Tennis no Ouji-sama © Konomi Takeshi, Shuheisha, Inc.
- Act XXXIV -
[ His Name]
Back when she was a child, Hikari was always impressed by adult women's shoes. Stilettos, pumps, scarpins—she always wanted to wear one. Every time her mother bought one, Hikari would stealthily try the shoes out. They were too big for her and oftentimes, she lost her balance. When her mother found out what she did, she told her that if she wore a good pair of shoes, the shoes that fit her feet and made her comfortable, it would bring her to beautiful places.
Since then, she believed that it was her ballet shoes that brought her far to the places she never imagined. But it was her brother's sneakers that brought her to meet him. It was the one that brought them together that sometimes she wondered …
Would that mean he was the man her brother chose for her?
Would he be a good friend to her brother since they shared a lot in common?
"They would be. I'm pretty sure of that." The thought of them chatting like good friends popped in her mind and she couldn't hold back her smile as she tied her ballet shoes.
While waiting for her turn, Hikari had to clamp her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter at Kotoha's message, saying that she had placed dark curses on all her competitors so she would be chosen. She never thought that Kotoha's dark jokes could make her laugh.
Looking at the mirror to check her appearance, Hikari glanced at the crown necklace he gave her for her birthday. Hikari placed her hand over it, smiling as his words of encouragement engulfed her in the strength and faith she never knew she had. Taking a deep breath, Hikari composed herself and said, "The role is mine. I will never let my guard down again…"
Wasn't the victorious wind felt so good?
"That must be my jinx." Hikari burst out in laughter.
"Are you sure it's not because of my wonderful talent?" Hikari placed her hand over her chest. Kotoha called her the second she informed her that she was chosen for the role to congratulate her.
"That too but you must thank my jinx." They laughed together. "Do you want me to put one on your brother's opponent too?"
"Ah, yeah. That would be nice. Can you do that to… hmm. Whom is he going to face today?"
Kotoha sighed. "I can't believe that you of all people don't know. He is facing that infamous Atobe Keigo! The court must be crowded with students from our school as we speak. Aren't you going to watch?"
"I'm… still grounded. I must go back home after this." She sighed. "I want to watch it though… I haven't watched my brother's game—not even a single one. But imagine what would he do if he sees me there!" Hikari feigned a cry.
"That's too bad. Can I come to your house then? My gramps is hospitalised and is very bored. I want to play go with him so I need you to teach me."
"Uhm, maybe tomorrow will be better if you can." Hikari glanced at her watch. "I have a few things to do today."
"No probs." Hikari heard someone calling Kotoha. "I gotta go too now. Once again, congratulations, Hikari-chan!"
"Thank you, Kotoha-chan." Hikari hung up with a satisfied smile. "I promised to go home at three, so I still have some time." Her family would definitely kill her for this but Hikari had labelled this matter as 'important'.
Upon reaching the manor, she cocked her brows upon meeting a butler she never met before. When saying that she wanted to go to the court, he ushered her directly to a study room instead because the other rooms were being cleaned at the moment. Hikari had never been to the study room before and couldn't hide her surprise by how organised he was.
Indeed, he appeared to be an extremely narcissistic person who wanted to always look good but it appeared that he was more than that. Everything was in order, labelled, and neatly placed. It wasn't surprising to see trophies being displayed in a see-through cupboard for winning many championships, especially tennis and fencing.
"W-wait! He's a tennis player? No wonder he wanted to renovate the court. Hmm… he won the ballroom dance championship too? That explains why he can dance so well…" She narrowed her eyes when she saw 'Best Hyotei Student' on the back.
Why did it never occur to her that he was a Hyotei student? She should be suspicious ever since he stubbornly convinced her to go to Hyotei.
Sauntering towards the desk, Hikari widened her eyes upon seeing something very familiar sitting neatly on top of it, pulling her like a magnet. Her pupils dilated and ice blocks were running in her system when she recognised the familiar pink envelope—the love letter she gave for the janitor. Taking out the letter, Hikari sharply gasped, hands were trembling when she confirmed that the letter was indeed hers.
"W-what's going on? Why does he have it?" Hikari widened her eyes when she saw a group photo on the table. In it, he was wearing the same jersey with ten other men, him holding a trophy. She could recognise the man named Oshitari Yūshi in the photo but her trembling hand moved by itself and covered half of his face with her thumb.
A sickening sensation hurled in her stomach upon the realisation. She felt like her consciousness was being sucked from her centre that everything around her felt like a fast-moving world. Thousands of scenarios were flashing in her mind that Hikari had to hold her head as if it was going to explode if she didn't do it.
"O-Ojō-sama!" Hikari craned her head to see Michael who seemed to be running into the study room. "I-I'm sorry. This man is newly hired and doesn't know that you're not supposed to be here…" He bowed. "Please come with me."
"Because he has the things he hides from me here, right?" Both of her mind and heart were void that she could think nor feel anything at all. "Please tell me who he is, Michael-san! Why is he doing this to me?!" Hikari clenched both of her fists, crunching the letter in her hand in the process.
"F-forgive me, Ojō-sama. But it is not my place to explain things to you." Michael bowed again. "I apologise if what Bocchama did upset you but he didn't do any of that to hurt you."
"How did making fool of me don't hurt me?!" Hikari pressed her tone. "I need to speak with him, Michael-san. Where is he now?"
"Ojō-sama, I'm really sorry but—"
"I-it's Suginoki Public Tennis Court, I heard."
Hikari widened her eyes at the information blurted from the new butler. The coldness was surging through her system, numbing her ability to think straight as she knew that it was the very same place where her brother had his match.
"Hey, what are you—Ojō-sama! Wait!"
Through her way towards the tennis court, her head was slightly hazy but it still managed to replay everything from her first meeting with him and the janitor up until that day. Suddenly, everything was making so much sense. Especially when he managed to find her right after she was rejected by the janitor…
Hikari checked her phone again for the direction but it took a while until it refreshed to her current location so she looked around for someone she could ask.
"May I help you?" She turned around to see a man in a black sports jersey.
"Uh, do you know where is the Suginoki Public Tennis Court is?"
"Hm. You're so lucky to meet me here. I'm a tennis player myself." Hikari stepped back when he leaned closer to her. "Walk across this street and turn right. Keep walking until you see the board."
"I see… Thank you so much for your help." Hikari bowed and didn't wait for his reply because she didn't feel like wasting any more seconds with the man.
The court was located in the centre of the city and known to be one of the biggest public courts but she never expected that it would be so big that she saw almost no one in the south gate, even though the match was held in the west gate. Panting, Hikari rested her hands against her knees as she regained her breath. The fatigue was doubled by the uneasiness she felt up at that moment.
"Well well, what do we have here?"
She turned around to see a huddle of guys wearing training suits behind her. Judging from their expression, they didn't seem to have a good intention with her.
"W-what do you want?" she asked.
"We want you to obediently follow us…" When one of them grabbed her arm, Hikari yanked her other hand and smacked the man across his face.
"I don't have time for you! Stay away from me!" But the other grabbed her other hand. "L-let go of me!" They dragged her until they were in a narrow aisle, roughly pushing her body against the wall.
"Do you know that men like it more when you fight?" Hikari was disgusted by how close he was when he spoke to her ear. Her body was covered with goosebumps.
"N-no! Let go!" Hikari kicked the man behind her on his shank, instantly making him fall to his knees.
"You bitch!" The more they pushed her, the more Hikari struggled. Hurl of sickness was congregating in her belly when she felt a hand touching her rear.
"Don't touch me, you pervert!"
"Oi! Don't hold her on that part!"
"Where else can I hold her then?! She keeps kicking in all directions!"
"Get off me, you bastards! Get off me!"
"Tch! What a noisy bitch!" She was pushed down to the ground and had her mouth gagged with a handkerchief. "Let's take her to the hotel." Hikari was thrashing her body like crazy until she kicked one of them in the head, turning her body around to run as fast as she could to the court.
Hikari spit the gag and screamed, "Help!" the loudest she could. It was a public court so she believed it wouldn't take long until someone hear her. "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" she shouted, until at one point his face flashed in her mind. The sense of protectiveness she got from his arms engulfed her that she shouted his name …
Or what she believed to be his name all these times …
That was when a glimpse of gold ran past her. She looked back to see one single man threw both arms around her pursuers until they were thrashed two metres away.
"Ginka… Is this the reason you abandoned our match?" Hikari widened her eyes at her familiarity with the voice.
"R-Rikkai's Sanada…" They stammered while moving back with trembling legs. They looked like a group of very afraid dogs that were sticking their tails between their legs.
But he smacked them across their face numerous times, all of them while screaming, "Fall with your despair!" Hikari could no longer proceed whether her situation or her attackers was much more frightening because he slapped them so hard that their faces were no longer recognised. "Don't you ever get near her again or you're going to taste my iron fist!"
"P-please forgive us!"
He then glanced at the man who pushed her to the tree then slapped him until the man formed a foam on his mouth. "Get out from my sight!"
Thus, they ran as fast as they could. Hikari sighed in relief, but that alone didn't bring her strength back into her legs that she fell to her knees. She couldn't believe that she was almost…
"Hikari! Are you okay?" She looked up to see Genichirō holding both of her arms. "Did they hurt you somewhere?"
"G-Gen-chan…" She was relieved to see Genichirō there that she burst into tears. "T-thank you for saving me, Gen-chan… I…"
"What are you doing here alone?! What if no one walks past this place?!" But she held on to his shirt as she continued crying, not being able to utter a word. Genichirō sighed and put his hand on her shoulders. "S-sorry for shouting at you. I'm glad that we came at the right time. Let's get you home now."
"Onii-chan… I want my brother…" She sobbed. "Please take me to my brother, Gen-chan…"
"But Tezuka is currently…"
"I think this is a more pressing matter, Genichirō." A slit-eyes man approached Genichirō. "We haven't recorded much but it should be enough data to report the assault."
"Thank you, Renji." Genichirō helped her up.
"D-don't tell my brother! Please d-don't tell him about this …" When Genichirō was about to say something again, Hikari cut him. "I will be the one to tell him, Gen-chan. So please…"
He sighed. "Alright. Let's take you to your brother's place. But you must tell your brother, remember that!" When she nodded, Genichirō took off his jacket and covered her with it as he guided her to the court. Hikari tightened her grip around Genichirō's jacket, her heart was thundering like it wanted to break her ribcage.
Hikari followed the man named Renji while Genichirō walked behind her, glancing around as if he anticipated another attack. Both of them were discussing the recent incident but Hikari could no longer hear them as her mind was too busy with something else …
People in that court glorified this name, which was either a blessing for some while a curse for others. The more people enthusiastically called his name, the more she felt drifted apart from him.
Wasn't she supposed to be the one who know him better than anyone?
Why did all these people seem to know him better?
All this time, she thought there were three different persons…
But evidence after evidence eventually led her to the fact that all this time…
They were one person.
And he was standing gallantly in the court as her brother's opponent while people around her glorified his name, almost worshipping him. Hikari didn't heed Genichirō's call for her name as she pushed her way through the sea of people until she was right in front of the net, hooking her fingers on it as she stood right in front of the fence, in between her brother and him…
Glancing to the right, she saw him wearing a different mask than he did when he was with her. He looked exactly like the man she loved; the man who said that she was his one and only …
But on that field, he was wearing another mask; the mask she never saw him wearing when they were together. She was horrified by how his smirk depicted his thirst for victory at that moment …
And his name was…
"Atobe Keigo…"
AN: Oops… She finally found out. How will you react if your lover does the same thing Atobe does to Hikari?
I know that in the 'saving the damsel-in distress' scenario, I should make Atobe come and save her instead, but it doesn't make sense because he's having a match. So, yeah, Sanada. XD I have a reason why he has to be the one and you're going to see it later.
Though I'm a bit late, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! I really hope that this year will be even better for all of us! Hopes that the pandemic will be over soon!
