9. And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
There could be many reasons behind a defeat. They all had names, in Marui's head.
The one labeled as "Kirihara" was always the first that popped up in his mind; not only because he had seen it happen thousand of times, but also because it was one of the more common to find, in his experience. It was the result of underestimating the opponent, the easiest the to fall into. It only required a little too much self-esteem, some pettiness, a moment of distraction. Once you've fallen in there, Marui knew, it was a struggle to crawl back out.
It was another reason why tennis was a weird game. It gave you all the chances to perform a comeback; every point, every game, every set could be a new start - but once caught into your opponent's rhythm, once the match started following their momentum, you're screwed.
Kirihara had learned that lesson very early, since his very first day at Rikkai; and yet, he never really learned. As far as Marui knew, despite the many walls Kirihara had hit throughout the years, he still was fighting against the same bratty attitude that made him fall under Sanada's groundstrokes the day of their first match.
It was quite admirable too, in some twisted way.
Sanada gave his name to a category, too. He knew defeat very well; you got to do that, if you grew up playing tennis against Yukimura Seiichi every month, every week, every day. But if you took Yukimura out from the equation, everything changed. There was no-one that could stop Sanada, if it wasn't Yukimura. Not Atobe, nor Yanagi, not even Tezuka, Marui was sure - and time proved him right.
Even the strongest could lose, though. Before Kantou's finals, when Niou told Marui they would've lost if they had dragged the game until Singles 1, Marui laughed in his face. There was no way they would've come to that, he had thought (a little too much Kiriharaish, of course, but another thing Marui had learned was that being able to recognize flaws didn't make anyone immune from them), and there was no way Sanada would've lost, let alone with Tezuka out of the count.
Later, he understood it was even possible to lose a match you've already won; it was an easy step to take. When Sanada entered the court that day, his mind was completely focused on the mission of winning the championship; of healing Rikkai's pride from the previous defeats; of bringing Yukimura their throne intact (and of course, Yukimura, Yukimura, Yukimura- and who could've blamed him for that? Marui surely could not). He was focused on everything save from the match he was playing.
Before the finals started, Marui wouldn't have bet a single yen on Sanada's loss. After the match, he couldn't have seen things going differently. When you're focused a step ahead than where you should be, you're doomed from the beginning. There weren't Marui's words, of course, but Yanagi's. As they always were.
Yanagi has a defeat linked to his name, too. And it was quite ironic that the Master of sense and rationality was the one who showed how being too emotionally and personally involved in a match prevented you to sort out things clearly. Having a rival, having someone to challenge could be helpful as a motivation to train hard, to train better, Yanagi had admitted later, but this absolutely needed to be left out of the courts as soon as the match begins. Not that the Master didn't know that since the beginning; but again, knowing a thing and avoiding it seldom was the same thing.
The only one besides Yanagi who openly admitted and recognized the reasons behind his signature defeat had been Niou. It was like digging your own grave; a bet with the devil, you could also call it. Niou's strategy to psychologically pushing on your opponent until they lost all the will to play could be perfectly effective nine times out of ten; but when it didn't work, you remained weaponless, in front of an opponent whose will to win was stronger than ever. An all out risk that fitted Niou perfectly; there was nothing as safe play in the trickster's strategies.
There was also a defeat who owed its name to Yukimura, even if Marui still found it strange enough after all these months. It wasn't a defeat worth taking the blame for; for one match, for one single match, Yukimura's will and need to play overcame his awareness that he wasn't able to give everything he could. He simply wasn't ready to play again, even if he wanted to. A defeat, in a case like that, could have even been natural, if it wasn't about Yukimura. There was nothing natural in Yukimura losing, or at least it was like that until last summer.
Marui didn't consider Yukimura's recent loss as a one who needed a category of its own. It was too similar- no, it was exactly a defeat which has Niou's name written on it. Yukimura tried to neutralize his opponent, failed, and fell. Maybe it was that that pushed Niou to challenge Morimura after Yukimura's loss. Marui shook his head; he could clearly hear the Trickster's sarcastic laugh in his head.
Yagyuu didn't have a defeat with his name yet; maybe one due to inexperience on court, but hadn't anyone experienced it, when they started playing? And what about Jackal- Jackal didn't lose unless he was overpowered by his opponent; it only happened when his opponent was faster, stronger, more skilled than him. There were no mental tricks or distractions that worked against him.
The worst one in Marui's list, nevertheless, had his own name. He smiled, bitterly. He surely wasn't the only one who experienced that, it probably was the most common than anyone else, and also the most difficult to put up with.
He had already come up with a definition to put into the dictionaries.
"A defeat that occurs when the player is unable to score a single point, not mentioning winning the match".
Marui rubbed his eyes, as his mind came back to the match that had just ended.
They avoided being shamefully bageled only thanks to Jackal's service games, and only thanks to his always trustworthy consistency in return shots. If Marui hadn't been on court, there wouldn't have been any difference - no, maybe Jackal would've been able to score even more points without him to hamper him.
It wasn't a sensation Marui had never known before; but having already felt like shit once didn't make it easier when it happened again. If anything, it made it harder. It was like walking for miles in a dark maze, and eventually seeing the light of the exit in front of you, only to discovered you've walked in circles all the time and you returned in the same cage you've escaped from. It was shit. He wanted to puke.
Marui hid his face into his hands, trying to shade it from light.
Helped by his lack of sight, he could hear the noises of many people gathering on the bleachers, as some match was about to begin on center court. It had been too long since the last time he could hid into the crowd; back in middle school he always found someone who called him out, who asked him questions, who simply spoke to him. Now in high school, he was surrounded by strangers, as all his former teammates were probably on the courts playing their matches or practicing or whatever. It was safe to be there; it was relaxing to be ignored.
His mind kept coming back to the match; he couldn't help it. It kept showing him all the stupid mistakes he made, all the easy balls he missed, all the chances he threw away. He wanted to say he had only been uncaring, or that if he had played seriously, things would've gone differently. Instead, it was like being twelve again. When he first joined the tennis club at Rikkai, in junior high, Marui had quickly learned that he had a long road ahead before being able to even dream of a real match. He struggled to find his spot, he practiced until he felt his soul burn under his fingers, until the tennis court stopped to be a cage for chickens before the slaughter and began to be a real playground.
Playing tennis wasn't fun; no-one grew in the Rikkai's cage would have never said that. Playing and winning was fun. Losing simply sucked, no matter how good the match had been.
And it had been an awful match. All the practice he had had through the years, all the efforts he had put into it, all the patches and tears were meant for never feeling like that again. To never feel like his hands were a useless appendix, and his legs clumsy as he was walking on ice, and his brain just a puddle of melted corn-flakes. And that was how he felt today. All his efforts, and now he was back at the starting point. Useless. Clumsy. Loser.
Marui opened his eyes. The bleachers were almost full. Few people wear the tennis uniform; Marui could recognize a couple of guys with the basketball team suit, and someone from the volleyball team in the front row. The most of the people, however, were wearing simple school uniforms, and they were chatting and eating snacks as the waited some game to begin.
He had never seen so many people as the audience of a practice match, not even in middle school. Not after they won their first title, not for all the matches they had with Hyoutei, not for Yukimura's first practice after the recovery.
He wondered if they were all there for Morimura's match; that would've made sense. That also meant that Niou was ready to play too; Marui had sworn him he would've come to see him lose, but not even that outlook could brighten his mood at that moment.
Well, it didn't really matter, Marui thought, as he saw Niou Masaharu climbing the stairs to stop right in front of him. He said nothing, looking down at Marui's, his eyebrows arched in a mute question.
"Stop stalking me. It starts to be creepy", Marui said.
The Trickster hinted a smile. "Just checking that you don't throw yourself down the bleachers".
"You-", Marui began, "I-", he shook his head. "God, this is so dumb coming from you".
"You haven't seen your face as you were leaving the court", Niou added, as he sat down too.
"Well, thanks, ain't fucking mirrors around the courts", Marui said. "Wait, what do you mean? What was wrong with my face? Why were you there?"
Niou didn't reply. Marui didn't want to talk about the match either, nor about his face or anything that lame. He knew how he felt as he was leaving the courts, ignoring all Jackal's calls, leaving his bag and his racket behind. He just didn't want to kneel down and puke in the middle of the court; he needed to walk away. He needed to breathe. He needed to be alone.
"Who's playing here?", he asked. The court was still empty, but some people were moving to check the sidelines and the net.
"You'll get to see someone blown off today", The trickster replied. He pointed at the courts. "Seems like someone wants to challenge for the vice-captain's supremacy".
"Sanada?"
"Him".
"Against the vice-captain"
"Him".
Marui remembered the guy. Really tall. Wide shoulders. Looked like the kind one, but didn't know if he really was. Probably wasn't, on tennis courts.
"Do you think Sanada will be blown off?", he asked Niou, who shrugged.
"Probably. I wouldn't bet money on him".
Marui wouldn't as well. If he should've done a prevision, he would've bet on the other guy too. He never saw him playing, but well- two years older, vice-captain, three meters tall: the odds weren't in Sanada's favour.
It was the first match he would see the former vice-Captain play after his win against Tezuka - the first that wasn't an inter-club match against Kirihara, at least. Well, they didn't count that much as matches, didn't they? Marui couldn't tell if his win at the Nationals happened because he was only focusing in beating his opponent or despite the fact he still had something personal going on against Tezuka (Yanagi's trademark loss avoided).
Did it still have something personal that day? As far as he knew, Sanada had had no strife with the vice-captain, but it couldn't exclude that the failure of Yukimura's challenge had his weight behind his decision. He could've asked Sanada, but he doubted he would have received an answer, and in the end, he didn't even care that much.
He only knew there were more signs of Sanada's loss than towards his win; or maybe he told himself that just to feel a little better. He didn't work in any case.
"Well", Niou said, "seems that someone else's interested in Sanada fight for supremacy".
Marui narrowed his brows. "What".
Niou pointed up with his chin; following the direction, Marui could finally see who was enough interested in Sanada's match to come back to the last place Marui would've imagined to see him.
"Maybe he's here to come back", Niou said, as Yukimura sat down beside Yanagi.
"Mh", Marui said, not finding anything to say.
"Wanna ask him directly?", Niou stood up and jumped over two pair of legs - belonging to tennis club members - to reach the stairs, without waiting for Marui's answers.
"Wait!", Marui stood up too and looked for his bag, before remembering he hadn't picked it up from the courts. He ran after Niou; he didn't want to ask questions to his former captain, but if Niou was bold enough to ask them in his place (he always was, when he wanted to know something), he was quite curious to hear the answers.
The view of tennis courts was always familiar to Yukimura Seiichi, maybe more than his own house, more than his own bedroom. His mother called it obsession. His father called it attitude. Yukimura didn't call it, he didn't care; he only knew that among the things he had in his life, playing tennis would've been the only one that would've torn him apart if he was forced to give it up.
Sometimes he wondered how stupid it could look, from an external gaze. It was nothing more than hitting a ball with a stick and made it fall inside some white lines. But that external gaze would've ignored the feeling of controlling a match; the thrill of finding a hole in your opponent's defense; the heart pounding like a drum after saving a point everyone, included yourself, took for lost.
Yukimura's gaze ended up ignoring it, too. He didn't have to, anymore. He didn't have to save difficult points; no-one was capable of pushing him to that. He didn't have to build up games, when his serves and returns were enough to grant him every game. He didn't need to build up strategies against stronger opponents, after he learned how to shut them up without playing at all. That was his tennis; that became his tennis. He told that to Morimura, he really believed that; he wanted him to know how his tennis worked, how far he had pushed it. He had lost the power battle against the captain, but that didn't mean his message couldn't be delivered by another way.
And it had been. Delivered, received, read and understood. When Morimura kicked him out the club, Yukimura was somehow proud of himself. That was his tennis; Morimura didn't understand it, and sent him away. It was his loss, not Yukimura's. But then-
Yukimura rubbed his eyes, as he reached those courts that were both familiar and unfamiliar. He looked at them, but he saw his tennis courts, the ones from junior high, the one in which Kirihara was surely practicing with his new team, as a captain.
He came back there out of instinct, but in the end, he found answers he didn't even look for.
He had played against Kirihara plenty of times. The younger guy kept challenging him, Sanada and Yanagi, careless of the never changing result, every time with new energy, with a renewed will to beat them- and every time he ended up crushed on the floor, crying or screaming or just smashing his racquet on the ground. But one, two days later, he would've come back; he always did, after learning a new technique, or after fixing a little weakness, everything made him believe that he could have got a chance. His discouragement never lasted long. Sanada called him a simple minded, and Yukimura silently agreed with him. Yanagi didn't; or better, he did, but he clearly said that his simple mind would've been the thing that will allow Kirihara to surpass every one of them, one day. Sanada had frowned, and Yukimura had laughed - even if he was sure that Yanagi truly believed of what he was saying, and he knew the Master enough to understand that seldom he was wrong - and they never really touched the issue anymore.
Now Yukimura wanted to do that.
"This time, it's me who knew where to find you".
Yanagi turned back, and arched his eyebrows. "Well", he tilted his head. "I can say I'm surprised".
"This is an accomplishment I should put in my curriculum", Yukimura replied, as he took a seat next to him, on the bleachers. He had thought that he would've stood out, being the only one with a school uniform between people in sweatpants, but apparently he wasn't the only one who came to watch the match from outside the club. This Asou who was going to play should be pretty popular - he had lots of reasons to doubt all those people were there to watch Sanada.
"Surprising me it's easier than you would think", Yanagi said, looking back towards the courts. "You spoke to Genichirou this morning", he went straight to the point, as expected from him.
"So you guessed that", Yukimura replied. It wasn't that easy to surprise him, no matter what Yanagi himself would say about the matter.
"Genichirou told me", the other smiled, like he was admitting a cheat. "He also told me he wasn't sure of what you wanted to obtain from that conversation".
"I didn't talk to him to obtain something", Yukimura frowned by that choice of words. They made him look like one who looked for conversation only when he needed to know or get something in reward.
"This is what I told him", Yanagi said. "Though I don't think Genichirou meant that in a negative way".
As always, he was like he could read his thoughts. "Is there a positive way?"
"He didn't understand what you want to do from now on".
He's not the only one, Yukimura thought, even if talking to Sanada had maybe sorted up his issues, even if only a little.
"I didn't tell him that", he said.
Yanagi nodded, and didn't insist.
No-one of the players was yet in sight. Yukimura had had a glance of Sanada's cap on the sidelines, when he come there, but he didn't see his opponent anywhere. He thought he had also seen Morimura near the fence, but he was too far for Yukimura to be sure it was him. In any case, there was nothing the Captain could've said to him; as far as Yukimura knew, there wasn't a rule that excluded former members from attending the ranking match as audience.
He didn't know if Morimura had still to play or not. He had looked for Sanada's name, certain - or at least, hoping - he would've found Yanagi there, watching the match. He didn't check any other one. He knew that Niou was gonna challenge the Captain, but he wasn't sure he wanted to watch that, or know how it went, or whatever concerning that match. He wasn't as childish to wish Niou to lose - or at least he wanted to think that. But the idea of the Trickster succeeding where he had so miserably failed still made him uncomfortable.
The main court was bigger than the one they had in middle school, Yukimura recorded, but also older. The sidelines needed to be repainted, and the net was grayish for the long use.
"What are your predictions?", he asked Yanagi.
There were other things he wanted to ask him, but he didn't feel ready to hear the answers yet.
Yanagi stretched his back. He was one of the few who were wearing the uniform's jacket, the zip closed to the neck. Yukimura was surprised he wasn't dying. He had left his school jacket in the classroom, and even with only his shirt on, he still felt the spring sun burning his back through the fabric.
"I can't formulate any accurate one", he replied. "I don't have enough data-"
"What can you say with the data you have?", Yukimura cut it short.
Yanagi hesitated; he scratched his chin, thoughtful. Few things he disliked more than formulate predictions with poor data in his hands.
"With the little information I have, you know, the hypothesis I can formulate will be-"
"Inaccurate. I know. Just tell me", Yukimura resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He liked Yanagi's lack of arrogance when he wasn't sure of his affirmations. Nevertheless, that circle of doom of premises could go ahead for hours if Yukimura let him go on with that.
Yanagi sighed, probably facing ahead the idea of - incredible and unbelievable - make a guess.
"According to the little data I could gather, I'd say I would bet", he said the word like it was a curse, "on Asou".
Yukimura wasn't surprised. "Your reasons?", he asked.
"I don't have certain data-"
"I got it, Renji", Yukimura hissed.
"-but I have words", Yanagi glared at him. "And words could be useful as data itself. Though alone, sadly, they couldn't be used as a precise comparative measurement".
"Which kind of words?"
"Rumors, for the best". Someone moved on the courts and caught their attention, but it was only a random guy who chased away a seagull that landed on the net.
"Rumors about Asou's power", Yanagi reprised. "A guy from second year told me Asou's first serve could rip my arm off. A third year said that he wouldn't play him because he didn't want to die". He turned to look at Yukimura. "Now, these are indubitable exaggerations-"
"I' would've never guessed that".
"-but they gave a general idea of what kind of player he is".
Yukimura nodded. "A powerful hitter. He looks like that".
"That would mean-", Yanagi tilted his head, hinting Yukimura to finish the sentence.
"That he's the same player as Sanada", Yukimura easily understood that.
"It's a battle of power", Yanagi agreed. "And their physical conditions are not favourable to Genichirou".
Yukimura thought it over. Having more power didn't per-se guarantee any victory. A good counter-puncher on the other side of the net could easily convert the power of the rallies at his advantage, and gain the momentum with return shots. Jackal was the master of that; he had good attack skills too, but generally speaking his defense and counter-shots usually were enough to trail his opponent into errors or to close out points with well-placed returns and counter-winners.
Sanada, however, wasn't Jackal; he wasn't even close to the defense's specialist style of play. Sanada was a pure attacker; from every angle, every position, he had got a set of moves he could use to move forward and play aggressively for points. No wonder almost all of his techniques were meant to attack; even the defensive ones, like the one he named the "Mountain", had an aggressive nature.
"But?", he looked at Yanagi.
"But?", the Master repeated, looking at Yukimura for explanations.
"It's not favorable to him, but he could turn the match by his side. Am I right?"
Yanagi smiled. "Everybody can", he said. "Furthermore, as I said, I don't have enough data for this match. If we talking about probabilities, we're still stuck to 50/50. At least until the match begins; when I'll watch at least a game, I'll be able to tell you more".
"I see".
"But you didn't want to talk about that".
Yukimura lifted his gaze; then he shook his head, and smiled. It was time to stop being surprised by Yanagi's mind reading skills.
"No, I didn't".
"You're pinching your wrist skin", Yanagi explained. Yukimura looked at his hand; the skin of his wrist was red; he didn't even realize he was doing that. "You always do that, when there's something that upsets you".
"Have I always do that?", Yukimura had never realized. Now that he knew what he was doing, his wrist started to weakly burn.
Yanagi shook his head. "No. You started to do that in these last weeks. You'd be surprised by the number of illogical habits we develop through the years, sometimes losing them without realizing we have ever developed them at all".
"I should start a school project about that. I'll take that in mind for the next science class".
"I think it would be more suited for social studies, if you want a suggestion".
"I wasn't serious, Renji".
"Oh", the Master nodded. "I could do that, then, if you're not interested".
Yukimura snorted, but couldn't avoid a smile.
"So, what's the point?", Yanagi reprised. "You came to these courts again. I must confess I wasn't expecting that yet. Not that soon".
"Yet?"
Yanagi looked at him as he had just told him a lame joke. "Whoever had known you even a little would've easily guessed that you would come back".
Yukimura frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Yanagi hesitated, as he was carefully choosing the words to use. "I mean that tennis would've called you back. It was just a matter of time".
Yukimura tilted his head. "This is not the only place where I could play tennis, if I wanted".
"True", the Master replied. "But the best way to get to Junior Championships is through a school's team, isn't it?"
It was. Yukimura had already thought about his options, right while walking out of the court for that last time, after Morimura had kicked him out. He could've joined a private club instead. He could've looked for a sponsor, for tournaments to play. But it would've meant money. Money that his parents had, to be fair, but would they be disposable to spend them while they were already made him attending a sport-elite school, with one of the best tennis clubs nationwide? Yukimura doubted so, and couldn't blame them for that.
The Junior Championships, held in late autumn, was the best showdown place for players who seek for a pro career. And Yukimura was. But the competitors were almost all selected from the previous Inter-High team tournaments, and he would happen to be able to attend the one which finished runner-up the previous year, nothing to brag about.
"There are other ways", Yukimura eventually said.
"There are", Yanagi confirmed. "But you know how higher is their uncertainty. You need to be talented", he smiled, "but you also need to be lucky. And luck is not a parameter. It's always a variable, with an unknown weight".
Yukimura frowned. He knew Yanagi was right. But-
"You don't need luck", he said, "if the talent is enough".
"Yes and no", the Master replied. Something seemed to start moving, down on the court. A guy with a white cap sat on the referee's seat. "Even if you have enough talent, you still need to make the right choices. And there's no way anyone could understand all the consequences of the choices they make, and of the ones they don't make. We can only elaborate hypothesis, and calculate probabilities". He smiled. "That said, the best way to get where you want to is here". He pointed his chin towards the court. "And I'm sure you're here today because you know that too".
"Yes and no", Yukimura said, mocking Yanagi's tone.
The Master nodded. "You're ready to spit it out", he said, in a very less polished choice of words.
Yukimura grinned. Yes, he probably was. "You once told me- told us", he corrected, "that Akaya would eventually surpass all three of us, one day".
Yanagi nodded. He didn't ask why he was bringing that back, after all that time, or why he was asking that kind of question right now. If he was surprised, he hid it very well. Yukimura doubted it; it was indeed complicated to surprise Yanagi.
"You still think that?", he asked.
"I do".
That was the answer Yukimura expected but not, he realized, the one he wanted to hear. "Can I ask why?"
He had defeated Kirihara only a few days before. Yanagi was there; he had watched the whole match, until it lasted, at least. Yukimura didn't go there to crush Kirihara one more time; but he did it. And it made him feel better. Being in total control of the match made him feel better. Being the strongest, made him feel better. Being at the top, where no-one could challenge him, made him feel better. For as much pathetic it was, winning against Kirihara - a player he knew too well, for having faced him a millionth times before - after he had lost so badly to Morimura only a few days before, made him feel better. But he couldn't' help it; he was who he was. Ha didn't feel good but in victory.
"Because he's hungry", Yanagi said. "And we're not anymore".
Yukimura startled. Curious, but not unexpected, from Yanagi to use we, to include himself too in the equation. I'm aware of the issue, it said, but I'm stuck into it as well.
"Hungry- of what?", Yukimura asked, on the alert, foreshadowing the possible outcomes of that conversation.
"Winning", Yanagi replied, confirming his worst concerns.
Yukimura glared at him. "You may want to explain", he said, coldly.
The Master didn't seem affected by the turn the tone of the conversation took. "People become stronger in measure equal of their knowledge of defeat", he tilted his head. "Did I quote right?"
Yukimura scowled. He remembered that; but he didn't say that to him. "That's my line". It was something he told to Sanada, too many years before- or did it seem to him, that so much time had passed? It was before his disease, maybe before their first tournament- or after? Yukimura couldn't clearly recall.
"I know that", Yanagi smiled. "And what is the last time a defeat made you stronger?"
Yukimura opened his mouth to reply. He looked up, as Yanagi politely glanced at him, without provocation, just like he was pointing out something obvious. Then the Master lifted his eyes, and cracked a smile towards something behind Yukimura's shoulders.
Someone grabbed Yukimura's arm. He turned around-
"Long time no see", Niou said.
Yukimura frowned. "We literally met in the hallway at lunchtime". He had wanted to ask the Trickster something about his match, back then, but he changed his mind. He peaked towards Yanagi, as Marui climbed the stairs behind Niou and reached them as well. Seemed they'd need to postpone their conversation for now; it wasn't something he really wanted to talk about in the presence of anyone else, being them his own teammates; especially in front of his own teammates.
Yukimura greeted them with a smile - quite forced, to be fair, probably because of whatever conversation they've interrupted more than anything else - and Marui suddenly felt very dumb to have avoided him like a plague-infected for the last week. Not that they ever used to talk much outside the club even before that, but still- they'd been teammates. Guess that it wasn't a true statement in the end.
"Are you okay, Bunta?", Yanagi asked, in a tone that said "I saw your match" and "I know how you feel", so typical of him. Marui didn't want to talk about that; he didn't want Yanagi to know how he felt.
He was there to meet Yukimura, to say hello, to figure out if he had already placed a flower bomb into Morimura's locker. Usual stuff.
He shrugged and didn't reply, hoping this was enough to make Yanagi drop the issue once for all. Luckily, he was known to be smart enough to read the signs.
Yukimura wasn't smiling anymore, and Marui caught him side-eyeing Niou with suspicion, as the Trickster took a seat at Yanagi's side. Marui sat beside his former captain.
"I would've thought you wanted to watch Yagyuu's match", Yanagi told Niou. "He should be playing now, on court 3".
Niou didn't reply.
"Who's he playing?", Yukimura asked instead.
"He challenged", Yanagi hesitated, as he probably scrolled through his mental notes, "Hongo Yasuaki. A quite interesting choice, if you ask me. As far as I know, his style is quite similar to Niou's, or at least it recalls it. I suggest he had developed some kind of rivalry; he came to me to ask for the information I gathered, before making his choice", he added, as an explanation.
Niou didn't look impressed. "I thought he had quit", he said.
In fact, he did, Marui thought. Yagyuu had made it quite clear, since their loss in National finals, that he wasn't interested in going ahead with tennis; funny enough, since he was the only one in their team that had always been undefeated in their final year of Junior High. He had quit, he had returned, and now he was playing in the ranking matches. Marui tried to recall who that Hongo was.
"It's the one who was with the tall guy the first day?", he asked Yanagi. "Quite short, rooster mohawk?"
Niou grinned. "Quite short, he said".
Marui showed him a middle finger, then he made it double as a reinforcement.
Yanagi smiled. "Yes, he fits with your description. If you want to know, my data has him as 169 cm tall".
Marui ignored it. "And how's his style close to this fucker's?"
Like they needed another one who liked to suck out the player's souls during matches. Thinking it twice, having them on their team was good indeed. It was having them on the other side of the net that was a huge damn problem.
Yanagi scratched his chin. The person concerned couldn't care less.
"First, I'm talking by secondhand information. I wanted to watch him playing today, but the schedule was too crowded. According to what I've heard, however, he has a strongly aggressive style, which tends to focus on his opponent's weak points. He kept hitting on their most uncomfortable positions, to both getting easy points and destroy the player's willpower", the Master smiled. "Of course, his talent lies in figuring out where the weaknesses lay. A guy I talked with defined him as the player with the strongest killer instinct he had ever met".
Marui scowled. "That sounds trash enough".
"Of course, I need to verify this with my own eyes. A club member from the third year is gonna record his matches from today. He agreed to provide me a copy of the video".
"Did he agree, or did you blackmail him?", Yukimura asked.
"I demanded it gently".
"If you say so", Yukimura jolted, then turned towards the court. "Look. They're starting".
About time. Sanada and Asou were taking their places on opposite sides of the net, exchanging some light shots to warm up. Sanada was quite tall, but Asou looked like he was at least ten centimeters taller than him, or more, and he looked even taller as he served and smashed the ball, like he could cover the entire baseline without moving for more than few steps. A couple of second years run around the court chasing balls; he and Jackal hadn't had ball-boys for their match; at least, he thought, they weren't forced to be ones for the moment.
As they approached the net to decide serving and courts, Sanada almost looked like a kid next to him, his grumpy, old man-ish face hidden by the shade of his cap.
"And how is he?", Marui asked. "I guess he's an hard-hitter. Just sayin'", with that kind of swimmer-like shoulders, he couldn't really be a volley specialist, or crap.
"As I was telling Seiichi earlier, this will probably look like a battle between quite similar players, as much as I could understand", Yanagi said, without lifting his gaze from the courts. He probably wouldn't be missing a single shot from that match. Down there, Sanada and Asou rolled the racket to draw the serve. Sanada reached the half court on the left, and took the receiving position on the baseline. The referee announced the beginning of the match, as Asou was preparing to serve. The volume of the chatting on the bleachers immediately lowered.
Asou served and damn, that was a first serve. Sanada could touch it, but that was all- unable to control the ball, he sent his return shot to land on the bleachers. An exclamation of pain from the front row said he'd made a bingo.
"Ouch. That was bad", someone said behind their shoulders.
Marui didn't think it was bad; more than that, he was impressed Sanada could see that serve coming, letting out returning it. That didn't make him feel better about himself.
Asou served again, and this time, his first serve ended in the net. His second serve gave Sanada a chance; it wasn't weak, but it allowed the younger player to step-in, and try to gain control of the rally.
"This is it", Yanagi muttered through his teeth. Marui could guess what he was talking about. That quickly became a battle of power, a battle that, he immediately realized, Sanada couldn't handle. It was Asou who put pressure; the younger player was forced to an all-court defense. An insanely fast backhand down the line from Asou put it to an end. 30-love.
It was clear that Sanada was the disadvantaged one; Asou won another point with a powerful first serve, and a winner on the baseline right after gave him the first game, not only without dropping a single point, but without giving Sanada any chance to fight back. They quickly changed courts, as the referee announced the score.
There was a way out; Marui peeked towards Yanagi.
"He should use the Mountain", he heard Yukimura saying out loud, giving voice to Marui's same thoughts. He had seen Sanada using that technique more than once - at different levels of skill, to be fair - but the most memorable time remained the match against Atobe, last year just before the Nationals. Yukimura had interrupted their match that time, without giving an explanation, while Sanada was winning, his defense insurmountable just like the mountain it took the name from. Marui didn't know the reasons, but that Atobe didn't have the face of one who was losing, and Yukimura probably foresaw more than Marui did. It was indeed Sanada's best technique against powerful attackers; but not the only one.
It was Sanada's turn to serve. His power wasn't as strong as Asou's, but still, Marui could tell that he had improved since the last time he had seen him play in a serious match, whether it had been a practice one or an official one. But again, Marui had probably neglected practice too much during the months after the Nationals, but the former vice-captain was surely among the ones who didn't. Even with all the year-end tests and the admission exams approaching, Sanada would've surely found some time to dedicate to daily practice. He wondered if he slept enough at night, or even if he slept at all.
He somehow managed to hold his serve, to level off to 1-all; not without sacrificing two points - one to an unreachable return winner by Asou, and one to a shot that landed slightly behind the baseline - and always hitting his first serve in. Sanada had always been known for his first serve, which held both power and great accuracy. The question was; would that be enough?
Asou once again proved himself unplayable on his service game. Sanada scored a point after a double-fault from the vice-captain, but aside from that, he couldn't even enter the game. And now it was his turn to serve again.
"Is he overwhelmed?", he heard Yukimura ask.
"Not yet", Yanagi answered.
"Would that make you feel better?"
Marui froze, and peeped side-eyed towards Yukimura. The former captain turned slowly to look at Niou.
"Do you think it would?", he asked, flatly.
The Trickster tilted his head. "It's not promising, answering a question with another question".
"I am genuinely curious".
"So I am".
Yukimura raised his eyebrows, and Marui related to that. It was easier to find Sanada skipping practice to spend all his money at the arcade than Niou "genuinely curious" about anything.
Marui glanced at Yanagi, but the Master was still staring at the court, apparently unaware of the words exchanged from his sides. But if there were someone able to focus on multiple things at once, that was Yanagi.
"It wouldn't", Yukimura eventually said.
Niou didn't blink. "Are you sure about that?"
"Are you asking a question because you want an answer, or you are just expecting me to say what you want to hear?"
"I'm expecting honest answers", Niou said. Marui didn't even see the court anymore; he heard the referee shouting out a score, but didn't listen to it. He waited for Yukimura to speak again.
"I'd like to watch the match", he eventually said.
"Sure you do", Niou said, in a quite eloquent tone.
"Tell me, Niou", Yukimura cut it short, "what do you want me to say? That I'm here just to see Sanada lose, as I did?"
Niou hesitated, and for a moment Marui really thought that he would've said, Yes, that's what I mean.
"Not exactly", Niou said instead. "I don't think you're here for that. But I think it would make you feel better".
And that was it. Yukimura took his time to reply to that, and Marui used that to take a glance at the court.
Sanada didn't seem in a better situation than before. An insanely fast swing told Marui he was playing all his cards. Asou hit back Sanada's Wind with no showing struggle, placing a return forehand down the line, impossible to reach.
"Game, Asou. Asou leads 4 games to 1".
Well, Marui thought, that had been quick.
"Maybe it would", Yukimura finally said, as Sanada was preparing to serve to start the following game. "But I don't want him to lose, and I don't wish him defeat. But yes", he nodded, with a bitter smile. "I guess it would give me some kind of relief, even if I'm not proud of that. Does this answer satisfy you?"
Niou simply nodded. "Well", Yukimura continued, "guess I would've got some relief by watching you destroyed by Morimura, too. Maybe even more".
Niou grinned, but didn't look amused.
"How did you do, by the way?", Yukimura asked. "I think I wanna know, now".
"How do you think I did?", the Trickster hit back.
"Who's now answering questions with more questions?"
Niou kept grinning, that kind of grin that avoided proper answers, instead of anticipating them. Niou must've already played his match, if he was there, chillin' on the bleachers. Marui didn't even ask him anything; he wasn't that enthusiast to go and watch his match, not after that absolute mess that had been his own one. Nevertheless, he was quite curious about the result, but probably both him and Yukimura would have more chances to figure it out by going and checking the damn table, rather than waiting for any kind of answers directly from him.
"You may want to watch the match, right now", Yanagi stepped in.
Marui drew his attention back onto the court. Sanada served on the center, so close to a fault, Marui was surprised to not hear it called. The former vice-captain took full control of a rally for the first time in the match, at least as far as Marui had watched.
"Genichirou has decided to play all his cards".
He had indeed. Sanada saved two break points hitting that insane Lightning shot he used against Tezuka. Not even Asou could reach it or hit it back; its effectiveness, though, was limited. Sanada had been able to use it multiple times at the Nationals only due to the fact that he was facing an opponent under an equal physical strain; this wasn't the case against Asou.
Sanada eventually held, but again, he couldn't score a single point while Asou was on serve. Being him down a break, he needed to take it back if he didn't want to lose the match. That didn't seem likely to happen.
Down 5-2, Sanada was serving to stay in the match. Everyone had stopped to argue, and was paying close attention to what was happening down there. Even the chatting around them was quieter.
Sanada served, and immediately rushed to attack. He was pushing with all he had, without holding back. He smashed balls like rocks, alternated volleys with slices and groundstrokes, made Asou run all around the court.
It wasn't enough against the vice-captain far better defense. Helped by his height and his long arms, he could reach every corner of the court in which Sanada hit, looking like he could literally be anywhere at anytime. He remembered Marui of Jackal, but better; he needed to admit that.
There was little Sanada could do, safe from hitting with all his strength; too much strength: his forehand landed behind the line on the first match point, gifting a quite short match to Asou with a 6-2 scoreline.
"I could not see a different ending", Yanagi commented, as the players reached the net for the handshake. "Asou surely had proved himself up to the rumours about him".
"What kind of rumours?", Marui asked. "'He could rip your arm off with his forehand'"?
Yanagi smiled. "Sort of".
"Well", Yukimura stood up, "guess it's time to go".
Marui stood up as well. He was calm enough now, he should go and look for his stuff- and for Jackal. There was indeed something they needed to discuss; there was something he would need to tell him.
"You may want to watch the next match", Yanagi said.
Both Yukimura and Marui turned towards him.
"Who?", Yukimura asked.
Yanagi bent his head to his right, where Niou was sitting- where Niou had been sitting. Marui searched the crowd for his silver head, and finally spotted him as he took up his racket and entered the court.
"Son of a bitch", Marui muttered. So he had yet to play. Could he once in his life not treating every shit like a fuckin' mystery quest-
"So, you think you gonna stay?", Yanagi asked Yukimura. The former captain hesitated, glancing at the court, then back at his teammates. "Yes", he sat back down. "Yes, I do".
Marui glanced at the court, as Morimura and Niou took their places for the warming-up. Since he was already there, he was going to stay too.
...
Info corner.
I completely made up the intra-school competition, stealing a little from the real information I could gather, a little Tenipuri itself, a little from high school competitions from other sports anime, and a little from Davis Cup and ATP World Tour. I couldn't find any exact information about the real competition on the net, so I made it up and bye.
Being "bageled" means losing a set 6-0 - usually called a "bagel" because the 0 is the same shape of a bagel. Dunno. Tennis may be dumb.
Akaya is a cute potato.
End of info corner.
Thanks to everyone who's following this story, I'm beyond grateful for that. Thanks for the reviewers too, I always love to hear what you think about this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and sorry for the late update. I'll try to upload the next one sooner.
See you soon with Niou vs Morimura! (Send help).
Lots of love,
Fanny.
Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi
And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand (Coldplay - Viva la Vida)
