Bildungsroman
Chapter 17
This one is dedicated to itsmilan, with love, from India to South Africa! It really feels like we've grown up together, hasn't it? XD
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, with no copyright infringement intended. I don't own PoT, which belongs to Takeshi Konomi.
Every muscle in her body whined in protest, but Sakura had gotten up and gone on her morning run anyway. Granted, she felt better after running, and almost normal after her stretches, but she'd still have preferred to have a bit of a lie-in. The mixed doubles matches only started after lunch, so she settled down to get the rest of her homework done.
Keeping herself hydrated, Inui-senpai and Imako-senpai had emphasised (like she was a little kid), was the most important thing. Accordingly, Sakura had a one-litre bottle that she refilled at least thrice a day. She also took a piss every 90 minutes, but such was life.
She looked around her room, oddly irritated with the slight mess. It could do with some cleaning, but she had homework to do. Differential equations wouldn't (unfortunately) solve themselves. Maybe she could clean it sometime tonight… assuming her match was first and she wasn't dog-tired when she got back.
But studying would have to wait, she realised, as her stomach twinged. Ah, the familiar pain of cramps. These were going to be a doozy, she could just tell. But first, tampon.
Some fifteen minutes later, she was sitting at her desk, attempting to figure out the aforementioned differential equations, while resisting the urge to curl up and wail. Sakura, like any sensible girl, hated her period. The bloating would start on day 2, and she'd probably get a zit with all the sweat. It had been a thing every month since the increased tennis responsibilities. Not to mention the general ickiness, and the twin fears of staining and leaving the tampon in too long. TSS did not sound like fun.
She wondered if getting her tubes tied would prevent any further nonsense from her reproductive system- judging by her mother's aches and pains, having a baby didn't seem like a great prospect, even if babies themselves were rather cute.
Papa had come in, and upon seeing her drawn face, had immediately nipped up with some chocolate and a few of the cranberry protein bars. Those, she liked. She didn't have much of a sweet tooth, but rum-n-raisin was a staple during uterine nonsense week, and cranberries were… well, they were cranberries. She liked them.
Eventually, she managed to solve all the problems (though she couldn't vouch for their being 100% correct- should ask if Imako-senpai might take a look), and retired like a soldier to her bed, where she curled up with a heating pad and a scowl. She couldn't imagine playing like this, but she couldn't imagine not playing either. She'd have to find the painkillers… or just ask one of the others to bring a few.
Two hours later, she was warming up, stretching her calves against the bench and debating whether to keep her ankle and wrist weights on. It should have been a no-brainer, but the sheer drama of removing the weights halfway through the match… ooh, it was a heady thought, but… nope, she thought, wincing as another flare of pain crossed her abdomen. Off with the weights.
Fuji eyed her, slightly concerned at the slightly pained look on her face. He wasn't stupid- quite the opposite, actually- it was clearly a rather painful bout of menstrual cramps. "Are you sure you should be playing, Sakura-chan?" He asked her, keeping his voice low.
She looked first surprised, then a tad embarrassed; her cheeks coloured, amusingly. "I'm okay, Fuji-senpai." She replied hastily. "No problems here."
Honestly, she knew he had an elder sister. Not being one to push, however, he nodded. "If you need painkillers, I have some." Was all he said. Sakura flushed still further, and thanked him, albeit somewhat incoherently.
She moved towards Kazumi-senpai and Mikabi. The former was warming up with the latter's help. As she approached, though, Mikabi straightened up and excused herself for a moment. Sakura smiled, grateful, as she caught the strip of painkillers her classmate tossed her way.
Kazumi looked sympathetic. "First day?" She asked. Sakura nodded, wincing again. "I've got a few chocolates somewhere." The senior assured her. "Obviously, you've got some too, but just in case. Don't hesitate to ask, okay?"
Before Sakura could reply, there was a sudden hush around the courts. Both Seigaku and Hyotei teams looked about for the source.
Momoshiro let out a low whistle. "Rikkai Dai, huh?"
Sakura caught Sanada's eye and gave him a small smile. He nodded, but went back to exchanging challenging looks with Tezuka and Atobe. She turned to Kazumi instead, offering her a grateful grin. "You're the best, Kazumi-senpai." She replied.
But Kazumi was looking at Nomura, eyes narrowed; her captain was fiddling with the zipper on her bag, having cast only a cursory glance at the yellow-jacketed group that had drifted into the stands.
"Ayano-chan?" She laid a hand on Nomura's arm. The other girl looked up at her. "Is everything alright?"
"What?" Nomura asked blankly. "Yes, of course, yes. You should finish warming up, Kazumi."
Yeah, that wasn't alright. But she wasn't wrong either. "Oishi-kun, Fuji-kun, Sakura-chan," Kazumi called, eyes still trained on her captain. "Let's go hit a few."
"Sure, Sato-san." Oishi shouldered his racquet. Sakura picked hers up with a tiny grimace, and Fuji pursed his lips.
"Sakura-chan, perhaps we should go over another game-plan…" He suggested. Sakura went pink again, and shook her head a tad violently. "I'm fine, senpai!" She protested. "Just a mild stomach-ache…"
She trailed off when he fixed her with a stern look. "I can tell a menstrual cramp when I see one, Sakura-chan." He admonished her. Her cheeks absolutely flared. "I don't mean to embarrass you, but I'm your partner. If you're in pain, I need to know about it."
"Fuji-senpai, I've got painkillers." She hissed, casting a nervous glance around, as though someone would be hiding in the bushes lining the path. "And… I've… um… I've got a tampon. It's all good. It's not like I haven't done this before."
Well, not during a match of this magnitude, but… she couldn't control her opponents, and she couldn't control her period. And she could change tampons, if the match crossed three hours, so really, it was all good.
Oishi and Kazumi were already on the practice court, waiting for them. Sakura flashed Fuji a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. Let's warm up, senpai."
Fuji inclined his head, accepting her verdict. "A good idea, since we're up first. Tezuka told me." He added, at her surprised expression. "Well, Nomura-buchou didn't need to keep that a secret." She huffed, tucking a flyaway firmly behind her ear.
Kazumi thought of Nomura's careful blankness, of Ikeda Kotone's heavy gaze. Maybe she was distracted.
"Come on, kid," She called, grinning at Sakura's frown. "Let's get you running hot."
Oishi cast Fuji a rather embarrassed look. "Um, you can serve first?" He offered.
Fuji chuckled.
Ikeda didn't approach her. She merely dropped into a seat between Niou and another girl that Nomura thought was called Watanabe Junko, and looked. Being Kotone, her look was fairly loud and clear.
And Nomura turned away, bending over the bench to speak to Imako, examining her camera and approving the focus (like she knew anything about it); she shooed Mikabi and Reiko away, preferring to clear the bench of the open tennis bags herself; arranging them neatly on the ground, zipping them shut; she approached Tezuka and began to debate the logic of trying new mixed doubles combinations for the upcoming matches: he was for, she was against. All the while, she felt a dark, weighty stare on her back.
Kotone was naïve, she thought with a shocking spike of fury. Being childhood sweethearts meant nothing when they had something like the Nationals on the line; it meant nothing when they had a net between them and only one could win. Ayano knew how much Kotone hated to lose. They had cultivated that hatred together, and then- and then-!
Losing that semi-final match three years ago had ripped something out of Ayano; losing to Kotone had made her rip back. She had lost a match; Kotone had lost her friend.
Or whatever they had called themselves. Not girlfriends- not yet- Ayano put a pin in that thought. She couldn't think of her opponent in that manner.
And Kotone was more than that, wasn't she? Theirs was the rivalry, theirs were the matches, they were the future of Japanese women's tennis. They were both captains hankering after the same crowns and tennis players chasing the same titles. A relationship was out of the question.
Ayano wasn't stupid, either. She'd caught the small, barely-there exchange between Kagawa and that Sanada boy. While it was definitely interesting (hadn't Tezuka called him and not Yukimura when Kagawa had been stranded?), it wasn't a matter of concern- yet. It had hardly been a greeting between a lovesick couple, but Nomura was still a little concerned as to how they were even nodding acquaintances. Kagawa was a friendly girl, but Sanada… by reputation, at least, not so much.
She wasn't the only one to have noticed: Mikabi was eyeing Sanada with a speculative frown, while Momoshiro was doing the same to Kagawa's zipped-up bag. Inui, of course, was scribbling away, though whether he had noticed or not was an open question; Yanagi's lips had thinned, while Yukimura's pillow-soft blue eyes were glimmering with mischief. Niou, of course, was smirking.
In fact, the only one in the Rikkai team to have missed the greeting was Kirihara, who was busy trying to antagonise Echizen.
"Not grown much, have ya?" He patted the younger boy's head a little roughly. Echizen choked a little, but rallied quickly enough.
"Not grown up much, have you?" He retorted, prompting a snort from Marui and Kikumaru alike.
Sanada, Tezuka and Atobe were all eyeing each other with varying expressions.
"Tezuka."
"Sanada."
"Ah, the two of you are so stolid, ne, Kabaji? Sanada, what a surprise to see you here. But then, a Hyotei and Seigaku match always warrants special attention, doesn't it, Tezuka?"
"Atobe." Two voices gravelled.
"How is your grandfather?"
"Still engaged in running the dojo. My condolences for your grandfather's passing."
"Thank you."
"Atobe, I received tickets for next month's Tango World Championship Finals. Will I see you there?"
"But of course! What kind of connoisseur would ore-sama be if ore-sama missed that? Na, Kabaji?"
"Usu."
Yukimura looked mighty amused at the by-play, and would have said something, but for Kirihara's enraged squawk and a bit more importantly, the announcement of the imminent commencement of the Hyotei Gakuen vs Seishun Gakuen mixed doubles matches, would everyone please take their seats, thank you very much.
"We should find seats." Sanada rumbled. He cast both rival captains equally unfriendly looks. "Good luck."
Tezuka inclined his head. Atobe tossed his. "The winner will be Hyotei. Ne, Kabaji?"
"Usu."
Tezuka was devoutly grateful that he wasn't playing, as the building migraine might have posed a few problems.
Sakura was just about ready. Only one bite of chocolate left…
"Would both pairs please enter the court!"
"Damn." She cursed through a mouthful of gooey, caramel-y chocolate. Swallowing hurriedly, she jumped to her feet even as she took a quick sip of water. "Ready, senpai?"
He tilted his head at her, smiling. "Are you, Sakura-chan?"
She let him lead the way onto the court as she took the time to really look around. Good crowd today, too- apart from the obligatory cheering squads and tennis clubs from both schools, there was a sizeable number of 'just spectators'. She could see Airi, Momoko and Kagome cheering, and blew them a kiss. Airi plainly snorted.
And… Rikkai. They'd been there for the St Rudolph mixed doubles as well. It was an awfully long way to travel, but Hyotei and Seigaku weren't small fry. They were real contenders.
She caught a glimpse of Sanada-san as well, and 'We'll see you at the finals' flashed through her brain. She gripped her racquet a little tighter.
"Smooth or rough?" Hyotei's Tokichi Yuya asked. She was big, tough woman of a girl, and Sakura came up to her shoulder- maybe. And she wasn't exactly a pixie herself.
"Smooth." Fuji-senpai replied in a voice to match. Ohtori Chotarou nodded at him with a sort of reserved respect, and Sakura couldn't stop the part of her brain that went Oh. Cute.
Hopefully he looked as good when he cried, because they'd probably make him.
Tokichi spun, and- "Smooth it is." She looked at both of them, and Sakura decided that she didn't care for the way her lip curled when their eyes met.
"We'll serve." She said, channelling every bit of chilly dignity she possessed. It wasn't very impressive- she'd have to work on that.
Well, it was a good thing they were serving first, anyway; at least they'd get a game (hopefully) before Ohtori came in to psychologically break them.
Sakura had been walked through the finer details of the Scud Serve by Inui, Fuji, Oishi, and Kikumaru; she'd even had to train herself to receive Inui's Waterfall (frankly, as long as she didn't get knocked into the fence or break her wrists, it was a win), but without having actually faced the real thing, no one could be sure how she'd do.
(Seriously. Fence. Wrists. Sakura liked to keep some bars low.)
And Ohtori was serving to her. He bounced the ball a couple of times, and then threw her a vaguely apologetic look.
"Ever the gentleman." Shishido scoffed from the sidelines. Chotarou would never forgive himself if he broke a girl's wrist with his Scud.
And that one looked like a frigging pixie.
Ohtori gripped the ball, brown eyes hardening with resolve. "I… kyuu…"
Sakura's own eyes were sharp, and she bent her knees further.
"Nyuu…KON!"
There was a noise like a sonic boom, or something close to it. But Sakura wasn't thinking about that; faster than she could blink, the ball was at her feet, and then in another half-thought, spinning viciously into the fence.
Sakura turned her neck so first, it cricked.
"What the fuck…" She breathed. Seeing on video was one thing, but having that damn comet from hell blaze past her ankle…?
She looked first at Fuji, then at Ohtori. What was it with harmless-looking people and scary talent?
Chotarou gave a self-conscious smile and retreated to the baseline. Sakura's mouth curled into a smirk, and she hunkered down again.
"Oh shit." Kazumi and Mikabi said in unison. Nomura, who recognised the glint in her player's eye, merely sighed. If Kagawa ended up breaking her wrist for the sake of pride, she'd kill her herself.
"Game, Seigaku! Two games all!"
So yes, they'd kept their service games. It seemed Ohtori's formidable serve was just a serve, which made him a little less fearsome. But Tokichi. Tokichi Yuya. Sakura half wished that it was permissible to hit someone because god that woman was infuriating.
Big, tall woman of a girl… and a reach so long that it only took her a few lazy steps to get where it would have taken Sakura some pretty hard running. She had a lot of power too, but Fuji-senpai's Higuma Otoshi and Sakura's experience with Mikabi meant that they knew how to deal a flat-out power hitter. But Tokichi was in Hyotei, so she had a bit more than power and size up her sleeve.
And Sakura's stomach was twisting in on itself.
Fuji caught her eye, and though she desperately wanted to brush it off, he was her partner. So she bit her lip a little, scrunching her nose: yeah, painful. Can't help it.
He smiled and nodded; Sakura-chan wasn't one to admit to a (perceived) weakness. This, even more than practice and training, was progress on their combination.
Up in the stands, Sanada eyed the girl askance. She hadn't even tried to return the Scud Serve; she hadn't tried to return the last two either. Sometimes Fuji could get a racquet to it, prompting a rally, but Kagawa wasn't even trying to return Ohtori's serves.
"Rather clever of her." Yukimura observed, as, having cheerfully relinquished the previous game to Hyotei, Seigaku pulled back with Fuji's Disappearing Serves in his service game.
The match was once more equally-poised, as Tokichi lined up for her serve.
Yanagi nodded, his pen moving across paper rapidly. "Indeed. They'll try and break Tokichi, instead of trying to break the nigh-unbreakable Scud Serve. Fuji's Disappearing Serve is as unreturnable as the Scud, so they can always recover lost games that way."
"And they will break Tokichi at least a couple of times," Ikeda continued when Yanagi paused to breathe. "Which puts even more pressure on Ohtori's already-inconsistent serve. He'll have to win his service games. And then Fuji will win his… so really, it comes down to one thing." Her eyes gleamed.
"How many times will they break Kagawa?"
Yanagi shifted. "She's not moving as fluently as yesterday." A few Rikkai players looked around.
"She didn't injure herself, but she looks like she's in pain…" He mused. Like all geniuses, Ikeda thought contemptuously, he missed what was right before his face.
"Perhaps she's menstruating." Yukimura suggested in his soft voice. Ikeda and Junko exchanged a wry look, which morphed into amusement at the sight of the frozen faces and red cheeks of a good number of the boys. Kirihara was a vivid scarlet.
Niou couldn't let that go. "Can't think of your little crush on the rag, brat?" He smirked, yanking a black curl- not tugging, yanking. Kirihara yelped in protest, though what he was protesting was lost amid the cheering of another point from Ohtori's racquet.
"She's not my crush, she's weird," Kirihara was moaning as he massaged his tender scalp. Sanada shot him a quelling look, and he subsided, muttering.
"She's an interesting player, isn't she?" Yukimura interrupted carelessly. "An interesting girl, rather."
Sanada shifted. "Seiichi-" He began uneasily. It wasn't always a good thing to have piqued Yukimura's interest. A girl like Kagawa… Yukimura would break her in a heartbeat.
The captain shot him an amused look. "Don't you think so, Genichirou?"
Yukimura, Ikeda knew, never said anything without a reason. So she peered keenly at Sanada's face; she didn't know if the flush was gratifying or disturbing.
"She's cute." Kirihara offered, having missed the by-play completely. He was still massaging his scalp, occasionally looking daggers at Niou. "Weird, but cute."
Niou merely shrugged and went back to provoking wails from his junior.
Yanagi observed Sanada carefully. He had lied about speaking to Kagawa yesterday, if only because he'd assured Sanada he wouldn't be seen. But his own curiosity and… misgiving had propelled him to actually confront the girl. But he wondered: would Kagawa tell Genichirou about their conversation (for lack of a better word)? If she did, that would mean they were close- or something approaching it. If she didn't… Yanagi wasn't sure he preferred that. It kept her intentions unquantifiable.
Sanada was aware that his face had gone red. It was mortifying. "She's a fool if she thinks they can win without her offering some sort of reply to Ohtori's serve." He gritted out- and immediately regretted it. That wasn't true. She wasn't a fool- and more importantly, no reply was also a reply.
Sometimes, that was the best kind.
Sakura wished she could try her hand at returning the Scud, but her seniors' lectures and drills had fallen more than a little short- Ohtori's current Scud was miles above and beyond anything they'd faced. He'd clearly been working very, very hard.
But then, so had she.
Tokichi was serving. At the net, Sakura gripped her racquet tightly. After bouncing the ball a few times, Tokichi threw the ball up and served.
It was a good serve- clean, fast, spun like a top. Sakura whipped back a two-handed return before it could bounce, and Ohtori appeared before her, silver cross flashing at his throat.
He lobbed it over her head. Fuji didn't take the bait, sending it cross-court, as quick as an arrow. It bounced at Tokichi's feet.
The girl cursed, making a mess of the return. It didn't have much on it, and it was ripe for a stinging volley.
Instead, Sakura rose up on her toes, and guided the ball almost tenderly over the net, at an oblique an angle as she could.
Ohtori didn't make it. He sighed, but also shot her a rueful grin; she replied with a wink.
And then promptly winced as pain cramped her stomach.
"Umm… are you okay?" His voice was a little ragged from exertion, but it was also kind, like his eyes. He had real puppy eyes.
She waved him off. "All good, just need a time-out." She looked at the referee, who nodded.
Nomura came hurrying down from the dugout. "You need another painkiller?" She murmured. Her hand was cool, and Sakura leaned against it. "Not a great idea," She replied. Another cramp. "I could use a hysterectomy, though."
The captain and Fuji exchanged an amused glance. "Clearly it's not too bad if you're making jokes." Nomura handed the girl a banana. "But I hope you'll be smart enough to forfeit if it gets unbearable."
Sakura bit her lip, but nodded anyway. "Guess we'll just have to finish quickly, Fuji-senpai." She murmured, tugging on his t-shirt. He patted her head. "Whatever you say, Sakura-chan."
She snorted softly, swallowing the last of the banana. "Let's do this." This time, she led the way onto the court, buoyed by the raucous cheers from the team and club.
"Do you have a plan?" She asked Fuji quietly. He looked across at Ohtori, then at her. "I'll return the Scud Serve, as I've been doing." He replied. "Can you set them up for smashes?"
Sakura nodded. "I can do that… you'll probably get a few out of Tokichi. Not sure about Ohtori."
"That's acceptable." Then Fuji grinned mischievously. "If you could throw him off with your wiles, that might help."
Sakura burst out laughing, startling many of the watchers. "He's too focused for that, senpai."
"Also, he's gay." Fuji pointed out, a tad dryly. Sakura pouted. "Why is it always the cute ones?" She muttered, flouncing away to her position.
Fuji's chuckle followed her, and at his signal, the referee called for play to resume. Tokichi served, and a rally got underway at once.
Sakura had to admit, Tokichi was good. Really good. And she covered for her weaknesses- such as they were- well. But like any good lawyer, Sakura knew how to target a weakness.
Tokichi had a long reach, it was true; but she wasn't the fastest mover on the court, and most of all, couldn't pull her arm in quick enough.
The last ball of the rally- it bounced next to her ankle. The next point- a return ace from Fuji, the Hakugei. A final smash- Sakura's- a punishing sidespin practically under the other girl's nose.
Broken.
"Game, Seigaku! 4-3! Change court!"
"Excellent." Ryuuzaki-sensei praised as they sipped from their water bottles. "You've exposed a key weakness in their game plan. Keep going with this- and now that it's your serve, Kagawa, try and force a few mistakes. Don't get broken in return, understand?"
"Yes sensei!" They chorused.
Don't get broken in return. Sakura chewed her lip, eyeing her opponents speculatively. Both Ohtori and Fuji-senpai would win their service games; so it would come down to the girls' serves. If they broke hers, the match was too tilted in Hyotei's favour, what with her cramps and Tokichi's superior power. The power she could perhaps counter, but the cramps might just do her in if this dragged on too long. Already they were getting worse.
She had no option but to hold serve. One game at a time. One serve at a time.
"Oh, that's determination, huh…" Momoshiro remarked, his keen eyes trained on Sakura's face, rather than on her movements or opponents.
Nomura flashed him a curious look. Momoshiro was simple and uncomplicated, all friendly smile and righteous anger; but this was the boy who had laid the strategies for Seigaku Junior High's win after Tezuka and the others had graduated. Kaidoh had been the captain, the slavedriver, the inspiration- and Momoshiro had been the one to hold them together, to support, encourage, and plan. He had frightening intuition, and what was even more frightening, in Nomura's opinion, was how easy it was to dismiss him as…simple and uncomplicated.
Momoshiro understood people. Read them like books. And now his eyes were taking in Sakura like he was reading and making sense of her.
"She's a determined girl." Mikabi looked at her partner, eyebrows raised. He shrugged. "I know that. But she's changed a bit, hasn't she…."
Certainly, Sakura's game had changed. She no longer threw herself after every ball, nor took unnecessary risks. A month or two ago, she would have met Ohtori's Scud Serve head-on, teeth gritted and a vein in her temple popping. Now, she simply avoided it, letting the point and sometimes the game slide. She was using her head, working according to a game count- and playing for the games that counted. Like this one.
She arched her back as she threw the ball up, revelling in the improved flexibility. Period or not, she was in better condition than she'd ever been in her life (Ow. Cramp).
"She's been working hard." Imako zoomed in the slightest amount, no small amount of admiration in her tone. "She's been unusually driven ever since she quit the debate club, hasn't she?"
Kazumi nodded, eyes sparkling. "Aren't you proud, Ayano-chan?"
Proud? Of course she was. This was a girl so different from the laid-back Kagawa of last year, or the half-dead over-achiever with veins full of coffee. This was a girl with potential simmering in her blood and sparking at her finger-tips.
"That's a good serve!" Momo exclaimed. It wasn't as fast as his Bullet Serve, but it was flatter, and precise, and if he was honest, a good deal more vicious. Kagawa could be a bit of a shark, he thought, as the ball bounced sharply up towards the crook of Tokichi's elbow.
Crunched for space, Tokichi managed a lob. And a frustrated noise as Fuji brought it down in a perfectly timed smash.
"15-love!"
Sakura met Fuji's hand in a sweaty hi-five that brought a laughing grimace to both their faces. "You're doing beautifully, Sakura-chan." The warmth of the compliment bloomed in her cheeks, but she was fortunately already so flushed that it wasn't apparent. Her smile widened considerably, though. "Thank you, senpai."
"That play was perfect." Ikeda observed. Kirihara scoffed. "I can do better, Ikeda-senpai. I'd have gotten her face."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure she can too, Bakaya." She replied. "That kid plays with brains. She didn't need to go for the face- she knew exactly how much effort she had to put in to get the point- no more, no less. That kind of control's very, very rare. Marui has it, maybe. And that Oishi. And A- Nomura."
"So you're saying she's smart enough to be lazy." Niou deadpanned.
Ikeda slanted another glance at Sanada. He was looking more interested in the match, but a man like him never missed a trick. Niou went unanswered.
Hyotei had drawn level, much to Sakura's annoyance. 15 all.
She served again. Flatter, faster, and with a skidding bounce that brought it up near Tokichi's upper thigh instead.
But Tokichi was ready this time- jumping backwards with more speed than grace, she scooped one over the net, which turned into a drop.
Fuji was too far, but Sakura went haring after it.
"Oh, that can't be comfortable." Kazumi grimaced as Sakura fell into a split again as she tapped the ball over the net.
It wasn't, but what was worse was Ohtori's appearance, and the open field he had. "That's 15-30." Mikabi groaned.
But then Fuji moved, even as Chotarou did; he grabbed Sakura's outstretched hand and literally heaved her to her feet (a look of pain flashed across her face).
Sakura dug in her heels, anchored herself. (Ow. Cramp. Thighs)
Fuji leaped, Sakura swung (ow, ow, ow), and the older, mercifully-slender boy rocketed after Chotarou's cross-court return.
It was like the world's weirdest pivot, and the miracle was, it worked.
Fuji soared through the air, weight well-centred.
"What the hell–!" Nomura rose to her feet, shocked out of her silence. Even Tezuka seemed slightly stunned. As for Kazumi, she and Kikumaru were hopping up and down, squealing incoherently. With shock or fear, no one knew.
Ikeda whistled. Mikabi was swearing up a blue streak. Kirihara managed one astonished curse before Sanada thwapped the back of his head.
The return streaked by Ohtori, but he was too busy staring at them to notice. What on earth…
Tokichi's jaw had dropped.
"30-15!"
Sakura was radiant with delight, and she showed it by flinging her arms around Fuji's neck with a loud squeal. "We did it!"
"Without breaking your back." He agreed, returning her hug and gently tugging the ponytail. She laughed breathlessly and let him go.
"I guess you were right." She admitted, a rueful smile on her lips. He chuckled. "That throwing you backwards across the court wouldn't end well? I should think so."
Sakura blushed, and cast a bemused eye at the cheering crowd and their amused/exasperated/impressed teammates. "Let's finish this?" (OW)
"As the lady wishes." He touched her shoulder, a gesture that was as supportive as it was sympathetic.
Play resumed, but with that stunt, Seigaku had put Hyotei's pair psychologically on the defensive. "This match is over." Yukimura said, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "But what a strange move. Have they ever done that before, Renji?"
"No." Yanagi replied, still scribbling away. "It must be a new move. Probably Kagawa's idea."
Sanada privately endorsed that view.
"Game and match, Seigaku's Kagawa-Fuji pair! 7 games to 5!"
It was all Sakura could do not to sink to the ground and curl into a ball. Her abdomen was aching something awful. She sagged against Fuji, offering him a tired smile when he put his arm about her and squeezed gently.
They met Ohtori and Tokichi at the net. Ohtori was smiling a little ruefully, but Tokichi was frowning at Sakura. "Did you forget painkillers?" She asked without preamble.
Sakura blinked. "Um, no. It's just… more severe than… um…" She glanced at Ohtori, before blushing and shaking her head silently.
Tokichi rolled her eyes. "Good game, Kagawa. You too, Fuji-san."
"I hope we'll play each other again sometime." Ohtori added.
Sakura huffed a laugh. "Sure, you bring your serve, and I'll bring a shield or something."
To her surprise, Ohtori chuckled. "Deal." He held out his hand, and they shook.
She wasn't carried off the court by Fuji, but it was a near thing. "I'm not lame, I can walk, senpai." She protested, as he moved to sweep her into his arms.
He pouted. "Oh, but I thought all girls dreamt of a princess carry, Sakura-chan. Would you deny me the chance?"
"Yep." She replied cheerfully. His pout grew more pronounced, but by this time they'd reached the dugout, and surrendered themselves to their cheering, exuberant team.
"What the hell was that?" Mikabi would have thumped her- she looked like she was barely restraining herself, and Sakura laughed and sagged into her friend. "We thought of calling it our 'Fling', but…" She trailed off, and everyone either groaned or flushed.
"For god's sake…" Nomura slapped her forehead. Really, there was a time and place for everything!
Imako, on the other hand, snorted rather loudly. "A fling, huh?" Mikabi and Kazumi dissolved into giggles.
Tezuka, despite the lingering astonishment– who on earth came up with plays like that– pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. But insane play or not, it had been an excellent match. "Well played, both of you." He nodded. Kagawa's cheeks darkened, while Fuji smiled, pleased. Praise from Tezuka was precious.
Momoshiro smirked at Sakura, who made a face when Tezuka turned to talk to Nomura and Ryuuzaki-sensei.
But she had more pressing concerns. "I'm going to the toilet, captain." She informed Nomura. Her captain, distracted from her conversation, looked her up and down. "Take Takada with you." She said, turning away before Sakura could protest. Sighing, she did as ordered.
"You need another painkiller?" Mikabi asked, hand already slipping into her pocket. Sakura was grateful, but turned the offer down. "I'm a bit wary of them, to be honest. And anyway, it's not unbearable."
Mikabi shrugged. "Okay, well, keep one, in case you need it on the bus home." She pressed the entire strip into Sakura's hands, ignoring her protests wholesale.
"Thanks, mom." Sakura muttered. Mikabi threw her a dirty look, but said nothing. She nodded at the toilets. "I'll wait outside."
"I should hope so." Sakura shot back, laughing as Mikabi emitted a put-upon sigh.
Yeah, changing the tampon was a good call. It hadn't even been two hours, but wow that was a lot of blood. Sakura wondered if all the extra exercise and food was making her bleed heavier because that was heavy for first day flow.
Whatever. She gently pushed another tampon in place, wrapped the old one, and disposed of it. Washing her hands, she hurried out of the toilet—
And- "Oh, hello!" She exclaimed, brought up short by the sight of Sanada, Yukimura and- oh. Ikeda Kotone.
Mikabi was looking mighty displeased, but Sakura wasn't going to be rude to these three.
"Sanada-kun, Yukimura-san… Ikeda-san." If she sounded a tad breathless at the last name, it was because she was tired. She'd just played a match. Matches tired people.
"Kagawa-san," The older girl had a tilted smile that was somehow, not crafty. Her eyes were dark, boring into her like two drills. "That was a good match."
Sakura took a second to remember how breathing worked.
"Thank you!" She squeaked, then blushed deep, flaming red.
It was Yukimura who came to her rescue. "You and Fuji make a formidable pair, Kagawa-chan." Mikabi raised an eyebrow at the familiar address… and hadn't Sakura addressed the other one as 'Sanada-kun'? What was that about?
"Thank you, Yukimura-san." She looked marginally calmer, and her gaze moved to Sanada, who nodded wordlessly.
Sakura felt something ease in her chest. Strange, since she hadn't even known something had been tight.
But then he spoke. "How was your Singles?"
And…what. He didn't know? Had Yanagi-san not told him? Or was he testing her in some way?
Mikabi and Ikeda were looking very, very interested. Yukimura was looking at Sakura as though through a microscope.
"Um," Sakura shrugged. "It was good? I mean, I won, but it wasn't easy. I had to push."
He nodded, apparently satisfied. Ikeda's eyebrow had risen, and she was staring at Sakura like she was… a math problem.
That was uncomfortable, so Sakura tried not to look at her. "Did you finish Geisha of Gion?" She asked Sanada, who stiffened.
"Yes. It was interesting." His lips barely moved, and Sakura wondered what was wrong.
Mikabi finally stirred. "We should get back, Sakura-chan." She slipped her arm into Sakura's. The other girl agreed. "Yeah, Kazumi-senpai and Oishi-senpai's match should have started by now. Captain wouldn't want us to wander around, huh?"
Ikeda smiled thinly. "Nomura's protective of you, is she?"
Sakura swallowed her nerves, and shrugged. "I mean, she's the captain. She looks out for us. 'Swat she does."
"Oh, I'll bet," Ikeda murmured, watching the two girls walk away; Kagawa had smiled and waved at Sanada, who only nodded. "You seem to know her pretty well, Sanada."
The boy merely tugged his cap lower. "Hardly." He scoffed.
Oh, what a surprise.
Oishi and Kazumi lost, though not without a fierce fight; the scoreboard read 7-5, but as usual, it told only half the story.
"You've sprained it." Nomura looked regretful as she gently probed the swollen area around Kazumi's right ankle; it was hot to the touch. The girl grimaced. "There goes my showcase… and a couple weeks' practice." She added hastily. The captain rolled her eyes.
"You shouldn't put any pressure on it." Oishi told her, expertly binding it up. Nomura slid off the bench, allowing him more room to work. "I'd say three weeks, just to be safe."
Kazumi rolled her eyes, but there was a smile lurking in them. "You would, Oishi-kun."
As they left, Kazumi hobbling between Nomura and Imako, Sakura headed for the nearest train station. "Oi, you live this way." Mikabi grabbed her hand.
Sakura snorted. "Smart. No, I just have to return a library book for Ma. It's not far, I'll be back home soon."
Nomura pursed her lips. "Keep me informed." She ordered.
Sakura gave her a cheeky salute. "Yes ma'am!" She snickered at the eye-roll she received. "See you tomorrow, everyone!"
A chorus of goodbyes followed her as she hurried to the train station. Upon reaching the platform, she was pleasantly surprised. "Sanada-kun, hello again!"
Sanada turned to see an increasingly-familiar face smiling up at him. "Kagawa." He greeted, eyebrows furrowing. "Why are you here?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Didn't realise you owned this platform, Sanada-kun." She replied, a tad tartly. "All these people paying you rent?"
He felt himself flush. "I didn't mean… you live in the other direction."
"That I do," She agreed. "But since Ma's under strict orders to rest, I'm running her library errands for her. She's given me a list and everything." Sakura snickered. "Don't know why she wanted another kid so bad- she seems bored to death."
A more pointless remark she had yet to make; nevertheless, some response was only polite. "Overcompensation for the first six months after delivery, maybe."
Sakura almost choked on empty air. A joke? Ish? Sort of? Progress!
She started laughing, even as the train arrived and they filed in with the rest of the crowd. "Maybe." She gurgled, eyes alight with mirth. "You have any siblings?"
"One elder brother." He replied. "He's married, with a child. My nephew is… six? Yes, six."
Sakura blinked. "Wow. He must be quite a bit older than you."
Sanada shrugged. "My parents married young. Rather like yours."
"And I'm more than a bit older than my impending sibling, too." She murmured. "You know, I hope it's a boy."
He looked at her, curious. "Why?"
"I don't know." She twitched a shoulder. "I like the idea of having a baby brother, that's all."
He nodded, wordlessly. The next station was announced, and Sakura moved to the door. Sanada frowned. "You're getting off here?"
"Yeah, the library's not far." She replied. "Good luck for your next match, Sanada-kun." She smiled, and turned to face the door.
Sanada knew he was old-fashioned- his principles and morals were on the conservative side, while Kagawa was the epitome of everything modern. But even someone as savvy as her would be vulnerable wandering around alone, at dusk. Repressing a deep sigh (and the urge to run his temples), he moved to stand beside her.
Sakura's head snapped up. "Sanada-kun, what-?"
The door opened then, and she was cut off as they spilled out.
Upon shaking off the crowd, Sakura turned to him, frowning. "You don't live here." It was a statement, but the query in her eyes prompted a response. "It's not proper for a girl to be wandering unaccompanied after hours." He replied, not looking at her.
She scoffed, and he felt his eyebrow twitch. "Proper my ass. This isn't the 16th century." Sakura retorted, folding her arms. "I don't need a chaperone, thank you."
Just for her rudeness, he would have turned around and taken the next train home. But Sanada's principles wouldn't allow that, so he gritted his teeth before replying, "I would feel… responsible if something happened to you. Don't argue, Kagawa."
They hadn't been friends very long, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. "I'm not some delicate flower that needs protecting, Sanada-kun." She snapped.
"Those aren't the words that I would use for you either." He retorted, nettled. Her jaw dropped; he smirked.
"Fine." She gritted out. "But since you're giving me company, I usually get a drink at a café nearby."
Damn. More time on this absurd venture. "Fine." His tone was equally irritated. Her final gambit thwarted, Sakura spun on her heel and stormed to the exit without any care for whether he could keep up. Of course, with his large frame and longer legs, that wasn't a problem; it just ratcheted her temper up a few notches.
The walk to the library was terse; Sakura resented being treated like she was made of glass, and Sanada was annoyed at her cavalier disregard for his chivalry. Modernity was all well and good, but there were some things that were- should be!- timeless. Manners, for example.
When they reached the library, Sakura curtly adjourned him to keep his 'Visitor' lanyard on him at all times. Icily polite, he assented, and she marched into the library, the tall boy on her heels.
"Hello again, Miss," The kind-faced woman behind the counter greeted her. "How is your mother doing?"
"So, so bored, Takahashi-san." Sakura chuckled. She handed the book over, and the woman did something on her computer, and eventually pronounced it as 'returned'. Sakura motioned Sanada towards an empty chair at the nearest worktable, before disappearing into the aisles.
"Are you here to purchase a membership, sir?" 'Takahashi-san' enquired. Sanada shook his head hastily. "No, ma'am; I'm just here with…" He indicated the aisle that Sakura had slipped into.
A tiny smile illuminated the woman's face. "Ah, I see. Young love, so sweet. It's very good of you to escort her, I must say. I don't see many young men willing to wait while a girl visits the library. She's a lucky one."
Through this ramble, Sanada's eyes had been steadily widening. "No- no, we're not-!" He cleared his throat and tried again. "Kagawa and I are friends. Friends." He seized onto that word like it was a life-line. Takahashi looked embarrassed, but before she could reply, Sakura reappeared, two hardbound volumes in hand.
"Good heavens," Takahashi exclaimed. "Kagawa-san must be extremely bored. Has she gone through your entire collection already?"
"The stuff she can stomach." Sakura admitted, handing over a library card and both books. "Ma and I have pretty different tastes. Speaking of which, none of my waitlisted books have come in, have they?"
The scanner beeped once, then twice. "No, I'm sorry, Kagawa-chan." Takahashi handed the books and card back. "They're strangely popular, for English novels. But I suppose that's what the young people are reading these days."
"Yes, but what about the Yoshimoto book?" Sakura pressed. At Takahashi's sympathetic denial, she slumped. "Ah, well, I do have enough to do, I guess. Thanks, Takahashi-san; I'll see you soon." She smiled one final time at Takahashi, bade her good evening, and nodded for Sanada to follow her out.
Their lanyards returned, and the books stowed into a bag hitherto folded into Sakura's tennis kit, the pair found themselves on the sidewalk again.
Sakura, ever the conversationalist, cocked a sarcastic eyebrow at her companion. "See, no muggings."
Sanada didn't deign to respond. That nettled her, but she said nothing either, stewing until they were seated in her favoured café, her with her staple green tea and him with a milkshake.
Okay, this weird tension thing had gone on long enough. But he was emanating an absolutely icy aura, and Sakura wasn't sure how to go about thawing it. She barely knew the guy… except that he liked calligraphy, was proficient at kendo, was a cat person, adored his mother, and had a way older brother and a nephew. And that he read self-help books and philosophy. And lived and breathed tennis… which, yeah, anyone who spent ten seconds around him was vaguely aware of.
Sakura didn't lack for courage, but sometimes, she lacked wisdom. Sometimes you don't take the bull by the horns.
"Seriously, what's with you?" She jostled the table on purpose, causing him to glare at her. "You're about as fun as a block of wood."
His glare deepened. "You were the one who wanted to be friends."
Sakura gaped at him. "You texted me back. You didn't have to, I'd have gotten the message."
"Would you?" His tone was odd… silky. Her hair stood on end. "Somehow, I doubt that."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She demanded shrilly.
There was a dark look in his eye, and his knuckles were white about his glass.
"Why did you approach me to be friends?" He asked, his voice hard. "You talk a good game, Kagawa, but your little charade is pathetic. Trying to befriend the Emperor of Rikkai? A slip of a girl like you, with no special talent? Did you think a pretty face and friendly manner would trap me into-" He broke off, spluttering, as Sakura threw her tea in his face.
It wasn't scalding hot, but it was uncomfortable; what was scalding, however, was the look in her eyes.
Sakura's cheeks were burning- she just knew they must be a blotchy red- and there was a telltale itch behind her eyes. But for now, she managed to look furious (which she was) and contemptuous (which she also was- but not of him).
Every eye in the café was on them.
"How dare you," She hissed, leaning over the table like she was going to pounce and claw his eyes out. "You're a sorry excuse of a person, Sanada-san, and I've clearly wasted my time trying to make a difference to your pathetic, lonely existence. See you in the finals, Emperor- that's all you are." She heaved her bag onto her shoulder and threw him a seething look. He was dripping with tea, stunned, and really, why hold back?
"Go fuck yourself." She snarled, storming out of the café, the door slamming behind her.
Thankfully, it was only once she'd turned the corner that the tears came.
I'm such an idiot, she thought, mopping her eyes frantically. Such a fucking idiot.
Footsteps sounded behind her. A hand grabbed her shoulder. "Kagawa, please–"
"Don't touch me!"
She swung around, flinging his hand from her like diseased food. Sanada would have been offended, if not for a glance at her face.
Gods, but she was an ugly crier.
"Just… get lost, okay?" She covered her eyes with a trembling hand. "I mean it. Please just go, Sanada-san."
Dun dun dun! Where will they go from here? Let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Chilli.