A/N: Umeko Kikoishi 'is' an annoying character. This is because she is the over confident and cocky type, but with good reason. She's only 3rd to Yokoishi in ability, which is why she'll go so far as to tease members of her team. Will she get more annoying? Yep! ^_^
Disclaimer: Takeshi Konomi wanted me to tell you that Prince of Tennis belongs to him, he has a tattoo to prove it. (half-random)
Chapter Fifty Seven
Yumi walked down from the stands and swung her racket over her shoulders. She kicked the gate opened and entered the courts. Her school yelled for her to get off the court but she pompously chose not to listen. Instead she locked gazes with Fuji, as she sauntered into the middle of the courts.
When those piercing, grey eyes caught Fuji's widened eyes, her heart stopped, allowing a tingling sensation to run through her. She breathed it away and diverted her eyes. She wanted to ask her sister why she was on the court and not her captain but the words wouldn't dare flick off her tongue. The words shrunk away back into a thought and disappeared. She couldn't possibly have misread the line-up? It was their captain that stood in front of her right at the start of the tournament, wasn't it? Fuji tried to lift her hand. She wanted to wipe her eyes and fidget with her hair but couldn't. She remembered that her team was watching didn't wish to show discomfort in front of her team, less she make them worry.
"Excuse me, aren't you the reserved?" The umpire questioned, pushing his tannoy out the way.
Yumi cut her eye to him. "Yes, I am."
"Young lady, why are you on the court?"
"I'm the reserved player! Our captain tripped and cut her temple. Blood everywhere." She said, a little too quickly and slide her eyes back to her sister, making Fuji breathe uneasily.
"You should know already that the reserve player is used if there is a tie regarding the scores. You cannot replace a member of the team on a whim. That's against the rules."
"Our captain has hurt herself and is unable to play. Don't you think it's shabby of the rules to knock a team out because of a serious mishap?"
He fumbled in his response. "Every-every school follows the same rules. You can't-"
Fuji saw someone move in the corner of her eye and turned to find Ryuzaki-sensei had taken to her feet, with her arms crossed and a thoughtful curve on her lips. She couldn't be thinking anything foolish, Fuji hoped. But that hope began to slip away when Ryuzaki-sensei walked towards the umpire. She stopped beside his high chair and called to his attention. "I think it's okay if they play."
Fuji couldn't believe what she heard. She held her racket tightly, hoping no one saw her distaste for this abrupt request. What was her sensei thinking?
"What are you-" The umpire was interrupted again, this time by the coach of St. Rudolph, who approached the umpires chair too.
She peered over at Ryuzaki-sensei, grinning with great curiosity. "I'm fine if the two play, though it does seem conveniently unfortunate that our captain has hurt herself at this moment." She chuckled, bringing her hands to her mouth and giving Yumi a dubious gaze. "But~ I'm sure certain members of my team will be more then happy to explain the cause of the incident. I believe they are sisters, aren't they? If that's the case, Yumi-chan has been looking forward to this since the draws. I'm eager to see just what she has planned."
"Yes, they are siblings, and they both wish to play each other, don't you, Fuji-san?" Ryuzaki-sensei hauled Fuji into the conversation. Now all those eyes were on her.
She froze. She would say no. There was no way she wanted to play against her sister. She refused in her mind. Yet, unwillingly, that smile crept onto her lips and she held her head up confidently. Yumi lifted an eyebrow when she saw the smile. Over and over again in Fuji's head she told herself to tell everyone that she rather forfeit the match than play… but, she began to wonder how long Yumi had been planning for this day, and how excited she would have been knowing that she was up against Seishun Academy. Fuji tapped her fingers on her thigh once. How much trouble did Yumi go through to stand in front of her right now? She couldn't upset Yumi by walking away, could she? And what about her team? Kikumaru and the others? Fuji tried to move her hands again but her thoughts had grabbed her, and changed her.
"Well, Fuji-san?" Ryuzaki-sensei pushed her for an answer.
I don't want to play her. "It's fine by me, if it's want Yumi-chan wants."
Yumi cut her a look and Fuji straightened. "I want to beat you!"
"Hold it!" The umpire jumped down. He called upon the officials to confirm a few things.
Meanwhile in the stands, the other schools were starting to talk. It dawned on them that Fuji had a sister. They never realised until now, so they wondered why the two weren't in the same school. Then they wondered why the two were so different in appearance and attitude. And because of this, they wanted to see them fight it out on the court.
"Do… do you think the William sisters ever did something like this?" Jinhana asked. She was surprised by Yumi's audacious behaviour.
"What! You mean, Serena-chan would knock out her captain just so she could play Venus-chan? No… I think it's exclusive to these two." Arai answered.
"Are you saying Yumi-chan knocked her own captain out?" Shikawara couldn't believe it.
Arai sighed. "Of course she did."
"That's not a very nice thing to say, Arai-chan, especially when you don't know her." Kikumaru told her off.
She signed deeply and loudly this time. "That's just the problem, I'm the only one who does. Whatever. Believe what you will, but I can see where this match is going… I don't think we'll see the other side of this tournament."
The team frowned. "Fuji-senpai won't let us down." Nariko said.
"It's not something an only child can understand." She scoffed.
Kikumaru turned to Arai. "You don't think she'll…"
Arai shrugged. "If you don't believe me, just watch for yourselves."
They heard what Arai said and they wouldn't believe her. With the spectators chanting out for the officials to let them play, the girls turned to Fuji to see just what she would do.
Yumi never took her eyes off her sister, which began to unnerve Fuji, causing her smile to shake. She held it the best she could. She had to twist the racket in her hand to distract herself. Fuji waited for the umpire's verdict, wishing the crowd would hush up and mind their own business, knowing that their calls would only encourage their decision before it prevented it.
"Don't you think this is exciting, Fuji-san?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked and got no reply. "Maybe this will give you the incentive to… play seriously?"
She stopped twisting the racket. Is this why sensei interfered with the judges ruling, just so she could get a glimpse of her serious game? Fuji known she could play an all out match with anyone… just not against Yumi.
The officials all walked off the courts and the umpire walked back to his highchair. He cleared his throat before speaking into his tannoy.
"The officials will allow the match to commence as St. Rudolph's captain is resting in sickbay with a serious head injury. Singles one will now be played by St. Rudolph's reserved player Yumi Fuji."
Fuji wanted to lower her head and hide her eyes from view, but she couldn't, not in front of all everyone. She had to be strong. But she didn't know how to be. Her emotions were still off kilter because of Tezuka deciding to go to Germany. Every time she thought about the word, the distance seemed to grow. There was no way she could protect herself from what her sister would request. Yumi would certainly take advantage of this sudden situation.
"We will now commence with singles one. Seishun Academy to serve. One-set match."
Fuji pushed herself towards the net to shake Yumi's hand. Yumi approached her but didn't intend to touch her. Instead, she leant towards Fuji and whispered to her. "Have you been walking around all day with that mask on? Do me a favour and take it off." Yumi turned quickly, not caring for a response and made her way the baseline. Fuji touched her cheek, wondering what Yumi was on about, but the scary thing was… her sister was the only one who really knew her. No doubt she saw the discomfort and her shaky smile. What was she going to do with herself?
She walked back to the baseline and readied herself for a serve. There was no way she could have fun with this. Yumi wouldn't like it. What was Yumi hoping for from this match? There was no doubt in Fuji's mind that Yumi intended to win? No. She wanted to beat her. Fuji gripped the ball. She didn't want to upset Yumi, she really didn't.
Just serve and, I'll decide what to do after. She tossed the ball in the air. It was a weak throw. By the time she realised it, Yumi had already returned it, not giving Fuji time to react or see it's course. The ball shot at a sharp angle to her left. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to run for it. Despite winning the first point, Yumi was not happy.
"Come on Fuji-chan! It's you for the win!" Her team called to her.
Even her team wanted her to defeat her sister. Could she really bare seeing Yumi's crying face again? Fuji tossed the ball up for the second serve. Yumi's young face flashed in her mind's eye – she hit the net twice, giving Yumi the point.
Fuji avoided everyone's eyes as she tossed up another serve. The third one was a lot stronger but it was an easy shot for Yumi to reach. She won that point too. Fuji ran her hands through her hair and tried again. Her heart wasn't in it and Yumi easily got the point and the first game.
"God, I knew it. I just knew it." Arai cringed. The others could only watch in silence.
Chise looked to Kikumaru who sat with her hands crossed and very tense. Chise pulled on the hem of Kikumaru's dress and asked her a question.
"Why isn't onee-chan playing properly? Is it because her boyfriend hurt her that day?"
Kikumaru was grateful that Chise spoke softly. "That guy isn't her boyfriend. It's… it's hard to explain. Just know that the one she likes isn't going to be around for a while. Plus she has some issue with her sister. Right now, she's got all of that on her mind. But… I didn't think it would effect her this much."
They turned back to the match. It wasn't as if Yumi was dominating the court, it was just that Fuji wasn't trying and letting easy shots go by, to the same effect that Umeko did, but if Fuji didn't win they would be out of the competition. I know that. I know if I don't win we're out, but… Yumi-chan will hate me. I don't want her to hate me anymore.
It seemed easier to let Yumi win, but even with every point that Yumi won, she got more and more frustrated. With each point that Fuji let her win the next shot Yumi hit got more aggressive.
"You've improved nicely, Yumi-chan." Fuji said, not looking her in the eye.
Yumi mumbled under her breath and continued. She understood why her sister was playing this pathetically. Their past gave her that privilege but right now, it wasn't want she wanted. She wanted a serious match with her sister, yet Fuji was letting her win, pitying her. Giving her a handicap in front of all these people. Not even giving her a chance to thrash her.
By the fifth game Yumi was losing it and Fuji refused to look at anyone. Her team could barely find the words to encourage her. They were too shocked. Their captain was crumbling in front of them and they'd never thought they would witness it. Throughout the match they glanced to Ryuzaki-sensei to see if she was going to call a time-out, but nothing came of it. What exactly was she planning, why did she want the two of them to play?
"This is so frustrating!" Umeko held her hands to her head.
"Maybe if you won, it wouldn't have come to this!" Shikawara stooped in her seat, also coming to terms with the outcome.
"I didn't think she'd play like this. Captain!" She stood up and yelled out. "I take back what I said! You have to win!"
"I knew this would happen. She's letting her sister win. So obvious. Oh boy…" Arai confirmed.
"What happened between those two!" Suzu then asked, confused by the results.
"Who knows. I think it happened back when they were living in Chiba." Arai said.
"Match point." The umpire called and Fuji walked back to the baseline.
Fuji heard the heavy sighs from her team and the crowds but that didn't matter to her. As long as Yumi won, it's all she wanted to give her. She didn't look at her team's faces. Hearing their sighs was enough. She didn't want to see the disappointment in their eyes. When she turned to see where her sister was, she wished she had looked at her team instead. Yumi hunched her shoulders and glared at the floor. Then, without warning, she screamed out in bitterly and threw her racket on the court. Those watching sat up and Fuji lowered her serving hand.
Yumi then kicked her racket away from her and screamed at her sister. "How dare you!"
Fuji stiffened. What was wrong now?
"What do you think you're doing?" She could no longer hold her exasperation silent. "If you dare let me win, I'll never forgive you!"
"What?" Fuji breathed.
"If you think I'll be happy with a 6-love game, you're wrong! I'll hate you for the rest of my life if you serve that ball. Play me seriously!"
Fuji went blank. She couldn't understand what was happening. "Yumi-chan, I am playing you-"
"Don't lie to me! Don't you dare stand there and lie to me!" She paced the court.
"Yumi-chan, shut-up and win it for the team!" Were some of the equally annoyed calls from her school but she was able to ignore them like Fuji ignored her team.
"I know you! I've known you all my life. I haven't been chasing you just to finally have such a pathetic game. Stop patronising me!"
Fuji lowered her arms, astonished.
"I'm not your friends. I'm your sister! D'you think you can fool me with that fake smile of yours that you've been walking around with? You sicken me! God! Open your damn eyes and play me seriously!"
Fuji nearly dropped her racket along with the ball that bounced away from her. What are you asking for Yumi? I thought you wanted to win. I'm letting you win.
"Why are you just standing there?" Yumi seethed.
Open my eyes? You don't know what you're asking for Yumi. Don't ask for that. Tezuka going to Germany… I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I can't just leave them open for so long.
"Get your other racket and play against me like you mean it." Yumi's voice was shaking. Fuji couldn't tell if she was near tears or furious. Or both.
Fuji looked over at her tennis bag. It was the first time since the game was allowed that she saw her sensei's face. She was surprisingly calm but her arms were crossed. Why would her sister want such a match? Fuji didn't want to upset Yumi at all, but it looks as if it was an inevitable and unavoidable path. Fuji looked at her racket in her hand and then at her sister.
Yumi could see that Fuji was battling with certain thoughts. Just in case Fuji didn't get the message, she lifted up the fringe relieving a nasty jagged scar on her forehead.
"I want to play against the one who did this to me. The person in front of me is so phony, I only want to spit on her!"
The umpire had to warn Yumi to keep it down, but it was enough for Fuji to walk over to the bench. She sat down and had to think about what she would do. Ryuzaki-sensei looked at her for the moment, ready to say something, but Fuji draped her towel over her head, hiding her faces from everyone around.
Her team was stunned. It was a little scary to think someone they hardly knew was able to effect Fuji so easily. Yes, it was her sister but Fuji shrunk before her.
Yumi, I'm sorry about that scar. It was an accident… I… I can't give you want you want today Yumi. Don't ask this of me Yumi. Anything but this.
"Time out!" Finally, Ryuzaki sensei called it, giving her team a sigh of relief, knowing that sensei would kick her into gear. They were allowed no more then two minutes.
Ryuzaki was amazingly calm, not how she was with Arai. "My, my… I've seen nothing but pathetic matches from my girls today, and the worse is being played by you! Fuji-san, tell me, what happened between you and your sister in the past?"
"… I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm not giving you that option. I happened to stumble across you and Tezuka-san the other day by the fountain. You seemed to be confiding in him regarding your sister. Even going so far as to test his limits. And now I see a very nasty scar on her forehead… it's healed, so it's a very old scare. What happened?"
Lately, the people around her were forcing her to talk, to say things she certainly wasn't ready to air. She didn't want Tezuka to know anything. Now that he did, he was leaving to go to a foreign country. Now her sensei wanted to know what happened when they were little girls. What would happen if she brought life to these words?
"I was only… I was… protecting her back then."
"Oh, I see… Maybe, maybe you're missing the bigger picture here Fuji-san."
"I just want her to be happy, I owe it to her."
"Yes, yes, and doesn't she look overjoyed!"
The sarcasm was a bit much. "I promised myself I wouldn't upset her again. I try to always smile around her and be cheerful."
"Has it worked?"
She hesitated and realised she couldn't say yes.
"Fuji-san, I think Yumi-san is waiting for her 'big sister' to stand in front of her. If that means you have to open your eyes, then do it."
"Are you saying it's okay for me to uncover a part of me that I can't control… If I do the same things I did back then, are you going to pardon them? Excuse them? Act as if I did nothing? I don't trust myself enough. I want to play her seriously but not like that."
Sensei laughed. "When will you start to play seriously? I'm not asking you to unleashed demons, unless you need to. Win it for your team Fuji-san. It's about time you stopped sucking up to that brat and put her in her place."
"…To say it like that… I don't think I can. If she sees me like that again… I just can't. I was horrible back then. She was so scared of me sensei. It hurt more than anything to think she couldn't be the same around me."
"You're contradicting yourself."
"I'm not."
Ryuzaki-sensei shook her head. "You are. Did Yumi-san ask you to change?"
Again she couldn't answer but she knew she could only have said no.
Did she get it wrong for all those year? Fuji wiped the towel over her forehead then drew it off her head. Her hands shook and she didn't know what do to. The umpire had to hurry her up as she was passing the time limit. Fuji would go as far as getting her golden racket, but she wouldn't open her eyes. As she unzipped her bag she heard her team cheering for her. Throughout the match, she convinced herself that her sister was the most important person around her, now she wasn't sure.
Fuji was about to pull the racket out of her bag when she discovered the strings were cut right back to the frame. She zipped up her bag quickly. Don't think about it. Deal with it later. She stood up and turned to the court. Yumi was standing there waiting for her.
"Damnit, Fuji-chan, pull yourself together." He team chanted to her but the only voice she would listen to was Yumi's.
She walked onto the court and the roar from the crowd was immense. At least there was no smile on her face. Yumi dropped her hands on her hips.
"Open your eyes!" Yumi asked her once more.
And…
…She opened them.
…tbc…
A/N2: Oh, all those plot devices. Tasty.
Now, I don't know if tennis has "time outs", (I've been watching too much Ookiku Furikabatte) even if they don't, I don't care. Whatever Ryuzaki-sensei wants, she gets!
Chapter 58: Fuji Vs. Yumi: The conclusion. Is that Atobe in the stands?
