"Across the Courts"
05. Glasses
In which Atobe attempts to divulge the meaning of Oshitari's glasses.
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"Oshitari, ore-sama demands to know why you wear glasses when your eyesight is perfectly fine," Atobe Keigo said regally.
The said tensai smiled upon hearing the question that Atobe posed every day once he learned the truth about his glasses. As a joke last week, Mukahi had stolen Oshitari's glasses, thinking that the latter boy would be myopic without them. Once he realized that Oshitari could see just fine without the twinkling spectacles, he had run all over the tennis courts, announcing the discovery of this amazing piece of fact to everyone within hearing range. Needless to say, this had piqued the curiosity of quite a few people, one of whom was none other than the king of Hyoutei himself.
"Because," Oshitari answered casually, "people will become cursed if I don't have my glasses." *
Atobe frowned, contemplating this answer. (Oshitari had given different answers each time Atobe questioned him, some of which included strange statements along the lines of: "The prime minister himself gave me these glasses as a gift to commemorate my tensai-ness" and "I can communicate with extraterrestrial beings.") Indeed, Mukahi had tripped over a tennis ball in his mad dash, causing him to wobble around the school with crutches and a bruised arm for some time. However:
"Ore-sama does not believe in such superstitious stories," Atobe countered.
"Oh?" Oshitari smirked, his glasses flashing in the sunlight. "Would you like to try, Atobe?"
An uncomfortable silence ensued in light of the tensai's words. Atobe shifted his weight (not fidgeted—because the king never fidgeted out of nervousness, nor did he ever pale at the thought of the supernatural) and flipped his hair in true Atobe style.
"Ore-sama is above such commonplace nonsense," Atobe huffed. "Carry on with your usual business, then, Oshitari. Come, Kabaji."
"Usu."
And the king departed—a little too swiftly, Oshitari keenly noted—with Kabaji and an imperial wave of his hand.
The blue-haired tensai chuckled at their retreating backs.
"Who knew that I would have so much fun simply because I wanted glasses to look smarter?"
FIN
A/N: *Inspired by Tsukiyume-Yue's "The Cursed Glasses." (It's on my Favorite Stories list if you're interested.)
Disclaimer: Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.
.moose