"I'll beat you this time, Kirihara. This time, [First-Name] has to cheer for me, so I'll definitely win!"
You feel like shrinking. Or melting, or evaporating. Or anything that would get you away from here- The black haired boy on the court turns to look towards Seigaku's seats, and even from here you can tell he's gone wide eyed.
Not just him, of course. You suspect the others from your previous school looked, too, but they seem far less surprised. Only Kirihara himself hadn't put two and two together. If Hiro was there, fighting on the court, then it was unthinkable that you wouldn't be here.
(Somehow, that thought brings a smile to your face. It was almost comforting that he hadn't changed since you had left.)
"…Kirihara-kun, Nii-chan, you really should get back to the match," you speak up. This was the last match. (Afterwards. Keep that 'til afterwards, okay?)
From across the court, Yukimura- he's not your captain anymore, so what do you call him by- seems to hear your silent plea. "Kirihara. Serve, please."
And so it begins.
#
At first, Kirihara moves violently, eyes full of venom pointed at your brother. Likewise, Hiro seems surprisingly serious, putting his all into the match. They trade words, over and over, until the both of them seem to soften.
It reminds you of the time they once fought over the the cookie in a batch you'd made, some weeks before you had left. They settled it with a match, and eventually they laughed together- before looking back, and seeing that Marui-senpai had stolen it in the commotion.
Poor Marui-senpai. He had the wrath of both your dear brother and spoilt Kirihara to face-
"[First-Name]-senpai, do you need something to drink?"
Almost jumping at the sudden voice, you turn your head to look at Ryoma, his hat pulled over his face. "Ah… No, I'm just-" Reminiscing. "-wondering who'll win the match."
"…Don't worry too much, senpai."
##
Hiro wins, grinning cockily as he sneaks a glance over to Seigaku's side. "Mada mada dane, Kirihara!" he spouts, only moments before a tennis ball is tossed at him from the sidelines. Hitting him square in the jaw.
"Who is Mada mada dane, Hiro-senpai?"
The voice, this time, does not surprise you. Instead, you can't help but hide a smile. What a cocky brother of yours…
…"How is that anyway to treat your kind senpai, o'chibi?!"
Your brother sticks his tongue out, face like a child's, before he turns swiftly to face Kirihara. They stare at each other, before Kirihara begins to yell.
"What was with that?! Disappearing on the last day! And on top of that, you even missed my birthday party! You owe me, stupid Hiro-!" He turns to Seigaku's sidelines, this time his voice more of a pout. "I expect cakes to compensate for all those I missed out on, [First-Name]."
The way boys could understand each other just by tennis… What a weird talent. Lifting your head to look at the seaweed haired boy, you force a skeptical smile- "You missed ours, too. You owe us twice as much."
###
It almost feels the same. Kirihara stands by your side, telling you about all the feats the three demons of Rikkai had accomplished while you were gone, whilst Niou sneaks off to the side, rubber spider in hand. (You make a mental note to remove it from your bag before you forget.)
Marui wheedles for pastries, and Jackal tries to control him to no avail. Sanada stands off to the side with Yukimura and Yanagi, though the two give smiles your way, and… Yagyuu. Did he just hide a snort? Niou probably finished whatever prank he was planning.
The differences… Kirihara was taller. He was taller than you, now- puberty was good to him, apparently, and you can't help but note his face has lost a bit of baby fat.
Well, he hasn't lost his baby attitude. He's almost clinging, like he used to back in 3rd grade, and it doesn't seem to suit him.
And, of course, the most obvious…
"Ne, Kirihara-kun, don't you think you're too close to [First-Name]-senpai?" pipes up a grinning underclassmen, leading to Kikumaru jumping in between you two. "Nyah~ [First-Name]-chan!" he cries, as if he was the one who hadn't seen you in ages, shooting a glance to Oishi. "Oiiiishiii~ Rikkaidai is trying to steal our [First-Name]-chan~!"
"Oy, oy, what are you trying to do with our manager? Not cool, not cool," jumps in Momoshiro, "And besides, I claim all sweets that [First-Name]-chan brings!"
"Hey! I'm her brother! I deserve the sweets the most, Momo-chan-! Marui-senpai, don't even think of taking my food~!"
"Saah… Tezuka, should we step in? It seems the rivalry has grown even more…"
"…Fuji-senpai, what's with the scary smile that doesn't reach your eyes?"
A big difference. It seems like life has grown a bit more troublesome- yet you can't help but laugh. You really, really missed this.
You guess being around those guys so much caused you to gain a taste for chaos. Just like Fuji-senpai's sister's food made him gain the taste for spicy food.
(You're not visiting his house again for dinner. Not ever.)