A/N: I was thinking of spacing out the posting of this fanfic more. After today, the posting days will be Tuesdays and Fridays, not limited to just the weekend. I may occasionally post on a Sunday as well. Enjoy. 3
Chapter Twenty-Six
I may as well have been going to Tokyo University with as little as I saw of Kotoko over the next week. I hadn't been going to the tennis club practices because she'd failed Sudo's test and wasn't on the court, plus I didn't need the practice. And then there would be the interaction with Yuuko. While I was friends with her and didn't mind her company, she flirted.
Home after another whole day of things feeling out of whack, I came through the front door to hear a conversation between my father and Yuuki. They were preparing supper for later, yet again.
"Put in the eggs…" My father said and there was a crack, "Bread crumbs now." I wandered into the kitchen, catching Yuuki throwing some bread crumbs into a bowl.
"She still hasn't snapped out of it, huh?" I said. My mother had been making more than a big deal out of Kotoko and her father moving. She barely came out of her room and she didn't want to eat, clean, or make supper. It had all been left up to the three of us. We had been splitting the chores since they left.
My father left to grab some more paper towels and Yuuki went on, kneading some sort of mixture as my father had instructed.
"I hope she stops being like that soon. It is only Kotoko after all." He said. I nodded.
It's only Kotoko. I reminded myself. I'd been getting worked up over nothing.
I went to my room to read. I could've heard a pin drop all the way downstairs, the house was so quiet. I hadn't noticed how much I'd grown into the noise of having Kotoko living here. With it gone, there was an empty space. While I'd used to hate the excessive noise, the silence was even worse.
Even if I didn't need the practice, it would be better than being in all this quiet so I got dressed, packed my tennis equipment and left for the practice that had begun ten minutes earlier. Sudo was the kind of person that cared a lot about attendance and being on time, but I was one of the only exceptions there were. He was lucky I'd decided to join in the first place. One would assume he was going to take what he could get from me.
Arriving to the courts, Sudo welcomed me as he thankfully hadn't had a tennis racket in his hand. Yuuko made right for me from practicing her serves.
"You're late." She said. I looked around the court for Kotoko.
"Looking for someone?" Yuuko asked. I spotted her. She was picking up the balls everyone was using and replacing them in baskets… probably the only thing she would do in her time here. Yuuko followed my line of sight.
"It's true she moved out of your house, right? You know, that cafeteria guy is saying she moved because she got over you. I think the two are dating now." An unfamiliar feeling crept over me, a mix of many emotions. I clenched my jaw shut, not wanting to hear about Kinnosuke. As days wore on, my disliking for him festered.
"Who cares?" I said. Yuuko nodded.
"Would you like to pair up for a bit of practice?"
"Sure, just give me a minute." She took off to serve some more balls and I made my way over to Kotoko. Her eyes were so trained on the ground and the balls, she didn't see me.
"Picking up balls," She mumbled, "Like that's practice." I stepped on one of them to capture her attention.
"Excuse me, you are stepping on a ball. Kindly remove your foot." She said. I half-smiled at it.
"You're only collecting balls?" I said. She looked up at me swiftly.
"Irie-kun… but what are you doing here?" She blinked at me, as if she thought she might've been hallucinating.
"I'm in the tennis club."
"But you don't practice. You haven't come once since the first week." She said. I dodged it and lifted my foot off the ball to join Yuuko.
"Am I not allowed to come?" She watched me walk away. Her admiration told me all I needed to know.
"Irie, it's rare that you come to practice," Sudo said, approaching Yuuko and I, "Might you have come here to have a duel with me?" He reached for his racket and his face became similar to that of a provoked bull.
"I can duel you, but I don't want to embarrass you again." I said, pushing his buttons. He glared at me.
"So cocky," he growled, "If that's so, would you agree to doubles?" He looked like he had something up his sleeve, but I wasn't chicken.
"Sure."
Sudo smirked, "Okay, I'll pair with Matsumoto… you can pair with Aihara." I didn't shock me he was doing something like this, since he was such a competitive person and sore loser. But this exasperated me. Of course it was her.
Kotoko's eyes widened, "What? Me?"
"She's only collecting balls. I can't pair with her. We wouldn't be equal."
"Matsumoto and Aihara are both freshmen girls. I'd say the pairing is quite fair." He grinned viciously. I snapped.
"That's not fair in any sense. If you could win in doubles each time against a person like her, you'd become the world champion." I fired at him.
"You don't have to go that far." Kotoko said.
"He's right, though." Yuuko said. I could see there was no further argument as Sudo situated himself on the court.
"Aihara, get to the court. Let's begin."
"Sorry, but I never go easy on anyone." Yuuko said to me as she went by to get to the other side. I peered over to Kotoko and let out a sigh of frustration. This match was essentially two against one. She was reluctant to play.
"What's with that look? Do you forfeit? That's pretty pitiful." Sudo said, but I wouldn't be having him gloat about this. I marched over to where Kotoko stood.
"You won't have to hit the ball. Just leave it to me." I said, resigning to my fate.
"We're actually going to do this?" She asked worriedly.
"Yes," I said, "Anyway, just stand in your place. And stay out of my way." I walked back into place and she ambled up to my side, stiffly holding a racket.
Sudo served. I went for the ball and she dove out of the way. Yuuko hit it back my way, an easier ball to catch.
Sudo got it next and hit it way over to Kotoko, causing her to spring out of the way. I wasn't there to catch it and like that, Sudo was already ahead.
The match went way downhill from there. I managed a measly five points while theirs went on to infinity. Kotoko dodged out of the way as much as she could, but Sudo only ever hit the ball her way or completely rocketed it at me. By the end of the match, I was exhausted and Kotoko had fallen to the ground multiple times.
Sudo took his last serve, whipping the ball at Kotoko like a bullet. For once, she didn't run away and tried to hit it, but I'd already gone to get it. The only thing we hit was each other's rackets. The duel was over.
"Winners, Sudo and Matsumoto." Someone announced. Sudo beamed.
"Too bad. It was close, wasn't it, Irie?" He bragged, "You two make a good pair."
We shook hands.
"How about another match with these pairs next week?" He smuckly tested me, waiting for me to say no. I refused. This would be more interesting than doing nothing at home, anyway.
"Sure thing." I said. Sudo seemed stunned, and then he was pleased.
"You're serious?" He was befuddled by me.
"Unless you don't want to risk the chance I might embarrass you…"
"Fine!" Sudo huffed, "Next week. Same pairs. I'll be looking forward to it." He strutted away and Kotoko looked doomed. Well, not as doomed as I was going to be with her as a partner. However, part of me was excited about it. This would be fun.
