking matches».
«Oh, will you play too, Yagyuu?», Marui jumped down the windowsill to get his slipper. Damn Jackal. He definitely deserved friends who didn't forsake him on the time of need.
«You're done with today's bonus for stupid questions, you know», Jackal sighed.
Marui grumbled. Was it a stupid question? He looked at Yagyuu; he knew that the guy didn't even plan to pursue his studies at Rikkai in the first place. Marui felt like they've been teammates since forever, but in fact the Gentleman joined the club only at the end of their second year. He remembered it clearly; it was only a month before Yukimura collapsed at the bus station. He put on his slipper and sat on the floor, ignoring Yagyuu's scolding gaze. He had been the last to join, and the first to quit, right after their loss in National finals. He saw no reason to stay, he told Yukimura, and he needed time to revise for his exams. Marui knew he applied for some élite school in Tokyo but he hadn't been admitted in.
Marui didn't really expect him to come to Rikkai in the end, let alone joining the tennis club again. He probably ended up to love the sport more than Marui had initially thought, or maybe he had other reasons, whatever they could even be.
«Will you play singles too?», he asked. «Niou said he will».
«Did he?», Jackal tilted his head, then nodded. «Yeah. Not really a surprise».
«Yeah, who would have ever guessed», Marui crossed his legs and leaned his back against the wall. He looked up at Yagyuu. «So, singles?»
The guy adjusted his glasses. «I can't see a reason to sign up for doubles».
«What. There are lots of reason. First, doubles is fun». Marui jumped back on his feet. «Second, if you fuck it up, you can always blame your doubles partner. Third, there's nothing in the world cooler than a well-combined offense. Come on».
«You should respect more your third point than the second one, if you allow me to speak on the matter», Jackal objected. «Oh, why do I still waste my time on this».
«Because I'm an excellent doubles partner». Marui planned to sign up and challenge the Doubles 1 pair of the team, but no-one had wasted time to tell him who they were. There were their names on the sign-up table, but since he had never seen them attend practice, he had no idea of how they played, or how strong they were. He was waiting for info from Yanagi, but as Yagyuu said, the Master was finding some difficulties to figure out who the hell were some team's members. Sanada was probably even more pissed of by this than by Yukimura's being out of the club. Maybe.
Well, the fact that Yagyuu and Niou didn't plan to step forward as a pair couldn't bother Marui any less. He had been glad to have them in the team as long as they allowed them to win more matches, but he hadn't been exactly ecstatic to see his Doubles 1 spot stolen by them. It would've been one less rival in the end.
«You're not irreplaceable, though», Jackal replied.
Marui clutched his shirt on the chest. «Oh my god. You have no idea of how hurt I am now. You should definitely buy me some chocolate to cheer me up».
«The break is almost over anyway. You and your broken heart should go back in class».
Marui sighed. When did Jackal become so strict? He missed Akaya. When Akaya was around, Jackal was a gentler mommy. He kept forgetting to text the younger guy, too. He had initially planned to call him the day before, but then Niou stayed for dinner at his place, and he completely forgot about...
«Oh, right!», he yelled. «Where's Niou?»
«Don't scream in the hallway», Yagyuu reproved him. «And, he's in his class, I guess. Exactly where he was ten minutes ago, when you asked the very same question».
«That ass».
«Language, Marui-kun».
«It's not a bad word. It's an accurate shortening for "asshole who promised to do my math homework and just pretended to do it while writing down the Sorting Hat song on my notebook instead". For short, it's just ass». The fucker probably thought it would have been funny. Yeah. Really funny. The detention he would get for not deliver his homework also would be funny. Fuck Niou.
«Why not try the experience of doing your own homework, once in a lifetime?», Jackal rolled his eyes.
«I trusted him. And he betrayed me. All my friends betray me. I can only trust myself at this point. No, wait. I can't even trust myself. I'm screwed». He shook his head. «I can only trust chocolate. That's what's my life is up to».
«If you really trusted Niou-kun, I don't think you're in the position to blame anyone else than yourself». The bell rang, as to underline Yagyuu's words. «Well, see you later, I guess. I'll let you know if practice will be held this afternoon, if Matsui-san already know something».
«Yeah, thanks. See you later», Jackal waved at Yagyuu, and started to move toward his own class. «Ohi, Bunta. Don't text me during class. I've got a test, I won't answer you no matter how bored you are».
«I don't care. I've already accepted the fact that I will die alone». He could have texted Niou instead. Something like the word "traitor" in all the languages available on Google translator. Marui sighed and sneaked in class like three seconds before the professor entered, falling on his chair and trying to resist the impulse to put his head on his arms and sleep. He checked what he had. Japanese history. How thrilling. He brought his books out and looked out of the window. The rain had become heavier; it seemed very unlikely any practice would have been held for that day. He could use the free time to catch up with his homework. He sighed; what a stimulating prospect. He opened his book, and started to mentally plan an hundred and one ways to pay Niou back. A guy needed to figure out some tricks to stay awake.
...
Writing Niou Masaharu more like "write three words and then erase five". What even is this guy. I'm not completely satisfied of how it turned out, but I'll never be so when it's concerning Niou Masaharu. I think this chapter it's the best I could do now, so I hope you've enjoyed it.
I want to thank my anonymous reviewer for their lovely comment, I'm so glad you've enjoyed the way I've written these dorks. Bratty!Yukimura will come back as soon as possible!
[*] A clarification, just in case: when Marui said that Morimura "served Yukimura a breadstick" it doesn't mean he gave him breadsticks from his purse, but it's a colloquial tennis term for a 6-1 score. A 6-0 is called a "bagel".
Thanks a lot for reading, see you soon!
Fanny.
Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.
What's a God to a non-believer who don't believe in anything [Kanye West and Jay Z feat. Frank Ocean- No Church in the Wild]
