Thank you very much for your reviews for chapter VII and the vote for pairing! Aubrey-kun, MaySins, tubey3, paypi, ennov, teruteru, Arisa Draconis Malfoy, RuByMoOn17, CelicaChick, Yhi, dimonyo-anghel, SnowBlizzard
Finally I get to post Chapter VII! I'm sorry that I have not update this story for so long, I went to UK for a month and just went back to my home country.
Warning: A lot of incorrected grammar... T-T
Note: There is a flashback scene in this chapter in italic.
Disclaimer – 'Prince of Tennis' is not mine.
Kimi ga iru
After losing to a no-name team, some of Seigaku members resigned from the club. Many club members were disappointed in the captain's decision, but some just stayed indifferent. Yes, one of those who felt nothing with their lost was Inui Sadaharu. The data-man didn't complain anything, nor did say that he appreciate the outcome.
Kaidoh Kaoru, who was Inui's former double partner, could guess what Inui was thinking. He knew that the older boy chose to say nothing about what had happen.
"Senpai,"
"What is it, Kaidoh?" Inui asked the sophomore.
"I would like you to prepare a practice schedule for me. There will be the next regular competition soon. I want to keep myself ready for the match."
"I can arrange that for you." He simply said in monotone and then turned his eyes back to the green court.
"Thank you..." Kaidoh said quietly.
The taller boy didn't even bother to say anything more to his kouhai. The younger boy simply walked away from the sideline of the court.
"Aren't you a little cruel on our kouhai?" Kawamura Takashi asked his friend who was adjusting his glasses.
"I have to. Actually I should have ignored his request." Kawamura was one of Inui's best friends whom he could trust. What had been said between them would remain a secret forever.
"Why?"
"Since we saw Tezuka played in the previous game, I realize that a number of skilled members aren't match with the required slots."
"Slot? A regular position of Seigaku?"
"Yes," The data-man answered. "The last internal competition, Kaidoh couldn't make it to regular. And I think that he probably can't make it in the next competition, too."
"Is this because of Tezuka's presence?"
"If I am right, Tezuka will be in the regular team after the next competition end."
"That's mean there will be another current regular member drop from the team, right?"
"I wish I could say more, Kawamura."
Kikumaru Eiji and Momoshiro Takeshi watched Fuji brothers played a mini match with amused. It was rather fun to see Fuji-senpai's thousand ways to tease his younger brother while they were playing tennis together.
Fuji Syusuke was happy that Yuuta chose to stay in Seigaku instead of going to Last year was a hard time for the older Fuji because Mizuki Hajime's conviction affected Yuuta greatly. The innocent boy believed almost everything that the manager of tennis club said.
The worst thing was that everything that he said was true.
"Yuuta," The tensai said with an innocent smile. "I want to play double with you."
"But I do not want to play double with you. I only agree to play a match."
"Don't you want to spread out our brotherly love?"
Being teased in the middle of the court by his own brother was one of his nightmares.
"Aniki!"
"I'm so hurt, Yuu-chan."
"Stop being a drama queen!" Yuuta shouted at his brother as loud as he can.
"Momo, do you think we are a perfect pair?" The elder Fuji asked the sophomore.
"Yes," Momo laughed at his friend whose cheeks were becoming redder. "You two will make the good combination." He added.
"What should we name our pairing?"
"Hey!" Yuuta frown.
The dunk smash player couldn't stop laughing, but soon the laugher faded.
"Sometimes I think I should have joined Mizuki-san's team." Fuji no otouto said and then left the court. Kikumaru, who watched the scene from the start, knew Mizuki was Fuji's only weak point. Momo wanted to say something to his two senpai and Yuuta, but decided not to because he didn't want to make more people feel bad by his comment.
"Yuuta doesn't know how much affect of what he says can be done to you."
"What are you talking about, Eiji?" The older Fuji asked with a new smile on his face.
"I say something, but you act like there is nothing."
"You have better save that for Tezuka-kun."
The acrobatic player coughed. "I don't know what you are trying to say."
"Probably the same thing you want to say to me. We all know what you are thinking about the new boy. Tezuka-kun is adorable, ne?"
It wasn't easy to handle Fuji. Eiji thought to himself.
"Where is our fukubuchou?" The triple counter player asked his friend.
"You ask for our data-man or the tennis-head?"
"That's a new pet name for Oishi? How cute!"
"Perhaps it's only you who find that this name sounds cute."
"I want to talk with Inui."
"He is right there." He pointed at where Inui and Kawamura were standing and talking.
"Thanks. Ne, if I say to you I want to talk to Oishi personally, what you will say to me?"
"I will say 'Go ahead'. You don't need my approval to talk with Oishi, nya."
"What about Tezuka?"
"Everyone must advise me what they want to talk with Megane-kun first! He is mine!"
Oishi Syuichirou made a face after he heard his partner said that from afar.
Everyone in the tennis club always said he was a nice person or call him Mr. Nice-guy, but sometimes he wondered if he was really nice or not. He was not even sure of himself. He still didn't know what made him dislike Tezuka Kunimitsu at the first glance. He only knew that he couldn't stand seeing Eiji with that kid. The way that the acrobatic player talked to the boy was full with adoration.
When Fuji walked to where Inui was standing, the vice-captain quickly asked "What do you want to say to me, Fuji?"
"Let's find quiet place to talk."
Inui knew that when Fuji needed to talk personally that was mean he had an importance thing to talk about.
"Then we have to wait until the practice time is over."
"Alright."
After those two ended their conversation, the entries member of Seigaku became quiet as the coach entered the court. "Practice! Practice! Practice!" She shouted with her powerful voice at all kids. "We will have an internal competition for regular member selection next week. It will be harder for all of you. Consider our lost to Fudomine as a lesson."
Who could forget about their lost? Seigaku tennis club members knew that Seigaku shouldn't be losing in the previous game. If the data-man or the captain himself has been the one who play, their school should have won.
"By the way, where are Tezuka and Echizen?"
All members exchanged their glance. Many of them lost in thought that they didn't even question where their buchou and the young boy were.
"I will make them run laps, if they don't show up in 5 minutes."
Not long after the old coach announced the penalty, Echizen Ryoma showed up at the front gate. "I'm here, Ryusaki-sensei."
"Don't tell me you had to help a pregnant woman again."
"I'm trying to be nice." The captain said. "You always tell me that I'm not a social type."
"So, now we have Echizen, then where is Tezuka?"
"Who know?" Echizen answered with a question.
"Are you mocking me?" The teacher asked.
"Sa…" Fuji said.
"You are no better, Fuji."
"I'm sorry, sensei. I always think of my Otouto all the time."
"Does that have to do with Tezuka?"
"Yuuta is my main subject. I never think of anyone but him."
Everyone knew that Fuji love his brother so dear that he would never think of anyone else, of course, including their manager.
"I see…" She didn't want to say more, the tansai always gave her a terrible headache when he tried to express his love for the younger Fuji.
Suddenly the cell-phone rang. "That's mine." Ryusaki-sensei said and than answered the phone. Her smile is becoming wider than ever. All students wondered who was talking with her. "Good news will come later." She said after ended the conversation over the phone. Her smile was placed firmly on her face. All students wondered who was the one who call their coach was and what was the good news that waiting for them.
The practice continued for an hour, finally Tezuka showed up. "I'm very sorry. I'm late." He said to Ryusaki-sensei and Echizen-buchou who were standing close by the thin white line.
"You are very late." The coach said. "I'm not going to ask why. And you should know what the punishment is."
"Yes, I know." He nodded and then started to run around the fence of tennis court.
Everyone in the club believed there was only the acrobatic player who wanted to run along with the boy, but they were wrong… Echizen Ryoma, the captain of Seigaku tennis club, went to run with Tezuka.
"What are you doing?" The freshman asked his senpai. His face didn't change.
"Running." The buchou simply answered.
When they ran together like this, they only thought about the previous day which was the day that the two of them stand alone on the green court. The memory of yesterday stilled clear in their mind.
After the match between Seigaku and Fudomine ended, all school collected their stuffs and all students started to go back to their home. There were only Tezuka and Echizen still stand on the court quietly. The wind blew against their skin. It was hard to breathe when their defeat was place firmly on the board of tennis court.
"How are your arm and shoulder?" The captain asked his kouhai, breaking the silent with his question.
"I guess you already know the answer." Tezuka's right hand moved to touch his left arm.
"I will know when you tell me."
The boy changed the topic.
"Aren't you feeling sorry that we lose to Fudomine?" His index finger pointed to the board which used to place the score of the game. "We shouldn't end up losing like this."
"It's just part of the game." He said. "My GAME if you want to know exactly."
"Your game! What are you trying to do? What's your plan?"
"You will know soon."
At least, Tezuka knew that Echizen had a clue about his left arm and shoulder. However, he still didn't know what the captain's plan was. And he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know about it or not.
Kikumaru angrily watched Echizen and Tezuka ran together. He kept complaining about it all the time while playing with his partner until those two finish their 30 laps. Eiji immediately ran to Tezuka with out turning to Oishi.
"Your hair becomes a mess, Megane-kun!" He greeted the little one.
"…" The boy was too exhausted to answer. He only let his breathe out and sighed in a low voice.
Kikumaru grabbed his Fila cap from Echizen's head. "Borrow this!" And put it on Tezuka's head. "Now, you look better!"
"His glasses and white hat aren't matching." The vice-captain said.
The acrobatic made a sound of protest. "Who ask for your comment? He does look adorable!" Everyone could tell that Oishi was in a burning mode after hearing his double partner snap at him.
Tezuka turned his face to the Seigaku captain and Echizen smirked in return. Then buchou walked to Fuji Syusuke who was checking his racket. 'Why the captain of Seigaku is so difficult to understand?' The boy thought to himself. What he didn't know was that all members think the same way about their captain, too.
Each member still remembered the event on the previous day. Although Seigaku lost in the competition, they learned something new that their young manager was a good left handed player. But the question was still on the top 'Who is this boy?' At the match, the Rikkai sophomore said that Tezuka used to be in Rikkai's tennis club, but he didn't say anything more than that.
"How's your racket?" Echizen asked.
"It's almost as bad as your conversation with Tezuka-kun." The tansai smiled. "Just finish checking it."
"You should buy an extra one."
"I know, but Yuuta bought this one for me." Fuji presented his racket at the captain. "I don't want to buy the new one… at least not yet."
"I see." The captain said. "You can use mine anytime, if you want."
"Thanks, Echizen."
As Taka-san watched Seigaku's two best players talked, he felt that a tiny piece in his heart missing. It was so hurt deep inside, but all he could do was just kept quiet.
"Taka-san?"
"Ah? Wh.. What is it, Fuji?" Kawamura jerkily asked.
"Let's play a match. I want to play with your burning mode."
"Yeah, my burning mode…" Deep down Kawamura wanted to ask Fuji if he thinks of him more than a friend or not. But after seeing Fuji talked with Echizen, he then realized that he should not say or ask for anything from the tensai. He wanted his smile to last forever as well as their friendship...
"You never told us you are this skillful!" Horio Satoshi said. He felt jealous over Tezuka's skill since they both had 2 years experience likewise, but Tezuka was even better than some senior members.
"Why didn't you tell anyone or at least tell us that you can play by your left hand?" Mizuno Kachirou asked Tezuka.
The manager didn't answer. He had nothing to say about that.
When the quietness began to swallow the moment between friends, Mizuno Katsuo quickly said "We met a Rikkai student while we were watching your match, but I can't remember his name."
"I think he is a sophomore because not long after he showed up, his senpai came to the court as well." Horio said.
The situation that his friend told him was very similar to the one he saw in Rikkai's tennis club when he was still in Kanagawa. "You mean Kirihara-san?"
"I believe that is his last name." Katsuo said.
"He is famous in Rikkai's tennis club because he is the only sophomore who is a regular." Tezuka said.
"He said he wanted to play a match with Echizen-buchou."
"Kirihara-san likes to play with someone who is great. His goal is to beat Yukimura-san who is the captain, Sanada-san who is the vice-captain and Yanagi-senpai."
"Our buchou will kick his ass!" The ichinen-trio said in the same time in a chorus voice.
Tezuka took the white hat off. His eyes locked at the letter 'F' on it.
'Echizen-buchou may beat Kirihara-san easily, but what's about 'Rikkai three demons?' Yukimura-san and Sanada-san are unbeatable. And Yanagi-senpai is also a real data-man.' Tezuka Kunimitsu thought quietly to himself. Although he didn't like Echizen Ryoma, he still had his duty as a manager to keep. For their team, he couldn't afford to lose anymore.
He didn't know why suddenly the Fila hat that was the captain's became heavier in his hand. Was it the weight of duty?
When the practice time in the evening was over, Ryusaki-sensei called all of her students to listen to her announcement inside the club room. "I have something to announce." She said to her students. "Next week we will have an internal match for regular member selection. But before that, we will join a tennis camp with 'Hyoutei Gakuen' this weekend. Make yourselves free or I will be the one who do it for you. You all know it's not going to be nice."
There was only Tezuka who saw the captain of Seigaku tennis club swallowed hard when the old coach announced the name of other school. More than that, he believed he heard the captain softly said…
"..Keigo"
End of Chapter VII
This is the last chapter that I would accept the vote for all pairing, so I won't place the current result here anymore. Let's see until the end! Who will be with who! For the next chapter... yes! Hyoutei team will show up and many questions will be answered.
PS. Please review :)