Disclaimer: I own very little.
A/N: I wanted to write some SenOishi. I wanted to do something with the new 40.5 information. And I wanted to start on my Oishi 5trueloves themes -- the one I used for this was Colour.
Paying Attention
Finding Dan sitting on the bench behind the club house wasn't all that unusual. He claimed it was a good spot to think, often going there whenever he wasn't busy with classes or tennis or Akutsu-senpai. Therefore, Sengoku wasn't all that surprised to see him there. However, he was indeed somewhat puzzled to see that the younger boy wasn't scribbling down data or just thinking. Instead, he had something that looked like a sketch-book in his hand, busily drawing.
"Hmm? What are you doing, Dan-kun?" Walking closer, Sengoku leant down to have a look. Why, the kid could actually draw! Sure, he had known Dan could often be found at the Arts classroom, and the kid had once even mentioned he'd be in the Arts club if it wasn't for tennis, but interest didn't always equal skill. The sketch he saw on the topmost page, though, was despite its roughness a very clear likeness of Seigaku's Tezuka Kunimitsu.
"Sengoku-senpai!" Dan seemed somewhat startled. "Ah, nothing much! Just thinking about our opponents desu. Seigaku sure is strong desu!"
"Well, that's to be expected of the National champions," Sengoku chuckled. Reaching over, he flipped back to the previous page. Fuji Syusuke smiled up at him. "Why, these are pretty good! May I have a look?"
"Ah – please do desu!" Dan flushed a bit, giving the sketch book to Sengoku. Sengoku flipped back to the very first page. He wasn't all that surprised to find Akutsu there.
The Yamabuki tennis team regulars were all sketched on the following pages, Sengoku himself, Muromachi, everyone. After that there was Hyoutei, and Rikkai, and other schools, too. "Do you do this for data or what?"
"Ah, partly so desu," Dan said, flushing again. "When I draw someone, I try to think of their data, so when I look back at the picture, I'll remember it all again desu!"
"I see." Turning the page with Fudoumine's Tachibana on it, Sengoku found himself at the Seigaku section. Apparently he was nearing the end. "I can see why you'd consider the Arts club, Dan-kun."
"Thank you, Sengoku-senpai desu! Though they really aren't that good desu."
"Oh, no, they are." After Kikumaru would, of course, come Oishi. Sengoku was about to turn the page, then took another glance. Something in the picture caught his eye. But what was it? There wasn't anything special about the pose, and –
Ah, yes, that was it. The sketches were all black and white – or grey and white, rather, being done with pencil – yet this one had a bit of colour in it. While it had otherwise been done in pencil as well, Oishi's eyes were coloured with a vivid green.
"Hey, Dan-kun? Why'd you colour these eyes and nothing else?"
"Huh?" Dan blinked, then looked at the picture. "Oh, I don't know, really desu. I just had the green pencil at hand and, well, his eyes are green and… Just a whim, I guess desu."
"A whim, huh?" For some reason, Sengoku couldn't bring himself to turn to the next page. Instead, he kept looking at the sketch.
Both of them were quiet for a while. Finally, Sengoku spoke. "Say, Dan-kun… Could you lend this to me for a bit?"
Of course, being Dan, the kid cheerfully told him to simply keep the picture. He seemed slightly puzzled as to why Sengoku would want it, though – and, to be honest, Sengoku himself was just as confused. There wasn't anything exceptional about the sketch – aside from being quite skilfully done, that was – yet it seemed to have caught his interest.
To be honest, he'd never really paid much attention to Seigaku's vice-captain. Sure, they had met and talked, too, but Oishi always seemed to be somewhat in the shadow of the various talents in his team – and when not that, his flashy doubles partner. He was an excellent player, and a good fuku-buchou, too, but he wasn't all that interesting, really. Had never been.
Until now, as Sengoku kept staring at the sketch as though trying to wear a hole on the paper with his gaze alone.
He had no idea why the sketch interested him so. It was just a basic picture, Oishi doing something that looked like his special shot Moon Volley. Black and grey and white, rough, undefined lines, sketchy figures…
And a pair of emerald eyes staring right at him.
It was by chance, he told himself, entirely by chance that Sengoku found himself wandering towards the street courts after club practice. It had nothing to do with the picture. And it had most definitely nothing to do with the fact Seigaku regulars were sometimes seen at the courts. After all, it wasn't like the famous Golden Pair would be there.
Of course, like his luck would have it, it turned out they were.
As was only to be expected, the best middle school doubles pair in all of Japan had little trouble with defeating whatever opponents they were faced with at the street courts. Sengoku could tell they weren't even playing close to their true level; doing so would have probably defeated the entire point of playing with such a level of opponents. Even the very best the courts had to offer could do little but delay their loss even as the Golden Pair gave in.
The Moon Volley looked exactly like it did in the picture, Sengoku noted. He'd thought Dan's sketch was exaggerating or something, but it seemed Oishi indeed had such muscles… Impressive.
Finally, the two Seigaku players gave up their place on the court to others. It wasn't until now that Sengoku realized that he had spent all the time since his arrival simply standing at the stands, watching the game. And, even though he was certain he had watched them both, the only thing he could truly remember was Oishi.
Had Dan's sketch hypnotized him or something?
Deciding to ignore such things, since doing otherwise would have probably made his head hurt, Sengoku instead headed towards the Golden Pair, a smile on his lips. "Lucky!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you two here!"
"Ah, Sengoku." Oishi smiled a bit, wiping sweat from his brow. "We don't come here often since, well…" He glanced around at the other assembled doubles players, not saying anything. Sengoku got the message nevertheless.
"It's no fun playing against opponents who are so clearly at a lower level than you," Sengoku finished. "Unless you are teaching them or something, of course, but thing that here would be just condescending."
"Are all fuku-buchous so serious, nya?" Kikumaru blinked at Sengoku. Sengoku blinked back.
"Serious? Me?" he asked disbelievingly. That was certainly not something he was used to hearing.
"Well, yeah. Worried about how others would be insulted if we thought we were teaching them or something, nyaa." Kikumaru grinned, digging his water bottle from his bag. While doing so, he happened to glance at his cell phone and gasped in surprise. "Is it that late already? Nyah, I have to go I have to go! Sorry, Oishi, guess I can't help you today!" And, hardly even listening to his friend's response, he quickly ran off.
"Help you?" echoed Sengoku, confused. "What'd he mean?" He was almost glad that Kikumaru had left, though. Now he didn't have to pretend to look at the other. For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off Oishi.
Oishi sighed. "Well, there's this book I've been looking for my mother's birthday," he said. "Eiji said he knows a book shop that has it, but I don't know where it is – he didn't even remember the name, only that the owner's name is Sawaru. He was going to show it to me today, but we got distracted by the courts, and, well…" He scratched the back of his head. "I wonder if I'll manage to get the book before her birthday…"
"Sawaru's bookshop?" Sengoku grinned. "Lucky! I know where it is. Want me to show you there?" Lucky, yes, for him as well.
"I wouldn't want to trouble you," Oishi said uneasily. "You haven't even played yet, have you?"
"Oh, it's no trouble," Sengoku assured him. "I only came here to pass time – you know, to see if Dan-kun was here or something. I can just as well pass time walking you to the bookshop than standing around here." And besides, it would give him the opportunity to watch Oishi even more. Now that he looked closely, the other boy wasn't bad-looking at all. Rather, he was quite… attractive.
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much of trouble." Oishi sounded still hesitant, but he still shouldered his tennis bag, looking ready to follow Sengoku. "If you've nothing better to do than show me around…"
"Oh, no I don't." Sengoku's grin got even wider. "Nothing is better than hanging out with a handsome guy." The eyes were indeed very green, he noted. Dan's sketch hadn't exaggerated that, either.
However, Sengoku was quite convinced that a slight blush on Oishi's face only made them look even more radiant.