Disclaimer: I own no part of Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis). The clip at the top is also not mine; the excellent translation belongs to Anime-Otakus, who sublated the anime.
Warnings: Short. No pairings. (…And there go two-thirds of my readers…)
Summary: (ONE SHOT)(Introspective short.) It is in this moment that Oishi realizes Tezuka was right.
Dedication: For Eric, because he made those weird grunts while we were playing wall-tennis and I couldn't serve because I was laughing so hard.
--
Excellent Judgment
--
"Kaidou! Go warm up. Kaidou!"
"That won't be necessary."
Heads turn in astonishment.
"That brat will come through for sure. That's the kind of guy Echizen is."
--
It is in this moment that Oishi realizes Tezuka was right.
Tezuka was right to put his faith into Echizen Ryoma, just the way that Yamato-buchou was right to put his faith into Tezuka Kunimitsu years before.
He was right.
It's funny that Oishi didn't notice it until now, that they were already starting to depend on, or at least wholly believe in Echizen. He didn't realize that they already trusted him to carry through and to make them win.
He didn't notice it until now.
But now those words Tezuka spoke at the court months ago ring in Oishi's ears and he remembers. He remembers that this is the friend that Momo has always invested all of his trust in, the only person Kaidou has actually spoken well of, the ochibi that Eiji affectionately teases, the player that Fuji most wants to challenge.
The boy that Tezuka believes in, pins his hopes on, pours his faith into.
Oishi watches the match, watches and wonders what Tezuka's reaction would be if he could only be here, standing beside his team and watching Seigaku's Pillar prove himself once again.
He wonders what Tezuka will say when he calls to tell him.
--
Notes
…Justa blurblethat I wrote in the middle of watching episode 97. Not anything good, just a little introspective short.
I beg of thee to review. Even if it's to flame me, I wanna hear it. Okay? (Yes, I am fucking desperate.)