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Sun And Sunflower

Yukimura x OC, Tokugawa x OC, Tanegashima x OC

Chapter Four

In the midst of all the chaos, all the participating middle school players were in possession of a tennis ball (or more). Those without a ball that held their future at the camp were only high school players. Panic was starting to set in as they were all coming to realise that they were to be kicked out of the camp. This was a place they worked hard to get into, even harder so they could stay. How ridiculous would it be to be sent home all because they could not get to a tennis ball fast enough?

"Hey, you're not a player."

It always amazed Haruka how sharp someone could be in times of desperation. One of the high school players happened to be looking in her direction, noticing the tennis ball that Yukimura had so kindly given her. A tennis ball that Haruka did not need. And the way he was looking at her was...terrifying. He was desperate. So were all the others who did not have a ball and they were all now staring at the ball in Haruka's hand now that their attention had been brought over. Out of fear, Haruka gripped onto the ball tightly, hiding it behind her back. She knew she should give it up, give the chance to stay in the camp to someone. But the moment she was to hand the ball over, there would be chaos. There was no one specific person she could give it to. Not to mention that those without a ball could only mean that they were not good enough. Being able to stay, but not because of your own abilities; that was not something to be proud of.

"Oi, give it here, brat."

"Why do you get it? Give it to me!"

"I saw it first!"

"Hey, brat, give it here before I have to pry it from you."

More and more high school players were demanding the ball from Haruka. And as they were crowding closer and closer, both Fuji and Eiji stepped in front of their friend, protecting her. Petrified, Haruka gripped onto the back of Fuji's jersey, hiding completely behind him. She did not want to give the ball to any of them, not when they were demanding so rudely. Though, with the way things were looking, she was starting to think that perhaps giving it up was the best choice.

Just as she was about to tell Fuji, she was yanked from behind by her collar, making her scream. She was thrown onto the ground roughly, big hands grabbing at her much smaller one, attempting to pry the ball off her. Before they succeeded, whoever threw her onto the ground was slammed on the ground themselves. Yukimura stood by Haruka, offering his hand to help her up. As she took his hand, he pulled her up with ease before shoving her behind him, staring down the high school player who assaulted the girl.

Now, formality was something that Yukimura never disregarded. There was always a respect there for someone older than he was. But this was someone who put their hands on Haruka. Yukimura was not the only person riled up; Sanada moved before he did, grabbing the high school player and slamming him down.

"We don't put our hands on girls, no matter how desperate you are, senpai." Anyone could hear the spite in Yukimura's tone. And the piercing glare coming from the Rikkai captain was more than enough to make the high school player quiver underneath Sanada, making him scurry away as soon as Sanada let him go. "Are you alright, Haru?" Yukimura asked. Haruka could only nod. The trauma of being assaulted was so petrifying that the fact Yukimura called her by the nickname only he used went right over her head. Gently, Yukimura placed his hand on her arm, startling Haruka. "It's okay," he hushed, his hand gliding down her arm to take the ball from her hand. "I'll keep this for you."

"Haruka-chan!"

"Are you okay, Haruka?" Fuji asked, looking to Yukimura. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

There was something that Fuji could not quite put his finger on. In such a situation, anyone would help Haruka. Fuji and the rest of Seigaku aside, it was not hard to see that some of the middle school students reacted to the assault. But no one was as quick as Sanada and Yukimura. Not even Kenya, the speed star of Naniwa, was fast enough. Or was it the way Yukimura looked at the brunette? The way he spoke to her? Or was it the fact that Yukimura used a nickname no one ever called Haruka by?

While the situation was dying down, Inui was quick to point out to the high school players that there was, in fact, one more tennis ball left in the far corner of the courts. And like vultures, they were all flocking to the one untouched ball, all determined to be the one person with a chance to stay. But of course, there was no such luck. Using a racket to first claim the ball, it was then swooped up into the air and landed in the hands of none other than Echizen Ryoma himself.

"Hey, what's up?"

"No, not 'what's up'. How dare you disappear all of a sudden?"

"Ochibi~!"

"We were so worried, Echizen! You disappeared so suddenly after the Nationals!"

"Probability that Echizen was called here, one hundred and twenty percent."

"Welcome back!"

The rookie of Seigaku who took the world of middle school tennis by a storm made a surprise appearance at the camp, causing a wave of murmuring among the middle school students. Most were excited to see freshman, looking forward to a possible match with him. But the chatters among them was irritating the high school students further. How dare they act so carefree? How dare they make it seem like participating in the camp was such an easy feat?

"OI! You brats! How dare you pick all the balls? And that brat over there isn't even a participant! Give her ball here!"

"Will those without a ball please leave as soon as possible. This was the head coach's orders."

Coach Kurobe's voice boomed through the speakers, silencing the commotion going on down at the courts. The U-17 camp had always been, and always would been, a place of no tolerance for weakness. If anyone should know, it would be the high school players. Without a ball, they really had to leave. But none of them was willing to leave in such a way. Especially not when all the middle school students could stay. Some were prepared to leave, but most was not willing.

"Picking up a tennis ball has nothing to do with tennis!" Sasabe stated. "So let's settle this the right way; with a tennis match. Anyone up for the challenge? Anyone willing to stake their ball? How about you, four-eyes?"

Despite the confusion over which 'four-eyes' he was referring to, Sasabe's attention was soon diverted to someone who so bravely volunteered himself. And it was none other than the mischievous freshman of Seigaku (who borrowed a pair of glasses off someone). A ripple of laughter washed over the high school students, thinking it to be hilarious and pathetic that a 'kid' had came out to challenge.

Slowly, one by one, the middle school players were getting interested in these matches and were volunteering to play. Not remotely interested in the matches, Fuji saw this as a chance to talk to Haruka. He tugged at her elbow, getting the brunette's attention first before indicating to the side where they could be somewhat alone. As they moved off to the side, Yukimura could not help but notice how the two broke off together.

"Are you okay, Haruka?" Fuji asked.

"Better now," Haruka replied, rubbing against her wrist as she spoke. Fuji looked down to her hand before putting a hand on her head. "Shu-kun?"

"Did you know that when you're nervous or upset, you rub your wrists?" At the mention of her habit, Haruka immediately stopped, putting her hands behind her back. Fuji let out a soft chuckle before bending down to her level and opened his eyes, revealing his bright blue eyes. "You're safe now, don't worry about it." With his reassurance, Haruka relaxed a little. What happened caught them all by surprise but Haruka was pretty sure that Fuji would never let it happen again. In fact, a lot of people here would make sure it never happened again.

"I know."

With a gentle smile, Fuji gave a gentle pat on her head. As he straightened himself, from the corner of his eyes, he managed to catch a glance of Yukimura looking their way. The two boys' eyes met but neither of them was backing down from the stare down. And in that moment, both boys suddenly felt that there was a rivalry going on between them. It was entirely different to the rivalry between their schools. This was personal.

"Enough!" The silent rivalry was disrupted as someone at the top shouted at those on the courts. "This is a disgrace! Those without a ball should have gone home already. This is disgraceful and pollutes the air." Whoever he was, it was clear that he had a lot of authority over the high school students as they were starting to disperse without another word of protest.

"I'm sorry, but personal matches are prohibited here." There were two others and one of them spoke up, explaining the rule of the camp. "You see, here at the U-17 camp, everyone is separated according to their skills and strength by courts; court one to court sixteen. The lower the number, the stronger the players. Everyday, before morning practice, there are shuffle matches. In order to move up a court, you would have to win said matches. You win, you move up a court. You lose, you move down."

"And what court are you guys from?"

"Nice to meet you all, I am Irie Kanata, court three."

"Oni, court five."

"What about you? Let's have a ma-"

Although asking for a match, Kirihara was soon frozen on the spot when he approached the last of the three who came to stop the matches. "Do you want to go home?" That was all he said, freeing his elbow from Kirihara's grip before walking off without so much as another glance at any of them. Irie observed from the side, walking up to Kirihara with a soft smile.

"Tokugawa Kazuya, court one," he informed. "Haruka-chan, I think it's about time they have a tour and a rest."

Having been picked out suddenly, Haruka felt a little embarrassed and Fuji only made it worse when he nudged her from behind, making her take a few steps forward and come into view of everyone. Instantly, Haruka shot a glare over her shoulder to which Fuji only smiled. Irie let out a soft chuckle, giving the small brunette a wink before he turned on his heel, following after the other two.

Now that she was left alone with the middle school players, Haruka felt awkward. This was the first time she had to deal with such a large group at the camp. Sure she knew a handful of them, but she was suddenly faced with a new challenge. It did not help that she was much smaller than most of them (Ryoma and Kintaro seemed to be the only ones shorter than she was) so to boost her confidence, Haruka straightened herself, trying to look as tall as she could.

"Hello and welcome to the U-17 camp. My name is Kobayashi Haruka, a volunteer here at the camp, and this year, I have been assigned to taking care of you. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on managing to stay here. I will be taking you around for a tour around the camp and will be taking you to the dorm shortly after. If there is anything you need or would like to know, please do not hesitate to let me know!"

There was only silence.

Until Ryoma broke it with a snicker.

Haruka immediately narrowed her eyes on the freshman. "What are you laughing at, Shorty-Ryo?" Instantly, Ryoma stopped and similarly, narrowed his eyes on her. The two were never on good terms with each other, always bickering like siblings. Haruka hated the disrespecting on Ryoma's side (it was really just teasing here and there) while Ryoma hated the nickname she had decided on for him. "I do not appreciate it. And let me remind you now, please do not cause another spectacle like you did just now again."

"You were the one who caused quite a ruckus, if I remember correctly," Ryoma pointed out.

"You brat..."

"Haruka."

"Alright. Fine. I'll let you go for now. Please follow me!"

The tour consisted of showing the middle school players what facilities were available here at the camp, other places that they could visit (such as the café), and eventually, they were brought to the dorm where they would be staying for the duration of the camp. With a clipboard in her hand, Haruka was reading off the list, sending people into their assigned rooms.

"In room two-o-two are Chitose-san, Yanagi-san, Inui-san, and Mizuki-san. In room two-o-one are Shiraishi-san, Sei-Yukimura-san, and Shu-kun. And that's everyone. You have the rest of the night to settle in and rest before your practice starts tomorrow. Dinner will be at the cafeteria that we went to on the tour and will be served in about...half an hour. That's everything for now. Please do not hesitate to call for me if there is anything you need."

"Who's Shu-kun?" Kenya asked.

"That...would be my brother," Yuuta replied.

"She was totally going to call the captain by his name," Marui pointed out.

Haruka's cheeks was starting to burn red as people were starting to expose her. She had the habit of giving someone a nickname; she rarely ever called someone by their name. Fuji had always been 'Shu-kun' and everyone in Seigaku knew. It was just the fact of having someone point it out that made it embarrassing. Not to mention that Marui had picked up on the fact that she was so close to letting Yukimura's nickname slip. All she wanted was to get out of there.

"See you later, Haru."

Yukimura's last comment just as she was walking off was what did it for Haruka. His tone was clearly one of teasing. With her hands pressed to her cheeks to cover the blush, Haruka ran off as fast as she could while some of the boys were making fun of her. Yukimura let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. There were still some things that was the same with her. After his fun, Yukimura headed for his room but once again, met Fuji's stare. The two stood just outside the door to their shared room, blocking the entrance for Shiraishi.

"Seems like you're quite close to Haruka, Yukimura-kun. Did you know each other before? I know she transferred from Rikkai, but I didn't think that she would be associated with you in any ways. After all, she never mentioned you."

"You seem to be rather close to Haru yourself, though that is to be expected since you go to the same school. However, Haru and I are childhood friends. Had been since we were seven. You would be surprised with a lot of things regarding Haru. And a true friendship need not to be mentioned every day of our lives to everyone we meet. It does not make it any less of a friendship."

"Oh really? Then she must have kept in touch with you since her transfer? I think you are mistaken, Yukimura-kun. You would be the one surprised with a lot of things regarding Haruka. After all, three years is a lot of time to change someone."

"I am never mistaken, Fuji-kun. Haru is a special girl. She is always surprising, no matter how often you are around her."

"Can we um...go in now?" Shiraishi asked awkwardly, looking to and fro between the two. Neither of them was backing down, just like the staring contest they had back on the court. Shiraishi was already worrying about the fact that they had to share a room but these two seemed to be fighting with each other and they have yet to set foot in the room. "You know, standing out here isn't going to make Kobayashi-san choose either of you so how about we go in and get along with each other?"

They only replied in smiles as they stepped aside, allowing Shiraishi into the room first before walking in themselves.

A huge sigh escaped from Koharu as she placed the huge laundry basket down, stocking up the shelves with freshly washed and folded towels. All day, since their arrival at the camp, she had been running around working. It started with changing the sheets in the dorm rooms, then checking off the high school players to make sure that they were all where they were supposed to be, and eventually it led to doing the laundry. She barely had any rest; the tiredness from a full day's work was really catching up to her. Another huge sigh came from her as she murmured, telling herself that she would be done after this task. Koharu was really starting to envy her little sister. All she had to do was show the middle school students around.

As she was stacking the towels carefully on the shelves, Koharu was coming to realise that even with her height, there was a place that she could not reach. There was nothing in her immediate vicinity that could help boost her height either so she resorted to going on her tiptoes, trying to push the stack of towels onto the shelf. A hand came from behind and easily pushed the towels in for her. As she turned around to thank her saviour, Koharu froze.

"Oh my, two Kobayashi sisters in a day. Maybe I should try my luck with the lottery if I run into the last one." Irie greeted Koharu with a smile to which she only nodded in response. Irie looked from Koharu to Tokugawa who helped her with the towels before looking back to the girl with another smile, though this had a different meaning behind it. "Why don't the two of you just kiss it out?"

Koharu stiffened at the comment. She grabbed the empty laundry basket and pushed past the two tennis players, running off. Tokugawa stared after her, breathing in deep and slowly letting the breath out. Awkward encounters as such was ones they would not be able to avoid. Tokugawa knew that. So did Koharu. This was what Haruko asked about before coming to the camp. Koharu thought she could handle it. She thought wrong. She thought she could forget everything that happened and just pretend like there was nothing between them to begin with. But she could not. Seeing him again, it brought back memories. Painful memories.

This is for Haruka, she kept telling herself. Haruka is happy here because her friends are here. If we leave because you're a coward who runs away from your problems, then Haruka would get upset. Think of your little sister, Koharu...think of your little sister.

"Oi."

Fortunately, Koharu managed to stop just in time before she crashed into Haruko who was on the same path as her, going the other direction. Pushing her hair behind her ear, Koharu was trying to pretend nothing happened but if there was anything she was particular bad at, it was pretending. That was something both Koharu and Haruka had in common. They were both open books.

"What's up?" Haruko asked. "And don't even pretend it's nothing because by now, you would be lecturing me about how it's rude to greet someone with 'oi'."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Seven words. Small words. But when they were put together and coming from Koharu, the elder Kobayashi knew what was going on. "Alright, well, Haruka's waiting for us at the cafeteria. Dinner is about to be served and we gotta be there. I have one last task to do so I'll join you guys later." Koharu nodded, starting to make her way to the cafeteria when Haruko grabbed her arm. "You want me to talk to Saito about swapping duties with you?"

"It's okay...I can handle it."

"Alright...well, if you need help, let me know."