7. It doesn't hurt me, you wanna feel how it feels?
The dawn was still cold.
Sanada adjusted the scarf around his neck, trying to block out the sharp wind. The sky was the same pale grey of dirty ice, but the sun wasn't yet on sight. The soup he had had for breakfast felt heavy in his stomach. He usually was hungry after his morning training, but the prospect of two tests in the morning and the ranking matches in the afternoon didn't put that day in a good light to begin with.
He turned at the street corner to reach the crosswalk. His eyes went automatically at the opposite side; it was empty, except for a black cat which disappeared behind a fence at his sight. All the street was empty as well, a couple of cars passing by, the headlights still on.
Sanada gave a last glance at the sidewalk, then took his way towards school. This was so stupid. If he wanted to talk to Yukimura, he knew perfectly where to find him. Their classrooms were in the same hallway, just a couple of doors away from each other. He attended the Yukimura s house since he was a kid. He knew his phone number by heart, his mail as well, he knew his usual hangout spots. He could literally find him with his eyes closed.
But why it always have to be him?
It took no more than a day to Sanada to realize everybody was waiting for him to go and talk to Yukimura. Yanagi especially did, but he wasn't the only one. Sanada had expected that as well; it had been the first thing that came to his own mind: reach Yukimura wherever he was and slap the sense back in his head. But why.
He had been about to leave his house, to take the familiar path which brought to Yukimura's; he had already the jacket on when he froze still in the middle of his bedroom and just asked himself, why. Wasn't Yukimura the one who owed him an explanation? He had built the entire conversation in his head. As the imaginary Yukimura in his mind kept talking, Sanada found himself more and more irritated. In the end, he had hung his jacket back on the coat peg, and changed his school uniform for house clothes. He had then spent the evening at the dojo, trying to recollect his thoughts, but the anger didn't disappear.
The following day Yukimura didn't show up at their usual meeting spot, even though Sanada had waited for him so long he almost arrived late at practice. There was no reason for Yukimura to go to school so early if he didn't have to attend club activities, Sanada was well aware of that, but he waited anyway, shivering in the cold morning wind.
He avoided Yanagi's glances and Marui's obnoxious questions once he reached the club, quickly changing in his tennis uniform and cap. He ran faster than usual during the warming up, aware that physical strain was the quickest way to let the anger flow away. And Sanada was angry; angrier than he had ever been with Yukimura before.
He had been angry with him lots of times, but only a few were serious. When Yukimura fell sick, Sanada had been out of his mind. How you dare, how you dare, he had wanted to yell, but he couldn't, and he had no right to get angry in the first place, because of course, of course, it wasn't Yukimura's fault, and yet..
And then he had told him he wanted to undergo the surgery. From his mother's look, Sanada realized how many discussion had already happened in that hospital room, how many don't you dare, how many tears, and treats, and surrenders. That was the thing with Yukimura, no matter which battle he was fighting, in the end you always had to surrender, being him on a tennis court or in a hospital bed, the outcome wouldn't have changed.
«I want to play tennis again», he said, in a tone that scared Sanada: flat, yet determined. «If you take tennis away from me, I won't have anything left». He looked so serious while saying that, Sanada didn't have problems believing him.
There were other reasons for surgery. Yukimura's mother told him in the hallway, after her son asked - no, he yelled - Sanada to leave. The surgery had its risks, she told him, but doing nothing was risky as well. The doctors agreed that it was the better choice, she added, the surgeon was the most titled in all Kanagawa prefecture, graduated from Tokyo University, he got his Master's Degree in the States... The more she spoke, the more she looked like she was trying to reassure herself more than Sanada. She was scared, and she couldn't hide it, no matter what encouragement words she spoke. He wasn't reassured at all as he left the hospital, but he knew there was nothing he could say, or Yukimura's mother could say, or anyone else, to make Yukimura change his mind once he had decided something. And he was angry, to Yukimura who talked about the possibility to die as he was talking about the risk to get rain on a tournament day; angry because he was just expecting him to accept that and to keep his focus on tennis - tennis, like that meant anything to Sanada back then. It did, in the end. Yukimura was expecting that from him, and Sanada owed him that. At least, he felt like he did.
The same Yukimura that stated that he was ready to risk his life in order to play tennis again - the same one threw everything away for what? For what.
He turned left at the crossroad. He didn't hesitate anymore; on the first few days, he risked multiple times to take the wrong direction, turning right towards Rikkai Junior High Department, as he had done every day for three years.
On his first day of High School he realized the mistake only after hearing Yukimura chuckling behind his shoulders. This way, he had told to a slightly embarrassed Sanada. I was expecting this to happen, he had added, ignoring Sanada's requests to stop laughing.
There were a few people in dark green jackets already walking through the High School Department; Sanada followed them, regretting to not having his cap as the rising sun hit him right in the face.
«You walk too fast».
Sanada turned around. In two steps, Yukimura reached him.
«You're not even late. There's no need for you to arrive before everyone else to open up the locker room anymore, you know».
Sanada mentally counted to ten, then to twenty, and yet his wish to punch Yukimura in the face only grew bigger. How dare him, after acting like a child for days, to just show up and speak and smile like nothing happened...
As he had heard his thoughts - and Sanada guessed they had been painted quite clearly on his face - Yukimura instantly become serious.
«I won't apologize», he said. «Renji told me you were probably expecting that from me, but I won't do that».
«What do you want, then?», Sanada replied, not as harsh as he meant to be.
Yukimura looked ad him. «To talk. To you», he paused. «With you».
«I have practice».
«Skip it».
Sanada stared at him. He should have been making fun of him. But nothing in Yukimura's face suggested that he was making a (very lame) joke.
«You», Sanada pointed his finger, «are telling me», he raised his voice, «to skip practice».
He wasn't even angry. It was just ridiculous to hear.
«The ranking matches are set for this afternoon, right?», Yukimura moved aside to let a group of girls walk past them. «You'll be fine».
«You'd had days to come and talk to me». It wasn't about skipping practice or not. It was a matter of principle. As always, Yukimura was expecting him to give up everything he was doing and do what he demanded instead.
(He realized it only months later, and it hit him like a cold shower. Yukimura had never said "I leave the team to your care" from his hospital bed. What he did say was, "I leave my team to your care". Sanada's task wasn't to guide Rikkai, but to assure they'd fulfill Yukimura's plan for them. What hit him even harder was the fact that the sudden realization didn't surprise him at all).
«I couldn't sleep tonight», Yukimura continued, as if Sanada hadn't even spoken. «In fact, I hadn't slept at all. I thought. A lot».
«Maybe you should skip school and go home to get some sleep instead». Sanada's voice came out as bitter as he meant it to be this time.
Yukimura didn't seem affected by that. «Can I treat you some coffee? I feel like I really need one».
Sanada didn't want coffee. But he didn't want to go to practice as well. As much as the mere idea of skipping practice sound inappropriate to him, as much as he wanted to slap Yukimura more than talking to him, Sanada knew he would do exactly what Yukimura wanted him to do. But that didn't mean it shouldn't be at his own terms too.
«I think you should apologize», he said, staring at the street before him, deliberately avoiding Yukimura's eyes.
«I don't have anything to apologize for», Yukimura said, after a brief pause.
«I think you have», Sanada wouldn't let him win the battle so easily this time.
«And what, exactly, Sanada?», Yukimura's laughter was bitter. «To not live up to your expectations? I-»
«You wanted me to apologize», Sanada turned to look at him, «when I didn't live up to your expectations».
Yukimura lifted his chin, without moving his gaze from Sanada's. Eventually he took a step back. «Those weren't my expectations», he replied, confirming he knew exactly what Sanada was talking about. «Those were our plans. Our promise», he shook his head, and smiled, bitterly, «our promise to each other», he added, in a mocking tone Sanada didn't appreciate.
«I apologized to you when I lost», he replied, firm. «I never asked you to apologize when you lost». No-one had. No one had wanted to, as far as Sanada knew. «I want you to do it now. Not because you didn't live up to my expectations. Because you spat on everything we did until now».
«What did we do, Sanada?» A cool breeze rose up from the sea. Yukimura shivered.
«We had a promise», Sanada replied, «as you said».
«Yeah», Yukimura crossed his arms. He hadn't his jacket on, Sanada didn't notice before.
«We should take that coffee», Sanada said, «and continue this conversation inside. Before you catch a cold».
«I'm not catching anything», Yukimura said, as he stifled a sneeze.
«Usual place?»
«Fine to me».
They walked in silence towards the coffee shop in front of middle school. There were a couple of them near the High School Department as well, but they were used to that one, in which they passed long hours planning the matches during winter, or just hanging out after practice when it rained. When they entered it was already full of employees on the way to work, and some students having breakfast before school-time. Sanada and Yukimura got their order, and managed to sat at a table just let free by two girls in middle school uniform.
Sanada waited for his coffee to cool down, squinting at Yukimura blending his white coffee in hypnotic, regular circles.
«You said you wanted to talk», Sanada said, if only to break that long, awkward silence that started to make him uncomfortable. Sanada didn't mind the silence, but he hated when it was filled of unspoken words.
«You said I spat on everything we did», Yukimura lifted his cup to take a sip, then changed his mind. He stared straight at Sanada. «You really think that?»
Sanada frowned. Did he? The most honest answer was yes, right now, but he stayed silent. If Yukimura wanted to talk to him, he wanted him to go straight to the point. He briefly glanced at the clock. Practice should be already started.
Yukimura sighed. «You want to hold this grudge to me for how long, Sanada?»
So, now he was the one holding a grudge. He sure was good at turning tables.
«I'm just waiting for you to talk».
«I can't hold a conversation alone».
«I never realized this was a problem for you».
Yukimura sighed; it may have been childish, but Sanada felt a sense of satisfaction in being the one who put his patience on test, for a change. Yukimura drove his attention back to his cup of coffee, just long enough to let Sanada feel guilty for his stubbornness.
«So, how are you?», he asked.
Yukimura glanced up, and smiled. «Are you worried, Sanada?»
«I have been», Sanada said, bluntly, and that seemed to surprise him. «You didn't offer a great show, last time I saw you».
«It wasn't a show», Yukimura said.
«And what was it?»
«A point».
A point. Sanada glanced at him, but Yukimura was staring out of the window again, at the Junior High students who were swarming towards the open gates. To Sanada, it had been a show indeed. A show in which Yukimura planned to star as the hero and ended up performing the role of the defeated villain; a poor, crippled reply of his performance in Junior High, with a completely different outcome. He wondered if Yukimura had been aware of that. What he meant with "point", he didn't understand.
«Would you mind to explain?»
Yukimura kept glancing out how the window, occasionally tapping on the table with the spoon. «You know what I'm able to do», he finally said.
Sanada arched his eyebrows. «So?»
Yukimura blinked. Tap. Tap. Tap. «Now everyone does».
Sanada wanted to laugh, but he wasn't even slightly amused. «And you're on the sidelines now».
Yukimura clenched his mouth. Sanada had seen him like that a huge number of times before, even if he wasn't sure Yukimura was aware that his pantomime had ceased to work with him a long time ago. He was the way he acted, like he had everything under control, like everything that happened to him, being good or bad, was just part of his plan, a piece of puzzle he knew exactly where to place. In his disease, in defeat, nothing was wrong; except that it was. Right now, it was no exception; Yukimura still acted like leaving the tennis club had been his decision, like it wasn't a big deal, just another piece of puzzle that fitted perfectly in, exactly where he meant to put it.
«Bullshit», Sanada said out loud.
Too loud, in fact. A young couple from the nearest table turned to look at him in disapproval. Sanada lowered his head in a apology, then turned back to Yukimura, who seemed mildly worried, mildly amused by his outburst.
«Could you just quit it?», he said, unable to stop.
«Quit what?»
«Quit to pretend that everything's all right. To pretend that the failure is never yours. Just admit you've made a mistake, once in your life». It took almost all his self control to not yell to him.
Yukimura didn't change expression. «Did I make a mistake?»
«Yes, you did». Sanada wouldn't step back. Not this time.
«And which one, exactly?», Yukimura asked, coldly.
Sanada breathed hard, and shook his head, trying to recollect his thoughts. «How many practice matches did you have with Akaya, during the years?»
This seemed to take him unprepared. Yukimura frowned. «I don't know. How could I?», he grimaced. «Countless?»
Yanagi probably could tell them the exact number, Sanada told himself. But that wasn't the point. «And how many times did you use the Yips against him?»
Yukimura laughed. «Oh, I see», he glanced up, smiling bitterly. «Yes, Sanada, I'll cut it short for you. I didn't need to. I wanted to».
«And can't you see nothing wrong with that?»
Yukimura glared at him. «In playing my tennis when I'm called to face an opponent? I don't. Do you?»
«I do», Sanada glared back. «You could've take a clean win from him. You lost points because you were more focused in showing off than in playing tennis. You-»
«And who exactly you are, for telling me that?»
«I'm your friend!», Sanada lifted his fits and blocked a second before slamming it on the table. All right. He needed to calm down. «And I think you did a really stupid thing back then, and still holding your pride like you aren't aware as well of how stupid it was, and-»
«You're talking to me about pride?» Now Yukimura looked truly amused, and Sanada found it rather offensive. He was being deadly serious. He had no right to laugh.
«I'm talking to you about stupidity», he replied.
Yukimura lifted the spoon again, tapping on the table, glancing away. «I know what I did. But you know what?»
Sanada waited. Realizing that Yukimura was waiting for a hint, he nodded.
«I know myself enough to realize that, having the chance to turn back time, I'd do the very same thing». He shook his head. «But it isn't a chance we had in the first place, right?»
He was serious again, and Sanada realized that it would probably be the thing nearest to a self-criticism that he would hear coming out from his mouth.
«It is not», Sanada told him. «But that doesn't mean you can't admit your mistakes and try to fix them».
«Isn't it the same thing?», Yukimura asked. «Like trying to turn back time. It's pointless. You can only go forward».
«Trying to fix your mistakes isn't pointless. Running away is».
Yukimura frowned. «I'm not running away».
«Aren't you?»
Yukimura looked at his cup of coffee, still half empty, the drink inside probably cold. He took a sip, grimaced, and pushed the cup away. «I think I'll get a new one».
«It's almost time to go», Sanada warned him. He wanted to put that issue to an end before school time. If Yukimura ended to avoid his questions and started to give proper answers, they would save a lot of time.
«I'll take it away», he got up, pick up both the cups and walked towards the counter.
Sanada waited for him to come back with a steaming paper cup. They went out of the coffee shop in silence, and began walking towards the High School Department. None of them said nothing until they reached the school.
«Do you think I can?», Yukimura asked, as they reached the hallway that brought to both their classrooms. The school was already crowded, and first period was about to begin. They met Marui on the stairs, and as he saw them together Sanada clearly saw his urge to turn around and walk away. Yukimura smiled and greeted him, but the redhead didn't cease to look at them suspiciously as he greeted back, as they were carrying a bomb into the school.
«You can what?», Sanada asked.
«Fix it».
Sanada looked at him, surprised. Yukimura wasn't avoiding his gaze, but staring at him right in the eyes.
«If you want to», he replied.
Yukimura nodded, and said nothing else, as he walked away to reach his own classroom. Sanada looked at his back, wondering if things were really as complicated as they turned them to be. He left for his class as well, his mind struggling to focus on the tests to come.
Matsui stood on tiptoe, biting her tongue, fully focused on her task. She spread her arms, and the poster she was trying to pin up on the notice board slipped away from her fingers, landing back on her face. «Brilliant».
Someone laughed behind her back. «Maybe you need an helping hand?»
Matsui tried her best to free herself from the paper veil, possibly without ruining it; it took her three hours and half to get it done, if she'd need to redraw it from the start she would probably start to scream.
«Here». Suddenly she could see again, and she smiled at her savior.
«Knew it was you. What are you doing here, Kageyama-chan?»
Kageyama Kou smiled back, lending her the poster. «Mizu-san sent me here; told me you would've had a racket for me».
Matsui nodded, as she glared towards the wall, wondering what strategy she would need to use to be finally able to pin up that thing on there. «We should have some spare rackets in the clubroom. You don't have any?»
Kageyama shook her head. «Mizu-san said the boys' club stole all of them. I still haven't bought one, so...»
«What? And how did you play until now?»
Kageyama laughed. «I didn't?», she shrugged. «I mean, I was surprised when they told us we would be practicing the serve today. It's not like we even started to hit a ball yet».
Matsui nodded again. Kageyama had already told her that she was an absolute beginner on tennis, despite her knowing the rules for watching games in the past.
«You should wait», she told her, as the poster almost slipped away from her hands, again. She needed to hurry up and hung the thing before destroying it for good. «To buy a racket, I mean. You need to get one that is best suited for you. I think you can use school rackets as long as you need them, even if they probably aren't the best for competition».
Kageyama snorted. «It's not like I'll ever see competition at all», she shook her head. «Matsui-chan, are you sure you don't need help...?»
Matsui turned to look at Kegayama and the whole head she was taller than her, then nodded in approval.
«Can you keep this on the board while I secure it with the pins? Promise I'll do my best to avoid your fingers».
«So reassuring». Kageyama took the poster from her hands and effortlessly leaned it right under the upper edge of the board. Matsui almost needed to jump to pierce the pins on the corners.
Then she took a few steps backwards, admiring the result. Good. Even the dumbest dumb who had ever dumbed on the campus would be able to understand where and when the matches would be played. She had wondered if she should've drawn a map too, but Morimura told her that you needed to be absolutely stupid to get lost between five courts which were exactly one after the other. She thought it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him she really managed to get lost on her first day; it wouldn't have given him a good impression of her qualities as a manager.
Kageyama peaked from behind her shoulder. «What is this?»
«Ranking matches schedules», Matsui tilted her head. She did her best to make her calligraphy understandable, but the result from down there was a still a little messy. «Can you read well?»
«It's written big enough I could read it even if I needed two-inches thick glasses», Kageyama replied. «Are you holding ranking matches? For the spots in matches?»
«More or less». She had written everything in hiragana, and she even used different colours for singles and doubles. No way it would be difficult to understand. Right?
«I don't think we have any», Kageyama considered. «I don't know. The regulars practice on their own, and we haven't been told anything about the tournaments either».
«Lovelies», said a voice behind them. «Get out of my way».
Matsui and Kageyama both jumped by the side, as a tall guy with glasses and a undercut walked past them, towards the locker room.
«A regular?», Kageyama asked.
Matsui nodded. Somehow, it was easy to tell. The regulars wore no different suit and their uniform was the same as every other member's, but they had a special aura that made them recognisable alone. Well, some of them, at least. Morimura and Asou surely had it. Even Hongo, in his own way. But when she met Kuroba on the courts, the day before, and she asked him if he was a new member and if he needed her to show him the way to the locker room... Well, she didn't mention that accident when she asked Asou records and pictures of all the regular players, and she hoped that Kuroba as well wasn't a talkative person and had a very short memory.
«Minami Akito», she added, as the guy disappeared behind the fence that encircled the courts. It took her all night long to memorize their faces and names. «Or Akira». And yet she didn't do a good job, did she? «Something with Aki. Whatever». She had all the records in the bag she left on the bleachers, she would check the names again later.
«This way», she told Kageyama. They left the courts, in which the first players were starting to gather, and they walked past the locker room - someone screamed loudly behind the door, Matsui decided to do not investigate - towards the clubroom, who served as well as captain's office, but which in fact was a storage room with a desk, a computer and two chairs arranged inside like in a tetris game. She remembered seeing the spare rackets' rack just under the window. Of course, as she and Kageyama walked in the room, it wasn't there.
Kageyama looked around. «Wow. You have lots of stuff here».
«Can you see the rackets between the stuff?»
«Nope».
«Thought so».
Okay. Let's play a game. If the rackets weren't there, they should've been somewhere else. Brilliant. Where? She scratched her neck, then kneeled on the ground to look under the desk. The only thing she found was the acknowledgment that the place really needed to be swept.
«Do you need something?»
A pair of gym shoes and mustard-yellow sweatpants appeared in her field of vision. She looked up to see Morimura entering the room - and addressing her a glance that meant "I'm not gonna ask what you're doing on the floor". He reached the desk and switched the computer on. The old Mac buzzed loudly, and the noise of the fans filled the small room. The computer was probably the only tennis club member which had reached the drinking age; every time Matsui had to use it, she was worried it could explode just under her bare hands.
«Do you know where the spare rackets are?», she asked Morimura, as she got back on her feet. Her hands and knees were dirty with dust. «And please, tell me they were behind that window until yesterday». She wiped away the dirt from her knees and cleaned the hands on the sweatpants. They needed laundry anyway.
«Asou brought them to the courts, in case anyone needed one». Amazing. Exactly where they were coming from. «Believe it or not, it wouldn't be the first time people show up to play in ranking matches without having a racket. Why aren't you there, by the way?»
«Kageyama-chan needs a racket. She said you guys stole them all».
«I didn't!», Kageyama hissed, her cheeks turning bright red as she glanced at Morimura, alarmed. He just slapped the Mac, who kept buzzing undisturbed. «I told you Mizu-san said that-», Kageyama stopped, and her hand went to cover her lips.
«If Mizuhara has a problem with the storage organization, I'm always open to discussion», Morimura replied, in a tone that said he definitely was not. «You'll find the rackets outside the main court. Take what you need. Matsui, are you still here?»
Matsui sighed. «Got it. Let's go», she opened the door to let Kageyama walk out. «See you later». Morimura's only answer was shaking the monitor with badly-repressed anger.
«The courts are over there», she told Kageyama. The girl glared at her.
«If Mizu-san kills me, I'll haunt your dreams until the day you die».
«Why should she?», Matsui gave her a puzzled look.
«Well, for going around telling people she thinks they're thieves... Oh, nevermind. She's probably one that'd say the exact same thing to their faces. And then make them kneel and beg her forgiveness», she shook her head, the face back to her usual complexion. «Who was he? The captain?»
Matsui nodded. «Not in his best day, though, I guess. Thinking about it, I don't think he even has best days».
«You told me he was nice», Kageyama glanced behind her shoulders, to the closed door of the Captain office.
«Mh», Matsui hesitated. «Overall, I think he is». She shrugged. «You said your Captain was nice, too».
«Honestly, we only met her once», Kageyama said. «In the beginning, Asada-chan- my friend, you remember her, right? From class six?»
«The one you said she's pretty good, right?»
«Yeah. We were thinking Mizu-san was the Captain. Everyone believed that, because she behaved like one, you know? Giving orders, screaming at us, complaining-»
«I kinda know», Matsui said. Their Captain during their second year was exactly like that. It had been the first and only time she really thought about quitting the club, but the second years were good, and she had been patient and stayed.
«But in the end Anzai-san - the Captain - showed up, and we had been all surprised. She said she was happy we were there, that she hoped we were working well with Mizu-san- just a lot of words, to be honest. We usually see her and the other regulars practicing on their own, but that's all».
«The same goes for us», Matsui said, as they crossed the fence to reach the main court. Some guys were gathered in front of her masterpiece, checking their turn to play. «Morimura-san is most closed in the office, and Hongo-san», she laughed. «It's anywhere but on the court, probably. Asou-san is nice. He's usually helping me with stuff. He's the vice-captain».
«I don't even know who the vice-captain is», Kageyama sighed. «No, it's not Mizu-san. We asked, and turned out she's the manager. Self-proclaimed», she lowered her voice. «A second year girl told us she really really wanted to become the Captain, but the previous one chose Anzai-san instead».
«That explains a lot», Matsui said.
Kageyama giggled. «I think that too. But I think she respects the Captain anyway. She just enjoys her time being in charge of yelling at us», she sighed. «But to be fair, she's harsh, but not mean. Just bluntly honest, I think».
They stepped into the main court, Matsui glancing around, trying to detect where the rackets were. There was a little number of spectators gathered on the bleachers. Matsui didn't expect they would have any for the ranking matches at all. They barely had had any when they held practice matches with other schools, back in Junior High. She definitely underestimate the popularity of sports in a powerhouse school, didn't she? When she took a glance at their budget for the prefecturals - transportation, laundry, equipment needs, etc. - she almost screamed. No risk to have to use public transportation when they could use private buses. She definitely was enjoying life at Rikkai.
«Oh, there they are, Kageyama-chan!», she stopped. «What's left of them, at least. I suggest you to start run and grab one as soon as you can».
Matsui could swear there were at least fifteen or twenty rackets on that rack, when it was safe in the captain's office. Now there were barely five, and not the best ones they had, for sure. Better for Kageyama to hurry and grab one which was still suited for playing.
«Ugh», Kageyama said, glancing at the rackets with disappointment. «Are really these ones?»
Matsui titled her head, and looked at them. No-one was in perfect condition - to use an euphemism - but at least they weren't wooden rackets from the Fifties. One of them had all the paint scratched away, and another one didn't even had chords. After some seconds of doubt, Matsui grabbed one which seemed okay, except for a totally worn-out grip tape.
«Take this», he lend it to Kageyama, «I'll replace the grip for you».
«Can you do that?»
«I did that plenty of times. It was one of my jobs. Wait a minute, gonna go to ask if someone has some».
Of course no-one did - what a useless bunch of guys, she hoped they would lose all their matches - until she found Yanagi, who thankfully had some and allowed her to take it from his locker. Yelling him a good luck - and recalling she still had lots to talk about with the guy, as soon as the matches would be ended - she reached Kageyama and began walking back again, towards the locker room. Good chances that Morimura would still be locked in that office, arguing with the computer, but she still hoped they'd be able to avoid him and the certainty to get scolded again. In five minutes she would be able to replace the grip tape, and if she was fast enough she'd probably reach the courts again before any match will start. And before Morimura, who as well had matches scheduled for that day, would be there. May the slowness of that computer would be by her side, that day.
«Wait a minute», she told Kageyama, as she entered the locker room. The place should have been empty by then - and of course it wasn't.
«You should be on the courts, right now», she said towards three guys who still weren't done changing. «Please hurry up».
As the guys glared at her and express some various exclamations of protest, she checked the names on the lockers, which of course were totally random, because setting an order would be too easy. He quickly found Yanagi's one, and took a brand new roll of grip tape from the upper shelf.
«Are you still here?», he asked the guys, echoing Morimura's words to her - and trying to imitate his tone, with little success, she suspected - before reaching Kageyama outside again.
«There were people inside?», the girl asked, as Matsui stared at the package, trying to understand how to open it.
«Mh», she ripped the plastic with her teeth.
«And it's okay you went in?», Kageyama insisted.
Matsui spat a piece of package that stuck inside her mouth. «Sorry for that». She teared the package apart. «Well, they're the ones who aren't supposed to be there. It's already late», she dropped the empty plastic on the ground and lend the tape to Kageyama, then started to dismantle the old one from the racket. «They should be on the courts right now».
«And so are you», Kageyama said.
Matsui dropped the old tape on the ground, next to the empty package. «If you want to do it yourself, I'm going right now».
«No. Sorry. Thanks», Kageyama tilted the chords with her fingernails. «You think it'll be okay?»
«Looks like», Matsui started to roll the tape around the grip. «If you want you can come back as soon as the ranking matches are ended. There should be more choice by then».
«I'll try with this one. I like the colour too. What kind of racket it is?»
«I'm not so good to recognize it with a glance», Matsui checked if there were issues with the tape. «I usually check the model on the internet and look at the stats».
«Tha's cheating».
«I'm a manager, not a racket producer». All seemed okay. She lend the racket back to Kageyama, and picked up the trash from the ground. «I'll help you to find one when you decide to buy it, if you want».
«Let me learn to play first», she sighed. «Thank you so much, Matsui-san. And good luck for the matches today. What are you supposed to do, by the way?»
«Observe. Record. Classify», Matsui replied. The holy trinity of duties Morimura was expecting from her that day. «Basically I have to act like a secretary for the results. But there are a couple of matches I really want to watch».
«The ones you were talking about with Yagyuu-san, earlier?», Kageyama asked.
Matsui nodded. «I watch their videos from middle school. It'd be fun!»
«Are you talking about the big three?», Kageyama tried a swing with her racket. «Well, maybe big two, since Yukimura-kun isn't there anymore», she shook her head. «I still can't believe that».
«Big three?»
«That's how they called them, back in middle school. Yukimura, Sanada and Yanagi. They were quite famous. All the tennis club was. Our club, instead-»
«The big three», Matsui laughed. «Sounds so professional!»
«I think it's quite lame, though».
«Yeah. All cool names are lame. It's the price of being cool».
«You aren't making sense right now». Kageyama shook her head. «Gotta go. Thanks again, Matsui-chan. See you tomorrow?»
Matsui nodded, and waved Kageyama a bye and a good luck as she turned on her feet to take her way back to the courts, not before knocking on the locker room's door again, yelling the guys to hurry up. She hastened her pace, not wanting to be scolded another time; if Morimura was already on the courts, she'd need to find a way to make him believe she had been there the whole time.
«Is this how you're checking the matches?»
Or maybe it wasn't necessary anymore.
«I was helping Kageyama-chan with the racket», she said, as she waited Morimura to reach her.
«If you want to prioritize the needs of the female tennis club, I'm sure they'll have room for you there».
«I don't think so. They already have a manager».
Morimura glared at her. Matsui sighed. «I'm really sorry, Morimura-san. I was going back to the courts right now».
Morimura opened his mouth to reply right when the three guys stormed out from the locker room, laughing and chatting - just to stop and start to run towards the courts in the exact moment they saw Morimura in front of them.
«You don't need to run», the Captain said, calmly but loud. «No chance you'll get to play today».
«I've already told them to hurry. Twice», Matsui told him. That would teach them to listen to her. Well deserved.
Morimura turned to look at her. «A really responsible thing to do, when you're late and irresponsible yourself».
Okay, Matsui told herself, I called it.
«I'm really sorry», she repeated. «It won't happen again».
«Walk», he said, hastily. «Asou just texted me. They're about to start».
Matsui followed the Captain towards the courts. She really needed to work on her authority voice. Maybe she could learn The Morimura Glance, somehow. For first, she needed thick eyebrows, and then-
«I hope you're thinking about the match record».
«For sure!», Matsui clapped her hands. «I've already did everything. The poster is pinned up right outside the main court. All my papers are already there. I'm totally totally ready».
Morimura gave her a look that said "if you say so", but didn't reply.
Matsui really wished everything would go well. She did everything she could to set up the best organization. Drawing that damn poster had been the latest of her problems. Once Asou handed her all the sign-ups for the matches, the three of them remained locked in that office late for three days, deciding the best combinations according to how long the matches would probably last and which ones would be the most interesting to observe.
Matsui was really interested in watching the ones with Yanagi and his former teammates. She hadn't watched the videos yet, when they started to work on the matches' order, but talking with Yanagi back during that day at the Junior High - and according to the information she obtained by asking Yagyuu in class - she was already expecting great things from them. Plus, it would be the first time all the regulars would be on the court at the same time. Two weeks, and there still were some of them she haven't seen even once. She asked Morimura about it once, and he muttered something that went from "practicing elsewhere" to "kick their ugly asses" and Matsui decided to try and ask Asou instead when she would get the chance.
They would be all there today, though (or at least she hoped so), and if the first years were as good as the videos of their matches suggested, they would be able to see really interesting things that day. One over all, the only match the Captain would be playing. Matsui squinted at Morimura, as they walked to reach Asou at the bottom of the bleachers, and smiled. That was one she was dying to watch.
...
And here we are.
Thanks to everyone who's following this story, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Sanada is never a piece of cake to write for me. And yes, that was a first squint towards girls' team, but let's focus on the boys for now. Ranking matches? Ranking matches. Have a nice time, and see you soon!
Fanny
Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi
It doesn't hurt me, you wanna feel how it feels? [Running up that hill - Kate Bush]
