Okay, I'm really, really sorry I didn't update for a while, but I was on a ten-day trip and I couldn't bring my laptop with me so you can't really blame me and after that I caught the stomach flu so I was in bed for the whole weekend and then my laptop got sent off to get fixed so you can't really blame me on that either plus school work on all that!
DISCLAIMER: If I own PoT this would already be in the manga
WARNING: OOC-ness, shounen-ai later
Chapter 3Shinji woke up when the sun had peeked over the horizon. He had expected to see the warm colors of the sunrise, but instead he only saw black, darkness. The dark-haired youth sighed. This was going to be hard getting used to. He was going to go back to school and without his eyesight.
After having breakfast his mother guided his hand until it touched the handle of a tennis racket and gripping the other end guided him to the car. The dark-haired youth felt around until he could feel the leather strap of the seatbelt and the cold buckle before buckling up. His mother started the engine and they both drove off. The whole while Shinji said nothing.
Finally the gates of Fudomine Junior High came in sight, well, not for Shinji. He could tell they were near because of the loud voices that he heard every morning. It was the all too familiar chatting of the students before they had to face another day of teachers and schoolwork.
"Shinji!" He turned hearing his name being called. It sounded like Kamio, and it was true enough. The redhead was waiting for him at the school entrance. Shinji's mother stopped the car and the dark-haired youth got out. Kamio grabbed the racket and after guiding his best friend's hand to the handle started walking towards class holding the other end. Thankfully they were both in the same class.
It was getting there that was the problem, particularly the stairs.
"Shinji, come on," urged Kamio when his best friend hesitated in walking up the steps. He tugged on his end of the racket, which made the youth on the other end jerk forward almost tripping on the first step.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming, geez, just because I'm blind doesn't mean that now my friend has to start yanking my chains on my first day back. I mean, can't he just-"
"Shinji stop mumbling and start walking!"
"Hai, hai, I'm coming after you stop-" Shinji couldn't finish his sentence before he lost his footing and started to fall. He heard a yell and then felt a hand grasp his hand preventing him from crashing to the floor below.
"I told you to pay attention!" yelled Kamio though there was a small tinge of pink on his face. He couldn't believe that he did that. He meant to grab his friend's sleeve, but instead got his hand.
"Sumimasen," muttered the other youth. The two made it to class without further incidence even though Shinji was still mumbling about stairs and how he has to get dragged up them by a tennis racket, to Kamio's annoyance.
This was going to be a long day.
X-
It was hard for Shinji to keep up with his studies. First of all, he now couldn't see the board. He had to rely on whatever he could hear from the teacher to take down notes. Apparently he had been too dependent on his sight. Sure he had heard of many cases when children went blind at a young age, but he never felt that it could happen to him.
He vaguely recalled a Chinese movie he once saw on a plane during a vacation trip. It was called 'The House of Flying Daggers' directed by Zhang Yimou. The girl, Mei was blind and Jin always had to lead her through the forest with her holding onto a sheathed sword with Jin holding the other end.
Kamio had done the exact same thing except with a tennis racket. He felt that maybe he should be grateful for his friend's concern. Could it be that maybe he had a thing for him? No, Shinji shook his head hard. That couldn't be right. Could it?
X-
After school the Fudomine once again assembled at the tennis courts. Tachibana asked Shinji if he felt like playing and the second-year nodded. Of course everyone was surprised to hear that the now blind youth wanted to play, but Shinji had a one-tracked mind so they didn't complain.
It wasn't until Shinji felt the pressure of the other youth's grip leave the racket did he felt a tinge of regret in playing. First of all, he couldn't see where the ball bounced and that would be a huge problem particularly during games. Second of all, how was he supposed to know what grip he was using? He could be using an Eastern grip when he was supposed to be using a Western Grip for 'Spot'.
Shinji heard a swoosh and then the all-too familiar sound of racket strings woven together hitting a tennis ball. He heard the sound of the ball hitting the court. Using whatever he could on his hearing he dashed toward the sound and swung. To his surprise he felt something hit his racket.
'Nani? Somehow with me blind it sharpened my senses in tennis,' thought the dark-haired youth as he once again successfully managed to return yet another shot. Deciding that maybe he could do this, Shinji hit a topspin at his opponent, Sakurai. Caught off guard, Sakurai couldn't do a thing before the ball bounced in the square and away.
"15-Love!"
The dark-haired youth tossed the ball in the air and swung. The ball came in contact and flew to the other end of the court. Sakurai ran and shot it back. This time Shinji hit a backspin and being more prepared the other regular it back. The blind youth charged forward and hit a topspin. Sakurai hit it back, but he could feel his muscles in his arm lock up.
Grinning Shinji hit another backspin, and this time his opponent's racket flew out of the owner's hand and crashed to the ground with a clatter. The small tennis ball flew and hit the fence before falling to the court with a small pong.
"Holy shit! That was Spot!" Shinji heard one of his teammates yell, probably Kamio.
'So I can still play tennis,' thought the blind youth as he served another ball.
X-
It was a while before Shinji could finally sink in a bench due to exhaustion. Next to him Kamio was wiping his face with a towel and sipping from a water bottle. It was the end of another exhausting practice for Fudomine and everyone was ready to collapse.
"Tachibana-san, can I still be a regular?" asked Shinji. The captain took in what he saw, a seemingly normal teenager with milky white blank eyes. He didn't want the second-year tennis genius to risk getting injured again, but Shinji was a confident player and he should trust in his abilities.
"Shinji, your eyes-"
"My eyes are fine. Just because they can't see a thing doesn't mean that I can't play. Even blind people have their specialties like being sharper in hearing and-"
"Shinji!" Okay Kamio had enough of the other youth's constant mumbling.
Meanwhile, the captain was still thinking over what Shinji said.
"Tachibana-san, Shinji's waiting for an answer," said Ishida.
"Fine, but don't overwork yourself."
TBCPhew, that took a while. Sorry for the incredible shortness of the chapter. R&R if you want this pathetic story to keep going and if you wish to criticize me do it politely.