Disclaimer: Tennis no Oujisama belongs to Konomi Takeshi respectively. I take not a single penny out of this.
Company
By Moribayashi
When people talked about the captain of Seigaku High School Boys Tennis Club, they always started with awe. What a cool guy he was. What a smart brain he had. What an amazing tennis skill he mastered. Such prestigious positions he achieved - being both the respective captain of the tennis club and president of the student council, all for the second time during his years in secondary school.
Despite various remarkable credits he attained, there were always whispers. He might be perfect in many aspects of his life. However, Tezuka Kunimitsu was no more than an ordinary young man. Made of flesh and blood, there must be one thing that was his flaw. Those who secretly envied him were busy searching for any hint that was a proof to their theory. A weak point. Something that made the captain crumbled to his feet. Something that could be used against him someday, when it was necessary. Not that they really had anything against him anyway, it was more a matter of curiosity. And of course, the feeling of security. Something to convince themselves that Tezuka was not some unbeatable knightly prince.
Indeed, Tezuka had his weak points. However, little did people knew that one of them lay on a soft-furred four-legged beings who enjoy lazy naps on top of a brick-fence showered by the warmth of the morning sun. Those whose big, beautiful shiny eyes filled with curiosity upon any strange-looking moving objects, white little moustache moving up and down in anticipation before jumping forward to chase and play around. Those who like rubbing their chubby cheeks and hairy sides over his legs, teasing him with the softness of their furs and cute little mewling sound that melted his heart away.
Tezuka Kunimitsu had his soft spot reserved for cats.
It happened far back then. Barely nine years old, a Tezuka family acquaintance gave Kunimitsu-kun a cat as a Christmas present. Noting how lonely it must have been to live in a big traditional Japanese house with three boring adults, the man appeared one night, bringing along with him a large brown box with small little holes in it and a nice blue ribbon. There was small mewling sound from inside the slightly moving box. As the little boy opened it, a cute furry face with round, shiny, greenish eyes greeted him. It was a nine-month-old short-haired tabby. Dark gray with black strikes and little white 'socks' on its four. Its uncharacteristically short, rather-puffy tail wagging as it jumped up to him, causing the boy to nearly trip over.
The Tezuka household was not used to Christmas presents tradition, let alone celebrated it. So the incident was a major blow for the quiet-natured Kunimitsu-kun.
And so, began the cheerful days of the little boy and his cat. It was a he, and Tezuka named him Momoppi, simply because of his cute little nose whose color reminded him of peaches. Momoppi was the one who drove Tezuka dashing out of his class and tennis club as early as possible to find the said being sitting on the veranda, waiting for his little master to come home and play together. Momoppi was a hyperactive cat, he liked chasing around tennis balls. And he enjoyed looking at the colorful koi fish. Tezuka's mother often found Kunimitsu-kun and his cat sitting in comfortable silence by the koi pond in the backyard during the day. She found more often at night, his son sleeping in his room with the cat curling up next to him. For one thing, Momoppi was not afraid of bathe. Not if Kunimitsu-kun was the one who bathed him.
In short, Momoppi had become Tezuka junior's sole source of happiness. Being an only child with solitary character didn't fail him the joy of friendship. Because to him, Momoppi was a friend.
So much was the said happiness to last, until one incident put little Kunimitsu-kun on another major blow.
It happened sometime in his early fifth year of elementary school. It was morning, and Tezuka's father was catching his early meeting in the office. As he was moving the car out of the front gate, a small crackling sound was heard, and a glance at his left rear-view window told him exactly what happened. Behind the left front tire Momoppi was laying motionless, fresh blood gushing out from his mouth. His lower abdomen had gotten somewhat crushed against the merciless big black tire. And Kunimitsu-kun, who was about to launch himself off to school, stood frozen near the gate, eyes wide in horror.
It took several moments before the gasp coming from his shocked mother snapped Kunimitsu-kun back from his trance. He managed to rush his little feet towards where Momoppi laid. Panic assaulted the boy upon seeing the poor cat was still alive, breaths strangling in his throat, eyes lingering heavily in pain. After some violent jerks, finally Momoppi lay breathless.
"Kunimitsu, I'm so sorry," his father said.
Gathering the poor cat in his arms, not giving any shit about his blood-stained school uniform, Kunimitsu-kun quietly stood up and went inside the house and out to the backyard. On the green grass near the koi pond he laid the cat that was his life-buddy and glanced at his mother, who was ready with a piece of clean white sheet to wrap the cat. "Momoppi will sleep here," he said, pointing to a small piece of land covered with soft grass near the pond, rather secluded from the sun by a small bush of flowers. It was Momoppi's favorite leisure spot.
Tezuka Kunimitsu was late for school for the first time in his life.
Weeks after, he hardly talked to anyone. But don't get it wrong, his young mind did realize that this was fate. That it was time for Momoppi to leave. That this was nobody's fault. Yet he could not help having a little self-blaming. If only he had checked on where Momoppi had been that morning. If only he had shoven the cat safely on the backyard instead of letting him wander near the garage. If only...
Some nights later, wiping silent tears away from his cheeks, Tezuka Kunimitsu decided that they were the last tears he ever cried for anything.
He shut his heart tightly ever since.
Not wanting to have anymore pet.
Not wanting to befriend to anyone or anything.
Not wanting to get hurt.
And he succeeded.
Despite his finding out that one of his kouhai's names was Momoshiro Takeshi. Despite his having a hyperactive tennis mate whose round, shiny eyes looked somewhat familiar. Despite his getting himself a warm companion of a light brown-haired boy with bright blue eyes which reminded him of a certain box with small holes and a ribbon.
Until he accidentally laid his eyes on a long-haired milk-brown Siamese named Karupin.
::Owari::
A/N: In loving memory of my dearest sweet cute cat, Momoppi. Sleep well, sweet dreams.