Thanks for all the comments everyone. ^^ As for Urumi, no, she's not going
to be a tennis player. Her character is more of the "girl next door" kind
of character. I'm glad you all like my story. I actually don't think it
turned out as good as I wanted it to. But I don't really know how to fix
what I think is wrong with it. ^^;; Anyways, hope you all like this chapter
as well!
**********
Playground Fun
The next morning, Kaidoh awoke at his alarm clock's ring. He felt tired still and he checked the time. He had half an hour before he had to go, but as he almost fell back asleep, he remembered his promise to meet Saya at the park. Quickly getting out of bed, he went to brush his teeth and wash his face before changing.
Starting out earlier in the morning, he could finish his jog and still have a half hour to play with her before needing to go back. Once again, he tied his bandana around his head. Before the jog, he took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air, then exhaled.
"Sssh."
He picked up the pace of his jog, just to make sure he had enough time. As with every other morning, he went around his usual course where he made it home before going back to the park that was five minutes away. They still hadn't arrived yet so he sat down on the bench to rest.
When they arrived, it was to see him doing sit-ups from where he was lying on the grass. Urumi watched in surprise. She had thought that yesterday was just a coincidental meeting, but apparently, he did this every morning. Saya rushed forward to greet him.
"Good morning, Kaidoh-niichan!"
"Good morning," he said as he sat up.
"Will you push me on the swings again?" Saya asked.
"Okay."
Standing up, he saw Urumi staring at him. He blushed and quickly turned away. Following Saya to the swings, he helped her up. Making sure she was holding on tightly, he pushed it gently.
"Higher!" she exclaimed.
He willingly complied with her wishes. As he saw her laughing, he was inwardly glad that he had come as he said he would. Urumi watched them together from her seat on the bench. They had practically forgotten about her. Kaidoh hadn't even greeted her but went immediately to play with Saya.
When it came to guys, it was normal for Urumi to have them pay more attention to her than her baby sister. Still, to see Saya so happy, she couldn't help but smile. It wouldn't be right to be jealous of her five- year old sister. The moment was bittersweet, to see them having so much fun while she was the outcast.
"Wheee!"
Urumi looked up to see Saya going down the slide. As it was kind of high, she watched as Kaidoh made sure she got up safely before waiting for her to come down on the other side. Kaidoh could feel her eyes staring at him, but he ignored the uncomfortable sensations and focused on Saya instead. It was better this way.
From the slide, they went to the merry-go-round. While Saya held onto the bar tightly, Kaidoh would give it a gentle spin. He made sure that it wasn't too fast, just in case she wasn't feeling well. Urumi checked the time on her watch. She had told her parents that they'd only be gone for forty minutes at most.
"Saya-chan! It's time to go!" she said.
"Okay."
Kaidoh slowed the merry-go-round so that Saya could get off. As she stepped down, she went to stand in front of him. Motioning for him to bend down, he squatted so that they were the same height. She smiled at him and the muscles in his face relaxed.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Will you meet me again tomorrow?"
"Okay."
"Yaay! Then it's a date!" she cried out happily.
He blushed at her choice of words.
"Let's go, Saya," her sister said softly from behind him.
Saya went to hold Urumi's hand and said, "See you, Kaidoh-niichan!"
Kaidoh turned around to face her. "See you later."
As he stood up to look down at Urumi, the muscles in his face tightened and he was once again scowling. Nodding slightly in her direction, he left them and jogged back home.
"Does he hate me or something?" Urumi thought as she watched his retreating back.
"Kaidoh-niichan, bye, bye!" Saya yelled after him.
**********
Even though he hadn't figured out the reason why he had promised to play with Saya, he didn't really mind. He had truly enjoyed their time together and was looking forward to it tomorrow. The only dark cloud in the picture was still Urumi, but he was back to his normal, intense self.
Like every school day, he had tennis practice after. With punishment for being tardy, he didn't want that to happen. He quickly grabbed all his stuff and ran to the change room. When he entered, he saw Arai talking with his friends in the corner.
They saw him enter and watched him. After Kaidoh had left by himself yesterday, rumors had gone around in the club saying that he had lost his intensity. If that was the case, it would only be a matter of time before he was kicked off the regulars which would make an opening for a new one.
"What do you want?" he snapped, glaring at the same time.
The three paled. Whoever had started the rumor was clearly wrong. Kaidoh was still his usual frightening self. When they didn't answer him, he glared harder before turning his back on them. As he changed, the other three quietly left.
"Sssh."
Entering the courts, everyone was watching him. As he walked by some people, they started murmuring behind his back. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was damn annoying! Turning around, he narrowed his eyes at them.
"Sssh."
They clammed up and stared back at him with fear in their eyes. Satisfied with the results, he continued walking to his usual waiting spot. He pretended not to notice, but he knew that they were all watching him. As to why, he had no idea.
"Che," he muttered under his breath.
Tezuka came in and started practice. Like all the other regulars, he had noticed Kaidoh's half-hearted attempts yesterday. Deciding not to say anything yet, he wanted to see how things would turn out for today.
Once again, the regulars were separated from the second and third years as they had their own practice. Tezuka explained the drill and they all went to their assigned spots. As Momoshiro walked by Kaidoh, he did what all rivals did to their opponents, rub in signs of weakness.
"Hey Mamushi! What kind of weak shots are you going to show us today?" he murmured.
"Sssh. You bastard! What did you say?!"
"You heard me!"
"Stop it Kaidoh! Momo!" exclaimed Oishi as he went to see what the ruckus was all about.
"Mada mada dane," Echizen said from the other court.
Kaidoh glared at him, but he wasn't even looking. As the commotion simmered down, Tezuka went to join them.
"Thirty laps for disrupting practice!"
"Hai."
As they ran their laps, everyone could see them fighting as they went, trying to outdo each other. Fuji stood off to the side with his deceptive smile on his face.
"Looks like things are back to normal now," Kawamura said to him.
Fuji nodded.
"Start practice or you will all have to run laps," Tezuka said in his calm, cool voice.
Everyone else sweat dropped. They knew he had been worried about yesterday, but he would never show it. Whatever the case, all was back to normal in the Seigaku's tennis club. Clearly, whatever had been bothering Kaidoh had been fixed and all was returned to how it should be.
**********
Playground Fun
The next morning, Kaidoh awoke at his alarm clock's ring. He felt tired still and he checked the time. He had half an hour before he had to go, but as he almost fell back asleep, he remembered his promise to meet Saya at the park. Quickly getting out of bed, he went to brush his teeth and wash his face before changing.
Starting out earlier in the morning, he could finish his jog and still have a half hour to play with her before needing to go back. Once again, he tied his bandana around his head. Before the jog, he took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air, then exhaled.
"Sssh."
He picked up the pace of his jog, just to make sure he had enough time. As with every other morning, he went around his usual course where he made it home before going back to the park that was five minutes away. They still hadn't arrived yet so he sat down on the bench to rest.
When they arrived, it was to see him doing sit-ups from where he was lying on the grass. Urumi watched in surprise. She had thought that yesterday was just a coincidental meeting, but apparently, he did this every morning. Saya rushed forward to greet him.
"Good morning, Kaidoh-niichan!"
"Good morning," he said as he sat up.
"Will you push me on the swings again?" Saya asked.
"Okay."
Standing up, he saw Urumi staring at him. He blushed and quickly turned away. Following Saya to the swings, he helped her up. Making sure she was holding on tightly, he pushed it gently.
"Higher!" she exclaimed.
He willingly complied with her wishes. As he saw her laughing, he was inwardly glad that he had come as he said he would. Urumi watched them together from her seat on the bench. They had practically forgotten about her. Kaidoh hadn't even greeted her but went immediately to play with Saya.
When it came to guys, it was normal for Urumi to have them pay more attention to her than her baby sister. Still, to see Saya so happy, she couldn't help but smile. It wouldn't be right to be jealous of her five- year old sister. The moment was bittersweet, to see them having so much fun while she was the outcast.
"Wheee!"
Urumi looked up to see Saya going down the slide. As it was kind of high, she watched as Kaidoh made sure she got up safely before waiting for her to come down on the other side. Kaidoh could feel her eyes staring at him, but he ignored the uncomfortable sensations and focused on Saya instead. It was better this way.
From the slide, they went to the merry-go-round. While Saya held onto the bar tightly, Kaidoh would give it a gentle spin. He made sure that it wasn't too fast, just in case she wasn't feeling well. Urumi checked the time on her watch. She had told her parents that they'd only be gone for forty minutes at most.
"Saya-chan! It's time to go!" she said.
"Okay."
Kaidoh slowed the merry-go-round so that Saya could get off. As she stepped down, she went to stand in front of him. Motioning for him to bend down, he squatted so that they were the same height. She smiled at him and the muscles in his face relaxed.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Will you meet me again tomorrow?"
"Okay."
"Yaay! Then it's a date!" she cried out happily.
He blushed at her choice of words.
"Let's go, Saya," her sister said softly from behind him.
Saya went to hold Urumi's hand and said, "See you, Kaidoh-niichan!"
Kaidoh turned around to face her. "See you later."
As he stood up to look down at Urumi, the muscles in his face tightened and he was once again scowling. Nodding slightly in her direction, he left them and jogged back home.
"Does he hate me or something?" Urumi thought as she watched his retreating back.
"Kaidoh-niichan, bye, bye!" Saya yelled after him.
**********
Even though he hadn't figured out the reason why he had promised to play with Saya, he didn't really mind. He had truly enjoyed their time together and was looking forward to it tomorrow. The only dark cloud in the picture was still Urumi, but he was back to his normal, intense self.
Like every school day, he had tennis practice after. With punishment for being tardy, he didn't want that to happen. He quickly grabbed all his stuff and ran to the change room. When he entered, he saw Arai talking with his friends in the corner.
They saw him enter and watched him. After Kaidoh had left by himself yesterday, rumors had gone around in the club saying that he had lost his intensity. If that was the case, it would only be a matter of time before he was kicked off the regulars which would make an opening for a new one.
"What do you want?" he snapped, glaring at the same time.
The three paled. Whoever had started the rumor was clearly wrong. Kaidoh was still his usual frightening self. When they didn't answer him, he glared harder before turning his back on them. As he changed, the other three quietly left.
"Sssh."
Entering the courts, everyone was watching him. As he walked by some people, they started murmuring behind his back. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was damn annoying! Turning around, he narrowed his eyes at them.
"Sssh."
They clammed up and stared back at him with fear in their eyes. Satisfied with the results, he continued walking to his usual waiting spot. He pretended not to notice, but he knew that they were all watching him. As to why, he had no idea.
"Che," he muttered under his breath.
Tezuka came in and started practice. Like all the other regulars, he had noticed Kaidoh's half-hearted attempts yesterday. Deciding not to say anything yet, he wanted to see how things would turn out for today.
Once again, the regulars were separated from the second and third years as they had their own practice. Tezuka explained the drill and they all went to their assigned spots. As Momoshiro walked by Kaidoh, he did what all rivals did to their opponents, rub in signs of weakness.
"Hey Mamushi! What kind of weak shots are you going to show us today?" he murmured.
"Sssh. You bastard! What did you say?!"
"You heard me!"
"Stop it Kaidoh! Momo!" exclaimed Oishi as he went to see what the ruckus was all about.
"Mada mada dane," Echizen said from the other court.
Kaidoh glared at him, but he wasn't even looking. As the commotion simmered down, Tezuka went to join them.
"Thirty laps for disrupting practice!"
"Hai."
As they ran their laps, everyone could see them fighting as they went, trying to outdo each other. Fuji stood off to the side with his deceptive smile on his face.
"Looks like things are back to normal now," Kawamura said to him.
Fuji nodded.
"Start practice or you will all have to run laps," Tezuka said in his calm, cool voice.
Everyone else sweat dropped. They knew he had been worried about yesterday, but he would never show it. Whatever the case, all was back to normal in the Seigaku's tennis club. Clearly, whatever had been bothering Kaidoh had been fixed and all was returned to how it should be.